GEF project expert

Organizational Setting:

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund, established in 1992 supports projects to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems. FAO became a full-fledged member of the GEF in 2006. Over the past 12 years, the FAO-GEF partnership has helped deliver more than 180 projects in over 120 countries. These projects have benefitted more than 4.6 million women and men, created over 350 000 jobs in rural communities, safeguarded biodiversity in 189 vulnerable marine ecosystems and saved close to a thousand crop varieties and animal species and breeds from extinction. Importantly, in 90 of these projects, indigenous peoples and local communities have been actively involved in project design and implementation.

The joint work of FAO and the GEF on these areas is today widely recognized in addressing the critical nexus between environment and agriculture and has been instrumental in supporting countries in their efforts to achieve national development objectives and meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The FAO-GEF partnership has contributed to national efforts in responding to the dual challenge of ensuring that everyone has access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food, and is capable of coping with the impacts of a changing climate.

In recognition of these achievements, the countries of the Europe and Central Asia region are increasingly requesting assistance from the FAO regional office to support them in defining and developing project proposals. Accordingly, the Regional Office is seeking to strengthen its capacity to provide support to expanding the GEF portfolio of projects in its member countries, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Reporting Lines

The GEF project expert will work under the overall supervision of the ADG/Regional Representative for the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, and under the direct supervision and technical guidance of LTOs for the GEF projects and in close collaboration with technical officers at the regional, sub-regional and country offices.

Tasks and responsibilities

The GEF project expert will undertake the following tasks:

• Support the development of project concept notes to promote the dialogue with countries
• Develop Project Identification Forms (PIF) following GEF guidance and policies
• Guide team members on PIF development and GEF policies
• Help develop the theory of change for projects
• Identify the expected global environmental benefits that will be provided by the project and prepare the corresponding Core Indicators Worksheet;
• Address GEF Scientific Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) and GEF Council comments
• Prepare the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) implementation plan
• Coordinate the preparation of the project document (PRODOC) including the refinement of the Theory of change and provide guidance to the members of the preparation team on the requirements of the GEF secretariat
• Design how to collect baseline data and develop the project alternative scenario.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree(s) in economics, agriculture, natural resources, sustainable development, climate policy, rural development, or related fields.
• A minimum of 3 years of work experience in climate change, biodiversity, land degradation preferably in the targeted countries
• A minimum of 3 years of work experience in project design, preferably GEF projects
• Knowledge of GEF policies and guidelines
• Working level of English and limited knowledge of one of Arabic, Chinese, French or Spanish for Consultants; working level of English for PSA Subscribers.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Additional Selection Criteria

• Ability to work on international teams and with remote supervision.
• Computer skills (WordPerfect, PowerPoint, Excel, Skype)
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required and basic knowledge of the Russian language will be considered an asset.