Green Climate Fund Project Formulation Specialist

Organizational Setting

FAO’s work in West Bank and Gaza Strip is guided by the Country Programming Framework (CPF) for Palestine in 2018-2022. The CPF promotes to the well-being of Palestinian people contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. It focuses on sustainable management of natural resources and development of agrifood value chains, protection and inclusion of vulnerable groups and improved nutrition, quality and safety of food consumption. To this effect, the CPF adopts a resilience approach to bridge humanitarian and development interventions, recognizing the centrality of market led development and its dependence on the enabling environment put in place by the public sector to promote food security.

The position is located in FAO's Coordination Office for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) Programme at the area office in Ramallah. Field visits to Jenin governorate will be required.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The effects of climate change on Palestine are exacerbated by food and water shortages, soil erosion, and desertification, further jeopardizing the livelihoods of poor and marginalized demographic groups. This is compounded further by the increased incidence and severity of adverse weather and climate conditions such as drought, flash flooding, winter storms, and heat waves.

Marj Sanur, located in the southern part of Jenin Governorate of the West Bank, faces severe water shortages. Nonetheless, the area is known to experience annual flooding during winter. This two-sided problem has witnessed increased severity over the past decades affecting the livelihood resilience of thousands of families depending on the Marj for their income and food security.

A body of literature points to how properly managed surface water (e.g. run-off water and drainage solvent scenarios) can alleviate flooding and increase groundwater levels in Marj. , The negative effects from aggravated local water systems can be alleviated by demonstrating how better-integrated watershed management and adopting proper adaptation measures can enhance agricultural development along with improved water access, supply, and quality of water for rural communities. Initial community-based consultations among farmers in the Marj plain further indicate a strong desire to build water storage dams and artificial recharge wells. The benefits of this approach include strengthened resilience of livelihoods, reduced vulnerability, reduced poverty, and increased water and food security.

Within this context, and in an effort to build climate resilient agriculture-based livelihoods in the Marj area, FAO is seeking the services of a consultant to support its team in formulating a high-quality concept note (CN) to be submitted to the GCF.

The consultant will be responsible for carrying out consultations, acquire and consolidating data and studies, design and prepare a high-quality concept note (CN) for subsequent transformation to a full funding proposal (FP) to submit to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), in line with GCF requirements and templates following FAO guidelines. Reporting Lines The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the FAO West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS) Head of Office, , the direct supervision the FAO WBGS Head of Programme, along with technical guidance and day-to-day collaboration with the International Economist.

Technical Focus

The consultant will support office capacity to engage in policy and programme-development within the technical field of climate change adaption.

Tasks and responsibilities

The consultant is responsible for the overall formulation of the concept note to be duly submitted to the GCF. He/She will work with relevant national stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Environment Quality Authority (EQA) and other related actors and stakeholders.

More specifically, the consultant shall perform the following tasks:

• Lead a desk review to collect, consolidate and analyse relevant information, data, and reports; • Facilitate stakeholder consultations to inform the design and formulation of the CN; • Articulate and document climate change-related problems and impacts, key factors of vulnerability and barriers to adaptation, national policies and priorities, and existing initiatives; • Lead the prefeasibility study and environmental and social risk screening; • Formulate the log-frame along with well-defined outcome/s, results, outputs and activities, indicators, baselines, targets, assumptions, fulfilling the GCF and FAO requirements; • Prepare inputs to the CN with all required annexes for submission to the GCF, reflecting GCF and FAO templates; • Facilitate a validation workshop with related stakeholders, collect feedback, and support revision the CN as required; • Work with the GCF Technical Expert for integrated watershed management to ensure that all technical inputs prepared as needed; • Provide inputs to the CN as per comments and instructions that might be received from FAO and GCF; • Get acquainted with the GCF requirements for the CN in terms of contents and process, and ensure that these are fully considered in the CN contents and structure and the process followed. • Perform other tasks as required.

Consultancy deliverables: A ready-for-submission project concept note that comprehensively fulfils the FAO/GCF guidelines and includes the following annexes and supporting documents:

Annexes to the GCF Concept Note, which include: • Map indicating the location of the project/programme • Diagram of theory of change • Economic and financial model with key assumptions and potential stressed scenarios • Pre-feasibility study • Evaluation report of previous project/s as applicable. • Results of environmental and social risk screening

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• At least 7 years of professional work experience with formulating and managing climate change related programs and projects. • Working knowledge of English Language and limited knowledge of one of the other languages of the organization (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian). Knowledge of Arabic is desirable. For PSA.SBS the working knowledge of only one language is required. • University degree or higher in environmental or agricultural sciences, natural resource management, economics or a related appropriate field

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in working with Green Climate Fund proposal processes. • Experience in climate change economics, analysis, policy development and project design (including drafting analytical outputs and reports) • Work experience in humanitarian/development contexts with a focus on resilience, livelihoods, and climate change adaptation. • Work experience in project management, resource mobilization, external relations, and public-private sectors partnerships • Experience working in context of West Bank & Gaza Strip desirable • Ability to travel to and within the West Bank