Gender Expert - GCF/GEF Projects

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The FAO Sub-Regional office for West Africa (SFW) responsible for developing, promoting and implementing FAO agreed strategies to help countries and sub-regional organizations address food security, nutrition, agriculture and rural development priorities in West Africa. The Office has a multidisciplinary team of technical experts, in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, land and water, and pastoralism, who provide technical support to the 15 member countries of ECOWAS in their fight against poverty and the promotion of food and nutritional security; as well as to a wider 17 member countries of the Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) in strengthening the resilience of the Sahel countries.

There is growing international recognition that the agricultural sectors (including crops, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture and livestock) play a central role in responding to climate change, as these sectors are among the foremost priorities in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted by African countries under the UNFCCC. In this regard, SFW Strategy has as one of its priority areas “Sustainable Management of the Environment and Natural Resources (SMENR)” that intends to support countries address issues related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, the preservation of biodiversity, and the collection, management and sharing on the environment and natural resources data in the sub-region.

SFW is increasingly receiving requests from countries in West Africa for providing technical support in the development of concept notes and project proposals to key environmental donors (GFF and GEF and Adaptation Fund) as well as their implementation. As an accredited agency to the GEF, GCF and Adaptation Fund, FAO intends to expand its portfolio to assist countries in fulfilling their ambitions on climate action, notably, with UNFCCC, as well as the NDCs in the Paris Agreement.

GEF will shortly be the main donors of countries in the West Africa Sub-Region, in terms of climate actions. The portfolio of SFW comprises more than 60 projects funded by GEF. To succeed in the engagement with countries and the Secretariat of GEF, the FAO intends to strengthen its climate team at SFW

Reporting Lines

The gender expert will work under the overall supervision of the Senior Policy Officer at SFW and the technical supervision of the Forestry Officer at SFW, and in close collaboration projects implementation teams at country level.

Technical Focus

Contribute to the designing and implementation of GEF&GCF projects by supporting SFW in the provision of technical support to the countries offices in the formulation and development of project proposals, with focus on gender integration in forestry, climate change, and natural resources management.
Support the climate change team in the advancement and implementation of the GEF & GCF action plans towards gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Tasks and responsibilities

Gender-Responsive Project Formulation and Design\:

• Provide support to project formulation teams during the development of GCF and GEF proposals and concept notes.
• Ensure the integration of comprehensive, context-specific gender analyses and the development of a Gender Action Plans (GAPs) that meets GCF/GEF standards.
• Guide teams in designing interventions that promote women's equitable participation, support women in climate leadership roles, and deliver tangible social and gender co-benefits alongside environmental and climate outcomes.

Policy Guidance and Technical Support\:

• Provide expert technical support to government partners and national designated authorities on mainstreaming gender into climate and environmental policies, strategies, and plans (e.g., National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)).
• Support governments in formulating and implementing gender-transformative policies and programs related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable land management, biodiversity conservation, and resilient rural livelihoods.

Project Implementation, Monitoring, and Reporting\:

• Support in the implementation of project-level Gender Action Plans and social inclusion strategies across the environment and climate portfolio.
• Support the establishment and management a gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework, ensuring the systematic collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated data and progress against gender-sensitive indicators.
• Provide technical backstopping for field missions and contribute expert gender inputs to project progress reports, mid-term reviews, and terminal evaluations to meet GCF/GEF reporting requirements.

Capacity Development and Knowledge Management\:

• Support the implementation of targeted gender capacity development initiatives for technical staff, government counterparts, civil society partners and FAO’s other partners in GCF/GEF initiatives.
• Develop and disseminate user-friendly tools, guidance notes, and resource materials on integrating gender into climate change projects, based on GCF/GEF best practices.

Partnerships, Coordination, and Advocacy\:

• Liaise and maintain close collaboration with national gender machineries, environmental ministries, regional climate bodies, and key stakeholders (e.g., women-led environmental CSOs, Indigenous Peoples' organizations) to strengthen women's participation in climate and environmental governance.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCOin Development Studies, Gender, Climate Change, Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Social Sciences or a related field as appropriate for the specific profile Consultants with bachelor`s degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in analyzing and integrating gender dimensions into policy and programme formulation and implementation, particularly in the context of agriculture, climate change, rural development, food security and nutrition;Experience on GCF, GEF or Investment Financing Institutions (IFI) is an advantage.
• Working knowledge of French and English.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions in West Africa is desirable;
• Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience in gender equality and mainstreaming.
• Ability to provide technical and advisory services.
• Experience in formulation or implementation of projects in sub-Saharan Africa, especially for GEF, GCF and other climate finance donor agencies.
• Experience in resource mobilisation, preferably in the areas of forestry, sustainable management of natural resources, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• Experience working with other UN agencies, RECs and FAO country Offices in project implementation
• Relevant experience in the design, formulation or evaluation of substantial agricultural and rural development projects and programmes with a focus on climate change

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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