GEF Project Technical Specialist

Organizational Context

The FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP), part of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP), drives strategies and projects for sustainable food systems, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, natural resources management, and rural development across the Pacific. SAP manages a diverse project portfolio, including those funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), supporting countries in addressing environmental degradation, climate change, biodiversity loss, and promoting resilient rural livelihoods. This role will provide technical, coordination, monitoring, and reporting support to assigned GEF portfolio projects in the Pacific, ensuring alignment with project documents, FAO procedures, and GEF requirements.

Job Purpose

Under the overall guidance of the FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific and direct supervision of the SAP Programme Officer, Head of Programme and Operations, the GEF Project Technical Specialist will provide essential support for the effective and timely implementation of assigned GEF portfolio projects. The Specialist will work under the technical guidance of the Better Environment Module Leader / Forestry Officer for quality assurance and in close coordination with various stakeholders including Budget Holders, Lead Technical Officers, SAP Programme and Operations teams, the RAP-GEF Regional Lead Coordinator, the OCB GEF Coordination Unit, country offices, operational partners, national project teams, and government counterparts. This role is crucial for ensuring projects meet their objectives and comply with all relevant standards and requirements.

Responsibilities

The GEF Project Technical Specialist will coordinate, implement, monitor, and report on assigned GEF portfolio projects in the Pacific, ensuring adherence to project documents, work plans, budgets, FAO procedures, and GEF requirements. Responsibilities include supporting the preparation and follow-up of project work plans, procurement plans, budget forecasts, and risk logs. The Specialist will monitor technical and financial delivery, identify implementation bottlenecks and risks, and coordinate with project teams and partners for timely reporting. They will provide technical and coordination support on project cycle management, implementation planning, and compliance. The role involves reviewing operational and technical requests, contributing to Project Implementation Reports and other technical documents, and supporting the organization of project meetings. Field missions may be conducted for monitoring and coordination. The Specialist will also support monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning activities, including mid-term reviews and terminal evaluations, and contribute to knowledge management and the development of communication materials. Guidance will be provided to affiliate personnel, and support will be offered for project design documents, resource mobilization, and future GEF programming. Regular progress and end-of-assignment reports will be prepared.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of relevant professional experience is required in project coordination, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and/or technical support for projects related to environment, climate change, natural resources management, biodiversity, forestry, land management, agriculture, or sustainable development.

Skills

Key skills include a strong understanding of the GEF project cycle, including implementation, monitoring, reporting, risk management, and evaluation. Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex multi-country or multi-stakeholder projects is essential. Proficiency in project management, planning, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting is required, along with the ability to identify and address implementation bottlenecks and risks. Excellent analytical, drafting, and communication skills are necessary for preparing reports and technical inputs. Experience with Project Implementation Reports, mid-term reviews, and terminal evaluations is advantageous. The ability to work effectively with diverse teams at various levels and excellent interpersonal skills, tact, and diplomacy are crucial. Familiarity with FAO procedures, the Pacific region, and GEF-funded projects would be beneficial.

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