National Climate Change Planning Specialist

Organizational Context

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports the transformation to efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems to improve production, nutrition, the environment, and livelihoods. The FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP), established in 1996, coordinates FAO's work across 14 Pacific nations. SAP implements programs addressing food security, nutrition, agriculture, natural resources management, and rural development, with a focus on gender, climate change adaptation, and anticipatory action.

Job Purpose

The National Climate Change Planning Specialist will support the Nauru Readiness Project, focusing on developing technical studies, National Designated Authority (NDA) capacity building, visioning, co-design processes, and prefeasibility studies. This role is crucial for developing a project concept note for a potential Green Climate Fund (GCF) project aimed at enhancing climate change resilience in Nauru. The specialist will ensure project alignment with national climate change planning, facilitate communication between government departments, and provide ongoing support to the NDA throughout project implementation, enhancing their capacity.

Responsibilities

The specialist will gather and analyze data on private sector engagement in climate action and best practices for attracting climate investments. Responsibilities include supporting the development and updating of national climate change policies, strategies, and action plans, and facilitating the integration of climate change considerations into national and sectoral development plans. The role involves providing technical input for climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience initiatives, reviewing policy frameworks, and identifying gaps. The specialist will support mitigation potential and climate risk assessments, strengthen institutional capacity for climate planning and mainstreaming through training and resource development, and contribute to co-design processes for GCF projects. Monitoring project progress, reporting on climate change developments, and coordinating with government bodies like the NDA Secretariat and DEMA are also key duties. Additionally, the role supports stakeholder engagement, workshop organization, capacity development for government officials, and the drafting of concept notes and terms of reference for project activities.

Work Experience

A minimum of three years of relevant experience in climate policy development, adaptation planning, or development planning is necessary. The candidate must be a national of Nauru and possess a working knowledge of English.

Skills

Essential skills include results focus, teamwork, communication, building effective relationships, and knowledge sharing. Technical expertise in climate change adaptation, mitigation, sustainable development, climate risk and vulnerability assessment, and policy/strategic planning is required. Strong analytical and report writing skills, proficiency in English, and experience developing capacity-building materials are important. Experience working with government institutions, development partners, and a broad range of stakeholders, including senior officials, is highly valued. A demonstrated understanding of government policy and planning processes, along with specific knowledge of the situation in Nauru, is also beneficial.

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