Back GEF Portfolio Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) works to ensure that countries and stakeholders respond to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. OCB provides a cross organizational coordination role on issues related to climate change, biodiversity and the environment and is the focal point to major multilateral environmental agreements including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). 

OCB hosts the FAO-Global Environment Facility (GEF) Coordination Unit. The GEF is a global funding mechanism for five environmental conventions. The Unit supports eligible countries to access GEF resources. FAO’s global GEF portfolio has grown rapidly and currently exceeds USD $1.8 billion, with more than 300 approved projects, mostly implemented through the Operational Partnership Implementation Modality (OPIM). Such rapid growth comes with increasing demand for portfolio monitoring, quality assurance and implementation support, in close coordination with Project Task Forces (PTF), Decentralized Offices (DO) and Corporate Units, as the GEF prioritizes enhanced efficiency in the project cycle phases and links resource availability to projects’ achieving key milestones within hard deadlines

The GEF is a multilateral family of funds dedicated to confronting biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, and supporting land and ocean health. The GEF is a financing mechanism for  five international environmental conventions: the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the UNCBD, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the UNFCCC that could be financed by the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF). 

FAO is one of the top GEF partner implementing agencies worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300 projects valued at more than USD 1.8 billion. FAO supports eligible countries in accessing resources from all of the GEF family of trust funds. Brazil is one of the top recipients of GEF grant assistance worldwide.  The project portfolio in Brazil has a crucial importance for GEF-7 and GEF-8 cycles, and a significant potential for GEF-9.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Brazil. The incumbent will work closely with FAO colleagues in the Office of Climate, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB), the technical divisions at FAO Headquarters (Rome), and FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (FAORLC). 

Technical Focus

The GEF Portfolio Specialist will work at the FAO Office in Brazil, in close coordination with the OCB-GEF Unit and FAO RLC to design, monitor, operationalize and implement various projects - from all GEF focal areas - and mobilize additional resources in 2025 and 2026. One of the incumbent’s key responsibilities will be to speed up the implementation of GEF-5, GEF-7 and GEF-8 projects in Brazil, and support project proponents with the development of GEF and GBFF eligible projects at the nexus between sustainable agriculture and environment. This integration can contribute to developing concepts fully aligned with GBFF and GEF-9 programming directions aimed at achieving the targets of the above-mentioned conventions, embracing the healthy planet, healthy people approach, while contributing to the achievement of FAO's 4 betters. The GEF Portfolio will lead the project implementation processes in the Country Office. 

Tasks and Responsibilities

Oversee and ensure efficient implementation of portfolio:
•    Ensure the efficient and timely implementation of GEF-5, GEF-7, and GEF-8 projects in Brazil: 
•    Lead the operationalization of GEF-7 and GEF-8 projects in final consultation stages for smooth implementation, speeding up the start-up and implementation phases, reaching the 1st Disbursement milestone in the expected time
•    Provide guidance to project management units in addressing management challenges, 
•    Ensure the development of annual work plans and budgets, quality-check budget revision requests, and their alignment with the approved GEF Project Documents.  
•    Ensure approved projects’ Environmental and Social Management risk mitigation plans are implemented and monitored. 
•    Chair FAO Project Task Force meetings, co-chair Project Steering Committee meetings and other management mechanisms to secure continued alignment with GEF policies and FAO policies and procedures.
•    Ensure that good quality annual Project Implementation Review (PIR) and FAO’s Project Progress Reports (PPR) are prepared in English and delivered to the FAO PTF in due time. 
•    Serve as the Country Office’s focal point for the Mid-Term Reviews and Terminal Evaluations of GEF projects.
•    Monitor the FAO GEF portfolio in Brazil, based on approved project documents, annual work plans and budgets and reports. to secure continued delivery and progress of all projects, troubleshooting and making recommendations for improvement where needed, and search for appropriate technical guidance within FAO.  
•    Discuss, anticipate and troubleshoot eventual execution challenges, while keeping a direct line of dialogue with the Operational Partners of GEF projects, FAO PTF, and the ROPs in RLC. 
•    Perform supervision missions to field areas, at least twice a year. 
•    Lead the Operational Partners Implementation Modality (OPIM) matters, including the preparation of the Operational Partners Agreement (OPA) packages, in close consultation with the Regional Operational Partners Specialist (ROPS) in RLC, PSS Division, and the OCB GEF Unit. 
•    Lead the negotiation of the OPAs with operational partners, in a timely and prompt manner, meeting expected deadlines. Ensure the buy-in and understanding of the OPIM modality and agreement by the national partners, in due time.
•    Lead the Due Diligence processes required for non-state operational partners, in a timely and prompt manner, meeting expected deadlines. 
•    Facilitate the organization of audits and spot check exercises, once the projects are operationalized. 
•    Conduct troubleshooting missions, as required, in coordination with the OCB GEF Unit and RLC.
•    Perform other related duties as required.
Oversee and/or lead project preparation processes in Brazil:
•    Lead projects under development (Project Preparation Grant PPG phase): 
•    Perform BH functions responsibilities for projects under development, whenever requested by the FAO Representative. 
•    Secure FAO project documents and annexes are timely prepared for submission to the GEF, having addressed the comments of the FAO Project Task Force (PTF) and government counterparts. 
•    Secure co-financing letters and government’s no objection well before project submission to the OCB GEF Unit. 
•    Coordinate the process of addressing GEF and STAP comments at national level. 
•    Conduct a preliminary quality assurance of FAO-GEF Project Preparation Grants, Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMFs) and Project Document with all annexes (including project budget), well before submitting the documents to the OCB GEF Unit.
•    Conduct project design mission to field areas, as required.

Liaise with Brazil’s GEF Operational Focal Point and other partners in Brazil to ensure robust GEF-9 planning and GEF project pipeline maintenance:  

Based on the country’s demand, the consultant will: 

•    Lead the development of the GEF-9 and GBFF pipeline:
•    Develop a clear timeline and deliverables for new projects with milestones and deadlines.
•    Reach out to FAO technical teams, under the leadership of OCB-GEF Unit and the LTO, to ensure the best use of FAO tools and approaches that cut across different technical areas.
•    Assess partnerships and ongoing/planned investments to build a strong baseline scenario.
•    Coordinate inputs from project partners to prepare a draft PIF/ GBFF PPG request resulting from the assessment of existing information and data that is fully aligned with GEF/GBFF programming directions and GEF policies.
•    Secure a final PIF/ GBFF PPG request is prepared for submission addressing comments from the FAO Project Task Force(s),  in a timely and prompt manner, meeting expected deadlines. 
•    Prepare a GBFF PPG Operationalization Plan with a detailed description of PPG activities, calendar, budget and TORs for PPG project consultants.
•    Engage in national discussions on GEF-9 planning with the Operational Focal Point to GEF, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, and other national. 
•    Conduct project design mission to field areas, as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING: 

Minimum Requirements  

•    Advanced university degree in Environmental and/or Social Sciences, preferably master in one of the same areas, or any other linked to natural resource management and sustainable development.
•    At least 5 years of experience: 
    in the public sector of Brazil, preferably at federal level.
    in designing and implementing projects for GEF, GCF or environmental vertical funds,
    in portfolio management and coordination of programs, focused on food, agriculture, biodiversity, forestry or related areas
•    Working knowledge (level C) of English. 
•    Working knowledge (level C) of Portuguese. 

FAO Core Competencies 

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Proven analytical and conceptual skills with ability to write bankable project documents, and ability to analyse and integrate diverse information from various sources.
•    Extent of experience in leading or facilitating inter-institutional processes, at the federal/national, regional, and local levels. 
•    Extent and relevance of experience in the preparation of projects and programmes (particularly GEF or GCF projects and programmes), results-based monitoring and supervision of multidisciplinary projects. 
•    Extent and relevance of experience in securing funding, negotiating and implementing GEF or GCF projects at national, sub-regional and regional levels.
•    Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English.
•    Relevance of experience in Brazil and/or the Latin America region.
•    Knowledge of FAO's internal processes, OPIM, and IFC Environmental and Social Safeguards would be an assetWide knowledge of financial and portfolio management tools. 
•    Intermediate level of Spanish (B2) would be an asset.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION