UNTSO Service Institute Manager

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral financial mechanism created in 1991 to provide grant and concessional funds to recipient countries for projects and programs that address biodiversity loss, climate change, degradation of international waters, land degradation, ozone depletion and persistent organic pollutants within the framework of sustainable development.

GEF is open to universal membership, and currently 181 countries are members. The GEF is governed by a Council comprising 32 Members appointed by constituencies of GEF member countries. An Assembly of all member countries meets every four years at the ministerial level.

GEF is the designated financial mechanism for three international environmental conventions: the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. GEF is a designated financial mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

The GEF Secretariat, construed for administrative purposes as a Vice Presidential Unit (VPU) within the World Bank, has a staff complement of professional and administrative and client support (ACS) staff of approximately 80. The GEF Secretariat has recently been restructured into four teams: Climate Change and Chemicals, Natural Resources, External Affairs, and Corporate Operations and Business Strategy. Each team is led by a team leader, who is accountable to the CEO and Deputy CEO.

At the Seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the GEF, as the financial mechanism of the Convention, was requested to operate two new funds related to the UNFCCC, the Least Developed Country Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF).

In May 2002, the GEF Council approved the arrangements for the establishment of the New Climate Change funds. The World Bank acts as Trustee for the new funds. The LDCF/SCCF Council oversees the policies and the operations of the trust funds and approves the administrative budget of the funds.

The LDCF and the SCCF are kept separate from the GEF Trust Fund both for purposes of operations and charging administrative costs incurred in connection with managing the fund. To date, these funds combined have accumulated $780 million in pledges and have mobilized about $420 million for 96 projects and programs, in more than 90 developing countries and least developed countries.

This position is to directly assist the head of the adaptation program at the GEF, and provide technical and administrative support to the adaptation team.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

The incumbent will be supervised by the Team Leader for Climate and Chemicals, as well as the Head of Adaptation Operations and Strategy. The incumbent will work as part of the climate change team, under the LDCF and SCCF adaptation program. The main expertise brought by the incumbent will be to provide support on climate change adaptation and monitoring and evaluation of projects. Specific duties are to:

1. Assist with the review of climate change adaptation project proposals, ensuring consistency with GEF, LDCF and SCCF policies: Assist in the review, providing analysis, on climate change project proposals according to GEF, LDCF and SCCF project review criteria. Assist in providing


programmatic guidance on the development of project proposals to external partners, and in overseeing achievement of programmatic goals.

2. Support the results-based management of the LDCF/SCCF portfolio. Draft the Annual Monitoring Report for LDCF and SCCF portfolios, including analysis of qualitative and quantitative data on portfolio breadth, coverage, and effectiveness. Maintain information on pipeline development, portfolio performance and resource allocations to specific countries. Assist in developing the GEF

Secretariat’s active program of knowledge management. Help in the development, refinement and tracking of indicators of portfolio performance. Ensure all relevant documentation and tools are up-to-date.

3. Support LDCF/SCCF Council meetings: Assist in the preparation of papers, documents and in other assignments as requested by the LDCF/SCCF Council in organizing LDCF/SCCF Council meetings; assist in the preparation of reports, operational guidelines, and tools taking into account COP guidance to the GEF; monitor the evolving guidance of the COP to GEF Secretariat with respect to the LDCF and prepare papers in response to that guidance to be submitted for approval to the LDCF/SCCF Council.

4. Assist with maintaining institutional relationships: Through climate change adaptation task force and consultations, facilitate regular communication with the GEF Agencies and UNFCCC Secretariat about programs and projects, serving as rapporteur as required . Represent the GEF at external forums and maintain productive dialogue and positive relationships with key stakeholders when required.

5. Conduct outreach activities for LDCF/SCCF: Support the updating of the GEF website, ensuring the adaptation web pages on the GEF website are regularly updated, coordinating the related activities such as collaboration with the GEF’s External Relations team and other teams, proactively engaging senior staff within and outside the team as needed. Coordinate publications and draft projects’ success stories and articles for publication in the GEF website.


BACKGROUND:

1. Strong academic background, preferably with an advanced degree (Bachelor’s required, Master’s preferred) in climate change, environmental policy, international development, or other field related to climate change adaptation.

2. Excellent oral and written communications skills in English; knowledge of other languages, particularly French, Portuguese, and/or Spanish would be desirable;

3. Strong analytical, including quantitative, skills; ability to use Excel and/or other statistical would be highly desirable;

4. Highly organized and systematic, with strong visual presentation skills; web design skills would be desirable but not essential;

5. Some knowledge of the technical, scientific and political aspects of climate change and adaptation;


6. High degree of motivation, initiative, flexibility, reliability, and responsiveness to changing demands;

7. Demonstrated ability to function as a team player in a multi-cultural team environment in a collaborative and constructive way, to work across institutional boundaries.

8. Experience in operations in developing countries would be a clear advantage.


NOTE: A JPA position is a two-year, non-renewable contract with the World Bank.

To Apply:
http://untso.unmissions.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=hRPDM-O2M1Q%3d&tabid=6334&language=en-US