Call for Applications: FAO Climate Change Advisor (The Pacific Islands)

• Issued on: 4 July 2017
• Deadline For Application: 18 July 2017
• JOB TITLE: Climate Change Advisor (The Pacific Islands)
• TYPE OF CONTRACT: International Consultant
• DUTY STATION: Apia, Samoa
• ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT: CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT DIVISION, CBC
• DURATION: 11 months (with possibility of extension up to 18 months)

Organizational Setting

The Climate and Environment Division assists member countries in policy development, planning and responses towards the challenges of climate change; This includes the promotion of adaptive capacities and climate resilience, as well as the mitigation of climate change within agricultural sectors, and support to Disaster Risk Reduction in context of extreme weather and climate events. It provides a coordination role in FAO on climate change adaptation and mitigation issues as well as disaster risk reduction and climate risk management. The Division also serves as the focal point for a multidisciplinary and global approach to bioenergy. The international consultancy position is to support implementation of the project “Assisting Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to integrate the agricultural sectors into climate change priorities and nationally determined contributions (NDCs)“ and located in the Climate Impact, Adaptation and Environment Team.

Reporting Lines

The climate change advisor will work under the overall supervision of the Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands (FAOSAP), Apia, Samoa and the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) of the project in Climate and Environment Division (CBC), FAO, Rome.

Technical Focus

Climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction with specific focus on integration of agricultural sectoral perspectives into climate change priorities and nationally determined contributions (NDCs)

Tasks and responsibilities

The climate change advisor will conduct the following major tasks at subregional and national levels:

• provide overall implementation and technical coordination support for smooth implementation of the project at the Pacific Islands subregional level in five selected countries;
• prepare a detailed work plan together with the national climate change experts of the project and systematically implement all the activities as per the plan through the national experts and national counterpart agencies;
• provide technical support to the national climate change experts of the project and the government counterparts in organizing project meetings, workshops and training programmes at subregional/national levels;
• facilitate the work of the national climate change experts, project partners, subcontractors in carrying out the training needs assessment, impacts and vulnerability assessment, and the documentation of climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and mitigation practices;
• contribute to organize and participate in the project wide workshops and training programmes in association with the subcontracted organizations;
• assist to implement training activities at the subregion/country level and also the policy dialogue processes;
• assist in the establishment of a national technical forum for climate change and agriculture sector and provide support to develop a call for proposals to implement adaptation pilots;
• support the subcontracted organizations in the establishment of the adaptation pilots by screening potential projects to be submitted by the NGOs and civil society organizations;
• support the national experts in the analysis of the institutional aspects and policy requirements to better link the agriculture sector into climate change policies, plans and NDCs, and also integration of climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction priorities into agricultural sectors;
• support project implementation with actions to integrate gender perspectives and facilitate gender mainstreaming in line with the national context
• building on the lessons learned from the project implementation process and pilot interventions in selected communities, facilitate a discussion process to better integrate climate change perspectives into food security and agriculture policies;
• assist the Multi-disciplinary team and subregional coordinator to prepare a climate change programme by learning lessons from the country engagement;
• provide technical support to explore climate financing opportunities and develop the climate change projects for the subregion;
• assist national climate change experts and counterpart focal points to prepare periodical reports (workshop reports, inception, mid-term and evaluation and monitoring reports);
• submit a substantive technical report at the end of the assignment; and
• any other duties required to support a successful implementation of the project.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in agriculture, climate change, natural resources management and related subjects
• Seven years of relevant experience together with demonstrated long standing field experience at local and national level on development, planning, implementation and monitoring of climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction programmes/projects in the Pacific Islands and the Pacific subregion
• Working knowledge of English

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extent and relevance of work experience in the Pacific Islands and the broader Pacific subregion
• Extent and relevance of experience or knowledge of issues related to climate change and agriculture in the Pacific Islands and broader Pacific subregion
• Extent and relevance of experience in the formulation of development/investment projects related to climate change in agriculture and track record of projects formulated and/or project resources mobilized
• Extent and relevance of experience in implementation and monitoring of programme/projects and in providing technical assistance/ support to Small Island Developing States in the field of climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction in agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors
• Extent and relevance of experience in the preparation of technical and policy reports, guidelines and manuals in the fields of climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and related capacity development activities

See attachment for more information