GEF Projects Administration Specialist (2501484).
Job Description
• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting
The FAO Sub-Regional office for West Africa (SFW) responsible for developing, promoting and implementing FAO agreed strategies to help countries and sub-regional organizations address food security, nutrition, agriculture and rural development priorities in West Africa. The Office has a multidisciplinary team of technical experts, in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, land and water, and pastoralism, who provide technical support to the 15 member countries of ECOWAS in their fight against poverty and the promotion of food and nutritional security; as well as to a wider 17 member countries of the Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) in strengthening the resilience of the Sahel countries.
There is growing international recognition that the agricultural sectors (including crops, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture and livestock) play a central role in responding to climate change, as these sectors are among the foremost priorities in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted by African countries under the UNFCCC. In this regard, SFW Strategy has as one of its priority areas “Sustainable Management of the Environment and Natural Resources (SMENR)” that intends to support countries address issues related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, the preservation of biodiversity, and the collection, management and sharing on the environment and natural resources data in the sub-region.
SFW is increasingly receiving requests from countries in West Africa for providing technical support in the development of concept notes and project proposals to key environmental donors (GFF and GEF and Adaptation Fund) as well as their implementation. As an accredited agency to the GEF, GCF and Adaptation Fund, FAO intends to expand its portfolio to assist countries in fulfilling their ambitions on climate action, notably, with UNFCCC, as well as the NDCs in the Paris Agreement.
GEF will shortly be the main donors of countries in the West Africa Sub-Region, in terms of climate actions. The portfolio of SFW comprises more than 60 projects funded by GEF. To succeed in the engagement with countries and the Secretariat of GEF, the FAO intends to strengthen its climate team at SFW
The purpose of this call is to provide FAO’s Sub-Regional Office for West Africa and its country offices with qualified GEF Projects Administration Specialist to be part of multidisciplinary climate team, to enhance FAO’s support to the design and implementation of climate related projects in the sub-region, with a particular focus on GEF.
The recruited GEF Projects Administration Specialist will be based at SFW office (Dakar, Senegal).


Reporting Lines
Under the overall supervision of the Sub-Regional Coordinator, and direct supervision of the Administrative Officer at SFW, the GEF Projects Administration Specialist will work closely with the technical team of GEF projects (mainly LTOs and country/subregional Project Managers/Focal Points).
Technical Focus
Deal with administrative issues of GEF and GCF multi-country projects, including logistics, travel, meetings organisation, and support the projects procurement at country level for a timely and quality delivery of the projects.



Tasks and responsibilities
• Assist the Administrative Officer in the overall management of the travel arrangements for GEF projects
• Provide support to the implementation of GEF projects especially for travel planning, implementation and monitoring related activities
• Handle day-to-day operational aspects of Travel in accordance with FAO Rules and procedures for GEF projects also through Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) formulation, implementation, review and evaluation phase
• Liaise between GEF technical officers and procurement units to ensure timely delivery of assistance to travel related issues, following project workplans, budget availability
• Oversee travel arrangements of all deployed project staff and consultants for all GEF related projects
• Coordinate the preparation of supporting documentation for HR, Travel as well as the submission of clearances and waivers when needed for all GEF related projects
• Contribute to support capacity development of FAO Staff, when required, at sub-regional and country-level, including attending appropriate meetings and training at sub-regional, regional and Headquarters level related to Travel
• Ensure preparedness of the SFW offices to scale up following emerging needs or emergencies related to Travel (flights changes and cancellation over the weekend, etc.),
• Maintain and update key information/needs information and response, information systems and databases, as applicable.
• Perform other duties as required.
Candidates will be assessed against the following


Minimum Requirements
• University degree related to business or public Administration, project management, economics, accounting or a related field.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience in travel, financial management, human resources, procurement, administration and planning.
• Working knowledge of both English and French is essential.


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


Selection Criteria
• Knowledge of GEF and GCF projects cycle
• Experience working in the countries of the Sub-Region
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency



Additional information
FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
For more information, visit the FAO employment website
Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.



How to apply
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.


If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp