Project Development Lead, Cook Islands (GEF12325)

About the role

The GEF Biodiversity and Land Degradation Unit, coordinated from Nairobi, is recruiting a consultant to lead the preparation of the GEF CEO Endorsement Request package for the project "Reducing Land Degradation through integrated sustainable land and ecosystem management in priority areas of the Cook Islands" (GEF12325). UNEP acts as implementing agency for the project, which supports the Cook Islands' National Environment Services (NES). The assignment is home-based, with travel to the Cook Islands as required, and lasts about 7.5 months.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the project design and prepare a plan for the entire Project Preparation Grant (PPG) process, including timeline, agenda and methodology
• Take part in field missions and periodic discussions with the project design team and partners
• Monitor the PPG process and report progress and risks to UNEP's Task Manager and NES
• Coordinate with and assign tasks to national consultants, communicating through NES
• Prepare the CEO Endorsement package, including annexes and appendices
• Prepare a costed monitoring and evaluation (M&E) work plan with indicators, responsibilities and budget, based on the GEF template
• Finalize the project results framework with SMART indicators, baselines and targets, including socio-economic and gender-sensitive indicators
• Draft responses to comments from the Project Review Committee and the GEF Secretariat
• Ensure alignment with Cook Islands' national policies and the UNCCD, CBD and UNFCCC, and include a gender analysis, gender action plan, stakeholder engagement plan, personnel terms of reference, procurement plan and environmental and social safeguards assessment
• Supervise the National Expert and report to the Task Manager of the GEF Biodiversity and Land Degradation Unit

Required profile

• Advanced university degree in biodiversity, environmental, natural resource or environmental policy/economics; a first-level degree is acceptable with two extra years of relevant experience
• At least 7 years of professional experience in environmental planning, sustainable land management and biodiversity protection
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Experience in small island developing states, particularly the Pacific, is desirable

Required skills

• Knowledge of GEF policies and programming
• Senior experience in GEF project formulation, writing the GEF Project Document and CEO Endorsement is highly desirable
• Experience with sustainable land and ecosystem management, land degradation, ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions