GEF Project Specialist I at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Specific tasks and responsibilities

• Project Design: Undertake desk research to inform the preparation of PIFs/concept notes.
• Review the draft proposal concepts/PIFs prepared by countries and provide input in all sections
• Verify PIFs/concept notes: grammar, spelling, presentation, etc. • Prepare Concept Approval Forms for assigned project proposals and support with the submission to the Concept Approval Group (CAG) for clearance.
• Upload PIFs/concept notes and responses to GEF Sec reviews on the GEF Portal Project Development:
• Prepare SSFAs / ToRs for Project Preparation Grants (PPGs).
• Ensure project developers have latest templates to prepare CEO Endorsement Requests (CEO ER). Undertake desk research to inform the preparation of CEO ER.
• Guide the countries in development of all the GEF and UNEP annexes, including the proposed institutional arrangement, budgets and workplans.
• Guide the countries on gender analysis, social, economic, and environmental screening, project taxonomy, and other GEF documentation required
• Verify CEO ER and annexes: grammar, spelling, presentation, etc.
• Upload CEO ER and responses to GEF Sec reviews on the GEF Portal.
• Review PPG expenditure reports. Project Implementation: Prepare PCAs / ICAs and appendices for recently CEO endorsed projects.
• Create project structures in IPMR and populate with project information.
• Track circulation of project internalizations and projects revisions through UNEP approval process.
• Review agendas, ToRs, presentations, etc., prepared by the Executing Agencies (EAs) for project inception workshops and steering committee meetings.
• Participate in project inception workshops and steering committee meetings.
• Coordinate with EAs on submission of reports as per requirements of the PCA / ICA.
• Ensure the EAs use right templates to meet reporting requirements and all sections are completed.
• Review the required GEF/UNEP reports submitted by the EAs.
• Upload the annual PIRs on the GEF Portal.
• Review budget and workplan revisions.
• Coordinate with other UNEP units / teams on projects, when applicable.
• File and archive project files / reports issued by the EAs into the CMU database.
• Update the MS Planner system to ensure timely circulation of reports, revisions and other documents.
• Upload project progress information in IPMR.
• Project Evaluations: Prepare TORs for MTR/TR/TE for completed projects.
• Provide guidance to the evaluators on UNEP templates for MTR/TR/TEs.
• Review and comment on Inception Reports prepared by evaluators.
• Review and comment on MTR/TR/TE reports prepared by evaluators

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Economic, Environmental Policy, Law or in a related field.
• A first level degree with additional two (2) years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree;
• Two years of relevant professional work experience at the national level is required
• Experience working with national governments in project implementation is required.
• Experience in developing and/or implementing GEF projects is required.
• Experience in working with national governments in Africa on GEF projects is required.
• Experience in working with developing countries and/or international organizations is desirable