FAO · 14 hours ago
Transboundary Basin Investment Expert
United States
Full-time
Remote
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
10+ years expFAO is an organization focused on sustainable development, and they are seeking a Transboundary Basin Investment Expert to develop a comprehensive Strategic Basin Investment Programme for the Zambezi Watercourse. The role involves addressing climate change impacts, enhancing sustainable agriculture, and improving water resource management through stakeholder engagement and investment planning.
AgricultureFood ProcessingSecurity
Responsibilities
Develop a comprehensive Draft Inception Report to be presented at a regional Project Inception Meeting outlining the proposed methodology and project execution programme/timeline for undertaking the activities and delivery of the outputs
Undertake a thorough mapping of the regional, national and local stakeholders and prepare a stakeholder engagement plan which will include stakeholder’s consultation schedule and outputs
Undertake a desk review of initiatives and activities which impact the basin. This will include livelihood activities such as agriculture, infrastructure developments and associated economic activities by the many players at multi-national, national and local levels. The review will include assessment of previous and current plans and projects implemented by ZAMCOM and other players, undertake the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis and provide a diagnosis of the issues in the basin
Conduct field/scoping visits for consultation with ZAMCOM member countries, peer organizations, SADC, key regional and national stakeholders, multi-national and Non-Governmental organizations, Civil Society, private sector, CBOs and development partners which are engaged in various initiatives in the basin and collects views and opinions on the status of the basin and to ground-truth on the findings of the desk reviews
Assess the extent to which past and ongoing approaches have been effective in the management of the Zambezi watercourse basin and report on various obstacles, gaps and challenges that have impeded the socio-economic development and sustainable management of the basin and how they can be addressed
Conduct technical feasibility analysis of proposed interventions based on the components that will be proposed by stakeholders during the inception report and national consultations
Undertake financial feasibility analysis including financing options, affordability, and sustainability of the programme
Conduct institutional analysis: assess institutional capacities, mandates, overlaps, and coordination gaps
Develop the institutional arrangements (institutional set-up, governance, procurement, and financial management) for programme governance and implementation
Estimate economic costs and benefits of the programme (NPV, IRR, BCR)
Assess financial viability of proposed activities (cost recovery, revenue streams, co-financing, cost-benefit analysis, value-for-money, and regional spillover benefits)
Provide indicative total programme cost, with breakdown by component, sub-component, and country
Quantify socio-economic co-benefits (jobs, food security, ecosystem services)
Identify risks and mitigation measures (financial, technical, institutional)
Define disbursement, financing plan, and resource mobilization strategy
Integrate gender and social inclusion strategies and prepare the Gender Mainstreaming Action Plan which outlines proposed strategic actions, responsible parties, implementation time frame, expected outcomes and indicators to ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment are effectively mainstreamed throughout the programme lifecycle
Develop programme objectives, components, sub-components, activities, and cost tables
Map available and possible sources of funding and financing mechanisms towards water resources management in the basin
Prepare and submit a comprehensive basin Situational Analysis Report, which shall be presented to a regional consultative workshop involving all the relevant stakeholders, including representatives of member states, to validate the findings, identify and correct any gaps and to chart the way forward for the next phase of the project
Prepare and submit the Draft Basin Investment Programme which shall contain among other things, an annex of the Final Situational Analysis Report, the proposed solutions/interventions to the identified obstacles to the effective management and utilization of the basin’s resources, the opportunities, implementation and financing strategies of the proposed interventions and Draft Project Proposals along the thematic areas of Infrastructure Development, Livelihood Support, Environmental Protection and Water Resources Management
Present the draft Basin Investment Programme and the draft Thematic Project Proposals to the second regional consultative workshop involving all the relevant stakeholders, including representatives of member states, to validate the report; and
Prepare the final project documents which shall include Basin Investment Programme and Project Proposal Documents including any relevant annexes
Qualification
Required
Advanced degree (Master's degree and above) from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in a combination of the following fields: water resource management, natural resources management, environmental management, natural sciences or any equivalent educational background other discipline relevant to the work of the Organization. Consultants with bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience
10 years of relevant experience in assessing investment needs and developing action/investment plans in water, natural resources or related fields including experience in having prepared at least 2 investment plans/ programmes
Working knowledge of English (Level C)
Excellent understanding of national and regional water, environmental, and climate sectors and related policies
Good knowledge of financing mechanisms, instruments, and associated institutional arrangements relating to development aid, domestic financing, and climate financing, particularly the GCF, the Adaptation Fund, the GEF, Multi-lateral Finance Institutions, Philanthropic Foundations, etc
Demonstrated experience in project preparation
Familiarity with multi-stakeholder approaches and information gathering as well as private sector engagement
Knowledge of the workings of various regional and national cooperating partners
An understanding of indigenous knowledge and its integration into climate-resilient projects
Proven ability to operate in a multi-cultural environment and interact with stakeholders within a regional and national context
Excellent report writing and presentation skills
Excellent facilitation and communication skills
Company
FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$10M2015-12-29Series Unknown· $10M
Leadership Team
Aurélie Shapiro
Chief Technical Advisor
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