Organizational Setting
The Republic of Mauritius faces challenges and gaps due to limited technical knowledge, inefficient systems to support the appraisal of climate projects and to further monitor and evaluate their implementation; constraints to access climate finance; limited awareness and knowledge of relevant stakeholders to support planning, programming and implementation of GCF-funded activities and limited available information sharing on climate information, climate finance and GCF related activities.
The Government of Mauritius is undertaking its readiness activities for accessing Green Climate Fund (GCF) resources to address national climate change and sustainable development priorities. Within these activities, the Ministry of Finance, Economic, Planning and Development of Mauritius is coordinating with FAO on the implementation and monitoring of the GCF-approved FAO-implemented Readiness Proposal (project) titled โAdvancing the agriculture, water and energy pipeline, with increased awareness of key stakeholders and strengthening capacities of the National Designated Authority (NDA) and direct access applicants in the Republic of Mauritius.โย
The goal of this Readiness project is to support Mauritius to catalyse climate financing from the GCF for climate adaptation and mitigation projects in the agriculture, water and energy sectors. This will be achieved through strengthening Mauritius NDAโs capacities and operational systems to support formulation, monitoring and evaluation of climate projects, support Direct access applicants in Mauritius to establish capacity to meet GCF accreditation standards, strengthen Mauritiusโ key stakeholdersโ capacities and systems to support planning, programming and implementation of GCF activities, support the development of the evidence base to strengthen strategic frameworks, develop quality CNs in priority sectors and submit them to the GCF for consideration and share best practices to strengthen pipeline development in adaptation and mitigation.
The key stakeholders involved in this Readiness project include the Ministry of Agro Industry, Food Security, Fisheries and Blue Economy (Agro Industry & Food Security ย Division) Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste and Climate Change (MOESWMCC), Department of Climate Change, Climate Change Committee (CCC) members, Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI), the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, the Central Electricity Board (CEB), the Mauritius Renewable Energy Agency, academia, private sector and civil society organizations in Mauritius.
Reporting Lines
Under the general supervision of the FAO Deputy Representative in Madagascar and the direct supervision of the National Project Coordinator of the GCF Readiness Project in Mauritius.
Technical Focus
The National Expert on Stakeholder Engagement will support the NDA team in structuring a national network of stakeholders committed to climate change issues and access to climate funds. The Expert will provide ย facilitation efforts related to stakeholder engagement, ensuring active participation, consensus-building, capacity building and training and alignment of the projectโs objectives with the needs of all stakeholders. The expert will work closely with the experts recruited under this project to ensure smooth coordination between the outputs.
Tasks and responsibilities
โข ย ย ย ย Identify key stakeholders related to pipeline development in the agriculture, water, energy and land use sectors;
โข ย ย ย ย Facilitate consultations with stakeholders to identify climate risks, adaptation priorities, and project opportunities in the priority sectors.
โข ย ย ย ย Assist project team to organize and facilitate consultations, workshops, and focus group discussions to gather stakeholder input in the implementation of project outputs;
โข ย ย ย ย Assist project team to provide technical support, training and capacity-building sessions including training of trainers for stakeholders on the nexus of climate change, agriculture and water; climate change risks and use of climate smart agriculture tools;ย
โข ย ย ย ย Document stakeholder perspectives and ensure their alignment with project objectives;
โข ย ย ย ย Develop a stakeholder engagement strategy with gender mainstreaming and youth integration that outlines stakeholder feedback; engagement activities, and recommendations for improving participation in relevant to project activities;
โข ย ย ย ย Facilitate regular exchanges between national actors and international partners to support the pooling of knowledge, experiences and climate finance opportunities;
โข ย ย ย ย Contribute to the preparation of GCF concept notes and readiness proposals;
โข ย ย ย ย Prepare and submit an end-of-assignment report detailing contributions and outcomes; andย
โข ย ย ย ย Performs other related duties as required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements ย ย
โข ย ย ย ย Bachelorโs degree ย in Environmental Science, Agriculture, Climate Policy, International Development/Relations, Rural Development or related field
โข ย ย ย ย Minimum 5 years of experience in stakeholder engagement, preferably in climate/agriculture or water sectors
โข ย ย ย ย Proven experience in the preparation of training materials and delivery of training
โข ย ย ย ย Working knowledge of English and proficiency in French is desirable.
โข ย ย ย ย Mauritian Nationality
FAO Core Competencies
โข ย ย ย ย Results Focus
โข ย ย ย ย Teamwork
โข ย ย ย ย Communication
โข ย ย ย ย Building Effective Relationships
โข ย ย ย ย Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
โข ย ย ย ย Work experience in more than one location or area of work
โข ย ย ย ย Extent and relevance of experience in GCF or other climate funds
โข ย ย ย ย Extent and relevance of experience in working with diverse stakeholder groups, including governments, private sectors, and local communities.
โข ย ย ย ย Familiarity with participatory approaches to project design and implementation.ย
โข ย ย ย ย Strong interpersonal and communication skills for engaging with diverse stakeholders.
Selection Criteria
โข ย ย ย ย Good knowledge and in-depth understanding of the climate change issues, GCF objectives, operation and procedures, GCF funding mechanisms.ย
โข ย ย ย ย Good knowledge of planning and programming.
โข ย ย ย ย Good knowledge of Mauritius commitments as described in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).ย
โข ย ย ย ย Familiarity with gender-responsive and inclusive engagement approaches.
โข ย ย ย ย Experiences in working with government, civil society organizations and local communities.ย
โข ย ย ย ย Strong facilitation, communication, and analytical skills