Organizational Setting

FAO had secured funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness programme, for implementing the project GCP/SRL/079/GCR “Capacity enhancement of the National Designated Authority (NDA) and other relevant stakeholders in Sri Lanka to re-evaluate technical needs for climate change adaptation and mitigation and assess climate finance priorities for agriculture by developing innovative climate smart investment mechanisms through increased partnerships between public and private sectors”. The Project Goal is to enhance the capacity of the Climate Change Secretariat of the Ministry of Environment and other relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, to jointly identify and implement technical needs for addressing Sri Lanka’s climate challenges in its priority sectors, and leverage public and private investment for climate-smart agriculture through scientific knowledge-based planning.

The main outputs of the project are:
•    Sectoral and national Technology Needs Assessments (TNAs) and Technology Action Plans (TAPs) updated for mitigation and adaptation with clear strategies to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions and the National Adaptation Plan.
•    Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) investment plan developed based on updated Agro-ecological maps and other relevant information.
•    Capacity of the NDA and relevant stakeholders strengthened to facilitate a dialogue and forge partnerships between the public and private sectors for increased private sector engagement and investment in CSA.
•    Concrete strategies and actions developed for improving private sector engagement and investment in CSA in the plantation and non-plantation sub-sectors identified through a public-private forum.
•    Capacities of relevant stakeholders enhanced to prepare quality concept notes for developing bankable projects for implementing the CSA investment plan.
•    GCF concept notes developed for in the plantation and non-plantation sub-sectors to advance the CSA investment plan through potential AEs, including FAO.
•    NDA’s data and information portal/web platform established to FAO’s Climate and Agriculture risk Visualization and Assessment (CAVA) platform to improve Sri Lanka’s capacity to analyse, manage and disseminate information concerning climate vulnerabilities and risks.
•    Awareness and capacity of NDA enhanced with clear ways forward to improve knowledge management related to climate finance.

For this purpose, FAO Sri Lanka is recruiting a Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Policy Specialist, to support the International Agriculture Private Sector Climate Financing Specialist in all the activities related to conducting the policy study by providing local knowledge of climate change and/or environment policy in Sri Lanka. The consultant is expected to cofacilitate the first forum of private public forum and support developing reports.

Reporting Lines

The Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Policy Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives and the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programmes). He/she will work in close coordination with the International Agriculture Private Sector Climate Financing Specialist Financing and the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the GCF Readiness Project and the Agriculture Private Sector Climate Financing Specialist.  He/she will work under the overall technical supervision by the Environment and Climate Change Specialist, FAOLK and the Lead Technical Officer.

Technical Focus 

•    Policy study
•    Enhance Private sector engagement.
•    Public-private partnership

Tasks and responsibilities

CSA Investment Plan

•    With the International Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Specialist, review the process and inputs required to develop the CSA Investment Plan.
•    Prepare a policy and institutional overview review of government policies, regulations and institutions that could support investment in climate-smart agriculture projects as part of the CSA investment plan development process.
•    Review the CSA investment plan priority measures and investment packages.
•    Prepare inputs for the plan highlighting the barriers to financing the investment packages based on current policy and institutional settings and provide recommendations on policy level interventions needed for the successful implementation of the CSA investment plan.

Private Sector Engagement

•    Support the International Agriculture Private Sector Climate Financing Specialist to conduct a study to identify national barriers and gaps (policies, mechanisms, pathways) for private sector engagement in financial and non-financial mechanisms by providing local knowledge of climate change and/or environment policy in Sri Lanka
•    Support the International Agriculture Private Sector Climate Financing Specialist to Develop clear strategies to increase private sector engagement and investments in low- emission and climate-resilient agriculture and prepare an action plan.
•    Support International Agriculture Private Sector Climate Financing Specialist to Validate the finding of policy study by the private sector working group to ensure they agree on the findings, recommendations and action plan and finalize the report.
•    Support FAO to facilitate the first forum for private, public and NGO/ CSO actors to engage in a constructive dialogue to identify commercial opportunities and to develop focussed and strategic actions to transition to a low- carbon, climate resilient economy.
•    Support International Agriculture Private Sector Climate Financing Specialist to produce a private sector forum completion report.
•    Work closely with International Agriculture Private Sector Climate Financing Specialist and Private Sector Climate Financing specialist to implement activities under 2.4.2

Other duties

•    Provide inputs for the national and international consultants of the project for their deliverables.
•    Undertake any other tasks as requested by the FAOR / AFAOR (Programme).

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Advanced university degree in Agriculture, Economics, Climate Change, or any other relevant subject.
•    A minimum of 5 years of experience in the field of private sector engagement in climate action, public-private partnership (PPP), policy analysis and policy development, strategic planning related to development or environmental management with experience working on international donor-funded projects such as the GEF, Adaptation Fund or the GCF, preferably in the Asian region.
•    Working knowledge of English and Sinhala and/or Tamil.
•    National of Sri Lanka or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills  

•    Familiarity with effective use of standard office software, such as MS Office (Windows, Word, Outlook, Excel, Power Point).
•    Good interpersonal skills, and ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholder groups.
•    Strong analytical skills and experience in developing technical reports – undertaking research, primary and secondary data collection, analysis and report writing.
•    Ability to work/deliver independently with minimal supervision.

Selection Criteria 

•    Extent and relevance of experience in agriculture investment and Climate change.
•    Extent of experience in technical report writing.
•    Experience in working with industry, academia, national authorities, UN agencies, donors, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
•    Familiarity with the UN System and /or development sector will be considered an asset.