Organizational Setting
The EU-funded Forest, Climate Change and Biodiversity SRBC Accelerator (FCCB-SRBC) project supports Papua New Guinea in achieving Strategic Priority Area 10 of MTDP IV (Climate Change and Natural Environment Protection). FAO is responsible for the technical implementation of Output 1.1 on the National Forest Inventory, Output 1.4 on the Forestry Downstream Processing Promotion Strategy, Output 2.1 on protected area establishment and management, and Output 2.3 on the Protected Areas Network Registry under the UN-to-UN Agreement with UNDP. The National Project Coordinator will coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of these FAO-led components and ensure consistency across forestry and biodiversity activities.
The project aligns closely with FAO’s Country Programming Framework (CPF) in Papua New Guinea, particularly in areas of sustainable forest management, climate-resilient agriculture and forestry systems, ecosystem conservation, and improved natural resource governance. FAO’s technical leadership in forest inventory systems, emission factor development, protected area management planning, and forestry value-chain development directly supports its global and country-level mandate to promote sustainable land use, enhance food and livelihood security, and mitigate climate change impacts through improved forest governance.
Reporting Lines
The National Project Coordinator will work under the direct supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor and will coordinate the implementation of the project's activities, ensuring timely delivery of results, reporting, stakeholder coordination and compliance with FAO and EU requirements.
Technical Focus
The National Project Coordinator will coordinate the effective implementation of FAO-led project activities in PNG, ensuring alignment with national priorities, the approved project document and relevant EU-SRBC indicators. The Coordinator will provide technical and operational coordination across NFI expansion, forest carbon and emission-factor work, forestry downstream processing, protected area activities and PA Registry development, in collaboration with the relevant technical experts.
Tasks and responsibilities
Coordination and Management
- Coordinate the day-to-day implementation of the FAO-led components of the FCCB-SRBC Accelerator, ensuring timely delivery of planned activities and outputs.
- Coordinate actions with CCDA, PNGFA, CEPA, DNPM, Treasury, and provincial administrations to ensure effective implementation
- Coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of all project components in accordance with the approved document and Annual Work Plan and donor requirements.
- Engage with national and sub-national stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, to enhance collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
- Coordinate the preparation, implementation, and monitoring of Annual Work Plans, Procurement Plans, LoA plans, Travel Plans, and implementation schedule.
- Ensure effective financial management, including preparing financial forecasts and monitoring expenditures whenever it is required.
- Organize and participate in meetings with the project team, expert working group, and other relevant bodies, ensuring effective communication and coordination among stakeholders.
- Promote the visibility of SRBC through the preparation and dissemination of awareness-raising materials.
- Supervise the maintenance of SRBC records, ensuring accurate and timely reporting.
- Elaborate on different types of project reports and information as required.
- Coordinate the preparation of technical and progress reports required by FAO, the European Union and the Government of Papua New Guinea
- Perform other tasks as per CTA and FAO Head of Office request.
Technical support
- Manage and coordinate effectively and efficiently the project tasks and project components, specific activities and results delivery to ensure its results are in accordance with the logical framework, Annual Work Plans and Budgets (AWPs/Bs), Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan, Risk Mitigation Plan.
- Coordinate FAO technical inputs for Outputs 1.1,1.4, 2.1 and 2.3, ensuring consistency and complementarity across project components.
- Coordinate the implementation of Output 1.1, including NFI field expansion, QA/QC, country-specific emission-factor development, forest carbon stock assessment and integration of NFI results into REDD , GHG inventory and national climate reporting systems, under the technical guidance of the relevant FAO and forest inventory experts
- Coordinate the implementation and milestone tracking of Outputs 1.4, 2.1 and 2.3, including consultant and service-provider inputs, consultations, technical reviews, reporting requirements and follow-up actions.
- Coordinate with administrative and technical personnel and support procurement and financial management in line with FAO rules and regulations and co-financing agreements.
- Lead the review and preparation of AWPs/Bs including analysis and reporting in collaboration with FAO country office and project co-financiers, technical experts, HR, Finance and Procurement Assistants. Support the budget revision.
- Lead the preparation and ensure the quality of project reports, including financial reports required for FAO and EC.
- Prepare Terms of References (ToRs) for project personnel and Service Providers (SP) to be submitted to the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA), Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and Budget Holder (BH) for clearance/ approval.
- Lead the planning and facilitation of the project steering committee (PSC), ensuring that the decisions of key project stakeholders are well documented and communicated to all parties involved in project implementation.
- Provide guidance to the project personnel and service providers and monitor compliance with the agreed work plan and their respective ToRs.
- Coordinate planning and implementation of National Forest Inventory field activities, including deployment of field teams, training activities, quality assurance and quality control, and technical supervision of field assessment
- Facilitate collaboration with PNGFA, CEPA, CCDA, provincial administrations, and other implementing partners.
Monitoring, Reporting, and Knowledge Management
- Prepare progress reports, technical briefs, and knowledge products for FAO, EU, and government counterparts.
- Ensure compliance with FAO and EU visibility, communication, and knowledge-sharing requirements.
- Support monitoring and evaluation of FAO components, including indicators linked to Output 1.1
- Facilitate knowledge exchange with international experts and FAO technical divisions
Financial and Operational Coordination
- Serve as the day-to-day FAO coordination focal point with UNDP and relevant national counterparts on the implementation of FAO-led components, under the guidance of the CTA and the FAO Country Office.
- Coordinate procurement planning and implementation.
- Coordinate and monitor Letters of Agreement, service contracts and consultants' deliverables, ensuring timely follow-up and implementation.
- Coordinate and monitor the work of project personnel, consultants and service providers, ensuring timely delivery of agreed outputs and follow-up on implementation issues.
- Ensure compliance with FAO operational, procurement, and financial procedures
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
- Advanced University Degree in Economics, Environmental Science, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, Sustainable Development, Development Studies, Climate Change, Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, or a related field.
- At least 5 years of progressively responsible relevant experience in project management, project coordination, and/or implementation of development, environmental, forestry, biodiversity or natural resource management programmes/projects, including experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams and working with government institutions, implementing partners and other stakeholders.
- Working knowledge of English.
- National of Papua New Guinea 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
- Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is desirable.
- Extent and relevance of experience in working with intergovernmental bodies and multidisciplinary teams.
- Extent and relevance of experience in managing and coordinating complex development projects, including work planning, budgeting, procurement, monitoring and results delivery.
- Extent and relevance of experience in leading project implementation, including monitoring progress, identifying risks and issues, and taking corrective action.
- Extent and relevance of experience in coordinating government institutions, implementing partners, consultants, service providers and other stakeholders.
- Extent and relevance of experience in monitoring and evaluation and results-based management, including logical frameworks, indicators and results frameworks.
- Familiarity with FAO’s mandate areas, particularly forestry, biodiversity, climate change, natural resource management and sustainable development.
- Extent and relevance of experience using monitoring information systems and project management platforms, including FPMIS or similar systems.
- Experience working with government institutions, UN or other international development organizations and donor-funded projects is highly desirable.
- Understanding of national policies and strategies relevant to the project.
- Demonstrated ability to formulate, draft and finalize clear technical and policy documents, reports and knowledge products, and communicate complex information to diverse stakeholders.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
