Project Coordinator, Meal Specialist(M&E), Gender and Safeguards Specialist and Financial Officer (4 Positions)

PENHA – GEF-LDCF Project - Scaling Up the Green Legacy Initiative

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (with some travel to priority districts)

Project Duration: 5 Years

The Pastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn of Africa (PENHA) is a regional NGO, with country offices in Ethiopia and Somaliland. Established in 1989, PENHA combines grassroots project implementation with research and policy analysis, focusing on pastoralism, rangelands, dry forests and landscape restoration, with an emphasis on Gender and Social Inclusion. PENHA’s mission is to promote development by empowering communities and fostering sustainable and diversified livelihoods. PENHA believes in a bottom-up, participatory and people-centred approach, working in an open and collaborative way with numerous local and international partners.

History

PENHA is an executing agency for a new UNEP-Global Environment Facility (GEF-8)-LDCF-funded project, to be implemented in collaboration with Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD). This initiative aims to scale up best practices from the Green Legacy Initiative, while strengthening climate resilience and the livelihoods of smallholders and vulnerable communities across six priority districts (Merti, Wenchi, Girawa, Bati, Argoba and Misha).

The Project: “Scaling up the Green Legacy Initiative best practices to enhance the climate resilience of smallholder farmers and vulnerable groups in Ethiopia” The project will build on past and ongoing investments and best practices established under the initial phases of GLI, enhancing the quality of planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting, promoting climate-resilient approaches to forest and agricultural landscape restoration, and integrating agroforestry and plantation forestry practices that reduce the vulnerability of local communities to climate impacts — including the planting of high-value seedlings, promoting and developing innovative nature-based livelihoods and value chains, and creating more green  jobs for women and youth. The project will prioritize Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities and natural ecosystems to climate impacts. The project is co-executed by PENHA and Ethiopian Forestry Development, with technical support from CIFOR and the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute (EMI). Appointees will form part of a Project  Management Unit, reporting to PENHA and EFD, while ensuring coordination with UNEP.

We are seeking four highly motivated and qualified professionals to fill the following key positions:

Skills and qualifications

1. Project Coordinator

Position: Project Coordinator
Location: Addis Ababa
Duration: 60 months (2-year contract, renewable for another 2-3 years based on performance)
Reporting to: PENHA & EFD

The Role: Lead project implementation, ensuring technical excellence in landscape restoration and resilient livelihoods while managing stakeholder engagement and financial compliance. In this key post, the Project Coordinator will work closely with PENHA’s Regional Programmes Coordinator. The Project Coordinator will be primarily responsible for project management activities, with a broad set of responsibilities, encompassing project planning and implementation, the provision of technical inputs and quality assurance. The Project Coordinator will lead the PMU and work directly with project partners and stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

 Project Planning and Implementation:

• Lead and coordinate the implementation of the project in accordance with GoE, GEF, and UNEP policies and guidelines, ensuring the achievement of all objectives, outputs, and outcomes.
• Develop and regularly update detailed work plans, budgets, and monitoring frameworks in coordination with project stakeholders.
•  Ensure compliance with the terms of the Project Cooperation Agreement, including compliance by all the Project Management Unit members.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement, including national and local government authorities, private sector actors, research institutions, and local communities.

 Technical Inputs and Key Deliverables Related to Project Components:

• Component 1: Oversee and provide technical inputs to capacity building and institutional coordination, including training programmes, strengthening of multistakeholder platforms, and establishment of adaptation finance mechanisms and climate information services. Key deliverables are presented below:

o    Technical inputs and review for the development and delivery of training materials and capacity-building modules on EbA as a climate-resilient GLI best practice to local governments.

o    Guidance for the strengthening of the FLR multi-stakeholder technical platform at the regional and district levels.

o    Guidance and review for the development of the adaptation finance mechanism and associated resource mobilisation strategy.

o    Technical guidance for the development and delivery of tailored climate advisories across the 6 target districts.

o    Technical inputs to the implementation of awareness-raising and training workshops (50% women) on the use of data to better understand climate change impacts and inform the identification of adaptation solutions at the district expert and community cooperative level.

 Component 2: Coordinate and provide technical inputs to the implementation of landscape restoration activities, sustainable forest management, and agroforestry interventions to enhance ecosystem services and build resilience. Key deliverables to be supported are presented below:

o    Inputs and review for the development and delivery of technical restoration plans and protocols for targeted degraded ecosystems.

o    Technical guidance for the preparation and implementation of site-specific restoration implementation plans in target sites, resulting in at least 18,000 ha of land being restored using climate-resilient, ecosystem-based methods.

o    Technical guidance for nursery development and the establishment of a functional supply chain system for indigenous climate-resilient species.

o    Guidance and technical inputs for the climate-resilient and sustainable management of 42,000 ha of natural forest.

o    Guidance and technical inputs for climate-resilient plantation forestry and agroforestry-based restoration on 7,200 ha of degraded land.

 Component 3: Manage support for vulnerable communities to adopt climate-resilient and gender-responsive livelihoods, facilitate training on value addition and entrepreneurship, and strengthen market linkages and private sector engagement. Key deliverables to be supported are presented below:

o    Oversight and quality assurance for the market assessments and value chain analyses for climate-resilient livelihood options.

o    Guidance for the development and delivery of climate-smart livelihood packages to at least 3,000 beneficiaries.

o    Guidance for the delivery of skills training and technical support packages for beneficiary communities on climate-smart agriculture, entrepreneurship, business and financial management, and value addition.

• Component 4: Coordinate and provide technical inputs to the development and implementation of monitoring, evaluation, and knowledge management systems to track progress and support the scaling of climate-resilient GLI best practices. Key deliverables to be supported are presented below:

o    Guidance and review for the development of a standardised system for monitoring, evaluating and reporting the impact and success of adaptation interventions under the GLI and other FLR-related initiatives.

o    Inputs and review for the development of the knowledge management and communication strategy related to EbA approaches and impacts under the GLI.

o    Inputs and review for the development and dissemination of EbA knowledge products.

Financial and Administrative  Management:

• Oversee project finances and budget revisions, ensuring efficient budget allocation and disbursement of funds.
• Prepare financial and progress reports in accordance with GEF, UNEP, PENHA and government requirements.
• Ensure proper procurement procedures are followed, in line with GEF, UNEP, PENHA and practices of GoE.

 Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting:

• Oversee the development and implementation of a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track progress and impact.
• Prepare and submit periodic technical and financial reports to the EFD PENHA and UNEP. Consolidate progress and annual reports from executing entities and implementing partners in one project-wide progress and annual report for submission to EFD. Ensure timely implementation of mid-term recommendations.
• Support the organization and roll out of supervisory missions by UNEP’s Task Manager or other missions from UNEP personnel or the GEF.

 Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building:

• Organize regular coordination meetings among the executing entities and implementing partners and keep records of decisions and action points taken.
• Foster collaboration with key stakeholders, including government agencies, local communities, and the private sector as per the project Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
• Organize training and capacity-building activities for partners and project beneficiaries.
• Promote knowledge-sharing and best practices in climate change adaptation.
• Prepare agenda, reports and materials for the Project Steering Committee (PSC), serve as the secretary of the PSC and draft PSC meeting minutes.

 Manage the Project Management Unit team and consultants:

• Manage the PMU team composed of a finance coordinator, M&E specialist and Gender and safeguards specialist ensuring each team member has a quarterly workplan contributing to the annual project workplan and that performance is evaluated against such workplans.
• Develop TOR for local consultants and consultancy firms, supervise consultants' workplans, review draft deliverables and ensure adequate dissemination among the project stakeholders for final review and validation of deliverables.

 Qualifications and Experience:

• Master’s degree in forestry, climate change adaptation, environment and Development studies, natural resource management, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of experience in leading Environment, forest, and natural resource management-related projects and sectors
• Proven experience with GEF-funded projects or similar international development partners supported  projects.
• Strong understanding of Ethiopia’s forestry sector and related policies, regulatory environment, and sustainability challenges.
• Excellent financial and administrative management skills, with experience in budgeting and procurement.
• Demonstrated ability to engage stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector partners, and local communities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English; knowledge of local languages is an advantage.
• Experience in gender mainstreaming will be beneficial.

2. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist

 Position: Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist (Full-Time)
Location: Addis Ababa
Duration: 60 months (2-year contract, renewable for another 2-3 years based on performance)
Reporting to: Project Coordinator

 The Role: Develop and lead a comprehensive M&E framework to track project impacts, ensure data integrity, and provide analytical insights for project evaluations. As a key member of the PMU, the M&E Specialist will oversee the project’s monitoring, reporting and evaluation in line with GEF requirements, as well as EFD policies and PENHA’s participatory approach.

 Responsibilities:

 Monitoring and Evaluation System Development and Implementation:

• Design and implement a comprehensive M&E framework aligned with GEF and UNEP guidelines and the approved project document.
• Establish data collection mechanisms and performance indicators to measure and document project impact.
• Develop tools and methodologies for data gathering, analysis, and reporting against the results framework indicators.
• Ensure regular monitoring of the Gender Action Plan (GAP) activities and targets, using the tools and methodologies developed by the Gender and Safeguards Specialist.
• Ensure regular monitoring of social and environmental safeguards risks and the implementation of the mitigation measures of the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), using the tools and methodologies developed by the Gender and Safeguards Specialist.
• Ensure the project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) is operational and serve as the main focal point for grievance record keeping and management.
• Ensure timely and accurate data collection, validation, and analysis.
• Contribute to the independent results verification exercises.
• Contribute to the preparation of mid-term and final project evaluations.
• Contribute to the implementation of mid-term evaluations recommendations.
• Carry out quarterly field missions to project sites to assess progress of activities on the ground and collect relevant data to document progress against result framework indicators, the GAP and the ESMP as well as to monitor the implementation of the GRM at the local level.

Reporting and Documentation:

• Prepare periodic M&E reports, including progress updates, impact assessments, and recommendations.
• Provide input to the progress and annual progress reports, reports to the PSC and other ad-hoc reports.
• Ensure compliance with GEF, UNEP, PENHA and government reporting requirements.

Capacity Building and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Provide technical support and training to project staff and stakeholders on M&E best practices.
• Develop project briefs, document lessons learned and best practices, document stories from project beneficiaries and facilitate knowledge-sharing on lessons learned and best practices.
• Engage with stakeholders to ensure participatory M&E processes and feedback mechanism

 Qualifications and Experience:

 o    Master’s degree in project management, economics, environment and Development studies, Environment, forest and, natural resource management, or a related field.

o    At least 7 years of relevant experience in M&E, project management and coordination, preferably in forest, environment and natural resource management related projects.

o    Experience with GEF-funded projects or other initiatives funded by international development is an advantage.

o    Strong analytical skills and proficiency in data management

o    Ability to produce high-quality reports and communicate findings effectively.

o    Knowledge of Ethiopia’s forestry sector, related policies and sustainability challenges is desirable.

o    Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; knowledge of local languages is an asset.

o    GIS skills will be an added value.

3. Gender and Safeguards Specialist (Part-Time)

Position: Gender and Safeguards Specialist (Part-Time)
Location: Ethiopia
Duration: 32 months (over a period of 60 months, 2.5 days per week*)
Reporting to: Project Coordinator

*  Missions to districts may involve full-time work for some two weeks, compensating for the extra work days subsequently

 The Role: Ensure the project adheres to environmental and social safeguards while leading gender mainstreaming efforts through Gender Action Plans and social inclusion training. The Gender and Safeguards Specialist will ensure integration of gender considerations and compliance with environmental and social safeguards in line with GEF requirements and national policies, as well as PENHA’s approach to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI).

 Responsibilities

a)       Gender

Gender Mainstreaming and Strategy Development:

 ·         Develop the necessary tools to facilitate the implementation and monitoring of the Gender Action Plan (GAP) aligned with GEF-8 and UNEP guidelines and national gender policies.

·         Train the PMU and project partners in the implementation and monitoring of the GAP

·         Integrate gender-responsive approaches into project activities, ensuring equal participation and benefits for women and men.

·         Identify gender-related risks and propose mitigation measures.

 Capacity Building and Stakeholder Engagement:

 ·         Provide training and technical support to project staff and stakeholders on gender equality and social inclusion.

·         Facilitate gender-responsive consultations and participatory approaches in project activities.

·         Engage with government agencies, community organizations, and other stakeholders to promote gender mainstreaming.

 Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting:

·         Develop tools to document the gender-responsive indicators of the results-framework and the Gender Action Plan and contribute to the project’s monitoring and evaluation framework.

·         Ensure the collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated data.

·         Conduct field monitoring visits to monitor the implementation of the Gender Action Plan and prepare periodic reports on gender mainstreaming efforts and progress.

·         Support the preparation of mid-term and final project evaluations with a gender focus.

b)       Social and environmental safeguards

Environmental and Social Safeguard Compliance:

 ·         Develop the necessary tools to facilitate the implementation and monitoring of the Environmental and Social Safeguards Plan (ESMP) aligned with GEF-8, UNEP guidelines and national regulatory frameworks.

·         Ensure compliance with relevant national and international environmental and social policies.

·         Conduct environmental and social impact assessments and recommend mitigation measures.

·         Ensure environmental and social risks are identified, avoided, mitigated and managed throughout project implementation;

Risk  Management and Monitoring:

·         Carry out visits to the project sites and stakeholder consultations to identify environmental and social risks associated with project activities, monitor the implementation of mitigation measures and  propose new mitigation strategies as required.

·         Develop and oversee a grievance redress mechanism (GRM) for addressing environmental and social concerns and train the M&E specialist and local partners in the operationalization of the GRM.

·         Work with the M&E specialist to ensure reporting, monitoring and evaluation fully address the safeguard issues of the project.

 Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building:

 ·         Conduct training sessions for project staff and stakeholders on environmental and social safeguard requirements and the project ESMP and GRM.

·         Facilitate community consultations and ensure stakeholder concerns are integrated into project implementation.

·         Engage with government agencies and regulatory bodies to align project activities with national policies.

Qualifications and Experience:

o    Master’s degree in environmental and development studies, gender studies, social sciences, natural resource management or a related field.

o    At least 5 years of professional experience in environmental and social safeguards compliance and gender mainstreaming, preferably within climate change adaptation, forestry, or rural development projects.

o    Demonstrated experience in conducting environmental and social impact assessments, developing mitigation and management plans,

o    Demonstrated experience in preparing gender analyses and gender action plans and building capacity in gender mainstreaming.

o    Prior experience with GEF-funded projects or other projects funded by international development partners

o    Strong knowledge of Ethiopia’s environmental and social policies and regulations, as well as national gender policies and frameworks.

o    Excellent analytical, coordination, and stakeholder engagement skills, including facilitation of participatory consultations.

o    Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Amharic (knowledge of other official Federal working languages is an asset).

4. Financial Officer

Position: Financial Officer (Full-Time)
Location: Ethiopia
Duration: 60 months (2-year contract, renewable for another 2-3 years based on performance)

Reporting to: Project Coordinator & PENHA’s Regional Programmes Coordinator

The Role: Manage project finances in compliance with GEF regulations, maintain accurate records, and oversee financial risk controls.The Financial Officer will be responsible for all aspects of financial management and reporting, in line with GEF requirements and national regulations. The position also requires a level of engagement with different stakeholders, as well as liaison with donors and government agencies.

Responsibilities:

Financial Management and Compliance:

• Oversee financial planning, budgeting, and execution of project funds in compliance with GEF, UNEP and national financial regulations.
• Ensure transparent and accountable financial processes, including disbursement, procurement, and contract management.
• Monitor project expenditures and ensure alignment with approved budgets.
• Prepare revisions of the budget with the Project Coordinator and assist in the preparation of the Annual Work Plans.
• Undertake project financial closure formalities including submission of terminal reports, transfer and disposal of equipment, processing of semi-final revisions, and support professional staff in preparing the terminal assessment reports.

Accounting and Reporting:

• Maintain accurate financial records and ensure timely reconciliation of accounts.
• Prepare and submit financial reports, including quarterly, mid-term, and final financial statements, to the Project Coordinator and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with financial audit requirements and facilitate external audits.

Risk Management and Internal Controls:

• Identify financial risks and implement mitigation measures to ensure project sustainability.
• Establish and maintain strong internal financial controls to prevent fraud and mismanagement.
• Ensure compliance with tax and other financial regulatory requirements.

Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building:

• Work closely with the project team to ensure financial literacy and adherence to financial procedures.
• Provide financial training and support to project staff and stakeholders as needed.
• Liaise with donors, government agencies, and financial institutions regarding project financial matters.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, or a related field.
• At least 5-7 years of experience in financial management, preferably within international development projects or donor-funded programs.
• Experience with GEF-funded projects or similar international funding mechanisms is an advantage.
• Strong knowledge of Ethiopia’s financial and regulatory frameworks.
• Proficiency in financial management software and Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Amharic (knowledge of other official Federal working languages is an asset.

The selected candidates should embody PENHA’s core values: integrity; professionalism, commitment to national development, openness to collaboration, inclusiveness with respect to all social groups in Ethiopia, and appreciation of the value of traditional knowledge and the importance of locally owned solutions.