Transboundary Basin Investment Expert

Organization: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Location: Home-Based

Duration: 132 days WAE

Deadline: 10 Feb 2026, 12:59:00 AM

Job Description

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The Zambezi Watercourse, spanning eight Southern African nations and covering 1.4 million km², is a critical natural asset supporting over 51 million people projected in 2025. Despite its vast water and ecological resources, the basin is under severe pressure from climate change, poverty, environmental degradation, and weak governance systems. Over 60% of the population lives in rural areas, relying heavily on rain-fed agriculture and natural ecosystems, leaving them acutely vulnerable to droughts, floods, and declining land productivity. Key challenges include: Climate variability resulting in extreme and unpredictable weather patterns, widespread poverty, with 44% of the population living below the poverty line, environmental degradation, with 65% of land in the basin moderately or highly degraded, fragmented governance and inadequate infrastructure for water and land management.
To address these systemic issues, ZAMCOM is implementing the Strategic Plan for the Zambezi Watercourse (ZSP: 2018 – 2040), anchored on four pillars: infrastructure development, livelihood support, environmental protection, and water resources management. Inadequate policy frameworks and institutional capacities in the Zambezi Watercourse Riparian States are hampering efforts to address climate change, water management, and food security in an integrated manner. Fragmented governance and lack of coordination between sectors often lead to ineffective interventions.
In view of the above, FAO and ZAMCOM have initiated a project to titled “Support to the Development of the Strategic Basin Investment Programme to Build Resilience and Sustainable Development in the Zambezi Watercourse”support the development of the investment plan/programme which shall ensure that (i) available resources are sufficient to match the challenges, (ii) there is convergence of activities in same geographic zone, (iii) there shall be increased ownership and access to land for sustainability, and (iv) community-level sub-projects are demand-driven. The objectives of the investment programme are;
•    Mitigate the impacts of climate change by improving resilience in the watercourse area, promoting sustainable use and management of water and related resources, and enhancing climate-adaptation measures;
•    Enhance enabling environment for sustainable agriculture, water resources management and climate change adaptation in the Zambezi watercourse. The plan will strengthen institutional capacities, improve policy coherence, and foster regional cooperation for transboundary water management. This includes development of supportive policies, regulations, and institutions to promote investment in sustainable agriculture infrastructure, facilitate public-private partnerships;
•    Mainstream best gender practices into agricultural systems to ensure advancement of equality of voice, agency and access to resources and services by all gender groups inclusive of the youths, women and other disadvantaged groups with unique challenges;
•    Reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities by improving access to resources, diversifying livelihoods, capacity building on climate resilience, and empowering local communities to actively participate in water and land management decisions;
•    Restore ecosystems through sustainable land management, rehabilitation of degraded areas, and conservation of biodiversity. This will support ecosystem services crucial for maintaining water availability and quality in the long run;
•    Enhance food security by promoting climate-smart agriculture, improving irrigation practices, enhancing water storage for agricultural production, supporting infrastructure investment to enhance farmers’ incomes and food security, promoting sustainable small-scale farming and supporting sustainable land use that conserves water and boosts agricultural resilience; and
•    Promote implementation of the integrated water resource management (IWRM) approach. This includes capacity-building for stakeholders, promoting efficient water use and enhancing integrated data and information services for enhanced management of water and related resources
Reporting Lines

The expert will work under the overall supervision of the Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa and under the direct supervision of the Land and Water Resources Management Specialist at SFS and the SFS Programme Officer Partnership.

Technical Focus

The Consultancy aims to develop in a consultative and technical method the development of a comprehensive integrated a Strategic Basin Investment Programme for the transboundary Zambezi Watercourse. The investment plan/programme shall ensure that (i) available resources are sufficient to match the challenges, (ii) there is convergence of activities in same geographic zone, (iii) there shall be increased ownership and access to land for sustainability, and (iv) community-level sub-projects are demand-driven

Tasks and 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.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    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)

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    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

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at: Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application

• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings.

• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
•  We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp.