Programme Specialist

Job Posting: 14/May/2025

Closure Date: 28/May/2025, 4:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit: NFIGD - General Fisheries Commisiion for the Mediterranean (GFCM)

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition: Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)

Grade Level: N/A

Primary Location: Italy-Rome

Duration: Up to 11 months (renewable)

Post Number: N/A

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- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
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**Organizational Setting**

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) is a regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) established under the provisions of Article XIV of the FAO Constitution. The main objective of the GFCM is to promote the development, conservation, rational management and best utilization of living marine resources as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
To this end, the GFCM adopts binding recommendations and other resolutions and ensures these decisions are implemented. The GFCM decision-making process is based on the work of several subsidiary bodies, which lead advisory processes that start inter alia with systematic and continuous data collection and monitoring at country level and culminate in the formulation of management and conservation measures. In line with its mandate and main strategic priorities agreed by its contracting parties, with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 and the FAO Four Betters, the GFCM focuses on i) Fisheries and ecosystems: healthy seas and productive fisheries; ii) Compliance and enforcement: a level playing field to eradicate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; iii) Aquaculture: a sustainable and resilient sector growing to its full potential; iv) Livelihoods: decent employment and engaged fishers towards profitable fisheries; and v) Capacity development: technical cooperation, knowledge sharing and efficient partnerships in a subregional perspective.
To support these endeavors, the GFCM Secretariat Programme and Liaison Team is inter alia responsible for financial and operational monitoring as well as budget and resources management in the context of GFCM’s project-cycle management work, which includes project formulation and appraisal, the monitoring of and reporting on the GFCM projects portfolio and related closures.

**Reporting lines**

The Programme Specialist reports to the GFCM Finance and Project-Cycle Officer, in close coordination with relevant staff of the GFCM Secretariat and of the GFCM Programme and Liaison team in particular.

**Technical focus**

The Programme Specialist contributes to the planning, monitoring and reporting of GFCM financial operations, supporting the effective use of both budgetary and extra-budgetary resources entrusted to the GFCM by its Contracting Parties, Cooperating non-Contracting Parties and partners. The incumbent provides support across different phases of the project cycle, particularly by assisting in the formulation of advice to GFCM technical teams and managers on financial, operational and project implementation related matters, towards the effective management of the GFCM project portfolio.

**Tasks and responsibilities**
- Support planning, monitoring and reporting exercises conducted for core and ad-hoc activities of the GFCM project portfolio to strengthen the overall financial management of GFCM budgetary and extra-budgetary resources;
- Support the development and review of multi-year project financial proposals and budgets, ensuring compliance with internal policies and external donor requirements;
- Support resource planning exercises ensuring the timely and accurate collection of financial and operational inputs from a variety of sources, in close coordination with technical backstopping teams and managers;
- Follow up internal clearance processes with relevant FAO units/divisions (inter alia, CSFE, PSR) and collaborate in drafting background supporting documentation of various kinds;
- Assist in the preparation of financial monitoring tools and ad-hoc budgetary reports to track budget execution and expenditure trends (including forecasts), ensuring collection of ti