On the occasion of the One Planet summit – which took place on December 12, 2017 and marked the second anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement – and in the context of an ever-increasing impact of climate change and the need to protect biodiversity that small island states and territories rely upon, President of France Emmanuel Macron committed to launching a new multi-stakeholder international initiative designed to increase the capacities of 18 Pacific states and territories to adapt to climate change impacts; and to protect, restore and enhance biodiversity in order to strengthen the resilience of their socio-ecological systems. On the occasion of the second edition of the One Planet Summit – which was held on the sidelines of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York – France, the European Union, New Zealand and Australia announced the launch of the Joint Pacific Initiative, which then became endowed with more than €21 million. In November 2018, Canada joined the Initiative, adding €6.6 million.

At this stage, the total budget for the Initiative is EUR 28 830 000 over five years (sixty months). The Initiative aims at: helping the small islands of the Pacific and their populations adapt to the effects of climate change and to protect their biodiversity through the implementation of nature-based solutions; organizing an international coalition in order to mobilize greater financial resources and to accelerate and simplify the funding of climate change adaptation and biodiversity protection; promoting projects that will envision climate change and biodiversity as intertwined challenges. The expected results are the following:

– Result 1 – To support projects that conserve and restore marine and terrestrial biodiversity to favour climate change adaptation of communities and ecosystems;

– Result 2 – To promote projects intended to anticipate, reduce and manage climate change vulnerabilities in strategic economic sectors using nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches.

Recipient countries and territories are the following ones: Fifteen countries: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands (The), Micronesia (Federal States of), Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands (The), Tonga, Tuvalu, Timor Leste, Vanuatu; three French overseas territories: New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis-and-Futuna.

IUCN will implement the Pacific Initiative’s small and medium grants facility.

SPECIFIC DUTIES:
The Grants Administrator will undertake day-to-day administration of the Kiwa Initiative granting processes and procedures and ensuring that they are delivered in a timely, effective and accurate manner according to the project decription of action and Operation Manual (OM) and supervision responsibilities of the Kiwa Initiative Component A (KIWA CA)

Grants Administration
• Take responsibility for implementing all processes and procedures as outlined in the Operation Manual (OM) required at regional level for grants management and ensuring that they are delivered in a timely, effective and accurate manner;
• Promote and disseminate information on grant round call for proposals (e.g.email alerts, face-to-face sessions and webinars);
• Support grantees to prepare high-quality grant proposals (consisting of the technical description, log frame, supporting documents and budgets);
• Support the regional review and evaluation process of submitted grants, including facilitating the regional advisory committee, as well as preparing the consolidated report and notification letters to grantees;
• Liaise with successful grantees to make the required changes to project proposals in accordance with feedback from the evaluation process;
• Support the preparation of grant contracts for endorsement by the relevant delegate;
• Provide support, capacity building and mentoring to grantees through the grant cycle process, from the initial proposal design and submission process, to assisting with project monitoring and reporting;
• Liaise with applicants on the outcomes of their proposal submissions;
• Provide advice on due diligence assessments and screening of applicants Work closely with IUCN ORO Financial Team to review each grantee’s project financial report in line with the overall regional level project budget and expenditure authorizations in accordance with IUCN’s financial management systems and procedures;
• Provide administrative and technical support to grantees to provide timely and quality technical and financial reports to IUCN as outlined in their grant contracts;
• Support the validation of grantee financial reports for submission to finance for their review and posting.
• As necessary, provide direct technical support for capacity building, particularly of local-level civil society organizations and mentor applicants and grantees through aspects of grant management, from the initial proposal design and submission process, to assisting with project monitoring and evaluation;
• Work with the KIWA CA Coordinator to identify key regional and national networks and organizations, develop, and maintain contact lists and liaison;
• Work with the KIWA CA Coordinator to establish technical grants review team that provides advice to IUCN ORO on project selection;
• Support convening of meetings (virtual and face-to-face) and workshops to enable information sharing, capacity building and exchange between grantees and other stakeholders;
• Monitor grantees project performance through communication with grantees and through site visits and virtual meetings where appropriate;

Technical Support
• Develop a thorough understanding of the Kiwa Initiative Component A mechanism;
• In line with the guidance contained in the Description of the Action for the Kiwa Initiative Component A, assist in the development of an Operations Manual for very small, small, and medium grants;
• Work with the KIWA CA Coordinator to develop regionally tailored approaches for an effective communication program to promote and explain the grant mechanism opportunity to stakeholders across the Pacific;
• Provide regular technical advice to the KIWA CA Coordinator and assist in work planning and the preparation of reports;
• Contribute to project publicity, promotion, updates and knowledge products suitably branded and attributed;
• Support the the KIWA CA Coordinator as required through engagement on regional network groups, task forces and committees; representing IUCN and Kiwa Initiative Component A at relevant fora, meetings and workshops at all levels; contribution to IUCN ORO programme planning forums, advisory committees and, project reviews;

Communication and Knowledge Management
• Produce quarterly newsletters to tell the stories from the field of programme highlight from grantees, IUCN coordination and stories from our partners;
• Contribute to information sharing, lessons learning and documentation of project and programme experiences;
• Perform other duties as may be assigned.