Jenny Wakfen

Program assistant, Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme, United Nations Development Programme
Papua New Guinea
Jenny works with UNDP’s Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme which provides financial and technical support to local communities and civil society organizations (CSOs) to implement projects that enhances global environmental benefits while improving livelihoods and reducing poverty as well as promoting social inclusion, gender equality and empowerment of women. The GEF prioritizes Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Biodiversity, Land Degradation, Sustainable Forest Management, International Waters and, Chemicals. Jenny’s core responsibility is to provide support to the programme implementation in terms of pre-screening project proposals, evaluating narrative and financial aspects of project proposals, reviewing project reports, conduct field monitoring and evaluation as well quality assessment of projects to ensure they meet GEF SGP’s priority areas and UN SDGs, preparing Memorandum of Agreements and monitoring grantee’s compliance, providing relevant and appropriate technical advice and guidance to grantees and interested stakeholders, financial management, administrative functions, and knowledge management. In 2022, , in partnership with USAID Pacific Climate Ready Project, Jenny was part of the GEF SGP team that awarded USD$ 400,000 to 10 local CSOs to implement innovative community-based projects that address climate change impacts in Papua New Guinea. Funding was also awarded for the production of 3 videos documenting successful GEF SGP projects and case studies. Jenny has experience working with the international community which includes communicating and sharing experiences and ideas with her other GEF SGP colleagues in the Pacific, Africa, and other countries worldwide. This program will significantly enhance her knowledge on Climate Change and Human Rights so she can advise and guide others especially the grantees and partners whom she is working with to achieve a sustainable future., Jenny’s core responsibility as a Programme Assistant is to provide support to the operations of the GEF Small Grants Programme. She was previously involved in issues relating to acquiring of customary land for Wagang Fish Port Project in Lae Morobe Province-National Department of Lands & Physical Planning (NDLPP) and National Fisheries Authority (NFA). Currently, she conducts project site visit and provides monitoring as well as technical guidance to community-based organizations for project implementation to address environmental issues. She hopes to gain skills which will enhance and improve her knowledge on the state of human rights in the country.

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