Result of Service

The purpose of this consultancy is to perform the supporting processes of the project coordination of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness project “Aligning financial flows of the financial sector in Costa Rica with the Paris agreement climate change goals ” whose main objective is to provide the guiding structure for the financial sector to: (1) mobilize private capital flows towards a low-emission and climate-resilient economy and; (2) strengthen the resilience of the financial system to climate-related financial risks.

Specifically, this GCF Readiness in Costa Rica will achieve its objective through executing the following Outputs:

Output 2.1.1 The Country Programme, relevant to the NDC and the NDP goals, has been developed and ready to be approved by the NDA.

Output 2.4.1. Workplans and constitutive arrangements for the Financial Advisory Group (FAG) established to develop and implement (1) Costa Rica’s sustainable finance taxonomy and (2) methodologies and tools for identifying, assessing, and managing climate-related financial risks.

Output 2.4.2 The sustainable finance taxonomy is developed, piloted, and endorsed by relevant national financial actors.

Output 2.4.3 Framework for the identification, assessment and disclosure of climate related financial risks and opportunities for banking and insurance sectors are developed, piloted and endorsed by relevant national financial actors.

Output 2.4.4 Capacity within financial supervisors and regulators, and financial institutions is built on sustainable finance taxonomy (including green labeling of financial products and green bonds), and climate-related financial risks.

Output 4.1.1: Pipeline identified and prioritization assessments.

Output 4.1.2 A concept note for mainstreaming climate mitigation and adaptation in the financial sector is developed, validated by relevant stakeholders, and ready to be submitted to the GCF by Costa Rica’s NDA.

Output 5.1.1 Lessons learned, and activities results are shared and disseminated with national and international finance sector audiences as well as the wider climate change policy community.

Project Management – Financial, Administrative and Human Resources

a. Work in close collaboration with the Project Coordinator for all kinds of financial and project management related activities including liaison with different government agencies/UNEPFI and other key stakeholders, as directed.

b. Draft the terms of reference and works/products requirements/specifications and facilitate the identification, selection, and recruitment of consultants.

c. Collaborate with the project coordinator with procurement processes, including updating the procurement plan (if required), coordinating review panels, preparing long/shortlisting score-chart and contributing to shortlisting and logistics, contacting candidates to coordinate testing and interviews, finalizing associated minutes and desk reviews, preparing requests for contracts /amendments as needed.

d. Contribute to the timely issuance of contracts and assurance of other eligible entitlements of the project’s personnel, experts, and consultants by preparing recruitment plans.

e. Reviewing deliverables and processing payments from technical consultants upon the final approval of the Project Coordinator and the Programme Management Officer on Sustainable Finance for the LAC region.

f. Review accuracy of requests for payment from vendors, completeness of supporting documents, obtain clearances, and ensure timely processing of payment.

g. Contribute with the project coordinator in the maintenance of the project accounts, budgeting, budget revisions, financial operations and reporting and auditing.

h. Collaborate with the project coordinator with the maintenance of financial records for UNEP/GCF and government/ national counterparts for which responsibility is assigned.

i. Provide Technical insight for the preparation of detailed cost estimates and participation in budget analysis and projections as required.

j. Track budget spending planning and expenditures and prepare financial plans, status reports, progress reports and other financial reports following specific requirements from GCF and UNEP.

k. Contribute to the timely preparation of the annual and semi-annual work plans, procurement plans, request for changes (if needed), and cash advance requests.

l. Provide Guidance to the project coordinator in drafting the bi-annual project Interim Progress Report (IPR) (progress against planned activities, update on risks issues, expenditures, etc.).

m. Collaborate with the project coordinator in the planning of an exit strategy well in advance of the project closure date, ensuring compliance with UNEP established procedures.

n. Undertake project financial closure formalities including submission of terminal reports, transfer, and disposal of equipment (if necessary), and work closely with the Project Coordinator in preparing the terminal assessment reports.

o. Overlook the full compliance of UNEP rules and regulations of financial processes, financial records and reports and audit follow up.

Project Planning and Implementation

a. Work in close collaboration with the Project Coordinator in ensuring project outputs/activities/deliverables are aligned with the project documents.

b. Contribute with the follow up of the technical/non-technical products that will be delivered by various consultants and internal counterparts meet expected deadlines and are recorded and reported accordingly.

c. Perform research activities such as literature review and synthesis, contribute to the preparation of power point presentations, and gather background material for activities carried out by PCU/TT.

d. Draft correspondence and prepare mailings of publications in relation to the project, as appropriate.

e. Support the project coordinator in drafting necessary strategic documents concerning project design and implementation, such as policy and technical papers, results frameworks, work-plans etc.

f. Regularly monitor and report on project performance and delivery to the Project Coordinator, including progress, achievements, challenges encountered and proposed corrective actions.

g. Undertake background information and provide technical inputs on completed deliverables to be submitted and approved by the Project Coordinator.

h. Provide guidance to the project coordinator in preparing monthly project reporting and presentations to government agencies, UNEPFI, and other key relevant counterparts (PCU, TT, PSC, etc.).

i. Contribute to stakeholder consultation processes to validate activities/deliverables and project results.

j. Organize, in consultation with the project coordinator, capacity-building programmes, planning and facilitating workshops, webinars and other meetings.

k. Collaborate in several project-related activities may include (but not limited to) planning for meetings, local and national consultations, trips, and other project-related activities, as assigned by the authorities.

l. Facilitate the preparation of project events, training sessions and other relevant dialogues by identifying experts; developing and updating agendas, participants list, and draft reports; and identifying logistical requirements for events and ensuring they follow UNEP policies and standards.

m. Maintain regular and clear communications with all event counterparts to assure preparations are made on time.

n. Prepare invitation letters and letters of agreement and assuring travel arrangements are adequate and all administrative tasks are properly taken care of (including follow-up on payments, if applicable).

o. Follow any other duties as delegated by the Project Coordinator related to the GCF Readiness implementation.

p. Contribute with the Project Team with preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual progress reports to UNEP/UNEP-FI and GCF.

Project Activities/Deliverables Execution

It is expected that the PCU and individual technical consultants, will be responsible for the development of specific project activities/deliverables. In this case, the Project Support Consultant will collaborate closely with the Project Coordinator in developing the following activities:

i. Output 2.4.1: Workplans and constitutive arrangements for the Financial Advisory Group (FAG) established to develop and implement (1) Costa Rica’s sustainable finance taxonomy and (2) methodologies and tools for identifying, assessing, and managing climate-related financial risks:

a. Contribute to the preparation and logistics of a workshop with key national and international financial actors with the objective of defining workplans and constitutive agreements for the development and implementation of Costa Rica´s sustainable finance taxonomy, and methodologies and tools for identifying, assessing, and managing climate-related financial risks.

b. Collaborate in the development of the committee’s workplan and constitutive arrangements for developing and implementation: 1) sustainable finance taxonomy; and 2) methodologies and tools for identifying, assessing, and managing climate-related financial risks.

c. Prepare the minute(s) document related to the workshop with key national and international financial actors with the objective of defining workplans and constitutive agreements for the development and implementation of Costa Rica’s sustainable finance taxonomy, and methodologies and tools for identifying, assessing, and managing climate-related financial risks.

ii. Output 2.4.2: The sustainable finance taxonomy is developed, piloted, and endorsed by relevant national financial actors:

a. Organize and set up the technical roundtables for discussing and developing the eligibility criteria and requirements per economic sectors/subsectors for Costa Rica’s sustainable finance taxonomy.
b. Organize workshops per technical roundtable for discussing and developing the eligibility criteria and requirements for Costa Rica’s sustainable finance taxonomy.
c. Facilitate the organization of an open consultation of the sustainable finance taxonomy and tool to receive comments/feedback from relevant stakeholders, incorporate the comments/feedback, and develop the final taxonomy and tool ready to be published by the local authorities.

iii. Output 2.4.3: Framework for the identification, assessment and disclosure of climate related financial risks and opportunities for banking and insurance sectors are developed, piloted and endorsed by relevant national financial actors:

a. Contribute with the identification of (national) climate data sources to develop the methodologies and tools for identifying, assessing, and managing climate-related financial risks (climate-data gap analysis).
b. Provide inputs how current banks and insurance companies in Costa Rica currently incorporate climate change in their governance, strategic framework, risk management and reporting processes via structured surveys and interviews.
c. Collaborate in the creation of two working groups (one for banks, and the other for insurance companies) for testing the methodologies and tools for identifying, assessing, and managing climate-related financial risks in pilot participants’ portfolios.
d. Provide inputs to develop the concept idea and estimated budget for an online reporting system of the climate-related financial risk exposure (both physical and transition) under the framework of SINAMECC and SICVECA platforms and to be hosted and maintained by the SUGEF and SUGESE.

iv. Output 2.4.4: Capacity within financial institutions is built on sustainable finance taxonomy, climate-related financial risks exposure and management, green products/lines, including green bonds.

a. Provide guidance in the design and implementation of an online training program within financial institutions regarding i. Costa Rica Taxonomy-Module ii. Costa Rica Climate-related financial risk management iii. Green finance line/product/service design, including green bonds with the objectives to train financial entities during the piloting process, and to train financial entities, policymakers, regulators, supervisors, and stakeholders interested in better understanding the application of the sustainable finance taxonomy, the climate-related risk disclosures, and the business opportunities for green finance line/product/service design, including green bonds.

v. Output 4.1.1: Pipeline identified and prioritization assessments.

a. Collaborate in the identification, prioritization and selection of the financial instrument(s) that will be developed in the concept note.
b. Provide substantive aid for the development of a pre-feasibility study for a concept note for mainstreaming climate mitigation and adaptation in the financial sector.

vi. Output 4.1.2 A concept note for mainstreaming climate mitigation and adaptation in the financial sector is developed, validated by relevant stakeholders, and ready to be submitted to the GCF by Costa Rica’s NDA:

a. Provide technical inputs for the development of the first draft of a GCF concept note for mainstreaming climate mitigation and adaptation in the financial sector.
b. Facilitate logistics in the engagement of the NDA, GCF, Accredited Entities (AE), and relevant stakeholders to validate and incorporate feedback.
c. Identify potential AE to take up the concept note for further development to a full funding proposal.

vii. Output 5.1.1: Lessons learned, and activities results are shared and disseminated with national and international finance sector audiences as well as the wider climate change policy community, as well as the wider climate change policy community, thus ensuring the practical use of the deliverables and procedures of classification designed for this purpose.

a. Contribute to the dissemination of lessons learned and activities from Costa Rica’s processes on developing the taxonomy and climate-related financial risk disclosures, utilizing the DCC website, and providing details via the SINAMECC and SICVECA platforms. Work Location

Ministry of Environment and Energy, San Jose, Costa Rica

Expected duration

12 MONTHS

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO), located in Panama City, Panama works closely with the 33 countries of the region and its activities are integrated into the Medium-Term Strategy and the Programme of Work approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).

The overall objective of the UNEP’s Economy Division is to encourage decision makers in government, local authorities, and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals, and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. It promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices, and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities.

The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is the strategic partnership between the United Nations and over 450 banks, insurers, and investors. UNEP FI also brings together a large network in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region of over 130 banks, insurers, and investors. For 30 years UNEP FI has been shaping and driving the international sustainable finance agenda, setting global standards, and growing a global network of leading financial institutions. Through its work-streams and regional activities, peer learning, methodology development, training and research, UNEP FI carries out its mission to help the financial industry align with and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and with that take on the crucial role it must play in achieving a sustainable future.

UNEP LACO & UNEP FI support LAC member states to develop the appropriate frameworks to steer capital flows into environmentally sustainable investments, recognizing that sustainable finance has a key role to play in the LAC Green Transition. UNEP LACO & UNEP FI support LAC policymakers, central banks, financial supervisors and regulators, and financial institutions in developing and supporting implementation of national taxonomies and disclosure standards and methodologies and tools to map, quantify, and disclosure climate-related risks, aligned with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) and the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD).

In 2022, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) board approved the GCF Readiness Proposal “Aligning financial flows of the financial sector in Costa Rica with the Paris Agreement climate change goals”. The National Designed Authority (NDA) in Costa Rica, the Minister of Environment and Energy (MINAE), has nominated UNEP to be its Delivery Partner for this proposal, where the funds will be disbursed from the GCF to UNEP to undertake the Readiness grant implementation, in close coordination with the NDA and others relevant country authorities involved in the agreed project governance mechanism.

This GCF Readiness aims to provide the guiding structure for the financial sector to: (1) mobilize private capital flows towards a low-emission and climate-resilient economy and (2) strengthen the resilience of the financial system to climate-related financial risks. Mainly, the GCF Readiness seek to build the country capacity for: (1) national sustainable finance taxonomy development and implementation and (2) the identification, measurement, and disclosure of climate-related financial risks, aligned with TCFD recommendations.

The Project Technical Support Consultant for the GCF Readiness Project in Costa Rica will work 40 hours per week, full time and he/she will be in the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica. The incumbent will directly report to the Programme Management Officer on Sustainable Finance for the LAC region, in close collaboration with the Project Coordinator.

A Project Coordination Unit (PCU) will be established under the direct supervision of UNEP LACO & UNEP FI and be responsible for the management of the project’s day-to-day activities, including providing the necessary strategic guidance and technical support to the startup, implementation, and closure of the project. The PCU’s objective will be to manage, coordinate, and follow up the activities established under the approved proposal. The PCU will consist of a Project Coordinator, and a Project Support, both consultants.

UNEP LACO & UNEPFI are looking for a Project Support Consultant for the GCF Readiness Project “Aligning financial flows of the financial sector in Costa Rica with the Paris Agreement climate change goals”. The Project Support Consultant for this project will work under the supervision of the Programme Management Officer on Sustainable Finance for the LAC region, in close collaboration with the Project Coordinator. She/he will be responsible for supporting the Project Coordinator in carrying out project management, including the administration, finance and monitoring related activities. The Project Support Consultant will collaborate with the Project Coordinator for overall project technical, financial, and operational management to achieve the results/activities/deliverables as defined in the approved project document and in the agreed workplans through timely and quality implementation, monitoring and reporting.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, economics, finance, business administration, political science, or other related studies is required.

Professional:

• At least four years (4) years of professional experience in activities involving project administrative and/or financial management in national or local government entities, and/or reputed multinational organizations/companies is required.

• Proven knowledge/experience in the field of sustainable finance is required.

• Experience in supporting the coordination of strategic processes and meetings, including experience in the definition of agendas, identification of relevant participants and preparation of technical documents and presentations is desirable.

• Proven knowledge in sustainable finance frameworks (taxonomies, disclosures) is an asset.

• Strong understanding of budgeting – having familiarity with UNEP administrative, program, and financial procedures will be considered as an asset.

• Proven experience in leading strategic planning, results-based management, and reporting: full project cycle mastery, and excellent work/project planning skills (design, planning, execution, monitoring, reporting, and closing) is an asset.

• Previous experience working with government entities or the public financial sector in Costa Rica is desirable.

• Experience in positions related to facilitating the participation of government-led stakeholders in setting up an externally funded program or projects in Costa Rica is highly desirable.

• Experience in engaging with a range of high-level and technical stakeholders and/or officials such as government agencies, policy decision-makers, scientists, and the ability to communicate findings to high-level and mid-senior level management is desirable.

• Experience in coordinating webinars or workshops is an asset.

• Experience in policy-oriented work in the areas of climate change, environment, and/or natural resources in Costa Rica is desirable.

Language:

• Fluent in Spanish. (required)

• Fluent in English. (required)

Special knowledge and skills:

• Proficiency in using Microsoft Package (Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) collaborative platforms (i.e., Google Drive) and virtual meeting platforms (i.e. Webex, Zoom, etc.) is required.

Skills:

• Ability to oversee timely project implementation and to provide the necessary trouble shooting to keep project implementation on schedule.

• Ability to formulate and manage budgets, manage transactions, conduct financial analysis, and reporting: excellent project oversight functions, including audit, accurate and thorough risk assessment.

• Initiative, sound judgment, and capacity to teamwork.

• Ability to work under pressure, to prioritize and to show a spirit of initiative.

• Excellent time management, monitoring and evaluation skills.

• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback.

• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication.

• Demonstrates initiative and self-motivation to work independently, as well as cooperative and collaborative spirit to work in a team.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to manage conflict.

• Demonstrated informed and transparent decision making.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.