INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page.

The Government’s climate finance priorities include simplified access to scaled-up climate finance for resilient development, capacity building, transfer of technology, support for climate smart agriculture, private sector engagement, traditional knowledge, and gender mainstreaming.[1] To implement these priorities Vanuatu requires additional technical and financial support.

GGGI as a Green Climate Fund (GCF) Delivery Partner, has completed the delivery of the Readiness grant “Enhancing Vanuatu’s Ability to Seek Accreditation and Direct Access to the GCF”, approved in December 2019. The support focused on supporting the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM) towards becoming the country’s first national Direct Access Entity (DAE) for Vanuatu. In line with the updated NDC (2021) and Vanuatu’s GCF Country Programme 2021-2023, this Readiness grant aims to address the following three interrelated barriers in order to fill the gaps and strengthen the capacity of NDA and in-country key stakeholders to enhance Vanuatu’s access to climate finance to fully implement the NDCs target:

1. Human resource and technical capacity gap within the NDA and in-country key stakeholders (e.g., MFEM) and absence of resources to support the engagement with the GCF such as i) no guideline/manual was adequately developed to standardize the project development; ii) no strategy and policy direction to best proceed with accreditation; iii) NDA and in-country key lacks the necessary technical capacity on project appraisal, development and management.
2. Limited access to climate finance as Vanuatu has no national institutions accredited to the GCF; and during the VUT-RS-005 grant, MFEM was not able to fully complete the accreditation application under the VUT-RS-005 (Phase 1) grant as further work and support are needed to strengthen MFEM’s internal systems and processes related to meeting accreditation competencies in Specialized Fiduciary Criteria, Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) and Gender.
3. Limited number of ideas that developed into concept notes.

In February 2023, GGGI in collaboration with the Vanuatu National Designated Authority (NDA) secured from the GCF the ‘Enhancing Vanuatu’s Ability to Seek Accreditation and Direct Access to the GCF – Phase 2’ project. This Readiness grant will focus on:

1. Developing an NDA Project Development Handbook that will guide NDA and the Climate Finance Working Group in project development.
2. Developing a national strategy on accreditation that will serve as a policy guide for direct access includes the information and action plans on the prioritized pipeline of projects and timeline of accreditation for MFEM and other government ministries.
3. Strengthening the capacity of NDA and in-country key stakeholders in project appraisal, development, and management, aligned with the new NDA Project Development Handbook and national strategy on accreditation.
4. Support the submission of MFEM accreditation application to the GCF by improving MFEM’s capacity, policy, and procedures.
5. Developing or improving two prioritized concept notes for submission to GCF and a pre-feasibility study for one prioritized or more concept notes for a priority sector.

The Readiness grant beneficiaries include: MFEM, the Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Environment, Energy and Disaster Management (MoCC) and the Secretariat of the National Advisory Board on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction (NAB). The indirect beneficiaries include other key relevant agencies, national and subnational governments, non-state actors, private sectors, proponents submitting project concept notes, and local CSOs representing communities and vulnerable groups.

The objective of this assignment is to:

1. Develop a national accreditation strategy, including necessary action plans and project pipeline prioritization, to guide direct access for MFEM and relevant government ministries..
2. Enable the MFEM to obtain direct access to the Green Climate Fund

A. Develop Workplan and Conduct Desktop Review

The consultant is required to devise a detailed workplan featuring a timeline that outlines their approach to accomplishing the objectives and deliverables of this assignment..

Initiate a kick-off meeting with the GGGI Project Team and MFEM to discuss, review, and agree upon the workplan, timeline, and other pertinent aspects of planning..

Carry out a desktop study on formulating a national accreditation strategy, incorporating aspects from Vanuatu’s Country Programme with the GCF, NDC, and climate financing gaps. Additionally, create an inception report highlighting stakeholders for consultation and engagement, guided by the NDA.

B. Stakeholder Consultation Workshop and one-to-one Consultations

Organize a stakeholder consultation workshop with approximately 20 representatives from government, potential and accredited entities, development partners, civil society, and private sector, with a goal of at least 50% female participation. This will contribute to the development of the national accreditation strategy.. Prior and after the consultation workshop, the consultant is to arrange face-to-face meetings and/or virtual calls with key Government stakeholders (NDA, the NAB and its associate working groups/committee, the Department of Climate Change, Department of Women’s Affairs, Department of Environment, Department of Strategic Planning, Policy, and Aid Coordination (DSPPAC) and Department of Finance), potential and accredited entities, development partners, civil society organisations and private sector. The consultant is to ensure that gender equity is considered in the consultation process.

C. Draft National Accreditation Strategy

Based on the extensive consultations with key stakeholders at the national level and drawing lessons from the desktop review, the consultant is to develop the first draft of the National Accreditation Strategy. The draft strategy must include an assessment of GoV’s current strategy and initiatives towards accreditation to major climate change funds with an emphasis on the GCF and MFEM’s anticipated accreditation as a DP and national DAE. The Strategy should provide a high-level ‘national strategy on accreditation’ to major climate change funds to provide guidance to the GoV and key stakeholders/partners on how to strategically approach pursuing accreditation to the GCF, Adaptation Fund and other key funds as it relates to and compliments Vanuatu’s public financial management and sustainable development context.

D. Validation Workshop and Publication

Conduct a validation workshop with around 20 participants from government, potential and accredited entities, development partners, civil society, and private sector, ensuring at least 50% female participation. The purpose of this workshop is to discuss and affirm the draft national accreditation strategy.. The strategy will incorporate inputs and feedback from the consultation meetings and validation workshop and be submitted to NAB for endorsement.
Finalize the national accreditation strategy, focusing on GCF and MFEM’s potential role as a national DAE, and publish it across major climate change funds..

E. Capacity Building for MFEM on Accreditation Requirements

Conduct three (3) capacity building workshops to ~20 staff of MFEM to address gaps identified in the gap assessment carried out during the first phase of the project on 1) basic and specialized fiduciary standards; 2) Environmental and social safeguards (ESS) policies and procedures; and 3) Gender policies and procedures gender criteria, including lack of clear procedures to facilitate disclosure requirements, lack of unified procedure that meets GCF screening requirements, lack of gender policy, gender strategy or gender action plan that would meet the GCF conditions.

F. MFEM Accreditation Application to GCF

Provide technical support to MFEM to address gaps identified in the gap assessment carried out during the first phase of the project on 1) basic fiduciary standards, 2) ESS, 3) gender criteria, including lack of clear procedures to facilitate disclosure requirements, lack of unified procedure that meets GCF screening requirements, lack of gender policy, gender strategy or gender action plan that would meet the GCF conditions. The support will include provision of hands-on training to the MFEM and support for policies, processes, and guidelines development/ improvements as part of MFEM meeting DAE requirements.
Finalize the accreditation application and supporting documents for submission to GCF.

G. Lessons Learnt Report (Exit Report)

Develop a comprehensive lessons learned report (exit report) upon completion of the assignment.

Payment Schedule and Deliverables

The international consultant will be assigned 105 working days (intermittent) to complete the task. The work shall start immediately after signing the contract and be spread over a 12-month period. The following work schedule is proposed only:

Reporting Arrangements:

• The consultant is expected to work under the general guidance of the GGGI Senior Officer (Vanuatu) in close collaboration with the Vanuatu NDA and the NAB Secretariat.
• The consultant is required to undertake at least one international round trip to Vanuatu for the project’s execution.
• All deliverables created during this assignment, including raw files and editable forms, will become the property of GGGI and MoCC.
• The consultant shall provide the report in electronic versions that are compatible with Microsoft Office applications.
• All deliverables/outputs must be produced in English.

• Master’s degree in International Development Studies, Project Management, Climate related studies or any other relevant field.
• A minimum of 8 years’ experience and proven track record in working with development projects from bilateral and multilateral donors including the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, Global Environmental Facility (GEF), etc.
• Experience in GCF related projects would be desirable.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in the climate development sector, climate finance or related discipline.
• Experience in developing strategies, project pipelines, policy guides, etc.
• A strong knowledge of gender, environment and social safeguards and related policies.
• A sound working knowledge of the Vanuatu climate landscape including government mechanisms would be an advantage.
• Excellent report writing skills in English.
• Experience in GCF related projects would be desirable.
• Immediate availability of the contractor

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates are therefore encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Date to close is 22nd August 2023, 11:59PM Korean Standard Time (KST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered Application. Cover Letter, and CV must be sent in English. A consortium, or a firm may not be engaged for the individual consultant assignment.