Result of Service
The consultant is expected to work closely with UNEP, the UNEP Programme Coordinator, National Programme Implementation Managers, NMHS, regional technical partners, development partners to develop the following ultimate outputs: 1. 17-month workplan and timeline 2. National Climate Services Financing Policies for Cook Islands, Niue, Palau, RMI and Tuvalu. a. Financing Plan for priority NMHS revenue generation activities 3. National Sustainability Plans for Cook Islands, Niue, Palau, RMI and Tuvalu 4. Recommendations Report and Final Presentation to PSC.
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. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. This consultancy is managed by UNEP’s Climate Change Division (CCD). CCD engages with the Member States and Partners to accelerate and support a just transition by addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation through enhancing implementation capacity, provision of data information and knowledge, access to finance and technology and building resilience. The International Consultant, Climate Services Financing and Sustainability, will report to the Programme Coordinator of the Pacific Programme Management Unit, UNEP, based in Apia, Samoa, to develop National Financing Policies and Sustainability Plans for the five National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS). The consultant will serve to implement portions of the USD 49.9 million GCF programme, “Enhancing Climate Information and Knowledge Services for resilience in 5 island countries of the Pacific Ocean,” also known as UNEP CIS-Pac5. The programme will contribute to ensuring that accurate, timely and actionable climate information is used in policy, planning and response actions, and enable sectors and communities in the five Pacific Island countries (Cook Islands, Niue, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Palau, and Tuvalu) to adapt to increasing climate variability and change. The consultant will contribute to activities in the five Pacific Island countries under Activity 1.1, “Strengthen institutional and policy frameworks and delivery models for climate services”, that will lead to Result 1 “Strengthened delivery model for climate information services and MHEWS covering oceans and islands”. Under Sub Activity 1.1.4, “Develop national policies for financing climate services,” the consultant will develop national financing policies and sustainability plans focused on the sustainable financial management of climate services, that will enable the 5 National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) to have the means to sustain and ensure ongoing operation of their mandated services to mitigate weather-, climate-, and water-related risks, after the Programme ends. Long term sustained financing for the NMHS especially in Small Island Developing States remains a constant challenge. The consultancy will support the overall sustainability of the five (5) NMHS with the investment provided through the UNEP CIS-Pac5 initiative as well as a sleuth of investments from complementary projects . The National Financing Policy and Sustainability Plans will be informed by the Climate Services Market Assessment (CSMA) in Sub Activity 1.1.2, developed under a separate contract, as part of the Result 1 deliverable. The National Financing Policy and Sustainability Plan will provide a structured approach to securing diverse revenue streams identified in the Climate Services Market Assessment, optimising resource allocation and strengthening financial resilience. In addition, the consultant should link the Financing Policy and Sustainability Plan to the National Framework for Weather, Climate and Ocean Services (NFWCOS) , the five countries Meteorological Acts, Gender Action Plan, Climate Sector Action and Communications Plans, Forecast Based Financing (FbF) Roadmaps and any relevant deliverables and Financing opportunities within the Pacific Meteorological Council (PMC) platform. At the regional level, the consultant will engage with the Climate Services and Information Division (CSI) in SPREP amongst other technical partners, which leads on the Early Warning and Climate Services space in the Pacific. This includes the Weather Ready Pacific Programme which has developed a WRP Sustainability Framework. At the international level, engage with World Meteorological Organisation, UN Disaster Risk Reduction Office amongst other international organisations. Given the specific circumstances of the five countries relating to their extremely small economies, remote locations, large marine areas and numerous scattered islands, the financial policies and sustainability plans will be carefully developed to ensure their tailoring to the realities of the Pacific Small Islands Developing States (SIDS). The intention is by the end of the programme, the five countries will be ready to negotiate cost recovery for new information products, have concrete sustainability plans for the investments, have concrete Financing Action Plan for one priority sector in each of the countries, to ensure value added and sustainability of the Programme Investments. Under the supervision of the Programme Coordinator of the Climate Change Division, UNEP, based in Apia, Samoa, the consultant is expected to engage closely with the 5 countries, key partners and the Regional Technical Partners involved in the programme. Specific Responsibilities: Objectives, output expectations and performance indicators Output 1 – Produce a 17-month workplan for the deliverables Tasks: • Review documentation relevant to the assignment • Consult with the countries, country focal points and stakeholders on the assignment • Prepare a 17-month detailed work plan for the execution of the assignment, methodology to be followed, and timeline for the accomplishment of the tasks of the assignment. Output 2 – Develop National Financing Policies for the 5 countries. Tasks: • Draft National Financing Policies based on market assessment, National Framework for Climate Services, and existing information. • Facilitate in-country workshop to review, update and validate the draft National Financing Policy report. • National Financing Policy to include Action Plan for national rollout and implementation. o Develop a Financing Plan for a priority NMHS revenue generation sector/ area to outline actions needed; requirements; partners involved; how it will be implemented • Include donor engagement strategies (local, regional, international) and provide recommendations for strategic partnership to increase financial sustainability. • The consultant to develop the financial policies with the support of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and in line with the World Bank Guidance to consider the following: o Opportunities for greater cooperation between the public and private sectors and academia given that many economic sectors increasingly depend on meteorological information for safe and efficient operations. o Opportunities for win-win situations that fulfil the public sector responsibility to help the economically disadvantaged while meeting the needs of enterprises for climate services. To this end, the Programme will ensure partner governments are made aware of the economic value of climate information in, for instance, reducing the need for dangerous marine rescues, reducing the need for transport of drinking water to outer islands in drought, and reducing the costs of recovery from cyclone damage. o Opportunities to coordinate and/or integrate financing for climate services and disaster risk management to strengthen existing disaster relief funds and establish reliable funding for disaster preparedness activities, which are often limited to ad-hoc donor funding. This would facilitate a more efficient and streamlined approach to implementing often overlapping actions for climate change adaptation and disaster risk management. o Identification of the elements for a sustainable financial model for NMHSs based on the climate services value chain, which highlights the different roles of NMHSs in providing basic forecasts and warnings to protect society from the adverse effects of severe weather (a public good typically supported by governments, for which predictable national budget allocations need to be ensured) but also in providing specialised value-added services to sectoral government agencies and individual businesses (which may offer opportunities for cost-recovery from governmental and non-governmental sources beyond the Programme’s lifespan). o Potential to establish National Climate Funds (NCFs) as mechanisms that support countries to manage their engagement with climate finance by facilitating the collection, blending, coordination of, and accounting for climate finance directed towards climate services. According to UNDP guidance, these funds could have the following goals: i) collect sources of funds and direct them toward climate change activities that promote national priorities; ii) blend finance from public, private, multilateral and bilateral sources to maximise a country’s ability to advance national climate priorities; iii) coordinate country-wide climate change activities to ensure that climate change priorities are effectively implemented; and iv) strengthen capacities for national ownership and management of climate finance, including for “direct access” to funds. Functions of NCFs could include: i) support goal setting and the development of programmatic strategies for climate resilience; ii) fund capitalisation; iii) management of partnerships; iv) provide project approval and support implementation; v) supply policy assurance; vi) provide financial control; vii) manage performance measurement, including monitoring and reporting on activities and resource disbursement; and vii) provide and support knowledge and information management. o Potential for continued support from the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF) as part of the Alliance for Hydromet Development, which was launched in December 2019 by 12 international organizations including UNEP. The SOFF is envisaged to ensure provision of basic systematic observations as a global public good by providing equitable, predictable, sustainable, and performance-based finance as well as technical assistance to developing countries for the provision of foundational observational data as per the Global Basic Observing Network (GBON) standard adopted by the WMO Congress. GBON aims to improve the global availability of the most essential surface-based data by defining the obligation for countries to implement a minimal set of surface-based observations for which international exchange of observational data will be mandatory. • Finalise National Financing Policy after Government approval. Output 3: National Sustainability Plan for NMHS Tasks: • Assessment of Current Financial Situation: analyzing current funding sources, expenditures and financial management practices of the NMHS. Assess the effectiveness of existing resource mobilisation mechanisms • Identification of Funding & Sustainability Gaps: identify any shortfalls in finance and non-finance factors, needed to maintain and improve NMHS, including infrastructure, equipment, personnel, services. • Develop list of all equipment/ products/ services developed/supplied under the programme and maintenance requirements (financial and non-financial) • Complement the National Financing Policy. • Development of funding mechanisms: Explore various options for sustainable funding such as: o Government Budget Allocations o User Fees: implementing cost recovery for specific services used by commercial entities or other stakeholders o Public-Private partnerships: using the lessons and recommendations from the Climate Services Market Assessment o Climate Finance: accessing funds from regional and international climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives o Innovative Financing: investigating options like green bonds, carbon finance and other emerging financial instruments. • Cost Effectiveness Analysis: assess cost effectiveness of existing and proposed meteorological services and identify opportunities for efficiency gains • Risk Assessment: identify potential financial risks such as changes in government priorities or development partners funding patterns; and developing mitigation strategies • Sustainability Framework: develop a framework to ensure long term sustainability of meteorological services, including mechanisms for monitoring, evaluation and adaptive management • Capacity Building: identify any capacity gaps within the NMHS that is required to support sustainability of the equipment, products and services (financial and non-financial) and develop a practical action plan to address them • Reporting and Monitoring: establish clear reporting and monitoring mechanisms to track the implementation of the plan and its impacts on the sustainability of the NMHS. Output 4: Recommendations Report and Final Presentation Tasks: • Compile recommendations from the assignment and present final Financing Policy and Sustainability Plan to the PSC
