Individual Consultant for Climate Change Responsiveness and Action Assessment

The job involves developing guidelines for assessing climate change responsiveness in district-level budget planning and action plans, building on existing national efforts to integrate climate perspectives into Public Finance Management practices.

Objectives of the Assignment:
The main objective of this Consultancy is to improve methodologies for assessing climate change responsiveness and climate change actions funding adequacy in the Budget Framework Papers.

Specific objectives of the assignment/consultancy

The consultant shall perform the following;

Review the current assessment methodology for climate change responsiveness in the National Budget Framework paper (NBFP).
Harmonize the existing methodologies while ensuring consistency and comparability
Support the responsible institutions to effectively measure the level of responsiveness
Design and develop improved data collection tools, such as questionnaires, interview guides, and budget analysis templates.
Develop the outline for report on climate change responsiveness
Please note that the deadline is based on Korean Standard Time Zone (KST, UTC+9)

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.

Deliverables and Payment schedule:
The assignment focuses on enhancing the current methodology used by Uganda's MWE and NPA to assess Budget Framework Papers for climate change responsiveness, as mandated by Section 30 of the National Climate Change Act, 2021.

Scope of work:
The consultant will undertake the following activities over the four-month period to enhance the methodologies for assessing climate change responsiveness in Budget Framework Papers (BFPs):

Literature Review and Methodology Assessment
Review existing legal frameworks, policies, and guidelines related to climate change and public finance management in Uganda
Analyze current BFP assessment methodology being used by MWE and NPA
Benchmark international best practices on climate change budget assessment, particularly Climate Change Budget Tagging and Climate & Disaster Risk Screening
Identify gaps, limitations, and areas of improvement in the current assessment approach
Methodology Enhancement
Refine the three-level assessment framework (strategic, programme, activity) with clear guidelines for each level
Develop detailed scoring criteria that build upon the OECD DAC Rio Markers but are tailored to Uganda's context
Create standardized templates and tools for assessing climate change responsiveness at all levels
Design a robust methodology for quantitative assessment of climate finance allocations
Develop parameters for determining "adequate allocation" for climate change measures
Conduct comprehensive stakeholder mapping to identify key actors in climate finance and budgeting
Facilitate consultative workshops with relevant Ministries Departments Agencies, Local Governments, development partners, and civil society
Present draft methodology for feedback and validation from key stakeholders
Document stakeholder inputs and incorporate relevant recommendations
Pilot the enhanced methodology with selected Ministries, Departments Agencies and Local Governments
Apply the methodology to retrospectively assess previous BFPs as a proof of concept
Identify practical challenges in implementation and make necessary adjustments
Normalize and calibrate the methodology to ensure consistency in assessments
Review the current Fiscal Risk Statement Framework
Develop guidance for integrating climate change and natural disaster risks into the Fiscal Risk Statement
Propose mechanisms for estimating fiscal impacts of climate-related events
Design templates for climate risk reporting within the Fiscal Risk Statement
Develop comprehensive training materials on the enhanced methodology
Conduct training sessions for MWE, NPA, and other relevant stakeholders
Create user manuals and guidance documents for future assessors
Establish a mentoring approach for knowledge transfer to government staff
Prepare comprehensive documentation of the enhanced methodology
Develop standard operating procedures for conducting BFP assessments
Create templates for issuing the Certificate of Climate Change Compliance
Produce a final report with recommendations for institutionalizing the methodology
Develop a phased approach for full implementation of the methodology
Propose institutional arrangements for sustainable implementation
Recommend policy and procedural changes needed for effective application
Outline monitoring mechanisms to track effectiveness of the methodology
Stakeholder Engagement and Consultation
Field Testing and Refinement
Fiscal Risk Statement Alignment
Capacity Building
Documentation and Reporting
Implementation Road Map
The consultant will work closely with the MWE, NPA, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, and other relevant stakeholders throughout the assignment to ensure ownership and sustainability of the enhanced methodology.

Deliverables:

All relevant technical papers, reports, and other documents prepared from the start to the end of the assignment shall be attached to the Final Report.
The Consultant shall submit the report in both hard copies and electronic versions readable by a Microsoft Office application.
All outputs must be in English. In addition, the Consultant may be required to submit the outputs in other languages.
Final report must be approved by the GGGI with the agreement of the [ministry, etc]. The Consultant shall consider the comments and necessary revisions proposed. Within 14 days from the receipt of the comments or modification proposal from the GGGI, the Consultant shall prepare and submit the final versions of the report.

Expertise required
The Consultant should have the following qualifications:

University degree in Economics, Law, Environmental Economics, Climate Finance, Statistics, Environment and Natural Resources, or other relevant field. A Master’s degree is of advantage.
Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in assessing and accounting for climate finance, public finance, or environmental policy with specific focus on climate change mainstreaming in budgetary processes.
Strong knowledge of international climate finance frameworks, particularly the OECD DAC Rio Markers.
Proven experience in conducting similar task with links to such publications.
At least 5 years of experience working on climate change projects in developing countries, with preference for experience in East Africa or Uganda specifically.
Experience in negotiating matters related to climate finance, Loss and Damage
Experience in climate change policy formulation and analysis
At least 5 years of experience in assessing proposals for international funds such as the Green Climate Finance (GCF), Adaptation Finance (AF) and others at national level.
Fluent in English with strong skills in both written communication and technical reporting.
Demonstrated strong interpersonal and motivational skills and sensitivity to the local environment as well as the ability to work with minimal supervision.