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Consultant – Assessment methodologies that link Climate Change to Poverty Reduction

4:26:00 PM
As the global development network of the United Nations, UNDP, operating in 166 countries, works with partner countries on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. Climate change is undoubtedly one of the more complex and profound challenges to the prospects of pro-poor growth and human development now and well into the future. Climate change, at the same time, presents an opportunity for partner countries to put in place the policies, management structures, human and institutional capacities and mobilize financial resources to pursue development that a) minimizes the impact of climate risks and vulnerabilities on its people b) enables the pursuit of pro-poor growth and human development that is resilient to climate risk and vulnerabilities and c) is beneficial to the climate system and ecosystems.
To support countries to set up foundations for transitioning towards more resilient development, the Africa Adaptation Programme (AAP), funded by the Government of Japan, is partnering with the governments of 20 African countries to achieve transformational change -- designed to shift climate change adaptation planning and interventions from siloed, single-sector project approaches to a comprehensive, strategic approach characterized by multiple-sector integrated planning. This approach promotes the acceleration of national development goals while meeting the objectives of resilience, sustainability, equity, and above all, multi-dimensional poverty reduction. The programme explicitly utilizes a multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral approach to support nationally owned action, which is part of UNDP’s added value given its broad scope of expertise.
In line with the AAP, the Inter-regional Technical Support Component (IRTSC) is implementing a Cross-Practice Strategy involving several of the UNDP’s thematic and cross-cutting practice teams from the Bureau for Development Policy: Energy and Environment Group (EEG), Poverty Group (PG), Capacity Development Group (CDG) and Gender Group. The specific aim of this multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral initiative is twofold: a) conceptualize and assess the linkages between climate risks/vulnerabilities and pro-poor growth/human development and b) provide a menu of potential policy options for countries to consider for effectively managing the transition to pro-poor climate resilient development. Key to achieving these objectives is capacity development, UNDP’s overarching contribution to its partner countries. UNDP will support the strengthening of national capacities to operate in a risk management and climate resilient context and achieve the transformational change that AAP and others are seeking.
To assess the linkages between climate risks/vulnerabilities and pro-poor growth/human development, the work under this consultancy will support the development of a toolkit for Ministries of Planning, Finance, and other sectoral ministries in partner countries to effectively integrate prospective climate vulnerabilities and risks into their development planning frameworks. This toolkit will address expressed demand from countries to better understand and assess the anticipated range of climate vulnerabilities and risks on the prospects for pro-poor growth and multi-dimensional poverty reduction. To date, assessment methodologies which provide an in-depth understanding and assessment of the nexus between climate change and pro-poor growth/human development are still in a nascent stage, and/or applied application is limited. While it is recognized that a number of climate and non-climate risks and vulnerabilities can impact on pro-poor growth and multi-dimensions of poverty, the purpose here is to isolate the climate-relevant risks and vulnerabilities - traced through transmission mechanisms - that ultimately link and impact on pro-poor growth and multi-dimensions of poverty.
To develop the toolkit, the consultant will synthesize and condense existing knowledge on how prospective climate change vulnerabilities and risks, operating through transmission mechanisms, link to human development and the multiple dimensions of poverty.
Secondly, having identified the linkages and the transmission mechanisms, the consultant is expected to produce an objective review of assessment methodologies (from the spectrum of climate vulnerability assessments and economic and social impact assessments) to inform country level understanding of:
  • The types of assessment methodologies available for informing climate and development decisions, and the likely outputs that such assessments produce (including an analysis of how useful these outputs are towards helping countries frame forward-looking plans). For example existing climate assessment methodologies may produce findings that identify “vulnerable water ecosystems”. Similarly, existing economic/social assessment methodologies may produce findings on the undermining of agriculture-based growth and impact of income poverty and nutrition.
  • The combination (s) of methodologies which, when applied, can help to bridge the gap between the findings of climate risks/vulnerabilities assessments and growth/multi-dimensional poverty impacts assessments, by working through specific transmission mechanisms. This allows the tool kit to be tailored to different country needs and contexts.
  • Knowledge and information gaps that would need to be addressed, even after existing methodologies are applied, in order to frame comprehensive country-led plans.
The development of this toolkit will be done in parallel with additional workstreams under the AAP. In particular, this will be complementary to work on-going under the Climate Action Intelligence, which aims to illustrate the complex relationships between actors, activities and policies related to climate change, and how these link to human development and MDGs. In addition, a series of capacity assessment consultations will also be undertaken, aiming to engage national counterparts on prospective climate vulnerabilities and risks on the prospects for economic growth and human development. In addition, information on climate risks and vulnerabilities are being gathered and shared with national stakeholders to inform national decision making including on their respective National Development Plans or Poverty Reduction Strategies.
Reporting:
The consultant shall report to MDG Cluster Team Leader and liaise with Policy Specialist MDGs for any queries and assistance on a day-to-day basis. The consultant is expected to incorporate comments and suggestions from the Poverty Group, Environment and Energy Group, Africa Adaptation Programme and other reviewers on the documents to be submitted.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the guidance and supervision of the MDG Support Cluster, Poverty Group, and in collaboration with other BDP practice areas participating in the Cross-practice Strategy, and the IRTSC, the consultant will:
  • Synthesize and condense existing knowledge on how prospective climate change vulnerabilities and risks, operating through transmission mechanisms, link to human development and the multiple dimensions of poverty; and share for consultation/feedback;
  • Undertake comprehensive review of existing information, assessment methodologies and case studies relating or relevant to assessing the human development impacts of climate change, especially those traced through transmission mechanisms that ultimately link and impact on multi-dimensional aspects of poverty at the national or sub-national level.
  • Use the analysis, findings to:
    • Concretize the links between climate change and poverty, in particular the transmission mechanisms through which human development can be impacted;
    • Develop a menu of assessment methodologies against each transmission mechanism that supports national understanding and assessment of prospective climate vulnerabilities and risks on the prospects for economic growth and human development.
    • Identification of knowledge/information gaps that would need to be addressed, even after existing methodologies are applied, in order to frame comprehensive country-led plans.
  • Compile all information into a “toolkit” (report) with a particular emphasis on how to use the toolkit, and share for consultation and feedback.
  • Finalize the toolkit.
Deliverables:
  • Annotated outline of the toolkit report
  • Framework and transmission mechanisms mechanism of the climate-poverty nexus
  • Toolkit report

Competencies
  • Excellent knowledge and understanding of human development and multi-dimensional poverty aspects
  • Good knowledge of climate change impacts and the links to multidimensional poverty
  • Strong analytical and quantitative skills, including experience with working with packages such as SAS/STATA.
  • Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and perform well under pressure.
  • Excellent inter-personal skills
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills and competency in editing and proofreading skills; must be detail oriented and organized

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s degree in Development Economics, Micro-economics or Development Studies. A PhD is preferred.

  • Proficiency in the usage of computers and with standard software and data packages (MS Office, SAS/STATA in particular)

Experience:

  • At least 10 years relevant experience, in an academic institution, research think tank or international agency.
  • Knowledge of UNDP corporate priorities, with a specific focus on the Millennium Development Goals and Human Development.
  • Proven experience developing and using assessment methodologies and/or impact assessments; experience with constructing climate change models would be desirable.

Language:

  • Ability to speak and write clearly and compellingly in English.

The evaluation criteria used to select the candidate will be:

  • Best value for money approach - The financial proposal will account for a minimum of 30% and technical proposal will account for 70% of the total evaluation score.
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UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Consultant – Assessment methodologies that link Climate Change to Poverty Reduction

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