Introduction. 

The Green Climate Fund (the Fund) is a new multilateral fund created to make a significant and ambitious contribution to the global efforts towards attaining the goals set by the international community to combat climate change. In the context of sustainable development, the Fund will promote the paradigm shift towards a low-emission and climate-resilient development pathway by providing support to developing countries to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the impacts of climate change, taking into account the needs of those developing countries particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

The Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM) is one of the independent accountability mechanisms of the GCF. It is one of the most recent such mechanisms to be put in place and is looking to build on best practices in the field of international accountability to deliver on its mandate. The IRM responds to complaints by people who believe they have been adversely affected by GCF projects or programmes. The IRM also accepts requests by developing countries for the reconsideration of proposals that were denied funding by the GCF Board. The IRM uses both problem solving and independent compliance review approaches to provide redress and accountability. The IRM reports directly to the Board and is subject to Board decisions. It is independent of the Secretariat of the GCF. More about the IRM can be found at https://irm.greenclimate.fund/. 

Background and Role

1.    As part of its mandate to provide education and outreach on the IRM’s work to stakeholders and the public and to staff at the GCF, the IRM needs to revise and update its communications strategy and, subsequently, update and adjust its communication products and campaigns, or when appropriate,  the production and deployment of new ones, if needed. 

2.    The revision of the current communications strategy needs to focus on substantially increasing the awareness of affected and potentially affected people of the GCF funded programmes and projects of the existence and possibilities for redress that the IRM and other Grievance Redress Mechanisms of Accredited Entities can offer.

3.    The revised strategy that is to be approved and implemented needs to take into account the following factors:

     a    As of December 2020, the GCF has approved 159 projects. The GCF Board approves new projects and programmes in every board meeting (held three times a year).

     b.    GCF projects and programmes are geographically distributed in the following regions: Eastern Europe; Latin America & the Caribbean; Africa; and Asia Pacific. The IRM currently uses a specific methodology in support of the prioritization of target regions and  countries. This methodology looks at the likelihood of GCF projects to produce environmental or social harm on the ground.

     c.    To date, nearly half of the funding committed by the GCF has been in the context of programmes . Programmes contain limited information about sub-projects during the project cycle. Details of sub-projects approved by the Accredited Entities are not easily accessible by the public nor easily linked to the GCF. Those gaps have a direct impact on the capacity of the IRM to conduct efficient outreach activities.

    d.    GCF does not fund projects directly but channels its funds by partnering with Accredited Entities. Any outreach activity needs to help establish linkages between projects and the GCF.

    e.    In conducting outreach events, Independent Accountability Mechanisms such as the IRM have traditionally partnered with civil society organisations (CSOs).

     f.    An essential part of the revised strategy needs to focus on the opportunities of disseminating trusted and targeted information about the independent redress mechanisms to the IRM’s potential stakeholders by way of virtual means.

    g.    While it is not an IRM function to disseminate information about specific projects and/or programmes, it is essential that affected or potentially affected people can easily establish the linkage between GCF funded project activities and the different avenues of redress available. 

In crafting its revised communications strategy and its communication products portfolio, the IRM requires additional capacity from a communications expert. 

Duties and responsibilities
Under the guidance of the Head of the IRM and the IRM’s Staff member assigned the portfolio of communications, outreach and capacity building, the consultant will undertake a two-phased consultancy:
 
•    The first phase of the consultancy will consist of a desk review of the IRM goals, functions and capacities. The consultant will also analyze and revise the current and past communications strategies of the IRM, and conduct interviews with the IRM staff and other stakeholders, as necessary. Another part of the review will consist of the assessment of CSOs suggestions and comments on how to improve outreach activities. Once this preliminary review is completed, the consultant will deliver a revised communications strategy and plan to the IRM. The plan will contain a detailed set of short (2021), mid (2022) and long-term (2023) activities and goals that the IRM should undertake to make its outreach efforts more effective. The plan will also contain a detailed list of communication products that the IRM should develop (in 2021, 2022 and 2023) as part of the revised plan and strategy. The plan shall also thoroughly explore and outline strategies for conducting online communication campaigns and, in general, the use of technology and virtual communication tools. Any recommendations will not only seek wide and effective dissemination of IRM information but also enable trust-building between IRM personnel and the IRM’s key stakeholders.

•    The second phase of the assignment will consist of developing, in collaboration with the IRM, communications products.  The collaboration may take the form of advice where the IRM has the capacity and skills to develop and deploy the communications product on its own, and will require the consultant to develop and help deploy the product, where the IRM does not have the capacity or skills to do so.   Communications products may include brochures, posters, videos, and awareness raising campaigns, boosted and un-boosted Facebook and twitter posts etc. 
 
•    The expectation is that the first phase of the consultancy will take up to two months to complete (but only 4-5 full days of the consultant’s time) and will be remunerated through a lump sum payment. The second phase of the consultancy will be allocated to the development and deployment of communications products and campaigns, remunerated on an hourly basis. 

Specific deliverables:

Phase one 
•    In phase one, during the first two months, the consultant will meet with the designated IRM staff member for at least an hour twice a week and conduct a desk review of the IRM current and past communications strategy. Within two months after the commencement of the consultancy, the consultant will deliver an updated communication strategy to the IRM, including a detailed list of identified communications products for 2021, 2022, and 2023. 

Phase two 
•    The scope of phase two is dependent on the updated communications strategy delivered on completion of phase one. The updated communications strategy will have identified a list of communications products for 2021. The consultant and the IRM will agree on which of these 2021 products require advice from the consultant in order to develop, and the consultant will assist the IRM in the development of these communications products. Once these communications products have been developed, the consultant will provide advice on how to run a trial digital campaign to drive engagement from one or more of the targeted audiences and will provide advice on how to replicate such campaigns in the future. This advice will be shared in a written report with clear methodologies. The IRM and the consultant will agree on the communications products to be developed, the time allocated for their development, and the time allocated for receiving written advice on the trial campaign once phase one is complete. 

Required experience and qualifications 
 
•    At least 10 years of experience in communications in leadership or advisory positions. 
•    Knowledge and experience in designing and producing communication materials for different audiences in developing countries. 
•    Proficiency in a variety of communications strategies and tools and products, and especially in communicating and enabling the building of trusting relationships online with targeted audiences. 
•    Experience in running digital communication campaigns to targeted audiences.
•    An innovative, out-of-the-box thinker who is flexible and adept at finding solutions to communications needs in particularly challenging contexts. 
•    Excellent writing skills, especially synthesizing complex information and good at multitasking and working to pressing deadlines and challenging critiques. 
•    Excellent command of English is required. 

Submission of proposals

Proposers shall submit their proposal as attachments via the recruitment platform.

In submitting their proposals, proposers should attach two separate files – a technical proposal and a financial proposal. These files must be clearly marked, and the proposer shall ensure that his/her technical proposal does not contain any financial information. 

The proposer’s technical proposal must include the following: 

1.    Curriculum Vitae (CV), demonstrating that the proposer meets the minimum experience and qualification requirements. 
2.    Commentary and suggestions on the Terms of Reference, including any proposed modifications to improve performance in carrying out the assignment (such as deleting activities you consider unnecessary, or adding activities, or proposing a different phasing of the activities). Such suggestions should be concise and to the point, and no longer than one page in length. 
3.    Proposed approach and methodology for completing phase one of the consultancy (delivering an updated communications strategy). The proposer should explain his/her understanding of the assignment, approach to the assignment, and methodology for carrying out the activities and obtaining the expected output. You should also explain the methodologies you propose to adopt and include any examples of relevant communications strategies previously designed or revised, that best demonstrate your capacity to undertake this assignment. This section of your technical proposal must also be no longer than one page in length. 

In your financial proposal, you should indicate the lump sum fee offered for phase one and the hourly rate offered for phase two of the consultancy.

N.B The application will be first evaluated based on the technical proposals. Proposers who meet the requirement will be shortlisted and invited for the interviews. Thereafter, the best candidate selected will be offered the contract. 
 

Applications from women and citizens from developing countries are strongly encouraged.