Gap analysis and roadmap for ICRC climate finance readiness evaluation At International Committee of the Red Cross

BACKGROUND

Today’s conflicts are often protracted, generating growing, diversifying and complex humanitarian needs, requiring wider systemic responses leveraging the resources and capacities of the entire aid eco-system. The latter is accordingly undergoing significant change and the humanitarian-development continuum is more relevant than ever, with most of the extreme poverty expected to aggregate in fragile, conflict-affected, and violent environments (FCVs) by 2030.

The challenges of recurrent periods of fighting and general insecurity are compounded by broader problems including environmental and climate disasters. The climate crisis is altering the nature and severity of humanitarian crises. A recent ICRC policy report on the intersection of conflict and climate found that people living in conflict zones are among the most vulnerable to the climate crisis and yet the most neglected by climate action.

Climate change cannot be left unfactored in ICRC’s provision of assistance to the victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence. Therefore, the ICRC is in the process of bolstering the sustainability of its response by reinforcing the ability of affected communities to absorb the consequences of conflict and climate shocks. As can be expected, these adaptations increase the cost of its operations. However, humanitarian organizations are already struggling to respond and will not be able to meet exponentially growing needs resulting from unmitigated climate change.

Despite the fact that traditional humanitarian funding is under pressure in the face of a larger volume of needs, the ICRC does have the ambition to fulfill its mandate while at the same time ensuring that its programming is climate-proof. One of the mechanisms that the ICRC may be able to explore for adaptations in its operational response that are required due to the current and anticipated effects of climate change is climate finance. At the wider policy level, the absence of climate finance/ action – either through direct or international access – in FCV settings appears to go unperceived.

The ICRC seeks to explore the possibility of diversifying financing avenues for the adaptations required to address climate change and enable longer-term activities that are critical to reducing the scale and depth of future needs. The most logical source for financing adaptation, in FCV environments and in any annex 2 country, is international climate finance.

An internal desk study carried out by the ICRC has indicated that the institution would need to undergo a comprehensive organizational readiness plan to seriously consider being able to access climate finance. Therefore, the objective of this consultancy is, on one hand, to identify the institutional gaps that the institution would need to address to make it climate finance ready and an assessment of its feasibility given the bureaucratic and institutional barriers across the thematic and regional silos that characterize ODA flows. And, on the other hand, to examine the robustness and scale of ICRC’s operational response and determine its eligibility for adaptation financing. The results should provide a sound basis for ICRC leadership to decide if applying to this type of financing, meant for climate and development actors, is something the institution can and should invest in.

OBJECTIVES AND CRITERIA

The objective of this consultancy is to:

1. Conduct a Gap Analysis detailing (a) the institutional strengths and opportunities that facilitate alignment with the basic fiduciary, environmental and social safeguards and gender policy requirements for international access accreditation of the AF1/ GCF2 ; (b) unpacking the weakness and issues for fulfilling these requirements; and
2. Based on 1.b, a recommended roadmap of actions and changes to overcome weaknesses and gaps so that the ICRC could comply with accreditation standards (organizational readiness plan).
3. Evaluate if ICRC’s current and projected operational practices and scale conform to adaptation eligibility requirements and make suggestions that would strengthen its portfolio and pipeline of adaptation practices.

TIMELINE AND PROCESS

The timeline of the research is flexible but is an expected 3 months, with an expected delivery date during Q3 2021. The core of the process will be left to the discretion of the candidate and is anticipated to be a combination of a desk-based study, regular engagement and facilitation with ICRC SMEs (subject matter experts), peer-based interviews with other accredited humanitarian organizations (WFP, Save the Children Australia and the IFRC), and regular alignment check-ins with the ICRC focal point, notably related to the methodology, workplan and findings of the assessment work. A presentation to the ICRC of findings and recommendations for objectives 1, 2 and 3 will be done upon completion of the research to key ICRC focal points and stakeholders.

DELIVERABLES

In line with the above, expected deliverables are:

a) Written:

a. Institutional assessment report that includes a comprehensive gap analysis;

b. An institutional readiness plan;

c. An evaluation of ICRC’s adaptation activities and projected portfolio.

b) Verbal:

a. Various internal presentations of findings and recommendations of the 3 written deliverables tailored to groups of subject-matter experts.

b. Two in-house workshops on climate finance (in coordination with SMEs)

ESTIMATED DAYS OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The ICRC estimates approximately 3 months for this work to be conducted.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

The ICRC believes that this research is best carried out by a consultant with:

Education:

· Master’s degree in international relations, economics, finance, development, environmental/ climate change policy, natural resource management, or related field

Experience:

· Track record in climate change policy, negotiations, finance, and/ or climate change project development or management;

· Previous relevant experience in capacity development related to climate and/ or development finance;

· Expertise and experience in climate change and relevant sectors: agriculture, water, health and infrastructure;

· Experience with Readiness and Preparatory Support program in a technical or advisory capacity,

including prior gap assessments and readiness roadmaps;

· Knowledge of and experience in both the parameters and policies of multilateral climate finance and the climate finance ecosystem;

· Experience in humanitarian aid programming and FCV environments is an asset

Language requirements:

· Excellent written and oral communication skills

· Fluency in English

· Knowledge of French is an asset

Management:

The work will be managed by the ICRC Development Unit of the Resource Mobilization Division with whom regular consultation and updates are expected on progress against the scope of work, challenges and preliminary findings.

Intellectual Property:

Any intellectual product that results from this contract shall be the property of the ICRC.

General terms and conditions:

ICRC’s Statement of Work for Service Agreement, the ICRC’s Code of Conduct, and ICRC General Terms and Conditions, available on-demand, will constitute the minimum general conditions of the contract to be signed between the ICRC and the research consultant to whom this research would have been awarded. The International Climate Finance Expert will be engaged in a fixed-price consultancy contract for a three-month period.