Tonga CBIT - Climate Transparency Integration Consultant

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. 

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is co-executing the Tonga Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) Project with the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the GEF Implementing Agency.

The CBIT project's objective is to build a robust and transparent system for climate data management and reporting for Tonga to meet the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) requirements, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of national Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventories and the tracking of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) implementation. The project focuses on addressing key barriers identified in Tonga's national communications, including inadequate institutional arrangements, lack of robust data management systems, and insufficient capacity and awareness among stakeholders.

Another key barrier to sustainable ETF implementation in Tonga is the absence of sufficiently clear and enforceable legal, regulatory, and institutional mandates, as well as limited integration of climate transparency requirements into government planning and budgeting processes.

This consultancy will support the Government of Tonga by building on previous and ongoing transparency works to address these gaps by providing targeted technical support to review and strengthen legislative and regulatory frameworks and to integrate climate transparency requirements into planning and budgeting systems, ensuring long term sustainability during and beyond the CBIT project lifecycle.

The overall objective of this consultancy is to perform a comprehensive review and support the integration of climate transparency into the national policy and regulatory framework. The outcomes of the consultancy will contribute to the institutionalization and long-term sustainability of climate transparency and ETF implementation in Tonga.

The specific objectives are to:

• Review existing legal, regulatory, and institutional mandates relevant to climate transparency and ETF implementation.
• Identify gaps, overlaps, and constraints affecting effective and sustainable implementation of ETF requirements.
• Provide clause-level technical input to inform proposed legislative amendments aligned with ETF requirements and CBIT-developed data sharing arrangements within government mandates.
• Assess and review how climate transparency obligations are currently reflected in government corporate plans and budgets.
• Develop practical policy recommendations for integrating ETF requirements into government planning and budgeting cycles.
• Facilitate and validate through stakeholder consultations and validations, to integrate ETF-related functions and proposed institutional adjustments.

The consultant will ensure gender-responsive, inclusive, and participatory approaches across all tasks, consistent with GGGI, Government of Tonga standards and CBIT project principles.

Under the overall guidance of the CBIT Project Manager and in close coordination with Department of Climate Change MEIDECC, Tonga relevant line ministries and agencies, the Consultant will undertake the following tasks and deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Review report of current Mandates, Legislation, Regulations, Policies and Regulatory Frameworks

• The Consultant will undertake a review that will include a detailed mapping of existing national mandates, legislation, regulations, policies and regulatory frameworks across climate-relevant sectors and assess how they support or constrain effective implementation of the ETF. He/she will also identify gaps, overlaps, and inconsistencies in current legislation, regulations and policies and areas for strengthening to better integrate the climate transparency requirements into national policy and institutional systems.

Deliverable 2: Provide technical recommendations for policy & legislative amendments to integrate climate transparency

• Based on the assessment conducted under Deliverable 1, the Consultant will provide clause-level technical input proposing technical amendments to relevant mandates and acts in the key sectors, as identified and agreed with GGGI and government counterparts. The Consultant will align the proposed inputs and recommendations with the data sharing agreement outputs developed under the project. The proposals must specify legal obligations regarding data submission, quality control protocols, and reporting timelines. This process must be conducted in close collaboration with government legal personnel(s) and Ministries to facilitate the formal legislative drafting process.

Deliverable 3: Assessment report of existing corporate plans and budgets

• The Consultant will perform a comprehensive review to assess how climate transparency requirements are currently reflected in the government planning and budgeting processes in the key ministries relevant to ETF, as identified and agreed with GGGI and government counterparts. The Consultant will review key ministry priorities, indicative performance measures, and budget provisions, and highlight areas where planning and resourcing can be better aligned with ETF requirements in the government corporate plans and budgets.

Deliverable 4: Policy recommendation reports for the integration of climate transparency into the government's policy and planning processes

• The Consultant will develop practical, context-specific policy recommendations and integration guidance tailored to Tonga’s systems to support the inclusion of climate transparency and ETF-related activities in the next cycle of government Corporate Plans and Budgets. Drawing on the findings of the review under Deliverable 3 and building on previous and ongoing transparency works, the recommendations will suggest priority actions, indicative performance measures, and resourcing considerations.
• The Consultant will also review the existing Terms of References (ToRs) of the Task Force for the Tonga Joint National Action Plan 2 on climate change and disaster risk management (JNAP2) and provide specific recommendations to strengthen its mandate, roles, and coordination functions in relation to ETF implementation and climate reporting.

Deliverable 5: Facilitate consultations and a validation workshop

• The Consultant will facilitate gender-responsive consultations and workshops to review and confirm the findings of the review of legislative mechanisms, the review of corporate plans and budgets, and the policy recommendations for integrating ETF elements into national planning and JNAP2. The Consultant must produce the following:

1. Consultation workshop report for at least 2 consultations, capturing all consultation discussions, key points, feedback, and decisions made with sex-disaggregated data of participants.
2. Validation Workshop Report summarizing workshop discussions and agreed next steps with sex-disaggregated data of participants.

Notes:

• The Consultant will use their own resources (laptop, etc.) during consultancy service under the project to produce all deliverables to produce all deliverables.
• The CBIT Project will support the Consultant by providing resources (stationeries, print out materials, etc.) during workshops and consultations with stakeholders.
• All deliverables must be submitted to GGGI and Department of Climate Change, MEIDECC, in English.
• Any data and information collected as part of this consultancy must be submitted to GGGI and the Department of Climate Change, MEIDECC, ensuring confidentiality of unpublished government information and complying with GGGI’s and the Government of Tonga’s data protection, ethics and safeguarding policies.
• All reports under this consultancy must be approved by GGGI and the Department of Climate Change, MEIDECC, before payment is made to the Consultant.
• The Consultant shall consider all comments and necessary revisions proposed and provide a final version of the reports reflecting the revisions within 10 working days of the receipt of feedback. Electronic versions of deliverables must be compatible with Microsoft Office applications and adhere to GGGI's font and style guidelines. Copies will also be provided to GGGI and the Department of Climate Change, MEIDECC.
• The consultant will report to the Project Manager of the Tonga CBIT project and work in close coordination with PMU & the Department of Climate Change, MEIDECC.

The consultant is expected to have the following qualifications:

• Masters degree in public policy, environmental policy, climate change, environmental economics, public administration, or a related field. A bachelor’s degree in related disciplines may be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in climate change governance, legal or regulatory analysis, or public sector reform.
• Sound technical knowledge of policy planning and budgeting processes and legislative system of Tonga or Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
• Proven experience supporting the review or development of legislation, regulations, or policy instruments in a government context.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

• Demonstrated experience with climate transparency, MRV systems, ETF implementation, or UNFCCC reporting processes is preferred.
• Experience facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations and workshops.

Interested consultants shall submit the following documentation:  

• Curriculum Vitae with a maximum of four pages
• Cover Letter with demonstration of ability and experience in the deliverables outlined in this ToR.
• Proposed two-page detailed workplan, indicating the applicant’s understanding of the scope of work and approach for the completion of the assignment.

Applications will close on 31/03/2026, at 11:59 p.m. Korean Standard Time (KST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Application including cover Letter and CV must be sent in English. A consortium, or a firm may not be engaged for the individual consultant assignment.

Duty Station: Remote/Tonga

Contract Duration: 12 months

Consultant Level: Individual Consultant 4

Total Fees: USD 18,500

Child protection – GGGI is committed to child protection, irrespective of whether any specific area of work involves direct contact with children. GGGI’s Child Protection Policy is written in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.