Palau CBIT Enhanced Transparency Framework 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 GGGI is co-executing the Palau Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) Project with the Palau Office of Climate Change (OCC), 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 objectives is to strengthen the climate transparency system of Palau in order to meet the requirements of the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) under the Paris Agreement through three project components: 1) strengthening gender-responsive institutional arrangements for ETF, 2) establishing GHG inventory systems, and 3) strengthening the MRV system for tracking climate actions and support.

The project is designed to address key barriers to implementing climate transparency, including the absence of institutional arrangements for climate change transparency; insufficient systems, tools, and guidelines for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory reporting; and inadequate MRV systems for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) implementation and climate support tracking. Under the Office of the President, the OCC coordinates Palau’s climate policy and UNFCCC reporting. However, the absence of clear institutional mandates and formal data collection procedures for GHG inventories creates significant inefficiencies; therefore, establishing defined roles for national stakeholders is essential to streamlining this process. Furthermore, developing a comprehensive, long-term capacity building strategy is vital to overcome the current fragmented approach and ensure that technical expertise is sustained across all national climate reporting efforts.

In response to the above, the Palau OCC, with the support of GGGI, seeks to engage an individual consultant to address the challenges relating  to lack of institutional arrangements and data sharing frameworks for data collection and management for GHG inventory and NDC progress reporting, as well as the absence of a coherent capacity building strategy for ETF implementation. Through this consultancy, the consultant will lead the development of Palau’s institutional coordination mechanisms, data-sharing agreements, and capacity-building strategy.

To achieve the project objectives, GGGI is looking for a qualified ETF Consultant for the establishment of institutional arrangements for ETF reporting processes and for strengthening the ETF implementation through capacity building strategy. The consultant will be responsible for delivering the following:

• Conduct a comprehensive stock take and gap assessment of existing institutional arrangements, supported by a review of relevant climate policies and legal frameworks, resulting in a report that recommends the best structural options for climate reporting
• Develop a formal institutional arrangement and process guideline to ensure streamlined reporting in alignment with UNFCCC requirements.
• Report on International Best Practices and Lessons Learnt for Climate Transparency.
• Formulate a long-term strategy for ETF capacity development, including a detailed multi-year action plan and a sustainable financing strategy to ensure the longevity of Palau’s climate transparency systems.

The consultant will work in close collaboration with the Palau Project Officer under the overall guidance of the CBIT Project Manager, and in close coordination with the Palau OCC, relevant line ministries and agencies. The consultant will ensure gender-responsive, inclusive, and participatory approaches across all tasks including consultation and validation workshops, consistent with GGGI, Government of Palau standards and CBIT project principles. The Consultant will undertake the following tasks and deliverables:

Deliverable 1: Institutional Stocktake Assessment and Design Option Report

The Consultant will perform a comprehensive review of current institutional arrangements, encompassing a detailed mapping of current governance structures, operational mandates, and inter-agency coordination mechanisms used for the previous and ongoing UNFCCC reporting. This assessment will identify specific gaps, systemic weaknesses, and resource constraints that hinder institutional efficiency for reporting.

Following this analysis, the Consultant will facilitate stakeholder consultations and reviews to propose a set of strategic design options for the improvement of institutional mechanisms. These options must include the basis for recommendations, resource requirements, and implementation pathways to strengthen the overarching institutional framework for better service delivery and compliance.

Deliverable 2: Draft Institutional Arrangement and Process Guideline document

The consultant will develop and document Institutional Arrangement (IA) establishing a clear organizational mandate for national climate reporting aligned to existing climate policies. This framework must explicitly define the responsibilities of relevant ministries and  agencies, specifically regarding data collection, compilation, and official submission. The IA must be developed through extensive consultations relevant government stakeholders, followed by a formal validation process involving all key participants to finalize the institutional structure.

Furthermore, the consultant is required to develop a comprehensive Process Guideline to operationalize this institutional mechanism for UNFCCC reporting requirements, including National Communications (NC), Biennial Transparency Reports (BTR), NDC updates, and the Global Stocktake. This document should include clear data flow maps and standardized protocols for data providers. It must also outline definitive timelines for reporting cycles and archiving standards to ensure the transparency, accuracy, and sustainability of the reporting system in alignment with international climate transparency requirements.

Deliverable 3: Finalized Institutional Arrangement and Process Guideline documents

Building on the drafts developed under Deliverable 2, the consultant will organize and facilitate a validation workshop with relevant government stakeholders from the OCC, line ministries and other agencies to present, review, and validate the draft Institutional Arrangement and Process Guideline. The consultant will incorporate feedback and agreed revisions emerging from the validation workshop to produce the finalized versions of both documents, ensuring they reflect stakeholder consensus and are ready for official adoption and implementation. The consultant will also produce a consolidated validation workshop report documenting the validation processes, key discussions, feedback received, and agreed revisions made to each document.

Deliverable 4: Draft Long-term Capacity Development Strategy for ETF

The consultant will develop a draft long-term capacity development strategy on the ETF to support sustained institutional and human resource development in Palau beyond the project period. As a foundational step, the consultant will conduct a capacity gaps assessment to identify training needs and institutional weaknesses among stakeholders involved in MRV of GHG inventory, NDC tracking, and climate support. The findings of the gaps assessment will directly inform the design and prioritization of the capacity development strategy. Throughout the drafting process, the consultant will undertake consultations with relevant government stakeholders, line ministries, and institutional partners to ensure the strategy reflects national priorities, institutional mandates, and the practical realities of implementation in Palau.

The strategy will serve as a guiding framework for continuous capacity building across all relevant sectors and stakeholder groups and will include a comprehensive action plan outlining prioritized interventions, responsible institutions, timelines, and measurable targets aligned with Palau's ETF obligations under the Paris Agreement. It will also incorporate a financing strategy identifying potential funding sources and partnership opportunities, a "training the trainers" approach to foster institutional ownership and sustainability, and mechanisms to ensure capacity gains are maintained and risks associated with staff turnover are mitigated over the long term.

The strategy will also include a dedicated chapter on international best practices and lessons learnt in climate transparency. Drawing on a systematic review of international literature and peer-country case studies — particularly from SIDS and comparable developing countries — this chapter will benchmark Palau's institutional and technical frameworks against successful international models and provide the evidence base that directly informs the strategy's design and recommended interventions.

Deliverable 5: Long-term Capacity Development Strategy for ETF

Building on the draft developed under Deliverable 5, the consultant will facilitate a validation workshop with relevant national stakeholders to present and validate the draft capacity development strategy. The validation process will ensure the strategy is aligned with national priorities and practical implementation realities. Feedback and agreed revisions from the validation workshop will be incorporated to produce the finalized strategy document, which will be accompanied by a validation workshop report documenting the proceedings, key discussions, and revisions made.

The table below provides the deliverables/outputs, its associated due dates and the payment milestones.

Notes:

• The Consultant will use their own resources (laptop, etc.) during the consultancy service under the project to produce all deliverables.
• All deliverables must be submitted to GGGI and the Palau Office of Climate Change in English.
• Any data and information collected as part of this consultancy must be submitted to GGGI and the Palau OCC, ensuring confidentiality of unpublished government information and complying with GGGI’s and the Government of Palau’s data protection, ethics and safeguarding policies.
• All reports under this consultancy must be approved by GGGI and the OCC, 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 OCC.
• The Consultant will report to the Project Manager of the Palau CBIT project and work in close coordination with PMU & the Palau Office of Climate Change.

The consultant is expected to have the following qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in environmental science, environmental policy, climate change, environmental economics, public policy, public administration, or a related field.
• A master’s degree in climate change or any related discipline is preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in environmental or climate policy development or review, preferably in Palau or Pacific Islands Countries (PICs).
• Demonstrated experience and understanding of the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), including the National Communications/Biennial Transparency Reports is required.
• Proven ability to design, plan, and facilitate effective stakeholder engagement meetings and workshops.
• Strong understanding of Palau's climate-related acts, policies, and regulations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to produce clear, effective reports and other publications.
• Strong interpersonal and motivational skills, with sensitivity to the local environment and the ability to work with minimal supervision.

Ability to effectively lead and collaborate with people from diverse professional, cultural, and technical backgrounds.

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 the ToR.
• Proposed one-page workplan, indicating the applicant’s understanding of the scope of work and approach for the completion of the assignment.

Applications will close on 12 July 2026 at 11:59PM 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.

Project: Palau Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) – Enhanced Transparency Framework Consultant
Duty Station: Palau/Remote
Contract Duration: 12 months
Consultant Level: 4
Total Fees: 35,000

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.