GCF - Gender, Environmental & Social Specialist (Mexico, Local consultant)

Based in Seoul, The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is an intergovernmental organization founded to support and promote a model of economic growth known as "green growth", which targets key aspects of economic performance such a poverty reduction, job creation, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. GGGI works with countries around the world, building their capacity and working collaboratively on green growth policies that can impact the lives of millions. The organization partners with countries, multilateral institutions, government bodies, and private sector to help build economies that grow strongly and are more efficient and sustainable in the use of natural resources, less carbon intensive, and more resilient to climate change.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a financing mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and was established specifically to provide financial support so that countries like Mexico can reach its emission reduction targets. In 2017, GGGI and GCF signed a Strategic partnership, aimed to leverage GGGI’s embedded presence with partner governments to support countries access Readiness and Preparatory Support Grants. As Delivery Partner of the GCF, GGGI is committed to build local capacities in the country, including NDA and Direct Access Entities (DAEs), to access GCF resources.

The Nationally Determined Authority (“NDA”) within the Mexican Ministry of Finance (“SHCP”) has partnered with GGGI in Mexico to develop a work program (Readiness Program) to raise awareness and develop local capacities for the development and management of GCF‑eligible projects. Funding for the implementation of this Readiness Program will be provided by GCF through the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme. The main aspects of the work program include 4 Outcomes with the following aims:

1)     Update and raise awareness of the no-objection procedure;

2)     Foster ownership and planning through the development of a Country Program;

3)     Support the Direct Access Entity accreditation process of NAFIN and BANOBRAS, and

4)     Support the development of a national climate finance strategy and foster private sector engagement

The delivery of the Program will be carried out by a team of consultants with support from GGGI, the NDA office and other relevant government partners over a period of 18 months. Six consultants will be hired to support this effort. Although they will be assigned to support specific outcomes and deliverables, they will all coordinate with each other and provide support to other workstreams as needed. The breakdown of consultants and supported Outcomes is:

Scope of Work

Based in Mexico, the consultant will carry out operational and knowledge activities related to the Readiness program for the NDA.  The consultant will oversee the day-to-day activities for management of the program, validating and liaising with relevant stakeholders on the progress of the workstreams assigned to him/her. Specifically, the consultant is expected to work in the following activities and other activities that may be assigned during the contract:

• Develop preparatory action plan to support BANOBRAS address gaps to comply with the GCF fiduciary, ESS and Gender Policy requirements for accreditation;
• Assess the progress by Nacional Financiera, S.N.C. (NAFIN) in implementing institutional capacity, fiduciary, environmental and social safeguards (ESS) based on gap assessment and action plan;
• Review NAFIN and BANOBRAS Operational Manuals;
• Develop/Review NAFIN and BANOBRAS existing policies to meet GCF ESS and Gender requirements;
• Prepare information documents to brief NAFIN and BANOBRAS’ Boards of Directors;
• Assist in defining steps required to operationalize ESS and Gender standards into NAFIN’s and BANOBRAS’s Operational Manuals;
• Assist in providing training to NAFIN and BANOBRAS staff on ESS and Gender standards and practices;
• Lead the development of NAFIN Gender Policy to meet GCF Accreditation requirements;
• Develop guidelines to ensure gender and social inclusion throughout the development and updating of the Country Programme Play a leading role in the delivery of regional workshops to support gender and social mainstreaming on finance programming;
• Play a leading role in the delivery of regional workshops to support gender and social mainstreaming on finance programming;
• Coordinate closely with teams leading Workstreams 2 and 3, as well as providing ad hoc support for the rest of Workstreams.

Output/Reporting Requirements/Deliverables

The Consultant is required to assemble a workplan and match his/her outcomes, activities and deliverables with those of the Work Program. The deliverables the consultant will help to deliver are broadly summarized next:

OUTCOME 2

• Refined work plan for the development of the Country Program delivered by March 2020
• 2 interministerial workshops with respective reports delivered in February 2020 and August 2020
• Country Program updated and delivered by November 2020
• Report on the country program update process delivered by November 2020
• Stakeholder mapping delivered by November 2019
• 5 regional workshops and workshop with Consejo Consultivo de Finanzas Verdes (CCFV) delivered by September 2020
• Digital communication / dissemination materials delivered by May 2020
• Guide for gender mainstreaming delivered by Feb 2020
• Regional workshops on gender and social inclusion delivered by August 2020

OUTCOME 3

• NAFIN Evaluation Report on Progress for Accreditation delivered by January 2020
• NAFIN Operationalization and implementation of ESS for accreditation delivered by May 2020
• NAFIN Operationalization and implementation of gender and social inclusion policies delivered by August 2020
• NAFIN Materials and awareness workshop on GCF, internal functions and processes delivered by July 2020
• NAFIN Support in the integration, translation and summary of pending documentation delivered by August 2020
• BANOBRAS Consulting / Gap Assessment Report and Action Plan delivered by April 2020
• BANOBRAS Report and workshop of lessons learned from the NAFIN accreditation process delivered by September 2020
• BANOBRAS Report and workshop of lessons learned from the ESS implementation process delivered by October 2020
• BANOBRAS Materials and awareness workshop on GCF, internal functions and processes delivered by October 2020
• BANOBRAS Operationalization and implementation of ESS delivered by October 2020
• BANOBRAS Operationalization and implementation of gender and social inclusion policies delivered by December 2020
• BANOBRAS Support in the integration, translation and summary of accreditation documentation delivered by January 2021

CROSS-CUTTING

Timely consolidation of inputs required for GGGI and GCF reporting

Qualifications/Experience/Expertise

• A Master’s Degree in environmental management or sciences, social sciences, economics, or other relevant discipline;
• A minimum of seven years of relevant experience in gender, environmental and/or social assessment related to financial institutions business operations;
• Track record in working with financial institutions to identify gender, environmental/social risks and issues and develop mitigation measures to ensure compliance with good international industry practices;
• Familiarity with GCF Gender and ESS Accreditation Requirements;
• Experience working towards the accreditation of GCF Direct Access Entities is a strong asset; 
• Excellent written and oral communication in English and Spanish;
• Analytical, problem-solving, and strategic skills;
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative working relationships with government counterparts;
• Demonstrated capacity to facilitate in-depth, outcome oriented, stakeholder dialogues;
• Maturity and professional ability to handle sensitive information and ability to respect the confidentiality of such information while working with GGGI and CCC even after the contract ends;
• Ability to lead and work effectively with people from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds.

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.