Scoping Consultant (EXPANDING THE GAN NETWORK IN EUROPE, NORTH AMERICA AND LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN.)

Result of Service

To assess the opportunities and gaps for the UNEP to strengthen its adaptation policy influencing capability and visibility in Europe, North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean to support delivery of the UNEP Mid-Term Strategy (MTS) and programme of work.

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

5 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Organizational Setting:
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP’s Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and capacity development for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

Under the Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) 2022-2025, Climate Action is one of UNEP’s three strategic objectives. The expected 2030 outcome of this UNEP strategic objective is that government and non-government development action are compatible with the long-term mitigation and resilience goals of the Paris Agreement.
UNEP has a mandate to work on EbA which comes from Resolutions passed by member states at UNEP Assembly (UNEA) 1/8 and 2/6. The UNEA 2 Resolution on the Paris Agreement requests the Executive Director, within the mandate of the UNEP and in collaboration with other relevant organizations and stakeholders, to strengthen collaboration between UNEP,
relevant United Nations bodies and other relevant stakeholders on work related to adaptation, mitigation and the transition to a sustainable future; and to accelerating support to countries to build national readiness capacity to implement the Paris Agreement, implementation capacity and capacity to access finance and technology.
The promotion and dissemination of adaptation knowledge, science and practice at UNEP is steered by the Global Adaptation Network (GAN). Founded by UNEP and partners in 2010, the GAN provides a worldwide platform to distribute and exchange climate change adaptation knowledge in a variety of ways. As an umbrella organization spanning most continents, the GAN compromises of regional networks and partners, each of which provides knowledge services in their respective regions. This GAN is a thriving network community that provides considerable benefits to member states and partners. The GAN Secretariat, is composed of eight staff, consisting of Global, Regional, Communication and Administrative staff hosted by the UNEP. The GAN's regional networks are: • The Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN) • Regional Gateway for Technology Transfer & Climate Action in Latin America and the Caribbean (REGATTA) • Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Food Security in Africa Assembly (EBAFOSA) • EcoAdapt in North-America • The West-Asia Regional Network on Climate Change (WARN-CC)
While GAN has established strong regional networks and presence in Africa and Asia-Pacific, regional networks in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America needs strengthening. This could be done either by strengthening the current and on-going partnerships with networks and organizations including the Eco-Adapt in North America and REGATTA in Latin America and the Caribbean, see annex 1 for details.
The rational for strengthening regional presence is resulting from increasing vulnerability to climate change in regions, the continued growth in adaptation needs and investments and UNEP’s mandate to serve member states. At COP26 member states committed to doubling of the amount of finance for adaptation in developing countries by 2025 with further increases in adaptation financing beyond that. However, a recent report published by UNEP1 suggests that there are multiple barriers that are hindering the widespread adoption and scaling up of EbA and gaps in adaptation knowledge, adaptative capacity and technology continues to be a barrier to scaling-up of adaptation. One of the most common barriers is the lack of awareness and understanding of the role of ecosystem-based approaches, restoration and sustainable management of ecosystem services that can foster climate resilient development. A related challenge is the lack of technical knowledge and information tailored to regions and sectors for scaling up EbA. Despite a rapidly growing evidence base, many policymakers, donors and practitioners lack the necessary tools and information to design, implement and scale up EbA.
By strengthening and expanding its network in Europe and reviving the networks in North America and Latin America and the Caribbean, UNEP and the GAN will be in a stronger position to help increase knowledge sharing between the different regions, improve the
1 https://globalebafund.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Harnessing-nature-for-climate-resilience-Full-Report-V7-Web.pdf
understanding and uptake of EbA amongst stakeholders, and address the barriers hindering EbA adoption and upscaling.
This assignment will contribute to advancing the key outcomes of the UNEP Medium Term Strategy 2022-2025, specifically Outcomes related to:
1A Decision makers at all levels adopt decarbonization, dematerialization and resilience pathways
1B Enhanced assistance to capacity building, technology, and finance in support of the Paris Agreement
and the Climate Action sub-programme Direct Outcomes on:
1.1 Policy/decision-making for climate action is informed by the latest science-based analysis and data generation
1.4 Sectoral partnerships and access to technologies and solutions for decarbonization, dematerialization and resilience are enhanced
1.5 Private and public financial flows are aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
1.6 The private sector and financial markets apply sustainability and climate-friendly standards and norms as core values of the economy.
1.7 Public support and political engagement for climate action are catalysed and linked with other agendas (for example, restoration)
The project is under the overall supervision Head of Adaptation Unit but the consultant shall directly report to Head of Global Adaptation Network.

Duties and Responsibilities:

For each region, the consultant will:

New networks: Europe, and North America
1. Conduct a mapping of potential networks and organizations (and entry points for expanding, strengthening GAN regional nodes). The mapping should include i) current membership ii) network activity iii) governance structure
2. Interview potential key stakeholders representing those networks to assess the regional needs, priorities, and operational challenges as well as the policy opportunity for strengthened adaptation network. A scoping of the feasibility of linking the network to the UNEP Global Adaptation Network based on the mapping exercise and the interviews should be developed.
3. Prepare recommendations on which network would be selected and a cost estimate to bring them in the GAN.


Existing networks: LAC
4. In addition to 1 and 2, identify challenges that are hindering the work of existing networks (for LAC and NA regions) to work effectively and develop costed recommendations.
5. Identify relevant organizations that each regional node would partner with to strengthen the GAN, support delivery of the UNEP MTS and programme of work and partnerships that would help influence adaptation policy and finance.


Recommendations:
6. Develop a roadmap and timeline on how the GAN Secretariat can strengthen its regional networks and create new ones, and indicative resources needed to carry this forward.

Qualifications/special skills

Master’s degree in resource management, forestry, environment, development studies, international relations, Climate Change or a closely related field is required.
Experience: at least 7 years of practical adaptation to climate change or international development experience working at the policy level is required.
Experience in working and collaborating with multi-stakeholder partnerships and and working with knowledge networks.is desirable.
Demonstrated experience in preparing, conducting and documenting stakeholder engagement including surveys/interviews is desirable.

Languages

Excellent English written communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports. For this post, fluency in and written Spanish is desirable

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.