The Ministry of Environment Conservation: Technical Officer Post

VACANCY NOTICE

TECHNICAL OFFICER, STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL CAPABILITY FOR CLIMATE FINANCE IN THE PACIFIC, GGGI

Location: Solomon Islands
City: Honiara
Contract Type: GGGI Staff
Grade: X8
Salary Scale: International Scale

Contract Duration: 16.5 months

Start Date: November 15, 2023
Deadline for applications: 18th October 2023

Click link to Apply: Technical Officer,Climate Finance – Solomon Islands (STA2437) (gggi.org)

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are highly exposed to the adverse effects of climate change such as tropical cyclones, sea-level rise, droughts and increasing temperatures which are negatively impacting their economies, human and physical capital, and long-term resilient development.

Access to finance for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) thus needs to be accelerated and funds mobilized, absorbed and translated into project implementation with urgency.

However, despite some success in project approval, the scale and pace of financial flows in the region is not commensurate with the existential threat posed by climate change to Pacific nations.

A major barrier to access, absorb and deliver climate finance is limited preparedness and capability in key institutions such as government ministries, national funds, regional and national accredited entities and development banks.

This means that even when climate finance is approved there can be considerable delays indeploying this funding.

This programmers part of the UK SIDAR programme (2021-2026) to support SIDS to access, absorb and deliver climate finance.

The first phase of the Pacific programme will be implemented by GGGI over 2 years, with a possibility of a subsequent second phase.

The programme will proactively pursue opportunities to strengthen the capacity of institutions to access new funding and absorb and deliver on already approved climate finance projects ensuring that the technical assistance (TA) helps to tackle blockages in Government or other systems.

This could involve support to strengthen project management capacity, implementation of safeguards etc. Depending on the needs of a particular country, the support will be tailored and could include institutional strengthening, public financial management, project management, etc.

Building capacity and strengthening long term institutional capability will be a key part of the programme.

The Programme aims to increase PICs’ resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change and reduce their CO2 emissions in line with National Adaptation Plans and NDC commitments through enhanced capacity and institutional capability to improve access to climate finance and strengthen their absorptive capacity for efficient delivery of impactful climate change programmes.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Technical Officer will collaborate closely with government entities and stakeholders to strengthen their institutional capacity for accessing, absorbing, and executing climate finance.

The Officer will aid in organizational assessments, strategy development, and capacity-building initiatives to support climate finance delivery and implementation.

S/he will extend support to climate finance Project Development Units, facilitating institutional growth and staff training when required.

The officer’s role encompasses diverse tasks including aiding feasibility studies and proposal development, guiding fiduciary processes, facilitating fund disbursement and project implementation, engaging stakeholders, and overseeing project financing alignment.

S/he will collaborate with regional teams, GGGI Headquarters, and GGGI Country Representatives as well as a range of PIC stakeholders to develop business cases and assess project opportunities.

PURPOSE

The Technical Officer will work closely with government counterparts and other stakeholders to strengthen the institutional capability to access, absorb and deliver climate finance.

There is a significant and persistent gap on government capacity to understand and respond to climate finance donor requirements, theory of change and project design as well as financial structuring.

The technical officer will support a mix of institutional level measures such as organizational assessments, strategies and process development to increase preparedness to absorb and implement climate finance and staff capacity building and training support.

As climate change funds and climate finance Project Development Units continue to be established, the technical officer will be on hand to support institutional capacity development and training of staff, as needed.

ENAGEMENT

The proposed scope of activities for the Technical Officer encompasses tasks such as supporting feasibility studies, implementing fiduciary and safeguards processes, aiding fund disbursement and project implementation, engaging stakeholders to finalize and submit proposals, and facilitating project financing.

The Officer will offer in-country consultation, assisting ministries and external project proponents in managing processes, resolving queries, and ensuring alignment with priorities and donor requirements. S/he will continuously provide support by leveraging the established trust and working relationships, facilitating extensive consultations to mitigate risks of project failures, facilitating to remove blockages to project progress and supporting securing finances for implementation and follow-through to signing of contracts, disbursement, and project kick-off meetings, where appropriate.

Specific activities include identifying priority projects, assisting feasibility studies, designing project structures, enhancing institutional capacity, conducting training needs assessments, delivering tailored training, and guiding stakeholders through proposal submission and negotiations.

S/he will collaborate with regional teams and GGGI Headquarters to develop business cases and analyze project opportunities.

The Investment Officer will report to the Adaptation Lead for the Pacific Region and GGGI Country Representatives, working closely with other teams in Pacific Region in particular the Green Investment Service Advisors, and GGGI Headquarters.

The British High Commission will be a key stakeholder and part of the Investment Officer’s network.

DELIVERY

Advise and provide assistance to relevant ministry focal point and other government line ministries, NGOs and private sector stakeholders in developing project proposals to submit to Green Climate Fund (GCF), Adaptation Fund and other relevant donors and

Provide assistance to the Government on relevant

Support development and submission of climate finance funding proposals, including by navigating the range of financing sources, engaging stakeholders to fulfil funding proposal requirements, and assessing financial instruments to structure

Coordinate between national ministries to accelerate projects through the investment

Where possible, pursue opportunities to finance projects through domestic resources as a means of enhancing country

Support or lead project origination activities and actively contribute to adding to the green investment project

Conduct gap analysis of green investment/infrastructure projects and programs engaging all relevant

Perform financial, economic, and regulatory analysis for project concept, design and delivery in collaboration with the country teams and government

Supporting-country consultations, assisting ministries and external project proponents managing processes, resolving queries, and ensuring alignment with priorities and donor requirements for project initiation and delivery

Support project kick-off meetings and establishment of coordination and implementation mechanisms, where

Assisting feasibility studies, designing project structures, enhancing institutional capacity, conducting training needs assessments

Delivery capacity building activities to strengthen project management capacity, implementation of safeguards etc.

Any other analytical work to ensure that deliverables are provided in a timely manner to support subsequent work and consistent with work

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Advanced university degree in economics, finance, business administration or another related

Experience in institutional strengthening and public financial management,

3-5 year of experience in project management

3-5 years of experience working in climate finance, international development or economic analysis, preferably for financial institution or development agency

Minimum 2 years of professional experience outside of home country

Sectoral expertise in coastal resilience and infrastructure, agriculture, adaptation or water security, is a plus

Experience accessing and structuring finance for climate investment is a plus Experience organizational strengthening and/or public financial management is a plus

Experience working in developing countries on climate and development issues

Experience working in the Pacific is required

Fluency inwritten and spoken English

FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Demonstrated ability to formulate concept notes and project proposals in compliance with requirements of various climate finance

Demonstrated relationship-building and facilitation

Resourceful and able to develop and operationalize strategies to achieve outputs and outcomes

Knowledge of and experience in adhering to internationally agreed environmental and social safeguards (ESS) and gender-sensitive design

Willingness and ability to commit to in-country work for and travel as required and where

CORPORATE REQUIREMENTS

Project management: Proven ability to independently plan, manage and complete projects that deliver quality outcomes in a timely and inclusive

Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to deliver products or presentations that are concise, easy to understand and

Influencing change: Track record of engaging effectively to secure buy in, underpinned by strong listening, trust building, influencing, facilitation and negotiation

Team player: Capacity to be selfless team member, to operate across organizational boundaries, and maintain a resilient, positive and results-focused mindset in a dynamic

Promotes an organizational culture of trust, transparency, respect and partnership

WORKING CONDITIONS

The Investment Officer is an X8, international grade level in GGGI’s salary scale.

For X8 International grade, the base salary starts from USD 64,920.

Determination of base salary is subject to candidate’s experience, academic background and internal equity.

GGGI provides 15% of base salary towards retirement plan/long-term savings, 27 days of annual leave, and private health insurance that covers dental and vision.

In addition, GGGI provides expatriate benefits such as expatriate allowance – equivalent to 20% of the base salary, educational allowance, and other benefits (terms and conditions are to be reviewed in a case-by-case situation).

GGGI is committed to providing a work environment that is sufficiently flexible to accommodate diverse life-cycle challenges and assist Staff members to achieve a better balance between work and personal/family commitments, thus ensuring high performance, long- term productivity, and well-being of Staff members.