Consultant Liaison Officer, Monrovia 47 views0 applications

Established in 2010 by the 194 countries that are Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) takes pride in its role as the world’s largest dedicated climate fund. GCF finances transformative climate projects across developing countries, empowering them to respond to and combat climate change while promoting sustainable development within their communities. In addition to mobilising public and private sector investments through a diverse range of financing instruments, GCF strengthens the capacity of developing countries to undertake climate action through the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (the Readiness Programme). This initiative equips countries with the necessary resources to build foundations, skills, and capacities to effectively secure and manage climate financing. Liberia has made significant strides towards stability, having overcome civil conflict, economic volatility and health emergencies. However, the country remains fragile and is confronting widespread poverty, high inequality and unemployment, limited access to basic services (water, sanitation, energy) in a changing climate context. Liberia’s economy is highly dependent on its natural wealth; however its fiscal space is limited, its infrastructure and services are inadequate, and its human development outcomes are among the lowest in the world. Agriculture, a cornerstone of Liberia’s economy and the main livelihood for a large portion of its population, is highly susceptible to climate variations. Unpredictable rainfall patterns and rising temperatures have led to reduced agricultural productivity, threatening food security and farmers’ incomes. These changes not only compromise food availability, but also exacerbate poverty and inequality, particularly among smallholder farmers (World Bank, 2023).

Liberia submitted its updated and revised NDC in 2021. Liberia commits to reducing its economy-wide emissions by 64% below the projected business-as-usual level by 2030. This commitment is constructed from mitigation targets across nine key sectors—agriculture, forests, coastal zones, fisheries, health, transport, industry, energy, and waste—as well as cross-cutting targets for urban green corridors. The NDC also includes climate change adaptation targets. The estimated total cost of NDC implementation is USD 490 million dollars through 2025, including USD 90 million for mitigation and USD 400 million for adaptation measures The country faces significant challenges in accessing adequate climate finance to implement these commitments. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the National Designated Authority (NDA) for the GCF in Liberia. As such, the EPA plays a critical role in coordinating the country’s climate finance efforts. The placement of a GCF Liaison Officer at the EPA will support Liberia’s efforts to mobilize, manage, and scale up access to GCF resources, enhancing the nation’s capacity to respond to climate change.

In line with our commitment to enhancing national capacities, the 2024-2027 strategy for the Readiness Programme introduces a placement scheme available upon request from countries – via their National Designated Authorities (NDA) and focal points, – to deploy local experts within NDAs or other relevant agencies designated by the country that will be known as GCF Liaison Officers. These embedded experts will aim to ensure continuous, effective engagement with GCF, imparting knowledge of GCF policies, systems and processes and facilitating the development of programming capacities and enhanced direct access to climate finance for the achievement of national climate objectives.

Role

The GCF Liaison Officer will act as the primary liaison between the GCF Secretariat and the country, providing essential support to the country’s NDA, in all matters concerning GCF climate action. This role entails close coordination with stakeholders relevant to the GCF activities in the country to ensure their seamless execution, including country programming, accreditation, readiness support conceptualisation and oversight, project preparation and implementation and other related activities.

Objectives

The placement scheme aims to achieve the following objectives through the role of the GCF Liaison Officer:

• To enhance the capacity of the NDA and relevant agencies to plan, develop and implement climate change adaptation and mitigation policies, strategies, concept notes and funding proposals;
• To support the NDA develop/implement a national climate finance strategy/road map;
• To support an analysis of viable modern climate financial instruments in the context of Liberia and develop a Menu of Options in support of advancing a pipeline of bankable green projects
• To support the NDA and/or relevant agencies in updating and implementing GCF country programmes, including facilitating the set up or improvement of coordination with relevant stakeholders;
• To assist in accessing funding and other relevant opportunities and implementing integrated programmes of readiness activities in the country, ensuring alignment with national climate priorities such as articulated in the NDC and NAP of Liberia while addressing capacity gaps.
• To assist in establishing clear metrics for assessing progress and impact of readiness activities;
• To raise awareness and facilitate understanding in the country of the GCF funding windows, policies and processes; and
• To facilitate collaboration and knowledge transfer and skills development between the EPA and other local stakeholders including government ministries, agencies, commissions, local communities, GCF, and relevant others;
• To provide technical support for the continuous updating and refinement of Liberia’s GCF pipeline, prioritizing projects that address urgent adaptation and mitigation needs.

Responsibilities

The following responsibilities to ensure the successful implementation of the placement scheme are provided: Country Programme

• Refine the GCF country programme in collaboration with the EPA and relevant ministries, ensuring it reflects Liberia’s climate priorities as outlined in the NDCs, NAP, and long-term strategies, following the GCF guidance for country programmes;
• Assist the NDA in coordinating consultative processes within the country to identify key areas for results related to the implementation of NDCs/NAPs/LTSs and developing project/programme ideas for the Liberia country programme;
• Assist in the process of identifying potential partners for the implementation of the Country Programme, including potential direct access entities;
• Assist in the development and review of country programme drafts in collaboration with the EPA and GCF Secretariat teams, ensuring timely processing and incorporation of feedback;
• Facilitate and assist the NDA in the implementation of the country programme, including reporting annually and identifying risks, challenges and opportunities to discuss with the NDA and GCF Secretariat;
• Provide guidance to the NDA in identifying high-priority sectors (such as energy, agriculture, forestry, and coastal resilience) for GCF funding, ensuring project proposals are aligned with GCF requirements; and
• Facilitate regular multi-stakeholder consultations to ensure that GCF projects meet the needs of local communities, especially vulnerable groups such as women and youth.

Readiness

• Engage/assist the NDA in co-developing draft TOR for readiness support if and as needed, in close coordination with the GCF Secretariat. This is based on the medium-term strategic planning and includes outlining specific support areas, required expertise and resources to address capacity gaps effectively, ensuring alignment with national priorities;
• Support capacity (including training) and awareness building within the EPA, public and private sector (particularly financial institutions) on climate risks and resilience, reporting with sustainability standards and disclosures to align with international financing requirements and increase access to international climate finance.
• Assist the NDA to facilitate stakeholder engagement through transparent and effective communication with relevant country stakeholders, including Ministries of Finance and Development Planning, other sector ministries and agencies- Ministries of Agriculture, Energy, Local Government, the Forestry Development Authority, etc, central banks, executing entities, the private sector, subnational entities, development partners, GCF accredited entities and civil society organizations such as women’s groups, youth, academia, Indigenous Peoples and local communities. This approach adheres to GCF best practices for country coordination and multi-stakeholder engagement. The goal is to identify capacity gaps that inform the development and implementation of the TORs for readiness support;
• Assist in completing the Financial Management Capacity Assessment (FMCA) (1) form , if and as required;
• Support the NDA with adaptive management requests as required; and
• As required by the NDA, contribute to midterm reviews of readiness activities, and provide input for adjusting initial TORs as needed.

Multilingual job openings

[1] To be eligible for readiness funding, agencies and entities that are no accredited to GCF undergo FMCA

Pipeline Development, Implementation, Monitoring and Reporting

• To Contribute to capacity-building by imparting skills and knowledge to the NDA and relevant stakeholders to successfully develop, advance and implement climate investments;
• In coordination with the GCF Secretariat, provide advice, guidance and clarifications to the NDA, accredited entities, and other stakeholders on GCF policies, procedures and instruments to successfully develop, advance and implement climate investments;
• Assist the NDA in the development of project ideas, concept notes and funding proposals in close collaboration with the GCF Secretariat, the NDA and accredited entities; ep4qKGo BIpnb
• Assist the NDA to facilitate stakeholder discussions to gather necessary information throughout the project cycle stages;
• Assist the NDA to assess progress and impact of readiness activities;
• Support the NDA to maintain regular communication with accredited entities to report to the GCF Secretariat and help resolve any issues that may arise during the implementation of GCF investments in the country;
• Support the NDA and relevant agencies with the preparation of country portfolio results reporting as required by the GCF Secretariat;
• Assist the NDA in the organization of relevant events to showcase GCF results;
• Support NDA in developing high-quality and robust pipeline, prioritizing transformative climate change project proposals, concept notes, and funding proposals, working closely with accredited entities and the GCF Secretariat;
• Contribute to the preparation of Liberia’s GCF portfolio reports, including updates on project progress, achievements, and challenges; and
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned.

Assignment Details

• The GCF Liaison Officer will be based in Monrovia, Liberia and will operate from the offices of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia.
• The GCF Liaison Officer will support the EPA or relevant agency and report to the appropriate regional manager of the GCF Secretariat.
• As part of their reporting obligations, the experts are expected to compile a quarterly report detailing activities conducted and results achieved, to be shared with the EPA and GCF Secretariat.

Qualifications and Experience

The following qualifications and experience are required.

• University level degree in climate change/environmental science, climate economics/finance, engineering, project finance, project management or a closely related discipline.
• At least eight years of experience in the public and/or private sector with a demonstrated focus on climate investment and financing initiatives for climate change mitigation and adaptation, project development, and institutional capacity building, with a focus on developing countries including Liberia in particular.
• Proven experience and track records in institutional strengthening and capacity-building within developing economies, demonstrating the ability to enhance stakeholders’ capabilities in addressing climate change and creating enabling environments for climate investment;
• At least five years of experience in successfully developing climate change investment proposals, for international funds such as GCF, the Adaptation Fund, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), showcasing expertise in crafting compelling and impactful funding applications, including monitoring and evaluation of climate change initiatives;
• Experience in addressing climate change issues in Liberia, providing a deep understanding of the local context and challenges;
• Knowledge of Liberia’s climate priorities, including NDCs, NAP, national medium and long-term development strategies, sectoral development plans, and experience working with national institutions such as the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) and the National Climate Change Steering Committee (NCCSC);
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and engage with multiple stakeholders, reflecting strong interpersonal skills and the ability to foster cooperation among diverse groups;
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, complemented by outstanding presentation abilities, enabling effective dissemination of information and ideas to diverse audiences;
• Familiarity with the GCF, including operational mechanisms and funding modalities will be an asset;
• Fluency in English is required, and proficiency in major ethnic language(s) of Liberia, or other United Nations languages, is highly desirable;
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment, demonstrating cultural sensitivity and adaptability; and
• Candidates must demonstrate a strong commitment to ethical standards, including integrity, transparency and accountability in all professional activities.
• The Closing date for this post is 08 April 2025, at 11:59 KST
• Individuals currently employed as civil servants, whether actively or on leave with or without pay are not eligible to participate in this procurement process.
• The initial term for this position is 11 months and 29 days with a maximum of 180 working days per year with the possibility of extension based on annual performance evaluations, the ongoing need for the role, and available funding.
• The Presence of the consultant is needed at the NDA office at least 2 days a week.
• This is a consultancy on which preference will be given to nationals or residents of Liberia.