REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
Climate Finance Division
Climate Change and Green Growth Department
African Development Bank

Rue Jean Paul II, Plateau, CCIA, 01 BP 1387 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire

Introduction:

The recently established Climate Change and Green Growth Department (PECG) under the Vice Presidency for ‘Power, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth’, is mandated to lead the implementation of the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) second Climate Change Action Plan 2016-2020 (CCAP2) as a response to the needs of Regional Member Countries (RMCs) in implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in alignment with the Bank’s Ten Year Strategy and the High 5 (Hi5) priorities. This includes effectively mainstreaming climate change into AfDB’s operations under the High 5 priority areas; and working with various departments to scale up climate finance to constitute 40% of AfDB investments by 2020 from both internal and external sources, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The AfDB was accredited by the GCF in March 2016 as an international accredited entity, and signed the Accreditation Master Agreement (AMA) with the GCF in November 2017. Its accreditation status allows it to develop and implement, or act as a financial intermediary for projects in all of its regional member countries. Furthermore, it is accredited to take on projects up to the largest size category (USD 250 million and above), up to the highest level of environmental and social risk (category A), and using all fiduciary instruments that the GCF currently offers (grants executed directly, grant award, on-lending and blending). The Climate Finance Division (PECG1) of PECG is responsible for the coordination of the AfDB’s work as an accredited entity of the GCF and for ensuring that the Bank complies with the requirements of its legal agreements with the GCF.

Rationale and Objective:

The AfDB has been assisting Regional Member Countries (RMCs) to mobilize financial resources from international financing mechanisms such as the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs). It is an implementing agency for several climate funds and manages other relevant financing instruments such as the Africa Water Facility (AWF), the ClimDev-Africa Special Fund (CDSF) the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA). AfDB invested about US$ 12 billion between 2011 and 2015 in low-carbon and climate resilient operations and its own internal resources constitute more than 80% of these investments. It has also committed to having climate finance constitute 40% of approved operations investment target in climate change related initiatives by 2020.

The GCF was added to the platform of climate finance resources (as indicated above) when AfDB became accredited by the GCF and signed the AMA. This will provide the opportunity to blend GCF resources with internal AfDB resources to de-risk, and fund the incremental costs of climate measures and also provide the critical investments needed to execute low-carbon and climate-resilient projects in Africa.

Given that the GCF is a relatively new fund on the AfDB climate finance platform, there is limited familiarity and experience of managing similar procedures and projects in the Bank. The establishment of a Procedures Handbook is expected to provide the necessary framework and guidelines that will (i) facilitate the project development and management process for AfDB task managers, (ii) help align GCF engagements for funding proposals and funded activities with AfDB operations, (iii) synchronize AfDB quality at entry and approval processes (including Board meetings) for lending operations with GCF Board timings, and (iv) while also providing guidance to the AfDB’s GCF secretariat team on how to manage

the administrative aspects in compliance with the legal agreements between the AfDB and the GCF. It will also provide strategic direction in guiding the Bank’s priorities in its engagements with its regional member countries and partners in relation to the GCF.

Tasks and Deliverables:

Major Duties and responsibilities will include the following among others:-

• Review the GCF’s procedures, policies, project cycle, and requirements related to project development and all other aspects of the Fund
• Review the AfDB’s legal agreements with the GCF (AMA and funded activity agreement)
• Review the AfDB’s operations manual and all relevant policies and rules regarding project cycle management and fund administration
• Review the processes of the AfDBs secretariats for similar funds such as the GEF and CIFs
• Conduct a strategic assessment of the AfDB’s priorities and goals and how the its engagement with the GCF can best help mobilize concessional finance at scale for climate action in Africa
• Conduct consultations with relevant colleagues in PECG as well as in operational/sectoral departments and regional/country offices and in non-operational departments (e.g. financial management, legal, resource mobilisation, etc)
• If needed, conduct consultations with the GCF secretariat and other accredited entities
• Develop an appropriately detailed, illustrative, well-articulated and easy to comprehend GCF Procedures Handbook for the AfDB, including detailed annexes in English and French.
• Consult all relevant departments to secure feedback on the draft Procedures Handbook and make revisions as needed
• Provide training to AfDB’s GCF secretariat, PECG management and staff, and task managers on the Procedures Handbook
• Conduct other tasks related to the development of the GCF Procedures Handbook, as may be requested by the GCF Coordinator or PECG1 manager.

Qualifications and experience required:

The applicant must have:

• Master degree in economics, finance, business or management, international relations, climate change, sustainable development or related field.
• 5- 8 years’ experience in sustainable development related field, including at least three years of experience in fund management, project or programme management at the AfDB, GCF or another similar international organisation.
• Familiarity with the processes and policies of the GCF, preferably with experience of supporting the development of GCF funding proposals for an accredited entity, or supporting the administration of the GCF for an accredited entity, or supporting the review of GCF funding proposals for the GCF secretariat.
• Experience or knowledge of the processes, procedures, project management systems and fund management systems of a multilateral development Bank. Knowledge of the project cycle and procedures of the AfDB would be an advantage.
• Experience of developing operational guidelines or procedures, or documenting organisational processes and systems for a fund or organisation.
• Experience of conducting training workshops would be an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse, collate and synthesise large quantities of information into a focused and well-structured guide, with strong organisational skills, and attention to detail.
• Good communication skills, professional judgment, diplomacy, and ability to work in a professional and collegial manner with a diverse and multi-cultural team of colleagues.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Professional proficiency and demonstrated writing ability in English; proficiency in French would be an advantage.

The Climate Change and Green Growth Department invites Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in providing the above-described services. Interested Consultants shall provide information on their qualifications and experience demonstrating their ability to undertake this Assignment (documents, reference to similar services, experience in similar assignments, etc.). The eligibility criteria, the establishment of a short list and the selection procedures shall be in conformity with the AfDB’s procedures for the acquisition of consulting services funded by the administrative or capital expenditure budget.

Please, note that interest expressed by a Consultant does not imply any obligation on the part of the AfDB to include him/her in the shortlist. Due to the volume of applications received, only selected candidates will be contacted.

The estimated duration of services is 50 working days over 6 months and the estimated starting date is October 05, 2018. The duty station will ideally be the AfDB Headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, however the option of working remotely with at least two visits to Abidjan can also be considered.

Interested Individual Consultants may obtain further information at the address below during the AfDB’s working hours: 8h00 to 17h00.

Expressions of interest must be sent to t.afful-koomson@afdb.org and h.abubakar@afdb.org no later than September 24, 2018 at 17h00 local time and specifically mentioning SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPING GCF PROCEDURES HANDBOOK.

For the attention of:

Dr. Timothy Afful-Koomson,

Chief Climate Finance Officer.

Climate Change and Green Growth Department

African Development Bank

Rue Jean Paul II, Plateau, Imm. CCIA, 01 BP 1387 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire

Tel: +225 20 26 4622 ; Cell: +225 7730 5006

Email : t.afful-koomson@AFDB.ORG