African Union Multi-Country Programme to Accelerate Water, Climate Resilient, Gender Transformative Investments through the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AU-AIP Multicounty GCF Readiness Support)
Reports to: African Union-AIP Programme Manager, Green Climate Fund (GCF) National Designated Authority (NDA) with secondary reporting to AIP/Global Water Partnership Regional Coordinator
Contract type: Independent Contractor
Duration: 9-18 months with the possibility of extension
Duty Station: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Eswatini, Guinea, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Morocco, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tunisia, Zambia,
Application deadline: 17 October 2024
1. BACKGROUND TO THE CONTINENTAL AFRICA WATER INVESTMENT PROGRAMME (AIP)
On 6 September 2023, African Heads of State and Government committed to supporting the implementation of the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP), as part of the Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change.
Africa is highly vulnerable to climate change and this is expected to impact water, through increases in droughts and floods, water scarcity and water-borne diseases. Despite this pronounced vulnerability, many African countries have limited capacity to access climate finance for strategic investments in water.
Accessing climate finance for water security in Africa is critical to achieving the African Union (AU) Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022-2032), which recognizes the need for enhancing climate resilient water systems under Axis 2: Adopting Pathways towards Transformative Climate Resilient Development.
The Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP) is supporting implementation of the African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy. The AIP was adopted during the 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Summit of Heads of State and Government on 7 February 2021, as part of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Priority Action Plan 2. The AU Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy (2022-2032) recognizes the AIP as a flagship initiative for transforming water systems.
Delivery of water investments across Africa is significantly below target to meet the continent’s growing social and economic needs. It is estimated that at least an additional US$30 billion per year by 2030 needs to be invested to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on water and sanitation. Currently, only US$10-US$19 billion is invested each year.
The AIP aims to close the water investment gap by mobilizing at least an additional US$30 billion annually by 2030 and creating five million jobs towards the African Water Vision 2025 and SDG water-related targets in 2030. The AIP comprises five pillars that aim to contribute towards narrowing the investment gap in water across Africa, namely:
- AU-AIP International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa – The International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa was established in 2022, comprising current and former Heads of State and global leaders. During 2023, the Panel supported the AU to develop and launch a report, Africa’s Rising Investment Tide, and an Africa Water Investment Action Plan with actionable pathways for countries to mobilise at least an additional US$30bn annually by 2030 for implementing the AIP.
- AU-AIP International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa – The International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa was established in 2022, comprising current and former Heads of State and global leaders. During 2023, the Panel supported the AU to develop and launch a report, Africa’s Rising Investment Tide, and an Africa Water Investment Action Plan with actionable pathways for countries to mobilise at least an additional US$30bn annually by 2030 for implementing the AIP.
- AIP-PIDA Water Investment Scorecard – The AIP-PIDA Water Investment Scorecard enhances mutual accountability, transparency and efficiency of water finance and investments. The Scorecard supports countries to track progress, set benchmarks, identify bottlenecks, and take action to meet Africa’s water investment needs. The Scorecard was adopted by AUDA-NEPAD as part of PIDA in February 2022. The Scorecard was developed and piloted in 10 countries in 2023, ahead of its roll out across AU Member States.
- Regional and national water investment programmes – The AIP supports AU Member States to develop national water investment programmes to close the water investment gap. Many African countries are extremely vulnerable to climate variability and climate change and are further faced with weak institutional capacities, water infrastructure, and information systems to support water management. National water investment programmes address these gaps and are informed by insights from the AIP-PIDA Water Investment Scorecard.
- AIP International Blended Investment Facility – The AIP will assess the need for an International Blended Investment Facility to support countries to leverage ODA (Official Development Assistance) and grant finance to de-risk priority water investments using a variety of innovative financial instruments and sources. These include sovereign wealth funds, guarantees, commercial finance, institutional investors and private equity investors, foundations, value-based impact investment, and climate finance.
2. OBJECTIVE OF THE AU-AIP NATIONAL TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
The AU-AIP National Technical Coordinator will lead the delivery of specific outputs under the fice AIP pillars and AIP portfolio of projects in the country. The National Technical Coordinator will take responsibility for providing technical assistance to the government and preparation of implementation plans, technical outputs and reports for the portfolio of projects under the AIP in the country. In addition, the coordinator will also lead overall coordination of project implementation and ensure synergies across all AIP components. Specifically, the National Technical Coordinator will deliver outputs under the Africa Union-AIP Multicounty GCF Readiness Support on Water, Climate and Gender Transformative Investments.
3. AFRICA UNION-AIP MULTICOUNTY GCF READINESS SUPPORT ON WATER, CLIMATE AND GENDER TRANSFORMATIVE INVESTMENTS
The Africa Union Multi-Country GCF Readiness Support on Water, Climate and Gender Transformative Investments aims to accelerate water and climate resilience investments through the AIP and contribute to implementing the AU Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy.
The support is implemented through two related initiatives of the AU, funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Austria Development Agency (ADA), and other AU-AIP financing partners to develop gender-transformative climate-resilient water investment programmes across Africa.
The overall goal of the GCF readiness support is that all participating countries have strengthened capacities for climate-resilient water investment planning and project preparation to take climate actions. This will be achieved through the following project interventions:
- Enhance countries’ capacity for climate finance programming and for direct access to GCF resources with a focus on water-related climate actions;
- Enhance strategic frameworks for climate-resilient water investment planning through the development of water investment programmes;
- Advance country pipelines through the development of concept notes; and
- Establish a continental knowledge and investment platform to facilitate learning and investment for water security in Africa.
The readiness support is implemented jointly with the AIP Support Initiative on Water Climate Development and Gender Transformation (AIP WACDEP-G). The overall objective of AIP WACDEP-G is to transform gender inequalities at scale by promoting gender-transformative planning, decision-making and institutional development for climate-resilient water investments in Africa.
Gender inequalities in accessing productive assets and resources are often linked to access to water and disproportionately increase the burden of climate change on women and girls. Communities with high poverty prevalence in Africa are critically exposed to water challenges and the effects of climate change. Vulnerability to climate change intersects diverse forms of marginalisation, amplified by gender, socio-economic class, age, and other social variables. Planning, investments and institution building through water and climate change adaptation projects do not include or drive a gender-transformative vision, and instead, reflect structurally embedded cultural norms, practices, and gendered power relations.
4. ROLE OF THE AU-AIP NATIONAL TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
The AU-AIP National Technical Coordinator will take responsibility for managing the GCF Readiness support and/or AIP WACDEP G in one of the 20 countries that will receive support from the African Union through the GCF, ADA, and other AU-AIP financing partners to develop gender transformative climate-resilience water investment programmes.
- Morocco
- Sierra Leone
- Republic of Congo
- Uganda
- Tunisia
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Eswatini
- Ghana
- Benin
- Burundi
- Malawi
- Guinea
- Central Africa Republic
- Somalia
- Mozambique
- Mali
- Chad
- Kenya
- Zambia
The Coordinator will be working under the strategic guidance of the GCF National Designated Authority (NDA) with technical and operational guidance from the AU-AIP Programme Manager. The Coordinator will work under the direct supervision of the AIP/Global Water Partnership (GWP) Regional Coordinator, as well as the AU-AIP Regional Programme Officer based at the AU-AIP Secretariat in Pretoria, South Africa.
Under the GCF Multi Country Readiness support, countries have different needs, hence the roles and tasks of the AU-AIP National Coordinator will be tailored towards meeting the specific country’s needs and expectations. Please refer to the table in Annex 1 indicating country-specific roles/tasks of the NTCs.
Below is a generic detailed outline of the roles and tasks of the National Technical Coordinators:
4.1 Capacity Building
- Conduct a training needs assessment for National Designated Authority (NDA), Focal Points (FPs) and other stakeholders, working with the Capacity Development Specialist of the project;
- Support the Capacity Development Specialist in preparing capacity building programmes on planning, programming and implementation of GCF-funded activities for the NDA, FPs and Stakeholders; on the oversight of GCF activities for the NDA;
- Facilitate undertaking of the above training for the NDA, FPs and other stakeholders working with the Capacity Development Specialist of the project;
- Facilitate undertaking of a capacity gap assessment of each potential Direct Access Entity (DAE), and coordinate targeted capacity-building activities of existing DAEs;
- Coordinate the development of an Accreditation Action Plan for potential DAEs, which clearly outlines the steps for these entities to become accredited.
4.2 Water Investment Programming
- Lead the development of a national climate-resilient water investment plan/programme with guidance from the Ministry responsible for water;
- Facilitate stakeholder engagement in the formulation of a national climate-resilient water investment plan/program with guidance from the Ministry responsible for water;
- Coordinate the preparation of draft investment plan/programme working with the National Technical Team of Experts;
- Facilitate undertaking of a readiness needs assessment for the NDA including an assessment of key stakeholders for GCF involvement, such as potential future DAEs, International Accredited Entities (AEs), potential future Executing Entities (EEs) and other major stakeholders such as government agencies, civil society, private sector, and development organisations (amongst others);
- Lead stocktaking of private sector engagement potential in climate action and analyze potential role of DAEs in facilitating engagement and draft a private sector stakeholder engagement strategy for the country;
- Lead preparation of a strategy for DAEs to engage with private sector on climate action with stakeholders actively engaged in the process.
4.3 Climate Finance Pipeline Development
- Lead implementation of the AU-AIP High level Panel recommendations, including implementation of the AIP pyramid of water investment transformation.
- Support establishment of national matchmaking blended investment platforms for leveraging innovative public-private finance;
- With the engagement of sectoral stakeholders and AEs, identify project ideas for the country and lead drafting of at least one gender-responsive Concept Note and matching with Accredited Entities to support project development and submission to GCF;
- Facilitate stakeholders’ engagement for input into the project ideas and outline implementation arrangements, and initiate inception field missions in coordination with AEs
- Conduct baseline analyses, including early-stage gender & social inclusion assessments, to support the development of concept notes
4.4 Knowledge Management and Communication
- Lead the process for implementing the AIP Water Investment Scorecard and capturing lessons, experiences, knowledge to be generated from the processes and activities of implementing the project;
- Develop knowledge materials (technical notes, articles, fact sheets, project briefs, etc.) based on the results and lessons from project implementation;
- Establish/strengthen the knowledge management platform and facilitate sharing of lessons among stakeholders to facilitate investment in climate resilience water security
- Participate and contribute to the development of a continental-level knowledge management platform as part of the AIP blended investment facility;
- Lead national coordination in the High-Level Panel campaign, Mind the Gap – Invest in Water, which was launched during the 28th United Nations General Assembly 2023 by the AIP International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa and the AU.
4.5 Project Implementation, Management and Coordination
- Lead the implementation of the project per the approved project proposal and manage the day-to-day activities of the project.
- Supervise administrative, logistics, and financial support to project activities.
- Mobilize stakeholders, under the guidance of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, to be engaged in project implementation.
- Establish relationships with relevant government and non-government actors, such as organizations dealing with climate change adaptation, water, finance, and planning.
- Ensure that implementation of project activities is coordinated among national actors (government, private sector, academia, and research institutions) and other regional and international organizations based in the country, to take advantage of synergies and linkages among agencies and to avoid duplication of efforts and inefficiencies in resource use;
- Establish synergies with other ongoing climate change programmes in the country, including other GCF-funded projects;
- Facilitate high policy-level engagements in the country.
4.6 Reports, work plans and budgets
- Prepare and submit annual work plans and budgets;
- Prepare and submit monthly project implementation progress updates;
- Prepare and submit quarterly narrative reports;
- Prepare and submit interim progress reports every six months;
- Prepare and submit project completion report;
- Coordinate project evaluation and audit when requested;
- Facilitate the endorsement of work plans and reports by the NDA;
- Participate in programme coordination meetings (physical and online);
- Participate in meetings related to the GCF Readiness project in the countries that will be coordinated by the NDA;
- Carry out other duties related to the project as assigned by the AIP Programme Manager and Regional Programme Manager.
5. REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
The African Union-AIP National Coordinator will:
- Report directly to the AU-AIP Programme Manager, GCF National Designated Authority, and the AIP/GWP Regional Coordinator;
- Work closely with the Ministries of Finance, Water, Environment, Gender, GCF NDA and other key related ministries and stakeholders;
- Work closely with the relevant Government Ministries coordinating climate change projects and programs at the national level and other key stakeholders;
- Work closely with the AU-AIP Secretariat/ GWP-Africa Finance and Administration, and Knowledge Management and Communications Teams.
6. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
The AU-AIP National Technical Coordinator position demands a high level of technical and professional expertise.
Interested applicants must possess the following qualifications and experience at minimum:
- A master’s degree in environmental science/management, economics, water management, natural resources management, climate change or related fields;
- At least 7 years of relevant experience in implementing water and climate projects preferably in the country;
- Experience in organizing and delivering trainings; engaging stakeholders, including the private sector;
- Experience in preparing investment programs, policies and projects;
- Experience in establishing and operating knowledge management systems/platforms;
- Demonstrated understanding of the context of development, climate change impacts, climate vulnerability, natural resources management, development (SDGs), and related issues in the country;
- Understanding of the institutional and policy environment concerning climate change, water and development in the country;
- Knowledge of global policy processes under the UNFCCC and familiarity with National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and climate finance mechanisms such as GCF, Global Environment Facility (GEF), and others is advantageous;
- Excellent organizational and project management skills, with a demonstrated ability to coordinate and manage multiple tasks effectively;
- Excellent analytical and writing skills in the English language;
- Fluent written and verbal French language if working in a French-speaking country; and fluent written and verbal Portuguese language if working in a Portuguese -speaking country;
- Demonstrated teamwork skills and ability to work independently.
7. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
Applicants meeting all the above requirements are invited to express their interest through submission of the following:
- A one-page motivation letter addressing the requirements as stated above; The motivation must clearly state in the subject line: ‘ Name of Country’: National Coordinator)
- A Curriculum Vitae;
- Three professional references who may be contacted if you are short-listed for the position.
- Applications should be submitted through to the Bamboo HR online system: https://gwpsanpc.bamboohr.com/careers/89
- Requests for further information or clarification/questions can be directed to the following email address: Ahmed Khalid Eldaw Mohamed MohamedAK@africa-union.org , Joseph Mbinji joseph.mbinji@gwpsaf.org and Mark Naidoo mark.naidoo@gwpsaf.org
- Applications should be submitted not later than 17 October 2024.
8. ANNEX 1: NATIONAL TECHNICAL COORDINATORS COUNTRY SPECIFIC ROLES/TASKS ACCORDING TO COUNTRY
To view the specific roles and tasks according to each country, please click here.
