TERMS OF REFERENCE Research on Financial Flows for Climate Adaptation and Resilience in Zimbabwe
Consultancy, Research Jobs
Job Description
1. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
Oxfam is a global movement of people who won’t live with the injustice of poverty. Together we save and rebuild lives. We help people build better lives for themselves. We speak out on the big issues that keep people poor, like inequality, discrimination against women and climate change, and we won’t stop until every person on the planet can live without poverty. In Southern Africa, Oxfam’s focus is to respond to four sets of development issues: Unjust Economic models that perpetuate inequality; Gender inequalities; Climate crisis; and humanitarian needs.
Oxfam-SIDA’s Climate Adaptation for Rural Livelihoods (CARL) in Zimbabwe project whose second phase started in 2022 focuses on generating knowledge and a shared understanding on how to increase the flow of climate finance for adaptation at the local community level. Currently, the CARL project is targeting 20,000 smallholder farmers at the frontline of the climate crisis in Buhera, Gutu, Bulilima, and Mberengwa districts.
The UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) was established by the Conference of the Parties (COP) at its 17th session. One of the functions of the SCF is to assist the COP with respect to the measurement, reporting, and verification of the support provided to developing country Parties through activities such as the preparation of the biennial assessment and overview of climate finance flows (BA). The SCF is looking for evidence on:
• Methodological issues relating to measuring, reporting, and verifying climate finance flows;
• Data on climate-related finance flows, and
• Assessment of the effectiveness of climate finance flows, including drivers, impact results, meeting needs, and access.
• Information relevant to Article 2, paragraph 1(c) of the Paris Agreement.
The Objective of this assignment is to assess climate finance flows in Zimbabwe as Oxfam’s contribution on climate finance data and evidence for advocacy on Climate Justice.
These Terms of Reference (ToR) describe the proposal to conduct research on the flow of climate finance for adaptation in Zimbabwe amongst small-scale female farmers in different geographic areas/regions and vulnerable sectors. Oxfam in Zimbabwe will commission consultants to carry out this research, which will provide evidence on the current situation and offer options for improvements based on evidence. This document provides background and explains why Oxfam is commissioning the study. The ToR also defines the scope and process of the consultancy. In addition, they provide the timeline, which together with the effort and the scope of work for the consultant, will be an integral part of the contract.
2. TARGET AUDIENCE AND USE
The research findings will target the Ministries of Finance and, Environment and Climate, and donors to Oxfam but also donors who shape the country’s climate policy through their aid. The study will also target other policymakers (think tanks, and parliamentarians), the private sector, NGOs, development partners, and civil society organizations involved in climate justice action in the country. The findings of the research on adaptation climate finance flow in the country and to the most vulnerable communities and socio-economic sectors will be shared with these key stakeholders, Oxfam staff and Oxfam partners in the form of workshops and hard copies. The full research report and at least the executive summary will be posted on Oxfam websites and made available for publishing to institutional donors. Likewise, the executive summary will also be prepared to allow the findings to be shared with all stakeholders.
The research findings will contribute to the broader agenda of Climate Justice effort of the government and other development practitioners; hence, key findings and recommendations will be used for organizational learning, capacity building, accountability and advocacy framed with an action plan for addressing the prioritized findings.
3. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
3.1 Broad objective
The research study will serve as a comprehensive baseline and advocacy tool that Oxfam partners and target groups can use to improve influencing national financial flows and access to climate finance by communities and sectors at the frontline of the climate crisis for effective and lasting locally led climate responses.
3.2 Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of this action research on climate finance flows in Zimbabwe multifold:
• To provide an exhaustive list of adaptation climate finance flows available to Zimbabwe (international, national, and local) available and how they work.
• To provide an analysis of gaps related to access to adaptation climate finance by different actors including CSOs, NGOs, government, and other stakeholders.
• To assess socio-economic and financial implications (past and projected) of climate in Zimbabwe through the development of climate expenditure analyses and modelling.
• To provide an analysis on how to improve the access to climate finance for vulnerable and marginalized populations in Zimbabwe.
• To analyze barriers that exclude local communities at the frontline of the climate crisis from accessing climate finance / making the access more difficult.
• To provide recommendations based on analysis of gaps and opportunities to help the national government, sub-national governments, local communities, CSOs and marginalized groups to better access climate finance, and to influence national and likely international financial mechanisms and flows for them to be better suited for inclusion of local communities and marginalized groups.
Duties and Responsibilities
4. SCOPE OF WORK
• Bibliography of existing studies on climate finance flows conducted by Government, UN Agencies and NGOs in Zimbabwe
• The identification of key stakeholders within the ministries, departments and agencies of the Government of Zimbabwe involved in the development of climate policy and climate finance, private sector, and other departments
• Assessment of CSOs knowledge on climate finance and more particularly opportunities, mechanisms, and accessibility (mainstream and innovative mechanisms of available funding on climate action)
• Identification and use of the most appropriate methodological and modeling approach for undertaking the analysis in the specific context of Zimbabwe.
• Review and compile existing data on the required financing for implementing mitigation and adaptation actions planned to achieve the NDC and assess the capacity gaps and needs for NDC implementation.
• Mapping of climate finance flows in Zimbabwe (public, private, INGOs, national, international, regional, etc.) including the projects that have received support.
• Develop options for investment opportunities to implement mitigation and adaptation actions. This entails the identification of the most fit financial instrument and source of funding (public, private, domestic, international) and elaboration on risks and barriers to implementing investment opportunities.
• Outlining recommendations that could stimulate greater local climate finance for communities and how to link global funds to local instruments, capacities and needs
• To propose recommendations on how key stakeholders (e.g. communities, CSOs, etc.) can engage in dialogue with government around priority setting, program development and better access to climate finance toward local climate actions and solutions.
5. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Climate finance flows action research questions derived from the objectives and scope of the study. Identifying the research questions provides the roadmap for subsequent stages. Relevant aspects of the questions must be clearly defined as they have ramifications for research strategies.
To clarify this stage, we recommend that consultants combine one or more broad research questions with a clearly articulated scope of inquiry. This includes defining the concept, target population, and outcomes of interest to clarify the focus of the action research and establish an effective strategy that increases climate finance flows to the target population for climate justice. The consultants will provide the question(s) and scope to Oxfam as part of the inception report.
6. FRAMEWORK AND APPROACH
The consultant will provide the analytical framework and approach to be used in the action research in the inception report.
7. GENDER
Research can be characterized as gender-blind, gender-aware, gender-sensitive, gender-responsive, or gender-transformative. This action research will be gender-responsive, i.e., the project considers gender in its rationale, design and methodology and will include rigorous analysis with a view to inform implementation, communication, and influencing strategies. It will identify constraints faced by women living at the frontline of the climate crisis to access climate finance and implement locally led climate solutions and opportunities in using the various interventions, policies and institutional arrangements that are relevant to climate finance, focusing on impacts on gender equity. The research is intended to contribute to the national debate about policy and resource allocation that will enhance the empowerment of female food producers.
Gender-responsive research does not (yet) address the underlying structural factors such as norms and power relations that contribute to gender inequalities. Gender-transformative research, in contrast, examines, analyses, and builds an evidence base to inform long-term practical changes in structural gender power relations and norms, roles and inequalities. Gender-transformative research should lead to sustained change through action (e.g. partnerships, outreach, and interventions, particularly with women’s rights organizations). Follow-on research to this action research may involve such gender-transformative inquiry.
Qualifications and Experience
Selection will be made by inviting interested candidates to submit their applications containing:
Curriculum Vitae,
Technical proposal containing work plan and methodology,
Confirmed availability for the completion of the job, and
Financial proposal including daily rate.
The proposals should contain the following methodological topics as a minimum:
- The researcher’s proposed research questions,
- Description of the phases related to the research approaches proposed,
- Sources of information for primary data collection,
- Instruments to be used for data collection,
- Different types of data analysis that will be carried out, and
- Reference indicators and benchmarks for each evaluation question.
How to Apply
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