Consultant to support climate adaptation interventions under the IDB CLIMA Pilot Program

Post of duty: Washington, DC – USA

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About this position:

CSD/CCS is looking for an experienced professional with knowledge in adaptation and climate resilience, as well as monitoring, evaluation and learning schemes to support the deployment of the IDB Climate Linked Incentive Mechanism for Ambition (IDB CLIMA). As a consultant, you will focus on interventions that promote adaptation to climate change and you will support the IDB CLIMA Pilot Program team and the rest of the climate change division in the operationalization of the Pilot Program, including the design of the first pilot projects, research activities, collaborating with relevant areas to design and implement an enhanced monitoring and evaluation framework, as well as in working with other relevant stakeholders within the IDB Group and the IDB Constituency.

In 2023, the IDB became the first multilateral development bank to offer a financing tool that rewards countries for achieving nature and climate objectives. The Biodiversity and Climate-Linked Incentive Mechanism for Ambition (IDB CLIMA) is an innovative financial approach that rewards borrowers for achieving nature and climate objectives. The reward is provided in the form of a grant, in the amount of 5% of the IDB loan principal. Disbursement of the grant will take place once the achievement of an operation’s three Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) has been independently verified. These KPIs will measure borrowers’ progress in terms of the IDB CLIMA Pilot Program’s three Specific Objectives: i) the achievement of climate and biodiversity goals through sectoral investment programs; ii) the improvement of the capacity to identify and design sectoral investments that mainstream climate and/or nature-positive interventions to achieve scale; and iii) the creation or improvement of climate and/or biodiversity monitoring, reporting and verification capabilities within the sector and/or governing bodies. The GTF – a framework for assessing the institutional capacities of borrowers with respect to climate and/or biodiversity – provides the vertical logic of the IDB CLIMA Pilot Program. Its purpose is to diagnose, guide, and offer tailored support in line with borrowers’ capacities and needs, and coupled with an Assessment Questionnaire, will be key in designing IDB CLIMA operations and identifying their respective ambitious, relevant, and impactful KPIs.

In 2024, MDBs agreed to undertake a stock-take of key performance indicators on mitigation and adaptation. An initial common approach on a common framework and typology of indicators that could be used by MDBs to track countries’ achievements in terms of their commitments on mitigation and adaptation has been initially agreed. Based on this initial frame, MDBs will undertake a joint stock take of existing indicators, used by MDBs, that could be aligned to it, both at a global and sectorial levels. Initially selected sectors are consistent with the ones prioritized by the Global Framework for Climate Resilience approved in COP28. There are currently a multitude of indicators proposed and used by the financial, academic, conservation, climate, and public sectors on adaptation, so the selection of meaningful indicators could be a daunting task.

In addition, the UN has created the UAE-Belem work program on adaptation indicators. Main objective of this work program is to identify and as needed, develop indicators and potential quantified elements for the targets established in the Framework for Climate Resilience Goals. One of the key questions is how ongoing reporting processes such as the Biennial Transparency Reports (BRTs) can be used by countries to report also on the Global Goals on adaptation set up in the new Framework. Parties and observers of discussions have been submitting different views to the work programme, in particular points related to: (i) the nature of indicators- qualitative vs quantitative or both; global aggregable vs regional; (ii) emphasis on result-based indicators such as the ones presented in the Sendai Framework; (iii) the use of a mix of “core” and “voluntary” indicators; (iv) time horizon of the indicators, suggesting that these will succeed the Sustainable Development Goals (planned to end in 2030). The working group has developed an exhaustive list of indicators both by prioritized sectors and by adaptation stage (e.g., vulnerability and risk identification, planning, implementation, and MEL). The discussion is on-going and expected to deliver a final version of metrics by November 2025. Regarding existing capacities for tracking selected indicators, there are concerns on existing limited capacities in the national statistical offices and on the lack of data and information to establish adequate baselines. You will also support these cross-MDB and international efforts, ensuring that IDB-CLIMA guidelines take advantage of this line of work.

You will work for the Climate Change Division (“CSD/CCS”), which is part of the Climate Change and Sustainability Sector (“CSD”). This team is responsible for advising IDB management and developing policies, strategies, operational guidelines, and programs on issues relevant to the sector, as well as related areas. In addition, CSD carries out relevant sector research, analytical work, sector practices and case studies on climate change and sustainability. As a division of CSD, CSD/CCS provides support: (i) in the mainstreaming of climate change and biodiversity in the actions and operations of the IDB group and (ii) in the mainstreaming of climate change and biodiversity in the regional countries of the IDB group through support to the ministries of environment, planning, and economy and finance of the region. Both axes share the objective of strengthening climate policy at the subnational, national, and regional levels.

What you’ll do:

• Work with the adaptation working group to support IDB CLIMA related activities in coordination with internal stakeholders of the IDB, including in the Vice Presidency for Countries, the Vice Presidency for Sectors, and other relevant areas including the Office of Strategic Planning and Development Effectiveness.
• Advise on technical and policy-related issues concerning adaptation and climate resilience interventions and the identification and design of relevant result and impact indicators as well as methodologies and approaches for the reporting of relevant interventions.
• Advise and support project teams and external stakeholders in the development of IDB CLIMA pilot projects prioritizing those that have adaptation objectives.
• Advise internal and external stakeholders on the identification and deployment of systems to enable sector-driven investments at scale in relation to KPI #2 under the IDB CLIMA Pilot Program Objectives, with a focus on adaptation and/or climate resilience interventions.
• Advise internal and external stakeholders on the creation of sector driven impact reporting and MRV type systems in relation to KPI #3 under the IDB CLIMA Pilot Program Objectives, with a focus on adaptation and/or climate resilience interventions.
• Coordinate with IDB HQ and Country teams to support institutional and operational support tied to the development of effective coordinated environments to mainstream climate policy with a focus on the operationalization of adaptation and climate resilience and other domestic policy instruments.
• Participate and support design missions, capacity building workshops, and supervision visits.
• Participate in applied research to support the deployment and improvement of the IDB CLIMA Pilot Program as well as other adaptation and/or climate resilience knowledge products.
• Prepare inputs on adaptation and climate resilience aspects for cross sector strategic documents, institutional strategies, country strategies, private sector strategic documents.