Consultant (Blended Finance)

Position Title : Consultant (Blended Finance)

Duty Station : Bangkok, Thailand (Homebased)

Type of Appointment : Consultancy Contract, 40 Days

Estimated Start Date : As soon as possible

Closing Date :19 November 2024 (Rolling Basis)

Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

The IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) in Bangkok, Thailand is covering 40 countries across the Asia and Pacific region. The key responsibility of the ROAP is to formulate regional strategies and plans of action and to provide programmatic and administrative support to the countries within the region.

Context:

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UP RI) and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) launched an initiative seeking to improve the understanding and quantification of future risks linked to climate-induced displacement in Asia and the Pacific and, using this data, develop innovative policy and programmatic approaches to avert, minimise or address climate-induced displacement. One key pillar of this initiative is the Risk Index for Climate Displacement (RICD), which aims to improve data on future risks of climate displacement. The overall programme is supported by the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department (DG ECHO).

RICD utilises a co-creation approach, bringing together scientists and experts from Asia and the Pacific and beyond. The primary objective of the programme is the development and implementation of the RICD framework for assessing climate displacement risks, ensuring a comprehensive and adaptable approach to this pressing issue in the Asia Pacific region. Initially, the RICD framework is expected to support in strengthening the understanding on the impact of climate change on displacement in the three programme countries on implementation namely, Fiji, Indonesia, and Philippines along with potential risks cased in the identified climatic hotspots at the local level in these three countries.

Based on the identification of the risks, IOM will seek to utilize outputs from RICD to underpin actions which will aim to address priority gaps or actions identified by RICD data. This involves specific engagement of local authorities in the three target countries as well as other actors (private sector, civil society, etc.) in the area concerned to catalyze their engagement (technical, financial, etc.) in supporting enhanced preparedness against future risks linked to climate displacement. The main objective insofar as this action is concerned is to identify and support, through the establishment of a funding mechanism, several locally led, designed, and implemented projects that have a concrete and direct impact on preparedness, while catalyzing local resources and expertise.

IOM will seek to capacitate local level actors, including supporting project ideas being planned or implemented to address the impact of climate change. This will allow for catalyzing local level actions to address different impacts of climate change. IOM also wants to ensure that other viable ideas are identified, for potential support through other financing beyond the scope of this project (as part of a Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus approach, in particular those related to longer-term resilience building).

At its core, the Climate Catalytic Fund (CCF) will be a matching fund created to catalyze local finance from stakeholders like civil society, local governments, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) / private sector in their efforts to manage climate-induced displacement challenges. In the pilot phase, CCF will support bottom-up projects that enhance preparedness. Projects are designed and implemented by local actors, building on clear eligibility criteria and following robust due diligence and risk management mechanisms, including mutually agreed and verified milestones aligned with tranche payments. CCF projects are embedded in existing disaster risk management systems.

The modality and criterion of CCF operations will be finetuned based on the context in each country. In the pilot phase it is proposed that the CCF will focus on blended finance / matching funds, where project developers (local governments, SMEs / private sector, civil society) must mobilize matching funds, the ratio of which will be confirmed during the pilot phase. CCF will provide a maximum of EUR 20,000 per project, with matching contribution to be determined accordingly. The modality of operations of the CCF will be designed according to the individual country context as part of this consultancy assignment.

As a first step, IOM will develop a comprehensive framework for CCF. This will build on IOM internal systems for and experience in matching fund management in other contexts but be adapted and contextualized to climate induced displacement and mobility in the three target countries and the greater Asia Pacific region.

IOM is looking for a consultant to support the design of the overall CCF framework including its methodology and SOPs. The selected consultant is expected to lead the design of the overall CCF framework including the overall management of the fund as well as identify priority areas of interventions in the three countries which can be supported through the fund.

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

The Consultant’s deliverables are outlined below:

• Following consultations with IOM and partners, and following a review of other similar mechanisms, propose and design an overall framework for establishment and operations of the CCF. This would include (but not limited to) the following:

a. Develop guidelines for the overall management of the fund including the processes and forms / templates for calls for proposals, screening applications, conducting due diligence, identifying projects meeting CCF criteria, and monitoring and evaluation.

b. Design the structure of the CCF including the establishment of the fund and operations guidelines, ensuring contextualisation to pilot countries to ensure fit-for-purpose.

c. Support capacity building of staff on the management and implementation of the funding mechanism.

• Design technical assessments in the 3 countries where CCF will be piloted (Fiji, Indonesia and Philippines) and advise IOM on potential programme ideas which can be supported in the three countries.

a. Designing and conducting an assessment on the feasibility of CCF grants in the three target countries, to be implemented by IOM teams in each of the countries.

b. The assessment should include analysis of:

– Advise on the possible size of CCF grants to be provided for each project and on each country (minimum and maximum limit) along with the criterion and nature of co-funding which will be needed.

– Different other matching funding mechanisms (government, private sector, multilateral etc) which may be available for each country at the local, national, regional and global level., ensuring avoidance of duplication and possible synergies / partnerships

– Feasibility of matching funds, potential interest and ability

– Analysis of potential project types and examples. This could include a wide variety of activities that support preparedness or build resilience against future displacement. A specific analysis on nature based solutions should be included.

– Analysis of risks and risk mitigation

• Support the organization of consultations at the national and local level with key stakeholders to support the design and operationalization of the CCF.
• Perform such other duties as may be assigned in relation to the development and management of the CCF.

1. Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing: The consultancy will contribute to the ongoing projects implemented by the Emergency and Post Crisis Unit of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the International Organization for Migration.
2. Category B Consultants: Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment

Deliverable (1); Payment Millstones 50%; Duration 20 days

• An inception report, including methodology and approach of work with a detailed work plan
• Develop a draft structure and initial framework of the climate catalytic fund

Deliverable (2); Payment Millstones 50%; Duration 20 days

• Develop a final structure of the Fund along with the operational guidelines as agreed with IOM
• Operationalization of the Climate Catalytic Fund. This includes the identification, analysis, and selection of potential project types and examples that support preparedness and build resilience against future displacement to be funded by the Fund.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

• Satisfactory completion of all tasks listed above;
• Timely submission of all key deliverables listed above;
• Quality of final products.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Master’s degree or higher in International Relations, Environment, Business Management, Finance from an accredited academic institution.

Experience

• Professional experience in designing and implementing co-funding financial mechanisms in developing countries (including blended finance models). Knowledge of climate finance from both public and private sources is an asset.
• Strong experience in related fields is essential; knowledge of migration, climate change, and displacement is considered an advantage.
• Experience working with an international or intergovernmental organization is an advantage.
• Experience supporting community consultations and working in multistakeholder initiatives in the Asia Pacific region will be an advantage.
• Capacity to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Personal commitment, efficiency, and flexibility.
• Gender-sensitive, culture-sensitive, and able to work with colleagues from different cultural backgrounds.

Skills

• Demonstrated experience in policy development, implementation plan development and budgeting policy actions or other policy interventions is preferred.
• Experience in working with relevant government and non-governmental institutions and senior representatives in climate change activities, as well as previous experience working in an international organization.

Languages

Fluency in English language (oral and written) is required.

Travel required

Should the Consultant be required to travel by the Organization, the Consultant will be provided with transportation or reimbursed for the cost of their travel following advance agreement and in accordance with IOM’s travel policies, including IN/6. The consultant will receive a Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) according to IOM’s established rates, during their stay in the place of duty while on TDY.