Individual Consultant - Vanuatu Climate Loss and Damage Fund

Please note that the deadline is based on Korean Standard Time Zone (KST, UTC+9)

INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page. 

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Climate change is a major threat to Vanuatu. As a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) located in the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire”, it is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the adverse impacts of climate change and geological disasters.

The Government’s climate finance priorities include simplified access to scaled-up climate finance for resilient development, capacity building, transfer of technology, support for climate smart agriculture, private sector engagement, traditional knowledge, and gender mainstreaming. To implement these priorities, Vanuatu requires additional technical and financial support.

The UK's Small Island Developing States Capacity and Resilience Programme (SIDAR) has allocated funding to support Pacific Island nations in accessing climate finance. This initiative is being delivered by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in seven Pacific Island countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

The UK funding prioritizes strengthening the capacity of Pacific nations to absorb and deliver existing climate finance. This initiative complements GGGI's existing portfolio of climate finance activities delivered through the Climate Finance Access Network (CFAN) which focuses on accessing new funding sources, and other programs. The ultimate objective of this project is to enhance the capacity and institutional capability of Pacific Island nations and institutions to access and manage climate finance effectively. This will lead to increased absorptive capacity, allowing for the efficient delivery of impactful climate programs.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Proposed Activities:

The first phase of the UK funding has assisted the government of Vanuatu to develop its Loss & Damage Policy And Implementation Plan and establish a governance framework through the Loss & Damage Technical Working Group under the National Advisory Board. The extension phase of the UK funding assisted the government of Vanuatu to identify potential limits to adaptation within its National Adaptation Plan and propose loss and damage actions to counter these limits.

Directive 10.2 of Vanuatu’s National Loss & Damage Policy mandates the establishment of a dedicated Loss and Damage Fund at the national level, potentially as a financing window of a larger Climate Fund in order to attract and manage loss and damage finance and disperse it to those most in need. In response, the Government of New Zealand committed NZD 4 million to support the “Vanuatu Loss and Damage L&D Fund Development Project” to enable Vanuatu to become ‘investment ready’ to most effectively absorb international L&D funding arrangements into national systems and then program and disperse finance in bottom-up and locally appropriate modalities. The MFAT funding is now being used to design a L&D Fund, enhance capacity and provide seed funding to get projects started and thus attract further investment.

It has become clear, however, that the MFAT funding is insufficient to cover the full operationalization of the new Loss & Damage Fund, and several planned activities require financial and technical support. Core gaps to be filled include identifying and mobilizing sustainable sources of finance both domestically and internationally, promotion of the Fund at international fora, enhancing domestic policy related to the Fund, building capacities of Fund partners and refining disbursement modalities to the grassroots.

 

SCOPE OF WORK:

An international consultant, based within the Ministry of Climate Change in Port Vila, will support the Government of Vanuatu to translate international and regional L&D policy developments into practical national actions, focused on the full operationalization of the new Vanuatu National Climate Loss & Damage Fund. The role will ensure that relevant processes—such as ongoing international negotiations under the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, the work of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss & Damage, the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage and the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage—are understood, contextualized, and applied in ways that directly strengthen Vanuatu’s national Loss and Damage framework and financing arrangements, including through ongoing training.

The role will promote understanding of Vanuatu’s approaches, aspirations and needs with international stakeholders within these fora. The role will promote the fund capitalization strategies with international financiers, and innovative domestic sources in a way that reinforces national ownership and local capacity. The role will build capacity of project staff and government officials to lead loss and damage financing initiatives.

The consultant will work across a variety of thematic areas, to support the Government, as needed, in the following potential ways:

1. Project Management Support

a)     Support the planning, coordinating and monitoring of activities, including during the inception phase of the project;

b)    Develop Terms of References, technical briefs and concept notes to refine scope of project activities;

c)     Support and provide guidance to the work of project staff and consultants; including but not limited to the L&D Policy Officer;

d)    Review the quality and consistency of reports and deliverables by staff and advisors;

e)     Support the development and implementation of work plans and critical results pathways, and ensure accurate and timely reporting to donors and Government;

f)     Support the elaboration of international best practice key performance indicators, data collection methods, reporting mechanisms, and learning processes to track progress and outcomes of this project effectively; and

g)    Proactively participate in project meetings and steering activities.

2. Regional Engagement

a)     Support Government’s preparation towards the Pacific Climate Innovative Forum from 1-3 July in Port Vila, Vanuatu; and

b)    Support government’s preparation towards other regional and national forums and/or meetings to share Vanuatu’s learning and experiences on Loss and Damage Fund Development and other Loss and Damage activities and/or programs.

 

3. International Engagement 

Provide high level guidance and provide Technical Advice to the Government on climate change and Loss & Damage positions, negotiation strategies and support in person response to loss and damage development under:

a)     The COP/CMA of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement;

b)    The COP of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity;

c)     The Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss & Damage;

d)    The Santiago Network on Loss & Damage (SNLD);

e)     The Board of the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD);

f)     The UN General Assembly (UNGA);

g)    The Organization of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS);

h)    The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS);

i)      The Pacific Small Islands Developing States (PSIDS);

j)      The Pacific Island Forum (PIF);

k)    The Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF); and

l)      Provide technical guidance related to climate change and Loss & Damage to diplomatic officials and missions, UN agencies/secretariats, and development partners.

 

4. Capacity Development

a)     Build the capacity of the Department of Climate Change, the NAB Secretariat, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Finance and other government agencies on international climate diplomacy and loss and damage issues;

b)    Build the capacity of other stakeholders such as civil society stakeholders, businesses, provincial authorities, VKS field workers, political leaders, parliamentarians and Vanuatu diplomats, including through tailored educational initiatives;

c)     Provide technical support to the NAB Climate Diplomacy and UNFCCC Taskforce, including towards the review and implementation Vanuatu’s Climate Diplomacy Strategy 2020-2025;

d)    Provide technical support to the NAB Loss & Damage Working Group on development and implementation of its workplans and initiatives;

e)     Provide training to Vanuatu’s international MEA negotiators, including through direct hands-on mentoring;

f)     Identify capacity gaps related to loss and damage policy and practice in Vanuatu and develop/implement a range of solutions and training materials for knowledge development on climate change and loss and damage; and

g)    Support the project’s L&D learning exchanges, and promote core lessons to stakeholders at the national, regional and international levels.

 

5. Loss & Damage Finance

a)     Take stock of ongoing climate change economic and non-economic impacts in Vanuatu and the wider Pacific and communicate these in ways to persuade additional commitment of finance to Vanuatu;

b)    Keep abreast of new and additional sources of climate finance and seek opportunities for Vanuatu to benefit from;

c)     Support the conceptual development of new modalities and funding arrangements to avert minimize and address loss and damage, including national climate funds and subnational disbursement modalities;

d)    Work with experts and academic researchers to refine disbursement modalities that are suited to a range of ni-Vanuatu communities and domestic stakeholders;

e)     Negotiate with donors and development partners for new and additional climate finance;

f)     Develop an interim Fund Operational Budget for 2026 and beyond project period and seek additional finance to fill gaps where there are shortfalls in MFAT funding;

g)    Support the development of the Fund Capitalization Strategy and implement it by engaging with a wide range of potential partners including the FRLD, bilateral relationships, the private sector, philanthropy and other innovative partnerships;

h)    Support the development and implementation of a high-level marketing plan for Fund capitalization, including plans for leveraging and engagement at key events at, inter alia, SB64 and COP31;

i)      Explore options for integrating L&D funding mechanisms and platform with potential partners such as the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), the Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT) and others;

j)      Engage with the Pacific Resilience Facility (PRF) and explore how the Fund can engage with them to access loss and damage funding support;

k)    Develop a consultation-based benchmarking study to guide the creation of a loss and damage levy for the airline, shipping, and vehicle import industries in Vanuatu;

l)      Support the Civil Aviation Authority of Vanuatu (CAAV) to legislate a loss and damage levy for the airline industry in Vanuatu;

m)   Support the Ports and Marine Department of Vanuatu (PMDV) to legislate a loss and damage levy for the shipping industry in Vanuatu; and

n)    Support the Department of Customs and Inland Revenue to legislate a loss & damage levy for vehicles imported into Vanuatu.

 

6. Technical Assistance

a)     Prepare technical briefing notes, presentations and other documents related to Loss & damage for a range of stakeholders;

b)    Contract or undertake research related to actions to address Loss & Damage, including financial modalities, frameworks and SOPs for potential products to be offered by the Fund;

c)     Draft or lead compilation of policies, strategies and plans on climate change and Loss & Damage at national, regional and international levels;

d)    Draft submissions on climate change and Loss & Damage into international processes;

e)     Keep abreast of the latest technical development in international loss and damage fora, and ensure that these lessons are applied, as appropriate, in project implementation;

f)     Write and publish case studies and academic studies and make other contributions to the international climate change and Loss & Damage body of local and global knowledge;

g)    Develop communications products related to climate change and Loss & Damage, to communicate Vanuatu’s approaches, positions and policy innovations to diverse global stakeholders, including media and public relations initiatives, by working with the policy officer;

h)    Report back to Government on relevant developments in international and regional climate loss and damage discussions; and

i)      Undertake other tasks as assigned by the project manager and project steering committee. 

DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Theme	Concrete Deliverable(s)	Description	Suggested Timing
Project Management Support	1. Inception Consultancy strategy and workplan.	Inception strategy outlining approach, priority tasks, timeline, and reporting structure;	Within 2 weeks of contract signing   5% of contract value
International Engagement	2. L&D Fund stakeholder briefing ppt deck for diplomats.	Develop a presentation and short analytical note translating global L&D developments into practical actions for Vanuatu’s diplomats who may support the capitalization and promotion of Vanuatu’s L&D Fund	8 May 2026   10% of contract value
International Engagement	3. Vanuatu Loss & Damage negotiating positions for SB64 UNFCCC and post negotiation report	Produce concise policy/negotiation notes to support Vanuatu’s positions in UNFCCC SB in June 2026 including technical advice notes on L&D positions and strategy for the National L&D Fund, and a report on the outcome of the negotiating session.	15 May 2026     5% of contract value
Regional Engagement	4. Pacific Climate Innovative Forum briefing pack.	Prepare Loss & Damage thematic talking points, briefing materials, and engagement notes to support Government participation in the Forum	15 June 2026     5% of contract value
Loss & Damage Finance	5. Produce a benchmarking study for a Vanuatu loss and damage levy.	Produce a consultation-based study on levy design options for the airline industry, shipping industry and vehicle import industry, including a review of existing levies and experiences in Vanuatu and case studies from across the Pacific region and international space.	By 15 June 2026   20% of contract value
Project Management Support	6. Review of RFQs and/or inception reports/workplans of the following consultants being recruited by the Fund Full Design Consultant Resource Mobilization Strategy Board Fund Establishment Legislative Review MERL System	Review and refine key consultancy documents by providing written quality assurance feedback to ensure consistency, accuracy, and alignment with project objectives.	As needed throughout the contract period   5% of contract value
Capacity Development	7. Capacity needs assessment and training plan.   8. Training materials and at least 2 mentorship session summaries.	Identify priority skills gaps across government and stakeholders related to the National L&D Fund, then develop and deliver at least 2 tailored learning and mentoring support to build capacities of identified priority stakeholders	By end of Contract   10% of contract value
Capacity Development	9. Review and support implementation of NAB Climate Diplomacy, NAB UNFCCC Taskforce and NAB Loss & Damage Working Group workplans	Written summary of technical input into workplans, implementation priorities, and coordination arrangements for each body.	By end of Contract   5% of contract value
Loss & Damage Finance	10. Develop an Interim Fund Operational Budget for 2026/2027	Prepare a budget showing current MFEM financing gaps and options to address them including mobilizing additional public, private, and philanthropic finance.	By end of Contract   5% of contract value
Technical Assistance	11. Develop a design brief on at least 1 innovative disbursement modality for the Fund	Prepare a comprehensive brief on at least 1 innovative disbursement modality for the new Fund, building on the work of the design consultant, and focusing on potential modalities not covered by their work, e.g., cash transfers, subsidy of goods and services, insurance premium support etc.	By end of Contract   10% of contract value
Technical Assistance	12. L&D Case study or knowledge product.	Produce a public-facing knowledge output that communicates Vanuatu’s L&D finance leadership and lessons learned to a specific domestic or international audience to be defined by the Project Manager	By end of Contract   10% of contract value
General Advisory Support	13. Ad hoc technical advice notes.   14. End-of-assignment summary report.	Provide responsive advice to the project manager and project steering committee as needed, and submit a final report summarizing achievements, outputs, and recommendations.	Throughout, with final report at end of Contract   10% of contract value

Estimated start and end date of contract:

The consultant is expected to begin as soon as possible and to complete work on 15 December 2026, at the latest.

Reporting Arrangements:

• The consultant is expected to work under the general guidance of the GGGI Climate Finance Access and Absorption Officer (Vanuatu) in close collaboration with the Department of Climate Change and the Loss & Damage Fund Development Project Team.
• All developed products under this assignment (incl. raw files and editable forms) will become property of GGGI and MoCC.
• The consultant shall submit the report in electronic versions readable by a Microsoft Office application.
• All outputs must be in English.
  
  

EXPERTISE REQUIRED

The international consultant must meet the following competency requirements:

• A minimum of a Masters’ degree or equivalent in Project Management, Economics, Finance, International Development, Business Administration, Strategic Management, or any other related field
• A minimum of 8 years’ experience and proven track record in working with development projects from bilateral and multilateral donors including the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, Global Environmental Facility (GEF), etc.
• A minimum of 8 years’ experience in climate finance, loss and damage, or related discipline.
• A strong knowledge of climate change, gender, environment and social safeguards and related policies.
• A sound working knowledge of the Vanuatu climate landscape including government mechanisms.
• Excellent report writing skills in English.
• Experience in Vanuatu or the Pacific Region would be desirable.
• Immediate availability of the contractor

 

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidates are therefore encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Date to close is Korean Standard Time (KST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered Application. Cover Letter, and CV must be sent in English. A consortium, or a firm may not be engaged for the individual consultant assignment.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Project: Climate Finance Access, Absorption, and Implementation in the Pacific
Duty Station:   Port Vila, Vanuatu
Contract Duration: 15 May 2026 – 15 December 2026
Consultant Level: Level 5
Total Fees: 30,000 USD (500 USD per day for 60 days)

 

 

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