The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) requests Expressions of Interest in order to execute and implement consultant services for donor engagement and reporting and implementation support for GCA’s Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program.

GCA seeks an experienced consultant to support GCA’s donor engagement, reporting, and implementation of GCA’s work program, in Africa and other Regions as appropriate.

INTRODUCTION
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an organization that works as a solutions broker to catalyze action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership with the public and private sector, to ensure we learn from each other and work together for a climate resilient future. Adapting to impacts of climate change provides a “win-win” for livelihoods, food security, water supply, health, security, and economic growth. The work of the GCA elevates the visibility and political importance of climate adaptation and facilitates solutions, such as smarter investments, new technologies and better planning to become more resilient to climate related threats. GCA is a rapidly growing organization with offices in Abidjan, Beijing, Dhaka, Groningen, and Rotterdam.

GCA has launched an ambitious program to accelerate adaptation action in Africa, with support from multiple donors, sovereign, corporate, and foundations. Reporting and monitoring to donors needs to be timely, systematic, and impactful to be able to document the range of GCA activities and results. GCA’s primary reporting needs relate to the Africa program, currently GCA’s largest program.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: AFRICA’S CHALLENGE IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE 
Nowhere are the challenges of achieving sustainable development in the face of a changing climate more acute than in Africa. Adaptation and investment in climate resilience remain high development and investment priorities.

The impact of climate change on Africa’s agriculture is already being felt and is set to become increasingly severe. A rise in average temperatures of 2 degrees Celsius by the middle of the century is projected to reduce expected yields by up to 20%. Vulnerability to climatic shocks is especially acute in dryland areas, which have a fragile ecology limiting agricultural potential. In these areas, land has already been degraded—de-forested, eroded, and nutrient depleted—over time, increasing its sensitivity to weather-induced shocks and reducing the resilience of rural populations and ecosystems. These drylands areas in Africa will only expand and shift as the result of climate change. Some zones might even become incapable of sustaining livestock production and intensive agriculture. According to the World Bank, in the driest scenario, the extent of drylands could increase up to 20%. Climate change impacts will be most immediately and acutely expressed through water, notably through changes in water quantity, quality and distribution relative to human needs and in extreme events, such as flooding and droughts. Along with climate, water dictates the diversity and distribution of the terrestrial biosphere. There is no doubt that water and its effective management are central to climate adaptation and resilience. 

Africa’s growing cities will be increasingly exposed to climate shocks. To avoid locking cities into an irreversible pattern of vulnerability to rising sea levels, floods and other shocks, climate resilience will need to be built into the design and development, not just of cities themselves, but also of the wider range of urban infrastructure that is instrumental to their growth and sustainability, including water supply, drainage, and transport. To improve the conditions of these cities, an integrated approach is needed that focuses on the availability of infrastructure, the management of water systems, the availability of food, and the structuring of the cities in ways that optimize climate resiliency. 

OBJECTIVES 
GCA seeks an experienced consultant to support strategy development, resource mobilization; implementation; and program reporting for the AAAP (Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program). The consultant will work closely with GCA staff to develop materials to manage and monitor the implementation progress of AAAP. The consultant will also design and develop materials for engagement with donors, partners, and other stakeholders that clearly articulates the strategy and ambition and implementation progress of the AAAP. 

The consultant will support GCA to support engagements with prospective donors in all categories including but not limited to sovereign, international organizations, philanthropies. This includes preparation of promotional and communications materials, and support to donor assessments and due diligence documentation. The consultant will also support reporting to donors on the AAAP implementation, progress reports to donors and other stakeholders. 

The consultant will report to the Director of Programs and work closely with GCA’s Regional Directors. 

DELIVERABLES

• GCA strategy materials related to AAAP, customized to different donors
• AAAP progress reports to donors, including both written reports and visual materials
• Design and implement monitoring and implementation reports for AAAP, including management reports
• Other materials requested by donors on AAAP, as appropriate

Expected effort is 3 days/ week for 12 months. 

REQUIREMENTS 
If you wish to submit a proposal to provide the above services, please provide evidence of the following: 

• That you are a registered legal entity in your jurisdiction (if applicable) please provide Registration Documentation /Company Profile/CV or for a sole expert please provide a CV.
• That your expert/s each have at least 10 years of experience working with donors and stakeholder management, with sovereign, corporate, and/or philanthropic stakeholders
• That your expert/s each have at least 7 years of working in or with public or private foundations.
• That your expert/s have led at least two donor engagements in the last five years, with at least two of the following: sovereign, corporate and foundation donors (Please provide a short portfolio of case studies).

HOW TO EXPRESS INTEREST
The GCA looks forward to EOI submissions to the following email address only: procurement@gca.org

The closing date for submissions is 18th October 2021, 18.00 CET. Only those who have provided the above submissions will be invited to submit proposals.