Reports To: National Technical Coordinator to Somalia NDA

Location: Mogadishu, Somalia

Duration: 18 months

Contract Type: Full-time staff member, locally based

Application Deadline: 11 November 2024

BACKGROUND TO THE CONTINENTAL AFRICA WATER INVESTMENT PROGRAMME

On 6 September 2023, African Heads of State and Government committed to supporting the implementation of the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP), as part of the Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change.

The AIP was adopted during the 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Summit of Heads of State and Government on 7 February 2021, as part of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Priority Action Plan 2. The AU Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy (2022-2032) recognises the AIP as a flagship initiative for transforming water systems.

Delivery of water investments across Africa is significantly below target to meet the continent’s growing social and economic needs. It is estimated that at least an additional US$30 billion per year by 2030 needs to be invested to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 on water and sanitation. Currently, only US$10-US$19 billion is invested each year.

The AIP aims to close the water investment gap by mobilising at least an additional US$30 billion annually by 2030 and creating five million jobs towards the African Water Vision 2025 and SDG water-related targets.

AIP Implementation

The AIP is implemented by national governments, Regional Economic Communities, and River Basin Organisations, with technical backstopping by the AIP Secretariat hosted by the Global Water Partnership Africa Coordination Unit in Pretoria, South Africa. The AIP is implemented through five interrelated programmes and initiatives:

1, International High-level Panel on Water Investments for Africa: the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa was established in 2022, comprising current and former Heads of State and global leaders. During 2023, the Panel developed and launched a report, Africa’s Rising Investment Tide, and an Africa Water Investment Action Plan with actionable pathways for countries to mobilise at least an additional US$30bn annually by 2030 for implementing the AIP.

2. AIP-PIDA Water Investment Scorecard: the Scorecard enhances mutual accountability, transparency and efficiency of water finance and investments. The AIP-PIDA Water Investment Scorecard supports countries in tracking progress, setting benchmarks, identifying bottlenecks, and taking action to meet Africa’s water investment needs. The Scorecard was adopted by AUDA-NEPAD as part of PIDA in February 2022. The Scorecard was developed and piloted in 10 countries in 2023, ahead of its rollout across AU Member States.

3. Regional and national water investment programmes: the AIP supports AU Member States in developing national water investment programmes to close the water investment gap. Many African countries are extremely vulnerable to climate variability and climate change and have weak institutional capacities, water infrastructure, and information systems to support water management. National water investment programmes address these gaps and are informed by insights from the AIP-PIDA Water Investment Scorecard.

4. AIP International Blended Investment Facility: The AIP will assess the need for an International Blended Investment Facility to support countries in leveraging ODA (Official Development Assistance) and grant finance to de-risk priority water investments using a variety of innovative financial instruments and sources. These instruments and sources include sovereign wealth funds, guarantees, commercial finance, institutional investors and private equity investors, foundations, value-based impact investment, and climate finance.

5. AIP Gender Transformative Water Climate Development Program (AIP WACDEP-G) – The AIP WACDEP-G develops tools to assist governments in addressing systemic gender inequalities in decision-making, planning, and implementation of investments, by fostering a transformative approach in agencies, structures, and social relations. The AIP WACDEP-G was piloted in five African countries during 2020-2024 and will be expanded across Africa.

SOMALIA’S ACCESS TO CLIMATE FINANCE

Increasing access to climate finance is a key strategy for Somalia to address its urgent climate change impacts systematically, the majority of which are experienced via water. Somalia’s NDC estimates that it needs US$48.5 billion over 10 years for adaptation interventions in eight sectors (agriculture and food security, water resources management and public health, disaster preparedness and management, marine environment, energy, forestry, human settlements, and infrastructure). Mitigation interventions will cost around USD 7 billion over the same period. To put NDC figures into context, climate-related development finance flowing to Somalia in 2020 was US$285 million, out of US$3.4 billion in total development assistance in 2020.

Total climate-related development finance flowing to Somalia over the past 20 years added up to US$1.5 billion. The difference between the current flows of roughly US$300 million per year to the estimated needed US$5 billion a year demonstrates the full scale of the climate finance gap that Somalia faces.

Somalia’s limited flows of climate finance are attributed to capacity constraints, including institutional, technical and policy constraints. Somalia prioritizes addressing these capacity constraints, including as guided by a Readiness Needs Assessment, so that it may raise the significant adaptation and mitigation investment finance that it requires.

SCOPE OF WORK AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

The Strategic Frameworks Assistant will support the Strategic Frameworks Expert to play a dual fund-facing and country-facing role in order to facilitate the development and implementation of strategic frameworks that optimize climate finance in Somalia. This includes working closely with the Ministry of Water and Energy Resources to create a national climate-resilient water investment plan, while also leading stakeholder engagement to ensure a broad spectrum of interests is integrated into these frameworks. In this country-facing role, the Strategic Frameworks Assistant will support the coordination of technical teams to prepare investment plans, engage with private sector stakeholders, and craft strategies that strengthen the interaction between Domestic Accredited Entities (DAEs) and the private sector for climate action.

On the fund-facing side, the Strategic Frameworks Assistant will support the management and oversight of Somalia’s engagement with vertical climate funds such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility (GEF), and Adaptation Fund (AF). This will include arranging meetings with internal and external stakeholders, supporting the organisation of events, managing travel logistics and other duties as agreed on with the National Technical Advisor.

The scope of work and responsibility of the Strategic Frameworks Assistant are detailed below.

Strategic Frameworks

• Support local and international experts in the development of a national climate-resilient water investment plan/programme with guidance from the Ministry responsible for water;
• Support stakeholder engagement in the formulation of a national climate-resilient water investment plan/programme with guidance from the Ministry responsible for water;
• Support the preparation of a draft investment plan/programme working with the National Technical Team of Experts;
• Support stocktaking of private sector engagement potential in climate action and analyze potential role of DAEs in facilitating this engagement;
• Support the draft of a private sector stakeholder engagement strategy for the country;
• Support preparation of a strategy for DAEs to engage with private sector on climate action with stakeholders actively engaged in the process;
• Undertake tasks as assigned by the Principal Technical Advisor to the Somalia NDA on Climate Finance and the AU-AIP National Technical Coordinator for Somalia.

Engagement with Vertical Funds 

• Engagement support to the operational focal point to:
  • Track strategic and operational developments of the assigned fund (including policy updates, changes in strategy, board meetings results and other key events);
  • Maintain Somalia’s existing project pipelines for the fund;
  • Engage with development partners and implementing entities/accredited entities on proposals and projects under implementation;  
  • Engage with the Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on climate finance programming;
  • Engage in structured policy dialogues with government officials and other stakeholders, and with the fund and other development partners to promote policy measures that advance development objectives. 

• Analysis support to:
  • Prepare assessments, analyses and policy briefs on international climate finance by providing research support;
  • Prepare assessments, analyses and policy briefs on related topics by providing research support;
  • Integrate gender analysis and action planning into all analytical work supporting strategic planning and operations for pipeline development and programming;
  • Generally keeping abreast with developments in the broader international landscape of climate finance, including relevant global, continental, regional, and national initiatives;
  • Scan for emerging trends on climate finance and assess these for potential relevance for Somalia;
  • Ensure ongoing familiarity with Somalia’s national policy and legislative framework related to climate change (such as the NDCs, National Adaptation Plan and Climate Finance Policy), including identifying opportunities for ongoing capacity development through the GCF Readiness and Preparatory Programme and other Readiness support.

• Capacity building support to:
  • Create awareness and build the capacity of key stakeholders around the role of the NDA;
  • Support the development of gender-transformative climate change projects in the water sector and other priority sectors to enhance access to climate finance;
  • Build the capacity of national actors to develop national and sectoral policies, strategies, plans and commitments that will enhance and strengthen climate resilience;
  • Ensure increased knowledge and awareness of key stakeholders on climate funding sources and requirements by the GCF, GEF, Adaptation Fund, and related

• Administration support the NDA team:

• • Support the Principal Advisor in implementing and monitoring the teamwork plan;
  • Support planning and delivery of workshops and events;
  • Lead arrangements for travel, meetings and similar logistics for the Senior and Principal Advisors;
  • Support monitoring and evaluation, capturing lessons, and recording best practices, as guided by the Principal Advisor;
  • Ensure that the NDA’s documentation is up-to-date including the NDA Operational Manual and relevant Environmental and Social Safeguards guidelines;
  • Prepare meeting minutes and workshop reports as needed;
  • Provide any additional support as guided by the Principal Advisor.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS 

The Strategic Frameworks Assistant will report directly to the National Technical Coordinator.

QUALIFICATIONS AND DESIRED EXPERIENCE 

• Undergraduate or higher-level degree in sustainable development, communications, project management or similar;
• 4 years or more of relevant experience including working with representatives of the Somali government;
• Experience working in government departments;
• Demonstrated experience in the relevant area of expertise for the Climate Finance Assistant Advisor desirable: capacity building & knowledge management; strategic frameworks; and pipeline development;
• Familiarity with the Microsoft Office Suite of Tools and remote working tools such as Zoom (required);
• Familiarity with the broader climate finance landscape in Somalia is desirable;
• Demonstrated ability for diplomatic engagements with senior government officials;
• Fluency in both written and spoken English and Somali.

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

Applicants meeting all the above requirements are invited to express their interest through submission of the following:

• A one-page motivation letter addressing the requirements as stated above; 
• A Curriculum Vitae;
• Three professional references who may be contacted if you are short-listed for the position.
• Applications should be submitted through to the Bamboo HR online system: https://gwpsanpc.bamboohr.com/careers/100 
• Requests for further information or clarification/questions can be directed to the following email address: Joseph Mbinji Joseph.Mbinji@gwpsaf.org with copy to Mark Naidoo mark.naidoo@gwpsaf.org
• Applications should be submitted not later than 11 November 2024.