Climate Finance Communications Specialist

This includes extreme weather events and sea-level rise, which result in significant damage to public and private infrastructure and disruption of services. To address this, the country has outlined in both its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) ambitions to transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy, which will require significant investments from the public and private sectors.

Private investment must play a critical role in shaping the development financing architecture for climate resilience, building and emission reduction at the national level, leveraging available public finance, and supporting additional direct private investments in risk-proofing and transitioning to renewable energy. Notwithstanding, numerous barriers to accessing finance have been identified, such as the unavailability of innovative financing instruments, inadequate knowledge and understanding of these instruments in the context of climate financing, and limited capacity to leverage public financing.

Through the Grenada Development Bank (GDB), with funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Government of Grenada seeks to develop an appropriate climate finance investment framework to inform public sector collaboration with the private sector. This is necessary within the local economy to increase adaptation and ensure a reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) and attainment of its NDCs.

The Getting Grenada Private Sector Ready for Grenada’s Climate Finance (GPS-4-GCF) project aims to build the capacity of the private sector to invest in climate action and create an enabling environment, while removing barriers to private sector investments. The outcome is that climate finance will be more effectively accessed and mobilized, and its use will be scaled up by both the public and private sectors for investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This will be achieved primarily through focused training and preparing private sector stakeholders to engage in the climate finance landscape, through policy and strategy development, preparation of communication tools, development of procedures and guidelines, and promoting information exchange among stakeholders through dialogue.

Targeted private sector beneficiaries include:

1. financial institutions - commercial banks, development banks, credit unions, regulatory bodies
2. insurance companies and insurance service providers
3. private sector businesses - hoteliers, micro, small, medium, and large commercial businesses
4. commodity boards and state-owned enterprises
5. private sector education and medical service providers, and training agencies
6. construction service providers - builders, architects, engineers, etc.

Consultancy Objectives:

The GDB seeks to engage a short-term consultant to enhance Grenada’s private sector’s readiness to access climate finance.

The Climate Finance Communications Specialist will be responsible for delivering the following Outputs. All activities outlined for the process, particularly stakeholder engagements for capacity building, must be carried out with a gender-sensitive lens, with an emphasis on developing countries.

Outcome 2.4:

Strategies for transforming and attracting private-sector investment for low emissions and resilience have been developed and are being implemented.

Output  2.4.2:

A communication strategy for the validated assessment report on barriers to private sector investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Grenada, and the enabling environment assessment report.

• Activity 2.4.2.1:

Review the analyses completed for the following, and provide recommendations as needed for the development of the communications strategy; Assessment of the enabling environment for private-sector investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Grenada, building on the Gap Analysis in 2.4.1.1. The analysis included a gap assessment and the formulation of recommendations (institutional, legal, and economic) as well as specific chapters on most vulnerable groups and female entrepreneurs.

Deliverable 2.4.2.1.1:

A communication strategy for the validated assessment report on barriers to private sector investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Grenada, and the enabling environment assessment report

Output 2.4.5:

A sector-tailored communication strategy to create awareness about private sector-specific climate challenges, as well as climate finance benefits and returns from climate action, and implementation mechanisms

• Activity 2.4.5.1:

Develop a sector-tailored communication strategy to create awareness about private sector-specific climate challenges as well as climate finance benefits and returns from climate action. It should also include implementation mechanisms for consultations with respect to project ideas, concepts, and proposals to be submitted to the Green Climate Fund and linking those to the work of the UNFCCC Focal Point, as well as other Climate Change Focal Points and networks in relevant line Ministries

Deliverable 2.4.5.1.1:

Communication strategy document targeted at priority sectors and the private sector finalized.

• Activity 2.4.5.2:

Facilitate stakeholder participation in developing the communication strategy. Target 30 participants in two one-day workshops

Deliverable 2.4.5.2.1:

Stakeholders’ consultation workshop report and minutes of meetings validated and approved. The workshop report would also include a participant baseline assessment before the training session and a follow-up assessment and evaluation after the training. A gender sensitive approach will be taken to participation in the workshop, and the report must include gender disaggregation.

Deliverable 2.4.5.2.1b:

Creation of sample campaign materials demonstrating the proposed communication approach and supporting documentation that can serve as a model for stakeholder engagement, awareness building, and promotion of climate finance readiness among Grenada’s private sector. This should include the following:

• Project brochure/flyer

• Fact sheet

• Promotional poster or digital graphic concepts

• Presentation template and supporting communications collateral

• Sample press release and media advisory

• Development of key messages and branding recommendations to ensure consistency across all communications products.

All materials are to be submitted in editable and print-ready formats, accompanied by a brief rationale explaining the communications strategy and intended audience engagement approach.

General Terms, Qualifications, and Experience:

The Climate Finance Communications Specialist will be engaged in a fixed-price consultancy, expected to be completed within four months.

The Climate Finance Communications Specialist must possess the following qualifications, skills, and demonstrated experience:

Education:

• An advanced degree in environmental policy or science, communications, journalism, political science, or international relations.
• A certificate in digital media training will be an asset
• Training in marketing will be an asset

A background in other areas may be considered based on experience and performance in previous positions.

Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of successful, verifiable, and relevant experience in the communications/journalism environment, preferably in the Caribbean, or other regions of a similar nature, as it relates to geographic, financial, and cultural factors
• At minimum five (5) years of experience developing communication strategies for multilateral organizations, or private sector organizations
• Knowledge of climate finance, climate change adaptation, and mitigation strategies, and experience in developing communication strategies for the same

Skills and Competencies:

• Experience in developing and implementing strategies and comprehensive plans to promote climate adaptation/mitigation
• Experience in using all forms of media including social media, PR, and digital campaigns to amplify messages and mobilize audiences
• Experience in communicating and working with a wide range of stakeholders: private financiers and investors, governments/government agencies, MSMEs, media, etc
• Experience in translating scientific data into clear, engaging content for policymakers and the public
• Experience in interpreting complex climate data and crafting compelling narratives that resonate with targeted audiences
• Strong analytical skills and ability to adapt to the national context
• Excellent advocacy, communication, and organizational and project management skills
• Proactive, motivated, and meticulous with an ability to be flexible and adaptive
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, mainly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, Adobe Suite of applications, Canva, etc.