The Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus) announces a tender for the MRV National Expert within the GEF-funded project “Georgia’s Integrated Transparency Framework for Implementation of the Paris Agreement”
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REC Caucasus is executing the project “Georgia’s integrated transparency framework for implementation of the Paris agreement”, which aims to meet the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) requirements under the Paris agreement.
The overall objective of the project is to propose actions that will allow the country to use a more detailed level of emissions calculation to better track the trend of emissions changes in the sector and to check the level of measurement, reporting and confirmation.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
for MRV National Expert
Project Title: Georgia’s Integrated Transparency Framework for Implementation of the Paris Agreement
REC Caucasus Project ID: 024RECC/G/UNEP
Contract type: Consultancy Service Contract
Position: MRV National Expert
Starting Date: 10 May, 2022
Duration: 11 months (10 May, 2022 – 17 March 2023)
Duty Station: Tbilisi, Georgia
1. PROJECT BACKGROUND
Contract is concluded for implementation of the GEF financed Project (2019-2023) “Georgia’s Integrated Transparency Framework for Implementation of the Paris Agreement”.
The Paris Agreement, adopted at the 21st Conference of Parties (CoP) in December 2015, sets out a global action plan that puts the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C. The Agreement refers to ‘Nationally Determined Contributions’ (NDCs) that each individual country should make to achieve the worldwide goal set of reducing anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. As part of this Agreement, all countries agreed to an enhanced transparency framework (ETF) for action and support (Article 13), with built-in flexibility which considers Parties’ different capacities and builds upon collective experience. For Georgia there is a need to set up new transparency governance structures, develop and implement MRV procedures, and update, implement, and integrate new data and information flows with pre-defined periodicity. Two parallel ongoing climate activities at the central and local levels in the country need to be aligned under the Domestic Enhanced Transparency Framework. The clear, comparable, accountable and flexible MRV system should integrate mitigation strategies, measures and their effect into the national level. A key condition for successful implementation of the Paris Agreement’s transparency requirements is the provision requiring adequate and sustainable financial support and capacity building to enable developing countries to significantly strengthen their efforts to build robust domestic and regulatory processes. For the above purposes, the GEF Funded Project “Georgia’s Integrated Transparency Framework for Implementation of the Paris Agreement” is planned to be implemented in Georgia.
The overall objective of the project is to meet the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) requirements under the Paris Agreement.
Project Components:
1. Strengthening vertical integration in Georgia for transparency-related activities;
2. Georgia’s National greenhouse gas (GHG) Inventory system and HFC data management system are aligned to the enhanced transparency framework (ETF);
3. Climate Change Mitigation in Georgia’s transparency system
Outset situation
Over the last ten years, some Georgian municipalities and cities have joined the Covenant of Mayors (CoM). The Covenant of Mayors was launched in 2008 in Europe with the ambition to gather local governments voluntarily committed to achieving and exceeding the EU climate and energy targets. Signatories who have signed up to the Covenant of Mayors between 2008 and 2015 have made the voluntary commitment to go beyond EU’s 2020 targets of 20 % in terms of reduction in CO2 emissions.
At a second phase, since October 2015, under the now called Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, local authorities commit to reduce their CO2 emissions (and possibly other GHG) by at least 40%, increase their resilience to the impacts of climate change and provide secured access to sustainable and affordable energy by 2030. Signatories who are working within the 2020 timeframe (Covenant of Mayors 2020) are invited to renew and extend their commitments from their current mitigation and/or mitigation to the – to the 2030 commitments (Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy) with a new council deliberation and a 2030 adhesion form. The EU CoMCE brings together thousands of local governments voluntarily committed to implementing EU climate and energy objectives. Such initiative introduced a bottom-up approach to energy and climate action and now gathers 7,000+ local and regional authorities across 57 countries drawing on the strengths of a worldwide multi-stakeholder movement and the technical and methodological support offered by dedicated offices.
The Global Covenant of Mayors is now capitalizing on the experience gained in Europe. In June 2016, the Covenant of Mayors joined forces with another city initiative, the Compact of Mayors. The resulting “Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy” is the largest movement of local governments committed to going beyond their own national climate and energy objectives. Fully in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and climate justice principles, the Global Covenant of Mayors will tackle three key issues: climate change mitigation, adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change and universal access to secure, clean and affordable energy.
When officially joining the Covenant of Mayors, signatories commit to developing a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan within two years. Adopted by the local council, a signatory’s action plan describes the steps towards its 2020 or 2030 targets. Hence, the municipalities and cities which sig up are expected to develop Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans with their targets for the period, including mitigation and adaptation strategies appropriate for the local communities and aligned with the NDC targets.
In Georgia, 12 municipalities are members of the CoM and, according to the initiative’s website, there are now twenty-four (24) municipalities and cities in Georgia which are signatories of the CoMCE, of which ten (10) have submitted their SEAPs listing mitigation measures for upcoming years until 2020. Most of the proposed mitigation actions include the renovation of administrative buildings, modernization of public transport, development of green areas. Despite this initiative, there is a general recognition that the priority mitigation requests raised by the local authorities have not been fully included in the national climate related strategies. There is a limited coordination during the development mitigation strategies among the multi-ministerial central level recommending body and local authorities.
The poor alignment of municipal climate plans with the NDC, the limited coordination among the different government levels resulting in high institutional fragmentation, and the lack of a strong and well conceptualized MRV system are gaps that need to be addressed in order to implement and enhanced transparency framework working from the central government to municipalities and vice versa. There is a need, to enhance the role of municipalities and cities in the NDC implementation. This requires the development of capacities of cities and municipalities, considering that there is still a lack of capacity in preparing SECAPs requested under CoMCE.
2. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
RECC engages MRV National Expert for preparation of the municipal SECAPs for Dusheti, Kazbegi and Tianeti Municipalities and conduct SECAP monitoring trainings based on the preliminarily elaborated training materials.
Specific Objective of the Assignment
The Expert will be responsible for provision of SECAP final drafts, and training materials for SECAP monitoring for development of:
• SO1 Final Draft SECAP for Dusheti, Kazbegi and Tianeti Municipalities (under activity 1.4.1);
• SO2 Technical assistance (TA) materials (including guidance with monitoring report templates) for SECAP monitoring (under activity 1.4.2);
Planned activities are as follows:
The following work steps are needed within the assignment:
Step 1. Prepare final draft SECAP for Dusheti, Kazbegi and Tianeti Municipalities [Project Activity: 1.4.1];
This task includes:
• advising municipalities on data collection;
• Review of gathered data;
• Develop the SECAP narrative text;
• Integration of the data in the climate change online data management system;
• Technical assistance of the municipality representatives on daily tasks;
• Consulting municipality representatives on selection of mitigation and adaptation measures;
Step 2. Prepare and Present technical assistance (TA) materials (including guidance with monitoring report templates) for SECAP monitoring [Project Activity: 1.4.2];
This task includes:
• preparation of presentation on SECAP monitoring;
• development of TA materials
• participate in the TA meeting;
Based on outputs of Steps 1 drafting the template for the SECAP individual chapters and mock-up for development software tools to support ETF implementation at the municipal level.
Recommended sources to be observed
Consultant will observe the following recommended sources when preparing SECAPs and technical assistance materials based on international best practices:
• Official text of Covenant of Mayors on Climate and Energy;
• Adhesion form of Covenant of Mayors on Climate and Energy ENG;
• Guidebook How to develop a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan in the Eastern Partnership;
• Guidance on the reporting of the Covenant of Mayors on Climate and Energy;
• Guidebook ‘How to develop a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP)’;
• Decree of the Government of Georgia No.54 of January 23, 2020 “On Creation of Climate Change Council”;
• Policy planning, monitoring and evaluation handbook;
• Policy and Action Standard;
• Mitigation Goal Standard;
• Manual for drafting of indicator passport;
• Manual for drafting of action plan;
• Manual for development of coordination mechanism;
• Monitoring and evaluation manuals;
• QA instrument;
3. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
– Master’s degree in natural sciences and/or related fields;
– Two years of working experience in climate change field;
– Working on national systems and MRV development in climate (will be an asset);
– Good analytical and managerial skills, ability to express ideas clearly and concisely both orally and in writing;
– Ability to plan and manage tasks independently;
– Good interpersonal and communication skills;
– Fully experienced with computer software and other office equipment;
– Fluency in English language.
OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:
Interested applicants should submit a current CV meeting the required qualification and a filled in technical offer form (see Annex) to the following e-mail address: vacancy@rec-caucasus.org with a copy to the Project Administrative Assistant: sopo.gelashvili@rec-caucasus.org
Email subject line: MRV National Expert
Deadline for application is May 5, 2022, 15:00 (GMT+4).
