Terms of Reference-Climate Resilience Coach

Terms of Reference

Assignment title: Climate Resilience Coach

Duty station: Home-based, Nepal

Travel: Yes

Contract type: Delivery contract from ASAP to 30th June 2021

Background

The International Trade Centre (ITC) is a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization supporting the internationalization of MSMEs. Its joint mandate combines a focus on expanding trade opportunities with the aim of fostering sustainable development.

Agro Enterprise Center (AEC) is as an agriculture wing of Federation of Nepalese Chambers and Commerce and Industry. It aims to promote agri-businesses and trade in Nepal through the policy advocacy and offering agribusiness services to create an enabling environment for private investment. Currently AEC is jointly working with ITC for the implementation of the Trade for Sustainable Development (T4SD) Hub Pilot Project in Nepal. The T4SD Hub is hosted by the Agro Enterprise Centre and office of the T4SD Hub located in FNCCI Building, Teku, Kathmandu. The T4SD Hubs provide integrated solutions to MSMEs in the implementation of green business practices. The T4SD project launched officially in February 2020.

In this context, The Hub acts as a one-stop shop for MSMEs to build green business strategies to access green finance and international markets for sustainable products. Alongside Nepal, such Hubs are also being implemented in Ghana, Peru, Kenya, Viet Nam, and Laos.

In 2021, the T4SD Hub Nepal envisages to pilot climate change and resilience coaching module for MSMEs, in particular for coffee and tea sectors. Thus, ITC’s T4SD Programme and the T4SD Hub Nepal are looking for a competent Consultant to provide support in the implementation of its project ‘Trade for Sustainable Development Hub in Nepal’. The core area of the support is to implement climate change and resilience module at MSME’s level. The coaching modules aims to enhance MSME’s capacity to implement better climate-induced risk management activities at farm level.

The T4SD Hub Nepal will organize a Training of Trainers workshop for the potential applicants who wish to be a coach on Climate Expert Approach /methodology. A competent candidate will be engaged as a Consultant. The duties/responsibilities and deliverables of the consultant is outlined in below.

Description of Duties/Responsibilities

The Consultant will report to T4SD Hub Nepal and work under the direct guidance of the T4SD Associate Market Analyst, the T4SD Nepal Hub Lead and AEC. The Consultant will undertake the following duties:

Guide 5 Nepalese companies to develop their new climate change adaptation strategies (incl. different adaptation measures and related business cases):

• Use a specific methodology – the Climate Expert Approach, to be acquired during a Training of Trainers session – to work with companies on their climate adaptation strategies
• Conduct approximately four (4) face-to-face meetings with each company (each meeting of around half day) between April - June 2021 to go through the different steps of the Climate Expert Approach. If suitable, sessions can be grouped to full days.
• Ensure that the content of each of the meetings is duly documented in an overall document (the climate adaptation strategy). The structure of the document should be as follows:
• Executive summary
• Details about the company and the business
• How is the company affected by climate change (Climate change phenomena and impacts)
• Resulting climate related risks
  • Description of measures that answer to a climate related impact
  • Cost benefit analyses for measures
  • Results (incl. potential financing need)
• Resulting climate related opportunities
  • Description of business opportunities
  • Cost benefit analyses
  • Results (incl. potential financing need)
• Recommendations for implementation and next steps o Communication plan

Participate in regular coordination meetings as well as Share and Learn sessions organized by the T4SD Nepal Hub. Share learnings and experience from the coaching process, with relevant staff of the Nepal Hub host institutions, and the other consultants, which are working on a similar assignment with other companies as part of the Hub Climate Resilience curriculum in order to share and document best practices.

Coordinate with at least one staff member the “Shadowing” of the respective staff member(s) of AEC of your company visits and your work progress through phone calls and meetings to provide them with a fully learning experience.

Support the AEC and T4SD Hub Office Nepal for the smooth implementation of the project as required

Expected Outputs and Timelines

By 30th of June 2021, the Consultant will have completed the following deliverables

Deliverable 1 (mid-April):

• Coaching schedule per company developed and finalized, and first round of coaching sessions for the assigned companies finalized and documented

Deliverable 2 (end-April)

• Second round of coaching sessions for the assigned companies finalized and documented
• First version of each of the company’s adaptation strategies delivered including: Details about the company and the business and chapter on how is the company affected by climate change (climate change phenomena and impacts)

Deliverable 3 (end-May)

• Third round of coaching sessions for the assigned companies finalized and documented
• Advanced version of each of the company’s adaptation strategies delivered including:
• Analysis of the climate change risks and opportunities

Deliverable 4 (end-June)

• Coaching programme and adaptation strategies for the assigned companies near finalization and well documented / preparation for the participation at final project workshop
• Final version of each of the company’s adaptation strategies based on the ITC strategy template delivered along the filled out excel file and a brief ppt. summarizing the results and recommendations using the ITC template

Skills

• IT literate, competent user of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and the development of online surveys
• Attention to detail
  
• Ability to work independently and to solve problems, interested in learning new skills Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines
• Excellent communications skills, both oral and written
• Excellent diplomatic and presentation skills and ability to maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity
• Strong financial skills, comfortable running calculations and/or financial models using spreadsheets;
• Knowledge or previous experience working in climate adaptation, (green) finance, or (resource efficiency (water/energy/waste) in the agri-business sector is a distinct advantage;
• Previous experience in coaching or supporting MSMEs a distinct advantage.

Education

• Undergraduate degree (BA/BSC or other)
• Advanced degree (MA/MSc or other)
• Post-graduate degree (PhD or other)
• Secondary school

Other

Indicate the field of studies:

Bachelors’ Degree in Forestry/ Agriculture/ Climate change/Natural Resources Management/ Environment Science or related field l. A Master’s degree (MA, MSc or equivalent) in the related field is an added asset.

Experience required (number of years in which area

• Minimum 5 years working experience in working/providing training/coaching in (green) finance, business or consulting related activities in the targeted (sub-)sectors.
• Experience in the coffee & tea sector is a very strong advantage. Experience in corporate sustainability an asset.

Language

Fluency in written and spoken English and Nepalese