Call for Technical Assistance Grants for NIEs to Build Capacity to Mitigate Environmental and Social Risks
The Adaptation Fund has launched a Readiness Program for Climate Finance, which includes a component aimed at strengthening the capacity of accredited National Implementing Entities (NIEs) to identify and mitigate environmental and social risks as they design, implement and effectively manage concrete adaptation projects in communities that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
As part of this effort, the Adaptation Fund Board is inviting accredited NIEs to apply for small Technical Assistance (TA) grants to build their capacity in environmental and social risk management by tapping into external expertise through short-term consultancies. The Fund’s Environmental and Social Risk Policy established in 2013 with 15 principles serves as a framework for the types of risk that may need to be considered.
Through the grants, NIEs have the option to hire consultants from a public roster of environmental and social risk management experts that the Adaption Fund has made available, or they may choose to hire experts from elsewhere. The use of the roster is completely voluntary for both the experts who chose to add their name to it when the Adaptation Fund made a call for experts earlier in the summer, and for the NIEs who choose to look for experts on the roster to meet the specific needs they have identified. The roster of names is not vetted by the Adaptation Fund Secretariat, which does not endorse or vouch for the experience listed or the quality of experts.
The TA grants are meant to support, among other areas, the following types of activities within the grantee NIEs:
- Developing procedures/manuals/guidelines for screening projects for environmental and social risks
- Developing procedures for undertaking project environmental and social risk assessment and for formulating risk management plans
- Developing policies/avenues for public disclosure and consultation
- Developing transparent and effective mechanisms for receiving and resolving complaints about environmental and social harms caused by projects/programs during implementation
- Training of select entity staff to carry out the relevant tasks related to the implementation of the Fund’s Environmental and Social Policy
NIEs interested in applying for the TA grants should send an application to afbsec@adaptation-fund.org by September 28, 2015.
Social and Environmental Policy