On behalf of NORC, the Consultant will serve as the Subject-Matter Expert (SME) on Climate Finance for the Third Performance Review of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). GCF is a multilateral fund established as the financial mechanism for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to support developing countries to respond to the challenge of climate change and promote a paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways.
The evaluation has a wide scope of work and is planned to run from Q2 of 2025 through Q1 of 2027. There are five key areas of inquiry for this summative and formative assessment: 1) the role of GCF in the multilateral system and as the financial mechanism under UNFCCC; 2) GCF’s organizational, strategic framework, operational efficiency, and responsiveness; 3) GCF’s role as a funder in developing countries; 4) GCF as an implementation; and 5) GCF’s role as a change agent in the realm of climate resilience.
The evaluation will adopt a theory-based, utilization-focused, culturally sensitive, and participatory approach to design and data collection. More specific theoretical frameworks and methods used to examine the aforementioned areas of interest – such as Emergent Realist Evaluation, Feminist Evaluation Principles and climate change vulnerability, impacts, and adaptation strategies – will be discussed during the inception phase. The evaluation will undertake a mixed-methods approach to addressing the evaluation questions, providing for both breadth and depth in data collected across diverse sources. The main methods include desk research, portfolio analysis, case studies, online surveys, geo-spatial analysis, and interviews with relevant stakeholders.
The SME will support all phases of the evaluation with NORC staff in close coordination with the Project Director. The phases include 1) inception, finalization of approach paper and evaluation questions; 2) data collection and management, analysis, and report writing; and 3) communication of final products to internal and external audiences.
All tasks are to be undertaken using hybrid means of communication, including limited in-person meetings, email, phone calls, video conferencing, and text messages. Contingent upon award, the length of engagement will be May 2025 through February 2027 with a level of effort (LOE) that will vary over the lifecycle of the evaluation, between 8 and 32 hours per week; however, timelines and LOE may undergo modest modifications and NORC is open to working within the schedule of consultants. Tasks include collaborating with the NORC team and GCF’s Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) to produce evaluation design and inception documents; supporting desk research; leading GCF portfolio analysis in relation to climate finance; coordinating the review of GCF’s accounting, budgeting and project costing strategies; providing guidance on survey design, key informant interview (KII), and focus group discussion (FGD) guides/protocols for data collection; supporting a team of NORC analysts in analyzing data and drafting preliminary findings; co- authoring evaluation report, annexes, and other knowledge products; and actively participating in
and/or co-facilitating workshops and meetings across the evaluation life cycle. All travel costs incurred to accomplish these tasks will be covered by the project.
While the tasks listed can change based on availability, NORC’s Project Director and the Consultant will work to adjust the scope of work to be completed in a timeline that is satisfactory to both parties. Consultants based in developing countries are strongly encouraged to apply.
Required Qualifications
At least ten (10) years of solid experience contributing to complex corporate, portfolio and performance evaluations with a focus on of climate finance and climate change mitigation/adaptation interventions,
Strong understanding of climate finance landscape, including dedicated climate funds and public and private sector, and knowledge of developing innovative blended finance solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation.
Solid experience in financial analysis, climate risk analysis, understanding of financing agreements and complex financing structures with a focus on efficiency and access to financial solutions in developing countries.
Demonstrated ability to work with tight deadlines and history of timely delivery of use- worthy, added value strategic documents and evaluations.
Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field, such as finance, climate studies, or other fields relevant to this call. Strong writing and analytical skills; demonstrated excellent communication skills (English language fluency is required).
Expertise in complex corporate, portfolio, and mixed methods participatory evaluations / assessments is strongly preferred.
Interested candidates should email a CV and cover letter to [email protected]. Please use the following subject line in your email: “GFC Climate Finance SME Application”
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