Summary

Local Advocacy Expert for Georgia National Climate Platform’s (NCP) Needs Assessment, NCP Advocacy and Policy Dialogue Strategy and Action Plan development and capacity building processes (to provide needs assessment, develop NCP Advocacy and Policy Dialogue Strategy and Action Plan and plan and deliver knowledge transferring workshop)

Overview

Westminster Foundation for Democracy (“WFD”) is the UK public body dedicated to supporting democracy around the world. Operating internationally, WFD works with parliaments, political parties, and civil society groups as well as on elections to help make political systems fairer, more inclusive and more accountable.

We are a problem-solving, practitioner-led organisation that offers:

• Specialist analysis, research, and advice to inform policymakers on a range of democratic governance issues;
• High-quality and impactful programmes that directly support the full spectrum of institutions in political systems to develop inclusive political processes, more accountable political systems, protection of rights and freedoms, and more pluralistic societies; and 
• International elections observation on behalf of the UK.

Since 2022 WFD Georgia has been implementing a programme supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) - Advancing Environmental Protection, Climate Change and Democratic Resilience in Georgia  This three-year programme supports national stakeholders in delivering new climate change and other green-focused legislation, enhances the enabling environment in favour of low-carbon alternatives and supports the exertion of positive and constructive pressure on governance stakeholders in favour of these outcomes.

Aim of this Call for Expert

WFD is issuing this Call for Expert (“Call”) to a range of potential local experts and we would welcome a proposal from you.

The objective of this assignment is to provide local expertise in environmental / climate advocacy and policy dialogue to provide guidance for WFD and the National Climate Platform (the Platform) members CSOs, as well as involved line ministries in actualizing the potential of the Platform for climate and environmental advocacy and policy dialogue at first by assessing the current mandates and needs of the Platform, and then co-creating the advocacy and policy dialogue strategy and action plan together with the international advocacy and local climate experts and the Platform members. The advocacy and policy dialogue strategy and action plan will then by used by the NCP as well as WFD and potentially by other donors to support the Platform to become an empowered positive actor and ‘coalition for change’ for encouraging and facilitating more ambitious climate action in Georgia. International advocacy and local climate experts will be recruited separately and the local advocacy expert will work under guidance of international experts and deliver the assignment with other experts assistance and cotribution.

Proposal submission

We will be accepting the proposals on a rolling basis till 2nd December 2022. All proposals must comply with the requirements of this Call and must include the information requested in the Proposal Requirements below.

The proposal should be sent electronically and addressed to: Ketevan Vardosanidze / WFD Program Manager at Ketevan.vardosanidze@wfd.org

The same email address should be used for any questions related to this Call.

WFD’s standard terms and conditions for tendering and key policies are found at Policies | Westminster Foundation for Democracy (wfd.org) and you can find a copy of WFD’s Code of Conduct at Code of Conduct | Westminster Foundation for Democracy (wfd.org).

Terms of Reference for Local Advocacy and Policy Dialogue Expert to Strengthen the National Climate Platform (NCP)

1. Westminster Foundation for the Democracy  

The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) is the UK’s leading democracy support organisation, working in partnership with political parties, parliaments, civil society organisations (CSOs), and electoral bodies around the world to create more inclusive, accountable and transparent democratic systems. WFD strengthens the capacity of these key democratic institutions, helping to ensure they have the systems, knowledge and skills to perform effectively. WFD also fosters improved democratic processes, bringing together individuals and institutions and encouraging them to work together to solve concrete problems, applying democratic values and principles.

2. Advancing Environmental Protection, Climate Change and Democratic Resilience in Georgia programme

The work defined in these terms of reference will take place under the WFD managed programme supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) - Advancing Environmental Protection, Climate Change and Democratic Resilience in Georgia. This 3-year programme aims to enable deliver sustainable change in environmental protection, climate resilience and democratic governance in Georgia. It supports various national and local stakeholders in the delivery of the new climate change and other green-focused legislation and policies, enhances the enabling environment in favour of low-carbon development alternatives and supports exertion of positive, evidence-based (constructive) pressure on governance stakeholders in favour of these outcomes.

The programme’s approach and actions are underpinned by the key principles of environmental democracy. Our approach focuses on dual pillars concerned with increasing transparency and on enhancing civic participation in environmental and climate decision making.

3. Objective(s) and Task Outline

As part of the Advancing Environmental Protection, Climate Change and Democratic Resilience in Georgia programme, Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) sees civil society as a positive actor to motivate government, parliament and, in some cases, private sector for more ambitious climate action. WFD will conduct a needs assessment to gain a better understanding of the barriers environmental and climate civil society face (this activity is in progress) and design an action plan for building their skills and capacity for advocacy and evidence-based research and policy dialogue (this call). WFD will work to incentivise creating or strengthening the existing alliances or coalitions for change to exert positive and constructive pressure. It is anticipated that much of this work will involve convening and facilitating effective coalitions and alliances that can act as positive disruptors that will: take a leading voice in the public narrative around environmental and climate policy and security; motivate and amplify local community initiatives; craft and advance nature-based solutions to relevant problems; and increase CSOs’ participation in policy formulation, environmental decision making and monitoring the policy implementation by working in partnership with the Parliament, the Government and local councils where relevant.

In 2021, the National Climate Platform (NCP) was created in the framework of the project “Georgia Climate Action Program”, funded by the EU and implemented by the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), the National Climate Platform (NCP) was created. NCP is a national group of stakeholders engaged in the field of climate change, including governmental agencies, international and civil society organizations, academia, representatives of private sector, experts, as well as donor organizations active in the field of climate change. It is facilitated by the Ministry of Environmental protection and Agriculture of Georgia.  However, it faces several barriers for fully activating the Platform’s intended functions on climate and environmental advocacy and policy dialogue.

The Objective of this assignment is to provide local expertise and consultancy on climate and environmental advocacy and policy dialogue to Georgia’s National Climate Platform and its members. Consultancy will involve first assessing the needs of the the Platform, leading to drafting the advocacy and policy dialogue strategy and action plan for the Platform.  

The advocacy and policy dialogue strategy and action plan will then be used by the NCP members as well as the WFD and potentially by other donors to support the Platform to become a positive actor and ‘coalition for change’ for more ambitious climate action in Georgia.

Scope and context of work

The local advocacy expert will work in cooperation with the international advocacy and local climate consultants to deliver the deliverables under this assignment. A local consultant on climate advocacy will support international expert over this assignment and will undertake major on-groundwork for advocacy dimension of this assignment under the guidance and advice of the international advocacy expert.

The main tasks of the local consultant thus include:

• Under the guidance of international advocacy consultant and in close collaboration with local climate consultant carry out needs assessment of Georgia’s National Climate Platform and deliver relevant report.
• Co-Design, plan and deliver 1-day needs assessment workshop content which will involve team of international and local experts and the members of NCP. 
• Co-present the findings of the abovementioned NCP mandate and needs assessment to NCP members and other stakeholders, collect feedback and finalize assessment.
• Support international consultant in designing, planning, and carrying out 1-day needs assessment workshop including its agenda, content and supporting materials.
• Advise on local experience on environmental and climate advocacy practices, particularly to the NCP members and team of international and local consultants.
• In close coordination and collaboration with international and local consultants develop materials on effective tools and mechanisms for climate and environmental advocacy and policy dialogue on local and national levels within International and Georgian context.
• Conduct 1-day workshop on climate and environmental advocacy principles and Advocacy and Policy Dialogue Strategy and Guideline Development.
• In partnership with international and local consultants, develop advocacy and policy dialogue strategy and guideline document.
• In partnership with international and local consultants present the advocacy and policy dialogue strategy and guideline document to NCP members for validation.
• Provide recommendations on further sustainable development ways of NCP and cooperation ways between NCP and WFD programme.

4. Qualifications and experience

The consultant should have the following qualifications and experience:  

• At least 5 years of professional relevant work experience at international level in advocacy, strategic communication, policy-dialogue, needs assessment, organizational development
• At least 3 years of experience in conducting trainings and workshops on advocacy and/or policy dialogue.
• Sound knowledge of advocacy planning and practices in Georgian context.
• Sound knowledge of roles and functions of the Government of Georgia, the Parliament of Georgia and Georgian institutional-political landscape
• Experience in developing needs assessment documents, training, and workshops for CSOs, civil networks and CBOs
• Excellent written and communication skills in Georgian and English languages.
• Sound knowledge of environmental and climate change processes, environmental and climate advocacy practices and environmental legislation will be an advantage.
• Experience in environmental and climate advocacy campaign planning and implementation will be an advantage

5. Deliverables

The local expert will be responsible for delivering or co-delivering (together with the international advocacy consultant) the following:

6. Budget

The maximum daily rate of GBP 300 per day (inclusive of any applicable taxes) will be applied depending on academic background and experience. The total amount should not exceed GBP 6,600.

Payment will be done in arrears, based on delivery and acceptance of deliverables. More specifically:

• 30% of total contract value upon submission and acceptance of deliverables 1, 2 and 3.
• 40% of total contract value upon submission and acceptance of deliverables 4 and 5.
• 30% of total contract value upon submission and acceptance of deliverables 6 and7.

7. Proposal requirements

Please submit a technical and financial proposal addressing the criteria below.

• A brief outline of the proposed methodology describing how you will go about undertaking the study
• The consultant’s profile and experience, including examples of previous research studies conducted and (where applicable) links to where they have been published online and/or contact details of references
• A detailed budget showing the consultant daily rate and the total number of days offered.

Proposals will be evaluated on the quality of the methodological proposal, the experience of the consultant/team and the soundness of the financial offer.

Any questions related to this Call should be addressed to Ketevan Vardosanidze / WFD Program Manager at Ketevan.vardosanidze@wfd.org

8. Place of Work and other arrangements

This work will be delivered remotely (online) and in-person.

Initial contract will tentatively start on 5th December 2022 and will last till 31st March 2023.