The objective of this assignment is to design and implement comprehensive communication and knowledge management strategies for the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA II) and its Coordination Services Programme, enhancing visibility, coherence, and dissemination of innovative, locally led climate adaptation technologies and lessons globally. The communication lead will be responsible for the delivery of AFCIA II output 3.3 “Knowledge and capacity on adaptation technologies through Digital Public Goods, amongst other instruments” and AFCIA coordination services component 3 “Communication and Knowledge Management services for increased dissemination and adoption of successful adaptation innovations and technologies globally” while supporting the implementation of the rest of the projects’ components and outputs as relevant.
The Adaptation Fund (AF) was established by the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change to finance concrete adaptation projects and programs in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. As of 1 January 2019, the Fund started serving the Paris Agreement.
The AFCIA programme was established in 2020, aligned to the Adaptation Fund Strategic Pillar 2 on Innovation, which aims to support rolling out and scaling up successful innovations, encourage and accelerate new adaptation practices, tools and technologies, and generate evidence on the conditions that lead to successful innovation. It encourages, as part of an innovation approach partnerships, iteration, learning and adaptive management. The 5 million USD AFCIA phase I programme implemented by UNEP (Multilateral Implementing Entity) and executed by CTCN provided 25 technical assistances in 23 countries between 2020 and 2025 reaching close to 99.5 million people. The “AFCIA-UNEP II in Support of Innovation for Adaptation” was approved by the Adaptation Fund in April 2024 at its 42nd Board meeting. Supported by UNEP & CTCN, its implementation officially started on April 2025 for 5 years with a budget of 10Million USD.
The second phase of the AFCIA programme (AFCIA II) aims to support developing countries in testing, scaling up, and embedding innovative, transformative, and locally led climate adaptation technologies within National Systems of Innovation to enhance resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change. This will be done through the delivery of 60 Technical Assistance projects—including 40 micro-grants to pilot innovations and 20 assistances to scale up successful solutions and strengthen enabling environments.
The Project: “Coordination Services for the Special Financing Window in Support of Innovation for Adaptation (AFCIA)” was approved by the Adaptation Funds on October 2024 during its 43rd Board meeting. Its implementation will start in January 2026 for 3 years with a budget of USD 3Million. This project aims to coordinate and provide key support services to the 5 Adaptation Fund Implementing Entities (IEs) managing AFCIA funding including UNEP/CTCN (10 million USD), UNDP (5 million USD), UNIDO (10 million USD), WFP (10 million USD), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) (5 million USD), and the Pacific Community (SPC) (5 million USD). The Coordination Services aims to strengthen the coherence, performance, and visibility of the AFCIA programme through coordinated management, monitoring, learning, and knowledge-sharing services including the development of a joint M&E framework and knowledge products to feature impact. UNEP & CTCN are recruiting a communication lead to design and implement the communication strategies of both AFCIA II and Coordination Services programmes; produce and disseminate evidence to support long-term transformation from small adaptation innovation pilots to large-scale implementation contributing to systemic change.
The communication lead will be supervised by CTCN programme lead and UNEP Programme Officer and requested to work closely with 1) AFCIA project manager & coordinator, IT, MEAL, gender and technology specialists, 2) AFCIA II project proponents, CTCN delivery consortium and 3) All AFCIA Implementing Entities (IEs) Project Managers and Communication officers.
The communication lead will be expected to contract and supervise the relevant service providers including IT, photographs, impact report consultants, designers and other comms related support as necessary to accomplish its tasks.