Swahili-speaking Climate Finance Expert at Norwegian Refugee Council
In partnership with Norges Vel, we are implementing a long term project to strengthen food security for millions of consumers in Tanzania by increasing small-scale food producers’ productivity, market access, and climate resilience.
You can be a part of this exciting and impactful project as we are currently recruiting a Climate Finance Expert for a 12-month assignment with possible extension. You will work at Norges Vel´s offices in Msasani, Dar es Salaam. As you will be working closely at community level, fluency in Swahili is a prerequisite for this role.
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Context
Climate change poses a multifaceted threat to the most vulnerable populations, with potential negative impacts that are challenging to anticipate and therefore address beforehand. Access to financial products that helps improve the adaptive capabilities and build resilience of the most vulnerable groups, especially smallholder farmers in rural areas, will be of critical importance going forward. This might include – without being limited to – a range of tailored financial loans to vulnerable farmers, climate-related furance limiting negative effects of extreme weather and adapted fin/tech solutions to receive both accurate weather information and technical and financial assistance to act upon.
Norges Vel and NORCAP have decided to embark on a collaboration
focusing on developing financial services to meet the needs of
small-scale food producers. To begin with, the aim is to get a complete
overview of the challenges among the target group, the financial
services available and potential gaps or challenges between the two.
Purpose
- Develop insights on enhancing the resilience and adaptive capabilities of small-scale food producers to climate shocks through financial inclusion.
- Identify viable business models for financial service providers to support populations affected by climate change in a way that benefit both financial service producers and its clients – in particular target producers supported under the Norges Vel programme.
- Evaluate the sustainability and impact of existing financial products on accelerating climate adaptation and community resilience, with specific emphasis on rice farmers targeted under the NV programme.
Main tasks and responsibilities
- Conducting a scoping study mapping of financial services providers with a focus on agriculture and collating a complete overview of the type of financial services offered by whom and with what conditions to rural lenders in selected project districts including their strengths and weaknesses.
- Develop a clear understanding of the current risks and barriers that the target population is currently facing with extreme weather conditions and how this affects their livelihoods, as well as current financial service providers limitations in supporting them in terms of type of products/services available and their accessibility (information and awareness, contracting products and services, effective use –including fin tech literacy, etc.)
- Assess to what extent climate services and data from climate service providers (including the National Met Service) would be useful to financial institutions, and how, specifically when it comes to exposure and risk assessment for clients in vulnerable situations.
- Coordinate with ongoing efforts from Tanzania-based partners, e.g. assess and possibly develop joint efforts to pilot financial services offered in a concrete project setting with a focus on climate resilience and adaptation (insurance, lending, models for accessing digital banking, remittances etc.)
- Assist in improvement/development of farmer resource centres incl. training on climate-smart farming practices,
- Assist in identifying collaborators for digital mobile application that may be used for resource centre for agronomic training professional services, weather info, market linkages etc.
- Improve understanding of current climate risk-related products and development of new systems such as weather index-based crop and livestock insurance, and also link it with climate shocks response mechanisms, if feasible.
- Assist in product development e.g., weather-based insurance for farmers; and testing and scaling up of alternative distribution channels.
- Develop Risk assessment tool that takes climate changes into consideration in loan application process.
- Participate in field surveys and other customer facing interactions that provide inputs to development of new and innovative products and solutions.
- Developing a joint funding proposal for further work and scaling up efforts when it comes to financial inclusion and climate adaptation. Consider expanding.
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Qualifications
- Master’s degree or equivalent (including proven work experience and skills) in relevant fields, such as innovative climate finance, climate adaptation and resilience, renewable energy, rural lending/financial services, micro finance, and broadly financial services.
- Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience from the financial sector, preferably from a private institution in an emerging market
- Experience from humanitarian or development sector is an added advantage.
- Understanding of how to develop and implement business strategies and products.
- Experience from working with small-scale food producers, with a focus on gender equality and innovative financial services such as credit for climate-resilient technologies, energy services, or investment in sustainable agriculture practices. Demonstrated field experience is desirable.
- Ability to provide access to information, weather-based insurance, credit for climate-resilient technologies, or investment in sustainable agriculture practices.
- Ability to identify and establish potential partnerships and collaborations to help improve the provision of financial services to rural populations, particularly small-scale farmers.
- Good interpersonal and communication skills.
- Proven data collection, research, and analysis skills.
- Experience of working in complex and volatile contexts is desirable.
- Fluency and proficient in English, and Swahili are essential.
- Experience in climate resilience agriculture supporting climate risk interpretation, and communication with solid skills in farm-level risk management through conducting qualitative and quantitative studies.
- Training and experience in gender equality,and Communicating with Communities (CwC), Accountability for Affected Populations (AAP), and Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA).
- Training & experience in communication for development (C4D) and implementation in C4D, social mobilization and behavioral change.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to convey technical information to non-technical audiences.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and engage effectively with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.
Experience and regional exposure with the following are an advantage
- Training grassroots media in weather and climate reporting at the Regional Climate Centre level in Africa is essential.
- Experience with a round table of stakeholder’s approach (multi-sectoral approach including policymakers) at the RCC level is an added advantage
- Experience in community engagement and innovation in developing tools.
- Familiarity with climate change concepts, adaptation strategies, and mitigation measures is advantageous.
- Use of local languages, SMS, and grassroots meetings for weather and climate information.
- Generate articles on users of weather and climate at the national and regional level.
For more information about the project and expected outcomes, please see Terms of Reference.
The main competencies of a NORCAP expert are:
- Building working relationships
- Planning and organising
- Adaptability
- Resilience
What we offer
- Rewarding work for a renowned global organisation
- Access to a network of humanitarian, peace, and development professionals
- Join NORCAP’s team of experts and be considered for future assignments elsewhere
- A dedicated Staff Care Unit
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How to apply
- When submitting your application, kindly register in English your full employment history and education. Please include your full name as written in your passport. Uploaded CVs alone will not be reviewed.
- NORCAP values diversity, equity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion or disability.
- NORCAP reserves the right to conduct a full background check on shortlisted candidates
- Approved Health Certificate will be required prior to contract commencement and assignment
- Feedback will be given to all applicants within four weeks after the closing of this advertisement.
- Apply before midnight 18th February 2024 Oslo time
