Local Consultant, Shimla, India

Result of Service

Outputs: a. Inception & Implementation phase (by 30 May 2026) This phase will involve: a. Identification of the relevant stakeholders & pre- evaluation of the four EFCs for Shimla, India b. Organize and lead the multistakeholder workshop with National and Local Government (March, 2026) c. Draft outline of project activities d. Develop a draft of the EFC reports e. Validate data through online and in person consultation workshop with municipal and state government officials and experts. f. Identifying gaps in the four dimensions of the assessment: climate policy; climate data; budget and finance; vertical and horizontal coordination. g. Provide operational recommendations to address gaps across four dimensions in areas of capacity building, policy and regulation reforms, data enhancements, multi- level climate governance and coordination, in line with India’s EFC report. The result is the first draft of the report including all references, data and figures: - Organize and lead consultation with multistakeholder workshop - Draft EFC report - Organize and lead the second multistakeholder workshop( as needed) Deliverables: 1. Outline of the National and Subnational EFC report. 2. Summary report of the workshops with key outcomes achieved and a list of participants etc. 3. Assessment of gaps in the four dimensions of the assessment: climate policy; climate data; budget and finance; vertical and horizontal coordination with operational recommendations in areas such as: capacity building needs, policy and regulation reforms, data, multi-level climate governance and financing needs in the city of Shimla. 4. First Draft of the EFC reports 5. First draft of the EFC report to be presented at the second multistakeholder workshop (May, 2026) for review b. Finalization phase (by 15 July 2026) In this phase, the EFC draft is revised and fact-checked by experts, peer reviewers and relevant entities, ensuring adequate quality, data accuracy and key messages. Also, during this phase the reports would be translated in Thai and fact-checked by the experts. It also includes dissemination and advocacy activities linked to the report’s publication. a. Integration of comments from UA project, steering committee members and knowledge partners. b. Final launch workshop held (June, 2026 – TBC) Deliverables: • Final EFC reports (National and Sub-National in both English and Thai) ready for submission copy editing, design and layout following incorporation of final comments. · Develop a roadmap ahead as per the requirement of the city • Summary Report of the launch Workshop (TBC) Amendment 1: additional Output c: c. Revised report based on the feedback from National Partners (by 15 August 2026) The consultant will undertake meetings with different stakeholders and present the final report. Based on the feedback received, the report will be revised and finalized. - to contribute to the launch of report and present the findings and recommendation (date to be decided) Deliverables: • Revised EFC reports ready for copy editing, design and layout following. • Revised Roadmap for Implementation after discussion with stakeholders • Summary report of launch workshop How are the outputs to be delivered? • All outputs are to be delivered to the project manager by email in MS word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint to produce technical documents. • Consultations with stakeholders and workshops would be delivered in a form appropriate under the local circumstances taking into consideration any COVID-19 protocols. • Possible modalities include in-person interviews and focused group discussions, in-person or virtual workshops, virtual consultation with a selected multi-stakeholder group, or phone interviews, one-on-one interviews and discussions with representatives of various departments, etc.

Work Location

Home based

Expected duration

15 Jan-21 Aug 26

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose: The purpose of the Integrated Urban Climate Action for Low-Carbon and Resilient Cities (Urban-Act) project is to strengthen multi-level climate governance (MLCG) across the countries of China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Fiji, and Thailand. The focus of the project is on enhancing the capacities of city governments to meaningfully engage in climate change dialogue and implementation. MLCG describes a 'whole of-government' approach for integrated climate action that is based on effective partnerships for aligning policies and practices between different levels of government and across sectors. Under the ambit of Indo-German Bilateral Cooperation, the Urban Act project is being implemented jointly by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH till December 2027. In India, the project is focused on supporting low-carbon and resilient urban development in the Asia-Pacific and is being piloted in Shimla along with Coimbatore and Panaji in India. The project is supported by implementing partners NIUA, TERI, UN-ESCAP, UCLGA-ASPAC and the University of Stuttgart and Technical University of Dortmund. The role of ESCAP is to support regional dialogue and the collaboration of national and subnational government agencies for integration of climate action in cities, climate-sensitive urban planning best practice, capacity building and technical support for a transboundary pilot, capacity building in climate finance, knowledge exchange and regional advocacy. Shimla, being a mountainous agglomeration, the city is exposed to various climate-induced disasters like landslides, and short-duration high-intensity rainfall that overwhelm natural and man-made drainage systems in the city, leading to infrastructure damage and displacement. Lately, shortage of water supply is a common problem in summer season with high influx of tourists and increased water demand by residents. At the same time, climate impacts in a mountainous city like Shimla presents unique financial challenges and opportunities, particularly impacting their ecosystems, economies, and communities. The financial implications translate into increased costs of adaptation measures such as disaster risk reduction, water management systems, and infrastructure resilience, developing climate risk mitigation measures to protect against climate related losses, as well as opportunities for investment in financing climate resilience development projects, including renewable energy (hydropower and solar), sustainable agriculture and tourism eco-tourism, strengthening resilience by investing in early warning systems, disaster preparedness, and climate-resilient infrastructure, etc. The project supports the development of climate-sensitive Integrated Urban Development Plans and facilitates innovative climate measures in priority sectors for Shimla, namely stormwater drainage systems, solid waste management, water shortages, sustained urbanization, and climate sensitive urban planning. The implementation of local climate action requires accessibility to finance. In the region, the accessibility of climate finance at sub-national level is often hindered due to lack of Enabling Framework Conditions. The Urban-Act project also aims to assess the enabling framework conditions (EFC) for accessing climate finance at sub-national level. The assessment intends to highlight the gaps and opportunities in enabling framework conditions based on 4 domains viz., Climate Policy, Budget and Finance, Vertical and Horizontal Integration and Climate data. To support the implementation of the specific output for Urban-Act project in India, ESCAP is seeking a local consultant to assess the Enabling Framework Conditions (EFC) of the city, the cornerstones of creating a conducive environment to improve the access climate investments. The local Consultant, stationed in the city will conduct desk review, engage with the relevant stakeholders, coordinate the workshops/meetings in the city of Shimla to prepare the report for EFC Assessment for Shimla City. The local consultant will be under the direct supervision of ESCAP’s Project Coordinator in Bangkok and in close coordination with the GIZ team based in Shimla. All the outcomes of the project will be achieved through conducting desk research on existing initiatives and frameworks to extract lessons learned and best practices, facilitating stakeholder engagement through meetings and workshops with city and state government officials and key stakeholders; support research and validation processes, collection of primary data, establishing metrics for success, and facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing. Objective: • To evaluate the enabling framework conditions at the local level in context of 4 dimensions of the tool (i) Climate Policy and Planning, (ii) Budget and Finance, (iii) Climate Data and (iv)Vertical and Horizontal Coordination. • To identify the gaps and opportunities in EFCs at subnational level. • To provide recommendations for Shimla City, in-line with the National EFC report of India for improvement of enabling framework conditions at sub-national level • To suggest a roadmap for implementation based on the gaps and recommendations for improving the EFCs. By achieving the above outcomes, Shimla would strengthen enabling conditions for financing of evidence-based and inclusive urban climate actions in line with sustainable development goals and India’s Nationally Determined Contributions. The local consultant based in Shimla will be responsible for supporting the drafting of the Enabling Framework Conditions Report for Shimla. This will involve collecting data through primary and secondary research, liasioning with city officials, conducting interviews with government officials, key experts and stakeholders. The consultant will also be responsible for arranging bilateral meetings with key government officials and experts. S/He is also responsible for undertaking any supplementary work for organizing meetings related to the Urban Act project. He/She will also be responsible for regularly reporting on the project milestones. She/he will also be responsible for research on current trends in terms of state and city specific policies and guidelines of Himachal Pradesh & Shimla on Climate Change respectively. Additionally, S/He oversees the systematization of data received from the city government and other entities.

Qualifications/special skills

Masters or a Post Graduate degree/diploma in sustainable development, public policy, social science, urban planning, economics or related discipline. At least 10 years’ experience in sustainable development/Climate Finance related research and technical assistance. Experience and demonstrated publication history in working with governments in the North Indian region on sustainability, Climate risk, infrastructure and Climate finance. Knowledge of India’s climate plans and policies, state action plan of Himachal Pradesh, including on data and research would be a distinct advantage. Experience working in North India on sustainable development and urban planning & Design is an added advantage.

Languages

Fluent in English and Hindi in both writing and speaking.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.