Introduction

This document outlines the work plan for the inception phase of the project “Delivering Climate Resilient Development Policies in Africa 2019 -2023”. The overall objective of the project is to support African governments, the private sector and communities to respond to the impacts of climate change by enhancing the integrated implementation of the NDCs. Achieving this objective will positively contribute to reduced vulnerability and improved livelihoods for economies, ecosystems, infrastructure and communities at risk of being impacted by adverse climate effects in Africa, identified as the broader impact.

This project builds on ACPCs programmes including Weather and Climate Information services (WISER), the Africa Infrastructure Resilience Facility (AfriRes), and ClimDev Africa phase I and targets four priority focus areas, around which all the project outputs are clustered. Project implementation will also take advantage of ACPC’s location in UNECA and collaboration with related programmes such as the gender programme, private sector and infrastructure and statistics.

Focus Areas:

1. Technical support for integrated implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
2. Building the resilience of African economies, societies and ecosystems to climate change
3. Addressing vulnerabilities and managing climate-induced human insecurity
4. Coordination, Knowledge Management and Partnerships

These focus areas were also identified in the ACPC Programme Strategy, and overlaps with the strategy for Sweden’s regional development cooperation in Sub Saharan Africa 2016-2021. The expected overall results for the inception phase encompass three countries, which will be identified during the inception workshop. These results will inform the identification of focus countries and priority for the rest of the project period.

To achieve these objectives, and in accordance with the UNECA project cycle, the project will initially conduct a six-month inception phase to ensure stakeholder engagement and efficient implementation of the project. The inception phase will be launched by an inception workshop which will concretize identified activities and develop modalities of implementation. After the six (6) months period, an inception phase report, verified by the stakeholders through a validation workshop, will be produced. The report will, inter alia, contain a revised project document including an updated results framework, work-plan and budget, and will also define implementation modalities, coordination and monitoring mechanisms. It shall furthermore contain a gender analysis and gender-focused activities integrated in work-plan and budget. Strategies for communication and involvement of the private sector will also be outlined

Alignment with programme proposal

The activities during the inception phase will focus on the following deliverables: Preparatory work for support to member states with the implementation of NDCs. The analysis of the NDCs of African member states that was previously carried out by the ACPC will be updated in order to provide appropriate focus for the activities under focus area 1, aimed at supporting NDC review and implementation. Furthermore, Member states and experts will be convened to review and validate the analysis and framework developed. The framework will inform the selection of focus countries to be supported with the implementation of NDCs. The national focal points for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will then be convened to review the draft Africa Climate Change Strategy and propose modalities for its finalization. The inception phase will develop a gender action plan for the program, and will also support activities to enhance effective participation of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), youth and women in global and national climate governance. It also designed to strengthen partnership with collaborating institutions and stakeholders.

Expected results:

• A methodological framework for the revision, repackaging and resubmission of updated NDCs developed.
• Strategies for capacity building, particularly of women and youth, on climate governance developed
• Approaches for review and finalization of continental climate change strategy developed
• Gender action plan development initiated

Organisation

An inception workshop will be convened to bring together key stakeholders and implementation partners to launch the programme. The inception workshop will review the inception phase workplan, develop criteria for identifying focus countries, design operational modalities and put in place monitoring, learning and evaluation (MEL) frameworks.

Expected results:

• The implementation focus areas concretised
• Key implementation modalities identified
• Resource management plans and modalities developed
• Modalities for the coordination of inputs developed
• Opportunities for additional resource inputs from participating entities identified
• Terms of reference for gender analysis and gender action plan developed
• Strategies for private sector engagement developed
• Strategies for communication developed

Stakeholder consultation and partnerships

The inception workshop stakeholders include ACPC, African Union Commission, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Section of UNECA, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, African Development Bank, Swedish embassy, Regional Economic Commissions, Regional Climate Centres, WMO African regional office, and other relevant local stakeholders. Institutional mapping will explore relevant stakeholders in the region and their current activities in relation to the programme.

Expected results:

• Set-up of Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group (MSAG)
• Develop TORs for MSAG
• Project activities consulted with MSAG during the validation workshop
• Mapping of stakeholders and climate change interventions finalized.

Country selection

The inception workshop will develop selection criteria and identify the three countries where the activities in annex I work plan will be implemented. At the end of the inception phase the validation workshop will select countries for implementation of activities for the rest of the programme. The process for project selection and implementing partners will also be defined during the inception phase.

Expected results:

• Country selection for national activities completed.

Gender analysis

A comprehensive gender analysis will be undertaken during the inception phase. The gender analysis will be designed to contribute to specific interventions to mainstream gender into all components of the programme. The structure of the gender analysis, including the terms of reference, will be agreed during the inception workshop. The three analytical components: a context analysis from literature, a stakeholder a capacity assessment on gender and workshop sessions with the MSAG will inform the gender analysis. The capacity assessment will take the form of a survey and interviews with a broad range of stakeholders. Subsequently, the Gender Action Plan will be drafted, and presented in the final partner workshop between AUC, ACPC, Swedish embassy, Africa Gender Centre and other stakeholders. This plan may identify specific activities, such as capacity building, that may need to be implemented to address gender issues in the context of the project including specific training focused on gender- this may require future updates of the logical framework.

Expected results:

• Full gender analysis completed
• Gender Action Plan for mainstreaming of gender in the project completed
• Recommendations provided for adjustments to project activities, if necessary.

Risk

The project will use the inception phase to consulate and finalize the risk assessments in the log-frame, and develop a risk mitigation plan in collaboration with the stakeholders.

Expected results:

• A comprehensive risk matrix that contains context-specific risk mitigation strategies is completed.

Knowledge management and outreach

The knowledge management and outreach strategy and plan will be formulated during the inception phase. The goal of this is to develop knowledge management and capacity building tools and products ensure that the project outcomes are widely shared. The strategy and plan will identify: key audience/stakeholders, knowledge needs and gaps, and knowledge products and activities, which will meet these needs. The plan will ensure the participation, dialogue and the dissemination of knowledge and good practices, and ensure sustainability of project results.

Expected results

• Detailed knowledge management and outreach plan produced, with outputs, timeline, and outreach channels identified.

Monitoring evaluation and learning

The monitoring evaluation and learning system will be designed during the inception workshop based on revised activities and the logical framework, in conjunction with the SPORD.

Expected results:

• Monitoring and evaluation plan completed.

Planning (Inception Phase final workshop)

The work plan and budget for the first year will be finalised within the inception phase based on revised activities. The full inception report will be deliberated by 31st of January 2020. The final workshop will review the project plan, log-frame and results based budget. Following its review, revisions will be made to the work plan and budget, as well as the logical framework. The final workshop will produce an inception phase report which will contain the detailed review of the inception activities, and outline the plans for the project phase.

Expected results

• Revised project document including an updated results framework, work-plan and budget.
• Detailed project implementation modalities, including coordination and monitoring mechanisms.
• Detailed gender analysis and gender-focused activities integrated in work-plan and budget.
• Detailed private sector engagement strategies outline and integrated into the work-plan and budget
• Strategies for communication and policy outreach detailed and integrated into work-plan and budget

Final inception report

The final inception report, to be delivered in February 2020, will provide a detailed overview of all activities that have been conducted in the inception phase. The following sections will be included:

1. Synergies with existing programmes
2. Stakeholder consultation and participation
3. Gender Action Plan
4. Updated risk log
5. Knowledge management and outreach plan
6. Monitoring and Evaluation
7. Recommended updates to the Project Document/ Agreement