Long Term Consultant: International Specialist: Climate Change Adaptation Specialist - ADB LAO Sustainable Agrifood Systems Sector Project

Position: International Specialist: Climate Change Adaptation Specialist  

Background: Winrock International is recruiting an International Specialist: Climate Change Adaptation Specialist for an Asian Development Bank (ADB) opportunity in Laos focused on Sustainable Agrifood systems. The project will contribute to food security and nutrition improved, and agricultural value addition increased in a climate resilient and gender-responsive manner in Lao PDR. This position will be a part-time consultancy that will require a commitment of 12 person months over a 5-year period.  

Location: Remote with travel to Laos required. 

Major Responsibilities: 

• Provide technical inputs on climate resilience to the ToRs of consultants engaged by the project for implementing activities under Output 1 and Output 2, ensuring that the proposed activities and approaches are technically sound, coherent, well-sequenced and aligned with project’s climate adaptation objectives. 

• Develop climate change profiles for the project’s provinces and districts building on the project CRVA and other relevant studies, highlighting specific climate risk and vulnerabilities in the context of the project’s outputs and outcome.  

• Develop a set of key recommendations for applying integrated and practical approaches for adapting to climate change across the project outputs based on a review of agriculture, nutrition and rural infrastructure interventions in the mountainous areas of Lao PDR and neighbouring countries (where possible). 

• Develop and implement a strategy/procedures for integrating climate risk information into the project decision-making structures and core activities, including a workplan that ensures a holistic and integrated approach to climate adaptation and aligns the technical inputs for project implementation.  

• Develop and implement a strategy for coordinating with relevant linked climate change activities supported by ADB in Lao PDR, specifically the Greater Mekong Subregion Cross-Border Livestock Health and Value Chains Improvement Project (Project Number: 53240-002) to optimize the outputs of the ADB-funded climate change activities.  

• Support the project and the consultants in establishing and promoting climate resilient production/commercialization techniques to smallholders, and nutrition services, MSMEs, under Output 1 and Output 2. Where appropriate coordinate and leverage the expertise of ADB projects and relevant development partners project to enhance the effectiveness and scalability of these interventions.  

• Develop and use eligibility framework and checklists for assessing and verifying that subprojects, particularly small-scale infrastructure- irrigation and connectivity roads (Output 3) and incorporate climate-resilient designs and nature-based solution features. 

• Provide technical inputs on the design of the baseline study and support implementation of the MEL plan including progress reports, midterm report, project completion report (PCR), and other required documents, including applying simple qualitative assessment approaches to compliment quantitative data collection. 

• Periodically produce project briefs that document good practices and lessons learned from climate-related project interventions that can be used for knowledge sharing, inform future programming, and contribute to broader learning on climate adaptation and resilience. 

• Qualifications  

Education: Master’s degree in agrometeorology, climatology, agriculture and natural resource, or rural development from a recognized university.  

Experience:  

• At least 15 years’ experience in projects related to agriculture and rural development  At least 10 years’ experience in climate change- related studies or assignments 

• Strong knowledge of ADB environmental and safeguard policies. 

• Proven ability to effectively engage and collaborate with local communities, contractor, and government agencies.  

• Excellent facilitation and communication skills- demon