Scope of the intended partnership

The CAPACITY Fellowship programme recruits mid-career professionals from LDC and SIDS government and education institutions with a diversity of specialized backgrounds (legal, energy, finance, youth etc.) to work at the UNFCCC secretariat in Bonn for one to two years and return for a minimum of six months to their existing employer with their enhanced knowledge.

At the secretariat, these fellows are:

• enabled to undertake innovative analytical work on climate change in the context of sustainable development;
• supported to develop their leadership potential;
• nurtured into a network of experts who can bring creative and innovative options to bear on questions of climate change.

The CAPACITY Fellowship builds the capacity of all who engage with it:

• The Fellows, who receive the opportunity to take paid leadership roles within the UNFCCC process, to explore and develop their existing skills, knowledge and expertise within the international climate arena.
   
• The home employer, be it a government department or a national education institution, who enables the fellow to travel to Bonn, and who receives, for a minimum six-month period, the advanced understanding of the Fellow in vital areas of national climate action and the potential for enhanced engagement in international processes.
   
• The UNFCCC team, who benefit from the pertinent and specific knowledge to make their general work in support of the climate process more tailored to the actual needs of Parties.
   
• The UNFCCC process, which benefits from an ever-developing network of engaged experts, cooperating to enable a better community of trust in tackling a global problem.
   
• The Partners, who are recognized for their sincere support for, and design of a programme that genuinely builds country-owned capacity for effective climate action.

Role of the partner

The broad responsibility of the partner would be to engage in this valuable programme of capacity-building as a sponsor. Voluntary financial contributions would be invited from the partner.

But the responsibility lies not just in financial contribution. As important as this, is the engagement with and shared design of a programme that draws out the best of all participants, as shown by the list of beneficiaries above. It is a partnership, and the UNFCCC would explore with potential funders how their involvement could draw on their particular expertise.

Role of the secretariat 

The responsibility of the secretariat under this partnership would be to help the partner engage with the progamme and explore where their input would best support capacity-building for LDCs and SIDS.

The secretariat would undertake all of the administration of the programme, including:

• the recruitment of fellows;
• supervision of their period of fellowship;
• support for the fellows in developing a good understanding of their (individual and joint) role and potential for enhancing climate change action;
• comprehensive and accurate reporting to sponsors on the Fellowship, its participants and the outcomes.
• The partnership can be open-ended, but we anticipate a period of 2-4 years for the security and ongoing sustainability of the programme.

The secretariat hereby invites entities interested in entering such a partnership with the secretariat to submit their proposal for partnership.

Opportunity for partnership

The intended partnership would fall under the following category/implement the following activities:

• Capacity-building for:
  • Mid-career professionals from LDCs and SIDS
  • Government agencies and national educational institutions, who benefit for at least six months following the fellowship completion from the enhanced skill set and knowledge of their staff
  • UNFCCC secretariat, who have a greater understanding of LDC and SIDS needs and strengths
  • Non-Party stakeholders, who develop a greater understanding of and engagement in the climate change process, mechanisms and actors

Submission of a proposal for partnership

Entities interested in partnering with the secretariat under this call for proposals should submit their formal proposal by e-mail to capacitybuilding@unfccc.int.

The present advance notice of partnership is a standing call; the selection of projects depends on the feasibility assessment made by the secretariat based on the timing of the proposals. To this effect, we encourage early submissions of proposals.

In its proposal, the entity should:

1. Clearly reference this call for proposal;
2. Indicate the scope, objectives and duration of the proposed partnership and the financial value of the entity’s voluntary contribution;
3. Address, to the extent possible and with supporting documentation, its capacity to enter into and implement the prospective partnership (including, if relevant, proof of juridical personality, proof of sound financial management and proof of technical capacities to carry out the partnership);
4. Address, to the extent possible and with supporting documentation, whether and how it meets each of the eligibility criteria set out in Partnerships with UNFCCC: At a Glance, indicating any relevant present and/or past activity or advocacy with regard to these criteria and list any net-zero commitments;
5. Confirm by a formal statement that it does not meet any of the exclusionary criteria of the UNFCCC secretariat, indicating any relevant present and/or past activity or advocacy with regard to these criteria;
6. Include a statement of its intention to fully comply with the terms of a partnership agreement to be agreed with the secretariat, as outlined in Partnerships with UNFCCC: At a Glance;
7. Indicate any requirements regarding the use of the UNFCCC name and logo in accordance with the section on logo use in Partnerships with UNFCCC: At a Glance.

For any further information, please contact partnerships@unfccc.int