TONGA: SENIOR PUBLIC POLICY EXPERT
INTRODUCTION TO GGGI
The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page.
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Project: Development of a climate change mainstreamed Tonga Strategic Development Framework 2025-2035 (TSDF3)
- Duty Station: Tonga
- Contract Duration: 6 months (part-time)
- Consultant Level: Senior Economic Development Policy Specialist
- Total Fees: USD 36,000
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Government of Tonga (GOT) is initiating the development of the Tonga Strategic Development Framework 2025-2035 (TSDF3), a national roadmap to guide the countryโs development priorities over the next decade. This framework will build on the lessons learned from TSDF 2 (2015-2025) and incorporate emerging challenges and opportunities, particularly in the areas of climate finance.
The GOT seeks to increase its access to climate finance to enhance its resilience to climate change, which poses a severe threat to its people, economy, and environment. As a small island developing state (SIDS), Tonga is highly vulnerable to rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and coastal erosionโthreats that endanger livelihoods, infrastructure, and food security. Expanding access to climate finance will enable the country to implement adaptation and mitigation projects, strengthen disaster preparedness, and transition towards a more sustainable, low-carbon economy. Additionally, securing funding from international climate finance mechanismsโsuch as the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Adaptation Fundโwill support Tongaโs commitments under the Paris Agreement and its national climate strategies, ensuring that development remains resilient and inclusive despite escalating climate risks.
However, Tonga has faced significant barriers in attracting climate finance due to challenges such as limited technical capacity, complex funding requirements, and high transaction costs. The stringent fiduciary, environmental, and social safeguards required by major climate funds make it difficult for Tonga to develop competitive project proposals. Furthermore, global climate finance allocations often prioritise mitigation over adaptation, despite Tongaโs urgent need for resilience-building initiatives. Competition with larger, better-resourced countries further exacerbates these challenges, limiting Tongaโs ability to secure the funding it requires.
To support the GOT to enhance access to climate finance, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)โa treaty-based, intergovernmental organisation dedicated to promoting strong, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, is supporting the GOT to develop its new Tonga Strategic Development Framework 2025-2035 (TSDF3) and ensure that climate finance is effectively embedded into the framework.
Embedding climate finance into overarching development frameworks ensures that climate-related investments are fully aligned with national priorities, enhancing their effectiveness and sustainability. By integrating climate finance across multiple sectors, Tonga can foster cross-sectoral collaboration, avoid policy fragmentation, and create synergies between economic development, social equity, and environmental sustainability. This approach also strengthens Tongaโs eligibility for global climate finance mechanisms, as many international donors and funds prioritise projects embedded within national development strategies rather than standalone initiatives. Moreover, mainstreaming climate finance provides greater certainty for private sector engagement, encouraging investment in low-carbon and climate-resilient infrastructure while ensuring that resources are used efficiently across sectors. Ultimately, this integrated approach will enhance Tongaโs capacity to mobilise and scale up climate finance, supporting long-term, inclusive, and sustainable growth.
To support the GOT develop its TSDF3, GGGI is seeking to hire a qualified consultant that will work in close collaboration with the GOT and GGGI to develop and draft the TSDF3 and ensure that this framework and Tongaโs related Aid Management Policy appropriately integrates climate finance considerations.
The new TSDF3 will serve as Tongaโs overarching national development strategy, guiding economic, social, and environmental priorities over the next decade. It will set the countryโs long-term vision and key policy directions to ensure sustainable and inclusive development. Tongaโs new Aid Management Policy similarly will establish the principles and processes for managing external development assistance, ensuring alignment with national priorities and maximising the effectiveness of international funding.
By integrating climate finance considerations into both the TSDF3 and the Aid Management Policy, this assignment will help create a more strategic and coordinated approach to accessing and utilising climate finance, enabling Tonga to strengthen resilience, support low-emission development, and achieve its sustainable development goals.
The project is being implemented as part of the Low Emission Climate Resilient Development (LECRD) Programme, which is a programme funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and Irelandโs Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAI), that aims to support Pacific Island countries (PICs) in transitioning to low-emission, climate-resilient development.
OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The consultant will be responsible for developing the TSDF3 by:
- Facilitating a consultative and participatory approach that ensures input from diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society, private sector, women, youth, and marginalised groups.
- Integrating climate finance considerations into the strategic development priorities, ensuring that Tonga is well-positioned to access and utilise climate finance to support sustainable development.
- Embedding Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) principles throughout the framework.
- Aligning TSDF3 with international and regional development commitments, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, and the Pacific Islands Forum development agenda.
- Ensuring the framework and policy provide clear implementation roadmaps, outlining institutional roles, responsibilities, and mechanisms for cross-sectoral coordination.
- Recognising the trade-offs required in setting national priorities and ensuring a balanced, realistic approach to policy and planning.
- Ensuring that climate finance is mainstreamed across policy areas to enhance cross-sectoral collaboration, avoid policy fragmentation, and strengthen national ownership of climate finance strategies.
SCOPE OF WORK
The consultant will be required to work in close collaboration with the Director of Planning, GGGI and the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), and the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
The Consultant is also expected to work closely and collaboratively with a Climate Finance Policy Analyst that will, in parallel, be leading the development of a report on the current state of Tongaโs approach to climate finance and who will subsequently develop a standalone Climate Finance Strategy (CFS) for Tonga that will explicitly consider how climate finance can be integrated into the TSDF3 and Tongaโs Aid Management Policy, as well as other relevant policies and frameworks.
The consultant is expected to carry out the following tasks:
1. Undertake a review of the existing TSDFII and prepare a recommended Work plan for the preparation of the TSDFIII
a) Review Tongaโs current Strategic Development Framework 2015-2025 (TSDFII), as well as any meeting notes or reports already developed to support the development of the new framework and policy.
b) Conduct a desk review of relevant national, regional, and international development policies, plans, and frameworks. Sector plans to be reviewed include but are not limited to the following:
- Health Sector
- Non-Communicable Disease Strategy
- Energy
- Tonga Energy Road Map 2021-2035 (TERMPLUS)
- Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management
- Cluster System
- JNAP
- Governance
- National Strategy for the Development of Statistics
- Public Finance Management Policy
- Digital Transformation
- Social Protection
- WEGET
- Youth Policy
- Social Protection
- National Action Plan on Illicit Drugs (NAPID)
- Economic Development
- Tonga Trade Policy Framework
- Tourism policy
- Aid Management Policy
- National Infrastructure Investment Plan contain Tongaโs priorities, timelines and approach to investment.
c) Engage with key government agencies, the private sector, and development partners to understand existing priorities, challenges, and opportunities and to identify lessons learnt from TSDFII and any new policy areas that may need to be incorporated into the TSDFIII.
d) Develop, in consultation with the key government stakeholder and the Climate Finance Policy Analyst, a workplan for delivering the TSDF3 and updated Aid Management Policy that will strengthen Tongaโs ability to access climate finance.
2. Inclusive Stakeholder Consultation
a) Support the ongoing stakeholder consultations for the development of the TSDFIII by the Government of Tongaโs National Planning Unit (NPU).
b) Design and implement an inclusive consultation strategy ensuring meaningful participation from diverse groups, including women, youth, persons with disabilities, and community leaders.
c) Organise and facilitate national and sub-national workshops, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews.
d) Engage closely with the private sector to ensure their perspectives, investment priorities, and challenges are incorporated into TSDF3.
e) Work closely with the Climate Finance Policy Analyst to undertake stakeholder validation of the Tonga Climate Finance Strategy that the Climate Finance Policy Analyst will have taken the lead in developing.
f) Proactively collect feedback and direction from key stakeholders on the recommendations set out in the CFS on incorporating a cohesive and more effective climate finance strategy into the TSDFIII.
g) Support the Climate Finance Policy Analyst to use stakeholder consultations to validate the findings set out in the report on the current state of Tongaโs approach to climate finance and Climate Finance Strategy that they will have taken the lead to draft.
3. Draft Tongaโs 3rd Strategic Development Framework (TSDFIII)
a) Develop initial outlines and structures for the TSDF3 and the AMP, ensuring alignment with national priorities and international commitments and ensuring alignment of the terminology and structure of the โOne Process Toolโ (OPT)[1];
b) Draft key sections of both documents, incorporating:
- A vision, mission, and strategic objectives for national development and aid management that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-Bound (S.M.A.R.T);
- Sectoral priorities and cross-cutting themes, including climate finance and GESI.
- The connections and alignments between international, regional, and national priorities;
- Implementation and financing mechanisms, with a strong emphasis on private sector engagement and investment;
- A clear articulation of trade-offs and decision-making considerations for national priorities;
[1] OPT is a structure planning tool used by Ministry of Finance and National Planning to assist in ensuring that the national plan is practical, affordable, and realistic within the funding that the government can mobilise.
- Monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks that establish a structured approach to tracking progress towards national development goals. This should include clear performance indicators, data collection and reporting mechanisms, evaluation methodologies, and adaptive learning processes to ensure evidence-based decision-making, accountability, and continuous improvement in policy implementation;
- clear and simple language that is easily understandable to a general audience.
c) Work closely with the Climate Finance Policy Expert to ensure robust integration of climate finance considerations and opportunities for increased access to funding.
d) Establish mechanisms for government-wide coordination and cross-sectoral collaboration in implementation.
e) Ensure that climate finance is positioned as a key enabler of economic resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and inclusive development, fostering stronger private sector engagement and financing opportunities.
4. Consult and validate the TDSF3
a) Deliver a Stakeholder Validation and Review Workshop in close collaboration with the Climate Finance Policy Expert that will have drafted the CFS, to present the First draft of the TSDF3 with integrated Climate Finance Strategy
b) Deliver a Stakeholder Validation and Review Workshop in close collaboration with the Climate Finance Policy Expert
c) Systematically collect and record feedback and direction from key stakeholders on the TSDF3 and the integration of climate finance into these policy instruments.
d) Draft a Stakeholder validation report setting out the views and opinions of different stakeholders, where appropriate disaggregating findings by different stakeholder groups including women, youth and other marginalized groups..
5. Finalise the TDSF3
a) Refine the draft TDSF3 to address key feedback form consultations and validation exercises
b) Deliver Final draft of the TSDF3.
c) Ensure both documents are structured in a way that facilitates monitoring and evaluation of progress, adaptability, and alignment with sectoral strategies.
DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE
1) Deliverables, Timeline and Payment Schedule:
No.
Deliverables
Deliverableโs description
Timeline
Amount (% over total fee)
1
Workplan and Review Report
Report setting out information from initial review and work plan for the duration of the contract.
4 Weeks from Contract Signing (April 2025)
10%
2
Draft TSDF3 with integrated Climate Finance Strategy
First draft of the Climate Finance Strategy integrated into the TSDF3.
12 weeks from Contract Signing
(End of May 2025)
30%
3
Stakeholder Validation and Review
Stakeholder Validation and Review of first draft
16 weeks from Contract Signing
(June 2025)
20%
4
Final TSDF3 Climate Finance Strategy
Final draft of the Climate Finance Strategy integrated into the TSDF3.
24 weeks from Contrast Signing (August 2025)
40%
Note - No additional travel expenses will be covered by GGGI for the execution of the consultancy.
2) Reporting Arrangements:
The consultantโs work progress will be monitored primarily through periodic review meetings with the Government Focal Point โ Director of Planning and GGGIโs Senior Programme Manager in Tonga with progress reviewed by the Tonga Climate Change Steering Committee (TCCSC) who meet once a quarter. The final review and approval of activities and deliverables under the contract will be made by this Steering Committee in collaboration with the GGGI project team.
3) Reporting Requirements:
- All relevant technical data, reports, and other documents prepared from the start to the end of the assignment shall be attached to the Final Report and shall be logged in GGGI templates that will be provided to the consultant.
- All outputs must be in English, in accordance with GGGIโs formatting requirements and editable format that is readable by a Microsoft Office application. Where relevant, the consultant shall also provide sets of raw data, research materials, and meeting notes related to the contractual objective.
- The final report must be approved by the GGGI with the agreement of the TCCSC. The Consultant shall consider the comments and necessary revisions proposed. Within 14 days from the receipt of the comments or modification proposal from the GGGI, the Consultant shall prepare and submit the final versions of the report
EXPERTISE REQUIRED
The consultant shall have the following educational qualifications, experience and competencies:
- Masterโs Degree or higher in Public Policy, Development Studies, Economics, Climate Change, or a related field.
- Minimum of 10 yearsโ experience in in strategic planning, policy development, and national development frameworks, preferably in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
- Proven experience in facilitating participatory policy processes and multi-stakeholder consultations.
- Expertise in Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) mainstreaming.
- Familiarity with climate finance and sustainable development financing mechanisms.
- Strong knowledge of the Pacific Islands' development context, particularly Tonga.
- Demonstrated ability to engage with both public and private sector stakeholders.
- Excellent analytical, writing, and presentation skills.
- Proficiency in policy analysis, MEL systems, and report development.
- Excellent communication and cultural sensitivity skills for engaging diverse stakeholders.
- High level of organization and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks.
- Fluency in English with strong writing and presentation skills; knowledge of Tongan is not mandatory but would be considered a plus.
- Prior experience in working in the Pacific region in a similar assignment will be an asset.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Date to close is Korean Standard Time (KST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered Application. Cover Letter, and CV must be sent in English. A consortium, or a firm may not be engaged for the individual consultant assignment.
Child protection โ GGGI is committed to child protection, irrespective of whether any specific area of work involves direct contact with children. GGGIโs Child Protection Policy is written in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- Health Sector