Guide to preparing concept notes for the 2022 call for concept notes—Indigenous Peoples Partnering for Climate

General instructions

The concept note must meet the following requirements:

• Page limit: 10 pages in French or 8 pages in English (excluding Annexes)
• Font: Arial 11
• Format: DOCX/DOC or RTF
• Graphics (e.g. photos and graphs) can be included within page limit above

Structure of the concept note

Please include the following information and adhere to the following structure:

Section 1 - General information

Title: Proposed title.

Duration: Up to 60 months (5 years maximum) for the overarching project(s). Partnership projects, supported by the overarching project(s) through sub-granting, will likely last between 24-48 months (2‑4 years).

Country(ies)/regions: All official development assistance-eligible countries are eligible.

Funding: $5 million (minimum) up to $15 million (maximum).

Contact name, title and email: Specify 1 or 2 contact(s).

Signatories: As part of this process, organizations can choose to apply individually, or jointly. One organization may choose to sign the funding agreement with GAC as the sole signatory, but work with other organizations (partners) on the project. Alternatively, more than one organization can also be co-signatories of the funding agreement with GAC.  In this case, the co-signatories would be jointly and individually responsible for the obligations listed in the agreement with GAC.  List other signatories that you expect would sign the funding agreement. If none, indicate N/A.

Non Signatory organizations: List Indigenous organizations or others (partners) that you have already identified who will participate in the overarching project but will not sign the funding agreement. If none, indicate N/A or “not yet,” as appropriate. These may be organizations in Canada or in developing countries.

Section 2 - Your project

Rationale for the overarching project

Your organization must identify the challenges Indigenous Peoples in developing countries face related to their self-determined development, the context in which the overarching and partnership projects will take place and the climate adaptation issues that exist and will be addressed by the proposed overarching project.

• Describe concisely the challenges that Indigenous Peoples face related to climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability (see climate change adaptation coding requirements) and Indigenous perspectives on climate adaptation (see Guiding Parameters).
• Identify and analyze the causes of issues related to gender inequality that Indigenous Peoples face that are relevant to climate resilience and adaptation.
• Identify and analyze the human rights to be targeted and the capacity gaps for their achievement.
• Indicate how the proposed initiative aligns with the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act (ODAAA), the Partnering for Climate initiative, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• Cite sources for statistics or other evidence provided.

Solution

This section describes how the overarching and partnership projects will solve the challenges described in the section above. Although you will not have all the information until partnership projects begin, do provide as much detail as you can.

• Identify:
  • Potential direct and indirect beneficiaries (estimate the number of direct beneficiaries, if possible)
  • Countries/regions where the partnership project activities will take place
• Describe how the overarching project addresses Indigenous Peoples climate adaptation and, if planned, generates biodiversity co-benefits. See also Project Coding - Policy Markers.
• Describe the expected outcomes:
  • Use the ultimate outcome (“improved climate resilience of Indigenous Peoples in developing countries”) as your starting point. Ensure intermediate and immediate outcomes align with the Climate Finance Program Logic Model outcomes related to nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
  • You may refine your intermediate and immediate outcome statements to ensure that they are well grounded in your overarching project design.
• Describe how the overarching project will address Indigenous Peoples gender equality priorities.
  • At least 1 gender equality outcome must achieve a change in skills, awareness, or knowledge that contributes to gender equality among Indigenous Peoples. This must be reflected in the preliminary logic model (Annex 1).
  • See Gender Equality Coding requirements and Feminist International Assistance Gender Equality Toolkit for Projects
• Describe your approach to considering Indigenous perspectives, priorities and upholding self-determination regarding climate change adaptation, the environment and sustainability.
• Explain how your overarching project will integrate and contribute to the fulfillment of Indigenous Peoples rights.
• Explain how your overarching project will incorporate the views of Indigenous Peoples, particularly Indigenous women and girls. Note: organizations will be expected to demonstrate Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) at the full proposal stage.
• Describe how the sub-granting component (for partnership projects) will be managed, and provide details on how partnership projects will be selected and supported and on the eligibility criteria for these projects.
• Describe how the overarching project will be governed and what participatory processes will be used.
• Describe any planned capacity and partnership-building support, collaboration, and/or knowledge-sharing opportunities between Indigenous Peoples in Canada and developing countries, including through Indigenous platforms, networks and alliances.
• Describe how the overarching project will ensure that expected results will be achieved and sustainable.
• Highlight any innovation processes/methods in your proposed overarching project.
• Outline any important risks, assumptions, and/or opportunities.
• Describe the monitoring, evaluation and reporting systems that will be set up, respecting Indigenous knowledge systems, perspectives and priorities. 

Section 3 - Your experience

Organization experience             

Your organization must describe the relevant technical and financial experience that will demonstrate your capacity to achieve the results outlined above.

• Outline your experience working with Indigenous Peoples in Canada and (if applicable) in developing countries, along with your approaches to respecting and integrating Indigenous Peoples knowledge systems, perspectives and priorities.
• Demonstrate your technical and financial experience managing projects in Canada and/or developing countries (minimum value of $5 million and minimum of 5 years over the last 15 years). Underline environmental sustainability, gender equality, and/or human rights outcomes achieved through similar projects, particularly if any involved working with Indigenous Peoples.
• Demonstrate financial and technical experience setting up and managing sub-granting programs (minimum of 3 years over the last 15 years). Provide details on the funding envelope, objective, duration, due diligence, and monitoring of grants.
• Outline experience setting up participatory governance structures and describe how Indigenous perspectives were included.
• Outline experience building and maintaining partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous organizations.
• Outline experience providing capacity and partnership-building support, and/or knowledge-sharing opportunities.
• Outline technical and operational experience related to addressing climate change and environment sustainability.
• If you identified partner organizations, briefly describe their capacity and/or experience.