The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

Everyone’s getting on the ESG bandwagon these days. Some because they want to, and others because they have to (by law). Some just like to use the term because it is trendy. Some are busy green-washing whilst others are seeking opportunities to share their expertise to accelerate the measures to save the planet and human existence. 

It is all well and good to have a lofty ESG related company statement or policy. But to give life to your greatest ambitions to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in the most devastated parts of the World, you will need to initiate genuine projects that alleviate their suffering and create resilience to shocks created by disasters. Adaptation, risk reduction and risk transfer are some of the methods to help create resilience in such communities. However, such projects are usually large scale and require substantial financing. The good news is that, thanks to the leadership given by the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP), there are several sources of international funding available. 

However, applying for a Grant from international development agencies can be quite daunting. The processes and procedures involved, the documentation required to be completed run into dozens of pages and you need to be familiar with the specific steps and the timeline that you should set aside for this exercise (running into months, sometimes over a year). Frequently, you will be called upon to conduct a pre-feasibility or feasibility study before your Concept Note will even be considered. It also helps to know who the people are behind the names at these large organizations and have interacted with them face to face, building trust.

Moreover, it is useful to have been involved, not only on the delivery or supply side of these projects, but also on the demand side, to be able to fully appreciate the issues involved on the ground. To have been a part of the regulatory, supervisory and development process of the industry concerned, for example, for risk transfer projects, a senior member of the insurance industry regulator/supervisor and have interacted with connected government stakeholders in the country/ies concerned, with emphasis on those related to finance, disaster management, local government and of course insurance, will certainly be a great advantage.

In addition to having relevant background in the subject matter of the project (for example financial services, disaster risk management, risk modelling etc) in many instances there is also a need to revise existing legislation or enact new legislation to enable the outcomes of the proposed project, and in this respect, it is an advantage to have a legal background to be able to understand what is being suggested by the legal advisors, and ensure that the most effective solution is arrived at for that particular country and its affected communities. Once the project is completed, the benefits (the beneficiaries being the poor and vulnerable population) will be derived based on the implementation of rules and regulations which will be enshrined in legislation. The clearer the legislation, the less likely there will be any moral hazards, and this will support a sustainable solution.

Finally, when considering the role of coordinator or project manager in one of these large scale projects, it is a given that one needs to have had exposure to and interaction with organisations such as the UNDP, UNEP, World Bank, ADB, KfW, etc. and have vast experience in not only operating in a matrix environment, but also be capable of managing multiple stakeholders of varying status (eg. government, UN agencies, development and funding agencies, local industry, international industry, private consultants, etc, etc) most of the time based in multiple time zones. Project management experience is a must-have, in at least one of the recognised certifications, such as PRINCE2.

All of the above are deemed essential as part of the screening process and audit trail required for scrutinising and whetting the concepts and proposals for projects that are submitted to the funding agencies, who are themselves accountable to various multilateral and government donors.

Now the next step is execution.

Sincerely.

Chandri Gunawardhana LL.M (Monash)