CIF Observer Selection

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Background

The CIF Observer Program was launched in 2010 to engage non-state actors and promote institutional transparency and accountability. The program actively involves representatives from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Indigenous Peoples' Organizations (IPOs), and Private Sector Entities (PSEs) in its governance structure and operations. The Observer role comprises activities in four strategic areas and levels:

1. influencing CIF policies and operational decision-making at the global level;
2. influencing the design and monitoring of climate strategies at the national level;
3. monitoring CIF-financed climate projects at the local level; and
4. informing and networking with their constituencies at the local, regional and global levels.

To date, over 150 climate leaders, experts, and activists from over 50 countries have served as observers in five cohorts, each serving 2 or 3-year terms. Currently, there are 43 principal observers from over 25 countries, which represent a wide array of climate advocacy NGOs, community groups, indigenous people’s organizations, business associations, youth groups, and other organizations. The current Observer’ cohort began in February 2021 and will end in December 2024. Their three-year term was extended by one year due to the COVID Pandemic which limited their in-person participation in the process.  

Introduction to the Climate Investment Funds 

CIF’s governance structure is comprised of two overarching intergovernmental trust funds: (1) the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF), which provides financing for piloting innovative approaches or scaling up activities aimed at specific climate change challenges or sectoral responses; and (2) the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), which promotes investments in clean technology by contributing to the demonstration, deployment, and transfer of low-carbon technologies with significant potential for reducing long-term greenhouse gas emissions. There are also nearly a dozen specific programs – such as the Forest Investment Program (FIP), Accelerating Coal Transition (ACT), Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), and Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program in Low Income Countries (SREP) – which had their own governance technical committees. CIF’s governance structure is being streamlined and consolidated in 2024 with the aim of improving synergy and operational efficiency. As a result, government representatives of both donor and recipient countries, as well as partners from multilateral development banks (MDBs), and non-state observers will now be convening and making decisions within the two trust funds (SCF and CTF). The decisions regarding the specific climate financing programs described above will be made during the semi-annual trust fund meetings.

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Observer Seats

Observers will be selected from the seven regions as defined by the World Bank: (1) East Asia and Pacific, 2) Europe and Central Asia, 3) Latin America and the Caribbean, 4) Middle East and North Africa, 5) North America, 6) South Asia, 7) Sub-Saharan Africa.

The CIF Secretariat will determine the total number of Observer seats by constituency sector (CSOs, IPOs, and PSEs), which will be based on its updated governance structure of the CIF (expected to be a total of 16-20 seats). We anticipate this being determined in January 2025 and the website and other communications will reflect the update once confirmed.

The allocation of seats to different sectors will remain the same representing the relative numerical size of each sector: 50 percent of the Observer seats will be allocated to CSOs, 25 percent to PSEs, and 25 percent to IPOs. The selection criteria provide additional information on the selection process. Observer seats from each sector are expected to be split evenly between the two trust funds (CTF and SCF).  As in the past, the majority of observers seats will be allocated to representatives from recipient country members of the CIF (see list).

A proportion of observer seats (25 – 30%) will be reserved for current or past observers (individuals) or their organizations to apply for a second term in order to preserve institutional memory and continuity in the program. Primary or alternate individuals or their organizations who have already served two terms (consecutive or non-consecutive) are not eligible.  Returning Observers will need to re-nominate themselves for consideration and will be evaluated against the eligibility and selection criteria alongside other applicants. Past level of engagement and activity in their first term as Observer will also be considered.

‍Observer Terms, Responsibilities, and Meetings

Observer organizations will serve a three-year term beginning in February 2025. Observer organizations and individuals are eligible to serve two (2) consecutive or non-consecutive terms. Observers wishing to serve a second term must participate in the selection process.

Observers from the CSO, IPO, and PSE and constituencies carry out several key roles at the CIF: policy advocacy, program monitoring, constituency representation, and outreach/communication. These are carried out on three levels: actively participating in CIF’s semi-annual online or in-person trust fund meetings at the global level, participating in the formulation and monitoring of climate strategies at the national level, and monitoring CIF-financed climate projects at the local level. In order to carry out these roles, observers are expected to actively communicate and liaise with their local, national, regional, and/or global constituencies to ensure that their actions and decisions as observers are guided by their constituency views and interests.

More specifically, as active observers on CIF’s decision-making bodies, they are responsible for: i) preparing for meetings and consulting with other stakeholders in their constituency on issues scheduled to be discussed at the CIF meetings; ii) representing the interests of their constituency, not just of their own organization; and iii) following good practice standards in terms of consulting, liaising, and keeping their constituencies informed of their CIF activities. Observers also have the opportunity to identify and invite subject experts to testify during the trust fund committee meetings. Observers will also participate in an annual survey assessing the quality and impact of their policy advocacy, program monitoring, constituency networking, and communications activities. 

Individuals representing observer organizations will be expected to attend and participate actively in the semi-annual trust fund committee meetings (online or in-person) each year.  During their term, they will be expected to participate in an initial (in-person or online) onboarding workshop, semi-annual pre-trust fund meetings technical briefings (online), and other technical and networking meetings (online) throughout the year. They will also be expected to contribute productively to the work of the CIF by responding to requests for input on documents and, when their term is completed, by possibly serving on the selection committee to determine the next set of observers.

Costs associated with travel (tickets, hotel, per diem) will be covered for CSO, IPO, and PSE Observers from CIF recipient countries to attend the annual in-person trust fund meetings. It is assumed that Observers from the CIF donor countries generally have their own travel budgets, but we may cover the travel costs of  those who cannot cover their travel expenses on a case-by-case basis.

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‍Streamlined Observer Selection Process for 2025

The CIF Observer Program is also being streamlined in order to be aligned with CIF’s new governance structure. The next cohort of CSO, IPO, and PSE Observers will be selected to serve on the two trust fund committees (SCF and CTF). In addition, the selection process will be simplified to increase consistency  in the selection process and incorporate lessons from the previous Observer selection processes.

The revised selection process will ensure:

• consistency with how civil society, indigenous peoples, and private sector Observers are selected by utilizing a common application form and uniform observer eligibility and selection criteria;
• a fair and transparent process by continuing to encourage candidates to self-nominate
• an independent process by relying on the services of RESOLVE to receive nominations and shortlist the candidates, and convening a multi-stakeholder Joint Observers Selection Committee (JOSC). The JOSC will be composed of senior CSO, IPO, and PSE leaders who will make the final recommendations on the selection of Observers; and
• a representative and qualified group of Observers.

The overall selection process will be managed by the CIF Stakeholder Engagement Team. It will, however, contract the services of RESOLVE to assist with preparing and disseminating the call for nominations, shortlisting nominations, and participating in the Joint Observer Selection Committee.  

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Selection Process Steps

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The selection process will have four phases:

‍Phase 1: Call for Applications [December]

• All interested candidates should submit applications responding to the eligibility criteria and selection criteria. There is one common application for CSO, IPO, and PSE candidates, which can be submitted through an online form or can be downloaded and submitted by email [see applications tab on left]
  • Recognizing the unique and important role of regional networks for indigenous people’s organizations, these networks are encouraged to submit an application for a preferred nominee. Networks should reach out to RESOLVE regarding these types of nominations.
• Applications are due on January 7, 2025.
• During this period, RESOLVE will review incoming applications against the selection criteria and reach out to nominees if additional information on their applications is needed.

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Phase 2: Application Review and Shortlisting [Late December - Early January]

• RESOLVE will review all submitted applications and evaluate them against the eligibility criteria. As a part of this review, RESOLVE will track application alignment with selection criteria.
  • In some cases, RESOLVE may engage someone with deep knowledge of the CSO, IPO, or PSE sectors to support this application evaluation.
• RESOLVE will share the shortlist of candidates with the CIF Stakeholder Engagement team, who will review the proposed list to ensure conformity with the eligibility criteria and identify any questions or concerns. A final shortlist of candidates will then be shared with the Joint Observer Selection Committee (JOSC).

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Phase 3: Joint Observer Selection Committee (JOSC) Review and Recommendations [January]

• The JOSC will be composed of 8 senior and experienced civil society (4), indigenous peoples (2), and private sector (2) leaders, some of whom will have served as Observers in the past. The JOSC members will be provided with a financial stipend to participate in the observer selection process. Individuals or organizations participating in the JOSC should not be applying to be in the new cohort of CIF Observers.
• JOSC members will review the shortlisted applications and evaluate those applications against the selection criteria. As needed, JOSC members will also have the opportunity to consult informally with their own constituencies (CSOs, IPOs, PSEs) regarding the shortlisted candidates. 
• The JOSC will apply the same uniform selection criteria for all three constituencies, to support consistency and encourage greater synergy among the Observers. 
• The JOSC will meet as a group to discuss their analysis and selections based on a balanced approach to the selection criteria. While all JOSC members will discuss all the applications in a collaborative manner, the JOSC members of each of the three constituencies (CSOs, IPOs, and PSEs) will make the final selection for their respective constituencies.
• The Stakeholder Advisory Network (SAN) and RESOLVE will participate in these discussions in an advisory capacity.
• Based on their work, the JOSC will provide a final set of selection recommendations to the CIF Stakeholder Engagement Team. The CIF Stakeholder Engagement Team will make final selection decisions in February to ensure that the selection criteria are being carefully adhered to. 

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‍Phase 4: Observer Onboarding [February]

Once selected, the CIF Stakeholder Engagement Team will work with RESOLVE and SAN to prepare and deliver an in-person 2-day onboarding workshop for the new cohorts of Observers.

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Eligibility and selection criteria will be used to evaluate and select the 2025-2027 cohort of Observers. Eligibility criteria will be used to evaluate and identify eligible candidates. Selection criteria will be applied to the shortlisted candidates to ensure geographic representation, gender balance, organizational diversity, broad technical expertise, and networking capacity across the cohort of Observers. While the eligibility and selection criteria are very similar to what was used in the previous selection processes, the goal is apply the selection criteria uniformly across all three observer sectors to ensure greater representation and balance.

Observer Eligibility Criteria

To qualify, CSO, PSE, and IPO observer organizations and individuals must meet the following requirements: 

1. Country Membership: Observer organizations must be located in one of the 80+ member countries (see list).
2. Organization Membership and Type: 

• Observers must be a member of a Civil Society Organization (CSO), Indigenous People’s Organization (IPOs), or Private Sector Entity (PSE). Observers selected will represent their organizations and serve in an institutional rather than in a personal capacity.
• Eligible organizations include non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, Indigenous people’s organizations, research/think tanks, trade unions, youth groups, regional/international networks, private sector associations, and consultancy firms. Governmental organizations are not eligible.

3.  Institutional Track Record: Observer organization is legally established and has a proven track record of promoting policy advocacy, providing services, undertaking research or training, and/or constituency networking in climate change.
4. Representational Capacity: Observer organizations should have active linkages with other organizations and networks at the local, national, regional, and/or global levels. Individuals representing observer organizations must be willing and committed to inform, liaise, and consult with these organizations and networks to inform them about CIF’s work as well as share their concerns and interests with the CIF.
5. Technical Knowledge: Observer organizations and the individuals representing those organizations must have a basic overall understanding of climate change, as well as a specific understanding of one of the sub-areas which CIF finances, such as clean energy, forest management, nature-based solutions, community resilience, gender & social inclusion, and just transition. 
6. Conflict of Interest: To avoid conflicts of interest, all observer organizations (if applicable) must disclose the scope of their organizations’ financial engagement with multilateral development banks, export credit agencies, and governments in relation to CIF financing. If an observer organization applies to the CIF for funding during their term, the Observer will refrain from participating in trust fund meetings when this funding application is discussed.
7. Language Preference: While provision is made for translating official meetings and documents into Spanish and French when possible, the working language of the CIF is English. Therefore, individuals representing observer organizations must have a working knowledge of English.
8. Communications Capability: Individuals representing observer organizations must have the capacity to communicate and interact actively via email, internet, and phones, as some of the engagement with and between Observers will be via email, texting apps (What’s App, Teams) or virtual meeting platforms (Zoom, Teams, WebEx).
9. Primary and Alternate Representation from One Organization: The preference is for each Observer organization to appoint one primary representative who will attend CIF meetings and one alternate from the same organization who can prepare for and actively participate in CIF meetings if the primary representative cannot attend.
10. Returning Observers and Term Limits: A proportion of positions (25 – 30%) is reserved for current or past Observers (individuals) or their organizations who have only served one term. Primary or alternate individuals or their organizations who have already served two terms (consecutive or non-consecutive) are not eligible.

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 Selection Criteria

The following criteria will be applied to the CSO, IPO, and PSE Observer organizations to ensure balance and diversity among the Observers regarding geographic coverage, gender & social inclusion, institutional diversity, technical expertise, and networking capacity.

1. Geographic Coverage: The goal is to have all seven regions (East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, North America, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa) of the world represented across the selected set of Observer organizations.
2. Gender Equity & Social Inclusion: The goal is to have an equal number of men and women selected as Observers and ensure that less represented and marginalized sub-constituencies (e.g., youth, people with disabilities) are represented. For this reason, special efforts will be made to select observer organizations represented by women and marginalized constituencies.  
3. Organizational Diversity: The goal is to have different types of organizations from all three constituency sectors represented. This includes organizations of different institutional types (e.g., NGOs, community groups, networks, associations, companies), activities carried out (e.g., policy advocacy, research, service provision, financing, training), and sizes (e.g., large, small), and which work on different levels (e.g., global, regional, national, and local).
4. Technical Expertise: The goal is to have a set of Observers with technical expertise from a broad range of areas that reflect CIF’s priorities (e.g., clean energy, forest management, community resilience, gender & social inclusion, and just transition) to support effective participation in the Trust Fund Committee meetings. 
5. Networks: The goal is to have Observers with clear connections to key local, national, regional, and/or global networks, including links to other climate funds and climate-related processes (e.g., UNFCCC).

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Applications were due January 7, 2025 at 11:59 pm UTC. The application period has now closed.

Please contact RESOLVE (cifobserver2025@resolve.ngo) with any questions.

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On December 2, 2024, the CIF, RESOLVE, and SAN co-hosted a webinar to launch the Observer Selection Process for the 2025-2027 cohort of civil society organization, indigenous peoples' organization, and private sector entity Observers. During the webinar, Dora Cudjoe and John Garrison from CIF provided background on the CIF Stakeholder Observer program and provided an overview of the selection process. Ladd Connell (Bank Information Center) and Kairos Dela Cruz (Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities) shared lessons from their experiences as Observers. Maya Breitburg-Smith, RESOLVE, described the steps in the selection process and selection criteria in detail. Webinar materials are available for download here.

Missed the webinar? Watch a recording below:

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Have a question about the CIF Observer selection process? 

Email the RESOLVE Team (Maya Breitburg-Smith, Erin Bongard, and Nate Ogle) at cifobserver2025@resolve.ngo‍

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If you would like to join our mailing list to learn more about the CIF Observer program, please complete the form at this link.

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