ARA shared learning process on climate risk: Call for applications

1. Background to the ARA

The ARA is a global collaborative effort with over 110 member institutions from almost 40 countries that seeks to catalyse increased investment and capacity for action-oriented research that supports effective adaptation to climate change – primarily in developing countries. The ARA focuses on ensuring that increased ambition can be delivered through evidence-based action and recognising that practical action is required to minimize and avert loss and damage. More on the ARA here.

2. What is the opportunity?

The Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA) invites organisations to participate in a Shared Learning Process on Climate Risk. The members of ARA consider ‘Climate risk’ to be a comprehensive concept spanning both socio-economic and bio-physical elements and have identified this to be a vitally important area of learning and collaboration for the Alliance.

Therefore, this virtual learning process on climate risk will bring national, international, and local organisations and institutions together to mobilise effective knowledge, catalyse collaboration and generate new knowledge on this theme.

The learning process will involve two workshops: one global and one regional with a co-developed learning exercise in between. Participating organisations will receive technical and financial support to participate, with the ARA providing GBP 3,000 to up to 30 organisations and one-on-one support.

Activities for this learning process will take place between January and March 2022.

The objectives of this initiative are

• Catalyse peer to peer learning amongst ARA members and other organisations on climate risk assessment and management
• Generate a shared understanding of challenges that the ARA can work towards overcoming and good practices that the ARA must amplify
• Forge regional networks and communities of practice on climate risk management

2.1. Specifically, the learning process will entail:

One Global Workshop

(Held twice to accommodate different time zones) to take place on the 31st of January and the 1st of February. This highly interactive learning event will-

• Map current knowledge and experience on climate risks assessment
• Explore how and where knowledge and expertise can be exchanged
• Review salient insights from the recently concluded global consultative process on Climate Risk Assessment undertaken by the ARA
• Agree on a joint ‘learning task’ to be completed by all participants for the Regional Workshop

Participating organisations will need to attend only one of the two workshops, investing approximately half a day in attending the workshop.

Learning Exercise.

At the Global workshop, participants will jointly agree on a set of short learning questions that they will answer over the next 4 weeks (i.e. ahead of the Regional Workshop). The questions will help collate an understanding of activities, innovations and challenges associated with climate risk assessment and management. This will form the basis of the peer-to-peer learning in the regional workshops. Participating organisations will also receive one-on-one calls with workshop facilitators to discuss any challenges in completing the task and allow space for questions and clarification. Overall, this exercise will help build a shared understanding of challenges and good practice around climate risk assessment/ management and will also form the basis of discussions at the regional workshops.

Participating organisations will need to invest approximately one day spread over a four-week period in the learning exercise.

Three regional workshops.

Participants will attend one regional workshop (depending on their location: Latin America/Caribbean, South/East Asia and the Pacific, North/Sub-Saharan Africa). These workshops will take the format of a peer-to-peer learning process that will rely on the results of the learning exercise. The dates of the workshop will be determined in consultation with participants but will most likely take place in the week commencing 28th February.

• Elicit examples of climate risk assessment approaches currently being undertaken—looking at what works well and why.
• Look at key hurdles and challenges in processes of climate risk assessment and management.
• Generate learnings and ways forward on overcoming the challenges identified.
• Forge regional mutual-support networks and communities of practice on climate risk assessment and management

Participating organisations will need to invest approximately one day in attending the workshop.

3. Who is eligible?

• Government, non-government, private sector or other organisations and institutions across the globe working on climate change adaptation and climate change risk management are encouraged to apply
• ARA membership is encouraged but not mandatory. See this for more detail.
• The ARA is looking to ensure a geographically representative set of participating organisations.
• In line with the ARA's intended impacts of promoting Southern leadership, the ARA will prioritise organisations and institutions working in the Global South.

4. How to apply

To apply to participate in this learning process, a short questionnaire must be completed. This questionnaire will take no more than 15 minutes to complete.

Please note that this questionnaire will be used to inform the selection process.

Applications will close on the 17th of January. Successful applicants will be notified by no later than January 24th, 2022.