National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility

Call for Tool Development Partners to support

development and implementation of the

NCCARF Phase 2 Coastal Climate Risk Management Tool

Completed application forms should be emailed to: director.nccarf@griffith.edu.au no later than close of business 26th June 2015

Queries should be directed to Jean Palutikof at j.palutikof@griffith.edu.au

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1. Overview

Through this Call, NCCARF is seeking to identify between six and eight partners to work with in the development and implementation of a Coastal Climate Risk Management Tool, due for release in beta form in July 2016, and to be finalised by February 2017.

The main points of this Call are: Partners should be organizations that are likely users of the Tool in its final form. NCCARF

envisages that local councils, small businesses, utility companies, NGOs, consultants and similar are likely to apply.

Partners should either be already taking action to adapt to climate change and sea-level rise in the coastal zone, or considering taking the first steps. Applications from organisations that are currently undertaking activities that could be supported by the Tool (please consult the Project Plan for NCCARF Phase 2 for more information about the purpose and content of the Tool, see http://www.nccarf.edu.au/content/project-plan-2014-2017) are particularly welcomed.

Partnership will involve:o testing and evaluating elements of the Tool as these become available, and

providing feedback to NCCARF;o attending meetings with NCCARF and other partners, at start-up to understand the

purpose of the partnership and provide initial input to Tool development, and then 3-monthly to discuss progress in Tool development;

o where appropriate, raising awareness of the Tool at meetings that involve other potential users (note that this does not necessarily imply endorsement).

NCCARF will pay each partner $10,000 to participate. Payment will be in three tranches: 30% at commencement, 50% after 6 months against satisfactory performance, final payment following delivery and approval (by the NCCARF Director) of a short (3-4 page) final report on or about 1 September 2016.

NCCARF expects to get partnership arrangements in place as soon as possible, with the first meeting of partners taking place in late July or early August 2015.

Applications should be made by completing the attached application form and emailing it to director.nccarf@griffith.edu.au.

Closing date for applications is 26 June 2015. Applicants will be notified of the result no later than 17 July 2015. Applicants are asked to hold the provisional dates of 29-30 July for the first meeting of the partnership.

2. Context:

The National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) was established in 2008 with a grant from the Australian Government of $50 million over five years. It is based at Griffith University, but has a mandate to operate nationally. Its mission is to develop and communicate the knowledge needed by decision makers to adapt effectively to climate change. During its first phase of operation, NCCARF managed a research program of $30 million and around 100 projects based at universities throughout Australia, operated eight networks to build capacity in the research and end user communities, and carried out numerous communication and outreach activities, including one international and three national conferences for adaptation researchers and practitioners (see, for

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example, www.nccarf.edu.au/conference2014/). Further information about NCCARF can be obtained from the website www.nccarf.edu.au.

NCCARF completed its first phase of operation in 2013. The Australian Government, through the Department of the Environment, is funding NCCARF for a second phase, which started in October 2014, with a grant of $8.8 million over 33 months. In this second phase, emphasis is on adaptation in the coastal zone

2. NCCARF Phase 2

Under Phase 2, NCCARF’s funded activities are to:

(a) Deliver a tool to guide local and state governments and other organisations make better decisions about managing risks from coastal climate change;

(b) Deliver relevant and accessible climate adaptation material synthesising research information for policy and decision makers; and

(c) Operate four adaptation networks in natural ecosystems, settlements and infrastructure, social, economic and institutional dimensions, and vulnerable communities.

Just under half the budget in Phase 2 is devoted to Activity (a), around managing risks from climate change and sea-level rise in the coastal zone.

3. The NCCARF Coastal Tool

Under Activity (a), NCCARF is currently in the process of designing and building a Coastal Tool which will support coastal stakeholders to take practical actions to prepare for and manage climate risk, and provide practical guidance on how to manage the associated physical, social and economic risks. It will make use of national data sets and research outputs that have been developed over the past 5 years by various organisations and will include clear guidance on good practice and links to case studies.

The Tool will be national in scope, but will include access to sufficient information and knowledge to ensure that it is applicable for the range of climates and regulatory and planning systems throughout Australia. It will focus on the needs of government, particularly at the local level, but will be applicable also to the needs of all stakeholders on the coast including natural resource management groups and coastal infrastructure operators.

The Tool will consider natural and built assets, and will be based on the needs of end users determined through extensive engagement and consultation. It will be designed to meet planning and decision-making needs in coastal areas of high biodiversity, of new developments and where substantial assets are already at some risk from coastal climate hazards.

Providing users with access to the best available science and leading advice and practice on coastal climate risk and sea-level rise, the Tool will be presented in ways that make the information accessible to and understandable by non-technical users.

The Tool will provide guidance on all aspects of adaptation planning in the coastal zone including but not limited to community engagement, risk assessment and adaptation options.

For more information about the purpose and content of the Coastal Tool, please consult the Project Plan for NCCARF Phase 2, see www.nccarf.edu.au/content/project-plan-2014-2017.

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4. Coastal Tool partnerships

In order to maximise the likelihood that the Tool will be adopted and used by decision-makers and practitioners in the coastal zone, a strong component of stakeholder consultation is built into the design stage of the Coastal Tool. NCCARF has, since start-up in October 2014, undertaken widespread consultation through workshops and an on-line survey. That first phase of engagement is reported on in the Analysis of End User Needs report, available for download from www.nccarf.edu.au. It is now drawing to a close as NCCARF moves into the development and construction phase of the Tool.

NCCARF recognises the need for on-going engagement and consultation with stakeholders throughout Tool development and construction. It is exploring a range of approaches to achieve this goal, of which the principal is the setting up of partnerships with target end users of the Tool. These are likely to be situated in local councils, small business enterprises, utility companies, NGOs and consultancies working in the coastal zone. These organisations should either be already taking action to adapt to climate change and sea-level rise in the coastal zone, or considering taking the first steps. We are particularly interested in applications from organisations that are currently undertaking activities that could be supported by the Tool; for example, carrying out a vulnerability or impact assessment, seeking to identify adaptation options and/or carrying out a cost-benefit evaluation of adaptation options and avoidable impacts.

5. Partnership: what is involved?

Partners will be expected to support NCCARF in Tool development by:

Attending an initial meeting, to take place in late July or early August. This meeting is likely to involve an overnight stay. Its purpose is for NCCARF to:

o Brief partners on NCCARF’s activities in Phase 2, and in particular the role and purpose of the Coastal Tool;

o Explain current thinking on the structure and content of the Tool, and plans for development (if possible, NCCARF will circulate the Development Plan for the Coastal Tool, a document which should be submitted to the Department of the Environment for approval on 1 July 2015);

o Obtain partner feedback on the current state-of-play with the Coastal Tool, and views on how Tool development should proceed.

It is likely that other stakeholders (for example, representatives of state government) will be invited to attend this meeting.Applicants are asked to hold the provisional date of 29-30 July 2015 for the first meeting of the partnership.

Attending regular meetings with NCCARF and the other Tool Development Partners at around 3-monthly intervals to discuss progress on Tool development;

Testing and evaluating elements of the Tool as these become available, and providing feedback to NCCARF;

Where appropriate, raising awareness of the Tool at meetings that involve other potential users (note that this does not necessarily imply endorsement).

In addition, partners will be expected to prepare and submit a short (3-4 page) final Activity Report on or about 1 September 2016.

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NCCARF will pay each partner $10,000 to participate. Payment will be in three tranches: 30% at commencement, 50% after 6 months against satisfactory performance, final payment following delivery and approval (by the NCCARF Director) of the final activity report on or about 1 September 2016. Note that travel and accommodation costs to attend meetings will be met by NCCARF, in addition to the payment of $10,000.

NCCARF expects to get partnership arrangements in place as soon as possible, with the first meeting of partners taking place in late July or early August 2015.

6. How to apply

Applications should be submitted by completing the attached application form and emailing it to director.nccarf@nccarf.edu.au.

Partners will be selected by NCCARF together with experts in coastal adaptation. Consideration will be given to geographical spread, and the diversity of focus, scale and expertise of potential participating organisations. This will increase the likelihood that that all aspects of the Tool will be reviewed.

The closing date for applications is 26 June 2015. Applicants will be notified of the result no later than 17 July 2015.

If you have any queries about this Call or your application, please email Jean Palutikof, j.palutikof@griffith.edu.au in the first instance.

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National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility

Application Formto enter into a

Tool Development PartnershipDeadline for Proposals: 26th June 2014

Proposals must be emailed to:

Director.nccarf@griffith.edu.au

Submissions may be Word or pdf files

SECTION 1 – Contacts

1.1 Primary contact

We will use this information for all formal and informal contacts between NCCARF and the applicant.

Title: First Name: Surname:

Position: Organisation:

Contact Address:

Suburb: State: Post Code:

Email Address:

Phone: Work Mobile: Fax:

1.2 Secondary contact

Please provide details for a secondary contact.

Title: First Name: Surname:

Position:

Email Address:

Phone: Work Mobile: Fax:

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SECTION 2 – Organisation details

2.1 Partner organisation

Complete the details below for the organisation that is applying to be a Tool Development Partner and will take responsibility for administering the partnership. Details of contact people in this organisation can be provided in Section 1 above.

Institution Name:

Postal Address:

Suburb: State: Post Code:

Office Address:

Suburb: State: Post Code:

2.2 Partner organisation identification

Australian Business Number (ABN) and/or Australian Company Number (ACN):

ABN

ACN

Is the host organisation:

GST registered? Y/N Incorporated? Y/N

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Section 3 – Suitability to be a Tool Development Partner

Do you consider that climate change and sea-level rise need to be taken into account by decision-makers in the coastal zone at the present time? What are the principal risks from climate change and sea-level rise?

Please describe, in no more than 200 words, activities that have been undertaken by your organization to adapt to climate change, climate variability and sea-level rise in the coastal zone.

Is your organization planning to take action in the next twelve months to adapt to climate change, climate variability and sea-level rise in the coastal zone? If the answer is yes, please describe what is planned, in no more than 300 words.

Please outline, in no more than 200 words, why your organization would make a good partner for NCCARF in the development of the Coastal Tool.

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Section 4 – Payment information

All partners will be required to enter into a formal Provision of Services Agreement with NCCARF. A copy of this agreement will be provided to the successful applicants or upon request.

NCCARF will pay each partner a total of $10,000 plus gst. Payments will be made in 3 instalments as follows:

Instalment 1: $3,000 plus gst payable on signing of the NCCARF Provision of Services Agreement; Instalment 2: $5,000 plus gst payable 6 months from commencement date (signing of the agreement) based on satisfactory performance as determined by the NCCARF Director;Instalment 3: $2,000 plus gst payable on delivery of the final report and approval by the Director.

Other Costs - NCCARF will arrange and pay for partner’s economy travel and accommodation requirements or alternatively will reimburse for economy travel and accommodation costs necessary for attending the partner meetings as required.

NCCARF will require valid tax invoices to be issued for payments to be made and payments terms are 30 days from receipt of invoice.

Section 5 - Certification

On behalf of the organisation applying to be a partner, I (the head or other authorised officer of the organisation) certify that all the details on this application form are true and correct.

Signature

Name:

Position:

Date:

Witness

Name:

Position:

Date:

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