Working together for climate resilience

Development as such is already complex. Development in line with all or most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and country- or sector-specific objectives and frameworks is immensely challenging.

International technical and financial cooperation can support countries and subnational entities such as cities, states and provinces, in developing capacities and accessing finance for development. The results of such cooperation are likely to be best if organisations work hand in hand to ensure effective and efficient use of available resources. However, actors in development cooperation often have heterogeneous and sometimes competing strategic perspectives, institutional set-ups and aid instruments, translating into high management costs for recipient governments.

Acknowledging previous and on-going discussions on aid effectiveness, this working paper seeks to shed light on challenges and entry points for practical collaboration between technical and financial development partners in projects on the ground. Using insights from several cases of practical collaboration, the paper aims to:

• contribute to the understanding of how technical and financial organisations work together practically to create joint impact;
• provide entry points for project managers and donor organisations on how to increase collaborative action between technical and financial partners; and to
• stimulate further consideration, discussion and in-depth analysis of the topic by project managers and organisations wishing to leverage synergies with other actors of development cooperation.

The paper is primarily meant to inform practitioners working on building climate resilience through climate change mitigation and, in particular, adaptation.

Further publications of the project:

• The Roles of the Private Sector in Climate Change Adaptation - an Introduction
• Bottom-Up Innovation for Adaptation Financing
• Steering International Adaptation Finance Towards the Local Level
• Financing adaptation to climate change – an introduction