Glossary

The Expert Deployment Mechanism for Climate Action in Africa (EDM-CAA) is a five-year (2021-2026), CAD 15 million project funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by Alinea, Econoler, and WSP Canada. The Project will be implemented in up to 48 eligible countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), upon approval of the project plan expected in April 2022.

Based on needs identified at the local level, the Project will deploy Canadian climate change experts to partner with governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector on targeted, short-term technical assistance (TA) projects to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement across the region – with a focus on increasing women’s capabilities to fully participate as active agents of change.

In the case of the CAA project, deployment refers to the assigning of a climate expert to work with a requesting organization, providing technical assistance. During deployment, the TE travels to the country for the short-term assignment.

An approach to development by the Government of Canada whereby needs identified by development partners are matched with experts who can be deployed on a on targeted, short-term basis to provide technical assistance to address the needs.

Launched in 2017, Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) recognizes that supporting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is the best way to build a more peaceful, more inclusive and more prosperous world. To do this, it supports targeted investments, partnerships, innovation and advocacy efforts with the greatest potential to close gender gaps and improve everyone’s chance for success. It also works across other action areas that reflect the multi-dimensional nature of poverty, in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. Working in this way leads to better development results and benefits everyone, including men and boys.

The Agreement is a legally binding international treaty. It entered into force on 4 November 2016. Today, 194 Parties (193 States plus the European Union) have joined the Paris Agreement. The Agreement includes commitments from all countries to reduce their emissions and work together to adapt to the impacts of climate change and calls on countries to strengthen their commitments over time. The Agreement provides a pathway for developed nations to assist developing nations in their climate mitigation and adaptation efforts while creating a framework for the transparent monitoring and reporting of countries’ climate goals.

Government agencies and non-governmental organizations, including gender-responsive and women-led organizations, the private sector, post-secondary institutions and more requesting technical assistance from the CAA project.

The production, transfer, adaptation, mobilization and utilization of services, skills, knowledge and technology. Short-term TA initiatives will be targeted with a budget ceiling of CAD 300,000. In exceptional circumstances, these initiatives can exceed this budget ceiling, particularly those with strategic value that further advance the requesting partner’s efforts in climate change adaptation and/or mitigation. It is anticipated that the Project will support eight to 15 initiatives per year, except for Year 1, with efforts made to take regional and thematic balance into account while focussing on the most vulnerable countries and maximizing mitigation and adaptation outcomes. In addition to expert deployments, the Project will serve to support complementary activities needed to maximize the impacts and sustainability of the TA, including workshops, training, and conferences.

Where feasible, the purposes of such events or initiatives are to facilitate the exchange of climate-related knowledge, expertise, and lessons learned and strengthen South-South networks and climate solutions in the region. This may also include promoting and establishing knowledge exchange platforms.

Note: CAA is no longer taking new requests for South-South Exchange Cooperation in the foreseeable future.