Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)
H (no hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
CONTR Local Professional Level
Target Start Date
2025-03-03
Deadline for Applications
February 10, 2025
Terms of Reference
Individual Consultancy Contract with UNHCR, Division of External Relations, Innovative Finance and Brazil Country Office
Duty station: Homebased
Duration: 3 March 2025 to 31 July 2025 (or later depending on completion of all deliverables)
Working arrangement: Part-time
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES:
UNHCR seeks to help address these complex issues by creating an innovative and sustainable financing mechanism to invest in strengthening and scaling up UNHCR reforestation programs in climate-vulnerable refugee-hosting communities in northern Brazil.
Prior to the start of this consultancy a consultation with communities on the interest for the project will be done in accordance with Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 which is an International Labour Organization Convention, also known as ILO Convention 169, or C169.
The carbon impact of these programs would be registered and verified (e.g., via Gold Standard) to generate large-scale refugee-generated carbon credits. The sale of these credits would go to the communities, allowing it to re-invest in new reforestation and livelihoods programs, making the Fund more financially and operationally sustainable over time and offsetting the costs to host refugees. The Fund’s environmental programs would in addition generate green jobs for refugees and host communities in places where they can be employed.
Reforestation Sites to consider for feasibility:
- Sakau Mota (Pacaraima)
- Tarau Paru (Pacaraima)
- Bananal (Pacaraima)
- Sorocaima I (Pacaraima)
The Scope of Work of the consultancy does NOT include the registration and certification of the project.
PURSPOSE AND SCOPE OF ASSIGNMENT:
1. REQUIREMENTS
1.1. Project title or core requirement
Refugee Environmental Protection Fund Project Feasibility Study
The consultancy would be responsible for feasibility studies which will include an analysis of the following topics:
I. Identification and Classification of Opportunity
a. Identify the emission reduction opportunity, classify it within the technical scopes of carbon projects and identify applicable methodologies (MDL or VCS) to the feasibility study.
II. Technical and Legal Eligibility Analysis
a. Apply criteria for identifying the Baseline, evaluating Additionality, and quantifying emission reductions using the applicable methodology identified in Stage 1.
b. Provide a robust view of the project's technical feasibility, development risks, and estimate the carbon credits that could be generated.
c. Provides an analysis of the process of regularizing the carbon credit market in Brazil, involving parliamentary debates and the position of the Federal Government (especially the Ministry of the Environment).Document project additionality (i.e. validation that the project is not economically viable without carbon credit revenue, is not required by law, and will not result in double counting of carbon credits generated).
d. Assess whether the project is viable, taking into account the land availability, suitability of land for growing trees, land ownership or usufruct (in case of Indigenous lands demarcated by the government), with a clear elaboration of why or why not.
III. Financial Viability Analysis
a. Structure a project cash flow, considering investments (CAPEX), operating costs (OPEX), and other carbon project costs (e.g. Registry Account, Emission Fees, validation, MRV (measurement, reporting and verification), registration, etc.) to evaluate financial indicators and return on investment (NPV, IRR, Payback, etc.) over 25 years.
b. Estimate project outcomes and co-benefits, including environmental, social, protection, and economic benefits for refugee and host community beneficiaries; and CO2 impact (i.e. identifying a range of potential emission reduction scenarios).
c. Financial estimate of project economics over 25-year horizon, including detailed breakdown of expected carbon credits generated and associated carbon credit revenue.
IV. Recommendations
a. Conduct a desk review of carbon credit projects already developed and implemented in indigenous communities in Brazil to collect lessons learned in terms of the cultural impact (positive and negative) and risks of community conflict;
b. Provide recommendations on next steps and project development strategies focusing on risk mitigation and maximizing financial results.
c. Recommend implementation design parameters, including potential scale of the project, recommended tree-planting species mix, an analysis of drivers of deforestation and recommended mitigation measures.
d. Recommend legal guidelines to be signed with local authorities and local partners to ensure that tree protection is implemented.
e. Map key risks (implementation, operation and maintenance, legal, political, cultural and community conflicts) and related mitigation measures.
f. Any other recommendations for implementation (e.g. based on the consultations held with Indigenous peoples living in the communities selected according to their protocol, when applicable.), considering the National Policy for Territorial and Environmental Management of Indigenous Lands - PNGATI guidelines.
g. Map existing or potential project implementation partners.
h. Map applicable local, national, and international regulations, including for registering and monetizing carbon credits.
i. Overview of legal arrangements necessary for project implementation and carbon credit ownership and certification (e.g. registration and/or approvals required from the government, carbon certifiers, etc).
j. Overview of similar and/or associated projects being conducted within neighbouring areas and/or geographies.
DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE:
The project is expected to take [4-5] months and will comprise the following phases of work:
A. Planning and Inception
The consultancy would establish and refine the methodology and data collection methods in consultation with UNHCR. A first step of the consultancy would be to confirm and adjust the proposed list of sites to be studied in consultation with UNHCR focal points in each community and to agree with UNHCR on a proposed workplan for conducting the feasibility studies. The expected scope of work would be:
• Confirmation and adjustment (if needed) of proposed list of sites to be studied
• Compilation and preliminary review of documents
• Mapping of stakeholders
• Consultations with communities and other key stakeholders
• Designing and agreeing on the study tools
• Recruitment and Training of enumerators
• Pre-testing of data collection tools
• Revision of the study work plan
• Preparation and submission of the Draft Inception Report
• Preparation and submission of the Final Inception Report
• Preparation and confirmation with UNHCR of the structure of the Project Feasibility Assessment Reports, including assessment criteria
• Kick-off workshop and scheduling of appointments with key Stakeholders
B. Data Collection
The consultancy would be responsible for gathering the data for the feasibility studies, including an initial phase of desk research as well as field visits for more detailed data collection, in coordination with UNHCR focal points. The expected scope of work would be:
• In-depth review of literature
• Key informant interviews (KIIs)
• Household/Individual interviews
• Consultative meetings
• Focused group discussions
• Progress Reporting
C. Data Management and Report Compilation
The consultancy would be responsible for synthesizing the data collected and preparing the Final Project Feasibility Assessment Report on the carbon-financed reforestation projects assessed, including incorporating feedback from key stakeholders including UNHCR. The Final Project Feasibility Assessment Report should provide recommendations for implementation in each site.
The expected scope of work would be:
• Data analysis and Synthesis
• Preparation and submission of a draft [Project Feasibility Assessment Report/ Project brief for each site]
• Validation workshop
• Incorporation of comments
• Preparation and Submission of the Final assessment Report including Project Briefs and financial analysis for each sites.
• Report launch workshop
i. Develop a detailed Workplan and Timeline for all three Phases of the Project, be submitted to and agreed with UNHCR. This should be finalized within the first two weeks of the contract, though it may be adjusted and amended over to the course of the project as needed with agreement with UNHCR.
ii. Update UNHCR on Project activities and findings on a biweekly basis.
iii. Update the UNHCR Project Steering Committee to review the findings of the project and provide guidance on the planned activities for the subsequent Phase, as applicable.
All written communication with UNHCR shall be in English with a good knowledge of Portuguese (desirable Spanish).
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS, SELECTION CRITERIA
- University degree required
Required/mandatory:
- Proven track record of feasibility assessment, and experience with assessing project development relating to carbon credit-financed reforestation projects, including an understanding of applicable legal and regulatory considerations, preferably in developing countries and/or in resource-poor, resource-constrained or humanitarian settings.
- Experience in displacement, conflict and fragile settings including experience in environmental management, conservation and restoration is highly desirable.
- Experience with indigenous peoples and indigenous territories.
Please also provide the CVs of additional personnel assigned to working with UNHCR.
Language:
Required: English
Desirable: Portuguese