International Consultant for the Design of a Biodiversity Credit Scheme Pilot

Project:  Nature-based solutions in the Guinean Forests of West Africa

WORK PACKAGE: Consultancy
LOCATION: Home based (with the possibility of travel to West Africa)
DURATION: 25 working days
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the 14th of April, 2024

Job Offer:

The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and the Centre d’Etude de Coopération International (CECI) are seeking candidates for a project funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in the Guinean forests.

Organization Overview:

• WUSC: Leading non-profit international development organization dedicated to creating a more equitable and sustainable world, with a focus on empowering youth, especially women and refugees.
• CECI: Canadian organization committed to fighting poverty and exclusion by strengthening the capacities of disadvantaged communities, promoting gender equality, and addressing climate change.

The NbS Guinean Forest Project:

• Funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented in Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana by a consortium comprising WUSC and CECI.
• Collaboration with partners like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), CIFOR-ICRAF, ABANTU for Development, and the University of Guelph.
• Aims to enhance gender-responsive climate change adaptation solutions in the Guinean forest region, focusing on women’s leadership, forest restoration, and gender-sensitive investments.
• Targeting six landscapes across the three countries:
  • Ghana: Lake Bosumtwi and the Wassa Amenfi Landscapes
  • Guinea: Kounoukan and Madina Oula Forest Reserves
  • Côte D’Ivoire: Loh Djiboua and the Nawa

Nature and Scope of the Assignment:

As part of its first pillar, the project aims to enhance women’s leadership and gender-transformative climate change adaptation planning in the Guinean forests. A key strategy involves conducting a biodiversity assessment in targeted forest landscapes to gather evidence on species diversity and distribution, utilizing DNA barcoding for rapid and large-scale surveys.

Detailed information on biodiversity and its distribution is crucial for biodiversity management and climate change adaptation. The project will address this through assessments in protected and heavily impacted habitats across the three countries. These assessments can also support private sector compliance with EU deforestation regulations by providing essential data for reporting and investment decisions.

The project, under its third pillar, seeks to increase gender-responsive investments in nature-based climate change solutions in the Guinean forests. This includes exploring public interest in payments for environmental services (PES), which can incentivize community engagement in forest restoration and sustainable land use practices.

By piloting a biodiversity credits scheme using the PES approach, the project aligns with market-based mechanisms to encourage conservation. Implementation will target six landscapes across Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, and Guinea, leveraging private sector investments to support climate adaptation and biodiversity initiatives. Focus will be on PES pilots that build on existing interventions, demonstrate sustainability, and yield short-term outcomes in line with the project's duration.

Main Objective of the Assignment:

The project seeks to hire an international consultant to analyze planned interventions, identify suitable Payment for Environmental Services (PES) mechanisms, and recommend strategies to achieve specific objectives. The overarching goal is to pilot PES-supported activities in each implementing country, leveraging existing efforts, attracting private sector investment, and yielding sustainable outcomes.

Specific objectives of the assignment include:

1. Understand the landscape of PES, focusing on existing or emerging systems in project areas, and explore opportunities for project contribution and scalability.
2. Assess the Biodiversity credits market status, evaluating its relevance and feasibility for project integration.
3. Investigate industry interest in PES investments aligned with project objectives, especially regarding biodiversity credits.
4. Determine appropriate cost models for recommended PES schemes, emphasizing co-investment approaches.

Deliverables:

• Conduct a literature review on PES within target countries.
• Provide an overview of PES schemes, particularly related to biodiversity, and recommend pathways for project consideration.
• Assess industry interest in relevant PES models.
• Develop a cost-benefit analysis for recommended PES schemes, considering short-term timelines.
• Design a co-funding investment model for PES involving private sector and other stakeholders.
• Co-facilitate a workshop with critical stakeholders to present findings, engage stakeholders, and validate results.
• Prepare a final report incorporating feedback from the public-private sector workshop.

Level of Effort:

This consultancy entails a total of 25 days. The consultant will conduct interviews with various stakeholders, including staff from WUSC and CECI, project partners, public and private sector representatives, key members of the biodiversity credit alliance, and other relevant parties. Additionally, the consultant will collaborate with the project team to design and co-facilitate a workshop to present findings and recommendations, engaging private sector and other stakeholders.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate should possess:

• A Master's degree in climate change, green finance, conservation, environmental studies, sustainable agriculture, or a related field.
• A minimum of 10 years' experience in designing climate policies, biodiversity credit projects, carbon projects, or other Payments for Environmental Services (PES) schemes.
• International experience in designing or implementing carbon, climate adaptation, or biodiversity conservation projects in West Africa.
• Proven expertise in PES, climate finance, or biodiversity finance, with a strong understanding of biodiversity credit frameworks, standards, and methodologies.
• Knowledge of gender mainstreaming within PES schemes is advantageous.
• Familiarity with forestry landscapes in Guinea, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire is beneficial.
• Fluency in English with intermediate proficiency in French is required for this consultancy.

Application procedure

Candidates are invited to apply by submitting a technical proposal that outlines their proposed approach for carrying out the consultancy, including their CV and financial offer. Selected candidates will be asked to make a presentation of the proposed approach as part of the interview process.  To submit completed applications. please click on this application form

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