Agri-NBS Specialist

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI):

AGRI-NBS SPECIALIST – NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR

BACKGROUND

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

SNV is a not-for-profit international development organisation driven by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Founded in the Netherlands in 1965, we have built a long-term country presence in over 24 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Our global team of local and international advisors works with local partners to equip communities, businesses, and organizations with the tools, knowledge, and connections they need to increase their incomes and gain access to markets and basic services - empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and guide their own development. Our work focuses on three sectors - Agriculture, Energy, and Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH).

SNV has been working in Viet Nam since 1995, and currently has over 30 national and international staff. SNV Viet Nam’s team works hand-in-hand with communities, government agencies, and businesses in more than 50 provinces, including the remotest and poorest areas of the country. We operate from a country head office in Hanoi and regional offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Dalat.

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION

Viet Nam is widely recognized as being one of the countries most adversely impacted by climate change mainly due to the large proportion of the population living in low-lying coastal and delta regions and dependent on land and agriculture for their livelihoods. SNV Viet Nam’s Agriculture sector portfolio of projects is therefore strongly oriented towards supporting the Government of Viet Nam’s international climate change commitments as well as domestic policies on adaptation to climate change and agricultural restructuring i.e., supporting actions that enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers in priority climate-vulnerable landscapes and aim to transform key sub-sectors towards clean and sustainable production and higher-value markets. In doing so, SNV promotes market-based solutions that benefit rural poor and marginalized communities through inclusive value-chain development.

SNV Viet Nam was recently selected in partnership with IUCN, UNEP, and the International Centre for Environmental Management (ICEM) to lead the preparation of a new bilateral project as part of the German government’s International Climate Initiative (IKI). The project is entitled “Viet Nam Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation in Agriculture through Private Sector Transformation” (VN-ADAPT). The project aims to accelerate the adoption of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the agriculture sector with a focus on two key climate vulnerable landscapes – the Mekong River Delta (MRD) and the Central Highlands. It is expected that the detailed project proposal shall be prepared between May 2022 and January 2023.

To assist with the preparation of this exciting and much-needed project, SNV now seeks the services of a Senior National Agriculture Specialist with relevant expertise in climate smart and nature-based solutions to assist with the design of project components and interventions.

KEY TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Consultant is expected to perform the following key tasks and responsibilities under the guidance of SNV’s International Team Leader and in coordination with other project preparation team members, as required:

1. Support the project preparation team with the identification of relevant stakeholders and linked projects with whom the project design shall be consulted.
2. Conduct desk-based research and analysis to support the contextualisation and framing of the project scope and interventions. Anticipated key areas of desk-based review: Government plans, policies and legislation pertaining to climate change and sustainable agriculture; NbS/EbA models in the agriculture sector in Viet Nam; Relevant Multi-stakeholder Platforms (MSPs) and/or Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the agriculture sector, key sub-sectors and project target landscapes; Selected agricultural sub-sectors and market conditions, requirements and trends for key commodities (contributing to completion of background reports on stakeholder mapping and analysis, relevant legal and policy framework, and agriculture sectors and markets).
3. Develop an appropriate survey methodology and work plan for the collection of additional information in support of overall project and component design.
4. Conduct interviews with key informants/stakeholders in Ha Noi and during field missions in target provinces in the MRD and Central Highlands
5. Lead the preparation of a thematic assessment report regarding the effectiveness of existing MSPs/PPPs in the agriculture sector, key constraints, bottlenecks and opportunities and recommended interventions to strengthen public-private coordination, innovation and action on climate smart agriculture and in particular the scaling of NbS/EbA in the agriculture sector (approx. 20 pages).
6. Working with other team members, conduct interviews/surveys and contribute to other thematic assessments concerning the legal and policy framework for NbS/EbA in the agriculture sector and incentives for stimulating private innovation and investment.
7. Contribute towards the drafting of project work packages and activities (particularly related to public-private coordination and legal/policy development) based on the desk-based reviews and interviews/surveys
8. Collaborate with other team members to elaborate linkages with and provide inputs to other cross-cutting elements of the project (e.g. identifying M&E indicators and approaches, environmental and social safeguards, knowledge management etc.)
9. Present key assessment findings, project strategies, approaches and work packages at national and regional consultation workshops
10. Provide inputs and support the finalisation of relevant sections of the project proposal integrating the comments of key stakeholders during consultation
11. Provide advice on suitable institutional arrangements for project implementation and monitoring.

For more details on the Expression of Interest process, submission requirements, and evaluation details, please see corresponding sections below:

Selection Process

SNV will review all Expressions of Interest received in accordance with the guidelines and criteria in this solicitation. SNV reserves the right to exclude any EOIs that do not meet the guidelines. Please note that SNV is unable to provide detailed feedback to those EOIs that are not selected.

Step 1: SNV will shortlist selected EOIs, and unsuccessful respondents will be notified. Successful applicants will be contacted by SNV.

Step 2: SNV will release Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the specific activities and contract with the selected organizations/ consultants.

Protection of Information

We request that Expressions of Interest responses be free of any intellectual property that the applicant wishes to protect. Should offerors wish to include proprietary intellectual property that they believe would be helpful for SNV, please note the proprietary nature of such information. Costing information will be kept confidential and will not be shared beyond SNV.

Issuance of this EOI does not constitute a commitment, award, or engagement on the part of SNV nor does it commit SNV to any future commitment or engagement.

Note: SNV reserves the right to change or cancel this requirement in the EOI/or solicitation process at any time.