Consulting Services to Review and Advise on the Establishment of the Local Fund under the Framework of Cattien Pro-Poor REDD Project

Country:            Vietnam
Organisation:    SNV – Netherlands Development Organisation
Program:           Climate Change
Project:             Cat Tien Pro-Poor Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) Project
Abstract:           Consulting services to review and advice on the establishment of the local fund.
Duration:          25 Days

1. Background:
- The Cat Tien Landscape Pro-Poor Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) project is the first pilot REDD project in Vietnam. The project is concentrated in  4 communes: Dong Nai Thuong and Tien Hoang (Cat Tien district) and Loc Bac, Loc Bao communes (Bao Lam district) with the project duration from 2009 – 2012.
- Main activities conducted under the project so far have focused on research projects to ascertain baseline socio-economic assessments and alternative livelihood options for the four communes. Training in community carbon measurement and monitoring has also been completed.
- Establishing a local fund is an essential component of the Cat Tien Pro-Poor REDD project and will be used to distribute payments for forest carbon to local communities. The local fund will serve the following roles:
- To provide an initial step to developing the benefit distribution system (BDS) that is one of the most important components of the REDD project.
- To link with the forest protection and development fund (FPDF) of Lam Dong province in distributing payments for forest carbon in the project areas.
- To be used for the disbursement of payments to communities for biodiversity and carbon measurement and monitoring
- To disburse the financial support of the Project to local communities for the implementation of selected alternative livelihood options.

The project plans to establish a local fund in the first six months of 2011 and is looking for qualified consulting services to review and advise on the establishment of the local fund under the framework of Cattien Pro-Poor REDD Project.

2. SNV’s Assignment Objectives:
The objective of the assignment is to provide technical assistance to local project partners in establishing the fund at commune level and to build capacity of commune staff in the long term management of the fund. The assignment will be carried out by a national consultant or consultant team with experience in developing fund mechanisms alongside SNV advisors.

3. Tasks of the consultant:
- Conduct a feasibility assessment and provide advice on establishing the local fund given the above expectations;
- Determine the modalities of links between the local fund and provincial Forest Protection Development Fund (FPDF) of Lam Dong province;
- Work with the relevant stakeholders at local level  to develop regulations to establish and manage the local fund;
- Organize workshop with local project partners to obtain their consultation and support in establishing the local fund;
- Develop and deliver a capacity building program to the commune staff who will be responsible for administering the fund in the four project communes.

4. Expected outputs and deliverables:
- Based on the above tasks, the consultant should support the project partners to deliver:
- Regulations for the local fund;
- Guidelines for the Local Fund’s Operation and Management and implementation plan at the commune level;
- Capacity building program for local fund staff at commune level;
- A report on fund mechanisms

5. Qualifications
The consultant should demonstrate expertise in:
- At least 7 years experience in financing forestry or natural resource management finance and other social development sectors of Vietnam;
- Experience in the implementation, establishment and operation of development of funds for forestry or natural resource management and/or social funds in Vietnam;
- Excellent understanding of the legal and government (National and Provincial) requirements and processes for fund establishment;
- Experience in working with, and of support of local authorities
- Excellent facilitation and communication skills;
- Fluent in English and Vietnamese (speaking + writing);
- Previous work experience in the Central Highland region of Vietnam is an advantage.

6. Timeframe and Location
The consultant will be recruited for a period of 25 days over a period of 2 months (with possible extension if necessary) from the date of signing the contract.
Interested consultants or consulting firms must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform these services to the highest professional standard.  A consultant for this assignment will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out by SNV. Interested individual consultants and or firms may obtain further information from the SNV Lam Dong (cell phone: 0932334004 or email [email protected] ). Expressions of interest should be emailed to [email protected] and should be clearly marked “Expression of Interest for Consultancy Service to Establish Local Fund” No Later Than 7 March 2011.