Consultancy to Prepare Pre-feasibility Study for a Carbon Reduction and Removal Project in Vietnam

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consultancy to prepare pre-feasibility study for a carbon reduction and removal project in Vietnam

1. About Earthworm Foundation

Earthworm Foundation (EF) is a Swiss-based not-for-profit organisation with a presence in more than 15 countries worldwide, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and several locations within Europe and the Americas. EF, formerly known as The Forest Trust (TFT), have over 20 years’ experience working in commodity supply chains to foster solutions on the ground that work for people and nature. We employ more than 200 people worldwide and work with companies, communities and producers of raw materials, to transform practices in global supply chains. With an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, we work on the ground with people to create inspiring transformation outcomes. We focus on creating value, engage without judging and carry hope and a positive vision of the future.

2. Project background

Nestlé and EF have worked together since 2010. The partnership was founded on the challenges and transformative approaches linked to Nestlé’s Palm Oil supply chain and expanded to foster solutions across numerous commodities and geographies globally. EF and Nestlé have expanded their partnership to support Nestlé’s Net Zero Carbon roadmap, by integrating a carbon component into existing Landscape project sites to deliver measurable carbon emissions reductions and removals. EF Landscape projects involve a holistic approach to sustainability and responsible sourcing across clearly defined sourcing areas, collaborating with key stakeholders from the private and public sector, farmer associations and civil society in each jurisdiction. In Vietnam, EF have identified Le Thuy District, Quang Binh province, as a strategic location to establish a new Landscape project site linked to global pulp and paper supply chains, validated through a scoping study in 2021. The Le Thuy project site has been selected as a potential site to establish a carbon reduction and removal project, for which EF require a pre-feasibility study. EF do not have a project office established in Quang Binh yet, and the consultant will be required to engage with the EF staff based in the capital (Hanoi) and global team(s).

3. Objective of the consultancy

EF are developing a pre-feasibility study for a carbon reduction and removal project in the Le Thuy District, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, and seeking a consultant to support its development.  The prefeasibility study will investigate the technical, economic, social and environmental considerations of the proposed carbon project.  The study will identify two broad goals:

• Develop carbon project land management plan, GHG emissions forecasts and monitoring: technical and financial aspects of the carbon project (emissions and abatement costs), scale, timelines, organizational structure required to manage the project long term and the monitoring methodology.
• Identify restrictions, limits, and risks: it is essential to clarify any factors that may restrict the project from proceeding, identify any limits the scale and timelines, and all risks that may apply. For example, clarifying land tenure (property rights) and carbon rights.

4. Methodology

The carbon projects are being developed in accordance with Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) carbon accounting standards (plus Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) afforestation/reforestation standards).  The pre-feasibility study report should align with the relevant standards, and include UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). Relevant carbon standards being utilized include:

• VCS VM0042_Methodology-for-Improved-Agricultural-Land-Management_v1.0
• CDM AR-AMS0007 -Small-scale AR projects excluding wetlands v3.1 / AR-ACM0003 Large-scale AR projects excluding wetlands v2.0
• VCS VM0037-Implementation-of-REDDin-Mosaic-Landscapesv1.0
• VCS VM0015-Methodology-for-Avoided-Unplanned-Deforestation-v1.1
• VCS VM0009 Methodology for Avoided Ecosystem Conversion, v3.0

The consultant may be required to conduct fieldwork in Le Thuy District, Quang Binh, to meet the requirements of the study.

5. Scope of work and expected outputs

The consultant is expected to contribute to the preparation of a pre-feasibility analysis of a carbon mitigation project within pulp and paper supply chains in Vietnam. EF will provide a pre-defined report structure to be completed by the consultant, the chapters of which include:

EF prefer that the consultant is based in Vietnam but may consider the study being done remotely (with fieldwork done by EF and/or a local consultant). Due to COVID-19-related travel and entry restrictions to Vietnam, EF will not engage a consultant who is currently based outside of Vietnam and who intends to lead the study locally.

In the following, the scope of work and expectations for each scenario are detailed.

a. Consultant based in Vietnam

Inception research period: The consultant will conduct a brief desk study of relevant project documentation provided by EF, available data and relevant standards. On the basis of this information, the consultant will design a detailed plan, including methodologies for data collection and analysis, sampling, data collection tools, and a field travel timeline. The consultant will be supported by EF’s local and regional staff, especially with regards to sampling and field visit logistics. The survey plan will be presented to EF in the form of an inception report (in English).

Field work: Upon approval of the inception report, the consultant will lead the data collection process in the field. EF’s local team will support the consultant, and therefore, the fieldwork component will include a training session for EF staff on data collection needs and tools.

Data analysis and presentation: The consultant is expected to digitise and analyse all data collected. The survey findings will be presented to EF in the form of a final report (in English), with the raw data (including assumptions, equations and conversion factors) included as part of the annex. Additionally, the consultant will present the findings of the survey to EF in a digital debriefing session (in English).

b. Consultant based outside of Vietnam

Inception research period: The consultant will conduct a brief desk study of relevant project documentation provided by EF, available data and relevant standards. On the basis of this information, the consultant will design a detailed plan, including methodologies for data collection and analysis, sampling, and data collection tools. The consultant will be supported by EF’s local and regional staff for any raw data collection. The survey plan will be presented to EF in the form of an inception report (in English).

Field work: Upon approval of the inception report, the consultant will remotely support the local EF team (or local consultant) to conduct data collection. Prior to the field visit, the consultant will train the EF team in the data collection tools through digital training sessions and ensure that they have an in-depth understanding of the tools and the data collection methodology. The consultant will be expected to be available/on-call throughout the field work period, with regular check-in calls to guide, debrief, and troubleshoot.

Data analysis and presentation: The consultant will oversee data entry (if a paper-based methodology is chosen) by the EF team, and analyse all data collected. The survey findings will be presented to EF in the form of a final report (in English), with the raw data (including assumptions, equations and conversion factors) included as part of the annex. Additionally, the consultant will present the findings of the survey to EF in a digital debriefing session (in English).

6. Timeframe

Recruitment is expected to be finalised by 10 January 2022. The consultancy will be carried out between January and April, with the final report submitted to EF no later than 30 April 2022.

7. Budget

The budget proposal as part of the application should include the following:

• Daily rate of the consultant (professional fees), as well as a total number of days required for the consultancy
• If the consultant is based in Vietnam and will travel to the field:
  
  • Consultant’s travel costs to/from Quang Binh Province
  • Consultant’s travel costs within Quang Binh (rental car, driver, petrol, etc.)
  • Consultant’s expected accommodation cost per night in the field
  • Consultant’s expected daily subsistence allowance covering all meal costs in the field

8. Expected qualifications

• Bachelor and/or Master’s degree in Ecology, Natural Resource Management, Forestry, Geographic Information Systems, or relevant specialised field
• At least 5 years of relevant technical experience in forestry, forest carbon, carbon accounting, climate change mitigation, REDD+, CDM, and/or natural resource management projects in Southeast Asia
• Experience developing and/or reviewing PDDs
• Has experience on working on forest carbon projects; has knowledge of different methodologies
• Demonstrated and proven record to work in a multidisciplinary team under changeable and complex circumstances
• Previous work experience and knowledge of conditions in Southeast Asia
• Strong technical skills on emissions reductions and removals project using approved carbon accounting methods
• Understanding of CDM, payment for ecosystem services (PES) and land cover/land use change and forestry practices in Southeast Asia an advantage
• Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills
• Fluency in Vietnamese (for consultants based in Vietnam) and English
• Excellent English report writing skills
• Demonstrated understanding of smallholder pulpwood production systems in Vietnam an advantage

9. Deliverables and payment

10. Application process

Interested applicants are invited to prepare an EOI of no more than 3 pages, including the following:

• Demonstration of relevant professional experience, especially with carbon reduction and removal projects, pre-feasibility studies and/or project design documents (PDD’s)
• Proposed plan and methodology, including details on the extent of any expected field work
• Proposed timeline for the consultancy, including:
  
  • Total number of days required for the consultant
  • Estimated total number of days for data collection in the field (this also needs to be specified if the consultant is based outside of Vietnam in order for EF to plan data collection with their own staff)
• Names and contact information of two referees who can be contacted regarding relevant previous experience

In addition to the EOI, please attach a separate budget spreadsheet for the consultancy (see 7. Budget), an up-to-date resume highlighting relevant qualifications and experience, as well as one sample of a comparable, previous piece of work (final report).

Please submit applications via email to [email protected] on or before 5pm (GMT+7), 28 February 2022. Subject line: ‘Application for pre-feasibility study, Vietnam’. Questions regarding these Terms of Reference or the project should be directed to the same email address.

Applications will be assessed based on cost, proposed methodology and prior relevant experience. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Shortlisted applicants may be requested to participate in a virtual interview process.