Finance Specialist

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI):

FINANCE 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.

One of the expected outputs is the development of innovative financial instruments to scale public and private innovation and investment in NbS/EbA. This might include developing a national green budgeting framework and the introduction of green fiscal policy measures that create a business environment that better leverages private finance to NbS/EbA. Outlining the range of activities that VN-ADAPT could conduct to achieve this is a task for this detailed project design phase.

To assist with the preparation of these activities, SNV now seeks the services of a Senior National Development Finance Specialist. This specialist will provide expertise in catalysing private sector investment through both public budgets and expenditure, and development finance instruments, 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 in coordination with UNEP, one of the consortium partners:

1. Support the project preparation team with the identification of relevant stakeholders and linked projects with whom the team should consult on project design (contributing to completion of a stakeholder mapping and analysis report).
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:
1. Develop a summary of the range of financial sources potentially available to support the adoption of NbS/EbA, and the characteristics and access modalities for each source. These sources are likely to include, but not limited to, the following: public sector budgets at national (e.g. national programme funds available at province level), province and district and commune level; international public funding, including grants / ODA and debt (e.g. Green Bonds, DFIs), impact investment funds, carbon finance, private finance and philanthropy (contributing to completion of a background report on green finance).
2. Review of CPEIRs and other analysis of public budgetary expenditure and fiscal policy measures relating to NbS/EbA (contributing to draft of thematic assessment report on sustainable public finance framework for NbS).
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 Mekong Delta and Central Highlands (tentatively scheduled for 18-22 and 25-29 July).
5. Lead the completion of the thematic assessment report on sustainable public finance framework for NbS. This report will identify key issues and provide a robust theory of change as to how the sustainable public finance activities will support the project’s objectives. The report will outline the range of options open to government(s) to improve public expenditure and investment in climate change actions and ways in which governments may stimulate private investment through various fiscal and policy measures (approx. 20 pages).
6. Contribute towards the drafting of project work packages and activities (particularly related to developing a national green budgeting framework and the introduction of green fiscal policy measures that create a business environment that better leverages private finance) based on the desk-based reviews, interviews/surveys, and thematic report.
7. 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.)
8. Present key project strategies, approaches, and work packages at national and regional consultation workshops.
9. Provide inputs and support the finalisation of relevant sections of the project proposal integrating the comments of key stakeholders during consultation.
10. 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.