Finance Development Consultant

SCOPE OF WORK
USAID Green Annamites
Finance Development Consultant for USAID Green Annamites

1. Background

Forests play a critical role in Vietnam by protecting watersheds, preventing soil erosion, mitigating climate change, and building resilience for communities. They are also home to rare and endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately, Vietnam’s forests, and the species that live in them, are depleting at an alarming rate due to conversion into other economic uses, as well as from activities of surrounding forest-dependent populations who lack alternative economic means.  

The USAID Green Annamites Project (the Project) supports Vietnam’s transition to climate-smart, low-emission, and resilient development that protects people, landscapes, and biodiversity in Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces with three main tasks:

• Increase application of low emission land use: conserve the existing carbon sink; stop emission from small scale deforestation and degradation, and unsustainable agricultural practices; and increase carbon sequestration from restoration of degraded landscapes.
• Strengthen biodiversity conservation: mitigate threats to the globally significant biodiversity in central Vietnam, including poaching and activities that destroy habitats for wildlife and cause habitat fragmentation (e.g., deforestation, forest degradation, and conversion of natural forest into plantation).
• Increase resilience for vulnerable communities: ensure that results of activities supported under the two other components are not affected by climate change impacts. Build resilience for vulnerable communities particularly in regards to their livelihoods.

Key program results include improving the livelihoods of 20,000 forest dependent people; improving biodiversity of over 400,000 hectares of natural forest, mobilizing at least $20 million in public and private resources for sustainable livelihoods and forest conservation; and avoiding and/or removing the equivalent of at least 6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

2. Activity Purpose

Exploring opportunities to bring additional financing for supporting local communities to increase their income and resiliency, protect forests and natural resources, and foster sustainable growth in the Quang Nam (QN) and Thua Thien Hue (TTH) provinces. The expected outcome of this assignment is to significantly contribute to achieving the mobilization target of $20 million from public and private sources. The Project) is seeking a qualified Finance Development Consultant to conduct this assignment.

The consultant will explore at least the following options for funds mobilization:

1. Leverage: Where the Project invests financial resources to “leverage” x amount from other parties, usually done through a grant agreement;
2. Joint activities: The Project signs a partnership agreement to implement an agreed work plan. No actual transfer of funds or contractual arrangement is required. (e.g. joint project with another donor/funding agency);
3. Technical assistance: The Project provides targeted technical assistance to prepare a project proposal or a business plan. This is then submitted to a funding agency, donor or government program;
4. Facilitate access to finance: Work with potential partners to facilitate access to financial resources through loans or equity (e.g. facilitate access to commercial bank loans, microfinance, investment funds, bonds, etc.);
5. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs: CSR funding is available from industries in at regional or national level (hospitality industry in central Vietnam, automotive industry, energy generation, commercial airlines);
6. Government initiatives: Unlock access to national or regional programs aligned with the Project objectives: Carbon PFES, Carbon credits marketing (REDD+), One Commune One Product or OCOP).

3. Objectives

Develop a roadmap, facilitate and implement the process to mobilize additional funds from public and private sources to leverage investment into low emission land use, livelihood, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience activities for the Project’s target communities in QN and TTH provinces.

4. Tasks to be implemented

The selected consultant is expected to complete the following activities:

i. Work closely with the Project team to prepare an inception report, including a detailed work plan and ensure consistency in activities and deliverables;

ii. Review the existing financial mobilization documents and instruments of the Project (e.g. Ecotourism Strategy, Acacia Development Technical Reports,  the Environmental Financing Strategy, including green bonds, impact investment, microfinancing and carbon finance; and draft list  of innovative interventions for mobilizing finance from public and private sources);

iii. Work closely with the project’s technical team to ensure that the activities are investable or that present the characteristics that an external investment or cooperation would require;

iv. Develop a set of criteria for identifying and shortlisting strategic partners and/or investors from private sector (e.g. SMEs, NGOs, Unions, and associations, etc.,) who may be willing to partner with the Project to achieve mutual benefits;

v. Consult with provincial government agencies (e.g. Department of Planning & Investment, Department of Industry and Trade, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, etc.) to identify potential sources (e.g. One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program) to be leveraged for improving livelihoods of the Project’s target beneficiaries;

vi. Map out the potential investors, prepare the list of potential/strategic partners (both private and public sectors), and analyze their potential for investments into the Project activities;

vii. Prepare a strategic mobilization plan (SMP), including a clear and workable roadmap for accelerating to mobilize additional funding from public-private sources.

viii. Facilitate and implement the SMP in close collaboration with the Project team;

ix. Support the GA technical and financial team to develop the contractual arrangements required (grant, subcontract, consultancy, etc.) to successfully implement the SMP;

x. Support the GA technical and financial team to develop the contractual arrangements required (grant, subcontract, consultancy, etc.) to successfully implement the SMP;

xi. Provide timely technical support to make sure all planned activities in the SMP will be fully implemented;

xii. Prepare progress final reports.

5. Deliverables and timeline

The Finance Development Consultant is expected to carry out the relevant tasks within 90 days’ level of effort, starting from November 2018 to June 2019 in collaboration with the Project team. The consultant is expected to hold regular meetings with Green Annamites Project staff, and seek and incorporate their feedback on all deliverables.

All progress reports must contain annexes of all information collected or generated during implementation of the activities. Submitted reports must be in English.

6. Location:

The Consultant will work in both offices: the Project office in Da Nang city and home-based office. This assignment requires networking and liaising with international and national potential partners as well as participating in national/regional conferences and events. The Consultant is also expected to travel within Vietnam, when appropriate. All travel must be approved in writing by the Project.  Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by the Project.

7. Required Qualifications

The successful candidate must comply with the following requirements:

• Hold Masters or higher degree on (natural resources) economics, business, finance or other disciplines relevant to the objectives of this consultancy;
• Demonstrate at least 10 years of experience in environmental finance business, social enterprises, corporate social responsibility;
• Demonstrate experience and network in the private sector;
• Proven success on establishing public private partnerships and mobilizing funds from a variety of sources;
• Have a solid knowledge and understanding of Vietnam’s institutional environment for agricultural, forestry development, and financing for small business development;
• Excellent communication skills and able working in multicultural environments;
• Be competent in both Vietnamese and English.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit:

• A cover letter
• An updated CV, and
• Three references.

By October 26th, 2018 to the following address: [email protected] [1]

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted; no phone calls please.