National Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS SPECIALIST: NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS

FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

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 an experienced national environmental and social safeguards specialist to ensure that the project is designed in line with the donor (and SNV’s) requirements and standards, seeking opportunities to maximise positive environmental and social co-benefits whilst avoiding and mitigating potential environmental and social risks.

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. As a contribution to the VN-ADAPT project preparation phase background assessments, prepare environmental and social profiles of the project’s two target landscapes: the Central Highlands and Mekong River Delta environmental and social profiles
2. Conduct a preliminary screening of likely/tentative project work packages and activities against the IKI’s safeguards policies and standards (aligned to IFC Performance Standards) and identify relevant environmental and social issues of concern, including risks.
3. Present relevant environmental and social profiles and early-stage screening/scoping of environmental and social risks (IFC Performance Standards/safeguards triggered) at the National Kick-off workshop for comments and feedback.
4. Develop a methodology and survey work plan (including field survey featuring interviews with key stakeholders and participatory consultations with representatives of groups of intended beneficiaries or impacted by the project, especially local communities, smallholders, ethnic minorities and other vulnerable groups).
5. Conduct field visits, surveys and consultations in the Central Highlands and MRD to better understand local contexts and perceptions and assess potential environmental and social co-benefits and risks associated with the project’s proposed activities.
6. Based on the field surveys and consultations and working with technical team members prepare an environmental and social assessment report detailing potential impacts identified as well as project strategies and measures to maximise environmental and social co-benefits and key environmental/social risks to be avoided, managed and mitigated.
7. Based on the co-benefit enhancement and risk mitigation strategies and measures identified (see (vi) above), draft an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) for the project (including safeguards M&E indicators, methods, capacity building needs and budget).
8. Prepare materials for presentation of and consultation on environmental and social co-benefits, risks and the draft ESMF, at a national consultation workshop.
9. Finalise the ESMF based on comments and feedback from the national consultation workshop.
10. Contribute to the preparation of the project proposal document’s relevant sections on environmental and social safeguards sections, as required.

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.