Consultancy Services for Roadmap towards Carbon Credit Funding for Concern’s Nature Based Solutions Project in Kenya Consultancy

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Concern Worldwide is an international non-governmental humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries

Background and context

Climate change and local environmental degradation have emerged as the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. The urgency to mitigate and adapt to these adverse effects has increased the emphasis on nature-based solutions (NbS) that harness the power of nature to address these myriad challenges. One of the key needs in the context of Kenya is to transform land use and food production to environmentally sustainable practices, thus also ensuring socio-economic sustainability. As environmental sustainability is impossible without the sequestration of carbon, carbon credit funding offers an innovative yet under-utilised approach to finance these NbS projects.

As an organisation with significant ground presence and experience in livelihoods programming in Kenya, Concern has high potential to connect its communities with this source of finance for scaled results in rural development, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable livelihoods.

Purpose of the Consultancy

To dive deeper into environmental sustainability approaches, Concern Kenya aims to get a scientific understanding of the level of climate mitigation potential that is associated with the kinds of land-based projects we already widely deliver – agroforestry, natural resource management (rangeland management), and climate smart agriculture. Currently, questions like the following are outside our internal capacity to answer:

• How much carbon is my project likely to produce?
• Can environmental additionality be demonstrated for our program areas?
• What methodology should I certify my project under?

Through a proposed consultancy, Concern Kenya aims to explore utilizing remote sensing technology and machine learning to provide up to date, reliable and low-cost soil carbon measurements in order to develop verified carbon offset projects. Additionally, the consultant will be able to capacity strengthen and upskill Concern Kenya teams on the relevant methodologies (LiDAR, remote sensing) and field measurements that are necessary to understand the carbon sequestration potential of our projects. Concern seek to explore the ability to scale up Concern’s approaches in productive and environmentally sustainable livelihoods and ecosystem restoration Kenya’s drylands. A key potential source of funding is the voluntary (and potentially in the future, regulatory) carbon market. However, to enable mobilising funds through this mechanism, further evidence-generation and a carbon strategy are needed

Objectives and Specific Tasks to be undertaken by the Consultant(s)

The primary objective of this project proposal is to create a roadmap towards obtaining carbon credit funding for Concern’s programming. Concern has implemented programming related to this theme with good known socio-economic impacts and likely positive environmental impacts, but the latter has not been sufficiently evidenced. The projects in question include programming locations in Tana River, Turkana, and Marsabit, including the DREAM and LEAF II project sites – the specific sites to be chosen during the inception phase in collaboration between the consultant and the Concern team. The main activities to be reviewed include irrigated climate-smart agriculture, the impact of water harvesting such as sand dams, rangeland restoration, as well as the removal of Prosopis Juliflora. The consultant will provide Concern with evidence that will enable it to start the engagement with the carbon markets, as well as guidelines for how to do so.

Outputs

Specifically, the consultant will provide an analytical product that includes the following sections:

1. A remote sensing and qualitative analysis of the project’s socio-economic as well as environmental impacts, comprising a holistic impact assessment;
2. Evidence-based estimates of the range of carbon sequestration, how much carbon finance a project could therefore generate, estimates of the costs of carbon project creation, and criteria around additionality. These will culminate into a carbon credit case for the project;
3. The options for certification methodologies, potential partners, requirements, and challenges to be considered while developing a project, culminating in a roadmap for carbon finance.
4. A guide for Concern Worldwide to engage in carbon financing in Kenya and beyond

Final payment is dependent on the submission of a good quality, well-written final report or completion of agreed outputs (as detailed in the TOR). In addition to methodology, findings and discussion, the report should include a comprehensive executive summary including a holistic impact assessment, a carbon credit case, and a carbon market roadmap.

A digital copy of all reports will be required by Concern at the end of the piece of work.

Payment

The consultant will be paid based on the deliverables as outlined below;-

• 40% on completion of inception report
• 40% on completion of draft report
• 20% on acceptance of final report

The financial proposal should be presented preferably in Kenya Shillings.

Lines of Communication

The consultant will work with Jackson Mekenye Livelihoods Coordinator with technical support from the Programmes Director, Hassan Olow.

Security

It is a requirement that the consultant will comply with [Kenya] security policy and in-country security procedures. Failing to comply will result in immediate termination of contract.

Timeframe

The consultant will be engaged for the period 1 June to 31 August 2024 and will begin with literature review and initial remote sensing analysis, followed by qualitative research fieldwork, and finalising the remote sensing analysis based on on-field findings. Field visits will be scheduled in consultation with Concern Worldwide to the different project locations.

Essential and Desirable Experience/Qualifications

Concern is looking for a consultant/consultancy firm that has expertise and experience in providing remote sensing, nature-based solutions, and sustainable land use practices and capacity building with a particular focus on Africa. We are looking for organizations with expertise in ecosystem restoration, sustainable pastoralism, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, soil carbon, and above-ground biomass monitoring, reporting and verification that helps create solutions that support local communities and meet the most rigorous standards of the carbon markets.

Required documentation with your proposal:

1. Company / Consultant profile
2. Certificate of Incorporation (firms) or National ID card (individual)
3. Valid Tax Compliance Certificate
4. PIN Certificate
5. Company / Consultant’s Profile
6. CVs of key staff
7. Certificate/reference information of previous undertakings of similar contracts with
8. NGOs/UN agencies
9. Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct etc. or what are the necessary provisions have you put in place to keep everyone safe in the course of your engagement
10. Attach copy of Certificate of Good Conduct or proof that you have applied for the same
11. A detailed work plan with milestones
12. Confirm the gender ratio for the team that you will be engaging in this exercise
13. Technical proposal
14. Financial proposal (should be presented preferably in Kenya Shillings)
15. Evidence of previous related works (e.g. Technical design reports)
16. Work plan (Gantt chart) showing specific milestone

Concern Code of Conduct and associated policies

Concern has an organisational Code of Conduct (CCoC) with three Associated Policies; the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organisation, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context, consultants have a responsibility to the organisation to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any consultant offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an appendix to their contract of engagement. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, consultants acknowledge that they have understood the content of both the Concern Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these policies.

Tagged as: Concern Worldwide, Kenya