Consultant - Carbon Finance Project Scoping - East Africa Region at Mercy Corps

Purpose and Objectives:

• The purpose of this consultancy is to assess the potential for developing carbon finance projects within typical Mercy Corps program designs. The objective is to conduct a scoping exercise of a small number of ongoing Mercy Corps development programs to ascertain the potential relevance of these activities for carbon finance, and to advise on ways these designs might evolve to better position for carbon finance in the future.

Consultant Activities:
The Consultant will:

• Review background documents for 3-6 ongoing projects to select those with best potential to assess in more detail.
• Virtual or in-person v isits to 2-3 projects sites, interview team members, and observe project activities to develop an understanding of the program objectives, approaches, and metrics.
• Debrief with country and/or regional leadership to ensure clear understanding of the program.
• Develop scoping reports for each project that:
  • Identify the activities with the highest potential for carbon project development.
  • Identify potential carbon methodologies and advise on which is best suited
  • Advise on changes to approaches or techniques that would be needed to align with carbon project methodologies or standards.
  • Model carbon credit generation potential
  • Model the basic economics for a carbon project, including (1) certif ication costs, (2) operating costs, (3) carbon revenue and (4) minimum viable scale.
  • Describe potential project co-benefits

Consultant Deliverables:
The Consultant will deliver:

• A scoping report for each project assessed covering the key elements above.
• A debrief call with regional and global leaders to discuss the findings and recommendations

Timeframe / Schedule:

• February – June 2024. Precise timelines to be agreed in consultation with the consultant.

The Consultant will report to:

• Deputy Regional Director, Africa
• Will consult closely with Chief Climate Officer

Required Experience & Skills:

• 5 years of experience in carbon project development and / or other environmental attributes
• Deep knowledge of working in frontier markets and fragile states
• An understanding of development project design and implementation
• Track record of supporting mission-driven organizations.
• Excellent writing/editing skills; ability to “translate” technical language into compelling content for wide-ranging audiences.