E T Consultant

At the World Bank, a member of the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Eastern and Southern Africa (E AFR) Region Home to about 700 million of Africa’s people, Eastern and Southern Africa is a geographically, culturally and economically diverse region of 26 countries stretching from the Red Sea in the North to the Cape of Good Hope in the South. Children under 18 make up almost half of the total population. The subregion boasts of some of the world’s richest human and natural resources and, apart from South Africa, the countries are predominantly raw material exporters. The subregion harbours some of Africa’s protracted conflicts, rendering many of its countries fragile, while significant gaps in education, health, and skills development continue to keep people from reaching their full potential. This creates a huge development challenge, impacts heavily on the lives and livelihoods of people, and hinders regional integration and trade. But it also creates an opportunity to work closely with country leaders, civil society, development partners, and young people to chart a brighter course for the future. The World Bank’s Eastern and Southern Africa Region, comprised of approximately 1,207 staff, mostly based in 26 country offices, has been helping countries realize their considerable development potential by focusing on the following priorities: (i) creating Jobs and Transforming Economies, (ii) building up the Digital Economy, (iii) making institutions more Efficient and Accountable, (iv) investing in People, (v) supporting Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption: (vi) addressing the Drivers of Fragility, Conflict, and Violence; (vii) Building Partnerships and Working across the African Continent. Eastern and Southern Africa (E AFR) Region: https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/eastern-and-southern-africa Unit Context Social Policy Group (SPG) within the People Vice Presidency focuses on supporting countries in building equitable, inclusive, and resilient societies. It supports countries address deep rooted social problems stemming from fragility, climate change, exclusion, and the digital age with people centred solutions that build on local values and institutions. The SPG engages with citizens, communities and governments to deepen resilience, build inclusion, and empower vulnerable and marginalized groups to have influence and voice. The SPG prioritizes participatory, multi-sectoral approaches that build on norms and informal institutions to address social challenges and to build more inclusive, empowered communities. It also designs and scales social assistance programs and delivery systems, including adaptive social protection systems that build climate resilience, as well as cash transfer initiatives targeting vulnerable populations. It also supports multifaceted economic inclusion programs aimed at ultra-poor, including in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. On the labour side, the department promotes skills development, youth employment, and labour market participation through training and apprenticeship programs. Strategic context Social Policy Group (SPG) within the People Vice Presidency and the One Climate group within the Planet Vice Presidency have partnered to help public and private sector clients mobilize carbon finance for climate-smart development and ensure that the carbon revenues are used to benefits the most vulnerable people and support territorial resilience. One Climate oversees multiple Trust-funded initiatives, including the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), Enhancing Access to Benefits While Lowering Emissions (EnABLE), and Scaling Climate Action by Lowering Emissions (SCALE). Social Policy Group finances multiple projects that (i) contribute to the generation of carbon revenues or (ii) are leveraging carbon revenues to reach a greater objective. Those operations, financed by climate funds and supervised by SPG, support policy dialog with government, identify opportunities for the development of carbon programs, and support the Clients (public or private) to (i) design and register carbon program under the most relevant standards, (ii) ensure the implementation of the underlying activities that will generate carbon credits, (iii) collect and monetize verified Emission Reductions (ERs) and (iv) use the proceeds from the sale of the carbon credits according to the highest quality standard. In Madagascar, the SPG has identified several opportunities for which expertise would be needed to increase the impact of the projects. For this reason, KTCSC is opening an Extended Term Consultant (ETC) position to support the Unit in the following tasks. Country context The Government of Madagascar is developing or implementing emissions reduction and climate finance programs with support from the World Bank Group, under the leadership of the Social Policy Global Practice and the Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy Global Practices. - Madagascar's natural capital is rapidly degrading due to deforestation, land-use change, unsustainable resource use, and increasing climate pressures. In response, the Government of Madagascar, through institutions including the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), has been implementing the World Bank–financed MIONJO project (P171056), which focuses on strengthening climate resilience, improving livelihoods, and reinforcing local governance systems as well as project PRE-AA (P167725), an Emission Reduction Program that generate revenues from carbon markets to finance conservation areas and forest/landscape management. PRE-AA has led to the payment of $32 million USD, which are being channelled for the purpose of conservation and local development through local Use plans (PLUTs) currently being designed. - MIONJO and PRE-AA have generated significant experience in community-based landscape management, green infrastructure, and decentralized governance. These lessons are informing the preparation of a new Program-for-Results (PforR) operation focusing on Resilience, reflecting a broader shift from Investment Project Financing (IPF) toward a more programmatic, results-oriented approach that links disbursements to verified outcomes. - In parallel, MEDD explores innovative conservation financing mechanisms to support the 30x30 commitment to expand the conservation status to 30% of the terrestrial and maritime area by 2030. In that respect, the government launched the preparation of a successor Emission Reduction Program (called Ala Velona) as an instrument to finance sustainably its conservation efforts. This operation is expected to leverage additional investment in support to the country resilience and territorial development. - Under Madagascar's REDD+ framework, the National Bureau of Climate Change and REDD+ (BNCCREDD+) oversee all work related to carbon finance. As such, BNCC-REDD+ oversees the design and implementation of the PLUTs, which structures the allocation and use of resources across Protected areas and communities. As a second generation of PLUTs is under development, the instrument is evolving beyond a resource allocation function toward a more comprehensive framework intended to guide the planning and implementation of sustainable, long-term interventions. In this context, MIONJO serves as an important reference point, with its operational experience and institutional arrangements informing the design of the future program. - Starting in 2027, broader efforts will be needed to align financing instruments, institutional roles, and operational approaches. As a starting point, OneClimate (through the SCALE initiative) has provided additional funds to MIONJO to support the design of Ala Velona and support the inclusion of Carbon Finance within the broader Resilience PforR framework. Interest from Private sector for Nature-based operations (afforestation/reforestation, agroforestry and natural regeneration) is very high, and collaboration with IFC on this topic is starting– with the overall objective to help private actors generate carbon credits to support an increase of their investments in the forest and agroforestry sectors. Duties and Responsibilities Areas of Focus – needs identified in the region The objective of this assignment is to provide technical and coordination support to the World Bank task team to facilitate the transition from the current IPF-financed engagement to the PforR and ensure that Carbon finance is leveraged across the portfolio. Overall support to the development of carbon operations in Madagascar in particular - The consultant will support the SPG and ENV team on policy dialog and market surveillance, including exploring opportunities linking carbon with the Bank portfolio in Agriculture and Social resilience. This includes identifying and contributing to the CPF. - Streamlining of the World Bank engagement with the government on carbon issues across sectors; PRE-AA - Providing technical assistance to BNCCREDD+ in designing a revised structure for the PLUTs to better align with MIOJO approach, reviewing the technical aspects of the PLUT, advising BNCCREDD+ before the validation of the PLUTs , with particular focus on designing and embedding a sustainability planning tool as the core directive for REDD+ implementation MIONJO - Supporting the Task Team for the supervision of MIONJO with a focus on creating synergies with PRE-AA, in particular on the local development tool and building the rationale for the transition to the Resilience PforR. Resilience Program - Supporting the Task Team in the dialog with MEDD and providing practical inputs regarding the technical and institutional integration of landscape management and forest conservation into the PforR program. Main Activities The assignment is organized around three main components. Support the supervision of PRE-AA and MIOJO - Work with the Task Team to identify and support opportunities of synergies between PRE-AA and MIOJO - Provide technical advice to the Task Team and TTLs regarding the two projects - Support the dialog with the MEDD and MDAT on technical issues related to decentralization and institutional arrangements - Provide logistical support and facilitation for organizing technical meetings and dialog with the two ministries. - Propose an updated approach for the PLUT (or its next iteration) that reflects lessons from MIONJO project and includes a focus on the local development instruments (in particular setting up the consultation bodies (SLCs) and the local investment plans (PLDii) Objectives o PRE-AA delivers its third payment + excess ERs o PLUTs are progressively aligned with the national tools, using mainstream institutional arrangements (national funds or EPIC) o MIONJO Additional Financing is operational and effective; activities are implemented satisfactorily Support the task team for the integration of landscape management into the PforR program - Map MEDD's roles, mandates, strategies, and existing coordination arrangements with BNCCREDD+ and stakeholders - Provide technical input on potential institutional and operational arrangements and coordination protocols with MEDD, BNCCREDD+ and other actors - Support the dialog between the Task Team and MEDD regarding PforR design (briefings, coordination meetings, exchanges between the Task Team and BNCCREDD+) Objectives o The Theory of Change (ToC) of the PforR on resilience includes a clear reference to carbon finance; o Institutional arrangements for MEDD involvement are clear Support the engagement with Private actors on carbon finance - Support to the dialog with private actors on the development of Carbon projects in coordination with IFC and identify opportunities of investment Objective o Engagement roadmap with private actors in alignment with Ala Velona’s objectives Support the portfolio level efforts on Carbon market readiness - Engage with BNCCREDD and MEDD to coordinate the efforts related to the strengthening of the regulatory framework (Climate law, Decree on carbon transaction, Carbon market strategy, authorization procedure, etc) - Support the various task teams working on the readiness to Article 6 transaction (see Annex 1 below). - Coordinate the efforts across sectors – including by facilitating the connection between BNCCREDD and ASCENT. Objective: o Madagascar has authorized A6 transactions in the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector Deliverables - Inputs to Aide memoire and mission briefs; - Inputs to technical documents as part of the Task team: ISR, PCN, PAD, etc. - Facilitation of technical meeting between BNCC-REDD and MIOJO, - Participation to events, workshops, etc, related to the design and technical assessment of PLUTs. - Regular meetings with MEDD and BNCCREDD on the project implementation and design of the PforR. - Consolidated note supporting the development and validation of a second-generation PLUT, including diagnostic and validation criteria in support of BNCCREDD+. Consolidated note comprising: (a) PforR readiness diagnostic for MEDD, identifying capacity gaps, information flow bottlenecks, and priority actions; (b) draft institutional arrangements and coordination protocol between MEDD, BNCCREDD+, and relevant actors.