Project Baseline Evaluation Consultant

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Seeking a Project Baseline Evaluation Consultant for

Mobilizing Sustainable Finance for Methane Abatement Project

Climate Bonds is seeking an experienced evaluation consultant to undertake a baseline evaluation to validate the project’s desired outcomes as outlined and assess how these should be defined and measured.

Background to the project

The Climate Bonds Initiative partnering with Climate Policy Initiative has funding for a two-year project 'Mobilizing sustainable finance for methane abatement'. Climate Bonds Initiative (Climate Bonds) is an international investor-focused not-for-profit organisation working to mobilise global capital for climate change solutions. Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) is an analysis and advisory organization with deep expertise in finance and policy. Our mission is to help governments, businesses, and financial institutions drive economic growth while addressing climate change. Our vision is to build a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive global economy.

The objective of the project is to increase credible methane abatement action in line with 1.5°C scenarios through facilitating finance flows to activities and entities that are cutting methane emissions in key sectors. This will be achieved by building on and extending the success of the green and sustainable finance market to bring in methane abatement investments at scale. 

The project will develop tools and frameworks for stakeholders to design and execute their 1.5°C transition plans that frontload methane abatement. These include transition plan guidance, investment criteria, and investment taxonomies. The project will work closely with stakeholders from government, corporate and financial sectors to build their understanding of and ability to utilise transition plans for methane abatement. Opportunities and gaps in sector financial flows and government frameworks in core jurisdictions will be identified and recommendations to support greater action will be provided, including identifying greater opportunities for developing innovative financial instruments for methane abatement. Barriers to action from government and private sector stakeholders will be identified and recommendations to overcome these provided.

The project will seek to mobilise thought leaders and stakeholders from the private sector and will build a coherent and consistent narrative on methane abatement potential and action supported by a communications campaign targeted at financial and government sector stakeholders. The work will be delivered by multi-regional teams across Climate Bonds and Climate Policy Initiative including in Asia, Europe and South America with support and outreach to key stakeholders in Africa.

The project will run from July 2024 to July 2026 and is expected to have the following two outcomes:

• By July 2026, there is a measurable 10% increase (against a 2024 baseline) in public and private stakeholders referencing credible frameworks, definitions, and standards to effectively design and execute their 1.5°C transition plans incorporating methane abatement.
• By July 2026, there is a measurable increase against a 2023 baseline in finance flows towards investments that support the transition to 1.5°C pathways incorporating methane abatement.

Purpose and Objective of the Consultant

Climate Bonds is seeking an experienced evaluation consultant to undertake a baseline evaluation to validate the project’s desired outcomes as outlined and assess how these should be defined and measured. The consultant will be helping develop the measures and metrics, including the indicators, performance measures, means of verification and testing the underlying assumptions, and validating and/or refining the project’s implementation strategy. The consultant will also be expected to undertake a stakeholder mapping and analysis exercise, as well as support with the development and set-up of the MEL results framework, processes and tools.

A set of principle evaluation questions will be developed as part of the baseline inception phase, including some of the following questions:

Outcome 1: By July 2026, there is a measurable 10% increase (against a 2024 baseline) in public and private stakeholders referencing credible frameworks, definitions, and standards to effectively design and execute their 1.5°C transition plans incorporating methane abatement.

• What are the main guidance frameworks available to support methane abatement in each of the three sectors (energy, agriculture and waste) and which would be considered most credible in terms of climate mitigation and adaptation (credibility definition to be agreed at outset).
• How many (and which – segregated by country / type / size) public and private stakeholders referenced these guidance frameworks in their methane abatement strategies and transition plans in 2023 - 2024?
• What proportion of these methane abatement strategies and transition plans have been based on (not just reference) these guidance frameworks.
• To what extent are there methane abatement action and investments in agriculture, energy and waste in the prioritized countries/regions, that prioritize cutting emissions and preventing lock-in of high emissions infrastructure and what proportion of these are delivered by entities that have a transition plan or climate strategy.
• How and to what extent are methane emissions addressed in NDCs by prioritized countries/regions?

Outcome 2: By July 2026, there is a measurable increase against a 2023 baseline in finance flows towards investments that support the transition to 1.5°C pathways incorporating methane abatement.

• What opportunities and gaps exist for methane abatement in government frameworks that will impact financial flows?
• To what degree is there investor, issuer and other key stakeholder (in the prioritized regions) understanding, knowledge and awareness of methane abatement investments material to achieving 1.5°C goals. 
• What is the current policy landscape and framework (enabling, facilitative etc) related to methane abatement disaggregated by the targeted regions/countries, and what contextual factors impact this?
• To what extent are policymakers in the prioritised regions/countries aware and/or willing to engage on the issue methane abatement?
• Although not part of the project outcomes, for contextual purposes, we would like to gather the extent to which methane emissions are impacting the environment from the core sectors including waste, energy and agriculture in prioritised countries/regions?

Please note these questions will be further defined during the inception phase of the evaluation. Engagement with key teams’ members across Climate Bonds and Climate Policy Initiative will be required to agree on the evaluation questions, methodology and approach prior to the commencement of the evaluation.

Evaluation Methodology and Approach

The baseline evaluation is to be undertaken in accordance with the OECD Evaluation Criteria, and should follow a participatory approach and engage a range of project stakeholders in the process.

The baseline consultants will be required to Identify key stakeholders (through engagement and direction from CBI and CPI) to be involved in the evaluation process, develop evaluation methodologies and tools for data collection and analysis; undertake the relevant desk research and data collections exercises to assess the current state as per the evaluation questions. Data collection should be triangulated to the extent possible to ensure validity and reliability of findings and draw on the following methods: comprehensive desk review, including a stakeholder analysis; surveys; key informant interviews; focus groups. The consultant will be required to use quantitative and qualitative findings to respond to the principal evaluation questions and present the findings qualitatively or quantitatively as most appropriate.

Comprehensive records will need to be kept of all methodologies used, stakeholders engaged so we can follow a similar approach for the endline evaluation, that will be commissioned at the end of the project. The evaluation design/question matrix should include a discussion on the evaluation objectives, methods and, if required, revisions to the suggested evaluation questions or data collection methods. Evaluation draft reports will be submitted and reviewed by the Climate Bonds and Climate Policy Initiative team. A reporting template will be agreed between the consultant and Climate Bonds.

The baseline evaluation report shall be written in English. The final report will be shared with all partners and funder.

Timeframe and Milestones for evaluation

The proposed timeframe for the baseline evaluation spans from 1st June 2024 (initial desk review and data collection) to 31st July 2024 (submission of final baseline evaluation report). The consultant will be required for a period of 30-40 days of work spanning June-July 2024. There is no travel expected as part of this evaluation. Once a fee is agreed, a payment schedule will be put in place.

A detailed evaluation workplan will be agreed between the consultant and Climate Bonds/Climate Policy Initiative once the consultant has been identified and selected.

Reporting and Communication

The consultant/s will report to the CBI Head of Transitions and Head of Programme Assurance and Learning. Engagement will be required with key members of the project team. Regular updates on the progress of the baseline evaluation should be provided to the project team. A communication and engagement plan will need to be agreed for the evaluation process.

Selection Criteria for consultant

We anticipate a small team of consultants will be required due to the timeline and level of effort required. The consultant/s should have the following qualifications:

• BA degree or equivalent in international relations, political science, environmental science, development, finance or a related discipline.
• At least five (5) years of professional experience conducting baseline evaluations and impact assessments preferably in the field of climate change issues.
• Previous experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders such as corporates, financial sector, NGOs, and policymakers.
• Understanding and knowledge on technical project issues, including but not limited to methane abatement in the waste, energy, and agriculture sectors, including knowledge and understanding of trends in financing methane abatement,
• Cross-cultural awareness and contextual understanding of emerging markets in one or more of the following regions: Asia, Europe and South America, Africa.
• Excellent research and analytical skills, including experience in a variety of evaluation methods and approaches.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Fluency in English.

Supporting documentation (available upon request)

• Proposal and concept note incl. Stakeholder engagement list (to be further developed).
• Draft project summary/logframe (available once the consultant onboarded).

Application requirements 

Applications should be received by 27th May 2024 and shortlisting/selection will take place that week. If there are any queries, please contact Jaspreet Hayre-Bryson (Head of Programme Assurance and Learning, Climate Bonds) via Workable. Please note only shortlisted consultants will be contacted. 

For the proposal submission – please provide the following documentation in English: 

• Brief overview of the approach for conducting the evaluation - this should include the proposed methodology and plan (with indicative plan and timelines) and the CVs of all consultants highlighting their level and areas of expertise with examples of how you meet the criteria and experience. 
• An indicative budget with a daily rate of consultant/s and team.
• Share an example of a relevant work that supports your suitability for this role (published reports or papers) 
• Share two references with contact details.