• Management and restoration of natural peat swamp forest;
• Rehabilitation of degraded peatlands;
• Production of food, fiber, biomass-for-energy, and other forest products; and
• Provision of ecosystem services which can be turned to a business opportunity

The model should become a building block or part of a broader co-management arrangements among private firms, government agencies, and community-based groups engaged in forestry and agroforestry. The Consultant must take into account the need for social and environmental safeguards as well as criteria and standards for what constitutes a ‘green’ project, which are being developed by GGGI. The Consultant will work closely with GGGI’s country program team, based in Jakarta and the two provinces of East and Central Kalimantan, particularly the Forest and Land Use Lead, the Green Growth Specialist, the Forest and Land Investment Lead, the Energy Investment Lead, and the two provincial representatives. Support will also be provided by GGGI’s Seoul-based Investment Services unit. GGGI will coordinate the Consultant’s work with that of a separate consulting firm, to be procured independently by GGGI, that will develop proposals for four or more bankable forest and land-based mitigation projects in Kalimantan and elsewhere. It is anticipated that at least one of these projects will be based on the peatland business model developed by the Consultant. The primary government counterparts for the Consultant’s work will be the provincial governments of Central and East Kalimantan, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) and the newly established Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG). GGGI will coordinate the work with these partners and other government agencies. In the Pulang Pisau district of Central Kalimantan, the government-led Bioenergy Lestari Program supports the sustainable production of biomass for energy on degraded lands along, including peatland. This offers the opportunity to integrate a renewable energy initiative with peatland rehabilitation and other “green” investments in one business model combining renewable energy, peatland rehabilitation (with direct GHG emission reductions), and green commercial investment. The model should provide scope for trialing potentially productive, efficient, disease- and pest-resistant species producing a range of products compatible with sound ecological management, including biomass suitable for bioenergy combined with other biological waste products from the district which can be used for power generation. In East Kalimantan, project development should focus on intact peat swamp forests and degraded peat areas in the province and build GGGI’s close collaboration with the Provincial Climate Change Council in helping to prepare the province for financing of a large-scale program by the World Bank’s FCPF Carbon Fund (commencing in 2018). Projects may operate in tandem with the fund for the Indonesia-Norway climate and forest partnership and other sources, to include private investment as well as the government’s own budget allocations. The peatland business model should suggest ecologically suitable and economically viable species which can contribute to peatland restoration. The model should also identify ecosystem services which provide economic benefits for stakeholders and business opportunities for investors. The model should aim to draw both pubic and private finance (so-called “blended finance”) through innovative financial instruments leading to GHG emissions reductions or avoidance. The Consultant’s specific tasks and duties are the following:

• Scoping. The Consultant shall review available published and unpublished material and consult with experts, GoI partners, and the GGGI country team to assess overall opportunities and risks of business opportunities for a range of potential proponents and stakeholders, including communities and farmers, for peatland-based projects in the two provinces of Central and East Kalimantan. The scoping study shall include an assessment of the ecological suitability and economic viability of species which are suitable for peatland restoration and the economic viability of developing a market around ecosystem services provided by healthy, functioning peatland landscapes.
• Review of similar projects. Looking beyond the two provinces, the Consultant shall review a reasonably diverse sample of roughly 10 to 15 tropical peatland projects—primarily but not exclusively in Indonesia—in order to identify the range and types of business interventions (including forest production, protection and conservation, and research), finance, governance, and outcomes.
• Knowledge, Practices, and Practitioners. Based on the review, the Consultant shall produce a report on the state of knowledge and best available practices most relevant to developing the business model for bankable green projects in Kalimantan peatlands. The report should present information on suitable species and management practices in tropical peat swamp forests and modified (or restored) peatlands, describe management systems and practices, identify experienced practitioners, and point to sources of knowledge and technical assistance for developing and implementing peatland projects.
• Conceptual Framework for business development. In close consultation with the GGGI country team, the Consultant shall design a conceptual framework for the business model and identify potential project sites, investors, and proponents for in Central and East Kalimantan clearly highlighting the benefits of the business development opportunity. GGGI will review and approve the conceptual framework before the Consultant proceeds to the business model design.
• Business Model Design. The Consultant, in collaboration with the GGGI country team and its partners, shall elaborate on the conceptual framework to design the peatland business model. Iterative versions or drafts of the model will be presented to and examined by relevant experts and partners through peer review and focus group discussions, managed by GGGI. The critical comments thus obtained will help guide each subsequent iteration of the design. It is anticipated that three such iterations will be undertaken during the first eight-to-nine months of 2017.
• Business Plan. After the final round of peer review, the Consultant shall prepare a business plan for one or two specific sites, working in close collaboration with the Forest and Land Use Lead, the Green Growth Specialist, Investment Lead, and the firm engaged by GGGI to develop innovative business proposals. This document should explain the set-up and operations of a peatland-based business model, including the value chain and market channel of the most suitable (set of) species, identify anticipated investment and revenue sources, and detail the range of products and services to be generated (including ecosystem services). The document should make a persuasive business case for public and private investment. It should describe the range of possible products and services, related land management interventions, and technologies (combinations of species, treatments, and management practices) along with the requisite financial, human, and technical inputs. It should indicate the major costs and benefits of the project for investors, government partners, communities and other stakeholders, including broad social and environmental impacts; identify potential risks and other barriers to investment, including technical, market, and policy barriers; and describe possible arrangements for public-private partnerships, and estimate the green growth impacts projects may have on the relevant sector(s).
• Investment Plan. The Consultant shall also prepare an investment plan, working in close collaboration with the Forest and Land Use Investment Lead, the Energy Investment Lead, and the Seoul-based Investment Services unit. This document should identify and prioritize prospective project proponents, government and non-government partners, and investors for the business plan. It should also lay out an engagement plan for investment and project development based on the peatland business model. The investment plan should assess the potential for the peatland business model to be replicated or scaled up, including identification of likely early adopters and potential adopters of the model in Indonesia.
• Safeguards and Compliance. The Consultant shall work closely with the GGGI country team and the Seoul-based IS team to assure that project design complies with relevant green growth standards, including social and environmental safeguards.
• Communication and Knowledge Sharing. The Consultant shall accompany and support the GGGI country team) to communicate frequently with GGGI’s government partners and other, collaborating organizations including the World Bank, other international organizations, NGOs, and private sector groups active in the relevant provinces and sectors. The Consultant shall also, from time to time, make presentations to the GGGI country team and share with them what he or she has learned during the course of the work.

The Consultant will be expected to make from four to six domestic trips to Central and East Kalimantan during the course of the assignment. If he or she is not based in Indonesia, GGGI will provide for three or four international trips to and from Jakarta. 

• Scoping Document describing opportunities and risks for peatland-based projects in Central and East Kalimantan, summarizing the state of knowledge gained from experience of past and current peatland projects in Indonesia, and identifying potential project sites, investors, and proponents for new projects (by 10 December 2016);
• Quarterly progress report on the work that has been completed, what is planned for the next quarter, any obstacles encountered, and what actions have been or will be taken to overcome them (by the end of the third month);

Deliverables in 2017

• Business Plan for one or two selected sites explaining the set-up and operations of a peatland-based business model (three iterative drafts on or about 31 March, 30 June, and 30 September 2017; final document by 15 November 2017);
• Investment Plan for one or two selected sites detailing consultation with prospective project proponents, government and non-government partners, and investors and laying out an engagement plan for investment (draft 31 July 2017; final document by 30 September 2017);
• Workshop presentations in PowerPoint formatfor each iterative draft and the final versions of the business model and investment strategy (every three months in 2017);
• Quarterly progress reports on the work that has been completed, what is planned for the next quarter, any obstacles encountered, and what actions have been or will be taken to overcome them (by the end of every third month);
• Final Report summarizing the work done by the Consultant, problems and challenges encountered and lessons learned, with an annex covering the results of meetings and workshops (draft by 1 November, final document by 1 December 2017).

• Advanced degree (master’s or equivalent) in forestry, environmental management, or a related field.
• An entrepreneurial mindset and keen interest in impact investment.
• At least 20 years of experience in the design, business development, and implementation of forestry and agroforestry projects, including at least three years of relevant professional experience in Indonesia or a similar tropical country and at least three years of work dealing with peat swamp forest and peatlands.
• Demonstration, through written work and dialogue, of in-depth knowledge of peatland ecosystems and sustainable production and management practices, including the challenges faced to shape inclusive and sustainable investment projects on peatland areas.
• Demonstrated skills and direct work experience with one or more of the following (the more the better): natural forest management; community-based forestry and agroforestry; plantation management; forest-based business development and operations; public and private sector finance and investment; empirical socio-economic research on forestry and agroforestry products and services; payment for ecosystem services, including REDD+; project design and implementation.
• Proven capacity to present analytical work in clear and compelling reports with operational, actionable, recommendations.
• A working knowledge of the Indonesian language and government systems is an advantage.
• The consultant must be available to spend the majority of his or her working days in Indonesia and to participate in field visits of up to two weeks at a time.

How to Apply: Apply Online through URL below:https://careers.gggi.org/vacancy/peatland-project-development-expert-277995.html