TITLE: Sustainable Finance Consultancy Service 

CONTRACT TERM: Through September 2022

LOCATION: Southeast Asia–based

OBJECTIVE

The Asia Foundation’s Thailand Office is seeking a sustainable finance consultancy service provider (SFC; individual or consulting firm) with experience in the application of environmental and social standards/requirements across large infrastructure project development and financing cycles. The SFC will help the USAID and Australia Mekong Safeguards Program deliver qualified results according to its implementation plan. The SFC will report to the Deputy Chief of Party, based in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Senior Program Manager for Regional Sustainable Finance, based in Beijing, China.

BACKGROUND

USAID and Australia Mekong Safeguards Program (Mekong Safeguards) is a five-year $10.6 million project working with major banks, governments, and developers in Thailand, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Myanmar, and China. The program focuses on large energy and transportation infrastructure investments to strengthen environmental and social standards and practices in Southeast Asia’s Lower Mekong Region (the region). The program provides an exciting opportunity to support new and improved ways governments, financiers, developers, and civil society organizations can invest and build sustainable energy and transportation infrastructure.

Featuring a sustainable finance component, Mekong Safeguards collaborates with regional and in-country actors to cross-pollinate successes and strengthen environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards in infrastructure project investments in the region. This component requires the SFC to retain a mastery in environmental and social standards/requirements across large infrastructure project development and financing cycles, as well as the knowledge of sustainable finance trends in the region. Specifically, the SFC needs to develop suitable sustainable finance tools that are in line with Mekong Safeguards’ goal and that can promote sustainable infrastructure investment in the region.

SCOPE OF WORK

Through this service and other efforts, Mekong Safeguards aims to have regional and in-country actors in the financial sector impose stronger ESG requirements in infrastructure development. To this end, the SFC needs to carry out the following tasks:

• Develop a sustainable finance tool that aligns with Mekong Safeguards’ goal. Specifically, the tool aims to “demystify” the importance of environmental and social (E&S) considerations and their integration into the development process of infrastructures. This will also help financiers and other stakeholders to understand E&S risks and impacts earlier in a project and throughout a project’s life cycle. 
• Assist in the tool’s follow-on promotion actions. After the tool is developed, Mekong Safeguards will convene on-site or online workshops for investors and lenders in the region. The purpose of the events is for participants to discuss application of the tool to mitigate E&S risks associated with large infrastructures. The events will also build the capacity of in-country actors and possibly locate additional in-country actors for further collaboration.

DELIVERABLES

• A suitable sustainable finance tool.
• Ad hoc advisory support to a series of workshops/webinars related to the tool’s application, such as a presentation and panel discussion.

TIMELINE

The table below provides an approximate time frame for principal activities. The successful offeror is expected to adhere to this time frame, which will begin with the kickoff meeting and end with approval of the deliverables.

Activity - Estimated Completion

• Initial kickoff and planning meeting - 1 week after selection
• Activity 1: Detailed plan for tool development - 2 weeks after kickoff
• Activity 2: First draft of the tool - 6 weeks after Activity 1 confirmed
• Activity 3: Second draft of the tool - 2 weeks after receiving comments on the first draft
• Activity 4: Final version of the tool - 2 weeks after receiving comments on the second draft
• Ad hoc advisory service - Depending on the exact event schedule

Interested individuals or firms may email proposals that include planned activities and estimated costs to mekong.safeguards@asiafoundation.org by January 14, 2022. Please include “Position SFC” in the email’s subject line.

(Only short-listed candidates will be notified.)