Call for proposals- Consultancy on Risk Assessment for Sustainable Finance and China Workstream

Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) is a Norwegian foundation working to protect the world’s tropical rainforests and traditional, forest-dependent communities.

As part of its global work, RFN seeks to engage with public and private stakeholders to promote rainforest protection in Asia, Africa and Latin America. This includes a work stream on sustainable finance focusing on international investors, banks, and international corporations under RFN’s Deforestation-free Markets Programme.

Background

The overall objective of RFN’s work on sustainable finance is to promote sustainable development with a focus on rainforest protection vis-à-vis financial institutions and companies, and support the implementation of their net zero strategies with focus on managing deforestation risks linked to value chains. In our work with international banks and investors, we focus on SDGs 15 Life on Land and SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production.

With that in mind, we advocate for best practices in ESG, alert financial institutions to material risks to which they may be exposed, and organize capacity development and knowledge exchange activities between the financial sector, academics and rainforest protection experts. Our activities include organizing webinars, courses, conferences, and advising organizations that would like to improve their sustainability track record and manage their deforestation risks, while maintaining strong financial returns. In order to ensure that the Sustainable Finance and China workstream activities are compliant with Chinese legislation as well as the RFN Risk Management Policy, RFN wishes to recruit an independent consultant or firm to undertake a risk assessment and propose a set of risk management actions.

Duration and Location

August to October 2024. The consultancy is home-based.

Purpose

The overall objective of the consultancy is to support RFN’s Sustainable Finance workstream’s activities involving Chinese stakeholders while ensuring compliance with Norwegian and Chinese legislation as well as the RFN Risk Management Policy.

List of activities of RFN that needs to be evaluated include:

1. Attending relevant conferences, presentations, workshops etc.
2. Organizing workshops, company visits, study tours with Chinese institutions and international finance institutions to China.
3. Bilateral engagement with public and private Chinese stakeholders and entities
4. Partnership Agreements or Alliances with Chinese public, private, and civil society entities
5. Secondment of RFN staff to work on co-created projects with the above public, private, and civil society entities

The Policy encompasses the following risk categories: strategic risks, financial risks, programme risks and operational risks.

The consultancy will include identifying, analyzing, evaluating potential risks and proposing measures to reduce the probability of such risks occurring and related consequences.

Description of tasks

1. Carry out a desk review of the risk management and strategy documents with relevance to the China workstream.
2. Carry out a review of Chinese Overseas NGO law and any other relevant legislation for the risk assesment.
3. Based on RFN’s Risk Management Policy, carry out an assessment of strategic, programme-related, financial and operational risks with focus on specific areas to be identified in consultation with RFN staff. This will entail a document review as well as interviews with key stakeholders in China and RFN partners and donors.
4. Produce a draft risk assessment report containing risk identification, analysis and evaluation and recommendations for risk prevention and mitigation.
5. Incorporate comments and present final report to RFN.

Reporting Lines

The consultant will report to the Senior China Advisor in the RFN Deforestation-free Markets Team.

Experience and Selection Criteria

CVs/Proposals will be assessed against a 100 point scale, as follows:

• Experience undertaking risk assessments to inform business and/or NGO engagement in China (50 points)
• Experience in assessing cyber risks (20 points)
• Experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders in private, public and non-profit sectors (10 points)
• Experience working in China and/or with a Chinese organisation (10 points)
• Experience with similar assignments for international non-profit organisations (10 points)

Please note: proficiency in English and Mandarin, written and spoken, is essential. If applying as a firm, one of the team members must be proficient in Mandarin.

Please send your proposal to Senior Advisor, China and Sustainable Finance, Abhimanyu Manimaran, at abhi@rainforest.no.

Deadline for proposals is 9th August, 2024