Overview
Consultant to analyze fiscal incentive frameworks and develop recommendations for peatland conservation in the Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Key Responsibilities
- Prepare an inception report outlining methodology, analytical framework, work plan, data sources, and stakeholder engagement approach.
- Identify and map key government institutions, private sector actors, financial institutions, civil society organizations, and international partners.
- Conduct a comprehensive literature review of fiscal incentives, subsidies, and economic instruments affecting land use in the Congo Basin.
- Identify and catalogue all relevant fiscal policies, tax regimes, subsidies, and economic incentives influencing land-use decisions.
- Map fiscal instruments applicable to forestry/logging, oil and gas, mining, agriculture, and infrastructure sectors.
- Analyze how fiscal instruments create economic advantages for certain land uses and their impact on peatland conservation.
- Examine the treatment of ecosystem services, carbon values, and biodiversity in current fiscal frameworks.
- Identify and analyze fiscal policies and economic incentives that create perverse outcomes for peatland conservation.
- Assess the extent to which current fiscal policies create direct or indirect subsidies for activities that could degrade peatlands.
- Analyze how international market dynamics, trade policies, and global demand for commodities influence fiscal incentives.
- Quantify, where possible, fiscal revenue losses resulting from existing incentives and subsidies.
- Assess the economic costs of environmental degradation resulting from perverse fiscal incentives.
- Develop a range of options and recommendations to reform perverse fiscal incentives and align fiscal policies with peatland conservation objectives.
- Assess the feasibility, potential impacts, and implementation pathways for each option.
- Propose "climate-smart fiscal revenue instruments" and innovative fiscal mechanisms.
- Recommend measures to improve transparency, monitoring, and enforcement of fiscal policies.
- Align recommendations with ongoing policy processes in both countries.
- Conduct targeted consultations with relevant stakeholders to validate findings and test proposed measures.
- Prepare a final report in English and French, including an executive summary, introduction, methodology, analysis, recommendations, implementation roadmap, and conclusions.
- Present findings and recommendations to key stakeholders in a validation workshop.
- Prepare a concise policy brief summarizing key findings and recommendations.
Required Experience
A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in fiscal policy analysis, public finance, and/or environmental economics is required. Proven experience in analysing fiscal incentives, tax regimes, and economic instruments related to natural resource management, forestry, and/or land use is required. Demonstrated experience working on policy issues in the Congo Basin or Central Africa region, with a strong understanding of the political economy context and the specific challenges facing the RoC and DRC is required. Experience working with or for government institutions, particularly ministries of finance, environment, and natural resources in the region is desired. Prior experience with UNEP or other UN agencies is an asset. Knowledge of and experience with payment for ecosystem services schemes, environmental fiscal reform, and/or incentive-based conservation mechanisms is a distinct advantage. Established networks with relevant stakeholders in the Congo Basin region is a strong asset. Experience with CAFI-related processes and the Global Peatlands Initiative is an advantage.
Qualifications
An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in environmental economics, agricultural economics, public finance, natural resource management, or a related field is required. A bachelors degree in combination with 2 additional years of experience will be accepted in lieu of the Masters degree.
