Background
Context
On 23 July 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Climate Change Act, 2024(Act No. 22 of 2024) (CCA) into law (Annexure A). The CCA was published in the Government Gazette for general information, pending its proclamation and determination of the commencement date. The purpose of the CCA is to enable the development of an effective climate change response and a long-term, just transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy and society for South Africa, in the context of sustainable development, and to provide for matters connected therewith. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment is seeking embedded advisors to support the implementation of the Climate Change Act
This position is created to support DFFE with its efforts to enhance MRV of land-based activities in a manner that supports tracking of NDCs in the short term but also identification of land-based policy response options for achieving Net-Zero targets by 2050. South Africa is also exploring remote sensing approaches to track its GHG emissions, especially with regard to Methane
Embedded Advisory Model
DFFE has adopted the embedded advisor model to ensure efficient and effective development of key policy instruments in support of the Climate Change Act implementation. The successful candidates will work closely with DFFE staff leading the implementation of South Africa’s Climate Change Mitigation system and therefore be exposed to the entire climate change mitigation value chain from GHG inventory development to implementation and tracking of Sectoral Emissions Targets. The ultimate objective is to create a pool of policy experts that will advance the climate change mitigation work programme in the short to medium term.
The Climate Change Specialist: Remote Sensing for GHG Emissions will provide consulting services to the South Africa Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). He will be stationed physically in the DFFE offices in Pretoria, South Africa, and will be expected to travel throughout South Africa as needed to work with National, Provincial and Local Government and relevant stakeholders. When not on travel, the consultant will be present and available within the DFFE offices during regular business hours and will comply with established DFFE policy and procedures. The consultant will work under the technical direction of the DFFE Director: Mitigation Research and Analysis and will be required to report on progress toward the Key Performance Areas detailed within this SOW.
The Climate Change Specialist: Remote Sensing for GHG Emissions will report to the Director: Mitigation Research and Analysis.
Roles and Responsibilities
The NDC Partnership has partnered with the South African Government, through DFFE, to pursue long-term, transformative development and accelerate sustainable, climate-resilient economic growth while slowing the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. NDC-Partnership assists countries in meeting their Paris Agreement and other related policy obligations while improving associated capacities and processes.
Support is country-driven, creating and implementing assistance tailored to each country’s unique capacity, technical, analytical, and policy needs.
Deliverables
To lead, manage, facilitate, coordinate, monitor and report on national carbon sinks and fluxes in the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector.
DELIVERABLES
KPA DESCRIPTION (The full deliverable table can be viewed following the position link below)
1.Analyze land use/land cover maps and produce land use change matrices for GHG inventory compilation. (Weight: 30%)
2.Facilitation and support of the Measuring, Reporting and Verification of Climate Change Response Measures Policies and Measures review and improvement and tracking the efficacy of these on the of AFOLU sector emissions profile. (Weight: 20%)
3.Facilitate arrangements for the implementation of carbon sinks programs and projects through formalization of institutional arrangements. (Weight: 20%)
4. Conduct research on remote sensing techniques for near-real time monitoring of greenhouse gases. (Weight: 30%)
The Climate Change Specialist: Remote Sensing for GHG Emissions will be required to provide a brief workplan within one week of signing this agreement and will provide progress reporting on a monthly basis (within the first week of each month for the work completed in the previous month) to the Director: Mitigation Research and Analysis Climate Change Mitigation and Specialist Monitoring Services, for submission to the NDC Partnership, reporting on progress toward the Key Performance Areas and associated performance indicators detailed above.
Timeframe and Duty Station
This is a full-time position based in Pretoria, South Africa for 4.5 months, with a possibility of extension. The expected start date is 1 August 2025.
Requirements
National Diploma/BSc degree in geographical information systems, remote sensing, Geoinformatics, or a similar field;
At least 2 years of experience in geographical information systems related to climate/environment and sustainable development in South Africa;
Demonstrable experience working in climate change tasks in South Africa, including, but not limited to, mitigation and adaptation action, government policy and legal frameworks, MRV, M&E systems, and results-based management;
Demonstrated skills in managing and aligning diverse groups of stakeholders, including development agencies, non-state actors / civil society, financial institutions, the private sector, and others;
Excellent writing, editing, digital, and oral communication skills;
South African national;
Proficiency in English
How to Apply
To apply, please submit a complete application package that includes CV, cover letter and daily remuneration expectation to John Heermans at John.Heermans@ndcpartnership.org, Mirjam Kaholongo at Mirjam.Kaholongo@ndcpartnership.org and ndcpaf@ndcpartnership.org at the NDC Partnership Support Unit by 21 July 2025, with the subject ‘South Africa NDC Partnership Embedded Advisor Remote Sensing Application’.
EVALUATION AND SELECTION
Evaluation Criteria
The following elements will be the primary considerations in evaluating all proposals submitted in response to this RFP:
Completion of all required elements;
CV
Cover Letter
Daily remuneration expectation
The extent to which the consultant’s proposal fulfills WRI’s stated requirements as set out in the RFP;
Overall cost of the consultant’s proposal;
Debarment and sanctions – WRI will not consider proposals from consultants that are presently debarred by the U.S. government or named on any restricted parties lists;
Sustainability – WRI values sustainability and all other factors being equal, will favor a proposal to more sustainably perform the work.
The applicant offering the best overall value will be selected. For this procurement, the non-price aspect is considered to be of higher importance than the price aspect.
Selection Process
No application/proposal development costs shall be charged to WRI / all expenses are to be borne by the bidders. WRI may award to the bidder offering best value without discussion. However, WRI reserves the right to seek bidder clarifications and to negotiate with those bidders deemed to be within a competitive range.
WRI may, at its discretion and without explanation to the prospective consultants, choose to discontinue this RFP without obligation to such prospective consultants. or make multiple awards under this RFP. Contracts will not be awarded to consultants debarred by the US government or named on restricted parties lists.