Liberia – Develop a Waste Sector Strategy that reduces emissions of black carbon from open burning [LR-23-003]

Overview

Liberia currently has no waste sector strategy. This project responds to a request made by the Liberian Government, through the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a waste sector Strategy that reduces Black Carbon emission from the waste sector and raise the ambition of revised NDC that is scheduled to be delivered by 2025. The project will lay the foundation for improved air quality monitoring of PM2.5 and black carbon exposure in targeted municipalities. At minimum, the project is expected to contribute to existing policies by producing a consolidated policy document with recommendations and actionable interventions which are expected to make a substantial contribution to reducing Black Carbon emissions from the waste sector and raise the ambition through a revised NDC.

In its revised NDCs, Liberia has included various mitigation measures to address SLCPs, such as black carbon, within the framework of national air quality and climate change programs. While these measures are mentioned in the NDCs, the lack of a well-defined strategy for effectively reducing SLCP emissions, particularly BC, has hindered the fulfilment of certain NDC commitments. The proposed project aims to address this gap by crafting a comprehensive strategy to mitigate BC emissions originating from the waste sector

More information on Liberia's involvement in the CCAC is available on their Partner Page.

Who to involve

Successful delivery of this project will require close coordination and engagement primarily with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Paynesville City Corporation (PCC), Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), Ministry of Health (MOH), National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Commissioner (NWASH), Ministry of Public Works (MPW), private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), research and academic institutions and local communities.

Expected results

Applicants are encouraged to propose additional outputs as needed to ensure the expected project outcomes are achieved. Applicants can determine the scope of outputs if not specified. The project is expected to deliver at a minimum:

1. The Government of Liberia develops and endorses the Waste Sector Strategy, a black carbon assessment conducted in selected municipalities (Monrovia and Paynesville) and the policy recommendations formulated by the end of the project.

Indicator: Number of action plans, roadmaps, strategies, or other future plans with SLCP targets or mitigation measures formally adopted, endorsed and/or implemented.

Output 1.1: Waste Sector Strategy which includes at a minimum:

• Review of current laws, policies, and regulations (sub-national and national as relevant)
• Black carbon assessment for the waste sector in Liberia that includes emissions sources.
• Black carbon mitigation options and emissions reductions potential including from alternative waste management approaches and technologies.
• Cost of implementation and sources of funding
• Co-benefits assessment including health impacts.
• Gender analysis including disaggregated data on health impacts of black carbon emissions, and co-benefits of emissions reductions on health and livelihoods.
• Monitoring, reporting, and evaluation framework
• Policy recommendations to advance proven alternative waste management approaches and technologies in sub-national planning.

2. The Government of Liberia has increased capacity to monitor, assess, and reduce black carbon emissions from the waste sector by the end of the project.

Indicator: Number of monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems developed or updated that include SLCPs.

Output 2.1: Deliver trainings to sub-national authorities on monitoring air pollution from the waste sector, assessing options for alternative waste management options and technologies, and increasing awareness on the health and climate benefits of abolishing open burning of municipal waste.

Output 2.2: Increase awareness, through media engagements, on the health and climate benefits of abolishing open burning of municipal waste with the goal of by 2040 and to promote use of waste as a resource for value and job creation.

3. Technical capacity of relevant staff is enhanced through the provision of training in black carbon emission inventory (using LEAP IBC, SWEET or other applicable model).

Indicator: Number of government entities with a demonstrated improved capacity for SLCP action.

Output 3.1: Deliver training to sub-national authorities and regulatory staff on BC emission inventory from the waste sector.

Application process

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for consideration, project proposals must meet the following requirements:

• Complete and submitted before the deadline
• Submitted by a non-governmental organization (NGO), intergovernmental organization (IGO), or other not-for-profit entity. Governments are not eligible to apply directly for funding in this call.
• Requested funding is within the estimated budget amount, or includes a clear justification for additional expenses 
• Project duration is less than 24 months
• Budget criteria are met and spending caps on expenses are respected. 

Please note that entities will be required to provide the last three (3) audited financial statements to be eligible for CCAC funding. These statements may be provided along with the application for funding or at the request of the CCAC Secretariat during the evaluation process.

For-profit entities may only participate in the project as stakeholders, co-funders, or end users. Applicants are encouraged to include for-profit entities in the development of the project proposal and/or during project implementation if their ownership of the proposed solution is key to the project’s success.  

How to apply

Eligible applicants are invited to apply using the Application Form and Excel Budget Form. Specific instructions on completing these forms are available in both documents. 

Applicants may choose to follow the cost range proposed above OR propose a different budget supported by a clear justification. However, applicants should note that cost efficiency will play a significant role in the selection process.

The completed Application Form and Excel Budget Form should be submitted to secretariat [at] ccacoalition.org (secretariat[at]ccacoalition[dot]org).

Evaluation criteria

Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

• Presents a clear plan to achieve the required outcomes during the lifetime of the project or soon after
• Includes a plan or activities to enable the scaling up of, replication of, or sustained use of project results over time
• Sets out a clear approach for enabling or contributing to SLCP emissions reductions and resulting co-benefits
• Involves relevant stakeholders 
• Approach is grounded in a strong understanding of relevant risks
• Complements other relevant initiatives, funding mechanisms, and existing policy processes
• Applicant demonstrates necessary capacity and experience to perform the work
• A realistic, cost-effective, and clearly justified budget and approach is proposed
• Project meets the minimum requirements for the OECD DAC gender equality marker Score 1

Selection process

• A preliminary review of proposals submitted by the deadline will be conducted by members of the CCAC Secretariat, Funding Task Team, and Board, in consultation with relevant CCAC Partners.  
• Shortlisted applicants will be invited to present their proposals in further detail and to respond to follow-up questions about their application.
• Successful applicants will be invited to develop a Project Implementation Plan and Detailed Budget in consultation with the CCAC Secretariat and relevant CCAC Partners.

The selection process may take up to 6 months after the closing date of the call for proposals. Due to the high volume of requests, the CCAC will not respond to requests for updates or feedback during this time.

Note: Due diligence 

In addition to eligibility criteria outlined above, qualified UNEP/CCAC implementers* must meet the following criteria: 

• Have adequate financial resources to perform the contract and meet all existing commitments (financial health)
• Be able to provide proof of registration, proof of not-for-profit status and audited financial statements for the last three completed fiscal years 
• Have a record of satisfactory performance with UNEP/CCAC, when applicable; and  - Not have been suspended or debarred by UNEP/CCAC or another UN agency. UNEP/CCAC also considers entities included in the Security Council Resolution Lists to be ineligible for UNEP/CCAC agreements.

* (inter)governmental entities/ United Nations are exempt from this requirement

Procurement

As a general rule, Implementation Agreements allow for incidental procurement only, and as such, total costs in the following categories must fall below a certain threshold*:

• Contractual Services
• Equipment, Vehicles and Furniture
• Operating and other Direct costs
• Supplies, Commodities and Materials

*Agreements of $200,000 and below: up to $20,000 or 15% of total budget, whichever is lower.

*Agreements of above $200,000: up to $40,000 or 15%. * United Nations agencies are exempt from this requirement.