Call for Statements of Intent: support for the implementation of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development

A. Overview

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is seeking statements of intent for a Canadian Executing Agency (CEA) for Canada’s contribution to the work of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development during the period of April 1, 2019 - March 31, 2022.

B. Background

The China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) is a high-level international advisory body to the Chinese Government on environment and development issues.  Since its establishment in 1992, Canada has been its lead funding partner, and Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honorable Catherine McKenna, serves as its International Executive Vice Chair. The CCICED is currently in Phase VI of its operation, which will take place from 2017 to 2021. For additional information on the CCICED please see CCICED’s official website.

C. Description of the project

ECCC is seeking a CEA to manage the specific activities funded by Canada’s contribution to CCICED, and to function as the CCICED Secretariat International Support Office (SISO). The SISO assists and mobilizes international support for the Council’s work (e.g. providing logistical assistance to International Council Members to participate in the Council’s events) and supports the Council’s Secretariat in Beijing, China (e.g. providing logistical and administrative support and training). The SISO may also be required to manage funds from other international donors.

ECCC’s contribution will provide financing for CCICED activities which could include:

• providing financial and logistical support to the planning and execution of the CCICED's Annual General Meetings in China, and other meetings as required
• acting as a liaison between international donors and other international stakeholders and the Council’s Secretariat, as required
• supporting the dissemination of CCICED policy recommendations through the organization of roundtables and other public outreach activities
• supporting the Chief Advisors and their expert support group in providing overall technical expertise to the Council, its research agenda, quality control of and support for on-going policy research and dissemination of findings
• supporting the research and development of policy recommendations conducted by the China Council's task forces and special policy study groups on key environment and development issues
• other agreed project initiatives, including activities that support a common understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment as they relate to environment and climate change, among Canadian and Chinese CCICED partners, strengthen environmental management and governance, and enhance the sustainability of the CCICED

D. Application process

The submission of a Statement of Intent is the first stage of a two-stage application process.

• STEP 1 - Submission of a Statement of Intent
• STEP 2 - Submission of a detailed project proposal

An internal committee will assess Statements of Intent against the eligibility criteria listed in this notice. Applicants who meet all of the eligibility criteria will be invited to submit a full proposal. ECCC may also choose to apply any or all of the asset criteria listed below as part of its assessment. If an applicant is invited to submit a full proposal, they may accept or decline the invitation. We do not fund the preparation of Statements of Intent or full proposals. If funding is provided, only costs incurred after the signature of a funding agreement are eligible for reimbursement.

• submission of Statement of Intent should be sent to: ec.affairesbilaterales-bilateralaffairs.ec@Canada.ca
• deadline for submission of the Statement of Intent is: June 7, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. EDT

Please note that Environment and Climate Change Canada:

• will not accept any late submissions
• will not accept submissions made outside of the email address provided above

E. Step 1: Statement of intent

Statements of Intent must be no longer than 10 pages and must include specific information on the applicant’s eligibility according to the screening requirements outlined below. To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate they meet each requirement and, where stipulated, provide examples.

Carefully review the organization eligibility requirements outlined below before investing time in developing a Statement of Intent. We will not pre-assess or comment on the eligibility of specific potential applicants. To be eligible, you must demonstrate in your Statement of Intent how your organization meets each requirement and, where stipulated, provide examples.

You must submit documents in either English or French, or a combination of the two.

Statements of Intent must include the following information:

• Organization Legal Name
• Contact Name (this individual must be reachable over the summer period)
• Title
• Email
• Telephone
• Organization type
• Eligibility (organized in paragraph format under the headings listed below)

E-1. Eligible organizations

• Canadian not-for-profit organizations, such as charitable and volunteer organizations, think tanks, professional associations, and non-governmental organizations
• Canadian research, academic and educational institutions
• Canadian for-profit organizations. Canadian for-profit organizations must attest in their Statements of Intent that they do not intend for ECCC funding to allow the business to generate profits or increase the value of the business as a direct result of undertaking any project activities supported by ECCC

E-2. Required experience

Project management experience: Applicants must demonstrate that they have the required experience and provide examples of past projects, with the relevant dates and scope of projects, in their Statement of Intent.

• have a proven track record of sound financial management of public or private sector funds
• organizational experience in successfully managing complex projects, including:
  • multi-million dollar budgets
  • multi-donor stakeholder projects
  • monitoring and reporting on results
  • ensuring that projects are planned and delivered effectively and in a timely manner

Relevant experience in China: Applicants must list the relevant dates and scope of their experience.

• Significant organizational experience operating in China and with Chinese organizations, including government Ministries, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, universities, advocacy organizations, businesses or other types of organizations, normally demonstrated by sustained collaboration over a minimum of 3 years.

Logistics experience: Organizations must list specific conferences or events they managed, including the date, scope and overall budget.

• Demonstrated organizational experience organizing and managing overall logistics for major international conferences and events.

The following experience will be considered an asset: In addition to the required experience above, the following may also be applied in the determination of qualified candidates for this process.

• organizational experience managing projects for the Government of Canada. If your organization has previously received funds from the Government of Canada, please indicate which department, and the title, year and amount of the project(s).
• experience in organizational renewal or revitalization.
• experience implementing projects related to environmental protection, climate change or international development.
• organizational experience in the development of gender equality and gender mainstreaming strategies.
• experience working with multilateral organizations.

An internal committee will review your Statement of Intent against the above criteria and, upon clearance, will share with you the full application package containing additional criteria.

F. Step 2: Project proposal

Following a review of your Statement of Intent you should be contacted in the following month to inform you whether:

• your organization will not be invited to submit a full proposal based on your Statement of Intent, or
• your organization will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Once notified, applicants will be given a timeframe to submit a full proposal. Additional information and templates will be provided by ECCC to organizations invited to submit full proposals. ECCC will not fund the preparation of Statements of Intent or full proposals. ECCC will not provide detailed feedback to applicants who are not invited to submit a full proposal.

G. Questions

If you have questions about this call, please send them to ec.affairesbilaterales-bilateralaffairs.ec@Canada.ca no later than June 7, 2018, before 5:00 p.m. EDT.  Environment and Climate Change Canada will not respond to questions about an organization’s specific circumstances or about specific proposals.