NAME:
Benoît Rivard
POST:
Consultant – Forest Carbon and REDD
PROFILE:
Benoît joined LTS in 2010 while undertaking a dissertation research
project that developed storyline scenarios for Malawi’s energy mix and
determined the potential challenges of implementing a national REDD
strategy in Malawi. He has since contributed to Norway’s International
Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) evaluation reports (DRC, Indonesia,
Tanzania and Global Policy) by providing focused research as well as
editing and report writing support to the evaluation teams. Benoît recently
conducted research for Global Witness on fiduciary safeguards for
REDD+ financial flows and governance structures and supporting the
development of CDM methodologies for Small Scale A/R with the
Uganda Carbon Bureau. He is managing a UNDP-funded study on
REDD+ costing elements (e.g. opportunity costs, transaction costs,
institutional costs), in addition to conducting a study on logging and
clearance of natural tropical forests in Africa. Benoît is responsible for
coordinating all aspects of the research, development and production of
detailed project proposals in the areas of REDD forest carbon projects,
climate change adaptation, climate finance and forestry, including writing
and editing proposal text. He is fluent in English and French.
DATE OF BIRTH:
17 August 1983
NATIONALITY:
Canadian
QUALIFICATIONS:
University of Edinburgh – MSc Carbon Management
September 2009 - August 2010
Relevant courses include: Carbon Economics, Forests & Environment,
Climate Change Impacts & Adaptation, Carbon Finance
Dissertation topic: Storyline scenarios of Malawi’s energy mix and the
potential implications of a National REDD Strategy in Malawi.
University of Ottawa, Telfer School of Management - B.com International
Management (Co-op), 2002 – 2006
LANGUAGES:
English (native), French (native), Spanish (basic), Bambara (basic)
COUNTRIES:
Cameroon, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Mali,
Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom
KEY EXPERIENCE:
Carbon management; REDD; carbon economics; forestry; climate change impacts & adaptation;
carbon finance; CDM; Communications; Public engagement.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER:
Employment
September 2010 Consultant, LTS International; Edinburgh, UK
Present
Currently responsible for coordinating all aspects of the research,
development and production of detailed project proposals in the areas of
REDD, forest carbon projects, climate change adaptation, climate
finance and forestry, including writing and editing proposal text.
Contributed to NICFI evaluation reports (Indonesia, DRC, Tanzania,
Global Policy) by providing focused research as well as editing and
CV: Benoit Rivard
report writing support to the evaluation teams.
Conducted a market study on the forest carbon and REDD value chains,
and provided internal advice on new initiatives in forestry carbon.
Undertook research focusing on developing storyline scenarios for
Malawi's future energy Mix, discussing the potential challenges for
implementing a national REDD strategy in Malawi and identifying
opportunities for REDD activities within each scenario.
September 2009 September 2010
Part-Time Researcher, ENDS Carbon; Edinburgh, UK
Analysed carbon reporting data of over 600 brands through both CSR
reports as well as Carbon Disclosure Project questionnaires.
Surveyed ENDS subscribers to gauge interest in various carbon-related
products and services from ENDS Carbon.
Provided relevant research to produce sectoral climate change risk
indices as part of a project with FTSE4GOOD and CDP.
March 2009 - July
2009
Communications Director, Mali-Folkecenter Nyetaa (MFC Nyetaa);
Bamako, Mali
October 2007 March 2008
Mali-Folkecenter Nyetaa's mission is to promote the sustainable
management of natural resources and the use of these resources to
catalyse local economic growth & sustainable development by working in
partnership with civil society groups, rural populations and small
entrepreneurs.
Coordinated all communications-related activities during the Annual
National Environmental Forum in Bamako, Mali, (organised by MFC
Nyetaa) where over 1,200 people, from every region of Mali, participated
in the 3-day discussions and workshops.
Organised workshops with high-level government policy and decisionmakers, as well as local elected officials to incorporate climate change
adaptation policies in their 5-year development plans.
Organised a regional CDM Workshop for improved stoves with
participants from 7 African countries including Rwanda and Senegal.
Produced focused communication tools for ongoing projects (posters,
brochures, press releases, newsletters) in each area of work (renewable
energy, climate change, gender equality, local economic development),
including MFC Nyetaa’s 10-year anniversary report for donors, partners
and stakeholders.
Drafted the inaugural Communication Strategy for MFC Nyetaa’s 5-year
strategic plan.
December 2008 January 2009
Member’s Assistant, Office of Nathan Cullen, MP; Ottawa, Canada
Produced communication materials for the Natural Resources & Energy
Critic of the New Democratic Party.
Assisted with Member’s constituent and critic-related correspondence
(issues ranged from coal-bed methane drilling to sustainable fisheries).
April 2008 December 2008
LTS International
Energy Programmer, One Sky - Canadian Institute of Sustainable
Living; Smithers, BC, Canada.
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CV: Benoit Rivard
July 2007 - October
2007
One Sky’s mission is to promote sustainable living globally, with projects
related to renewable energy, community forestry, and civil society
leadership, ranging from rural British Columbia to Peru and West Africa.
Collaborated with local communities to produce an integrated
Community Energy Plan that clearly defines their vision on reducing
energy consumption.
Engaged 16 municipalities - with a total population of 800,000 - in British
Columbia to reduce their energy footprint through a CIDA-funded public
engagement project called Energetic Olympics by incentivising action
through healthy competition. Produced communication materials
(brochures, posters).
Coordinated a resource center for the local population to learn about
renewable energy and energy efficiency by answering questions from
visitors, providing demonstrations of solar thermal heaters and solar PV
panels (grid inter-connection) on the office.
Wrote a weekly column in the local newspaper about topics such as
energy efficiency, renewable energy, peak oil, bio-fuels, anti-idling bylaws and woodstoves.
May 2006 –
August 2006
Policy Researcher, Canadian International Development Agency;
Ottawa, Canada
Conducted a quantitative comparison study on social and private rates of
return to Official Development Assistance in education, health,
infrastructure, governance and agriculture.
Consulting Assignments
Date
Details
November 2011 –
Position: Project Manager and Consultant
present
Client: Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)
Desk based (UK)
Title: Consultancy Research and Development Agreement.
The objective of this contract is to enhance the ability of the supplier to
efficiently implement real time evaluations on behalf of Norad. Its principal
aims are threefold:
 to ensure that the supplier is able to maintain an accurate
appreciation of current thinking amongst NICFI’s stakeholders and of
any changes to policy;
 to enable the supplier to monitor changes in indicators and impacts at
both the global policy and national levels and to reflect such changes
in its advice and recommendations;
 to facilitate the maintenance of a database of key information and
enhance the flow of information between and amongst the parties.
November 2011 –
present
Desk based (UK)
LTS International
Position: Project Manager and Consultant
Client: World Bank
Title: Integrated Assessment of Land Use Options, Malawi
The objective of this consultancy is to strengthen integrated land use
planning in response to the challenges and opportunities presented by
Climate Change by systematically exploring land use management options
for climate financing in Malawi to deliver both climate (adaptation/mitigation)
as well as development (e.g. environmental, economic, social) co-benefits.
The outputs will cluster around two areas: (i) technical assessment of land
use management options in the face of climate change to inform carbon
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CV: Benoit Rivard
finance investments and sustainable land use management, and (ii)
supporting a government-led process for the preparation of key watershed
investments based on land and climate management priorities and
opportunities, which should help to inform, prioritize and coordinate future
catchment management investments, including those to be made under
ongoing or planned investments such as future phases of the Shire River
Basin Management Program.
November 2011 –
present
Desk based (UK)
Position: Project Manager and Consultant
Client: UK Department for International Development (DFID)
Title: Monitoring and Evaluation Services to the Enhancing Community
Resilience Programme, Malawi
LTS is conducting the design and supporting the implementation of a
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework for the joint DFID, Irish Aid and
Norwegian Embassy ‘Enhancing Community Resilience Programme’
(ECRP). The aim of the ECRP is to increase the resilience of 1.2 million
vulnerable Malawians to climate variability and change, through supporting
community projects implemented by Non-Government Organisations
(NGOs). The role of LTS is to support NGO implementing partners to
develop and implement robust baselines and M&E frameworks, and to
conduct external reviews and evaluations.
November 2011 present
Desk based (UK)
Position: Project Manager and Consultant
Client: World Bank
Title: Integrated Flood Risk Management Plan for the Shire Basin, Malawi
The main objective of this project is to assist the Government of Malawi in
development of an Action Plan to address the flood risk situation in the
Lower Shire in an integrated way, based on sound diagnostics and systems
to assess and implement future interventions. The specific objectives are to:
1) Develop and implement a fully functioning modelling framework for the
lower Shire
2) Scope and design a flood forecasting and early warning system
3) Develop an Action Plan implementation plan
4) Development and Institutional Capacity development plan.
March 2012
Cameroon and DR
Congo
Position: Project Manager
Client: Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)
Title: Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative, Real Time
Evaluation Services: Phase 2: Evaluation of Civil Society Grants.
October 2011 –
February 2011
Tanzania
Position: Project Manager
Client: UNDP-Tanzania
Title: Estimating Cost elements of REDD+
Benoit supported the programme to analyse and establish the opportunity
cost of REDD+ in Tanzania, with further information on implementation cost,
transaction cost and institutional cost of REDD+. Opportunity cost curves
will be developed for several locations in Tanzania. He will provide
monitoring input and contribute to technical workshops and meetings.
August 2011 –
October 2011
Position: Consultant
Tanzania
Title: Safeguarding REDD+ – Towards a robust, efficient and accountable
financial governance
Client: Global Witness
Identify the main risks in financial flows of REDD+ funding (from both public
LTS International
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CV: Benoit Rivard
and private sources) from international to local level, and propose
appropriate financial audit mechanisms and safeguards to minimise these
risks.
Reviewed existing funding mechanisms, assessed risks for misappropriation
and fraud, and then produced a system of checks and oversight
mechanisms, drawing on international audit and public finance best practice,
which GW advocated to the international community (especially REDD donor
governments, banks involved in carbon finance, and IFIs).
August 2011 –
October 2011
Malawi
Position: Researcher
Client: Anonymous
Title: Logging and clearance of natural tropical forests in Africa – A sector
study of operating companies
The main purpose of the study was to identify which companies are involved
in logging and clearing natural tropical forests and the conversion of
peatlands, and to locate these companies’ operations.
January 2011 –
Present
Uganda
Position: Researcher
Client: Uganda Carbon Bureau
Title: Development of PoA for small scale A/R in Uganda
Small-scale commercial timber plantations will be established on private
property across Uganda. The PoA will assist small-scale growers to
generate carbon finance from the compliance market.
Benchmarking of methodologies and assessment of compliance issues for
the development of the methodology for registering a Programme of
Activities.
October 2010 –
present
Desk based (UK)
Position: Researcher
Client: Norad
Title: Real-time evaluation services of Norway’s International Climate and
Forest Initiative
The LTS-led consortium provides real-time evaluation services to NICFI,
through the Evaluation Department of the Norwegian Agency for
Development Cooperation. LTS successively evaluates the progress of
NICFI with regard to its objectives and the general objectives of Norwegian
development cooperation, such as those related to livelihoods, economic
and social development and the environment in the context of REDD+.
LTS International
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