Impact Assessment Informing Safeguard Design for a REDD+ Project in Madagascar
Madagascar
Synergy was commissioned to conduct a Social and Biodiversity Impact Assessment (SBIA) to support the early design of a REDD+ nature-based solution project in one of the most biodiverse forests in southern Madagascar. The work focused on anticipating social risks and shaping safeguards in a complex ecological and institutional context.
As an independent technical assessor and advisor, Synergy worked across the funder, BirdLife International, and the national implementing partner to integrate social, governance, and FPIC requirements into project design. This included an initial scoping phase to identify priority risks, assess data gaps, and review organisational readiness, informing discussions on governance options, team roles, responsibilities, and safeguard expectations.
Synergy then conducted the SBIA in line with Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) requirements, contributing to the refinement of the project’s theory of change and monitoring and evaluation framework. In parallel, Synergy provided targeted on-site support, including field engagement, workshops, and planning inputs, to support design trade-offs, highlight delivery risks, and calibrate the level of effort required for subsequent phases.
The assignment strengthened early-stage decision-making and risk management, and clarified the organisational and social conditions required for effective delivery. Lessons from this engagement later informed Synergy’s applied research on people-centred nature-based solutions.