Frequently Asked Questions: Project Tracker

Follow these steps to estimate the average time to receive a project review report (PRR):

1. Navigate to the Project Tracker and scroll to the “Targeted and Three-month Rolling Average” section.
2. Select a table to view the current average review durations for a given request.
3. Identify the right table for your project type: “Verified Carbon Standard Natural Climate Solutions (NCS),” “Verified Carbon Standard Energy and Industry (E and I),” or “Plastic Waste Reduction Standard Program,” depending on which category applies to your project activities.
4. Identify the row that corresponds to the applicable request type (i.e., registration, verification, registration and verification, etc.). If you are requesting a crediting period renewal, please reference the row for “Registration;” if you are requesting a crediting period renewal combined with verification, please reference the row for “Registration and Verification Approval.”

The column headers at the top list the various review stages. They also include the following:

(1) A column titled “Initial Review Total” where you can see the number of weeks in which you can expect Verra to return an initial review of your review request

(2) A column titled “Max(imum) Review Total” (i.e., the time for three rounds of review), where you can see the number of weeks in which you can expect Verra to complete a regular complexity review.

Example A: For a VCS NCS project requesting registration where the project is in the first review round, select the row “Registration” and find the cell under “Initial Review Total.” The calculation of the number of weeks shown there includes the three-month rolling average processing time for the following stages (the numbers in the example below are hypothetical; please refer to the Project Tracker for the current numbers):

Weeks for “Completeness Check”: 1
(Note: Where Verra identifies that incomplete documentation for a given project review request has been submitted and requests information from the project proponent, this stage restarts once the updated submission is received.)

+ Weeks for “In Queue”: 7.5
+ Weeks for “Technical Review”: 4
= 12.5 weeks for the total initial review (the point at which the VVB will receive Verra’s PRR)

Example B: For a VCS E and I project requesting SD VISta verification approval (a high-complexity review) where the project is in the second review round, select the “Verification” row and find the cell under “Second PRR Technical Review.” The number shown there includes the three-month rolling average processing time for the following stages (the numbers in the example below are hypothetical; please refer to the Project Tracker for the current numbers):

“Initial Review Total”: 10 weeks

+ Weeks for the VVB to return a response: 12

+ Weeks for “First PRR Response Queue”: 1.5

+ Weeks for “First PRR Technical Review”: 4

+ Weeks for the VVB to return a response: 12

+ Weeks for “Second PRR Response Queue”: 2

+ Weeks for “Second PRR Technical Review”: 1
= 42.5 weeks to receive a PRR

The total time in Example B would vary depending on the duration of the VVB response; the maximum duration for a VVB response is used here.

Note: The Project Tracker has display options for the targeted service level agreement (SLA) processing times (“Targeted SLA”) and the three-month rolling average processing times for the following project categories: VCS NCS, VCS E and I, and Plastic Waste Reduction Standard Program (PWRSP). The three-month rolling average processing times show the project request review times at each stage for cases closed in the last three months and indicate whether they are within or exceed the SLA (indicated by green or red colors, respectively).

This information is intended to help proponents estimate when they can expect to receive their PRRs. We cannot predict exact dates.

A review round is the issuance of a project review report to a VVB, receipt of the VVB’s response to Verra’s findings, and Verra’s review of the VVB’s response and subsequent decision (approval, issuance of another PRR, denial, or rejection).

The initial review round consists of the Completeness Check + In Queue + Technical Review + [VVB response] + Response Queue + Technical Review of PRR 1 stages.

Subsequent rounds include Verra’s return of the PRR to the VVB to address open findings + [VVB response] + Response Queue + Technical Review of PRR 2 or 3.

If Verra identifies open findings after three review rounds, the project may be denied.

The stages of Verra’s review processes vary by project request type as follows:

• Request for pipeline listing (under development) includes the following review stages: Review Requested, Completeness Check, and Closed.
• Request for pipeline listing or public comment period (under validation and/or verification) includes the following review stages: Review Requested, Completeness Check, Public Comment Period Open, and Closed.
• For projects in the CCBS, SD VISta, and PWRS Programs, a public comment period occurs at validation and at verification.
• Requests for registration, verification, crediting period renewal, registration and verification, or crediting period renewal and verification include the following review stages: Review Requested, Completeness Check, In Queue/PRR Response Queue, Technical Review, and Closed.
• Other request types, including exemption and withdrawal, include the following review stages: Review Requested, Completeness Check, In Queue/PRR Response Queue, Technical Review, and Closed.

Verra may request additional or revised information from the project proponent and/or authorized representative during the Completeness Check stage. If Verra identifies non-conformities during other review stages, it will communicate them to the VVB (resulting in the review stage “Awaiting VVB Response”).

When the non-conformities identified by Verra are addressed and the PRR (and revised documents, if applicable) are returned to Verra, the request enters the review stage “PRR Response Queue.” When a Verra reviewer is available, the request will progress to “PRR Technical Review.” Where the findings are addressed to Verra’s satisfaction, Verra approves the request and notifies the project proponent (or authorized representative) and VVB.

In cases of requests for any exemptions or project withdrawal, Verra corresponds with the relevant entity, i.e., the project proponent and/or authorized representative or VVB.

The following factors impact project review timelines: project type, project size, methodology used, and the quality and completeness of the submitted project documents.

These elements and others determine the complexity-adjusted service level agreement (SLA) target for a specific review request. Please see the Complexity Level webpage for details on complexity factors.

Requests from joint projects, i.e., projects using both the VCS and CCBS Programs, are processed separately, but their results are combined into one project review report (PRR), which is then sent to the VVB. Requests submitted separately for each program are also processed separately.

Projects for which review requests are closed are not automatically displayed in the Project Tracker. Please check the “Include Closed Cases” box in the top left-hand corner of the Project Tracker’s project list to view these projects.

If you experience any problems finding a project in the Project Tracker, please email hubsupport@verra.org.

Verra reserves the right to not apply the respective service level agreement (SLA) to a review request when the review or the project includes issues largely out of Verra’s control. Project proponents/registry account holders/authorized representatives and VVBs of projects to which the SLA does not apply will be informed that the typical SLAs do not apply and why. Verra will also provide an estimate of when the stakeholder can expect a substantive response from Verra.

Verra will not apply SLAs to project review requests in the following cases:

• There are legal or regulatory issues that need to be resolved before the review request can be closed
• There are complaints and grievances that need to be resolved before the review can be completed
• Verra has received comments outside the public comment period that require further investigation
• There are over 15 findings remaining open in the third (or subsequent) review round
• There are four or more rounds of findings
• The project is under a quality control review
• The VVB that conducted the validation/verification is pending Verra approval for the sectoral scope that applies to the project review request
• The case is an exemption request for a project to change its VVB