Mano River Ecosystem Conservation and International Water

Resources Management Project

Terms of reference for the recruitment of an international consultant, or

consultancy firm or NGO to conduct the Mano River Union (MRU) Forest
Landscape Restoration Opportunity Assessment (ROAM).

Introduction

The Mano River Ecosystem Conservation and International Water Resources Management Project covers the
four countries of the Union, namely Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire for the period 2017-2020.
The objective of this sub-regional project is to strengthen transboundary natural resource management for
sustainable ecological benefits and improved livelihoods for adjacent forest communities. It aims at supporting
local communities in developing alternative sources of income, which will lead to increased forest cover and
related benefits at both local and global levels (ecosystem services, biodiversity, carbon sinks).

The project has two components:

✓ Component 1: Integrated Forest Ecosystem Management

✓ Component 2: Sustainable Management of Transboundary Waters
✓

The sites selected for the implementation of this activity are as follows:

- Site 1: The transboundary forest block comprising the Diecke National Forest Protected Area Complex
(Guinea), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Guinea/Ivory Coast) and East Nimba National Park
(Liberia);
- Site 2: The transboundary forest block including the Wonegisi Ziama National Forest Protected Area
Complex (Liberia/Guinea);
- Site 3: The transboundary forest block and corridor comprising the Gola Rain Forest National Park
Protected Area Complex (Sierra Leone) and the Gola National Forest (Liberia);
- Site 4: The transboundary forest block and corridor comprising the Sapo National Park Protected Area
Complex (Liberia), the Grebo National Forest (Liberia) [and the Tai National Park (Cote d'Ivoire) -
outside the field intervention area].

Under Component 1, the project envisions to conduct the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology
for Degraded Land in the project sites.
 1. Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM)

ROAM was developed to implement global initiatives such as Bonn Challenge, AFR100 and NDC's climate
change commitments (Nationally Determined Contributions to the Paris Agreement). It is a collaborative and
participatory methodology aimed at facilitating land use planning and decision-making for forest landscape
restoration.

ROAM is designed to provide necessary assistance to countries seeking to implement or fast-track landscape
restoration programs and strategies in support of national and international objectives. It is a flexible and
adaptable framework for countries wishing to identify and assess FLR opportunities as well as identify priority
and high-value FLR interventions at the national or sub-national level. ROAM can help inform where, when and
how opportunities will bring benefits and can provide the knowledge that communities, governments and the
private sector need to generate the best investment returns.

In the MRU, three out of four countries have already formally committed to the Bonn Challenge to restore 5
million hectares (Cote d'Ivoire), 2 million hectares (Guinea) and 01 million hectares (Liberia) of degraded and
deforested land for the period 2020-2030 depending on the country.

In this context, Forest Landscape Restoration is defined as "the restoration of an entire landscape to meet present
and future needs and to provide multiple benefits and land uses over time". Thus, this is not just about tree
planting and goes beyond forest areas. It is an instrument for implementing national priorities such as water and
food security and rural development, while helping countries meet their international commitments on
biodiversity, land degradation neutrality and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

ROAM is a robust, flexible and affordable methodological framework that can be used by countries to assess
opportunities for forest landscape restoration at the national or sub-national level. It also mobilizes inter-sectoral
stakeholders and promotes gender mainstreaming.

ROAM provides the following products:

✓ Priority areas identified for restoration ;

✓ A list of the most relevant and feasible types of restoration interventions in the assessment area;
✓ Quantified costs and benefits for each type of intervention;
✓ Estimated values of additional carbon sequestered by these types of interventions;
✓ Analysis of financing and investment options for restoration in the assessment area;
✓ A diagnosis of "restoration preparedness" and strategies to address key political and institutional
bottlenecks.

2. Description of Objectives and Expected Outcome

To carry out this evaluation, the project has identified four activities; combination of the findings of all activities
will help achieve the desired outcome.

Activity 1.2: Conduct a survey and compile data on best practices and outcomes of various forest and landscape
restoration interventions such as sustainable forestry, natural regeneration, enrichment planting,
reforestation, eco-friendly mining and other tree management practices such as traditional and
improved agroforestry systems.

Activity 1.9: Develop the first maps of tree restoration opportunities, prepare reports on the outcomes and
ground survey requirements.

Activity 1.14: Collect information on human populations and socio-economic dynamics to assess the origins of
threats to natural resources and their impact on livelihoods and sustainable resource management.

Activity 1.17: Negotiating integrated land use planning in a participatory manner with stakeholders and target
groups

Implementation of these activities is a prerequisite for carrying out practical interventions in village areas, in
collaboration with local players. For each activity, a team of national consultants will be recruited.
The Mano River Union Secretariat is looking for an international consultant to conduct an assessment of
opportunities for the restoration of degraded lands in the various project sites mentioned above.

The international consultant will work closely with the national consultants responsible for conducting the
specific studies in the respective countries.

3. Methodology and Structure of the Mission

3.1 Role and Responsibility of the International Consultant

The international consultant is responsible for:

✓ Develop the methodological approach that will be used for the implementation of the ROAM;
✓ Coordinate work with national expert teams to develop documents restoration opportunity at each
project site;
✓ Undertake an operational planning of the process for restoration opportunities assessment;
✓ Coordinate the development of data collection tools, analysis and production of technical reports for
each site;
✓ Prepare the Terms of Reference for workshops on awareness-raising on restoration opportunities that
may arise; including what is needed [success factors] in the project area, as an essential ingredient for
effective dissemination of viable restoration interventions;
✓ Coordinate the development of data collection tools on land use options that pre-empt or restore forest
and tree service products and functions and on payment options for environmental services and the
need for their negotiation, and facilitate the data collection mission in identified areas;
✓ Ensure the collection of documentation on possible payment systems for ecological services by mining
companies acting in accordance with good environmental and forest-friendly practices;
✓ Identify land use methods for the preservation and promotion of native forest species in restored
multifunctional landscapes in collaboration with stakeholders ;
✓ Produce thematic reports covering the physical and ecological, social and economic, political, legal and
institutional areas.

3.2 Tasks for the International Consultant

The international consultant shall undertake the following tasks:

1) Preparatory work:
✓ Liaise with relevant ministries and agencies and engage partners to establish a ROAM Task Force at
national level , involving relevant ministries and central agencies, local governments
(Decentralized Technical Services) and NGOs; partners ;
✓ Develop the intervention planning of the national consultants based on the results achieved and the
deliverables;
✓ Liaise with the Project Management Unit, which will assign the ROAM tasks to the staff of the Project
Preparation Technical Working Group at the district and provincial levels (clarify responsibilities,
results and deadlines);
✓ Stratify areas by homogeneity with indicators (such as climate, land use, topography, agronomic areas);
✓ Collect a list of potential restoration interventions that have been used in the country concerned or in
neighboring countries with similar soil and climate conditions;
✓ Define evaluation criteria; data needs, maps, priorities ;
✓ Establish a team that will contribute to the conduct of the ROAM.
2) Organize inception workshops (local meetings) to present the objectives, the ROAM process, explain
expected actions and outcomes. (Involve local governments, stakeholders and beneficiaries, central
government).
3) Produce a series of maps required for spatial analysis to identify priority areas for restoration (Restoration
Potential Map (Set I); Degradation Maps by Criteria (Set II); Multi-criteria Degradation Map (Set III),
“Priority Map (Set IV)”.
4) Collect and analyze primary and secondary data and information required to produce the ROAM report.
5) Document successful landscape restoration interventions for potential scaling up.
6) "Mapping of stakeholders" (attention to be given to gender, youth, vulnerable groups).
7) Based on the above analyses and consultations with stakeholders, produce restoration opportunities and
types of interventions maps by area (set V)".
8) Organize local workshops for the validation of cartographic products;
9) Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of landscape restoration interventions for the landscape concerned (cost of
interventions, economic, social and environmental benefits, including the amount of carbon that will be
sequestered, etc.).
10) Produce the final draft of the report presenting the context, the methodology used to conduct the ROAM,
the results of the analyses, and the conclusions and recommendations.
11) Organize a regional workshop to validate the results of the ROAM.
12) Produce the final ROAM report.

4. Deliverables

• An inception report, 3 weeks after signing the contract, 5 copies in French and 5 copies in English
• An interim report, 10 weeks after signing the contract, 4 copies in French and 4 copies in English
• A draft report, 14 weeks after signing the contract, 5 copies in French and 5 copies in English
• A final report, 16 weeks after the signing of the contract, 10 copies in French and 10 copies in English

All reports produced in French and English, electronic copy and hard copy.

5. Required Qualifications for the International Consultant

5.1 Key Personnel

If it is a consultancy firm, the key personnel required is:

• A Senior Expert, specialized in forest resource conservation and restoration and agroforestry issues;
• A Socio-Economist or Economist-Statistician specialized in local development ;
• A Mapping and Database Expert, familiar with land issues.

5.2 Required Skills and Qualifications

✓ Have at least a Master’s Degree in environmental, forestry, social and agricultural sciences;
✓ Extensive knowledge of spatial analysis in the choice of maps to use for ROAM and ability to guide
Geographic Information System (GIS) Experts and GIS interpretation (ARC view, google map etc.);
✓ Sound Knowledge of landscape approaches to land use planning, including forest and protected area
management;
✓ Training on “landscape restoration and the use of the ROAM to identify landscape restoration
opportunities” organized by an internationally recognized academic institution;
✓ Previous experience in conducting assessment of landscape restoration opportunities in an African
country at the national, sub-national (province or district) or landscape level (at least one);
✓ Thorough knowledge in conducting socio-economic studies;
✓ Have a good command of the database program (MS Excel, Access etc.) and socio-economic data
analysis tools (SPSS, SYSTAT, etc.);
✓ Ability to work in teams and organize multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral workshops;
✓ Ability to plan field work and lead teams in the field;
✓ Have a good command of English or French, which are the working languages of the MRU.

6. Duration of the study

The duration of the service is 60-man days over a period of four (04) calendar months.
Deadline for application: August 20, 2018 at 6pm

7 Application

How to apply?

1. Applicants interested in one of the tasks are encouraged to apply. Applicants who do not wish to submit
their application as a team may do so individually. However, if selected, they will be encouraged to work
as a team.

2. Applicants must send the following documents in a single file, by e-mail, clearly labelled "Recruitment of
International Consultant to Conduct ROAM " in the subject line of their application:

(i) A covering letter, explaining in sufficient detail why the applicant believes he/she is the
appropriate candidate for the task/activity.
(ii) A curriculum vitae showing the highest qualifications and including no more than three (3) similar
tasks performed in the last five (5) years.
(iii) Where appropriate, applicants may present some examples of previous achievements, comparable
works, including project reports (for viewing only and with permission to do so if necessary).

3. The deadline for admissibility of full applications is 20 August 2018 at midnight GMT.
4. The complete files should be sent to the following email addresses:

Email address of the Regional Project Coordinator: [email protected];

Copy: [email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]
Only candidates who fulfill the requirements of the position will be shortlisted for an interview and financial
proposal. The National Implementing Agency shall guarantee equal opportunities for all; as such, female
candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

NB: Applications from legal entities/ Firm are welcome.