Consultancy Service on Assessment of acacia raw material for Small Scale Wood Processing at Nam Dong and A Luoi, Thua Thien Hue

Statement of Work USAID Green Annamites Project

Assessment of acacia raw material for Small Scale Wood Processing at Nam Dong and A Luoi, Thua Thien Hue

1. Background

Forests play a critical role in Vietnam by protecting watersheds, preventing soil erosion, mitigating climate change, and building resilience for communities. They are also home to rare and endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately, Vietnam’s forests, and the species that live in them, are depleting at an alarming rate due to conversion into other economic uses, as well as from activities of surrounding forest-dependent populations who lack alternative economic means.

The USAID Annamites Project (the Project) supports Vietnam’s transition to climate-smart, low emission, and resilient development that protects people, landscapes, and biodiversity in Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces with three main tasks:

Task 1- Increase application of low emission land-use practices: conserve the existing carbon sink; stop emission from small scale deforestation and degradation, and unsustainable agricultural practices; and increase carbon sequestration from restoration of degraded landscapes.
Task 2 - Strengthen biodiversity conservation: mitigate threats to the globally significant biodiversity in central Vietnam, including poaching and activities that destroy habitats for wildlife and cause habitat fragmentation (e.g., deforestation, forest degradation, and conversion of natural forest into plantation)
Task 3 - Increase resilience for vulnerable communities: ensure that results of activities supported under the two other components are not affected by climate change impacts. Build resilience for vulnerable communities particularly in regards to their livelihoods.

The main targets of the USAID Green Annamites Project include the improvement of livelihood for 20,000 people depending forest resources for their livelihood; the improvement the forest management for 400,000 hectares of natural forest; the mobilization of USD 20 million from public and private partners for the sustainable landscape interventions; the prevention and avoidance of the emission of 6 million tons of Carbon into the atmosphere.

The USAID Green Annamites Project (GA) is strengthening the acacia value chain for the production of large timber production. The USAID Green Annamites Project has partnered with the Forest Owner Development Association (FOSDA) of Thua Thien Hue province. With the support of the GA and FOSDA, 10 sustainable forestry cooperatives were already established in 2019 as they had been upgraded from sub-FOSDA. Among the established cooperatives, Thuong Nhat cooperative in Nam Dong district and Hong Thuong cooperative in A Luoi district were formed with 95% of the leaders and members from Co Tu ethnic minority.

Thuong Nhat cooperative has 29 members. Hong Thuong cooperative has 15 members. These two cooperatives have developed their business plans (BPs) through participatory processes. As described in the BPs, these cooperatives intended to (1) maintain and increase Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified acacia forests; (2) produce high quality acacia seedlings; (3) harvest and thin acacia forests; (4) trade acacia timber; and (5) initially pre-process acacia timber.

To date, most of households in the area sell round wood for wood chip or furniture production with quite low price, approximately about VND1.0M per ton for wood chip and VND1.3-1.4M per ton for furniture production, depending on the diameter of wood and marketable time. Meanwhile, revenue of sawn timber from one tone of round large timber is of VND 2.2M (Hiep Thuan cooperative, 2019).

Thus, in discussion with FOSDA and the cooperatives, the Project found an opportunity of increasing added value from acacia value chain for communities and cooperatives, by setting up a small sawn wood facility in Nam Dong and/or A Luoi, Thua Thien Hue. Unfortunately, to date there is limited information available on raw material/wood availability and potential buyers of processed wood products in the vicinity of these two cooperatives.

To assess this opportunity, a technical and a financial assessment will need to be done. GA plans to recruit two expert consultants for this assignment: One “Forest inventory and mapping expert” and one “Wood processing/wood product marketing” expert. The two experts are expected to closely work together.

With this SOW, USAID Green Annamites Project is interested in selecting a forest inventory and mapping expert to complete the feasibility for Thuong Nhat and Hong Thuong cooperatives in Thua Thien Hue. A separate SOW and recruitment process is being done for the Wood processing/wood product marketing expert.

The Forest inventory and mapping expert will be team leader, closely work with the wood processing/ wood product marketing expert, and be responsible for the final mission report.

2. Objectives The objectives of this SOW are to assess (1) acacia raw material availability for production of sawn wood products; (2) Recommend sawn wood options for Thuong Nhat and Hong Thuong cooperatives; (3) recommend the most convenient location and minimum area (m2) required to set up a sawmill for Thuong Nhat and Hong Thuong cooperatives for the quantity of wood available and the most suitable equipment for the sawmills if their operation is feasible.

3. Scope of assessment

Assessment of acacia raw material: Nam Dong and A Luoi districts.

4. Activities

4.0 Preparation

Prepare detailed workplan for the mission.

4.1 Assessment of acacia raw material

Collect and update forest status map, by interpretation of satellite images of most recently acquired in 2019, on acacia plantation forests in terms of planting year, area, forest owners, location (plot number, sub-compartment, compartment), each map for each of the following communes (1) Huong Giang, Khe Tre, Huong Phu, Huong Hoa, Huong Son, Huong Huu and Thuong Nhat communes of Nam Dong district and (2) Hong Quang, A Dot, Hong Thuong, Dong Son, Phu Vinh, Son Thuy, Nham, and A Luoi town of A Luoi district (existing forest status maps may be collected from Thua Thien Hue Forest Owners Sustainable Development Association (FOSDA), Forest Protection Department (FPD), Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), and Commune People Committee (CPC)…)
Interview some households and other companies/stakeholders on their objective in planting acacia (for wood chip or for large timber or for other purposes) to identify how households traditionally sell wood harvested from their plantation to the buyers and to find the trend of wood raw material utilization (woodchip/big diameter timber);
Collect data on acacia plantation by sampling at forest sites in (1) Huong Giang, Khe Tre, Huong Phu, Huong Hoa, Huong Son, Huong Huu and Thuong Nhat communes of Nam Dong district and (2) Hong Quang, A Dot, Hong Thuong, Dong Son, Phu Vinh, Son Thuy, Nham, and A Luoi town of A Luoi district; Objective of sampling is to (1) estimate wood volume of plantation forests; and (2) estimate proportion of wood volume of large timber that can be used for production of sawn wood products;
With acacia plantations and wood volume of large timber and markets identified, (1) estimate the most appropriate production capacity for a sawmill for each Thuong Nhat and Hong Thuong cooperatives and (2) prepare a projection for wood supply for both sawmills, Thuong Nhat and Hong Thuong over the next 10 years.

4.2 Recommend sawn wood options for Thuong Nhat and Hong Thuong cooperatives

Based on the result of 4.1 and the result of market assessment for processed wood in Thua Thien Hue, discuss with the wood processing/wood product marketing expert, forest inventory and mapping expert conduct a feasibility analysis for a sawmill each of Thuong Nhat and Hong Thuong cooperative in terms of (1) availability of large timber material, (2) markets of sawn wood products and (3) production capacity of sawmill;
In case one or both sawmills are feasible, recommend the best location and minimum area (m2) needed for construction at Thuong Nhat and Hong Thuong cooperatives and the most suitable equipment for these sawmills.

5. Deliverables

The Forest inventory and mapping expert will submit the following in Vietnamese. Deliverables marked with (*) must also be submitted in English

Inception report including technical proposal and detailed workplan for the mission (*);
Updated (2019) forest status maps on acacia plantation forests in terms of planting year, area, forest owners, location (plot number, sub-compartment, compartment) for the listed 15 communes of Nam Dong and A Luoi districts;
One Mission report reflecting the results of all sections described in 4.1, 4.2 and result of market assessment for processed wood (*).

6. Duration

The total Level of Effort (LOE) for this assignment is not exceed 47 days. The above activities are expected to be undertaken between December 2019 to February 2020.

7. Plan of deliverables

No	Deliverable	Activities included	Deliverable requirements	When
1	Inception report including technical proposal and detailed workplan for the mission;	4.0	Time line, technical contents, methodology and data sources; Agreement on technical proposal;	5 days after signing of contract;
2	Updated (2019) forest status maps on acacia plantation forests; wood volume and proportion of wood volume of large timber that can be used for production of sawn wood products;	4.1	Updated maps; data on acacia plantation by sampling;	40 days after signing of contract;
3	One Mission report	Final reporting (4.1, 4.2)	All contents of sections 4.1, 4.2 and market assessment for processed wood	60 days after signing of contract;

V. LOE

Time for each activity

#	Activity	LOE
1	Prepare detailed work plan, participate in inception meeting (skype) and prepare inception report;	3
3	Update forest status maps for acacia plantation for each of 15 listed communes of Nam Dong and A Luoi Districts;	15
4	Collect data on acacia plantation by sampling at forest sites and estimate proportion of acacia forest area/wood volume of large timber (for 15 communes of Nam Dong and A Luoi Districts)	15
5	Interview households	5
7	Analyze data and prepare a mission report reflecting the results of all sections described in 4.1, 4.2 and market assessment for processed wood (at home)	5
	Present the findings at consultation meeting(s)	2
	Finalize mission report (at home)	2
	Total	47

VI. REQUIREMENTS

Qualification of the experts

Expert Forest inventory and mapping expert, Team leader

University degree in forest inventory/forest management/silvilculture;
At least 5 years of experience in interpretation of satellite images for GIS-based forest status mapping;
At least 5 years of field experience on surveying forest plantation with sampling method;
Good skill in interview of households involved in acacia plantation;
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work with Ca Tu communities and FPD, DARD, CPC,...
Experience in reporting and presentation.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit: