Capacity Development on Prevention and Fight Against Forest Fires Consultant

Statement of Work
USAID Green Annamites Project

Capacity development on prevention and fight against forest fires

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 Green 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 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 is strengthening the acacia value chain for the production of large diameter timber production. The Project has partnered with the Forest Owner Development Association (FOSDA) of Thua Thien Hue province, Quang Nam Forestry Development and Investment Join Stock Company (QNAFOR) and Hiep Thuan Forestry Cooperative in Hiep Duc district of Quang Nam, to undertake forest planting and transformation of small timber to large timber plantation forests. Currently, the above mentioned partners have conducted new forest planting and thinning on more than 900 hectares of Acacia. Unfortunately, forest fires have been occurring quite frequently and as a consequence, many hectares of plantation forests were destroyed. The forest fires occurrence increases due to long dry weather conditions with high temperatures. Institutional arrangements and limited capacity can also impede speedy forest fires management and control. The GA project in coordination with its partners identified the need to assess and strengthen the capacity of forest owners and the key stakeholders in fire prevention and firefighting.

II. OBJECTIVES

The objective of the SOW is to assess the current capacity of forest owners and related stakeholders and identify their needs of support in prevention and fighting against forest fire in TT Hue and Quang Nam provinces.

III. ACTIVITIES

Prepare detailed mission plan
Consult with Hiep Thuan Cooperative, QNAFOR and Forest Protection Department (FPD) of Quang Nam province and FPDs of districts of Dong Giang, Tay Giang, Nam Giang, Nui Thanh, Nong Son, Phuoc Son, Hiep Duc, Tien Phuoc, Phu Ninh to assess the current capacity, compile the lessons learned from the most recent forest fires incidents and identify their needs of support for effective prevention and fighting against forest fire;
Consult with FOSDA and Forest Protection Department (FPD) of TT Hue province and FPDs of districts of Phong Dien, Quang Dien, Huong Tra, Phu Vang, Phu Loc, A Luoi and Nam Dong to assess the current capacity and identify their needs of support in prevention and fighting against forest fire;
Categorize the needs of support and recommend measures to fulfill the needs for each category in prevention and fighting against forest fire for Hiep Thuan Cooperative, QNAFOR and all above mentioned district FPDs, if needed.
Identify support offered by other public or donor agencies in firefighting and how to access it Prepare the mission reports covering all mentioned issues;

IV. DELIVERABLES

The expert will submit the following in Vietnamese:

One Mission report with the following sections:
- Workplan for the mission
- Firefighting capacity assessment of the GA partners Hiep Thuan, FOSDA and QNAFOR
- Firefighting capacity assessment of FPD Hue and district FPD of Phong Dien, Quang Dien, Huong Tra, Phu Vang, Phu Loc, A Luoi and Nam Dong
- Firefighting capacity assessment of district FPD of Dong Giang, Tay Giang, Nam Giang, Nui Thanh, Nong Son, Phuoc Son, Hiep Duc, Tien Phuoc and Phu Ninh
- A categorized the needs of supports and recommended measures to fulfill the needs for each category of the three groups of stakeholders
- Support offered by other public or donor agencies in firefighting and how to access it

Time: the estimated Level of Effort is 17 days. The activity is expected to be undertaken between Aug 2019-Sept 2019;

Deliverables:

No	Deliverable	Activities included	Deliverable requirements	When
1	· Work plan	· Discussing and drafting work plan	· Time line, methodology and data sources	3 days after signing of contract
2	· Progress Report	· Conducting field survey and reporting	· Mission report	30 days after signing of contract

V. LOE

Time for each activity:

Activity	Working day
1. Preparer detailed mission plan (at home)	0.5 days
2. Consult and assess capacity in Quang Nam	7 days
3. Consult and assess capacity in TT Hue	5 days
4. Debrief preliminary result with GA (GA office)	0.5 days
5. Prepare mission report (at home)	4 days

VI. REQUIREMENTS

Has a university degree in forest management and protection or in forestry
10 years of experience in prevention and fighting against forest fire;
Experienced in capacity development training;
Knowledgeable about utilization of equipment in prevention and fighting against forest fire;

Interested candidates should send application including: