Consultancy for Collaborative Forest Management/REDD+ Safeguards Specialist – CAFE-REDD Project (SNV)

TERMS OF REFERENCE:

REDUCING EMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION AND FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION THROUGH SUSTAINABLE COFFEE IN LAC DUONG DISTRICT, LAM DONG

COLLABORATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT/REDD+ SAFEGUARDS SPECIALIST

BACKGROUND

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is an international policy initiative that has been developed through international negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that aims to provide results-based financial incentives to developing countries for actions which reduce emissions from forested lands and investing in low-carbon paths to sustainable development.

Vietnam has demonstrated considerable interest in REDD+ and has made important progress to date in terms of preparing for REDD+ implementation at both national and sub-national levels. Recently, Vietnam became one of the few developing countries in the world to have completed meeting the REDD+ ‘readiness’ requirements under the Warsaw Framework (or ‘REDD+ rulebook’). One of the core requirements is to have a National Strategy or Action Plan, and the Government of Vietnam approved an updated National REDD+ Action Programme (NRAP) in 2017. The new NRAP provides a clearer orientation towards the integration of REDD+ in the context of sustainable development/green growth. It identifies 7 work packages with a total of 35 policies and measures for the development and implementation of actions to achieve REDD+ in addition to a further 4 work packages which focus on REDD+ readiness and programme management, monitoring and evaluation. Several of the new policies/measures indicate REDD+ actions beyond the forest sector - notably reviewing land use planning and the promotion of sustainable and deforestation-free agriculture in key forest landscapes.

At sub-national level, 19 provinces now have approved Provincial REDD+ Action Plans (PRAPs) which provide more detailed guidance for the implementation of REDD+ activities on the ground. Lam Dong province in the southern part of the Central Highlands was among the first provinces to develop their PRAP (approved in 2015) and has also developed a number of other policies aiming to conserve and restore forests and forge a low emissions development pathway. Lam Dong has also been a frontrunner in the piloting and implementation of Payments for Forest Environmental Services (PFES) and has recently approved a Green Growth Action Plan (2018). On the other hand, in spite of these policies and plans deforestation and forest degradation have continued unabated, largely driven by the conversion of forests to agriculture, in particular coffee in the case of Lam Dong.

In this context, and in an effort to support the provincial government of Lam Dong to implement its stated policies and plans, SNV – The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) has obtained funding from the International Climate Initiative (ICI) for a project entitled ‘Coffee Agroforestry and Forest Enhancement for REDD+ in Lam Dong’ (CAFÉ-REDD). The project aims to establish and develop a public-private-producer partnership (4P) approach for forest landscape conservation and restoration in one of Lam Dong’s most important forested landscapes i.e. the Langbiang Biosphere Reserve comprised of Bidoup Nui Ba National Park and Buffer Zone in Lac Duong District. Activities will include; i) strengthening public sector capacity for climate smart/sustainable land use planning and collaborative management of forests with communities, ii) working with coffee-buying companies to improve monitoring and traceability systems to prevent deforestation in supply chains; and iii) investing in (mainly ethnic minority) smallholder farmers to promote climate smart, sustainable coffee production techniques leading to improved coffee quality and prices, whilst also promoting landscape restoration through mixed agroforestry systems and alternative livelihoods.

REDD+ projects funded by the ICI need to address and respect relevant environmental and social safeguards, in particular concerns over the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples (ethnic minorities). A qualified individual (national) is therefore required by the project to provide introductory training on collaborative forest/landscape management training and conduct free, prior and informed consultation (FPIC) and participatory village level land/resource use planning in target communities.

OBJECTIVES

The overall objective of the assignment is:

To build trust and ensure broad community support for project interventions through enhanced capacities for collaborative forest/landscape management and a participatory FPIC process.

TASKS

The individual consultant is expected to perform the following tasks working closely with project staff (including International REDD+ Safeguards Specialist, National Project Manager, field support staff as well as project partners and local level facilitators):

Development of overall work plan for the assignment

Collaborative Forest/Landscape Management and REDD+ Safeguards Training

Development of a suitable agenda, planning and organization of a training course on collaborative forest/landscape management and REDD+ safeguards for relevant project stakeholders i.e. provincial/district and commune level forest protection and forest management board staff, as well as representatives of local communities.
Preparation of training course materials referencing best-practice approaches as well as the REDD+ safeguards requirements of the UNFCCC, Vietnam’s Country Safeguards Framework and ICI. The training course shall also outline and prepare participants for the FPIC/Village Land Use Planning work
Delivery of the training course in Lac Duong, Lam Dong (1-2 days)
Preparation of a brief report on the training (summarising agenda, content, participant list, photos, evaluation of training)

Conduct FPIC and Participatory Development of Village Land Use Plans and Community Agreements

Assess/review existing co-management approaches, agreements and status in the project landscape (e.g. supported by JICA, UN-REDD, PFES groups)
Working with project staff and local stakeholders develop a detailed plan for the integrated conduct of FPIC and participatory village land/resource use planning
Develop and deliver a presentation informing local communities and stakeholders about identified environmental and social co-benefits and risks associated with project interventions (referring to the existing baseline assessment)
Develop a best-practice approach for culturally appropriate FPIC and participatory village land/resource use planning based on emerging and past pilot approaches and referencing REDD+ safeguards requirements (UNFCCC, national, IFC/ICI), ensuring the full and effective participation of women and ethnic minorities in the process.
Lead the facilitation of a participatory village land/resource use planning process in the project’s 10 target villages, resulting in local level land use plans with agreed agriculture and forest land boundaries and basic land use zoning
Through consultations with the local communities clarify and confirm land/resource access and use rights for spatially defined areas. Develop or confirm/adjust (existing) community level agreements restricting the continued conversion of forest land. The village land use plans and community level agreements shall act as a basis for project implementation and broad community support for the project interventions
Finalise maps (in collaboration with project team and consultants) and spatially-defined community co-management agreements.
Conduct final consultations with villages to re-affirm village land use boundaries, zoning and agreements.
Develop and propose a simple, culturally-appropriate grievance redress mechanism enabling project affected peoples to raise concerns, and for those concerns to be addressed through a clear and transparent process.
Preparation of a final report documenting the assignment and process (including annexes documenting the results of village consultation meetings, participant lists, photos etc.)

TEAM COMPOSITION/QUALIFICATIONS

MSc or higher in agriculture, forestry, environmental/social science with minimum 7 years of work experience
Demonstrable experience in the field of community-based or participatory forest/natural resource management and planning in upland areas of Vietnam (ideally Central Highlands)
Knowledge of REDD+ safeguards and/or similar experience in conducting FPIC procedures for other agriculture, forestry, land use projects
Good community PRA/facilitation skills in leading participatory gender and socially inclusive consultation processes

TIMEFRAME

The work specified in this term of reference is expected to be completed within a period of 3 months (Nov 2019 - Jan 2020).

DELIVERABLES

Work Plan for the assignment
Training materials (course agenda, outline, presentations, exercises/handouts, evaluation form etc)
Collaborative forest management and REDD+ safeguards training report
Detailed plan for integrated FPIC and village land/resource use planning
Presentation of project environmental and social co-benefits and risks
Village land use plans and attached community co-management agreements
Brief document outlining basic project grievance redress mechanism
Final report (including annexes documenting the results of village consultation meetings, participant lists, photos etc.)

All deliverables submitted in English and Vietnamese.

APPLICATION

Please submit the following documents to the link https://smrtr.io/3v6DC by October 11th, 2019:

Technical Proposal: