Terms of Reference for IUCN Consultancy

Title: Technical Assistance to conduct annual landscape integrity assessment (FY 2023)

1. Objectives and Specific Tasks for the Consultancy

The landscape integrity assessment has a twofold objective of assisting the project team and participant to determine quantitatively the project results at the household, farm and landscape level in FY 2023 while building their capacity to conduct annual survey in subsequent years. Both the measurement and capacity building efforts will emphasize the indicators set out in the project logical framework and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Plan. The specific tasks of the assignment include: 

1. Design and train project participants on the annual survey framework with appropriate methods, sampling protocols, data collection tools, analytical framework, and reporting template.
2. Undertake the annual survey and determine the values of the key socio-economic and biophysical indicators (refer to Annex 1: Indicator table) before and after restoration activities that started in October 2023.
3. Determine the ex-ante values of the following metrics of results of project interventions:

Background

Project Reference: P03168

About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.

Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.

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About the Project

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership Union comprising both State and non-State Members. Created in 1948, it is the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of six commissions, and its more than 1,300 Member organizations and some 17,000 experts. IUCN finds pragmatic solutions to the world’s most pressing environment and development challenges and works with governments, partners, and the international community to mobilize and implement an ambitious global program aimed at restoring the functionality, productivity, and ecological integrity of landscapes for the benefit of people and nature. IUCN’s current programming is focused on three areas (i) Valuing and conserving nature; (ii) Effective and equitable governance of nature’s use and (iii) Deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food, and development.

The IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) operates in twenty-four countries in the Horn of Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean. The current ESARO programming is composed of a suite of mutually interrelated programs and projects designed to address some of the most profound challenges affecting people and nature in the region. Among the projects implemented by IUCN’s Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office is the TREPA Project – Transforming Eastern Province through Adaptation. It is a six-year project, based in IUCN Rwanda Country Office, and funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

The TREPA Project intends to restore 60,000 hectares of drought-degraded landscapes into climate resilient ecosystems through re-forestation, agroforestry, restoration of pasture-lands, and soil erosion control measures in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. In addition, irrigation infrastructure projects in the targeted landscapes of the eastern province will be climate-proofed by the TREPA Project. These projects under MINAGRI could include Export Targeted Modern Irrigation (ETI) in Mpanga (600 hectares) and Mahama (1200 hectares), Kayonza Irrigation and Integrated Watershed Management Project in Kayonza (2000 hectares), Warufu- Mugesera in Gatsibo and Ngoma as well as Rurambi dyke in Bugesera.

The TREPA Project will finally support the national and local institutions to effectively plan, manage and monitor climate adaptation outcomes from improved land use at national and decentralized levels.

The TREPA Project is implemented by IUCN (accredited entity) together with the Rwanda Forestry Authority and Enabel as executing entities in partnership with ICRAF, World Vision, and CORDAID. The Ministry of Environment is responsible for chairing the Project Steering Committee and ensures coherence with national strategies and policies.

For implementation of the TREPA Project, three components will be considered namely:

Component 1: Restored landscapes that support climate resilient agro-ecological systems and livelihoods in Eastern Province.

Component 2: Market and value chain development for climate resilient agricultural and tree products linked to financial products and services for sustainable management of agro-ecological systems.

Component 3: Strengthened enabling environment to effectively plan, manage and monitor climate adaptation outcomes from improved land use at national and decentralized levels.

To ensure that the project activities are implemented in the respective Components, the Executing Entities will enter relevant subsidiary and/or procurement agreements with Service Providers and suppliers of Goods and Services and in respect of Component 3, relevant TA Provider(s) for the relevant Activities.

Description of the Assignment

TREPA is, in nature, designed to strengthen climate resilience of forest landscapes, people and markets, and subnational institutions. By employing a paradigm shift approach to deployment of nature-based solutions, TREPA hypothesizes that adoption of these NbS within 100 landscape (each landscape comprising of 400 ha of agroforestry adjacent to protected forest, public forest, smallholder private forest and pasturelands) will positively impact livelihoods and resilience of smallholder farmers and the health of their lands while creating environmental co-benefits. To monitor progress towards these positive impacts, the project will be conducting annual surveys. The first survey is planned this year (2023) and will require technical assistance/support from an external consultant.

The purpose of the technical assistance is, on the one hand, to conduct the annual survey to determine quantitatively the project’s outcomes at household and landscape levels. Specifically, it will assess landscape condition and integrity (and resilience) by measuring biophysical parameters of the representative landscapes. While such annual surveys measure the changes observed year, for FY 2023, the survey will be a reference for future targets and constitute the basis to measure the project performance in future years.

This technical assistance will, on the other hand, build the capacity of the project team and participants (beneficiaries and local leaders) to competently conduct participatory monitoring and evaluation of ecosystem restoration and locally led climate adaptation actions. It is assumed that future annual surveys will be conducted in a participatory manner by project team and participants.

Therefore, the technical assistance to conduct landscape integrity assessment will establish necessary survey protocols and tools that will be tested and piloted in FY 2023 while establishing ex-ante and ex-post status of key biophysical and environmental parameters of the project results.

Methodology

The consultant will design the most appropriate and efficient study design, methodology, sampling and data collection approaches, and analytical framework for discussion and agreement by the project team. The study design will employ a quantitative landscape degradation assessment methodology such as the land degradation surveillance framework (LDSF) or similar, for collecting and analyising biophysical data. In addition, the design may prioritize the experimental or quasi experimental methods that will allow determination of ex ante and ex post values of the project indicators. Moreover, the desk review of relevant project documents, land degradation and forest cover and soil erosion diagnostics and secondary data from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) or other public institutions related to household, land, and forestry within the project’s selected landscapes. It is envisioned that, to be representative of the target, the sampling approach will consider stratification by type of restoration measure (e.g., Agroforestry, PFMU, Silvopastoral, …), and randomization of and landscape/sites.

The major activities will include (but not limited to) the following:

• Documentation Review
• Tailor the LDSF study design to the project requirements: Experimental design (Randomized Controlled Trials – RCTs), or Non-experimental methods or Mixed methods, Sample size and Power calculations; sampling and allocation into treatment and control groups
• Adapt the LDSF data collection tools to the project context and geography.
• Train the i) project team on the design and implementation of biophysical/landscape integrity monitoring and evaluative assessment process, protocol and tools and ii) enumerators on data collection tools
• Field work to supervise and deploy enumerators and ensure high data quality
• Analyze data, write survey report and integrate comments from the project team in the final report. Develop project learning plan/questions detailing what stakeholders (per category) need to know, how and when, general and specific learning questions, learning activities, audience and timing for each activity.
• Review and include in the report the Project MEL Matrix to show clear indicator definition, calculation/computation mode (as at baseline), needed disaggregates, baseline values, MTR and overall targets. 
• Disseminate findings.

Duration of the Assignment

From 2^st July 2024 –31^th August 2024

Deliverables and Activities

The consultant will provide the following deliverables and carry out the following activities:

Deliverables details

• Inception Report: During the inception phase, the consultant will undertake consultative calls and meetings combined with review and analysis of documents, which will culminate in the development of the inception report which will be submitted to IUCN within 7 days of contract signing. This report will describe in detail the Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) for the conduct of landscape integrity assessment. The SOP will consist of the adaptation of the approach, sampling in treatment and control areas, methodology and workplan of the land degradation/integrity assessment framework used (LDSF or others) in the selected landscapes. The report will also include the proposed outline of the annual survey report. The consultants will convene an inception meeting/workshop to discuss the inception report with a view to making comments for improvement and validation of the Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) for landscape degradation/integrity assessment and monitoring.
• Training and training Report: The focus of the training of project team involved in M&E activities will be the Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) for the landscape degradation/integrity assessment and monitoring. After the training, a report with a comparative narrative of the pre- and post-training capacities of trainees will be developed to showcase the acquired knowledge and capacity to independently conduct further annual surveys using the protocol, tools (data collection and analysis) and templates developed during and after the inception phase. The must be submitted to IUCN within 16 days after contract signing, and shall recommend among others, a possible learning plan that will guide the monitoring, evaluation and learning in the subsequent years, as well as the remaining gaps to be filled throughout the project lifetime.
• Draft Annual Landscape Integrity Assessment Report: The draft report will clearly indicate the results obtained and the utilized methodology specifications listed in Section 4 above and the values for the key indicators. The values should be in the units of measurement indicated in the project documents (e.g., indicator reference sheets). The draft report will be submitted to IUCN within 40 days of contract signing, and must include the following sections:
  • Executive summary
  • Introduction
  • Context (Project background and objectives of the study)
  • Methodology
  • Analysis of the main results (preferably by indicator and/or index, with all appropriate disaggregates)
  • Proposed learning agenda/plan

Conclusion and recommendations

• FinalAnnual Survey Report: Project stakeholders will review the draft report and provide feedback that will inform the subsequent update of the draft report to final report. The final annual survey report will be presented to project management and coordination committee for their adoption or approval. The final report will be submitted to IUCN within 45 days of contract signing.
• Data sets: All data sets and supporting documentation such as code books, data dictionaries will be submitted to the IUCN.

Payment Schedule

The Timetable below summarises the chronological order of deliverables and indicates milestones at which IUCN will pay the Consultant.

Skills and Experience

The consultancy firm will meet the following conditions:

• Proven experience in conducting biophysical assessment, land health evaluation and FLR monitoring using the robust methodologies such as Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) or similar.
• Having undertaken biophysical surveys in Rwanda, preferably using LDSF or similar frameworks in the Eastern Province
• Experience in designing ex-post impact studies with demonstrated application of various evaluation designs - experimental non-experimental designs, sample size and power calculations.
• Capacity to plan, manage and collect biophysical data with a management system to ensure quality, robustness, and rigor throughout the data collection.

The consultancy firm is expected to provide a pool of experts to implement the outlined tasks. The key skills and competencies of team members include:

• A relevant post-graduate degree at or above MSc level in Natural Resources or Environmental Management, Forestry, Agriculture, Climate change adaptation/mitigation or a related discipline;
• At least five (5) years’ experience in experience in biophysical assessment, climate change impacts assessment, land health measurement and FLR monitoring;
• Proven experience conducting evaluations (baseline or midterm) and annual outcome studies for bilateral and multilateral donor funded projects; experience with GCF/GEF-funded projects is desirable;
• Previous experience in the development and analysis of monitoring metrics and indices, preferably land health indices, climate adaptive index, agroforestry/silvopastoral resilience index, ecosystem integrity measure;
• Clear understanding of research methodologies and experience using a range of research tools and techniques with regards to outcome measurement in the areas of climate change resilience.
• Previous experience using robust methodologies such as Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) or similar in sub-Saharan Africa, preferably in Rwanda.
• Fluent in spoken and written English;
• Knowledge of Kinyarwanda language is desirable.

Reference Documents

Relevant documents that IUCN will share with the Consultant include (but not be limited to) the following:

• GCF Accreditation Master Agreement (AMA)
• Funded Activity Agreement (FAA)
• TREPA funding proposal (including ESMF)
• Project Revised logical framework.
• Project Monitoring and Evaluation plan
• Project Implementation plan
• TREPA Project Feasibility Study
• Map of the targeted landscapes/villages
• Project gender action plan
• Restoration Opportunity Assessment Methodology Report
• Preliminary Baseline Report
• Annual Progress Report FY 2022
• Annual Work Plan FY 2023

Supervision and coordination

The consultancy firm will work independently in collaboration with the IUCN Monitoring and Evaluation Office providing overall coordination.

How to Apply

Currently running tenders | IUCN

Kindly apply before July 1st, 2024.

Annex 1: Indicator table

*Indicators required to be measured using Land Degradation Surveillance Framework

** Indicators required to be measured through project activities

*** New indicators not initially part of the result framework