Terms of Reference to hire Junior Consultant for:  

• Community based Landscape Restoration Action Planning

1. Background

Transforming the Eastern Province through Adaptation is a six-year project, based in IUCN Rwanda Country Office, and funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) since 2021. The project is in line with the current ESARO programming 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. The project was designed by IUCN in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment (MoE), Rwanda Forestry Authority (RFA), Belgian Development Agency (ENABEL) and other partners.

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.

The 6 years 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 project’s objective is: to achieve a paradigm shift in land management practices in Rwanda’s Eastern Province from landscapes that are degraded, fragile and unable to sustain livelihoods in the face of climate change to restored ecosystems and landscapes through building community resilience to enhance livelihoods, food and water security of the most vulnerable rural population. The project components and outcomes that will result in the achievement of this objective are:

Outcome 1: A shift to farming practices that build resilience against climate threats and risks. Outcome 2: Strengthened adaptive capacity and reduced exposure to climate risks

Outcome 3: Strengthened institutional and regulatory systems for climate-responsive planning and development.

In order to achieve the three outcomes, the project will pursue an integrated resilience approach that is adaptive and able to support transformation and innovative processes. Degraded and climate sensitive landscapes will be transformed by adaptive land management practices and technologies to build resilience of agro-ecological systems and livelihoods. Three main projects components will be considered

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.

Under Component 1, the IUCN is leading activities related to the development of Community based Landscapes Action Planning as well as Monitoring, Control and Evaluation of supported agroforestry areas. Therefore, Junior Consultant are needed to perform both assignment for Restored landscapes that support climate resilient agro-ecological systems and livelihoods in Eastern Province. This is a local recruitment open only to Rwandan Nationals. The positions will be located in the TREPA landscapes Hubs.

2. Purpose

The junior consultant will provide technical assistance to the development of 28 Community based Landscapes Action Planning as well as Monitoring, Control and Evaluation of supported agroforestry areas under TREPA Project. The Junior Consultant will work under direct supervision of the Senior Programme Officer.

3. Specific Objectives and Tasks

3.1 Development of Community based Landscapes Action Planning 

• Retrieve shape files of 28 landscapes and blocks of around 5-10 ha with database of farmer owners and block leaders under FMES as initial data
• Prepare base maps for 28 selected landscapes in 7 districts of the Eastern Province with at least following spatial layers: micro catchments boundaries, present/recent Land use/Land cover, wetlands, degradation hotspots (e.g. major gullies), landform/slopes, drainage lines, point data on the major water points, settlement areas with village, business centers and micro catchment boundaries, blocks and administrative boundaries.
• Provide technical guidance for an initial field assessment by mapping major Biophysical and socio-economic situation identified by selected planning landscape team and consultants and pinout the most important elements that helps in developing optional development plan maps
• Develop slope classes, soil depth, recent LULC, erosion class map at landscape level
• By superimposing the above different physiographic maps, develop Land Unit (LU) map map/Develop LCCM using GIS Raster Calculate technique. Give a separate ID number for each and single LU in the map.
• Depending on the limitation found in each LU, develop proposed Development Plan Map (DPM) showing what kind of interventions are recommended for each LU at block level.
• Overlay proposed DPM on landscape and other necessary administrative boundaries
• Delineate villages and blocs in a landscape based proposed DPM with tables (Proposed activity plan).
• Do the necessary electronic visual or print materials that helps to display to overall physiographic situation with the DPM
• Participate in training of facilitators
• Participate in Community landscape action planning meetings at landscape level and map all proposed interventions by the communities
• Geo-reference the maps and digitalize the proposed interventions by creating a geodatabase with the provided attributes (attributes will include the levels of degradation, existing intervention, recorded interventions - according to the CLRAPs and the existing land Other details to be included in the database include the names of the responsible experts, the administrative location, villages, the responsible village leader and local draftsman)
• Combine suitable landscapes restoration interventions generated by CROM-DSS and carry out merging and harmonization of CLRAPs cross-boundary interventions requested by the landscapes planning teams and gauge the appropriate decision-making information based on landscape
• Calculate bills of quantity of appropriate landscape restoration intervention using GIS tools and Excel
• Establish database of all collected information and present the output maps to TREPA Project and all stakeholders.

3.2.  Monitoring, Control and Evaluation of supported agroforestry areas under TREPA Project

• Retrieve shape files of 28 landscapes and blocks of around 10 ha with database of farmer owners and block leaders under FMES as initial data
• Analyze LAIS and RFA DFMP database and retrieve existing UPI s in selected landscapes and blocks
• Prepare initial base maps and blocs to use during field activities
• Conduct Monitoring, Control and Evaluation of supported agroforestry areas under TREPA Project by mapping every consolidated block of 10 ha, list of owners, names of farmer leaders/FFS facilitators/FPs, number and names of existing and /or planted trees per species,
• Integrate all collected data on agroforestry intervention areas within priority landscapes in the agroforestry database - embedded in the RFA DFMP database
• Facilitate to building a dynamic database and to checking quality control of agroforestry area restored during TREPA project lifetime.

4. Key deliverables 

• 28 detailed community-based landscapes action plans, maps, shapefiles, with BoQs
• Dynamic RFA FMES Database, maps and reports
• Agroforestry baseline report with blocks established
• Defined restoration interventions for each landscape

5. Requirements and Technical skills 

Junior consultant are expected to be experienced GIS, Land survey and Remote Sensing officers who meets the following conditions:

• Bachelor degree in GIS, Land Survey, Remote Sensing or similar and relevant subject
• At least 2 years’ experience working with projects in Landscape restoration, watershed management, natural resources management, Forestry and Agroforestry
• Advanced GIS skills, ease in using tools like QGIS and ArcGIS,
• At least 2 years’ experience in spatial data collection with handled GPS and/or tablets using Collector for Arc GIS
• Basic experience of FMES
• At least 2 years’ Experience in conducting survey using Kobo Box , ODK
• Good reporting and communication skills in Kinyarwanda and English
• Excellent attention to detail, with the ability to undertake repetitive tasks accurately and consistently
• Willingness and ability to work in difficult rural areas with rough terrain
• Committed to continuous learning and proactive and mature attitude towards self- development
• Previous experience working with IUCN in similar assignments will be an asset
• Female candidates are encouraged to apply
• Should be available immediately 

6. Competencies 

• Transparency: Able to build trust and contribute to informed and responsible decision making by carrying out the work of IUCN in a transparent manner; provides clear guidance to ensure that objectives and desired measurable results are understood by members of the team.
• Inclusiveness: Understands and accepts cultural diversity, and provide a tolerant, positive and supportive working environment that fosters respect for diversity, demonstrates ability to work in a multicultural environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different cultural backgrounds.
• Professionalism: Promote the organization’s interests, objectives and values in a diligent and professional manner.
• Accountability: Takes responsibility of individual and collective actions, promotes the IUCN One Programme approach.

7. Evaluation criteria

8. Time line

The assignment will last approximately 35 working days from October 20, 2023.

9. Application procedure

Interested candidates should submit their Cover Letter and updated Curriculum Vitae in electronic format (in a single PDF file) to tenders.rwanda@iucn.org   copy ephrem.imanirareba@iucn.org  Thursday 12^th October 2023 at 6: 00 PM. 

The review of applications will be done on a rolling basis and if you don’t hear us within two days after application deadline, consider your application unsuccessful.