Terms of Reference of consultancy:

Transforming Eastern Province through Adaptation (TREPA) Project.

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1.     Background

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.

In order to ensure that the project activities are implemented in the respective Components, the Executing Entities will enter into 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.

While 68% of TREPA budget is funded by GCF, the remaining is covered by co-finance from the existing projects run by the government of Rwanda (21%), IUCN, ENABEL and ICRAF. This financing structure implies the joint implementation and monitoring of those projects, including earmarked plans and performance targets of the districts, is aligned to that of TREPA.

Furthermore, IUCN has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Eastern Province to enable a more structured collaboration for supporting the actors and stakeholders in landscape restoration and biodiversity conservation. While the MoU requires IUCN to ensure seamless implementation of various landscape and biodiversity restoration projects, the Eastern Province is required to coordinate the collaboration of all the seven district authorities in the implementation of the projects activities. Key requirement for effective coordination is having a focal person to facilitate, on behalf of the Governor, joint project planning, implementation and monitoring, as well as capacity building of district staff and officials in landscape restoration, climate resilience planning, and biodiversity conservation.

2.     Purpose

Under the implementation and operationalization of the MoU between IUCN and Eastern Province, IUCN intends to embed a consultant in the office of the Easter Province Governor who will serve as a special advisor for matters related to implementation coordination of TREPA and its complimenting projects COMBIO and AREECA by the seven districts. The purpose of the assignment is twofold: On the one hand, the embedded advisor is in charge of implementation support of the TREPA’s Participatory Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) system which will be integrated in the eastern province’s data center to facilitate improved performance tracking, accountability, data integration, visualization, and reporting from/to the districts to allow the Governor’s oversight. Since the TREPA’s PMEL system will capture project data at various stages including field/site level, community/beneficiary level, district level (in relation with agreed performance and annual targets), component level and Project Management Unit (PMU) level, the office of the governor will be able to ensure the GoR commitments and support required are provided in real time with quality. On the other hand, the embedded advisor will assist the EP, districts and the project in the development and improvement of climate resilient land use plans including District Landscape restoration plans, District Forest management Plans, Simplified Forest management plans (private) as well as the urbanization plans.

3.     Specific Tasks

• Provide implementation support to the TREPA’s Participatory Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) system in integration with the Eastern Province’s Data center:

1. Review of the existing M&E framework for both TREPA and Eastern Province (and districts) to establish key performance indicators that s/he will be tracking and reporting on regular basis (monthly and weekly updates/reports).
2. Work closely with the district appointed focal person to the TREPA project to facilitate the district compliance to signed MOUs, and to implementation of mutually agreed activities aligned to performance contracts and annual work plans. This includes also mobilizing communities and district resources (earmarked budget and co-finance) and monitoring of communities’ involvement in project activities.
3. Represent the EP Governor’s office in the Project Management and Coordination Committee, and where possible in the District Project Coordination Committees, and report back to the Governor and the PES on matters that need their attention and implement leadership related guidance towards seamless implementation and alignment between GoR priorities and TREPA’s scope.
   • Provide technical support to the EP and all districts in the development and improvement of climate resilient land use plans including district landscape restoration plans, district forest management plans, simplified forest management plans and urbanization plan/ master plan development:

1. Ensure that the developed land use plans, district restoration plans, forest management plans and city master plans are coherent, responds to National Forestry, Agroforestry, Restoration, sustainable land management, climate change and biodiversity conservation priorities.
2. Producing monthly reports to inform Governor on environment and urbanization needs, underscoring the status, key issues, and way forward;
3. Conduct field inspection where necessary, and closely monitor strategic, operational, and tactical considerations of the projects in the area of environment and climate resilient urbanization (of both urban and rural centers)
4. Coordinate district participation in the institutional strengthening in the areas of climate resilience, landscape restoration and biodiversity conservation, and their inclusion in the district plans and strategies. This includes also Identifying and integrating climate resilience metrics into annual district development strategies and performance contracts.
   • Provide any strategic support deemed necessary by both the EP leadership and TREPA Project management unit, including but not limited to:
5. Attending Province partnership meetings as often as oriented and undertake joint resource mobilization for scaling up restoration in the Eastern Province.
6. Advice and Training of district and project staff in relevant domains
7. Play a key role in the organization of provincial and district (e.g. learning and knowledge sharing events, trade fairs, roundtables) jointly with TREPA, COMBIO and AREECA and the Eastern Province
8. others

4.     Methodology

As an embedded advisor, the consultant will work closely and report operationally to the TREPA Chief of Party and administratively to the EP Governor. The Eastern Province will:

• Provide office and basic office equipment
• Supervise day to day work
• Field service support
• Orientation, capacity building and general enhancement of performance needs and expected outcome

While IUCN will provide:

• Remuneration of the rendered services, against quarterly report detailing all activities and deliverables that is approved by the EP Governor.
• Strategic capacity building
• Access to the TREPA PMEL System
• Access to project governance structures
• Field support where necessary to enhance coordination

The consultant, in consultation with the Governor and TREPA COP, will identify and describe the most appropriate and efficient methodology and approach for delivering on the scope of this assignment which will form the basis for the work plan and deliverable schedules, to be formulated as inception report (deliverable #1).

5.     Deliverables/Outputs of the Assignment

The key deliverables of this assignment include:

6.     Required Experience, Skills and Competencies - The Consultancy team

• The consultant will directly work under the administrative supervision of the Eastern Province Governor with functional supervision of TREPA’s Chief of Party. The consultant is expected to be an experienced project manager and land use planning and monitoring Expert who meets the following conditions:
• A relevant post-graduate degree at or above MSc level in Sustainable development, development studies, Project Management, and Environmental or Natural Resources Management,
• At least five (5) years’ experience in designing and managing robust land use plans, their monitoring and project information systems.
• Demonstrated experience supporting the development and delivery of environmentally friendly land use/natural resource management plans at district and/or provincial level.
• Previous experience in the development of project monitoring and tracking tools, including SMART indicators for natural resource management and/or sustainable climate resilient development projects in both rural and urban settings.
• Clear understanding of GoR decentralization policies and the functioning of decentralized subnational institutions and related performance/result-based management and reporting;
• Strong skills and exposure to project stakeholder engagement especially with multiple implementing partners and multiple layers of field level activities with involvement of districts and provincial leadership
• Demonstrated experience in training implementation using learning by doing approaches and able to deliver training while considering aspects of adult learning principles 
• Demonstrated fluency in data analysis both numeric and special data using statistical analytical tools and Geographic information system
• Fluent in spoken and written English;
• Knowledge of Kinyarwanda language is desirable.

7.     Reporting lines

The selected candidate will functionally report to the Chief of Party of TREPA and operationally to the Eastern Province Governor.

8.     Timeframe of the Consultancy

The assignment will be conducted within a period of 80 days between 1^st November 2023 and 25^thOctober 2024.

9. Evaluation criteria

11.     Workstation

The Consultant/Embedded Advisor will be based in the office of Eastern Province Governor in Rwamagana District.

12.     How to apply

Interested consultants should email their i) Cover letter/Expression of interest outlining the consultant’s best fit for the assignment and estimated daily remuneration, ii) detailed CVs outlining the consultant’s working experience, iii) scanned copies of relevant academic qualifications and professional certificates to rwanda@iucn.org with a copy to Valentine.Ikirezi@iucn.org and olivier.habimana@iucn.org  no later than 13^th October 2023 at 12:00 PM, local time in Rwanda.