Terms of Reference for Rangeland Management Plan Preparation

Transcription

1 Terms of Reference for Rangeland Management Plan Preparation Organization Project Position Type Study/assessment Topic Position Location Duration Reporting to Working with Starting date Application deadline Vacancy contact Adeso African Development Solutions, Natural Resource Management (NRM) Short-term consultancy Rangeland Management Plan Preparation Bari, Mudug, Nugaal, Sool & Sanaag, Puntland, Somalia 90 days NRM Program Director Country coordination focal points, field teams and partners 25 th November th November 2013 Please send applications to Adeso will only respond to short-listed applicants. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND Adeso is a humanitarian and development organization that is changing the way people think about and deliver aid in Africa. We are an NGO in Africa working in a very different way than most. We believe that development must come from within, not outside African communities. That it is Africans themselves who must determine Africa s future, and that while international aid has provided muchneeded support, it often falls short of enabling lasting change at grassroots level. We want to change this, and our strong bonds with African communities mean we are uniquely placed to do so. PROJECT SUMMARY Natural Resource Management (NRM) is a four year EU funded intervention that seeks to reduce hunger and food insecurity by improving rangeland conditions in Puntland regions of Somalia. The project will improve the state of natural resource management through the implementation of land rehabilitation and restoration work on degraded rangelands, improving sustainable use of natural resources through community based rangeland management programs, integration of environmental considerations into all economic planning and programming activities in the region and galvanizing community support for environmental protection and sustainable use of resources. The intervention will also improve the capacity of the communities to avert resource-based conflicts and to protect their rangeland resources through implementation of local customary laws, establishment of Adeso Headquarters Kenya P.O. Box Nairobi, Kenya M: +(254) T: +(254) info@adesoafrica.org Adeso United States th Street NW Suite 300 Washington DC C: +(1) T: +(1) info.usa@adesoafrica.org

2 community based environmental courts and building the capacity of communities to prevent misuse of natural resources at local level. Furthermore, the NRM will support development of alternative source of energy that can create jobs and reduce the current dependency on firewood and charcoal. An awareness raising campaign branded as Stewardship Puntland will also be launched to sensitize both rural and urban communities on environmental issues and to instill a general public sense of environmental ownership and stewardship. PROJECT BACKGROUND The environmental conditions in Puntland are catastrophic and deteriorating at a rapid pace. Deforestation by charcoal production has caused massive and nearly irreversible degradation of grazing lands of the country where majority of the population depends on sheep, goats and camels for their livelihood. Charcoal production also causes resource- based conflicts over diminishing forests; thus many charcoal producers have lost their lives triggering clan clashes. The sequence of violence charcoal production, coupled with prolonged droughts is not only permanent threat to the environment but it also endangers the sustainability of the livelihoods of the rural communities and hence leads to abject poverty. To address the problem of deforestation due to charcoal production, the government has banned charcoal export and has encouraged solar cooking projects funded by UN agencies and international and local NGOs (about 950 solar cookers have been produced). There have been also other initiatives to improve the charcoal stoves and raise the energy efficiency of charcoal production methods with the view to reducing the rate of the damage to the rangelands. The new Administration in Puntland is committed to protect the environment in general and combat deforestation in particular. It therefore, established a new Ministry i.e. The Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Wildlife (MoEWT) for the first time in the history of Puntland. MoEWT is responsible for all the activities regarding the environment aspects. It regulates all the private organizations and NGOs working in these sectors. The MoEWT, with the assistance of consultants from CARE, has developed a detailed policy of the National Resource Management. This includes knowledge, attitude and practices. The rangeland management plans developed will use watersheds as a unit of analysis in order to develop a comprehensive set of physical works that ensure conservation of soil & water in the headlands as well as erosion control structures designed to restore/reclaim the most degraded lands. While the process of developing the plans will be done at village level, each management plan will encompass multiple villages. The product from this activity will be action plans that identify the locations and sequencing for the physical works that will be constructed as cash for work under activities. The mapping will also form an essential tool for M&E. The action will facilitate the VCs to come up with rangeland management plans using a Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) approach. Using this approach all rangeland issues, including management, institutional and rehabilitation concerns will be identified and documented. The CBNRM process will bring together participatory techniques and GIS mapping techniques to delineate the degraded areas of the rangeland and combine these with community aspirations as to how they would like to see their rangeland conserved. The activity will include separate meetings with women to ensure that their thoughts and opinions are captured as well as those of the men. The rangeland management plan will also inform the particular NRM needs for VCs and provide guidelines for engagement of VCs with external players in matters regarding NRM. Under the project, sustainable

3 grazing management will be promoted through, the development and implementation of a management plan. Adeso is seeking the services of a Rangeland Management Specialist (RMS) to carry out a Rangeland Management Plan Preparation. This consultancy is in support of the livestock sector and in support of reducing or preventing degradation of grazing lands through improved management and use that is consistent with the commitment of the country to maintain the integrity of its environment and ecosystems. The consultant may also advise on the appropriateness of the concept of co-management of rangeland involving communities and/or the government. The RMS will be expected to work in a collaborative manner which facilitates participation of the key stakeholders for rangeland use. METHODOLOGY The assignment will start with a detailed review of current rangeland management usage. It will also involve extensive community visits to the relevant areas and one-on-one interviews with pastoralists and other key stakeholders. SCOPE OF WORK A framework for sustainable use of pasture land should be developed in close consultation with stakeholders, including the MoEWT, local landowners, and pastoralists. During this process, the relevant legal aspects should be analyzed and recommendations produced to close existing gaps in and building solid foundation for sustainable pasturing. Subsequently, management plan should be produced with norms of optimal and sustainable livestock grazing for the target area. Critical areas for restoration should be identified and mapped. Also, rapid socioeconomic and marketing assessment for the identification of possible sustainable pasture use options should be conducted and relevant recommendations produced. The outcomes of this process should be integrated back into the recommended formulation of laws. CONSULTANCY PERIOD The consultancy will be a duration of 100 days. Days required for preparation, reporting, and editing to be included in the quote. Note that travel days to and from Somalia will not be remunerated. All travel, accommodation and meal expenses will be covered by Adeso. Note that dates might change based on flight schedules to Somalia, and travel might be required over the weekend. DELIVERABLES In consultation with NRM team and the MoEWT, the consultant will: 1. Review existing studies/documents on rangeland and its management in Puntland or elsewhere under similar agro-ecological zones. 2. Review national acts, policies and strategies that influence rangeland management. 3. Visit selected rangelands and conduct situational analysis with relevant stakeholders on: the quality, productivity and sustainability of existing rangelands;

4 current and traditional grazing management practices taking into account the main social, cultural, and indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) factors and their effect on rangeland condition; existing conflicts in rangeland utilization and management between different communities/groups; the appropriateness and effectiveness of RNR extension interventions to improve the sustainability of rangeland management; the appropriateness and effectiveness of ongoing rangeland research; the application and effectiveness of national policies and strategies for rangeland management. 4. Identify appropriate native grass and fodder species for multiplication and for trials to reestablish and maintain productive indigenous pastures. 5. A detailed ecological condition of pastures and existing vegetation, rangeland degradation types, rates and levels, along with the current grazing system. 6. Suggest any appropriate measures that are needed to resolve, manage or minimize grazing conflicts, taking into account the capacity development and support needed by the facilitators/mediators. 7. Act as resource person at a workshop to train research and extension staff on (participatory) methods for assessing rangeland condition, production and sustainability (taking into account plant composition, soil fertility and ecosystem considerations). 8. Outline policy, strategy and implementation options for improved and sustainable management and productivity of priority rangeland systems, considering also the capacity development needs of extension and research staff; 9. Develop and cost a plan for operationalizing the preferred strategy/ies, that gives clear guidance on the main responsibilities, tasks and timelines for the key stakeholders; and within this, identify appropriate pilot sites for community-based pasture development. 10. Facilitate a final national workshop on the findings and recommendations of the study. The consultant is also responsible for the preparation of a rangeland management plan as follows: one training rangeland management workshop with research and extension; one final workshop with main national stakeholders; final report in digital and hard copy (2 copies). QUALIFICATIONS A suitable candidate should have the minimum of a MSC in Rangeland Management with specialization on rangeland management or the degree in Biodiversity, forestry, biological/agricultural sciences or related fields. Minimum 5 years working experience of rangeland management for livestock production and eco-system sustainability in similar (and preferably Somalia, East African) rangeland systems. The candidate should also have at least five years of experience in the field of pasture management and livestock keeping in general.

5 Minimum 5 years working experience of rangeland policy and strategy development and implementation in similar agro-socio-cultural-economic zones, Familiarity with community-based natural resource management approaches and techniques and 5 years of working experience of their application to rangeland. Familiarity with natural resource-based community conflict management and mediation techniques and 3 years of working with communities for successful rangeland conflict management. Minimum 5 years experience of working with national research and extension staff in rangeland management and basic and applied rangeland research. Competence to guide research staff in the design of uptake-oriented rangeland research. Ability and enthusiasm to work in a team with to support and strengthen the NRM initiative. Previous experience in Somalia an advantage. Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement. Physical fitness and willingness to trek to remote rangelands is essential. COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS In consideration of the fees paid, the Consultant expressly assigns to Adeso any copyright arising from the works the consultant produces while executing this contract. All images (whether used for online or print purposes) must however bear the consultant s photo credit, as specified by international intellectual property rights. The consultant may not use, reproduce or otherwise disseminate or authorize others to use, reproduce or disseminate such works without prior consent from Adeso. APPLICATION PROCESS Applications should be submitted by 10 th November The selection committee will review all applications as they arrive. All applicants must meet the minimum requirements described above, and those unable to meet these requirements will not be considered. Adeso is an equal opportunity employer. Each application package should include the following: An application letter addressing the selection criteria including how the consultant s previous experience matches the consultancy objectives as well as the interest for the position. It should also indicate the candidate s availability and consultancy rates. The letter should be no longer than two pages. A sample of recent work. Updated CV including relevant work experience and qualifications. Contact details of 2 references. Applications not including all of the above information will not be reviewed. All applications should be sent to Adeso at consultancy@adesoafrica.org with the subject line: Rangeland Management Plan Preparation