TERMS OF REFERENCE
BMZ Proposal Preparation on Nature-Based Business Development
and Income Diversification for Local Communities in the Southern
Kenya-Northern Tanzania (SOKNOT-UNGANISHA) Transboundary Program
KENYA/TANZANIA
February 2021
1. CONTEXT
Stretching from Lake Victoria to the Indian Ocean, the Southern Kenya - Northern Tanzania (SOKNOT) transboundary area covers some 134,000 square kilometers. The SOKNOT landscape is famous for conservation areas, including the Serengeti, Masai Mara, Tsavo, Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro crater, important biospheres and bird habitats including Lake Natron, Loita, Amboseli, West Kilimanjaro. There are 39 communal conservancies and 2 wildlife management areas (WMA) that reflect its extraordinary biodiversity and tourism value. The landscape is home to millions of wild animals including threatened and endangered species such as elephant, black rhino, lion, cheetah, hirola and African wild dog. The annual wildlife migrations by up to 1.3 million animals are among the largest worldwide and a main tourist attraction.
There is a critical interdependence between people and nature across SOKNOT. Tourism is built on this unique biodiversity and iconic natural habitat and is a major source of foreign exchange ($10m to communal conservation areas and employment for 3m people, according to Kenya and Tanzania Economic Survey
Reports 2017). Traditional livestock farming is the main source of income for the Masaai ethnic groups, who
inhabit the lowland savannas and woodlands, and are dependent on grasslands and water. Agriculture, including small scale/supplementary crop farming, and small-scale enterprises are the main sources of income generally. The rapidly escalating human population and high levels of rural poverty in wildlife dispersal areas and priority corridors are key drivers of land-use change, fragmentation and habitat degradation, increasing encroachment and potential human and wildlife conflict. Wildlife is disappearing at a significant rate due to poaching, wildlife trafficking and conflict with humans.
Climate change is exacerbating pressures on the SOKNOT landscape, wildlife and people. Developing more climate smart practices with livestock and natural resource management, can help protect communities from the extremes of climate change.
To address the variety of these threats to wildlife and habitats, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) launched the 10-year Southern Kenya-Northern Tanzania (SOKNOT-UNGANISHA) Transboundary Program in 2019. With a focus on securing the connectivity of critical wildlife migration corridors, the program has adopted a multi-sectoral approach addressing needs for conservation and sustainable resource management in the wildlife, forestry, agriculture, water and livestock sectors.
In this context it is both critical and urgent that wildlife and ecosystem services (including water, grasslands) are valued and sustained through community control and stewardship with adequate return to communities for the roles they play in maintaining the balance between people and nature. Sustainable markets need to be developed that increase the return to communities for sustainable practices that maintain ecosystems services. Already established community-managed conservancies (Kenya) and wildlife management areas (WMAs, Tanzania) are important target areas of the program, but also other non-protected areas need to be addressed to ensure the free movement of wildlife and the connectivity of related habitats.
The current decline of tourism income for conservancies and Wildlife Management Areas (Tanzania) caused by the COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the urgent need for the development of alternative, diversified and sustainable income streams from nature-based and ecofriendly business development.
With the prospect of a new 3-year-project from July/August 2021 to December 2024 and funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) wishes to recruit a consultant to analyze and recommend on business development support options (1st
contract, phase 1) and to assist with the preparation of the respective proposal section on nature-based business development and diversification of income (2nd contract, phase 2). 2. TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 2.1 General Tasks and Responsibilities The mission will be carried out in two phases with individual contracts. In phase 1 the consultant will be responsible for the identification, analysis and recommendations on business development support to be provided by the BMZ project. This will include the screening of business opportunities in the Kenyan and Tanzanian parts of the program landscape, the identification of actual and potential stakeholders for project design and implementation, the description of viable and scalable business and income opportunities. In phase 2 the consultant will prepare a related section on nature-based business development as part of a new project proposal according to BMZ donor requirements and templates including the development of proposed work plans and budgets for project implementation. The consultant will work in close cooperation with the local WWF teams in Kenya and Tanzania, the Markets Practice and ‘Nature Pays’ initiative of WWF International and will consult relevant local and international experts on relevant topics. The assignment will focus on desktop studies and virtual consultations of stakeholders. 2.2 Specific Tasks and Responsibilities Phases 1 and 2 should consider objectives and activities supporting nature-based business development and income diversification from actual and potential wildlife, forest, agriculture and livestock/fishery product value chains. This may include the following: § Development of a landscape master plan for market transformation, identifying promising options and priorities for diversified business development and describing related value chains for specific promising products in specific target areas/communities, also based on experiences with related interventions by other projects in the past; § Development of eco-friendly and sustainable tourism, considering experience with and future opportunities for high end (e.g. luxury lodges, cooperation with tour operators and private investors) versus low end (e.g. backpacking/hiking/adventure tourism, community camps etc. ) tourism models and including best practises from other projects and countries;Development of new and upscaling of existing small and medium sized community-based enterprises (SMEs) & business models in and around
agriculture and animal husbandry and related needs for value chain/market analyses, capacity development needs and stakeholder involvement (e.g. beekeeping) with a focus on the diversification of livestock value chains contributing to sustainable rangeland management (e.g. dairy, bio meat, leather etc.) but also including options for value chain support on Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and diversified agricultural crops; identifying potential for connecting smallholders to international market (e.g. cash crops) and building resilient international value chains, focussing on the finance and business aspects (in close cooperation with separate agricultural assessment consultancy) § Identification of ‘bankable projects’ to attract private investors and to support economic sustainability and greater impact in terms of employment and benefits for local community members; § Development of alternative finance models to directly reward custodians for their conservation of wildlife and the restoration of landscapes. This could include wildlife and carbon credits, REDD+ Carbon projects, payment for environmental services (PES), insurance mechanisms and compensation funds, for example concerning human-wildlife conflicts; § Establishment/ Initiation of a market transformation fund pool donor contributions in support of sustainble financing; § Establishment of and/or further support to existing producer associations, cooperatives and trusts to facilitate access to domestic and export markets and to provide technical/financial services to producers and to strengthen value creation on site; § Overview of important Government, NGO and private sector stakeholders and their proposed roles as implementing partners, consultants or associated experts in supporting project implementation. § Overview of environmental, social and economic risks and recommendations on environmental and social safeguards (ESSF) and risk mitigation While the proposal section may consider the need for further in-depth studies and analyses, it has to put emphasis on concrete objectives to be achieved and activities to be implemented within the planned project cycle (until December 2024). 4. DELIVERABLES Phase 1: 1. Short inception report and PP presentation outlining proposed mission work plan, time schedule and proposed focal areas and topics for approval by WWF at the beginning of the mission 2. Draft report for further inputs/comments by WWF 3. Final report integrating all previous comments for approval by WWF Phase 2: 1. Draft proposal section including proposed work plan and budget for further comments by local WWF teams, WWF Germany and WWF Market Practice 2. Final proposal section with related work plan and budget integrating all previous comments (or justification why such had to be discarded) 3. Power point presentation on context, methods, objectives and activities as proposed
5. QUALIFICATION PROFILE § A Master degree or above in environmental economics or related subject with good knowledge of best practices in participatory, eco-friendly business and market development and related analyses; § Specific qualifications and expertise on wildlife, forest, agriculture and/or water management would be of advantage; § At least 5 years of professional experience in the management, implementation and/or research/studies of related projects; § Experience in working with Government authorities, NGOs, civil society organizations and community-based organizations on business and socio-economic development; § Work experience in the Northern Tanzania/Southern Kenya landscape would be an added advantage; § Experience with WWF and/or BMZ related planning procedures would be an added advantage; § Demonstrated ability to write professional proposals; § Ability to maintain effective working relations with stakeholders; § Excellent writing skills in English language; § Fluency in English, Swahili language skills would be an added advantage to facilitate communication with stakeholders 6. CONTRACT PERIOD Phase 1: 2 weeks (approx. 12 working days), starting in March/April 2021; Phase 2: 2 weeks (approx. 12 working days), starting in April/May 2021 7. CONDITIONS The proposed work will be carried out under contract. The contract will be drawn up after the final candidate has been selected. It will be to the discretion of WWF to select the same or different consultants for phase 1 and phase 2, the two phases will be contracted separately.
The consultant will assume all fiscal responsibilities relative to his/her tax status. As an independent employee, the consultant is responsible for the payment of any tax that might be demanded within the framework of this agreement, assuming that he is able to justify he is in good standing and up to date vis-à-vis administrative and tax authorities; otherwise, and in accordance with the law, WWF is obliged to withhold at source on the amount of its services or fees / bills, the percentage to be paid to the taxes authorities. The consultant will be subject to WWF management procedures at all times.
WWF cannot grant in advance honorary fees. Field trip expenses, in accordance with WWF procedures, are payable in advance once the consultancy contract established and such trips have been approved. 8. APPLICATIONS Applications including cover letter with brief outline of relevant qualification and experiences, CV, expected remuneration and references to be submitted by email by March 28, 2021, 5pm to: Johannes Kirchgatter WWF Germany [email protected]
