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Company Profile
The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities. To achieve our mission, we partner with diverse allies around the world to drive positive change across global supply chains and in many of our most critically important natural landscapes.
Our alliance spans 70 countries and includes farmers and forest communities, companies, governments, civil society, and millions of individuals. Together we work to protect forests and biodiversity, take action on climate, and promote the rights and improve the livelihoods of rural people.
As an international nonprofit organization with more than 30 years of experience in sustainability transformation, we understand that the social and economic well-being of rural communities is tightly connected to ecosystem health. This knowledge has shaped our rigorous programs to advance sustainable land-use and commodity production.
At the Rainforest Alliance we combat climate change, protect forests and biodiversity, promote human rights, and improve livelihoods. The enormity of the social and environmental challenges we are facing requires working together in a broad alliance. This is why we bring farmers, forest communities, companies, and consumers together to change the way the world produces, sources, and consumes.
Why
To protect nature and improve lives it’s becoming increasingly urgent that we approach the way we use our land and produce food and other products in more sustainable ways. For this to succeed we need to fundamentally change the way that businesses operate and source, and the choices we all make as consumers.
How
Our growing global alliance aims to transform our relationship with our natural resources and each other, to create a better future for people and nature together.
For more information, please visit http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/about.
Job Description
Terms of Reference
Request For Proposals to Conduct a Mid-term Review of the “Landscapes & Environmental Agility across the Nation” (LEAN) Project in Ghana
Acronyms
- EU European Union
- EU GCCA+ EU´s Global Climate Change Alliance Plus
- LEAN Landscapes & Environmental Agility across the Nation
- MEL Monitoring Evaluation and Learning
- MTR Mid-term Review
- NRM Natural Resources Management
- RA Rainforest Alliance
- ToR Terms of Reference
- LMB Landscape Management Board
Background
The Rainforest Alliance (RA) is an international nonprofit organization that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behaviour. Our alliance spans 70 countries and includes farmers and forest communities, companies, governments, civil society, and millions of individuals. Together we work to protect forests and biodiversity, act on climate, promote rights and improve the livelihoods of rural people. As an international nonprofit organization with more than 30 years of experience in sustainability transformation, we understand that the social and economic well-being of rural communities is tightly connected to ecosystem health. This knowledge has shaped our rigorous programs to advance sustainable land use and commodity production.
In line with this vision, RA is implementing the four-year LEAN project, since November 2020, in partnership with World Vision Ghana, Tropenbos Ghana and EcoCare Ghana, and co-funded by the European Union through their flagship GCCA+ Initiative. LEAN´s overall objective is to support national efforts to conserve biodiversity, improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers, build climate resilience, and reduce emissions from land-use change across Ghana´s high forest, savannah, and transition zones.
The project´s specific aims are as follows:
1. Support the establishment of strong, long-lasting and socially inclusive landscape governance structures in three priority landscapes.
2. Reduce land degradation, prevent forest loss, increase productivity, build climate resilience, and promote natural resource conservation training for smallholder farmers within the project landscapes.
3. Improve market incentives for smallholder farmers to access diversified income streams.
4. Support the design and implementation of a LandScale-based Landscape Performance Management Framework.
As part of the project´s implementation, the project´s management is seeking a consultant(s) to conduct a project Mid-term Review (MTR), to assess the project´s performance to date, since its 2020 inception.
I. Target Groups
1. Smallholders farmers and rural communities within the project landscapes
2. Landscape Governance Structure actors and other stakeholders such as:
- Landscape Management Boards (LMBs)
- Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs)
- Forestry Commission
- Ghana Cocoa Board
- Municipal/District Assemblies
- Local community leaders/ Traditional Authorities
- Community members
- Private sector companies committed to deforestation-free supply chains, including logging companies and Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) sourcing cocoa, shea, and timber from local landscapes
- Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
- Ministry of Food and Agriculture/ Department of Agriculture
- Legal Services (to guide and formalize the governance structures)
- Ghana Education Service (GES)
- Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA)
- Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), among others
3. Youth – students and graduates and educational system representatives
III. Scope of Work
This MTR will be conducted across 3 biodiversity-significant landscapes with the following details:
No
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Project Landscape
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Municipality/ District
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Region
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1
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High Forest Zone
(Western Zone B Hotspot Intervention Area)
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1. Bibiani-Anhwiawso-Bekwai
2. Sefwi Wiawso
3. Bodi
4. Akontombra
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- Western North
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2
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Savannah Landscape (Guinea and Sudan Ecological Zones)
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5. West Gonja
6. Kassena-Nankana West
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1. Savannah
2. Upper East
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3
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Transition landscape
(Forest-Savannah Zone)
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7. Offinso Municipal
8. Offinso North
9. Techiman Municipal
10. Techiman North
11. Nkoranza North
12. Nkoranza South
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1. Ashanti
2. Bono East
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IV. Objectives and key questions to be addressed by the MTR
The objective of the MTR is to provide a thorough assessment of how the project is performing, key challenges faced by its implementation and how they have been or are currently being addressed, the project´s key achievements so far, its prospects of sustainability and the needed structural and management-related adjustments that will improve its future performance and its chances for sustainability.
The objectives of this MTR are as follows:
- Indicate the level of progress made towards the program’s main outputs, outcomes and impacts as indicated in the project’s logical framework
- Indicate the feasibility of the project to achieve all of its targets and indicators
- Identify technical and financial areas for support, adjustments and review in project implementation
- Identify the strength, issues/ risks, and opportunities, for project collaboration and implementation
Specific questions to be addressed by the MTR are as follows:
- Which adjustments were made to the project design & plan since its inception (if any)?
- What are the program’s main outputs, outcomes and impacts up to now for each of the indicators described in the project´s logical framework? And is the project on track to deliver the outputs, outcomes and impacts by the end-term? Are the project goals realistic?
- Which (internal and/or external, positive and/or negative) factors have influenced the program’s effectiveness and efficiency in the period examined? And How well has the project managed such issues/risks and opportunities?
- To what degree has the project been appropriated by relevant target populations and landscape stakeholders? Is the project sustainable (i.e., what are the chances of project outcomes and impacts to be continued by local stakeholders after the project ends)?
- What is the effectiveness of the project’s Monitoring &Evaluation system to measure progress towards results?
- Are any adjustments needed to the program’s scope, objectives, design/plan, approach and/or internal organization/management to ensure that the program reaches its stated goals? (Recommendations)
V. Consultancy Deliverables
Deliverables
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Deliverable Details
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Timeline for delivery (number of calendar days after the contract is signed)
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1. Proposed work program and methodology
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Methodology, general schedule of activities to be carried out (and documents required from project management.
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7th Calendar day
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2. Inception Meeting & Report
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Should describe a basic literature review, propose tools/ questionnaires/ instruments/ sources to be used and should propose a specific program of interviews (whom, where, when) of the relevant target population and other stakeholders.
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14th Calendar day
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3. Delivery of Draft MTR Progress Report
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Should describe activities carried out, tools/methods, interviews conducted and people contacted, preliminary results, challenges phased to carry out the consultancy´s work program, and pending activities.
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50th Calendar day
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4. Delivery of Draft Final Report
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Should include a well-written, well-organized Draft of the Final MTR Report, including:
- Executive summary;
- Description of activities and methods/tools used
- Analysis of each of the first four key questions specified in section II of this ToR.
- Conclusions
- Recommendations (question 5 in section II of this ToR), with justifications for each and specification of the responsible party for each.
A detailed list of people interviewed/consulted should be provided in an annex, as well as the specific tools (e.g., surveys, interview questionnaires) and databases generated.
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60th Calendar day
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5. Synthetic power point of key results, challenges, lessons learnt and conclusions. Virtual Validation meeting to present results and analysis to the project team and partners
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PowerPoint presentation: This ppt will be presented by the consultant in a virtual meeting to present results and recommendations to the project team and take inputs and suggestions for the final report
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70th Calendar day
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6. Final report
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Should include a well-written, well-organized Draft Final MTR Report, including:
- Executive summary;
- Description of activities and methods/tools used
- Analysis of each of the first four key questions specified in section II of this ToR.
- Conclusions
- Recommendations (question 5 in section II of this ToR), with justifications for each and specification of the responsible party for each.
A detailed list of people interviewed/consulted should be provided in an annexe, as well as the specific tools (e.g., surveys, interview questionnaires) and databases generated.
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80th Calendar day
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VI. Peer Review Process and Coordination
The Senior Project Manager will lead the MTR and coordinate all activities with the consultant. Backstopping support will be provided by the Project Management Team and RA´s Senior Advisor Landscapes and Communities, Results Based Management. The Rainforest Alliance will provide all necessary documents relating to the project. It will also provide the necessary letters of introduction to facilitate the consultant´s access to the relevant target population and other relevant stakeholders. RA will not, however, provide transportation to project sites or any other kind of in-kind support.
VII. Place, Level of Effort and Duration
- The consultancy will take at most 60 man-days within an 80 calendar-day period to complete.
VIII. General terms and conditions for Request for proposal
- Proposals and/or any additional information received after the submission time and date are subject to rejection by the Rainforest Alliance. Incomplete proposals may be rejected by RA at its discretion.
- RA reserves the right to request additional information at any time during the procurement process.
- RA is at liberty to make multiple or no selections as part of the proposal process. RA also reserves the right to cancel the procurement.
- All proposal costs shall be borne by the applicant and will not be reimbursed by RA.
Required Skills or Experience
Selection Criteria
The Consultant or Consultant Firm should have the following qualifications and credentials:
- The lead consultant must have at least a master’s degree in M&E, statistics, environmental science, or social science.
- Data collection and analysis expertise, including social, environmental, and governance data and analysis. Thus, the team/individual must have the capacity to identify data sources, assess data quality/integrity, and calculate metrics based on secondary and primary data.
- Data and analysis expertise, including in social and environmental data and data analysis – the team must be able to identify data sources, assess data quality, and calculate metrics based on secondary and primary data.
- Experience of the individual in using remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in collecting and analyzing data.
- Experience in conducting MTRs or similar development project assessments, with strong skills in M&E and a proven record of accomplishment in this regard
- Good understanding and knowledge of the project Landscapes, speak the local language of the target populations and stakeholders and have excellent fluency in written and oral English.
- Be committed to an objective and inclusive assessment including willingness to engage separately with marginalized or vulnerable groups to the extent necessary to properly understand their perspectives
- Experience with delivering high-quality products and respecting budgets and deadlines.
X. Grading criteria
Criteria
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Maximum Value (%)
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The lead consultant must have at least a master’s degree in M&E, statistics, environmental science or social science with data collection and analysis expertise, including social, environmental, and governance data and analysis. Thus, the team/individual must have the capacity to identify data sources, assess data quality/integrity, and calculate metrics based on secondary and primary data.
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20
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Experience in conducting MTRs or similar development project assessments, with strong skills in M&E and proven record of accomplishment in this regard
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20
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Good understanding and knowledge of the project Landscapes, speak the local language of the target populations and stakeholders and have excellent fluency in written and oral English.
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20
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Be committed to an objective and inclusive assessment including willingness to engage separately with marginalized or vulnerable groups to the extent necessary to properly understand their perspectives
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20
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Cost of executing the assessment
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20
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Total
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100
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How To Apply
XI. Submission Procedure and format
- A letter of interest summarizing the reason why you should be selected for this consultancy.
- A Technical proposal not more than 10 pages detailing the consultant(s) understanding and interpretation of the ToR, expertise and record of accomplishment, proposed methodology/ approach to carry out this assignment, implementation plan, abridged CVs of proposed personnel you intend to use for this assessment.
- A Financial proposal. Detailed budget that indicates the professional fees and any other related costs to be incurred by the consultant(s) while conducting this assignment. Please note that the contract price will be fixed regardless of changes in the cost components. The proposed budget should detail all relevant costs, such as transportation, professional fees, accommodation, stationery etc. An additional column could be added to the budget to help the evaluation team understand what each item will be used for.
- The financial proposal should be calculated in US dollars ($), including all taxes and duties.
- Contact details of recent references (at least 2), including email, contact person’s name and phone number.
- The letter of interest, technical, and financial proposal should be sent by email to: [email protected] with the subject line “Mid-term Review of the “Landscapes & Environmental Agility across the Nation” (LEAN) Project in Ghana.” by 23h00 GMT, on 15th August 2023. Any questions and clarifications related to the assessment should be sent to the email mentioned above.
Thank you for your interest in working with The Rainforest Alliance
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