Consultancy to project management support to The Nature Conservancy to undertake a feasibility study for a proposed fire-carbon project in the Greater Kafue Ecosystem.

summary

Purpose

Consultancy to provide ‘Project management support to The Nature Conservancy to undertake a feasibility study for a proposed fire-carbon project in the Greater Kafue Ecosystem.’

Location
Greater Kafue Ecosystem, Zambia

Duration
6 months

Estimated start date
September 2024

Reporting to
Conservation Director, TNC Zambia

Background

The Greater Kafue Ecosystem (GKE) comprises the core conservation area in Kafue National Park (KNP), adjacent community-stewarded Game Management Areas (GMAs) and communal lands surrounding these that act as buffer zones where people and wildlife co-exist. Recently the GKE has seen a considerable increase in conservation investments via conservation management partnerships between TNC, African Parks and the Ministry of Tourism. The focus of African Parks (AP) through Greater Kafue Landscape Ltd (GKLL), the delivery vehicle for AP’s co-management mandate for the KNP, is the protection and restoration of KNP which forms the core of the GKE. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) focus is the improved management of the GMAs around KNP through supporting communities and the Government through a Conservation Collaboration Agreement. These agreements have catalysed significant long-term funding with the potential for conservation successes that have local, regional, national and international significance.

Historically, conservation has largely failed to deliver the tangible benefits that promote reinvestment and stewardship of conservation areas and the government and communities have seen little economic benefit from these landscapes. The underlying premise is that protected areas should offer tangible economic benefits to communities through tourism, employment, conservation education, and access to natural resources. The lack of delivery of these benefits is driving unprecedented human-facilitated change across the GMAs and greater anthropogenic pressure on the National Park, including unprescribed fires, unregulated and illegal resource abstraction, habitat destruction and shifting agriculture that threatens the ecological integrity of the landscape and its associated benefits to communities. Conservation revenue sources have predominantly been through donor funding which has been insufficient to sustain the long-term protection and sustainable development of the GKE. To change this will require a change from the ‘business as usual approach to developing strategic plans that support the financial outcomes of the area. A significant boost for this is enabling conditions provided by a robustly governed and professionally managed conservation landscape to secure increased durable revenue flow into conservation and community benefit.

In the short term, TNC and GKLL must explore all options available to drive sustainable financing into the Park and GMAs from both traditional sources (e.g. tourism), evolving sources (e.g. natural climate solutions including carbon) and innovative sources (e.g. biodiversity assets, human-wildlife conflict insurance) to create a portfolio of applicable financing opportunities that can be tested and incubated – either by TNC itself or its partners – with the support of existing private funding before being implemented and hopefully amplified leveraging commercial finance.

Improved fire management is a key protection and restoration strategy for the sustainable management of both KNP and surrounding GMAs that also has the potential to deliver revenue to the GKE based on carbon financing associated with emissions reduction or reduced deforestation through improved fire management.

Fire Carbon Abatement Project- Expression of Interest

TNC and GKLL had recent approval from the Forestry Department under the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment for an Expression of Interest (EOI) to explore the financial feasibility of multiple carbon revenue streams across 50 000km2 of the GKE. While the primary objective of the original EOI was based on payments for emissions reduction through improved fire management. recently approval was given to explore a layered approach. In addition to emissions reductions, this approach involves investigating the potential to tap into multiple additional revenue streams such as afforestation or reforestation, avoided conversion, and improved forest management in community conservation areas across the GKE.

While seasonal fire is a natural dynamic of the miombo forest ecosystems of the 66,000sq km Greater Kafue Ecosystem (GKE), human-induced fire is widespread, unplanned, and unmanaged at a scale that vastly exceeds any ecological benefit.  According to TNC data, over the last 13 years, over 70% of the Kafue National Park (KNP) and 30% of the surrounding community-owned Game Management Areas (GMAs) burn every year, with almost half of the fires in the ecosystem burning in the late season (July-November), when their intensity and destructive nature are significantly increased.

The current fire regime in the GKE has negative, but largely unquantified, consequences for habitat health, vegetation composition, food sources for wildlife and soil structure, soil moisture, productivity and erosive potential. Evidence suggests that regular and high-intensity fire incidences reduces carbon stocks through killing trees reducing ecosystem carbon stocks. As a part of a protected area management strategy across the GKE to reduce the ecological impact of wildfire in the landscape, the primary objective is shifting the fire regime from the current extensive, late, hot and uncontrolled fires to reduced, planned, early season fires through a comprehensive fire management programme.

Success of the feasibility study depends largely on effective information collection in the area of interest providing a thorough understanding of the socio-political context. A critical piece is information sharing and local community buy in and support. It is essential that the process is underpinned by Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). This ensures that communities have the right to make informed decisions about projects that affect their land, resources, and livelihoods, thereby safeguarding their autonomy and cultural integrity. FPIC fosters trust and collaboration between communities and project proponents, reducing conflicts and enhancing the legitimacy and sustainability of development initiatives.

Consultancy Assignment:

TNC and GKLL are seeking to engage a project manager for carbon project feasibility, who will coordinate closely with the partners and teams involved in the development of each component of the project, ensuring the timely exchange of information, and supporting and leading the planning of the project’s implementation. The specific objectives and tasks to be performed under this consultancy are articulated below under the Objectives and Activities section of this TOR. In summary, the consultant or consultants will be expected to 1) Develop a project implementation plan and lead on-ground coordination between project partners and key stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation, information sharing, documentation of processes and collation of essential information; 2) Lead/coordinate local stakeholder engagement and sensitization and awareness raising, with specific reference to ensuring a rigorous Free, Prior and Informed Consent approach; 3) map and assess land tenure and resource governance structures in the project area

Objectives and Scope of Work

Objective 1 – Develop a project implementation plan and lead on-ground coordination between project partners and key stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation, information sharing, documentation of processes and collation of essential information

• In coordination with TNC teams, AP and other key stakeholders, develop a project implementation plan with milestones, dates and responsible persons (based on sound knowledge of the policy and legal environment in Zambia).
• Schedule and coordinate meetings between teams to ensure adherence to the implementation plan.
• Schedule and coordinate meetings between TNC and key stakeholders to ensure a smooth flow of information to advance the feasibility study.

Objective 2 – Lead/coordinate local stakeholder engagement and sensitization and awareness raising, with specific reference to ensuring a rigorous Free, Prior and Informed Consent approach

• Conduct detailed stakeholder mapping in each of the key project areas.
• Develop and implement, in conjunction with project partners, a stakeholder sensitization and awareness raising plan.
• Compile and share with the relevant teams comprehensive records of stakeholder engagement and meeting outcomes through a defined FPIC process.
• Determine community perceptions and attitudes to the proposed carbon project and understanding of carbon projects and their potential benefits and risks.
• Ascertain the level of trust and willingness to engage with project developers and historical experiences with similar projects or interventions.
• Arrange and facilitate meetings with communities in the areas targeted for the project to ensure an in-principle agreement to participate in a project should one come to fruition.
• Support a stakeholder participation and awareness process around the revision of the Greater Kafue Ecosystem Fire Management Plan through supporting and inputting into stakeholder workshops.

Objective 3 -. Collect, collate and map all relevant locality-specific information on land tenure and resource rights and local governance arrangements and institutional capacity including:

• Land ownership patterns, including formal and customary land tenure systems, including historical land use and any existing disputes or conflicts over land and resources.
• Structure and capacity of local governance institutions, including traditional authorities and community-based organizations.
• Presence, jurisdictional area and status of local forest governance structures (CFMGs) (Spatial data provided as shapefiles with associated key attributes).
• Presence and role of local NGOs, cooperatives, and other support organizations.
• Synthesizes and share information required to process the technical feasibility study development with TNC global teams.

Objective 4 – Provide technical input into the feasibility study

• Provide input into the project’s alignment with Zambia’s carbon policies and regulatory processes
• Liaise with Forestry Department technical staff at regional and national levels to ensure their input into the design

5 -. Based on the outcomes of the project feasibility study, develop a workplan to facilitate the transition from project feasibility to project development stage

• Develop project development workplan & budget, including detailed information of human capacity needs. .

Note: The successful organization/individual will be required to work closely with TNC, GKLL, Forestry Department, DNPW and their partners in the GKE, including local communities, other government entities, NGOs and private sector partners. The work may involve periods in the field in very remote settings. The successful organization/individual will need to be fully self-sufficient with the ability to operate independently in the field for the duration of project.

Deliverables and timelines:

Deliverable

Timeline (from contract signing)

Objective 1. Project workplan, including structured approach to ensure coordination between all project partners
15 September

Objective 2a)

Objective 2b)

Core delivery team:

The consultant will be required to liaise closely with Conservation Director, TNC Zambia with regular interface with the Regional Biodiversity and Science Coordinator, African Parks and the Commercial and Enterprise Manager, Greater Kafue Landscape Limited. In the specific project areas the consultant will work closely with either TNC staff or project staff as stipulated and agreed upon during the inception meeting.

Products Delivery

Reports and all supporting information and data in Microsoft excel format or spatial information as ESRI shapefiles must be delivered electronically as stipulated to: Bruce Ellender – bruce.ellender@tnc.org

Selection Criteria

a. Desired consultant profile – CV, academic qualifications & experience

• Demonstrated expertise in conducting feasibility studies and project development, particularly in the field of carbon projects, ideally within Zambia or similar socio-ecological contexts.
• Experience in coordinating technical teams and managing project timelines.
• Knowledge of conservation principles and fire management practices an advantage
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Familiarity with the regulatory landscape and government protocols in Zambia.

b. Registration

• Registered and licenced firm/individual (eligible) to do consultancy works in Zambia (legal requirements).

c. Cost

• Reasonable financial proposal reflecting the reality.

Call for Applications

Please send your technical proposal of no more than three pages outlining your experience, your interpretation of the terms of reference and outlining how you would execute the assignment, cover letter and a financial proposal by 11:59pm, 5th September 202 to Africa.tenders@tnc.org and copy Bruce Ellender – bruce.ellender@tnc.org. In the email subject in application: refer to “Consultancy to provide project management support to The Nature Conservancy to undertake a feasibility study for a proposed fire-carbon project in the Greater Kafue Ecosystem.”