1.    INTRODUCTION

World Wide Fund for Nature Zambia (WWF Zambia) is part of WWF International, the world’s leading independent conservation organisation with a global network in over 100 countries. Our mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, for the benefit of both people and nature. The organisation has been working in Zambia since 1962; focusing on wildlife, forests, freshwater as well as People and livelihoods

2.    BACKGROUND

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has supported Zambia to implement the project Climate Change Adaptation in Forest and Agricultural Mosaic Landscapes in Western and Eastern Provinces of Zambia.  The project is being implemented with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as the GEF Agency and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as the executing entity. The key implementing partner is the Forestry Department in the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment (MGEE).

Accordingly, the objective of the Project is to increase the resilience of productive landscapes and rural communities through organisational innovations and technology transfer for climate change adaptation.

The Project aims to improve coordination and sharing of knowledge between key stakeholders, including local communities, district level government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector, with a view to promoting a multi-sectoral, integrated approach that is essential to addressing climate change adaptation and resilience outcomes. The Project will use a landscape approach that engages and strengthens uptake and diffusion of technologies and practices for adaptive capacity through Forest and Farm Producer Organisations (FFPOs), Farmer Field Schools, Water Point Committees, viable cooperatives, and other community- based organisations within local communities, including Community Forestry. It will help communities to identify their own forest, farm, and livelihood priorities and implement management and market-oriented approaches to improve coordination between different sectors. A landscape focus will enable communities to improve livelihoods through diversification, enhance their resilience and adaptive capacities and reduce vulnerability to climate change. This is through the identification and development of viable forest value chains with the local forest users.

The Project has facilitated the formation of thirty-eight (38) Community Forest Management Groups which have put under Community Forest Management (CFM) a total of over 330,000 ha of forest in the Eastern and Western Provinces. These areas are particularly in Sioma, Sesheke and Mwandi Districts in Western Province and Petauke, Lusangazi and Nyimba Districts in Eastern Province.

Generally, the Community Forest Management Areas (CFMA) comprise mixed Miombo and Acacia forests.  The CFMAs are continuously under threats by uncontrolled late fires and charcoal burning leading to forest degradation and ultimately deforestation. Therefore, the project intends to ensure that the 330,00ha of CFMAs are protected from uncontrolled fires and charcoal burning to sustainably contribute to increased yields of timber, selected NTFPs such as honey and devil’s claw among others.

3.    BACKGROUND

Climate change poses significant current and projected risks to Zambia, particularly to rural communities and landscapes comprising mosaics of agriculture and forests/woodlands. Climate forecast trends indicate a shorter

duration of the rainy season, higher rainfall variability and a delayed onset of the rainy season, along with a hotter and drier dry season and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events (such as droughts, dry spells and floods). Communities that are reliant on forests and agriculture, such as those in the Western Province and Eastern Province, are particularly vulnerable to climate change and climate vulnerability (high exposure, high sensitivity), especially those relying on rain-fed crop production and woodlands. Climate change poses significant current and projected risks to Zambia, particularly to rural communities and landscapes comprising mosaics of agriculture and forests/woodlands. Climate forecast trends indicate a shorter duration of the rainy season, higher rainfall variability and a delayed onset of the rainy season, along with a hotter and drier dry season and increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events (such as droughts, dry spells and floods). Communities that are reliant on forests and agriculture, such as those in the Western Province and Eastern Province, are particularly vulnerable to climate change and climate vulnerability (high exposure, high sensitivity), especially those relying on rain-fed crop production and woodlands.

4.    OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The main objective of this consultancy is to develop 38 Community Fire Management Plans (CFMP) which will facilitate the implementation of fire control practices on site to minimise the risk of fire from site operations and bush fires. The CFMP should be designed to provide information on how the stakeholders will manage fire risks and how they will be informed about fire safety measures as part of the overarching environmental management, and health and safety systems. The Fire Management system will be led by the ten-man Community Fire Management Teams present in all the thirty-eight (38) Community Forest Management Groups. Ultimately, the CFMPs are aimed at reducing the occurrence, and minimising the impact, of uncontrolled bush fires in and around the Community Forest Management Areas thereby reducing forest degradation.

5.    TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The tasks and responsibilities will include: –

1.    Provide appropriate training to the District Implementation Teams (DIT) and orientation to the Community Fire Management Teams on fire use as a management tool, safety and fire control in the project sites.

2.    Develop Community Fire Management Plans using participatory approaches.

Design an early fire warning systems to initiate quick responses for suppression and fire use for the local communities in the community Forest Management Areas,
Develop a Community level working schedule for the implementation of the for Management Plans.
Develop clear guidelines for the decision-making processes where safety, social, and resource values are evaluated, and appropriate management response strategies for uncontrolled late fires.
Provide an approach for fuel load management strategies through the use of prescribed fire control measures (i.e. early burning, construction of fire breaks and fire zones around houses, farm fields).
Provide a working schedule for firebreak development and maintenance.
8.    Provide a working schedule for monitoring and reporting.

9.    Prepare training reports.

10. Share the training reports and Management Plans with other stakeholders through a validation meeting.

6.    DELIVERABLES

a)    An Inception Report

This should be drafted within 7 days of signing the contract outlining the envisaged methodology, tools, timelines and modalities of how the assignment shall be undertaken within the duration specified, clearly stating how the anticipated deliverables will be achieved.

b)    Training Report

A report clearly identifying the training undertaken of the target communities (Community Fire Management Committees) using developed Training Materials

c)    Community Fire Management Plans

Developed Community Fire Management Plans (Thirty-eight) which will include 3,4,5,7 and 8 from the tasks and responsibilities.

7.    DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The duration of the assignment is sixty (60) working Days spread across 120 Days.

8.    QUALIFICATIONS AND WORK EXPERIENCE

• A University Degree in Forestry, Natural Resources, Business Management, and any other related field.
• A Master’s Degree is an added advantage.
• Five years demonstrated experience working with similar assignments, particularly community level value chain development.
• Traceable experience in the development of Community Fire Management Plans.
• Traceable Experience in capacity building of local communities
• Knowledgeable on the participatory forest management sector in Zambia.
• Technical proficiency in the field of natural resource economics, forestry, agriculture, wildlife, and social development studies.
• Ability to understand and speak local languages used in Western and Eastern Province is desirable.
• Good communication skills.
• Strong technical writing skills.

9.    REPORTING ARRANGEMENT

The consultant reports to the Project Manager of the GEF7 /FAO Project. He will be required to work closely with the Community Forestry Expert and the Officers from the Forestry Department.

10. PERIOD OF CONSULTANCY

The period of the Consultancy is one hundred days 100 days spread over a period of five (5) months.

11. DUTY STATION

Lusaka, Zambia.

Interested applicants may send through proposals complete with:

• Cover letter addressed to the Procurement Officer, WWF Zambia Country Office.
• Company Profile if submission is being made as a company. In addition, kindly provide a VALID Tax Clearance certificate as well PACRA certificate of incorporation. CVs of the lead consultant should also be provided.
• Both Technical and Financial Proposals inclusive of detailed work plan
• Trade references relevant to the assignment at hand.

The above should be submitted in Soft copy as a single PDF document.

All submissions should be emailed to zcoprocurement@wwfzam.org no later than Friday 28th June, 2024 at 17:00 hrs, with the email subject being Consultancy on COMMUNITY FORESTRY – DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY FIRE MANAGEMENT PLANS