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

World Wide Fund for Nature Zambia (WWF Zambia) is seeking a competent Consultant on Capacity Building on Forest Value Chains. The objective of the assignment is to use identified participatory approaches, to build skills and capacities of women, youth and men to identify and implement climate adaptation measures. This will enable the Community Forest Management Groups and Forest Farm Producer Organizations (FFPOs) and other groups to develop viable forest value chains that will culminate into viable businesses.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

The Climate Change Adaptation in Forest and Agricultural Mosaic Landscape project is being implemented by WWF Zambia in collaboration with FAO and the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment through the Forestry Department. The main objective of this project is to increase the resilience of productive landscapes and rural communities through organisational innovations and technology transfer for climate change adaptation. The project has four main components that provide pathways to change, thus; Component 1. Strengthening the management capacity at national level and within productive landscapes for climate resilience including water management; Component 2: Promoting innovations and technologies in agriculture and forestry value chains. Component 3: Enhancing diversified farm-based livelihood strategies for climate resilience and Component 4: Project monitoring, evaluation, and dissemination of results. The project is being implemented in Nyimba, Lusangazi and Petauke in Eastern Province and Sioma, Mwandi and Sesheke in Western Province.

Specific terms of reference that the consultant will address are as follows:

1.     Identification of the full range of forest products that are collected/harvested for either commercial or domestic use from the forests of Sioma, Sesheke and Mwandi districts of Western Province and from Petauke, Lusangazi and Nyimba districts of Eastern Province. Particularly: –

a.     Defining a ranking of the relative commercial and cultural importance of each of these products to local community Users;

b.     Breaking down this ranking of importance for the men and women of the villages and for people from outside the villages who also harvest these products;

c.     Providing a detailed description of each value chain, including the actors, the processing, the means of transportation, the prices and value added at each step of the chain and who are the ultimate consumers of each product.

2.     Identify value chains capacity training needs to have them developed.

3.     Prepare Training Needs Assessment (TNA) Report based on the identified value chains.

4.     Develop training materials for the key identified value chains.

5.     Using the developed training materials, build the skills and capacities of women, youth and men in the identified value chains.

6.     Prepare training reports.

7.     Share the training reports with other stakeholders through a validation meeting. lo

8.     Presentation of results at stakeholders’ validation meeting or as requested.

1.     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 Needs Assessment Report

A report clearly identifying the training needs of the target communities and or groups in relation to the Forest value Chains of the timber and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) found in target local communities that should be developed.

c)     Training Materials

d)    Training Report

e)    Full report on NTFP value chains for community/ farmers found in the Project sites for development as NTFPs value chains.

2.     DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The duration of the assignment is Hundred (100) working Days

3.     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.
• Vast experience in the analysis of value chains and in the identification of value chain modifications in favour of the producer level.
• 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 Provinces is desirable.
• Good communication skills.
• Strong technical writing skills.

4.     REPORTING

The consultant will report to the Project Manager of the GEF7/FAO Project. The consultant will also be required to work closely with the Community Forestry Expert and the Business Incubation Officer on the Project.

5.     DUTY LOCATION

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 as 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 – CAPACITY BUILDING IN FOREST VALUE CHAIN