Consultant - Integrating Landscape-Level Forest and Land Restoration Monitoring

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

SUMMARY OF PROCUREMENT

WRI intends to award a Fixed Price type contract for Consultancy on Integrating Landscape-Level Forest and Land Restoration Monitoring into National Monitoring and Reporting Systems in Malawi

About the World Resources Institute

Founded in 1982, The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. We work with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. WRI’s transformative ideas protect the earth and promote development because sustainability is essential to meeting human needs and fulfilling human aspirations in the future.

About the Project

Malawi faces significant challenges from deforestation, land degradation, and biodiversity loss, which profoundly impact local livelihoods, food security, and climate resilience. Over the past decade, Malawi has experienced deforestation at an alarming rate of up to 2.6% per year, with corresponding soil degradation impacting agricultural productivity. These environmental issues threaten local communities’ resilience to climate change and further exacerbate socio-economic vulnerability.

In response, Malawi has committed to several national and international initiatives, including the Bonn Challenge, the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Monitoring forest and land restoration (FLR) progress at the landscape level is essential to assess and track progress toward these commitments. This consultancy aims to integrate landscape-level FLR monitoring into Malawi’s national monitoring and reporting systems, ensuring harmonized data across scales and contributions to national and international reporting requirements.

The primary objective of this consultancy is to:

1. Conduct a comprehensive review of existing monitoring, evaluation, and reporting frameworks used by restoration partners in Malawi to identify gaps in the current monitoring systems.
2. Develop a framework for integrating landscape-level forest and land restoration monitoring into Malawi’s national environmental monitoring and reporting systems.
3. Align the proposed framework with Malawi’s national priorities, policies, and international reporting obligations, such as the NDCs, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the AFR100 initiative, ensuring sustainability and stakeholder buy-in.

SCOPE OF WORK AND OUTPUTS/DELIVERABLES

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Stakeholder Engagement

• Conduct consultations with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources, Environmental Affairs Department, Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services, civil society organizations, local communities, and development partners.
• Collect and analyze information on:
  • Existing monitoring systems, data collection processes, and tools.
  • Quality control checks to ensure accurate data flow and reporting.
  • Enablers of the system, including effective information flow from landscapes to the national level.
  • Data and knowledge management practices, challenges, and success factors for information flow and data management.
• Facilitate workshops to gather input and secure buy-in from stakeholders on the design and implementation of an integrated monitoring system.

1. Assessment of Existing Monitoring Systems

• Review Malawi’s current national monitoring systems for forests, land use, and restoration, evaluating their adoption and application by government entities and FLR implementing partners.
• Identify and assess existing landscape-level monitoring frameworks, including remote sensing, community-based monitoring, and geospatial data collection.
• Determine factors that affect or promote the adoption of national FLR monitoring systems by implementers.
• Identify gaps and opportunities for integrating landscape-level FLR monitoring into national systems.

1. Develop an Integrated FLR Monitoring Framework

• Propose a comprehensive framework for integrating landscape-level FLR monitoring data into national systems and databases, ensuring alignment with Malawi’s NDCs, SDGs, and Bonn Challenge commitments.
• Review and propose additional indicators, data collection protocols, and methodologies that leverage remote sensing, GIS, and community-based monitoring to capture and report landscape-level FLR data.

1. Production of Final Consultancy Report

• Compile a final technical report with key outcomes and next steps for integrating FLR data into national monitoring and reporting systems.
• Disseminate results and outcomes to government and stakeholders through a dissemination workshop and other designated channels.

Deliverables

The consultant will be expected to deliver the following outputs:

1. Inception Report: A detailed methodology, preliminary findings, a list of identified stakeholders, and a proposed timeline within 1 week of contract award.
2. Draft Assessment, Stakeholder Consultation, and FLR Monitoring Report: Summarizing the existing national and landscape-level monitoring systems, identified gaps and integration opportunities, data collection protocols, tools, and indicators within 2 weeks.
3. Final Report: A comprehensive report detailing the integrated framework recommendations, proposed indicators, implementation roadmap, and long-term sustainability recommendations within 1 week of completing the assignment.

TIMING

This consultancy will take place over 5 weeks (25 working days), with the following timeline for key deliverables:

• Inception Report: 1 week after contract award.
• Assessment and Stakeholder Consultation Report, including FLR Monitoring Framework: 2 weeks after the inception report.
• Final Report: 1 week after completing stakeholder consultation and framework development.

BUDGET

An estimate of the number of days required to carry out the activities is to be provided by the vendors in their proposal and must be reflected in the estimate. However, once the budget has been validated, the payment of the service will be conditional on the delivery of the deliverables and not on the number of days worked. All expenses (equipment, vehicles, materials, supplies, consumables, means of communication, insurance, travel expenses, etc.) necessary for the performance of the service, including travel expenses, mission expenses, etc., are the sole responsibility of the vendor and must be quantified in the budget proposal.

Please note that WRI is an IRS-registered 501(c)3, tax-exempt organization. WRI is not VAT-exempt. All prices or quotes should include VAT and tax, as applicable.

GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Requirements

Interested consultants or firms should submit the following:

1. A detailed technical proposal outlining the approach, methodology, and timeline for the consultancy.
2. A financial proposal with a detailed budget, including any anticipated travel or workshop facilitation costs.
3. CV(s) of the consultant(s), highlighting relevant qualifications and experience.
4. Examples of previous work related to environmental monitoring, particularly in Malawi or Sub-Saharan Africa.

The prospective consultant (or consulting team) must have:

• Advanced degree in forestry, environmental science, natural resource management, or a related field.
• At least 5-10 years of experience in landscape-level monitoring, forest restoration, or land management.
• Demonstrated experience in working with national governments on monitoring and reporting systems, with expertise in Malawi or Sub-Saharan Africa
• Proven knowledge in data and knowledge management systems relevant to environmental or FLR data.
• Proficiency in remote sensing, GIS, and data analysis for environmental monitoring.
• Strong understanding of Malawi’s environmental policies and international commitments (e.g., Bonn Challenge, AFR100, NDCs).
• Proven facilitation skills with a track record in stakeholder consultations and capacity-building workshops.

Expression of Interest, Deadline for Questions, and Proposal

All expressions of interest and questions about this RFP must be received via email to the contact below by 17 November 2024, 11.59 (GMT). Answers to the questions will be shared will all parties who have asked questions or otherwise expressed interest.

Spencer Ngoma

The Restoration Manager

spencer.ngoma@wri.org

All proposals must be sent by 11.59, 17 November 2024 (GMT) in electronic format to the same contact listed above.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION

Evaluation Criteria

The following elements will be the primary considerations in evaluating all proposals submitted in response to this RFP:

• Completion of all required elements;
• The extent to which the consultant’s proposal fulfills WRI’s stated requirements as set out in the RFP;
• Experience with similar projects;
• Overall cost of the consultant’s proposal;
• Debarment and sanctions – WRI will not consider proposals from consultants that are presently debarred by the U.S. government or named on any restricted parties lists;
• Sustainability – WRI values sustainability and all other factors being equal, will favor a proposal to more sustainably perform the work.
• Equity - At the World Resources Institute, we strive to have an inclusive delivery chain. We believe the environmental and international development communities are strengthened by providing equality of opportunity to businesses owned by LGBTQ+ communities, women, indigenous peoples, racialized groups, and people with disabilities - and it is important to WRI that we partner with organizations which share these values. Please describe both how your organization would take an equity-centered approach to the need you are proposing to help us fill and how you incorporate equity, diversity and inclusion into your staffing, board leadership and programs.

The bidder offering the best overall value will be selected. For this procurement, price and non-price aspects are considered to be of approximately equal importance.

Selection Process

No proposal development costs shall be charged to WRI / all expenses are to be borne by the bidders. WRI may award the bidder offering the best value without discussion. However, WRI reserves the right to seek bidder clarifications and to negotiate with those bidders deemed to be within a competitive range.

WRI may, at its discretion and without explanation to the prospective consultants, choose to discontinue this RFP without obligation to such prospective consultants, or make multiple awards under this RFP. Contracts will not be awarded to consultants, etc., debarred by the US government or named on restricted parties lists.