The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) ,Terms of Expression for Consultant Sub-national PES Action Plan, Yanze Catchment

UCN) in partnership
with Conservation International (CI) is carrying out a program on
Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), with a focus on water, in Rwanda at the
national and sub-national level.  The intent of the program is to “support
the development of national PES mechanism in Rwanda to address the drivers of
natural capital degradation and promote wellbeing”. As part of this, work will
be required at the sub-national level to inform and build momentum at the
national level, and to ensure that all efforts are aligned with ongoing
watershed management initiatives. The Yanze catchment, as one of the important
water catchments for Kigali, has been identified as a suitable sub-national
site in which this study is to be undertaken. The site suffers from significant
degradation which poses risks to the water quality and quality downstream. In
addition, there are a number of stakeholders which heavily depend on clean,
consistent water supply. IUCN is therefore seeking a consultant to prepare a
Sub-national PES Action Plan. This plan shall lay out a clear pathway for how
to pilot a PES program at the sub-national level and how this can be up-scaled
to the national level.

• A
  brief overview/scoping of ongoing work relevant to this catchment in
  Rwanda (noting ongoing work in the area via the Water for Growth program
  and other relevant agencies);

• A
  clear, logical argument how upstream ecosystem services benefit downstream
  beneficiaries using quantitative figures and information from published
  studies, as possible (this is helping to build evidence for the business
  case, below);
• A
  clear understanding of how PES can be used to support a wider objective of
  integrating multiple incentives to support farmers to overcome adoption
  barriers in the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices.
• A
  clear understanding of the types of support that could be provided to
  target communities if a PES scheme were to be developed.
• A
  clear overview of potential intermediaries who could work to link the ES
  providers and beneficiaries with a pragmatic suggestion of which
  entity/entities are best placed to undertake this work (including
  overseeing financial flow, activity management, etc.);
• A
  clear outline under which laws and policies a (sub-) national PES scheme
  would fit in and how it relates to Rwanda’s greater vision, national and
  international commitments.
• A
  detailed and clear ‘way forward’ with a proposed step-by-step process for
  how a PES program could be piloted and then mainstreamed, should funding
  become available

1. A
   longer (internal) document with the details outlined above,
2. A
   shorter (public) document that provides an overview of the pilot PES
   opportunity
3. A
   concept note/proposal that can be used for fundraising purposes (e.g. used
   by the Water for Growth program to solicit donor support for a watershed
   PES project).

1. To
   understand and outline ongoing work relevant to this catchment in Rwanda
   (noting ongoing work in the area via the Water for Growth program and
   other relevant agents);
2. To
   identify stakeholders in the target catchment that will affect or be
   affected by the PES mechanism.
3. To
   identify and provide a clear overview of the ecosystem service (ES)
   providers and ES beneficiaries that depend on them;
4. To
   outline a clear, logical argument how upstream ecosystem services benefit
   downstream beneficiaries (using quantitative figures and information from
   published studies);
5. To
   obtain a clear understanding of how PES can be used to support a wider
   objective of integrating multiple incentives to support farmers to
   overcome adoption barriers in the implementation of sustainable
   agricultural practices.
6. To
   attain a clear understanding of the types of support that could be
   provided to target communities if a PES scheme were to be developed;
7. To
   undertake an institutional gap analysis to identify the most suitable
   agent for driving this process on a national level.
8. To
   intermediaries who could work to link the ES providers and beneficiaries
   with a pragmatic suggestion of which entity/entities are best placed to
   undertake this work (including overseeing financial flow, activity management,
   etc.);
9. A
   clear outline under which laws and policies a (sub-) national PES scheme
   would fit in and how it relates to Rwanda’s greater vision, national and
   international commitments, etc.
10. To
    identify a detailed and clear ‘way forward’ with a proposed step-by-step
    process for how a PES program could be piloted and then mainstreamed,
    should funding become available. This should include, but is not limited
    to, the required political processes, institutional establishments or
    changes to institutions, private sector engagement, a community engagement
    plan and potential funding sources/ strategic positioning of PES on large
    funding initiatives.

1. Solid
   understanding in ecosystem services with proof of having undertaken
   similar studies within the last 5 years
2. In-depth
   understanding of Rwanda’s water laws and policy; and engagement with
   on-going water management initiatives preferable
3. Proven
   ability to quantity ecosystem services through economical assessments
4. Advance
   qualifications in Natural Resource management and related fields
5. Research
   and Stakeholder engagement experience
6. Excellent
   report writing skills in English

• A
  CV, a budget and an expression of interest on the scope of work as per the
  TOR including a summary of relevant work experience which s/he is able to
  bring into the consultancy process; an explanation why s/he is the most
  suitable for the assignment; Evidence of similar assignment implemented in
  the last 5 years.