Company Profile

Rainforest Alliance, a New York-based 501(c)3, and UTZ, an Amsterdam-based foundation, merged in 2018. Together, the new Rainforest Alliance is now a $70 million per year organization with offices in 17 countries (and growing) and over 5000 staff. The merged organization has two main offices—one in Amsterdam and one in New York City.

The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.

We work towards making responsible business the new normal through our certification program, tailored supply chain services, landscape and community work and advocacy.

For more information, please visit http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/about.  

Job Description

CALL FOR TENDERS

FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LANDSCAPE ACTION PLAN and sustainability plan FOR THE SUI RIVER LANDSCAPE IN GHANA.

The Rainforest Alliance is looking for a consultant(s)/firm to engage stakeholders in the Development of a Landscape Action plan and a sustainability plan for the Sui River Landscape in the Western North region of Ghana

Summary of Information

• Department: Africa WACA
• Location: Western North Region, Ghana (Sui River Landscape comprises Sefwi Akontombra, Sefwi Bodi, Sefwi Wiawso and the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipal )
• Commitment : the service will last 60 working days
• Desired start date : 1st August, 2024
• Under the direction of: Senior Associate, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization that works at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forestry to make responsible business the new normal. We are building an alliance to protect forests, improve the livelihoods of farmers and forest communities, promote their human rights, and help them mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. We envision a world where people and nature thrive in harmony.

We strive to make responsible business the new normal through our certification program, tailored supply chain services, landscaping and community work, and advocacy.

For more information, please visit http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/about

PURPOSE OF THE CALL FOR TENDER

The Rainforest Alliance together with key partners facilitated the establishment of two Landscape Management Boards (LMB) in 2017 to govern the natural resources in the Sefwi Area. The LMBs was formed through a democratic participatory process to be a representative body, which enables communities and key stakeholders to participate in decision making processes to manage their natural resources. The purpose of the LMB is to ensure that the livelihoods of producers, foresters, workers and communities within the landscape are improved, forest reserves protected, biodiversity conserved, and cocoa-forest landscape is governed in a sustainable way while businesses thrive in an enabling environment. A Landscape Action Plan (LAP) was developed in August of 2018 by all partners within the landscape to formalize strategies on how stakeholders within the LMB will accomplish their goals.  The LAP has guided annual planning and activities on the Landscape. However, since its development, the landscape has evolved with several changes occurring, which has necessitated a review of the current LAP. Additionally, RA established a new Landscape Management Board (LMB) in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipal Area. The new LMB also requires a Landscape Action Plan to guide the actions of the governance structure.

Further to this, RA together with partners has worked with the three LMBs to implement an EU-funded project known as the Landscape and Environmental Agility across Nation project also known as the LEAN action. The LEAN project started in 2020 and is due to end in 2024. The project has an objective to directly contribute to the national efforts of conserving biodiversity, improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers, increasing climate change resilience and reducing emissions from land use changes. With the project nearing completion, a sustainability plan is required to provide strategies which ensure continuity of action to make impact in the Sui River Landscape after the project's exit.

Rainforest Alliance is therefore seeking a consultant to review the existing Landscape Action Plan and develop a comprehensive LAP new LMB and also develop a sustainability plan for the Sui River Landscape.  

Specific Objectives

The objectives for this consultancy are as follows: 

1. To engage stakeholders in a participatory process to revise the existing Landscape Action Plan by: 
   • Reviewing the current LAP and confirm priorities, challenges, and opportunities in the landscape and identify new ones where necessary
2. Updating the LAP to include measures and activities to protect environmental/biodiversity sensitive areas within the landscape and measures and activities to restore degraded areas, etc.
3. To develop a new Landscape action plan for the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Landscape Management Board (LMB) through stakeholder participation. The new action plan should include the above and specific actions, timelines, responsibilities, and monitoring mechanisms to achieve LAP objectives.
4. To develop a sustainability plan for the Sui River landscape which will ensure continuity of current natural resource management efforts on the landscape.

Offer Specifications

Specifically, the consultancy will include:

1. Review of Existing Documents:
   • Analyze the current LAP and other relevant documents.
   • Identify gaps and areas for improvement.
2. Stakeholder Engagement:
   • Conduct interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders including but not limited to; LMB executives, Cluster executives, community members, local authorities, NGOs, private  companies and industry representatives to understand the current landscape issues, challenges and opportunities in the landscape.Facilitate workshops to gather input and review Theory of Change   and build consensus on the new action plan.
   • Use GIS and other tools to map key landscape features and areas of concern and interest
3. Development of New LAP
   • Draft the new LAP incorporating feedback from stakeholders and findings from the data analysis.
   • Include a detailed implementation plan with timelines, responsible parties, and measurable indicators.
4. Presentation of LAP:
   • Present the draft action plan to the Rainforest Alliance and  stakeholders for feedback.
   • Finalize the plan based on feedback received.
5. Development of Sustainability Plan
   • Assess the sustainability of proposed actions in economic, social and environmental terms.
   • Develop a comprehensive sustainability plan outlining long-term  strategies, funding mechanisms, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

Required Skills or Experience

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE CALL FOR TENDERS

This call for tenders is open to individuals, registered consulting firms or consultants with the following qualifications and references:

• A minimum of a master’s degree in environmental science, social science, natural resource management, Development Planning or a related field.
• At least 10 - 15 years of proven experience in landscape planning and management, particularly in the context of resource governance, socio-economic resilience and environmental sustainability.
• Demonstrated experience in engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including community members, local authorities, NGOs, industry representatives, and marginalized or vulnerable groups in developing and implementing plans for landscapes,
• Expertise in collecting and analyzing social, environmental, and governance data. Ability to identify data sources, assess data quality, and calculate metrics based on primary and secondary data.
• Proficiency in using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing tools to map and analyze landscape features.
• Strong skills in monitoring and evaluation, including familiarity with MEL frameworks and impact indicators.
• A good understanding of the local socio-economic and environmental context, particularly in Ghana or similar regions.
• Knowledge of relevant local and national policies, regulations, and institutional frameworks related to land use, natural resource management, and labor practices.
• Strong skills in report writing and the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences.
• High level of professional integrity and commitment to ethical standards in data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Ability to suggest innovative approaches and solutions to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of the landscape action plan.