Mozambique and Tanzania: Request for Proposals (RfP) Baseline Data Collection Study for the SUSTAIN Initiative

Feb 20, 2022 | International Union for Conservation of Nature
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IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Introduction

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in partnership with African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and SNV Netherlands Development Organization, is launching the implementation of two complementary programmes - SUSTAIN Pro and SUSTAIN Eco - which together aim at effectively contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation enhancing resilience of economies, people and nature in targeted landscapes in Tanzania (SUSTAIN Pro, SUSTAIN Eco) and Mozambique (SUSTAIN Pro). SUSTAIN Pro and SUSTAIN Eco, together the SUSTAIN Initiative, are based upon the premise that Integrated Land Management (ILM) can play a critical role in halting biodiversity loss and reversing ecosystem degradation while contributing to sustainable and inclusive economic growth and equitable sharing of the benefits of ecosystems.

SUSTAIN Pro was recently approved for funding by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation - NORAD - and has started its inception phase (January– June 2022). SUSTAIN Eco is currently undergoing the final stages of assessment for funding by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency - SIDA1 . As part of their inception phases, baseline data collection will be conducted for both projects to produce two distinct but complementary baseline reports.

Because of the complementarities and synergies between the two projects, IUCN is commissioning a consultancy to conduct both baseline assessments over the coming months (“the baseline study”).Ideally, the successful Service Provider (hereafter “the Consultant”) should be a self-employed individual or a company/firm based in one of the two countries with the possibility to travel to the other country (if needed and allowed by the latest developments of COVID-19 pandemic); or, in the case of companies/firms, they can be based elsewhere but should have local staff based in both or one of the two countries and able to travel to the other country. The Consultant should be able to perform the tasks associated with the consultancy in both English, Kiswahili and Portuguese.

Background

The Sustainability and Inclusion Strategy for Growth Corridors in Africa (SUSTAIN-Africa) was an IUCN-led initiative implemented from 2014 to 2020 in the Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) and in the Zambezi Valley in Mozambique. As a partnership between IUCN, AWF (Kilometre, Tanzania), SNV (Sumbawanga, Tanzania) and ADPP (Mozambique), SUSTAIN combined joint action on the ground, consensus building among stakeholders, dialogue to define more inclusive and sustainable actions for growth, and policy framing to strengthen business approaches, institutions, rules, and implementation incentives. The first phase of SUSTAIN built the foundations for integrating water, land, ecosystem management and sustainable business practices in agricultural landscapes in Tanzania and Mozambique. SUSTAIN was conceived as a multi-year initiative focused on catalysing climate-resilient development that balances economic growth with ecosystem stewardship and social prosperity. Running from 2014 to 2020, a first phase of SUSTAIN established a solid foundation of partnerships with business, government agencies, local communities, farmer groups, and others in the landscapes to deliver on this vision. Building on these networks and the achievements of the initial phase, IUCN is spearheading the development of a second phase of SUSTAIN through two complementary programmes, SUSTAIN Pro and SUSTAIN Eco, both underpinned by equity and inclusion and striving to accelerate a shift from business-as-usual to development paradigms that build resilience in economies, people and nature.

SUSTAIN Productive Landscapes for Inclusive Growth (SUSTAIN Pro) aims for sustainable food systems and healthy productive landscapes in Mozambique and Tanzania, through: (i) upscaling solutions for sustainable agricultural production; (ii) restoring land health through multi-stakeholder partnerships, and; (iii) investing in sustainable and inclusive value chains to drive systemic change. The programme will be implemented in three targeted landscapes: two in the SAGCOT (Kilombero landscape and one additional landscape to be selected in the Ihemi Cluster) and one landscape to be selected in the in the Beira Agricultural Growth Corridor (BAGC) in Mozambique2 .

Main Purpose and Objectives of the Baseline Study

The main purpose of the baseline study for SUSTAIN Eco and Sustain Pro is to generate baseline benchmarks that will enable tracking of performance indicators and provide an up-to-date, real picture – based upon collected qualitative and quantitative data - of the current socio-economic and ecological situation in targeted landscapes in Mozambique (SUSTAIN Pro) and Tanzania (SUSTAIN Eco and SUSTAIN Pro). In achieving its purpose, the baseline study will also meet the following specific objectives:

1. Produce two distinct but related baseline reports for SUSTAIN Eco and SUSTAIN Pro. The two reports will have common elements (e.g. Kilombero landscape profile) at the same time addressing the specific information needs of the two projects in their respective landscapes;

2. Contribute to the finalization of the indicators - which should be gender-sensitive when appropriate - in the two result frameworks as informed by the baseline study, with a view of: o Fine-tuning the final list of indicators in the two result frameworks to identify SMART indicators for the two projects and their relevance and applicability to each target landscape;

• When possible, align indicators across the two Result Frameworks, particularly at the higher levels (outcomes and impact), to maximize synergies between and an effective use of resources for SUSTAIN Eco and SUSTAIN Pro MEL Systems, rationalise data collection and facilitate the way in which Eco and Pro can report on their distinct yet interrelated contributions to build sustainable resilience in economies, people and nature in targeted landscapes;
• Define indicators for which baseline values are needed and provide them, as well as identify indicators for which target values should be identified (and suggest target values for each landscape where applicable);

3. Document the methodology, sources of information and tools used to collect baseline data - differentiating by landscape when needed – to feed into the development of SUSTAIN Pro and Eco MEL plans, to allow for replication of data collection over time.

The baseline study and the two resulting reports will also inform the finalisation of SUSTAIN Eco and Pro joint ToC. Furthermore, the baseline study will also look at relevant issues affecting women, youth and other vulnerable groups - e.g.in terms of participation in land and natural resources governance, access and control to resources, income sources and decision making thus providing essential information for the development of the joint SUSTAIN Eco and SUSTAIN Pro Gender and Youth Strategy, which is also an expected deliverable both projects’ inception phases.

4. Baseline Approach, Key Questions and Areas of Study

Key baseline Questions and Areas of Study. The baseline study is expected gather a real picture of the current socio-economic and ecological situation to develop comprehensive profiles and generate baseline data for the four targeted landscapes in SUSTAIN Eco and SUSTAIN Pro.

The baseline study is expected to cover the following areas for each landscape:

1. Environmental and ecological profile;
2. Socio-economic profile of communities in the landscape, with a focus on poverty issues, rights and security, livelihood and business opportunities based upon the use of land and natural resources, food and water security, existing gender issues and conflicts over land and other natural resources4 ;
3. Current land and other natural resources governance structures and mechanisms – including inclusion and gender inequality issues in land governance, land rights and ownership,
4. Current land, water and other natural resources use and management practices, current agricultural and food production system practices – including gender inequalities in terms of access to extension services and/or to credit and financing lines;
5. Current practices in terms of conservation, protection and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems - particularly for the two SUSTAIN Eco landscapes.

The table below provides more details of the five areas listed above and the type of information that the baseline study should focus on and collect. It also provides an overview of the draft indicators - or ideas for indicators - currently included in the SUSTAIN Eco and SUSTAIN Pro draft result frameworks. In conducting the baseline study and assessing the availability of data and data sources, the Consultant is expected to review the indicators (which should be gender sensitive, when applicable) in the two result frameworks, proposing more suitable and relevant indicators when and as necessary and providing baseline values for indicators that need them.

For full details and requirements of this procurement, please visit IUCN’s entire Terms of Reference at the link provided.