Rwanda: Consultant on Project on Soil Erosion Control and Soil Fertility Enhancement

Jul 8, 2014 | UNCDD

The Global Mechanism (GM) is an organ of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), mandated to support country Parties to the Convention in the mobilization of resources for its implementation. With the view to increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of existing financial mechanisms, the GM is requested to 'actions leading to the mobilisation and channelling of substantial financial resources, including for the transfer of technology, on a grant, and/or on concessional or other terms, to affected developing country Parties' (Article 21, para. 4, UNCCD). It provides technical and financial assistance and support to affected country Parties to access and mobilize finance for UNCCD implementation.

II. BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFACTION OF THE CONSULTANCY

Agriculture and Land degradation in Rwanda:

Agriculture is the basis for Rwanda's economy and the primary means of subsistence and employment for the vast majority of its population. Moreover, it is one of the sources of foreign exchange. The key policy document EDPRS II, a short term subset of the Vision 2020, identifies agriculture as one of the four priority economic sectors for stimulating economic expansion and having the greatest contribution on poverty reduction and national development as a whole.

At present, the agricultural sector is failing to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population. It is also at the heart of one of the country's most serious environmental problem: land degradation. Land degradation in Rwanda is characterized by soil erosion and declining soil fertility and is driven by unsustainable land use practices, namely deforestation, over cultivation including on steep slopes without appropriate soil conservation measures, and overgrazing.

The government has embarked on processes of increasing agricultural productivity through intensification and commercialization which can create environmental risks if not well managed. Major investments are therefore needed to improve land management and promote sustainable agriculture, in order to ensure household food security and support effective poverty reduction, and thereby contribute to national sustainable development.

This will be achieved the by mustering all the efforts by the government together with those of development partners local and international. The methodology will be considering each zone in its own way taking into account its physical features, crop suitability, existing infrastructure, state of damages both registered and potential. Fighting soil erosion reduces the vulnerability to climate change like unexpected intense precipitation which would otherwise wash down unprotected land causing more havoc to people and property. Further well protected fertile soil means the farmer will get enough produce from a relatively smaller area than before which means less land exposed to degradation. Agroforestry tree plantation chips in as a means of both soil protection but as a source of forest products (like firewood and timber) as well.

This is an alternative to deforestation which would have exacerbated climate change. In the framework of the EC-CC project, the government of Rwanda in close collaboration with the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD is looking for consultant who can elaborate projects geared at soil fertility enhancement.

III. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY

3.1. General Objective

The objective of the study is the elaboration of a viable project on soil erosion control and the enhancement of soil fertility, aiming at fighting land degradation and improving the agro-sylvo-pastoral productivity so that the country can enhance food security and alleviate poverty.

3.2. Specific objectives

• - Make a thorough diagnosis of the Sustainable Land Management(SLM) sectors in order to collect viable data which will serve in the elaboration of the projects; -
• Come up with a project document constituted of the following parameters: i) Global objective, ii) Specific objectives, iii) Expected results, iv) Proposed activities, v) Implementation period, vi) Means of implementation. The project must have a baseline and the monitoring and evaluation indicators.

3.3. Expected results

A project document on soil erosion control and on soil fertility enhancement with a focus on a priority area identified during the diagnostic phase. This document will be submitted to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Land degradation National Focal Point (UNCCD NFP) and to the Global Mechanism of the United Nations convention to combat desertification (GM/UNCCD) in both electronic form and hard copy, 45 days maximum after the validation of the work methodology.

3.4. Study methodology

The study will be led by a consultant with an expertise in the issues of SLM and Climate Change and will roll out in 3 phases:

• Recruitment phase: The selected consultant will be invited to propose a working methodology and a time line for the study;
• The draft report presentation phase : The draft report submitted by the consultant will be subjected to comments, suggestions, additions, amendments by the NFP, the GM/UNCCD and by any other resource people solicited by the two institutions;
• Final phase and hand over of the final document after the incorporation, by the consultant, of the comments and suggestions.

3.5. Tasks for the consultant

Under the direct supervision of the UNCCD NFP and that of the GM/UNCCD, the consultant will have the following duties:

• Prepare an overall work plan and methodology for the assignment, which will be discussed with and endorsed by the supervisors;
• Assess the current situation of the agroforestry system in Rwanda (types, extent, state of degradation, kinds of actions interventions so far taken, constraints, stakes, potentialities etc….) Formulate a proposal of directives for a Sustainable soil fertility management and the promotion of the soil erosion control as a solution to the land degradation issue ;
• Identify and propose priority intervention zones;
• Discuss with different concerned partners and actors, more especially the rural population, in order to propose concrete actions to be undertaken and taking into account the urgent concerns of actors and their participation ;
• Propos an outline of an action plan in the field of promotion, use and sustainable land fertility management in Rwanda;
• Estimate the different costs for achieving the works and make a planner of the implementation of the activities.
• Determine institutional framework and monitoring and evaluation mechanism for the programme;
• Ensure the coherence of the project/s with the CSI-SLM, sectorial strategies and the complementarily with other projects and programmes intervening in the same field and zone of intervention. ;
• Prepare a project document that follows the project outline in force in RNRA.

3.6. Duration of study

The contract will cover 45 days over the period from 25 July to 15 September 2014.

IV. QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

To carry out this study, in agreement with these Terms of Reference, the profile requested is that of a Bachelor of Science holder in forestry, expert in natural resource management, having a proven experience in naturals resource management in the Sustainable Land Management field, Climate Change with an emphasis on adaptation, development planning, result based participatory planning with good knowledge of diagnostic tools. Deep knowledge of the requirements of the United Nations is a pre requisite as well

V. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION

Applications should be submitted by e-mail to staffing@unccd.int together with a UN Personal History Form or CV, specifying the position:

CCD/14/GM/055 - Consultancy to develop a Project document on Soil erosion control and Soil fertility enhancement in Rwanda.

The deadline for applications is 18 July 2014. Only applications submitted by the deadline will be considered. No telephone calls will be returned. Please address your application as indicated above and please do not address or copy your application to an individual at the Secretariat or the GM of the UNCCD.