Reports to:  WCS Project Manager, Kahuzi-Biega-Oku Landscape

Start date:  1 October 2020

Duration:  6 weeks

Contract:  Consultant

Deadline for applications:  30th June 2020

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has the largest extent of tropical rainforests in Africa, covering more than 200 million hectares, 60% of which is primary forest and more than 80% of which is found outside of DRC’s formally protected areas. These forests are also home to several globally threatened mammals, such as the Critically Endangered Grauer’s gorilla, which is only found in eastern DRC. The Grauer’s gorilla population has declined by almost 80% over the last 20 years, and only 25% of its habitat range occurs in protected areas.

WCS DRC is working to protect approximately one million acres of gorilla forest habitat, which is found outside of established protected areas, in the Oku community forest, adjacent to Kahuzi Biega National Park. WCS is supporting conservation activities in the Oku forest with a local NGO, Réserve des Gorilles de Punia (RGPu), which aims to involve local communities in protection of biodiversity in their lands.

WCS and RGPu, in collaboration with ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature) are working to create a formal forest reserve in the Oku community forest to protect core gorilla habitat. Meanwhile, three local community forest concessions (CFCLs) close to villages have been created to form a buffer around the proposed reserve.

WCS is seeking to recruit a short-term consultant to assist in developing a strategy for the sustainable financing of the future reserve and three CFCLs, including business planning to generate sufficient revenue and ensure that biodiversity conservation goals are achieved. At the same time, the consultant will conduct an institutional review of RGPu, to develop a path for RGPu’s future success in managing the reserve.

Develop a Business Plan for selected Community forestry concessions schemes and for the proposed Oku reserve. The main aim of the consultancy is to identify tools and practical actions to render the villages more financially sustainable by exploring funding strategies that increase the level of self-financing, trust funds or other mechanisms.

Under the supervision of the Kahuzi-Biega Project Manager, and in close cooperation with the local coordinators of the future reserve and CFCLs, the consultant will perform the following specific tasks, in addition to other actions that he/she deems appropriate to achieve the objectives of the mission:

• Undertake a literature review of relevant reference documents.
• Undertake semi-structured interviews/consultations with key stakeholders in the forest concession sector (government, NGOs, civil society, local communities, researchers, donors ...) to understand current strategies, opportunities and barriers in relation to financing CFCL’s and the proposed protected area.
• Undertake an analysis of the experiences in other countries with a similar background to that of DRC in terms of financing for protected areas and CFCL’s.
• In collaboration with stakeholders, identify all financing options with potential relevance for DRC.
• Undertake a thorough SWOT analysis of relevant sustainable funding options.
• In a participatory manner, develop a vision for the financing of each of the three CFCL and the proposed reserve with a clear identification of the proportion of funding that could be “sustainable” and not reliant on external grants.
• Analyze current cost structures of CFCL and protected area management.
• Conduct an economic impact analysis for the proposed reserve.
• In collaboration with the CFCLs and future reserve management committees, identify necessary activities in relation to the achievement of the objective of the Business Plan.
• Identify and evaluate the most efficient scenarios to implement these activities and evaluate short-term financial needs (5 years) and projections for medium (10 years) and long term (15 years) needs.
• Submit for discussion the results on sustainable financing options to stakeholders and collect feedback and edits.
• Based on comments, draft a final Business Plan that documents sustainable funding options and describes the technical and financial aspects of strategy implementation as well as the roles of actors in its implementation.
• Carry out an assessment of the past performance, current status and future prospects of the RGPU  Secretariat, including an examination of the primary functions of the Secretariat, the institution’s financial and management performance and capacity, and to recommend ways to strengthen the institution’s functional purpose, capacity and sustainability.

The expected results of the work include:

1. A Business Plan (validated by WCS) including a description of the financing vision and the financial sustainability strategy and funding mechanisms for the short, medium and long term. This will include the results and recommendations of the assessment of RGPu. The final strategy must be submitted by the  30 November 2020.

The focus should be on the development of a succinct and practical document that can serve as a tool for CFCL and protected reserve management in DRC.

We envisage the consultancy will require a 1-week literature review, 3-week field visit, followed by a period of desk-based analysis/report preparation, with a maximum of 14 working days. The proposed timeframe is October  –  November 2020.

In terms of a site visit (logistics and costs):

WCS will be responsible for:

• Coverage of international air tickets (to be incorporated into proposal budget)
• All internal travel expenses and logistical support in DRC
• Lodging in Bukavu, transit to and from Kasese/Oku
• Food in Kasese/Oku only (not in Bukavu or in transit to Kasese/Oku)
• Providing an invitation letter for the visa application
• Organizing meetings and workshops

The Consultant will be responsible for:

• Booking and organizing international flights (with approval of dates from WCS)
• Visa application
• Medical insurance (including proof of emergency evacuation) and vaccinations
• Food and other expenses whilst in Bukavu and in transit to Kasese/Oku 

Payment terms:

• An initial payment of 25% wil be made upon signature of the contract, with the remainder to be paid on completion of the deliverables. The first payment will be issued within 10 business days of receiving the invoice. The final payment will be made 45 days from the invoice date.

Qualifications / skills / experience of the consultant

• CV provided
• Business qualifications with a minimum of an undergraduate degree in Business or related subject, and five years of relevant experience
• Knowledge of Protected Area Management is desirable
• French language is highly desirable but not essential

Applications

Please provide a statement of interest and a proposed budget and calendar that responds to the deliverables outlined in this ToR, and send to:

• Dr Steeves Buckland (Project Manager, Kahuzi-Biega-Oku Landscape) – sbuckland@wcs.org
• Mr Didier Asuluka (Country Human Resource Manager)–dasuluka@wcs.org

About WCS

The Wildlife Conservation Society is an international NGO headquartered at Bronx Zoo in New York City working to save wildlife and wild lands and to meet global challenges in over 50 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the world’s oceans. The Africa Program is the largest of WCS’s field programs, with approximately 1,100 staff in 12 country programs focused across four major regions (Central Africa, Sudano-Sahel, East and Southern Africa, and Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean).

Our MISSION is to save wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education and inspiring people to value nature. Our VISION is a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. Our GOAL is to conserve the world’s largest wild places in 16 priority regions, home to more than 50% of the world’s biodiversity. Our VALUES are Respect, Accountability and Transparency, Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion, Collaboration, Integrity.