Consultancy for PFES on aquaculture in Ca Mau

TERMS OF REFERENCE
Establishing provincial regulations to mainstream PFES policy on aquaculture to sustain mangrove ecosystem services in Ca Mau province

Country:        Vietnam
Organisation:  SNV - Netherlands Development Organisation
Project:         Scaling up Mangrove EbA in the Mekong Delta (MAM2 project)
Location:        Ca Mau (CM), Tra Vinh province
Duration:       25 April, 2019 – 30 December, 2019 (indicative within 15 days)

I.  Background to the assignment

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) is a non-profit, international development organisation founded 53 years ago, and now operating in 28 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Our global team of local and international advisors use their expertise in three sectors – Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – as well as the cross-cutting topics of gender, climate change and youth employment to contribute to solving some of the leading problems facing the world today. We work with local partners to equip communities, businesses and organisations with the tools, knowledge and connections they need to increase and gain access to basic services – empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and guide their own development.

SNV has been working in Vietnam since 1995, and currently has over 30 national and international staff. SNV Vietnam operates from a head office in Hanoi and projects in over 50 provinces in the country, including in the poorest and most remote areas.

Southeast Asia has lost half its mangroves over the past 30 years, primarily as a result of clearing for shrimp ponds.  This has serious consequences, as mangroves protect against tidal waves and storm surges. They are vital fish nursery-grounds, provide timber, honey, and other products and raise land levels by trapping sediment.  They also sequester carbon faster than any other forest type.  Healthy mangroves thus make important contributions to both climate change adaptation and mitigation and form the basis of coastal ecosystem-based adaptation.

The “Scaling up Mangrove EbA in the Mekong Delta” (MAM2) project is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), and implemented by SNV and IUCN in coordination with Ca Mau, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre Provincial People’s Committee (PPC). This project builds capacity of local stakeholders (Aquaculture/forestry sectors, local authority, private companies, and farmers), improves livelihood of mangrove – shrimp farmers on degraded mangroves by promoting shrimp certification and restoration, provides policy recommendations on Payments for Ecosystem Services on Aquaculture and creates enabling conditions for accessing climate change funds. The project’s focus sites are in Ca Mau, Ben Tre and Tra Vinh.

The MAM project, SNV-Vietnam Agriculture programme has cooperated with Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee/Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, seafood enterprises, Forest Management Boards and shrimp households in Ca Mau since 2012.

II.        Consultancy service description:

1.    Assignment Objectives and Outcomes:

The MAM2 project is now seeking national specialist on policy and experienced on payment for forest ecosystem services (PFES), in order to provide concreted recommendations for provincial regulation (PPC’s decision) on PFES for aquaculture that bases on the government decree (156/NDCP, date 16th November 2018).

Objectives:

Providing concrete recommendations (draft PPC’s decision) for CM’s PFES regulation for sustaining PFES for smallholder shrimp farmers in Ca Mau province;

The specific goals of this assignment are:

• Identifying potential PFES payers (companies) and service providers (farmers) as defined in decree 156 in Ca Mau province;
• Proposing a measurable/practical payment mechanism for shrimp farmers that suitable for CM’s circumstance and comply with national policy;
• A draft PPC’s decision on PFES aquaculture;

The outcomes of this assignment will provide example for replicating of provincial regulation on PFES (aquaculture) into other coastal provinces. 

1.    Scope of the assignment:

The study area is mainly implemented in Ca Mau province. Specialist has to work closely with Ca Mau PPC/DARD, Ngoc Hien district, FMBs, MARD/VNFF and VNPF, CTU and MAM2 project in order to ensure the quality of information, data and research result to adapt requirement, coincide with reality.

2.    Methodology/Tasks

• Conduct consultations/survey/meetings with related stakeholders (companies, policy makers, FMBs, farmers..) for identifying implementing conditions and their further needs;
• Identifying and listing payers and payees (from decree 156 in Ca Mau province) that will be regulated by the PPC’s decision;
• Proposing for how to apply “1% of revenue” in the draft PPC’s decision that’ll be regulated accordantly to decree 156 in Ca Mau province;
• Recommending and drafting PPC’s decision for implementing decree 156 in Ca Mau province.

3.    Deliverables:

All deliverables should be both in Vietnamese and English with the following content:

• A proposal for the study with methodology, design, monitoring/data collection and analysis, work-plan and estimated costs for the study;
• Technical and final reports:
• A technical report on establishing provincial regulation to mainstream PFES policy on aquaculture to sustain mangrove ecosystem services in Ca Mau province (Dec 2019);
• An consulted draft of PPC’s decision (Dec, 2019);
• Materials for presentation on training/workshop with related stakeholders;

4.    Timeline:  This work should take place within a period not exceeding 20 working days, from 25th April to 30th December 2019.

III.      Qualifications, skills and experience required:

The consultants should prove expertise and capacity in the following areas:

• Having certification of expertise in Forestry/Aquaculture/Policy areas;
• Capable to work with policy makers, authority, community, local stakeholders and farmers;
• Preferred knowledge, skills, and experience in government policy reviewing and establishing in Ca Mau, other provinces in the Mekong delta and the national level.
• Excellent facilitation and communication/training skills;
• Having capacity of reporting in Vietnamese, English

IV.       How to apply:

Interested consultants/ firms are requested to send:

• Detailed proposal demonstrating the ability to deliver on this assignment, included financial proposal, area survey, logistical support etc. during implementation of this assignment; Estimated working days to offer the deliverables.  Support will be provided by the SNV Field Coordinator, partners in the Provinces, Forest Management Boards (FMBs) on carrying out field activities and working with local farmers.

Components of the technical proposal:

• Understanding of the assignment
• Proposed assignment approach, method and tools
• Work plan and resource arrangements
• Team roles and specific tasks

Annexes: CVs of team members, relevant publications or other evidence of relevant capacities

Components of the budget proposal:

• Package rate of the work and daily rate of each member
• Operational and support costs
• Total estimated costs

Deadline for proposal submission: May 5, 2019

Interested applicants are invited to send their completed proposals via email to: [email protected]