Consultancy Service to Provide Support for Design & Piloting of a Participatory Approach for Social Safeguards

TERMS OF REFERENCE: Support for the design & piloting of a participatory approach for collecting information on social safeguards associated with implementing REDD+ activities

I. Background:

‘Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries’ (REDD+) has the potential to provide multiple benefits for the global climate, tropical forest ecosystems and their associated biological diversity as well as for the rural poor communities that reside within or near to forests and that provide stewardship services. Some of these potential benefits may include poverty reduction, employment opportunities and improved forest tenure rights. However, it is also recognized that there are also a number of important potential negative social impacts and/or risks, particularly for vulnerable forest-dependent communities and indigenous groups.

In recognition of these potential risks and benefits, the UNFCCC requests countries to promote and support a set of environmental and social safeguards for REDD+ (known as the Cancun Safeguards), including the request that REDD+ activities respect the knowledge and rights of local and indigenous communities (e.g. over their customary lands and resources and to traditional livelihoods) and that REDD+ actions promote and support the full and effective participation of relevant stakeholders, particularly local and indigenous peoples. The UNFCCC also requires REDD+ countries to provide information on how these safeguards are ‘addressed and respected’ during implementation through a Safeguards Information System (SIS). Collecting information on the social aspects of REDD+ not only helps ensure that risks are mitigated and benefits achieved or enhanced, but is also a mandatory requirement of the UNFCCC in terms of demonstrating social safeguards compliance in order to obtain results-based payments from REDD+ activities.

Vietnam has actively engaged in international discussions and preparations to implement REDD+ and was selected as one of the first countries to receive support from both the United Nations REDD programme as well as the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). In 2012, the Government of Vietnam (GoV) approved the National REDD+ Action Plan, within which it committed to adhering to various relevant international agreements including the provisions on REDD+ safeguards in the UNFCCC. Whilst work is ongoing at national levels to determine the institutional framework for addressing and respecting multiple safeguard requirements, it is likely that national reporting on safeguards will be derived from information collected from sub-national levels. Engaging local stakeholders in data collection has the potential to offer national REDD+ programmes a cost-effective contribution to both carbon and non-carbon aspects of national forest monitoring systems, including social aspects (such as participation, respect for knowledge and rights of local communities and indigenous peoples and social impacts).

A national (Hanoi-based) consultant has been hired to design and pilot a participatory approach to the collection of information on social aspects associated with implementing REDD+ activities. In piloting this approach at the subnational level, it may also inform the development of country safeguards frameworks and SIS for REDD+. The objective of this consultancy is to work with the Hanoi-based consultant to provide additional local technical advice and support on the ground in Lam Dong as the selected pilot province.

The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) is implementing the Delivering Multiple Environmental and Social Benefits from REDD+ in Southeast Asia project (MB-REDD). The project is implemented in Vietnam and Laos and involves piloting approaches relevant to a number of key aspects of a future national/sub-national REDD+ mechanism. As such, MB-REDD activities in Vietnam are carried out in collaboration with local government and community stakeholders in the southern provinces of Lam Dong and Ca Mau. Both provinces are among the first provinces in Vietnam to develop and pilot Provincial REDD+ Action Plans (PRAPs) and the MB-REDD project is assisting the provinces in mainstreaming multiple benefits into PRAP planning and implementation.

This assignment builds on previous work by SNV under the MB-REDD project which has developed and piloted participatory approaches to carbon monitoring (2010-2013) and biodiversity monitoring (2013-2015). MB-REDD now seeks a qualified Lam Dong-based Local Support Consultant to support the development and piloting of participatory approaches to social safeguards data collection in Lam Dong province.

The development and piloting of participatory approaches to social safeguards data collection will be done in close collaboration with the UN-REDD Phase II Programme which supports the development of a national SIS and has begun site-level implementation of REDD+ activities in six provinces (including Lam Dong). Thus, this assignment will help to assess the potential role of local stakeholders in collecting social safeguards-relevant information with a view to a potential reporting role as part of a SIS (UN-REDD work on SIS design is ongoing at the same time as this assignment). Meanwhile, the assignment will also assist with the elaboration of a clear methodology for establishing baselines and monitoring implementation at UN-REDD project sites in the pilot provinces.

II. Objective:

To provide local technical support for the design and development of a participatory approach for collecting information on site-level implementation and social aspects associated with REDD+ implementation in Lam Dong province.

III. Tasks:

• Working together with and under the guidance of the International REDD+ Advisor and with the contracted National Consultant, the Local Support Consultant is required to perform the following tasks:
• Develop a detailed approach and work plan for the assignment in collaboration with the National Consultant
• In liaison with the International REDD+ Advisor and the National Consultant, identify appropriate and relevant stakeholders in Lam Dong who may indicate the structure of a potential system and set of indicators related to the monitoring of PRAP implementation and associated social aspects.
• Assist with the organisation and facilitation of meetings with relevant provincial stakeholders from to guide the work on designing/developing a tentative system and indicator set for monitoring the social aspects of REDD+ implementation in Lam Dong.
• Write-up meeting minutes and notes from the above meeting
• With the National Consultant and based on the results of the consultation with local stakeholders finalise a draft set of potential indicators for monitoring social aspects of REDD+ implementation and indicate monitoring approaches for each indicator, and institutional responsibilities
• With the National Consultant define which indicators to be monitored using participatory approaches and support the elaboration of a locally-appropriate methodological approach
• In liaison with the National Consultant and in coordination with the UN-REDD PPMU in Lam Dong, identify and assist with the organisation of pilot trainings and surveys to be carried out at the three UN-REDD sites in Lam Dong province
• Provide support to the National Consultant in designing locally-appropriate user-friendly guides and simple training materials for the participatory social data collection tools (by reviewing and providing comments)
• Provide support to the National Consultant with the organisation and delivery of brief (1-2 day) training courses for local stakeholders (e.g. relevant district government staff, CSO/NGO staff, community members) on participatory social data collection. Develop and collect simple participatory training evaluation forms.
• Provide support to the National Consultant in the implementation of pilot participatory monitoring surveys and/or other field activities at the three selected sites
• Assist the National Consultant with data processing and analysis from the field activities and support with the finalisation of baseline reports at each site
• Reflect on the pilot participatory approach to monitoring of social aspects of REDD+ implementation and contribute to recommendations on how the approach could be improved in the future

IV. Timeframe:

The work specified in this term of reference will be delivered between 15th May, 2016 to 30th August, 2016. The consultant is expected to work for 30 days over the period.

V. Deliverables:

1. A detailed work plan for all tasks identified for the assignment as well as any other ones which may arise during the preparation developed in consultation with local government partners, SNV advisors and UN-REDD PPMU;
2. Meeting minutes/notes from provincial stakeholder workshop on monitoring social aspects of REDD+ implementation
3. Training evaluation feedback forms and participant lists
4. Brief final report on recommendations for future implementation of participatory approaches towards monitoring social aspects of REDD+ implementation in Lam Dong

VI.    Requirements:

• Degree in the fields of sociology, rural/social development/development studies, or natural resource management
• Minimum seven years of experience in managing and implementing development projects related to rural development, forestry/REDD+
• Specific knowledge of the institutional and social (livelihoods and vulnerability) context in Lam Dong province

Application:

Please send your application letter and CV, together with an indication of your expected fee rate, to [email protected] by 13th May, 2016.