Consultancy for training on SMART application for forest patrolling and protection for the Protection Forest Management Boards and the communities having forest protection management contracts in Nghe An province

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR EXPERT ADVISORS

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A. RECOFTC ORGANIZATION AND VALUES

At RECOFTC, we believe in a future where people live equitably and sustainably in and beside healthy, resilient forests. We take a long-term, landscape-based and inclusive approach to supporting local communities to secure their land and resource rights, stop deforestation, find alternative livelihoods and foster gender equity. We are the only non-profit organization of our kind in Asia and the Pacific. We have more than 30 years of experience working with people and forests, and have built trusting relationships with partners at all levels. Our influence and partnerships extend from multilateral institutions to governments, private sector and local communities. Our innovations, knowledge and initiatives enable countries to foster good forest governance, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

At RECOFTC, our core values are the foundation of our culture and guide all our work. In addition to job specific skills and experience, the applicant should possess the following characteristics, attitudes and skills:

• Embrace innovation
• Adapt to, and learn from, challenges
• Collaborate with partners and stakeholders
• Nurture commitment, responsibility and ownership
• Prioritize sustainability
• Cultivate participation, social inclusion and gender equity

B. PROJECT BACKGROUND

The USAID Sustainable Forest Management Project (the Project) will work with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to reduce carbon emissions associated with deforestation, the degradation of natural forests, and poor plantation management. The Project will implement a “Green Prosperity” approach that strengthens local communities’ ability to protect their natural resource base and reduce emissions while building a strong foundation for sustainable livelihoods and equitable economic growth.

The Project will work in seven provinces (Lao Cai, Son La, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Tri, Quang Nam) and focus on five objectives:

1. Improve and expand community forest management
2. Increase conservation-friendly enterprises in forest-dependent communities
3. Increase functionality of law enforcement system for forest crimes
4. Improve production forest management practices
5. Mobilize domestic resources for forest management and protection

The Project will be implemented during the period 2020-2025 by DAI in collaboration with RECOFTC and Preferred by Nature as partners, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) as the counterpart and the Management Board of Forestry Projects (MBFP) as project owner.

C. DESCRIPTION OF CONSULTANCY SERVICE:

1. Background

In recent years, the active participation of communities living near forests in forest protection management has been increasingly recognized as an important factor in effectively maintaining forest resources. The community has been involved in forest management and protection in various forms. There are four main types of participation including i) traditional community forests, ii) community-based forest management, iii) group of households managing forest land, and iv) individual households, all of which own individual forest land, but collaborate in forest protection management.

The SFM project focuses on two forms of community forestry to promote local participation in forest management. The first method is community forest management (CFM), in which the community/village, the assigned forest management of the community. This also includes how the community manages the assigned forest of the household as a community group. The second method is community-based forest management (CBFM) in which the village community manages the forest with forest owners such as the protection forest management board.

The tools for data management, forest patrol and monitoring reports - SMART is a free, open-source software, integrated with the Vietnamese language. Currently, according to Decision 197/QD-TCLN-?DPH issued by VNFOREST dated July 4, 2022, promulgating the Process of using SMART in special-use and protection forests, there by SMART application is being widely applied in more than 50 national parks/ protected areas in Vietnam. The Department of Special Use and Protection Forest Management under the VNFOREST with the funding of GIZ-BiO has standardized technical guidance documents, SMART data models, report forms; is developing and will issue national guidance on the implementation of SMART for all special-use, protected forests and other forest owners across the country. Therefore, training on the use of SMART for protection forest management boards (PFMB) as well as communities receiving forest protection contracts (CBFM community) is essential.

RECOFTC Vietnam invites candidates to participate in training on SMART application for forest patrolling and protection for the PFMBs and the CBFM communities in Nghe An province.

This activity is expected to contribute directly to the main indicators: Indicator 2: The number of organizations with enhanced capacity to solve sustainable landscape problems; and Indicator 8: Number of hectares in natural resource management, safe and sustainable business practices (in the project's 11 monitoring and evaluation indicators).

2. Purpose of the consultation package

Strengthen the capacity of PFMBs and CBFM communities in forest patrol and protection based on the application of existing SMART software according to Decision 197/QD-TCLN-DDPH of VNFOREST dated July 04, 2022 Promulgating the Procedure for using the patrol reporting and data management toolkit (SMART) in special-use and protection forests.

3. Expected results

• Training materials on the use of SMART Mobile and SMART Desktop in forest patrol and protection: Vietnamese.
• 01 training course on using SMART Mobile to collect information and data in forest patrol and protection for members of the community's forest patrol team.
• 01 training course on using SMART Desktop to process, calculate data, develop reports on forest patrol and protection for technical staff of PFMB.
• Report on training SMART Mobile and SMART Desktop applications: Vietnamese.
• Report on the results of pilot implementation of SMART application for PFMB and CBFM communities in forest patrol and protection: Vietnamese and English.

4. Location: Nghe An province.

5. Tasks

5.1. Preparation

• Collect relevant documents on the application of SMART in forest patrol and protection according to Decision 197/QD-TCLN-?DPH of VNFOREST dated July 04, 2022 Promulgating the Procedure for using the data management toolkit and patrol reporting (SMART) in special-use and protection forests.
• Collect the latest forest status maps of Tuong Duong and Con Cuong PFMBs.
• Collect the most updated forest changes maps of FPD

5.2.  Develop training material for SMART Mobile and SMART Desktop

The training materials for SMART Moblie and SMART Desktop are developed on the basis of national guidelines on the application of SMART for the special-use and protection forests and non-governmental organizations nationwide according to the Decision 197/QD-TCLN-?DPH of VNFOREST

5.3. Training on SMART application in forest patrol  and protection

• Conduct 01 training course on using SMART Mobile in forest patrol  and protection  for members of the forest patrol team of the selected CBFM communities.
• Conduct 01 training course on SMART Desktop application to process information, data on forest patrol and  protection for  technical  staff of Tuong Duong and Con Cuong PFMBs.
• Develop a training reports for 02 training courses.

5.4. Technical support in the process of applying SMART in community forest patrol and monitoring

In the process of applying SMART for forest patrolling and  protection by  Tuong Duong and Con Cuong PFMBs as well as CBFM communities, the consultant will provide technical support to the users via online or phone call to ensure effective use until  September 2023.

5.5. Develop a report on pilot results and propose solutions for scaling up.

6. Level of Effort (LOE) and Deliverables

8. Qualifications

• Vietnamese nationality only.
• Graduated in forestry or information technology, with at least 10 years of experience in the field of forestry, especially in information technology applied in forestry.
• Experience in using SMART applications for forest patroling and protection.
• Have in-depth knowledge and understanding of forest patrolling, monitoring; assessment of forest changes; priority is given to community forests.
• Experience in training local people and technical staff.
• Experience and skills in writing Vietnamese reports; being able to use English at work is an advantage.

9. How to apply and requested documents

Interested individuals are requested to submit their CV and a cover letter indicating why they are suitable for this consultancy along with the expected fee or daily rate and current contact details of three references, to [email protected]. Please quote the consultancy title in the subject line of the email. Only shortlisted individuals will be notified.

For any further information you may need about the consultancy, please contact [email protected].

To learn more about RECOFTC, please visit our website www.recoftc.org.