HeadingInvitation for a Consultancy Service to Conduct A Baseline Study of Selected Socio-ecological Landscapes in the Horn of Africa Region RFP No. :  HoA-REC&N/SIDA/12338/2019/2012

  1. General Information

The Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre and Network (HoA-REC&N) was established in 2006 in response to regional concerns related to the environmental, social and economic implications of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss. Committed to regional integration and stabilization, HoA-REC&N facilitates, strengthens and advocates for initiatives that promote regional-scale collaborative research and knowledge generation, advance integrated environmental governance practices and sustainable development through research for policy and development approach (R4P&D). For a regional-scale initiative, AAU-HoA-REC&N is seeking the services of an experienced consultancy firm to conduct baseline study on the trans-boundary landscape, challenges, needs and opportunities for biodiversity conservation, effective protected areas management, community engagement, resilience building, natural resource management, peace and security, and regional integration in the Horn of Africa. The study will take place in the designated intervention landscapes and key biodiversity hotspots in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Somaliland and South Sudan.

  1. Background and Introduction

The Horn of Africa region is composed of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. It covers an estimated area of about 5.2 Million Km2. The widespread natural resources degradation and socio-ecological challenges in the Horn of Africa countries necessitated the need to develop a regional-scale project with a view to addressing the cross-border issues in a more coordinated way. The recent report (May 2019) by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) communicated a clear message: “Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with grave impacts on people around the world now likely”. The Horn of African region, which is one of the global biodiversity hotspots, is one of the most affected with large numbers of threatened flora and fauna.

In line with this global alarm, this project is specifically designed to deploy Research for Policy and Development (R4P&D) through which evidence generated from system-wide research covering a regional scale, will form the basis for policy review and formulation, and which in turn will inform planning and development intervention in a more sustainable way. This regional project is designed to deliver on interrelated components and lay a firm foundation for grassroots and conflict sensitive development, sustainable utilization and management of natural resources, strengthening climate resilience, building capacity of landscape community for active participation in resource governance, policy dialogue and conflict transformation, regional integration and grassroots peace.

The project will be implemented in four selected intervention landscapes that are environmentally troubled, with high economic potential for social transformation and strategically important to improving regional environmental governance, enhancing regional cooperation and promoting peace building in the region. Additional clusters of biodiversity hotspots (community resource areas) will be included as deemed expedient during the inception phase.

  1. Landscape Intervention 1: Southwest-Rift Valley Socio-ecological Trans-boundary Landscape (SW-SEL) (Ethiopia, Kenya & South Sudan), Ethiopia – Gambella, Omo and Mago National Parks; South Sudan – Badingilo and Boma National Parks and Loelle Proposed Game Reserve; and Kenya – Lake Turkana National Parks (-a group of three national parks located around Lake Turkana, UNECSO World Heritage site) and Sibloi National Park and hotspots in the rift valley, as needed
  2. Landscape Intervention 2: Lake Abbe and Lake Assal-Dafo (LALA) Trans-boundary Landscape/ Seascape (Ethiopia-Djibouti)
  3. Landscape Intervention 3: Kafta-Shiraro and Gash-Setit (KS-GS) Trans-boundary social ecological landscape (Ethiopia-Eritrea)
  4. Key Deliverables (expected results)
  • Inception report (with Clear methodology, Expert inputs and Time plan)
  • Baseline reports on all the intervention landscapes developed
  • Standalone gender assessment report and gender action plan (Gender assessment completed for all the landscapes and implementation matrix (Gender Action Plan) developed to inform intervention and monitoring.
  • Debriefing and inception workshops (three workshops at least) in the intervention countries
  1. Required Expertise

The team should comprise ecologist/environmental expert, wildlife and protected area management specialist, socioeconomic specialist, Natural resources management and planning expert and gender experts drawn from the respective implementing countries.

4.1 Qualifications and skills:
·         PhD or MSc/MA in natural resource management, ecology, environment, wildlife and protected area management, socioeconomic study, and protected areas management and planning and gender study
4.2 General professional experience:
·         At least 10 years of experience and above in sectors related to sustainable management of natural resources and resilience building and at least three years of working experience on environmental issues in the Horn of Africa Region.

HoA-REC&N is, thus, seeking to hire interested and competent consulting firms to take part in the bid. Detailed description of the intervention landscapes, project components and expected deliverables can be found in the TOR. Interested bidders can collect the bid documents from the HQ of the HoA-REC&N at the address given below by paying non-refundable 100 ETB.

  1. Bid Closing and Opening

Bidders/applicant shall deliver their documents comprising of a technical and a financial proposal, sealed separately to the address below from 8.00 AM to 12.00 PM & 13.30 PM to 17.00 PM, Monday to Friday until November 22, 2019, 11.00AM. Late bid shall not be considered. Technical proposal will be opened on the same day of bid closure, 15 minutes after the closing time in the presence of bidders or legal representatives at the address below. HoA-REC&N reserves the right to reject or accept any or all bids.

AAU, Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre and Network (AAU HoA-REC&N)

Address: Gullele Botanic Garden compound, on the way from Addisu Gebeya to Winget Ring Road around Shegole Meda, Mender Sebat Area.

Attn:  Ato Leta Etisa, Tel +251 912 04 25 12, 0118968400, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia