TERMES OF REFERENCE

I.                   Description of the consultation.

The Sustainable Land Use Programme is the largest programme funded by the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) in the Republic of Congo, and one of the largest since the launch of the initiative in 2015. It is led by the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Infrastructure and Road Maintenance, under the aegis of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo. The six objectives of the programme relate to:

i.            Sustainable agricultural practices,

ii.           Alternatives to current practices in terms of wood energy,

iii.           Strengthening forest institutions and stakeholders,

iv.            Infrastructure and mining projects with a low environmental impact,

v.            Well-informed land use planning processes and,

vi.            Improving inter-ministerial coordination.

As a partner in the programme, the World Resources Institute co-leads the "Spatial Planning" component.

Specifically, WRI will contribute to the following six outcomes:

1.       Land-use planning decisions:

a.       A functional online portal for land use planning in Congo:

This online portal will be based on the GFW Global Forest Watch (https://mapbuilder.wri.org/) "MapBuilder" tool, but will need to be adapted to this specific project with standard operating procedures, quarterly mapping reports, dashboards, GIS analyses, and a list of approved priority datasets for the portal.

These products will be designed jointly by the WRI and the National Geographic Institute.

b.      Improved coordination in the management of geospatial data: technical support to the Coordination and Coordination Group for Spatial Planning (GACAT), signing of protocols for data sharing between ministries, procedures for data sharing between the different levels.

2.       GIS and mapping:

a.       Cleaned and updated land use planning data: on-demand GIS analyses for the portal, High Conservation Values (HCVs) and all other major components of the Sustainable Land Use Programme.

b.      Harmonized Methodology for Community Land Mapping: Draft Methodology, Methodology Testing Documents, Final/Approved Methodology. These products will be co-designed by WRI and the selected national CSOs

3.        Capacity building:

a.       Capacity building of key stakeholders in the use of geospatial data: needs assessment report and capacity-building plan, training materials for trainers and users.

b.      Knowledge and Technology Transfer: A strategy to ensure the autonomous use of all program deliverables by designated national actors.

II.                Missions of the consultant:

Reporting to WRI's Country Director for the Republic of Congo, the consultant will co-lead the WRI component of the program. It will provide on-demand expertise for land-use modelling and scenarios, policy recommendations for the Congo National Land Use Plan and any relevant land-use analysis. He will be the first point of contact for the WRI on land use policies and strategies. In addition, he will support other WRI Africa activities related to land improvement, including through engagement with the Data Lab Product and Engineering teams to ensure that user needs are reflected in product strategies. He will work with teams in Congo and around the world.

III.             The consultant's tasks:

1.      Technical supervision of WRI's portfolio in the PUDT (70%):

1. Co-lead WRI's involvement in the process of development and implementation of Spatial Planning tools in the Republic of Congo, particularly the National Spatial Planning Scheme and the National Spatial Planning Plan.
2. Integrate land use policies and strategies into the land use planning portal.
3. Conduct in-depth research and analysis on trends and issues related to land use planning to inform policy decisions and planning processes to be integrated into the portal.
4. Provide standards to ensure equity and participation in decision-making on land use.
5. Collect, analyze and present data on several aspects of land use planning.
6. Provide on-demand expertise for land-use modelling and scenarios, policy recommendations for Congo's national land use plan and any relevant land-use planning analysis.
7. To provide technical and non-technical information to public partners on spatial planning, spatial planning laws, spatial planning and other regulations related to spatial planning.
8. Advise the MATIER and the other sectors involved in the PUDT, at the national and departmental levels, on issues of cartographic data management.

2.    Outreach and networking (30%):

1. To improve WRI's visibility in the Republic of Congo on land use planning. This will include presentations at external – and selected internal – meetings, the production of communication products (e.g. posters or infographics, blog posts), and the provision of expert feedback to strategic news outlets.
2. Support communication efforts on WRI's GIS data and offerings (including GFW tools and Land Use Atlas data) to non-technical audiences and partners
3. Lead information sharing and coordination with WRI Congo and other WRI country offices on aspects related to land use planning. This includes systematically posting on internal channels, holding meetings and sending informational emails

3.      Milestones and deliverables

• Initial meeting with the Steering Committee and with CIRAD
  • Output(s) - An initial report with a conceptual framework detailing the steps, methodology, models and outlines and work plan, including planned consultations with stakeholders.
• Review report of relevant documents - internal and external, in particular the PNAT and SNAT and any other relevant documents.
  • Output(s) - Reference List of Critical Documents Reviewed
  • Work in synergy with internal experts, GIS experts and experts from "Data Lab Africa" on the development of the portal.
  • Production of a specimen of anasuitable according to national needs and priorities.

4.     Available

1. Report on the identification of available data, analysis of the data sharing circuit and validation of the data and metadata to be collected.
2. Delivery of a documentary and geographical database on current and planned land uses and occupations co-constructed with CIRAD.
3. Production of specifications for the development of the geoportal adapted to national needs and priorities (organizational procedures, engagement strategy, server configuration and technician training) on all the activities carried out and future orientations.
4. Reports on the capacity building of the team's technical staff internally and externally 

5.      Qualifications, skills and experience.

      Education: Bac +5 level in land use planning, or geospatial solutions, land governance, forest governance etc.)

      Experience: You have more than 6 years of relevant full-time experience in the field of land use planning, particularly in projects or programmes related to land use change analysis, community land rights, ecosystem services analysis, HCCs, HCS, critical ecosystems or landscape management.

      Experience in working with government, civil society, indigenous peoples and local communities, academia and the private sector.

      Experience in coordinating multiple processes at the same time with different teams is a must.

      Experience in geospatial modelling, in particular the development and refinement of low-deforestation land use scenarios.

6.     Languages:

Elementary level in written and spoken English, fluent written and spoken French

7.      Remuneration

Remuneration according to negotiations. Field missions within the framework of this consultancy will be carried out by the WRI.

8.     Submission

Interested consultants must submit an expression of interest to Emer Byrne ([email protected]) by July 20, 2024. The expression of interest must include the following:

• Understanding of the mission.
• Profile and experience of the expert
• Methodology and approach
• Work plan and timeline (within six months of the date of signing the contract)
• Consultant's CV

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WRI is committed to advancing gender equality and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities, embracing all diversity, and encouraging women, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, people of African descent, and Indigenous peoples to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also received EDGE certification.

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