Terms of Reference for IUCN Consultancy

Title: Restoration of Private Forest Management Units (PFMU) tree plantations in Ngoma, Kirehe, Bugesera, Nyagatare and Gatsibo Districts (2025), for TREPA project”.

Objective of the Consultancy

This consultancy has the main objective(s): To support targeted Private Forest Management Units (PFMU) cooperatives in implementing restoration and planting activities in their own Private Forests; and to provide technical assistance in maintaining planted sites.

Background

Project Reference: P03168

Donor reference: FP167 

About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development. Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.

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About the Project

Rwanda’s Eastern Province contains the largest area of national farming lands, but it is highly vulnerable to increasing drought. With smallholder farmers depending exclusively on rainfall, changes to weather seasonality including shorter and more intense rainy seasons have led to crop failure, food shortages and famine.

In response to these climate change threats, integrated adaptation measures are needed to enhance the resilience of the landscape in the Eastern Province, which will sustain the agricultural production and enable sustainable growth of the region in a manner that reduces poverty, increases resilience, and achieves food security. 

The TREPA project is on course to restore 60,000 ha of drought degraded landscapes into climate resilient ecosystems through reforestation, agroforestry, restoration of pasturelands and soil erosion control measures in all the seven districts of the Eastern Province of Rwanda. The project will also increase the resilience of 75,000 smallholder farmers in the Eastern Province. TREPA will improve food security for over 120,000 households living in high risky areas, over 100,000 rural Households will access ICS, and 260,000 people will directly benefit from enhanced financial inclusion and access for climate resilient investments.

Description of the Assignment 

The TREPA project team has worked with a service provider in 2024 to restore identified and mapped Private Forests across Ngoma, Kirehe, Bugesera, Nyagatare and Gatsibo Districts. Around 60-80% of the PFMU area was completed in year 1 season from May 2024-March 2025 where the former service provider awarded through previous tender for which the contract was terminated by March 2025. The service provider has recruited and trained PFMU community members and has supervised and guided them in the implementation of restoration works (anti-erosive ditches, land preparation, stump debarking/up-rooting, hole digging, tree planting, beating-up, maintenance, etc);

The new contractor is entirely responsible for the planning, organisation and execution of all the necessary tasks to complete the requested results for which they are being contracted, in accordance with the quantities specified for each items 1 to 4 in the table below. The contractor will be obliged to accomplish this work according (first) to the present terms of reference, (secondly) to his own technical proposition and (thirdly) to any complementary standard work reference. 

Logistical and administrative aspects also come under the responsibility and budget of the Contractor, i.e.:

• Renting and maintenance of a functional/equipped working place during the execution of the tender;
• Recruitment, remuneration (including salaries, field transportation and allowances, communication, etc.) and managing of the necessary staff, technicians and local community/cooperatives man-power;
• The acquisition of all material and equipment required for the implementation of all activities (including nursery and transportation means, field material, etc.).
• Provide all required activity reports as provided in these ToRs;

The contractor is fully responsible for the provision in due time of all necessary logistic and humans means (office, vehicle, phone, materials, etc.) required for the right coordination, supervision and implementation of all activities. The contractor is also required to collaborate actively with district & sectors while contracting beneficiaries cooperatives and for payment and controlling the quality of works.

 The Contractor will be in charge of following items, with following estimative maximum quantities:

The contractor has to ensure the recruitment, management and payment in due time of all required technicians and workers respecting the national regulations and the recommended salary level. 

The hiring priority should be the cooperative members and in their own communities.In case the cooperatives and communities cannot provide sufficient man-powers, additional labours may be recruited in the region without any discrimination between man and women and at least 30% of man-power and employees should be female. All workers must be paid (within a maximum period of 1 month from the time when work has been realized) ideally through banks or micro-finances institutions such as SACCOs or MoMo.

At nursery level, the contractor has to produce at least 30% more seedlings than the expected number to be planted, to allow the selection in nursery of the best quality seedling for planting (lower quality seedling, with lower size, not well developed roots or any wrong shape will be rejected) and for beating-up.

Duration of the Assignment

From 15 September 2025 to 15 August 2026

Deliverables and Activities

1. PFMU site preparation, seedling preparation and tree planting 
   1. Participate (technical guidance and advice from private actor perspective) in training/sensitization sessions organized by the TREPA project for targeted small lands owner cooperative members;
   2. Organize and realize on suitable sites, in collaboration with existing local nursery, the production of the sufficient quantity of quality seedlings required for PFMU’s planting (including 30% more for best seedling selection in nursery, and replacement of died seedlings). The service provider remain full responsible for the production in time, quantity and quality of expected seedlings;
   3. Provide any equipment and logistic required for the achievement of works in due time.
   4. Transport the quality seedling (selection of best quality in nursery) from the nursery to the planting site, ensuring their delivering in good condition on sites;
   5. Coordination, supervision and technical support (on-the-job training, technical guidance) of the cooperatives during implementation of all activities related to site preparation (clearing, whole digging, etc), to the planting activities (from October to December) and all necessary beating-up in order to compensate for mortality.
   6. Collection and removal from the site of the utilized plastic tubes after the planting operation
   7. Participate in the monitoring and evaluation of works, as well in their provisional and final acceptance (and sign works reception minutes). 

2. Stump uprooting (extraction)

a)Coordination, supervision and technical support (on-the-job training, technical guidance) of the cooperatives during implementation of all activities related to stump uprooting.

b)Provide any equipment and logistic required for the achievement of works in due time.

c)Participate in the monitoring and evaluation of works, as well in their provisional and final acceptance (and sign works reception minutes).

3. Stump debarking

1. Coordination, supervision and technical support (on-the-job training, technical guidance) of the cooperative’s members during implementation of all activities related to stump debarking.
2. Provide any equipment and logistic required for the achievement of works in due time.
3. Participate in the monitoring and evaluation of works, as well in their provisional and final acceptance (and sign works reception minutes).

4. Anti-erosive ditches establishment

1. Coordination, supervision and technical support (on-the-job training, technical guidance) of cooperatives members during implementation of all activities related to anti-erosive ditches digging.
2. Provide any equipment and logistic required for the achievement of works in due time.
3. Participate in the monitoring and evaluation of works, as well in their provisional and final acceptance (and sign works reception minutes).

5. 1st weeding-maintenance of the planted PFMUs

1. Coordination, supervision and technical support (on-the-job training, technical guidance) of cooperatives during implementation of all activities related to 1st weeding/maintenance of PFMUs planted in previous season (in September/October, 10 months after planting).
2. Provide any equipment and logistic required for the achievement of works in due time.
3. Participate in the monitoring and evaluation of works, as well in their provisional and final acceptance (and sign works reception minutes).

The Service Provider will provide the following deliverables and carry out the following activities:

Payment Schedule

The Timetable below summarises the chronological order of deliverables and indicates milestones at which IUCN will pay the Service Provider

Skills and Experience

The Service Provider’s firm must have the following experience as a minimum:

1. Having at least 5 years of general experience in performing forest restoration and tree planting activities
2. Having performed successfully in the last 5 years the restoration of at least 4 PFMUs with a total of at least 150 ha planted with minimum 200.000 seedlings and 15,000 m of anti-erosive ditches established, proven by duly signed related certificate of completion or any other relevant document. 

The minimum profile required for the team leader is:

1. Master’s degree in forestry/ agroforestry / agronomy/ environment management, or equivalent
2. Minimum 5 years of experience in forestry or agroforestry and working with local communities of farmers/ private land owners
3. Mastery of English with Reporting and communication skills 

The minimum required profile for Supervisor per District is:

1. At least bachelor’s degree in forestry/agroforestry/environmental science or equivalent, with at least 5 years’ experience in forestry domain 
2. A master’s degree with at least 1 year similar experience in the last 3 years proven by the related certificate of good completion

Supervision and coordination

The Service Provider will report to and work under the supervision of TREPA Project Manager.

Notice: For RFP and other documents related to this consultancy should be found:

Currently running tenders | IUCN ( rfp_pfmu_serviceprovider-ngoma-and-gatsibo-hubs.pdf )