CONSULTANCY OPPORTUNITY - DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL GORILLA CONSERVATION PROGRAMME (IGCP) STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2030 AND DETERMINATION OF IGCP’S NICHE.

Programme Overview

The International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) is a coalition of three international conservation organizations Conservation International (CI), Fauna & Flora (FF) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). IGCP was formed in 1991 to address the long-term conservation of the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) and its regional Afromontane Forest habitat in the Virunga Bwindi Landscape. The aim was to work together as a single gorilla conservation programme in order to expand and consolidate the successes of the Mountain Gorilla Project and other initiatives at a regional level.

The programme operates in the three countries that share the habitat of the mountain gorillas; Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda, and works in close partnership with the Protected Area Authorities of the three countries (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, ICCN in DRC; Rwanda Development Board, RDB in Rwanda; and Uganda Wildlife Authority, UWA in Uganda) and the umbrella mechanism for transboundary collaboration through the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC).

Background:

The International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) has played a pivotal role in conserving mountain gorillas and their habitats since its inception. As the conservation landscape evolves—marked by habitat loss, climate change, socio-economic pressures—IGCP recognizes the need for a comprehensive strategic plan to guide its efforts from 2025 to 2030.

IGCP is now incorporated as an independent legal entity in Kenya, with operational branches in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Uganda in the process of being registered. This transition represents an important development in IGCP’s organizational growth, improving sustainability and setting the organization on a pathway to greater independence. The new strategic plan will also guide the ongoing transition of the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) over the same period (2025 to 2030).

IGCP's current strategic framework has enabled significant conservation gains, including population growth of mountain gorillas and enhanced transboundary collaboration. However, emerging challenges require a reassessment of priorities and approaches to ensure continued effectiveness in the changing conservation landscape.

Purpose:

The primary purpose of this consultancy is to build on the IGCP strategic plan (2020-2025) and the key lessons learnt during its delivery and facilitate the development of a clear, actionable, and forward-looking strategic plan for IGCP covering 2025-2030. The plan will align with IGCP's vision and mission, address current and emerging conservation challenges, and clearly define IGCP's niche within the broader conservation landscape. It will set strategic priorities, establish measurable objectives, and outline strategies to maximize conservation impact.

Objectives:

Having reviewed and taken note of the current IGCP strategy (2020-2025) the consultancy will work with IGCP and others to:

• Undertake comprehensive review of existing literature/ documents to assess the current status of Gorillas, identify threats, opportunities and gaps.
• Review and revise the Theory of Change/Result chain to identify path ways that will articulate how IGCP’s initiatives will lead to desired outcomes. Within the Theory of Change, ensure clarity on those interventions that address the key immediate threats (“Sustaining Work Packages”) and those interventions addressing the key underlying or systemic drivers ("Transformative Work Packages")
• Conduct an overarching stakeholder analysis and facilitate an inclusive stakeholder engagement process involving local communities, governments, NGOs, academic institutions, and other relevant actors.
• Confirm and refine IGCP's vision and mission statements to reflect current realities and future aspirations.
• Define clear, measurable goals and objectives for IGCP's conservation activities from 2025 to 2030.
• Determine and clearly articulate IGCP's niche—what unique value and role IGCP will focus on within the conservation sector.
• Develop a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework to track progress, evaluate impact, and support adaptive management.
• Identify key risks to IGCP and the proposed initiatives / activities + proposed mitigations;
• Outline the pathways what can IGCP engage to become an increasingly sustainable organisation
• Budget: Elaborate an indicative budget for delivering the strategy 
• Outline the IGCP approach to Environmental and Social Safeguarding

Scope of Work:

The selected consultant or team will undertake the following activities:

Situation Analysis

The consultant will facilitate a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of IGCP's current position and the broader conservation context. This will include reviewing existing data, reports, and relevant literature on mountain gorilla conservation, threats, and opportunities. The consultant will also analyze the effectiveness and lessons learned including evaluation recommendations from IGCP's current strategic framework to provide a solid foundation for the new strategy.

Theory of Change

The consultant will facilitate a review of the current Theory of Change, and where necessary, update the content to enable IGCP to clarify its goals, stakeholders’ engagement, focal outcomes, and establish a framework for monitoring and evaluating its efforts. The updated ToC should support IGCP to enhance its effectiveness, drive meaningful change, and ensure that resources are utilized in ways that lead to sustainable impact.

Stakeholder Engagement

The consultant will facilitate consultations with key stakeholders, including local communities, government agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, and donors. This process should gather diverse perspectives to inform strategic priorities and build consensus. Key stakeholders to be consulted include (but are not limited to): Protected area authorities in DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda; local community representatives from gorilla range areas; conservation NGOs operating in the region; academic and research institutions; government ministries responsible for wildlife and tourism; and current and potential donors.

Vision and Mission Review

The consultant will facilitate the review and refinement of IGCP's current vision and mission statements to ensure alignment with future goals and operational realities in the wake of the new registered IGCP. This may involve facilitated discussions with IGCP leadership and key stakeholders to ensure the vision and mission accurately reflect the organization's aspirations and purpose.

Goal Setting

The consultant will facilitate the establishment of strategic, measurable goals and objectives that reflect IGCP's mission, address challenges, and leverage opportunities. This will include developing SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) objectives that provide clear direction for the organization's activities over the strategic period.

Strategy Development

The consultant will support the formulation of detailed strategies and programmatic interventions to achieve the set goals. This will include identifying potential partnerships, funding mechanisms, advocacy strategies, and programme priorities. The consultant will also develop a resource mobilization strategy to support implementation of the strategic plan.

Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

The consultant will update and adapt the existing M&E framework to ensure it can effectively measure progress, evaluate impact, and facilitate adaptive management in the new strategic plan period. This framework should include key performance indicators (KPIs) and verification methods that allow IGCP to track implementation and assess outcomes effectively.

Determination of IGCP's Niche

The consultant will analyze the conservation landscape to identify IGCP's distinctive role and focus areas for maximum impact. This will include assessing comparative advantages and unique positioning opportunities that allow IGCP to leverage its strengths and maximize its conservation impact.

Implementation Roadmap

The consultant will facilitate the development of a phased implementation plan with clear timelines and responsibilities. This should include guidance on organizational capacity requirements for effective implementation, helping IGCP prepare for successful execution of the strategic plan.

Methodology

The consultant is expected to propose a detailed methodology that will effectively address the scope of work and deliver the required outputs. While the specific approach will be determined by the consultant, IGCP expects the methodology to be participatory, inclusive, and evidence-based. The methodology should facilitate meaningful engagement with diverse stakeholders and ensure that the resulting strategic plan is both ambitious and practical.

The consultant should consider incorporating approaches such as desk reviews, field visits, stakeholder consultations, workshops, and data analysis techniques as appropriate. The methodology should also include strategies for ensuring the quality and credibility of findings, as well as approaches for building ownership of the strategic plan among key stakeholders.

Deliverables

The consultant will be responsible for producing the following deliverables:

Inception Report

The consultant will submit an inception report within 10 days after the contract is signed. This report should outline the detailed work plan, methodology, and stakeholder engagement strategy. The report should be approximately 10 pages, excluding annexes, and will serve as the roadmap for the strategic planning process.

Situation Analysis Report and Theory of Change

By week 5 after the contract signing, the consultant will deliver a comprehensive assessment of the current context, SWOT analysis, and stakeholder mapping. This report will provide the foundation for the strategic planning process.

IGCP Niche and Draft Strategic Plan

The consultant will develop a clear proposal for IGCP’s niche along with a complete draft strategic plan by week 8 after the contract signing. This document should include the situation analysis, Theory of Change, IGCP niche, vision/mission, goals, strategies, and M&E framework. The draft plan should be approximately 50 pages, excluding annexes, and will be used for stakeholder consultations and feedback.

Stakeholder Presentation Materials

The consultant will prepare presentation materials for stakeholder validation workshops, including a PowerPoint presentation and facilitation materials. An executive summary (5-8 pages) should also be prepared for distribution to stakeholders.

Final Strategic Plan

The consultant will submit the final strategic plan one week after the validation workshop. This document should incorporate stakeholder feedback and include a professional layout with an executive summary, main document, and annexes. The plan should be provided in both print-ready and editable electronic formats. All deliverables should be submitted in English, with executive summaries in English.

Timeline

The strategic planning process will span a period of 12 weeks, with the following key milestones:

Budget and Payment Schedule

The consultant shall submit a detailed budget proposal covering all costs in USD related to:

• Professional fees
• Travel expenses (field visits to DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda)
• Stakeholder consultation costs (workshops, meetings)
• Report production
• Communication and administrative expenses

Payments will be made according to the following schedule:

• 20% upon approval of the Inception Report
• 30% upon approval of the Situation Analysis Report and the Theory of Change
• 30% upon approval of the Draft Strategic Plan
• 20% upon approval of the Final Strategic Plan

Consultant Qualifications and Selection Criteria

IGCP encourages to have a team of consultants that will include but not limited to a Conservationist, Natural Resource Management Expert, GIS Expert and Organizational Development Expert.

Required Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (master’s or higher) in conservation, natural resource management, strategic planning, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Minimum 10 years of experience in strategic planning and facilitation
• Demonstrated experience in conservation strategy development, preferably in Greater Virunga Landscape (GVL), although this is not required
• Knowledge of great ape conservation issues and challenges
• Experience working in the Great Lakes region of Africa is preferred by not required
• Excellent facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills
• Fluency in English; working knowledge of French and/or local languages is an advantage

Selection Criteria:

Proposals submitted by consultants will be evaluated based on a set of predetermined criteria to ensure selection of the most qualified candidate. The evaluation will be conducted by the IGCP Selection Committee using the following framework:

Governance, Oversight and Communication

The consultant will report directly to the IGCP Director and will work closely with the Strategic Planning Task Force. The process will be overseen by the IGCP Steering Committee, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities. A Strategic Planning Task Force comprising representatives from key coalition members will provide technical guidance throughout the process. The consultant will provide weekly email updates on progress, participate in bi-weekly virtual check-in meetings with the IGCP Director, and submit monthly progress reports (2-3 pages). Each major deliverable will be formally presented to the relevant oversight body, and the consultant is expected to immediately notify IGCP of any challenges or delays that may affect the timeline or quality of outputs.

Application Process

Interested consultants or firms are invited to submit a comprehensive application package that demonstrates their suitability for this assignment. The application must include:

1. Technical Proposal (maximum 10 pages): This should clearly articulate the consultant's understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, conceptual framework, work plan with timeline, and team composition (if applicable). The proposal should demonstrate how the consultant will address each component of the scope of work and achieve the desired outcomes.
2. Financial Proposal: A detailed budget breakdown showing all costs associated with the assignment, including professional fees (daily rates and number of days), travel expenses, workshop costs, report production, and any other relevant expenses. The budget should be realistic and demonstrate value for money.
3. Consultant Profile: Complete CVs of the lead consultant and any team members who will be involved in the assignment. CVs should highlight relevant qualifications, experience in strategic planning, and knowledge of conservation issues.
4. Portfolio of Work: At least two samples of previous strategic plans or similar documents developed by the consultant, along with a brief description of the consultant's role in developing these documents.
5. References: Contact information for three professional references who can speak about the consultant's experience and performance in similar assignments. References should include name, organization, position, relationship with the consultant, email address, and phone number.

Applications must be submitted electronically to procurement@igcp.org with the subject line "IGCP Strategic Planning Consultancy" no later than July 18, 2025. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Questions or requests for clarification may be directed to Wellard Makambo at wmakambo@igcp.orgno later than July 11, 2025 (1 week before deadline). All questions and answers will be shared with all potential applicants.

Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview or requested to make a presentation on their proposed approach before final selection. IGCP reserves the right to negotiate terms with the selected consultant before finalizing the contract

CONSULTANCY OPPORTUNITY - DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL GORILLA CONSERVATION PROGRAMME (IGCP) STRATEGIC PLAN 2025-2030 AND DETERMINATION OF IGCP’S NICHE.