Request for Proposal For Consultancy Services For Development Of Rwanda National Forestry And Agroforestry Strategy

Request for proposals for Consultancy Services for Development of Rwanda National Forestry and Agroforestry Strategy Consulting Firm or an Individual Consultant with Capacity The Government of Rwanda has established several polices and legal frameworks that guide sustainable forest management and agroforestry development. These include, among others: Vision 2050; National Strategy for Transformation (NST2); Law No. 046/2024 Governing Forests and Trees; National Land Use Development Master Plan (20202050); National Environment and Climate Change Policy; National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan; Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0); Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy; Rwanda Forestry Policy 2018; National Agriculture Policy 2018; Despite considerable achievements, the forestry and agroforestry sectors continue to face numerous challenges including: Increasing pressure on forest resources; Degradation of natural forests; Fragmentation of landscapes; Low productivity of plantation forests; Inadequate private sector investment; Insufficient value addition; Limited financing mechanisms; Weak integration of agroforestry into farming systems; Increasing impacts of climate change; Emerging biodiversity conservation challenges; Increasing demand for timber, biomass energy and ecosystem services. Specific Objectives The consultancy shall: 1. Review existing forestry and agroforestry policies, laws, strategies, plans, regulations, institutional frameworks and assess their implementation achievements, lessons learned, gaps and emerging priorities; 2. Conduct a comprehensive situational analysis of Rwandas forestry and agroforestry sectors; 3. Assess national, regional and international trends affecting forestry and agroforestry development; 4. Assess opportunities for sustainable forest management, agroforestry expansion, forest landscape restoration, biodiversity conservation and private sector investment; 5. Develop a national strategy with clear vision, mission, objectives, priority interventions, expected outcomes and an implementation framework including institutional arrangements, financing mechanisms, monitoring, evaluation and reporting; 6. Prepare a results framework with measurable indicators, baselines and targets; 7. Develop a costed implementation and investment plan for the strategy 1 Inception Phase 1. Review all relevant background documents including but not limited to: Forest sector strategic plan Agroforestry sector strategic plan Forest and tree cover map reports; Forestry policies; Law governing Forests and trees; National Environment Policy; National Agriculture Policy; National Land Use Master Plan; National Biodiversity Strategy; National Adaptation Plan; Nationally Determined Contributions; TRM Strategy Vision 2050; NST2; Rwanda Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy Page | 4 # Task Intended outcome Forest inventories reports; Forest cover assessments; National Forest Monitoring System (FMES) data; Previous forestry strategies; Previous agroforestry strategies; Relevant research papers; Socio-economic studies; International commitments; Regional forestry frameworks; Etc. 2. Elaborate on the assignment methodology; 3. Prepare stakeholder engagement plan; 4. Prepare detailed work plan based on timeline of assignment; 5. Prepare and submit the inception report 2 Situation Analysis Conduct comprehensive analysis on: (1) Forest Resources Forest extent; Forest production and supply chain; Forest quality; Forest plantation; Natural forests; Bamboo resources; Trees outside forests; Agroforestry systems; Review forest landscape restoration current programs. Fruit trees Urban forests Wood Industry Other (2) Institutional Analysis Institutional mandates; Coordination mechanisms; Governance systems; Stakeholder roles. (3) Socio-economic Assessment Forest-dependent livelihoods; Employment; Forest enterprises; Value chains development; Private sector participation; Inclusion (Gender, youth, people and vulnerable groups) (4) Environmental Assessment Biodiversity; Ecosystem services; Degradation; Page | 5 # Task Intended outcome Watershed protection; Climate resilience; Carbon sequestration. 3 Stakeholder Consultations Conduct extensive consultations involving: Government institutions; Districts; Development partners; NGOs; Private sector; Research institutions; Universities; Civil society; Community representatives; Women organizations; Youth organizations; Forest cooperatives. 4 SWOT and Strategic Analysis Undertake: SWOT analysis; Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental (PESTLE) analysis; Institutional capacity assessment; Risk assessment; Gap analysis. 5 Strategy Development and Implementation Framework Develop a comprehensive Forestry and Agroforestry Strategy with clear: Vision; Mission; Guiding Principles; Strategic Objectives; Strategic Pillars; Priority Programmes; Cross-cutting Issues; Implementation framework; Governance structure; Financing framework; Investment priorities; Partnership framework; Communication strategy; Resource mobilization strategy; Monitoring and evaluation framework; Reporting framework; Risk management framework. Policy brief Page | 6 DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE The assignment shall be completed within nine weeks from contract signing. The consultant shall produce the following deliverables: Deliverable Intended Outcome Timeline Inception Report Demonstrate understanding of the assignment and provide a roadmap for implementation, including the refined methodology, stakeholder engagement plan, detailed work plan and preliminary review of key background documents. Within 2 weeks after contract signing Interim Report Review of existing forest sector strategic plan, agroforestry strategy and present the findings of the desk review, comprehensive situation analysis (forest resources, institutional, socio-economic and environmental assessments), stakeholder consultations, and strategic analyses (SWOT, PESTLE, political economy, institutional capacity, gap and risk analyses), together with key recommendations to inform the strategy. Within 2 weeks after the inception report Draft Forestry and Agroforestry Strategy Submit the draft Strategy incorporating the vision, mission, strategic objectives, strategic pillars, priority programs, crosscutting issues, implementation and governance arrangements, financing framework, partnership and resource mobilization strategies, communication strategy, and monitoring, evaluation and risk management framework for validation by stakeholders. Within 3 weeks after interim report validation Final Forestry and Agroforestry Strategy Submit the final Strategy incorporating comments from the validation process, together with the Costed Implementation Plan, Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, Executive Summary and Policy Brief, Validation Workshop Report, presentation materials, and editable electronic copies of all deliverables. Within 2 weeks after validation of draft report Tender Link : https://www.wri.org/about/procurement-opportunities