Terms of Reference For CRV Sub-basin Landscape Analysis

1.    Background

Wetlands International is the leading global not-for-profit organization dedicated to safeguarding and restoration of wetlands for people and nature. We are a global network of 20 independent offices that implement a joint strategy to safeguard and restore wetlands in more than 100 countries worldwide. The global office, based in the Netherlands, serves the network in representation, communications, technical support and fundraising, and by keeping the daily work of the network aligned.

In Eastern Africa, we are represented by offices in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda. We safeguard and restore wetlands for their full range of values, using ecosystem-based, inclusive approaches across whole landscapes. Using knowledge as a foundation, we inspire and mobilize communities and other local stakeholders to develop a common vision, leading to demonstration projects and integrated management plans across wetland landscapes, which safeguard biodiversity and optimise sustainable use of natural resources.

Wetlands International through its Ethiopian Office is currently implementing various projects aimed at safeguarding and restoration of wetlands in different parts of the country such as in the Central Rift Valley (CRV). Sub-Basin. The CRV Sub Bain is one of the most important sub-basins in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia in terms of its enormous Ecosystem services and enriched biodiversity.  It hosts millions people which are directly and indirectly dependent on the social, economic and environmental services of the sub-basin.  However, the intensification of anthropogenic activities coupled with climate change has affected the land, rivers to lakes, and wetlands of the sub-basin. The connection between the upstream pressures and effects in the downstream requires holistic and integrated landscape development approaches that take the whole continuum from source to lakes into consideration.

Hence, Wetlands international is currently planning to implement wetlands for resilience initiative with a support of   SIDA Global. The goal of the initiative is to upscale healthy, biodiverse, and well-managed wetland landscapes globally by 2030, contributing to climate resilience and environmental, social and economic sustainability. The three main objectives are:

1.     To bring together and share globally the learning and methodologies for holistic, ecosystem-led resilience building from our global wetland landscape portfolio and partner programmes;

2.     To design and apply a Wetland-4-Resilience model approach, toolkit and guidance to accelerate upscaling in our major wetland landscape regeneration programmes;

3.     To catalyse wetland landscape generation by other, through uptake and implementation of the W4R model approach across different sectors globally.

This Terms of Reference (TOR) has been prepared to guide the consultant who will be hired to conduct landscape analysis in CRV Sub-basin and prepare a report summarizing the key findings and recommendations. The TOR outlines the objectives, scope of work, methodology, deliverables, duriation of the work, application requirenmtns, evaluation criteria and etc for the consultancy. The consultant will be expected to work closely with Wetlands International team to ensure that the final report accurately reflects the views and feedback gathered from the participants.

2.    Objective of the Consultancy

The overall objective of this assignment is to provide Wetlands International with an updated landscape analysis of the CRV to ensure all of the contextual – external factors, as well as the stakeholder roles and power relations inform an initiative that might affect the implementation and sustainability of landscape actions.

3.    Specific objectives

• To undertake updated context analysis of Zeway Shala Sub-basin
• T conduct a stakeholder analysis of Zeway Shala Sub basin
• To conduct gender and social inclusion analysis in the sub basin and action planning
• To design a context-specific policy influencing/advocacy  and engagement strategy
• Identify organizations and interventions in the sub-basin

4.    Scope of Work

The consultant is expected to conduct landscape analysis for CRV Sub-Basin in detail considering various factors.   Specifically, the consultant will consider the following factors

1.       Context analysis:

•  Socio-economic (status & trends): population, # people & age groups; poverty and inequality; livelihood and employment; demography; economic setting; social development indicators; investments by government and companies, etc.

• Environment (status/trends): climate change, biodiversity, water and wetlands, etc. Deforestation and soil erosion, Overgrazing and land degradation, Water pollution and depletion, etc , visual characterization of sub-basin (GIS based),

• Political-economy: the political and institutional structures; formal and informal power relations; governance (the state of democracy, rule of law, corruption); inclusive decision-making; cultural norms; etc.

2.       Stakeholder mapping/analysis:

• Stakeholders: – Typology of stakeholders in the CRV Sub basin/ Stakeholders’ identification and analysis , roles and responsibilities related to wetlands, who are the most powerful and influential?

• What are their main interests, capacity and contributions? Who are likely to hinder the program? Who stands to gain and who stands to lose?

• Stakeholder engagement strategies, Stages of stakeholder engagement, Stakeholder Engagement Matrix and  designing of Monitoring and evaluation for  stakeholder engagement

3.       Gender  equality & social inclusion analysis and action planning,:

•  Marginalised groups, their gender status, discrimination and conflicts;

•  Gender relations and regulations affecting gender status and relations;

• Opportunities, Inclusion / representation / barriers of marginalised groups and women in decision-making?

• Strategies, potential  interventions  ideas, action plan,  indicators etc

4.       Policy advocacy & engagement strategy:

• Policy & regulatory environment

• History of engagement with government, policy & stakeholders (process, target, current status). Who were leading the process?

• Policy influencing issues, goals, target audience opponents and obstacles, partners/allies and their roles , advocacy messages and interventions  etc

5.       Organizations and interventions:

• What has been done already by initiatives and organizations in the landscape?

• How were the contextual factors addressed by these initiatives and organizations?

• Visual(GIS based) presentation of organizations and interventions in the sub basin

 5.    Methodology

The consultant/consultancy firm is expected to use different research methods where a set of quantitative & qualitative tools can be applied to conduct landscape analysis. It is expected to apply the following methods but not limited to:

• Desk review of existing and planned/ upcoming documents related to  sub basin context linked with the national context for each themes stated in the scope subsection;

• Informant interviews at different levels in the sub-basin for each thematic area described in scope section;
• Establishment of Data quality assurances procedures
• Analysis of the existing portfolio in the light of the relevant strategic documents in the areas of work of wetlands international, and identification of gaps, strengths and potentials
• Provision of the 1^st  draft of the Landscape Analysis to Wetlands International Ethiopia  Office
• Facilitation of stakeholders’ meeting to validate the landscape analysis findings with the support of Wetlands International Ethiopia  Office
• Review of the inputs provided during stakeholder’s meetings
• Provision of 2^nd draft to be reviewed by Wetlands International
• Inclusion of inputs from Wetlands International team
•  Submission of Final Draft

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The report will be prepared in English and submitted to Wetlands international Ethiopia office, electronically and in colored print hard copy by the date specified in the agreement. The key deliverables and tentative schedules are indicated in the following table:

Find the detail with the link below:

https://www.ethiojobs.net/docs/ToR_for_consultancy_on_context-analysis.docx