1.  INTRODUCTION

The African Forest Forum (AFF) is a pan-African non-governmental organization with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The purpose of AFF is to provide a platform and create an enabling environment for independent and objective analysis, advocacy and advice on relevant policy and technical issues pertaining to achieving sustainable management, use and conservation of Africa’s forest and tree resources as part of efforts to reduce poverty, promote gender equality, and economic and social development.

Since 2011, AFF has been implementing a project titled “African forests, people and climate change” that is in its third phase and is contributing to strengthening of the AFF Climate Change Program (AFF-CCP). The overall objective of the AFF-CCP is to enhance the role of African forests in assisting people adapt to the effects of climate change in various landscapes in ways that will improve livelihoods, sustain biodiversity, and secure the quality of the environment, as well as to strengthen the capacity of Africa’s forests to adapt to climate change and to contribute to mitigation efforts. The importance of capacity building for an effective approach to various issues related to climate change, as well as to improve the quality of knowledge transfer was recognized since the first phase of the project (2011 -2014) through two objectives namely, building and improving capacity to address forest related climate change issues; and ensuring that production, adaptation, mitigation and policy processes involving forests and trees are backed by sound information. One of the specific objectives of the third phase of the project is  to strengthen capacity of African forestry stakeholders in adopting best practices that integrate both adaptation and mitigation options in response to the impacts of climate change and variability to biophysical and social systems in different landscapes. This consultancy is anchored under this specific objective with the expected key output to strengthen capacity of African forestry stakeholders on addressing climate change adaptation and mitigation at all levels.

2. BACKGROUND

The vulnerability of rural households to climate change in Africa is attributed, not only, to exposure to climate variability and extreme weather events, but also, to a combination of social, economic, and environmental factors that interact with climate change. There is growing evidence that climate change is affecting forest resources in Africa, and consequently the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. The effect on the forest resource is exacerbated by increased dependance of vulnerable communities on forest-based goods and services which are often overexploited. In operationalizing the Paris Agreements on climate change through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), many countries have indicated their forests as carbon sinks. There is consensus on the potential role of forests and trees in addressing climate change through mitigation and adaptation; and the sector has, consequently, gathered pace and is being targeted by many funding institutions / mechanisms.

Despite most countries in Africa being the most vulnerable to climate change and variability, taking forest-based adaptation and mitigation to scale is challenged by the lack of sound evidence on best practices specific to different ecosystem types. The national governments, civil society organizations, extension agents and local communities are main stakeholders in the implementation of adaptation and mitigation activities implicit in many climate change strategies. They also contribute to widely disseminate relevant research results to local communities, who in the majority are and will be affected by the adverse effects of climate change. It is crucial that these categories of stakeholders are aware of mechanisms to reduce poverty through their contribution to solving environmental problems. Therefore, training and updating their knowledge and skills is one of the logical approaches to achieve this important outcome.

As part of the efforts to contribute to capacity building for addressing the adverse effects of climate change, AFF conducted during the period 2011-2014 a training needs assessment involving key stakeholders dealing with these issues. Based on the outcomes of the assessment, AFF developed four training modules for professional, technical and for short courses (i.e. extension agents, civil society and local communities) in Sub-Saharan African forestry, two of which were on forests and climate change adaptation, and the second one on forests and climate change mitigation. The modules were shared through sub-regional training workshops in collaboration with selected national institutions, to better orient and re-tool academicians and researchers, as well as staff from extension and civil society organizations from francophones and Anglophone African countries on key areas of science and practice of climate change that  relate  to forests. As a response to the shared modules, a request emerged on the need to have the content, for each module, better developed  in a pedagogical manner in order to improve the delivery of the information in relevant education and training establishments. It is in this context, that AFF, during the second phase of the project (2015-2018), developed eight training compendiums which were launched during the celebration of its tenth anniversary in 2019 and which are being widely distributed in different networks, platforms, media and fora.

For this current third phase of the project, in 2019 AFF, contracted two experts, each one mandated to develop appropriate contextualized training compendium, in a pedagogical manner as follows:

1. Forests and climate change adaptation: a compendium for short courses in African forestry
2. Forests and climate change mitigation: a compendium for short courses in African forestry

The contracted experts drafted the training content with appropriate illustrations  for each of the outlined sessions as described in the corresponding modules for short courses (click here for the training module). The drafted compendiums were internally reviewed by the staff at the AFF secretariat and found suitable for external review and validation by the targeted stakeholders.

For its 2021 annual plan of work, AFF is recruiting ten (10) experts, five (5) each to undertake a review of the draft compendiums for short courses on forest and climate change adaptation and forest and climate change mitigation, in order to improve their quality prior to a planned regional validation workshop that will involve  all contracted reviewers and key stakeholders to be held  by September 2021.

3. PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY

Review, and strengthen training compendiums on:

4. Forests and climate change adaptation: a compendium for short courses in African forestry
5. Forests and climate change mitigation: a compendium for short courses in African forestry

4.  SPECIFIC TASKS

The specific tasks for the assignment include:

• Reviewing, and strengthening the compendium to improve their scientific and pedagogic quality as well as their contextualization in the African environment. The expert should make sure he/she undertakes track changes to allow easy follow up and consolidation with other experts working on the same compendium.
• Participate in a webinar to be organized by AFF secretariat to consolidate comments from all reviewers and validate the compendiums.

Each recruited expert will work on one compendium either on Forests and climate change mitigation or on Forests and climate change adaptation.

5. DURATION

The tasks in this ToRs are 5 person-days’ workload commencing on 15 July 2021 and spread over a period of two weeks but not later than August 15, 2021. The consultants shall work from their locations but in close consultation with relevant staff at the AFF Secretariat. 

6. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Have at least a PhD degree in natural resources management, forestry, climate change, environment management or any related area.
• Be an expert with proven knowledge, and at least five years regional experience, in the broad areas of forestry including issues related to climate change, its adaptation and mitigation in forestry, sustainable development and natural resources management.
• Have good scientific writing skills with an extended list of publications in reputable journals, including book chapters and training manuals.
• Experience as an editor or being in an editorial board of a relevant journal will be an added advantage.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. 

7. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

• Reviewed and strengthened compendiums (with track changes).
• A brief report on the task including on attendance at the validation webinar.

8. HOW TO APPLY

Please email, and attach your application containing:

• Cover letter stating how you meet the above qualifications and experience requirements.
• Curriculum vitae

Depending on whether you are applying to work on the compendium for short course on  Forests and climate change adaptation or on the one on Forests and climate change mitigation, indicate in the subject line: “Consultancy no 2.1.1.2.1.Expert to review compendiums for short courses on forests and climate change adaptation” or “Consultancy no 2.1.1.2.1.Expert to review compendiums for short courses in forests and climate change mitigation”. The mail should be addressed to: Professor Marie Louise Avana-Tientcheum.avana@cgiar.org,  and copy to  Dr Djibril S. Dayamba (d.dayamba@cgiar.org), Dr Daud Jones Kachamba (d.kachamba@cgiar.org) and  exec.sec@afforum.org.

Application deadline is 5^th July 2021

To download the Terms of Reference, click here.