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 economic and social development, and protect the environment.

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 the strengthening of the Climate Change Program (AFF-CCP) of the institution. 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.

One of the specific objectives of the third phase of the project is to enhance national forest governance by strengthening the capacity of African stakeholders to respond to the Paris Agreement and related global climate change policies and initiatives related to forestry. This consultancy is anchored on this specific objective which is to be achieved through activities aimed to identify forestry related issues in relevant global and regional climate change policies and initiatives, and to assess their mainstreaming into national forestry processes. The findings will enhance the understanding of African forestry stakeholders on the global policies for better coordination of their national forestry sector in line with the International Arrangement on Forests and relevant Sustainable Development Goals.

2. BACKGROUND

Good forest governance is associated with transparency, participation, and accountability in order to achieve positive social, environmental and economic outcomes in the most efficient and effective way, bringing both formal and informal institutions to acquire and exercise authority in the management of the forestry resources with the aim to sustain and improve the welfare and quality of life for those whose livelihoods depend on the forestry sector.

There are many challenges associated with poor forest governance in many tropical countries, including illegal exploitation, unsustainable forest management, increased deforestation and forest degradation and the associated loss of forest carbon.  These issues have attracted global attention and require concerted efforts at local, regional, and global levels. Serious concerns were raised on how to address these forest challenges through institutionalizing various forest instruments that are legally and non-legally binding in order to curb the trend and contain climate change. Among those instruments is the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) that consists of five major components namely: the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and its Member States, organs and facilitation mechanisms such as the UNFF Secretariat, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), the UNFF Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network (GFFFN) and the UNFF Trust Fund. The primary aim of the arrangement is to strengthen sustainable forest management through implementation of UN forest instruments; improvement of forest governance frameworks; and fostering international cooperation, enhancing coherence, cooperation and synergies with other forest-related agreements, processes and initiatives, among others. Forest issues are globally discussed at FAO’s  Committee on Forestry (COFO), Conference of Parties (COPs) of environmental conventions such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) , among others, where key resolutions and agreements are reached for mainstreaming into national policies, plans, and activities to ensure sustainable use of forest and tree resources. For instance, Article 6 of Paris Agreement (PA) contains various clauses with major focus on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in reducing GHG emissions while fostering sustainable development and at the same time promoting adaptation ambitions in response to the impacts of climate change and variability.

In order to contribute to the above international initiatives/agenda, AFF, as part of its mandate, continues to generate information and knowledge on these issues with the aim to help African governments and other actors in the forestry sector to formulate appropriate forest policies, programmes, plans and initiatives aiming to strengthen sustainable forest management in the face of climate change.

It is in this context  that in 2019, AFF conducted  an in-depth analysis of national forest governance responses  to the Paris Agreement (PA) and related global climate change policies and initiatives in ten (10) selected countries from Southern, Eastern, Western, Central Africa and Sahel sub-regions. The studies generated findings and key recommendations on the following:

• areas of overlap and synergy in the national forestry sector and other relevant global and regional climate change related policies and initiatives.
• knowledge and skills gaps among African forestry stakeholders on mainstreaming of global and regional climate change decisions and agreements into their national forestry policies, plans and activities, including their coordination.
• capacity gaps on reporting on forest-based sustainable development goals (SDGs) and NDCs at national, regional and international levels;
• gaps in the development of national forest sector contributions to NDCs and the level of integration of forest-based adaptation and mitigation activities and initiatives in NDCs;
• how REDD+ and LULUCF in the national forestry sector could contribute to NDCs;
• key lessons learned in the development and implementation of first forest based NDCs in Africa;
• the levels of measurement, reporting and verification of forest-based mitigation, adaptation and finance in NDCs and how they are mainstreamed into national forestry policies, plans and activities.

From these findings the following knowledge products were developed:

Two technical reports:

1. Enhancement of the national forest governance to respond to the Paris Agreement and related global climate change policies and initiatives in selected Western and Central African countries.
2. Enhancement of the national forest governance to respond to the Paris Agreement and related global climate change policies and initiatives in Eastern and Southern Africa Strengthening

Three draft manuscripts of journal articles,

1. Assessing forest governance and forest related climate initiatives in Central and West Africa
2. A critical evaluation of development of NDCs in Central and West Africa
3. Enhancement of national forest governance to respond to the Paris Agreement and related global climate change policies and initiatives in Africa: The case of Southern and Eastern Africa

Two factsheets,

1. An evaluation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Development in Central and West Africa
2. Enhancement of national forest governance to respond to the Paris Agreement and related global climate change policies and initiatives in Africa: The case of Southern and Eastern Africa.

Two policy briefs

1. Assessing forest governance and other climate initiatives in Central and West Africa
2. Enhancement of national forest governance to respond to the Paris Agreement and related global climate change policies and initiatives in Africa: The case of Southern and Eastern Africa.

For its 2021 annual plan of work, AFF is recruiting one expert to undertake a review of the above knowledge products in order to improve their quality prior to the dissemination to forestry stakeholders in Africa and beyond. Furthermore, the review shall also include production of a regional synthesis/overview for each type of knowledge products mentioned above.

3. PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY

Review and edit the above-mentioned knowledge products and develop regional synthesis including technical report, journal paper, policy brief and fact sheet that will contribute to enhancing national forest governance to respond to Paris Agreement and related climate change policies and initiatives.

4. TASKS ON THE CONSULTANCY

The specific tasks for the assignment include:

• Reviewing, editing, and strengthening of 2 technical reports, 3 journal articles, 2 policy briefs and 2 fact sheets following AFF guidelines to produce final versions ready for dissemination/publication.
• Based on information compiled from the knowledge products and relevant updated literature, develop a regional (African-wide) synthesis highlighting the key issues to be considered at Africa-wide level for the technical report, journal article, factsheet, and policy brief.

5. DURATION

The tasks in this TOR are one person-month workload commencing on 1^st August 2021 and spread over a period of two months. The consultant shall work from own location 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, environment management or any related area.
• Be an expert with proven knowledge and at least five years regional experience in forest policy, climate change and forest governance issues.
• Have good scientific writing skills with an extensive list of publications on the above topics in high impact journals.
• 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 clean revised technical reports (2), journal articles (3), policy briefs (2) and fact sheets (2).
• Regional synthesis, based on the technical reports, journal articles, factsheets, and policy briefs

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

With the subject line: “Consultancy no 2.2.1.1. expert to review knowledge products on enhancement of national forest governance to respond to the Paris Agreement” to: Professor Marie Louise Avana-Tientcheu through m.avana@cgiar.org, and Dr Daud Jones Kachamba through D.Kachamba@cgiar.org with a copy to Professor Godwin Kowero at   g.kowero@cgiar.org and exec.sec@afforum.org

Application deadline is 20^th July 2021

To download the Terms of Reference, click here.