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,  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 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 of its 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 this third phase of the project is to strengthen the 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 being  to strengthen capacity of African forestry stakeholders in 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. 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 forest 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 during the period 2011-2014 conducted 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 short courses (i.e. for extension agents, civil society and local communities) in Sub-Saharan African forestry, two of which were on forests and climate change adaptation, and the other 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. These modules are also available https://afforum.org/publication/training-modules-on-forest-based-climate-change-adaptation-mitigation-carbon-trading-and-payment-for-other-environmental-services/ ).

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 institutions. 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.

In the perspective of continuing such development for the other training modules in the current third phase of the project, AFF contracted one expert in 2019 to develop two training compendiums, in a pedagogical manner, on:

• Forests and climate change adaptation: a compendium for technical training in African forestry
• Forests and climate change adaptation: a compendium for professional training in African forestry

For its 2021 annual plan of work, AFF is recruiting ten (10) experts, to undertake a review of the above two draft compendiums, five (5) consultants for each one, and present them to a regional validation workshop to be held by September 2021.

3. PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY

Review, and strengthen training compendiums on:

• Forests and climate change adaptation: a compendium for technical training in African forestry
• Forests and climate change adaptation: a compendium for professional training 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 which will be organized by AFF secretariat to validate the contents, consolidate comments from all participants and finalise the compendiums for sharing.

Each recruited expert will work on only one of the two compendiums

5. DURATION

The tasks in this ToRs are 5 person-days’ workload for the compendium on technical training and 7 person-days’ workload for the compendium on professional training, commencing on July 30, 2021 and spread over a period of two weeks and to be completed not later than August 30, 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 adaptation 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 compendium validation webinar.

      8. HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your application containing:

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

Applicants submitting their applications for the compendium for technical training on Forests and climate change adaptation should indicate on the subject line: “Consultancy no 2.1.1.2.1.Expert to review compendiums for technical training on forests and climate change adaptation”, while those submitting applications on professional training on Forests and climate change adaptation, should indicate on the subject line:  “Consultancy no 2.1.1.2.1.Expert to review compendiums for professional training in forests and climate change adaptation ” respectively. The application should be submitted to: Professor Marie Louise Avana-Tientcheu (m.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 20th July 2021.

To download the Terms of Reference, click here.