- Background
As part of Vision 2030 agency strategy, CRS is focusing on transformational change at scale through six strategic change platforms (SCP) including transforming livelihoods and landscapes (SCP3) – which aims catalyze systems change to reach scale with land restoration approaches that regenerate vital ecosystem services and rural livelihoods.
CRS Lesotho is one of the few country programs (CPs) selected to pilot SCP3. As part of SCP3, CRS Lesotho is developing a land restoration roadmap (LRR), which clearly defines a pathway leading to improved food and livelihood security and adaptation to climate change in Lesotho. CRS Lesotho’s land restoration scaling ambition, central to country program’s LRR, is “by 2030, CRS Lesotho and partners have increased adoption/adaptation of sustainable land restoration practices at scale from the baseline value to 600,000ha for sustainable income, food security and enhanced ecosystem services.” Important SCP3 targets (by 2030) for CRS Lesotho are:
- Rehabilitate 600,000 ha of degraded land under restoration.
- Convert 135,600 ha of brush land back to rangeland.
- Restore 3,000 ha of wetlands and dongas (ravines).
- Build capacity of 300 land restoration champions.
Models and approaches that CRS is scaling under SCP3 globally include dryland regreening, water-smart agriculture, watershed management, and multi-story agroforestry. In Lesotho, CRS will be implementing the watershed management approach given Lesotho’s topography, land use and increased interest of the national government in promoting integrated catchment management (ICM) approach. CRS Lesotho has identified key sustainable land management (SLM) indicators that are critical to demonstrate and affirm that the promoted approaches and practices have the expected impact on soil, water, and ecosystem services.
CRS Lesotho’s LRR will be implemented alongside GIZ-funded anchor project, Community Engagement for ICM in Lesotho. The anchor project is being implemented in six priority sub-catchments (PSC), namely Khubelu, Hlotse, Maletsunyane, Makhalaneng, Likhetla and Senqunyane. The six priority sub-catchments intersect with seven districts: Leribe, Mokhotlong, Thaba-Tseka, Maseru, Mafeteng, Mohale’s Hoek, and Berea.
- Baseline Evaluation Description and Specific Objectives
CRS Lesotho country program request services of a consultancy firm/institution/organization to undertake the baseline study with the aim of establishing baseline values for the key indicators and developing simple and cost-effective tools, methods, and strategies that will help CRS to monitor the performance of these restoration indicators for decision making and scaling. The baseline will cover all six priority sub-catchments in which Community Engagement project is being implemented by CRS.
The specific objectives of the baseline study are:
- Collect and analyze project baseline data on land restoration indicators as outlined in the terms of reference.
- To develop simple and cost-effective tools, methods, and strategies that will help CRS to monitor the performance of these restoration indicators for decision making and scaling.
- Build CRS capacity on the developed tools, methods and strategies to collect, analyze and use land restoration indicators in decision-making.
Dates of assignment: 2 months – July-August 2021
- SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
Interested Consultancy Firms should submit their proposals on how they will implement the study.
All proposals should be submitted per the following outline:
- Contractor expertise and experience in landscapes assessment and monitoring
- Understanding of Lesotho context
- Detail methodology, including sampling procedures
- Quality control mechanisms during data collection
- Data processing plan
- Data analysis and report writing plan
- Field team with responsibilities including who will do tool development, training, data collection, data cleaning, data analysis and report writing
- Workplan
- Detailed budget for
- Daily rate of key professionals
- Travel costs
- Field expenses (payment of field staff, travel cost of field staff and other costs)
- Data cleaning, analysis and report writing
- Other costs (if applicable)
- Registration and other relevant statutory documents
- Required Documents
The following documents must also be submitted with the application of each recruitment agency:
- The organization/company profile (experience, size of organization, specialization, past experiences, qualification, experience, and track record of key and other team members working on the assignment)
- Signed CVs of professional staff who will be directly involved in the assignment.
- Certified copy copies of the Organization’s Registration Certificate, VAT Registration Certificate, and the latest TAX Clearance Certificate (recent)
- The bidders must also detail previous experiences with at least 3 similar projects and referee contact details,
All proposals should be submitted in line with the ToR in soft copies to CRS via email to [email protected] with the subject line “BASELINE PROPOSAL – SCP3”. Proposal should be submitted until 28th June 2021. and any proposal received after the deadline will not be considered.
For full terms of reference, please contact: [email protected] with subject line: ToRs BASELINE PROPOSAL – SCP3
- SELECTION PROCEDURE
The selection of the consulting firm will be based on assignment quality, timeline, and cost comparison. Based on documents submitted (qualification, experience and capacity of the agency), agencies will be shortlisted for further selection.
Please note that the selection of the recruitment agency will be carried out in line with the CRS’s policies and procedures. The final decision and successful appointment will be made by the Senior Management of CRS. The successful Consulting firm must be ready and available to start the assignment immediately on signing of the contract.
Disclaimer:
Final engagement is subject to approval of funding by the donor.