Terms of Reference (TOR) for Consultancy Service

TERMS OF REFERENCE

FOR

BASELINE SURVEY OF NTFPs HARVESTING COMMUNITIES

UNDER

"SCALING CONSERVATION OF HIMALAYAN PLANTS AND FUNGI THROUGH SUSTAINABLE TRADE" PROJECT

Background

Nepal’s alpine Himalayan forests and rangelands are exceptional global biodiversity hotspots. Over 40 key wild plants and fungi are harvested and traded internationally, providing critical contributions to the incomes of the rural poor. These resources are being threatened by premature and overharvesting, climate change, unregulated trade and inequitable supply chains. Other challenges include - inadequate information on sustainable harvest volumes, inadequate approach to resource monitoring, and trade regulation. Despite these challenges, there are significant opportunities to improve both sustainability and trade of wild-harvested forest products, scaling up successful pilots in Nepal, and linking to major markets (e.g. India and China).

In order to address these challenges and tap the opportunities, TRAFFIC International, ANSAB, FECOFUN and other partners are implementing a UK Government’s Darwin Initiative project entitled "Scaling conservation of Himalayan plants and fungi through sustainable trade" in the Himalayan region of Nepal. This project aims to improve local livelihoods, elevate traditional knowledge, and strengthen national and regional approaches to sustainable biodiversity-based trade. At the impact level, the project will contribute to the sustainable management of Himalayan wild plants and fungi, with value chains that promote equitable trade, increase value addition, reduce poverty, and conserve species and ecologically fragile landscapes.

The project has five outputs: (i) Improved capacities and capabilities of stakeholders, especially women and excluded groups, for better conservation, resource management, and sustainable trade; (ii) Enhanced livelihoods for over 10,000 harvesters through long-term, sustainable, equitable trade in Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) ; (iii) Sustainable management of over 110,000 hectares of high-altitude Himalayas through participatory land and species management and monitoring approaches; (iv) Establishment of sustainable Himalayan wild NTFP value chains from harvest to consumers based on traceable, certifiable production systems; and (v) Inclusion of provisions for sustainable, traceable trade in wild plants and fungi in trade agreements, and legal frameworks of Nepal, the region, and key importing countries.

This five-year project will be implemented in the Himalayan districts of Nepal (Figure 1, Annex 2), and a baseline data is needed to (i) measure the impact and progress in comparison with results of the final survey for project impacts’ evaluation, (ii) monitor project activities, and (iii) assess the impact of project. In this backdrop, ANSAB seeks consultancy service to establish the baseline values for the project, and requests the interested consultants to submit a brief proposal for carrying out this consultancy service.

Detail Terms of Reference (TOR) can be obtained from the following link:

Link: Terms of Reference (TOR)

Application procedure

Interested consultants are requested to submit a brief proposal (including technical & financial details) outlining how you plan to achieve the objectives as stated in the TOR along with the updated detailed CV of the team leader and team member.

Qualified consultants may apply for this consultancy service by not later than December 1, 2024 by submitting the proposal along with a cover letter with the subject line as “Application for the consultancy service” to jobs@ansab.org.np. Short-listed consultants will be informed for further processing. 

ANSAB deserves the right to cancel this call for consultancy service, or not to award any proposal.