National Consultant to Support Annamite IMS Capacity

Name of service: National Consultant to support Capacity Assessment and Development of the Integrated Annamite Management Strategy

Country: Lao PDR  

Description of the Assignment:

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

Task 1 – Terms of Reference and Composition of the Advisory Team  

• Hold inception meeting with the PMU and DoF on expected deliverables;
• Review project documents, technical outputs, the project’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan, Indigenous Peoples’ Plan, and relevant national policies and regulations to inform the Advisory Team design;
• Conduct stakeholder assessment of government entities, development partners, NGOs, CSOs, private sector, and other relevant beneficiaries of the IMS to be consulted during the IMS development.
• Consult with UNDP, DoF, and key project partners to identify appropriate government entities, NGOs, scientists, and civil society organizations for Advisory Team membership;
• Propose a composition for the Advisory Team that ensures at least 30% representation by women, meaningful inclusion of ethnic group and IPLC representatives, and balanced sectoral representation across forestry, biodiversity conservation, land tenure, community development, and policy;
• Draft a Terms of Reference for the Advisory Team, covering its mandate, membership criteria, roles and responsibilities, meeting frequency, decision-making processes, and reporting arrangements;
• Submit the draft ToR to UNDP and DoF for review and validation.
• Submit inception report which includes stocktaking of IMS requirements, methodology for developing the IMS and Advisory Team, and timeline for stakeholder engagement.

Output: Draft ToR and proposed composition of the AMR Advisory Team, including presentation to UNDP and Department of Forestry (DoF).

Task 2 – Inception Workshop for the Advisory Team

• Design the agenda, methodology, and materials for an Inception Workshop to formally launch the Advisory Team and orient members on the IMS development process;
• Prepare briefing documents on the Annamite IMS, its scope, objectives, and expected outputs for Advisory Team members;
• Coordinate with UNDP and DoF on logistics, participant outreach, and facilitation arrangements;
• Coordinate with SESA consultant, as directed by PMU, to ensure upstream policy is highlighted in Inception workshop.
• Ensure workshop design incorporates gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate facilitation methods to enable meaningful participation by women, ethnic group members, and IPLC representatives;
• Facilitate or co-facilitate the Inception Workshop, and document key discussions, agreements, and next steps;
• Co-design ToR for Technical Team to support the development of the IMS.
• Prepare a workshop summary report including action points and decisions of the Advisory Team.

Output: Inception Workshop materials, facilitation, and summary report. Submit Stakeholder Engagement Plan for AMR IMS that includes relevant stakeholders in the landscape to be consulted.

Task 3 – Terms of Reference for the Technical Team

• Develop a ToR for the Technical Expert Team that will support the Advisory Team in undertaking stakeholder consultations and baseline information gathering across the Annamite landscape;
• The Technical Team ToR should specify the required areas of expertise (including biodiversity conservation, forest planning, legal and policy, institutional development, gender and social inclusion, community development, and GIS/remote sensing), team composition, scope of work, key deliverables, and timeline;
• Incorporate provisions for gender-balanced recruitment and the inclusion of national technical experts from relevant ethnic communities;
• Outline the consultation methodology, including application of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) principles where IPLC communities are concerned, consistent with the project’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan;
• After clearance from PMU and DoF, gather inputs from IMS Advisory Team on the ToR.

Output: Terms of Reference for the Technical Team, including tasks, team composition, and costed estimate. Submit draft questionnaire for capacity assessment in Task 4.

Task 4 – Stakeholder Inception Workshop for the Technical Team

• Coordinate with the PMU, DoF, and the Technical Expert Team to determine the workshop venue, timing, and participant list, ensuring representation of relevant government agencies at national and provincial levels, NGOs, IPLC groups, and other key stakeholders active in the Annamite landscape;
• Prepare workshop materials including an overview presentation on the Annamite IMS — its objectives, geographic scope, governance structure, and development timeline — as well as a summary of the Advisory Teams mandate and composition;
• Design and deliver a capacity assessment questionnaire to stakeholders at workshop to identify gaps and needs the IMS will need to address to promote integrate landscape management;
• Coordinate with the Technical Expert Team to support them in preparing and presenting their inception methodology, work plan, and approach to stakeholder consultations and baseline data collection;
• Ensure workshop design reflects gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate facilitation principles, with specific measures to enable the meaningful participation of women, ethnic group representatives, and IPLC communities;
• Facilitate or co-facilitate the workshop in collaboration with PMU and DoF;
• Document workshop proceedings, stakeholder inputs, and any agreed adjustments to the Technical Teams methodology or work plan;
• Prepare a workshop summary report capturing key discussions, stakeholder feedback, and agreed next steps, for review and approval by PMU and DoF.
• Capture capacity needs assessment results in report, deliver in English and Lao.

Output: Stakeholder Inception Workshop facilitated and documented; workshop summary report submitted to PMU and DoF. Submit capacity assessment of stakeholders from workshop.

Task 5 – Framework for the Integrated Management Strategy

·         In consultation with the Department of Forestry and the Advisory Team, develop a framework and outline for the Annamite IMS, including its scope, guiding principles, thematic areas, and structure;

·         The IMS framework should reflect a participatory, multi-stakeholder approach and incorporate gender perspectives and ethnic group views as cross-cutting themes;

·         The IMS framework should include areas for inputs from the Advisory Team and technical team;

●        Develop a set of measurable objectives for achieving different targets and outcomes for the IMS, alongside a proposed monitoring and evaluation plan;

·         Propose a three-tier planning structure for the IMS: a long-term strategic plan (20–40 years), a medium-term tactical plan (5–10 years), and an annual operational plan;

·         Ensure the framework addresses zoning considerations including conservation set-asides, ICCAs, OECMs, community forests, and connectivity linkages, and provides for integration with REDD+ and carbon credit programs;

●        Submit the draft IMS framework to DoF and the Advisory Team for review and endorsement.

Output: Draft framework and outline for the Annamite IMS, endorsed by DoF and the Advisory Team.  

Period of assignment/services: 40 working days, with possibility of extension

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