Recruitment Notice: Verification Methods Consultant

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

is looking for an       Analytical Forest Management
Verification Methods Consultant About WWF

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 which works in the field of nature protection. Its mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Our vision is to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. Thus, it seeks to: save the planet by balancing the needs of human beings with those of other species that share the Earth, practice human conservation in the broadest sense, and instill in people everywhere a quiet but undisguised respect , nature and balancing that respect with a deep belief in human possibilities, inspiring others who can further the cause of conservation.

Background
The commercial revenue model for responsible management of natural forests in the tropics is in most cases a one-dimensional model. Relying solely on timber resources – often from a handful of commercial species – has led to weak business cases for organizations implementing responsible forest management (RFM), competing with market players who must meet fewer (legal) requirements, or even none (illegal). In order to improve the competitive position of the RFM organization, it is important to consider ways to diversify revenue streams and aim for multifunctional use of forest resources. This requires new “business” models for these organizations,
Over the past two decades, WWF has been very active in conserving the rich and unique biodiversity of the Congo Basin forests, helping to protect valuable habitats, including forests, wildlife as well as promoting development. of local communities and indigenous peoples, following a participatory process and involving multiple stakeholders, including the private sector. WWF globally and at the Congo Basin level has promoted responsible forest management and in particular the FSC certification system. Engagement with the private sector has taken another step forward, focusing more on the impact its private sector partners can have on the ground, both with nature and the well-being of forest-dependent peoples. In 2021, Forests Forward was launched as WWF’s performance-driven impact program that mobilizes people, catalyzing action to address global forest threats and to ensure that the growing global demand for timber can be met through stewardship.

sustainable forests. INTERHOLCO and its subsidiary IFO in Congo, participating in Forests Forward are among the first and the largest forestry company to participate in this platform with, among other objectives, to achieve FSC Environmental Services (ES) procedures, carried out in November 2022 for the carbon (RIL-C & IFM) and biodiversity, and to improve the monitoring and protection of wildlife within their forest concession. The impacts for ES concern: WWF’s performance-driven impact that mobilizes people, catalyzing action to address global forest threats and to ensure that growing global demand for timber can be met through sustainable forest management.

INTERHOLCO and its subsidiary IFO in Congo, participating in Forests Forward are among the first and the largest forestry company to participate in this platform with, among other objectives, to achieve FSC Environmental Services (ES) procedures, carried out in November 2022 for the carbon (RIL-C & IFM) and biodiversity, and to improve the monitoring and protection of wildlife within their forest concession. The impacts for ES concern: WWF’s performance-driven impact that mobilizes people, catalyzing action to address global forest threats and to ensure that growing global demand for timber can be met through sustainable forest management. INTERHOLCO and its subsidiary IFO in Congo, participating in Forests Forward are among the first and the largest forestry company to participate in this platform with, among other objectives, to achieve FSC Environmental Services (ES) procedures, carried out in November 2022 for the carbon (RIL-C & IFM) and biodiversity, and to improve the monitoring and protection of wildlife within their forest concession. The impacts for ES concern: catalyzing action to address global forest threats and to ensure that growing global demand for timber can be met through sustainable forest management. INTERHOLCO and its subsidiary IFO in Congo, participating in Forests Forward are among the first and the largest forestry company to participate in this platform with, among other objectives, to achieve FSC Environmental Services (ES) procedures, carried out in November 2022 for the carbon (RIL-C & IFM) and biodiversity, and to improve the monitoring and protection of wildlife within their forest concession. The impacts for ES concern: catalyzing action to address global forest threats and to ensure that growing global demand for timber can be met through sustainable forest management. INTERHOLCO and its subsidiary IFO in Congo, participating in Forests Forward are among the first and the largest forestry company to participate in this platform with, among other objectives, to achieve FSC Environmental Services (ES) procedures, carried out in November 2022 for the carbon (RIL-C & IFM) and biodiversity, and to improve the monitoring and protection of wildlife within their forest concession. The impacts for ES concern: participating in Forests Forward are among the first and the largest forestry company to participate in this platform with among other objectives to achieve the FSC Environmental Services (ES) procedures, carried out in November 2022 for carbon ( RIL -C & IFM) and biodiversity, and improve the monitoring and protection of wildlife within their forest concession. The impacts for ES concern: participating in Forests Forward are among the first and the largest forestry company to participate in this platform with among other objectives to achieve the FSC Environmental Services (ES) procedures, carried out in November 2022 for carbon ( RIL -C & IFM) and biodiversity, and improve the monitoring and protection of wildlife within their forest concession. The impacts for ES concern:
– Conservation of intact forest landscapes (virgin forests) and other HCV areas; potential indicators: area of ​​protected intact forest landscapes – virgin forests;
– Conservation of the characteristics of the natural forest; potential indicators: forest composition and structure at the stand level for the entire management unit – “close to nature” forest management;
– Conservation of key great ape and forest elephant habitats within the concession boundaries and at the landscape level (this may include corridors to link the management unit to neighboring protected areas). Potential indicators may include the protection of biological corridors and the size of the network of conservation areas within the management unit.

Work’s extent

With FSC certification of ecosystem services for biodiversity in place, WWF is seeking to assign a short-term consultant to help improve access to emerging markets for ecosystem services through the use of FSC ecosystem service claims based on verified impacts. And work to develop a business model integrating the validated Ecosystem Service.

Branding – many companies have a socially responsible business model based on the practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR), therefore aware of the impact they have, including environmental impacts. In this regard, these companies budget and finance a range of diverse activities related to the environment. Even so, the impact of such practices on biodiversity, air/water quality, or other environmental improvements is difficult to document or verify. We have proposed that companies engaging in CSR can use the opportunity to sponsor entities that are certified to provide ES due to their forest management, certification granted by a third party who also performs the verification for the maintenance or improvement of the ES over time. Basically, this business model can generate documented positive environmental impacts, has the premise of being efficient in terms of allocated resources and is approved by a third party via ES certification.

Optional sale of “biodiversity credits”

The Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) defines two types of biodiversity credits that are used to measure impacts at development sites and stewardship sites. The two types of credits are:

Ecosystem credits – measure the value of threatened ecological communities, habitat of threatened species for species whose presence can be reliably predicted with a plant community type (PCT) and PCTs in general

Species Credits – apply to all other threatened species found at that location that cannot be reliably predicted to occur within the identified ecological communities at the development site.

Biodiversity credits created at a stewardship site through a biodiversity stewardship agreement can be used to offset the loss of biodiversity values ​​at the development site (a credit obligation) by being traded and retired. This sale is called a biodiversity credit transfer and the credit is then withdrawn to satisfy the credit obligation.

Objectives
1. A list of options as well as potential financial sponsors for the enhancement of the Biodiversity ES, including the option of biodiversity credits.
2. Creating a replicable business model: seeking financial sponsorship of verified impacts of FSC ecosystem services.
3. Share know-how on ES verification in the field as well as business models (including PES system design and functionality Activities
1. Market analysis
a) In coordination with WWF and IFO, provide an initial list of options and relevant initiatives to value FSC-certified biodiversity
b) Perform a SWOT analysis of the options identified to bring the ES to market
c) Market research identifying potential “buyers” of the service ecosystem.

2. Business model
a) Creation of a replicable business model, including financial sponsorship of verified impacts of FSC ecosystem services
b) Facilitate and ‘broker’ the PE to selected ‘buyers’ of the PE.

3. Reports
a) Produce a final report (5-10 pages) containing the designed business model and guidance on its potential use as an instrument for the successful conservation/maintenance of valuable forest ecosystem habitats and related services:

Recommended timeline

• Market research: 1-2 months
• Business model development: 1 month

Working relationship
The consultant will work closely with the WWF Regional Forestry Coordinator for Central Africa, under the guidance of the WWF Advisor responsible for forestry, as well as relevant IFO staff. Communication with WWF should take place at least once a month.
Qualifications
The consultant should demonstrate the following:
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience with experience in forest management verification
• Excellent knowledge of all aspects of forest certification and validation of ecosystem services;
• A bachelor’s or graduate degree in finance, forestry or a related discipline;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills;
• the success of similar assessments carried out previously;
• Sufficient capacity to complete the assessment within the time allowed;

Proposals
Any proposal under the current terms of reference must contain:
• A description of the evaluation team/individual, including brief biographies of the team members/individual and the nature of their intended contribution ( max 2 pages);
• The methodology proposed to carry out the mission (max 1 pages);
• Outline of work plan identifying key dates and deliverables (max 1 page).
• An indicative budget broken down according to the main activities identified in the ToR (max 1 page).

Selection process
• All proposals must be submitted electronically to the following address no later than March 15, 2023: via email. recruit-cam@wwfcam.org .With subject Analysis of Forest Management Audit Methodologies Consultant

• Selection criteria (weighting%)
• Availability – Ability to conduct and complete the assessment on time;
• Previous experience in carrying out similar types of assessment (30%);
• Budget – visibility and affordability (20%)
• Clarity of methodology and correspondence with ToR (40%)
• References (10%)

WWF is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce