Consultancy Opportunities

Duty station: Remote work / international

Type and duration of contract: Consultancy contract of 14 days (maximum)

Preferred starting date: 01 June 2024 (depending on the consultant’s availability)

Closing date for applications: 26 May 2024. Please note applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as soon as they are received and interviews will take place as soon as possible, after receipt of applications.

Introduction to the programme in Republic of Congo (RoC)

ClientEarth seeks to use legal tools to combat deforestation, focusing both on supply-side forest governance reform and demand-side forest commodity supply chain reform. In RoC, our first objective is to improve forest legal frameworks to promote community forestry as a tool to enhance IPLC forest management and governance, reduce deforestation, conserve biodiversity and generate sustainable development.

ClientEarth’s activities in RoC focus on legal analysis, training, advocacy and support on legal concepts. We work through trusted partnerships with in-country associates who have proven track records to ensure that interventions are locally owned, suited to the local context, and that relationships with key stakeholders are properly nurtured.

Our programmes' primary stakeholders are IPLCs and civil society organisations.

Assignment

The purpose of this Consultancy is to identify emerging trends, challenges and opportunities regarding RoC’s law and policy frameworks regulating forest conservation, IPLC rights, and the sustainable management of forest (both timber and non-timber) resources. Central to this process is a mapping and analysis of key stakeholders impacted by these issues. In particular, ClientEarth would like to better understand the roles played by RoC-based civil society organisations in relation to these issues.

The findings of the Consultancy will be used to improve and adapt ClienEarth’s programming and approach in the RoC. It will inform our programme design to better reach our broader goal of using legal tools to support the conservation and sustainable use of forests, whilst also strengthening the rights of IPLCs who are reliant upon them.

The Context Analysis should identify the most strategic and impactful means to support sustainable improvements at the local, provincial and national levels by analysing the political, economic, social, legal, environmental, gender and power & conflict factors affecting biodiversity, IPLC rights and sustainable forest management. In doing so, this work will also identify key challenges and opportunities in both law and policy (noting that legal analysis of existing legislation is not within the scope of this Consultancy). In addition, a stakeholder mapping and analysis will be developed, in light of the Context Analysis, to examine the key stakeholders who have a direct impact on or operate within the space that influences the law and policy frameworks surrounding biodiversity, IPLC rights and sustainable forest management. In particular, it is important to map out the scope of stakeholders’ contribution to the law and policy process regarding the above issues, any partnerships they may have with other civil society organisations, or areas of existing alignment with ClientEarth objectives.

Key outputs/deliverables

- A work plan and timeline for the tasks of the contract;

- A report that presents a Context Analysis that identifies emerging trends, challenges and opportunities regarding RoC’s law and policy frameworks regulating forest conservation, IPLC rights, and the sustainable management of forest (both timber and non-timber) resources. A key component of the Context Analysis is a stakeholder mapping and analysis, that maps out stakeholders (particularly civil society organisations) that are involved in or impacted by law and policy frameworks regarding these issues.

The report should be 30 pages max., excluding annexes (mapping of institutions, and stakeholders, documents reviewed etc.). The report should be available in English and French.

The report should contain, but is not limited to:

· Introduction to the objective of the analysis;

· Brief description of the methodology (e.g. document review, interviews, focus groups);

· Contextual background which includes governance-related studies and a high-level overview of the legal framework in the forestry sector to highlight emerging challenges and opportunities for change;

· Analysis of the institutional set-up (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, informal and formal rules etc.);

· Analysis and mapping of the stakeholders at the district, provincial and national level (including gauging stakeholder interest in the objective of ClientEarth programmes: reasons for interest or disinterest, level of influence on decision-making processes etc.);

· Recommendations based on the analysis with regard to expected bottlenecks, opportunities and entry points, as well as, options for engagement with different stakeholders.

A presentation of the key findings to ClientEarth’s team should also be prepared.

Remuneration

There is a maximum budget of £8,000 (inc. VAT and all applicable taxes).

ClientEarth anticipates that the consultant will spend up to 14 days over a month to undertake the analyses and write the report.

Payment can be made on receipt of deliverables and/or invoices. If the invoice method is preferred, the consultant will be required to provide detailed timesheets on work.

Application procedure

Please send a cover letter, detailing your relevant experience, proposed methodology for the consultancy and a budget, and a CV to: Eugenie GALBAS egalbas@clientearth.org and Caroline Haywood chaywood@clientearth.org by 26 May 2024.

Please note that applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as soon as they are received, and interviews will take place as soon as possible after receipt of applications. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. An early application is therefore strongly advised.