Education for Nature Program (EFN) for a Consultant

Overview

The WWF Education for Nature Program (EFN) seeks a consultant to undertake a comprehensive synthesis of the Reforestation Grants initiative and develop a Lessons Learned Report with recommendations on best practices and enhancing the implementation of restoration activities. Interested qualified candidates should submit completed proposals in PDF format to be received on or before February 20, 2024, 11.59pm, US ET via email to: EFN@wwf.org and copy to flor.byers@wwfus.org. For any clarification, please email your queries no later than 3 days before the closing date. The assignment is expected to be carried out in 60 consultancy days, starting March 15, 2024.

CONTEXT WWF through the Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program (EFN) supports local communities and organizations to restore native forest ecosystems and reverse degradation, whilst strengthening local capacity for enhancing management practices, and promoting alternative livelihoods with gender equity, in ways that attend to the local needs and aspirations. Since 2011, EFN has provided funding to grassroots organizations from low-income countries to implement restoration projects. Collectively, WWF aims to restore 350 million hectares of forest landscapes by 2030 to benefit biodiversity and forest dependent communities by working with partners and stakeholders at local, national, and international levels. Through the Reforestation Grants initiative, EFN has continued to contribute to this goal by providing grants to local and community-based organizations to restore degraded and deforested areas. EFN is seeking a consultant to conduct the comprehensive synthesis of the Reforestation Grants initiative and develop a Lessons Learned Report with recommendations on best practices and further recommendations for enhancing the implementation of the community-based Forest Restoration Grant. The consultant will review the portfolio of restoration projects funded to get a good understanding of their scope, implementation and achieved outcomes (including applications, reports from the grant recipients and additional documentation) which will be made available by the EFN Program.

Responsibilities

This work is aimed at distilling the lessons learnt from the implementation of the WWF Education for Nature Program (EFN) Reforestation Grant and offering specific recommendations to support future work in promoting restoration interventions. This work will result in the elaboration of a report drawing on the available data, experiences, and case studies from the initiatives supported from 2011 to 2022. The product of this consultancy should be 1) a comprehensive synthesis of lessons learned from the Reforestation Grants initiative, and 2) recommendations for enhancing the implementation of the EFN’s community-based Forest Restoration Grant.

SCOPE OF WORK The analysis to be conducted will include the following elements: ● Types of restoration interventions supported and type of local stakeholders participating in project implementation. ● Main lessons on project design, implementation and monitoring approaches restoration outcomes obtained considering contribution to biodiversity and other ecosystem services. ● Social benefits with a perspective of gender, including impacts on gender dynamics, youth inclusion, indigenous participation, and use of traditional knowledge ● Outcomes on improved livelihood conditions considering differentiated cultural, social, and economic context. ● Impacts of associated interventions to reduce threats on further deforestation and forest degradation and their outcomes while considering context-specific conditions. ● Implementation approaches, main challenges and barriers faced and adopted actions and responses to overcome obstacles. ● Outcomes from capacity development activities accompanying restoration actions ● Actions adopted to ensure permanence of restoration outcomes over time, and actions adopted including long-term financial planning.

GUIDING QUESTIONS The following guiding questions will inform the report: ● How does participation in project design and implementation affect achieved outcomes? ● How are outcomes influenced when drawing on indigenous and local knowledge systems? ● What restoration interventions showed the highest potential to achieve ecological and social outcomes?

● What were the main ways adopted to measure its impact? ● How capacity development contributed to improve outcomes from restoration interventions? ● How can approaches in design, implementation and monitoring approaches be improved? ● How do outcomes achieved differ in Africa, Asia, and Latin America? The consultant will have access to and draw from the following resources: ● Data collected by EFN on project implementation and grant recipients’ reports. ● Remote follow up with selected local partners to document case studies with potential to provide lessons on implementation and outcomes. ● Review of the Reforestation Grants initiative to assess the connection among restoration interventions, knowledge enhancement, leadership, policy change, and gender dynamics.

METHODOLOGY ● Comprehensive literature review: Reforestation Grant Program documents: grant recipient applications, EFN narrative annual reports, EFN annual impact reports, and other similar documentation related to reforestation and/or locally led forest restoration work. ● Key informants’ interviews: Education for Nature (EFN) team, WWF Forests Lead Scientist, Forest Landscape Restoration partners. ● Interviews with grant recipients: Remote interviews with multi-grant grant recipients in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. ● Data review: Review compiled data from the Reforestation Grant Program, assess outcomes, challenges, and opportunities among the regions where the program has been implemented according to the outlined elements and scope of work

DELIVERABLES The assignment is expected to be carried out in 60 consultancy days, starting March 15, 2024. ● An inception report outlining the consultant’s understanding of the Term of Reference, a detailed methodology, work plan and timelines is expected to be submitted 5 days after signing of the contract. ● A draft Lessons Learned Report (15-25 pages max) including case studies of restoration implementation projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America; detailed lessons, challenges and needs and recommendations for enhancing the implementation of the EFN’s community-based Forest Restoration Grant. WWF will provide comments on the draft and the consultant will finalize the report. ● Virtual meeting to discuss feedback on the first draft report. ● Draft and final PowerPoint presentation summarizing the methods and approach taken, the evaluation findings, conclusion. ● Final Lessons Learned Report (15-25 pages max).

Qualifications

Technical and Reporting Contacts: Director, Education for Nature Program (Nelly Kadagi); Lead Specialist, Education for Nature Program (Flor Gomez Byers); WWF Global Forests Lead Scientist (Pablo Pacheco).

The following experience and competencies are essential for this role: ● Proven experience in conducting reviews/assessments for/and forest restoration programs. ● Proven expertise in managing, aggregating, and compiling large amounts of data. ● Self-motivated and able to take initiative to find resources and solutions. ● An understanding of grant making and grant management processes. ● Ability to write in an accessible and concise way. ● Expertise and understanding of restoration efforts around the world, specifically the work implemented by grassroots organizations in developing countries. ● Master’s degree and/or PhD in Forestry, Ecology, Environmental Science, International Development. ● Minimum 6 – 10 years’ proven experience in documentation of programme learning, project management, report writing. ● Strong analytical and writing, documentation of lessons learned, adaptive learning skills with proven experience in producing high quality research, case studies, policy briefs with ability to present complex information in a simple and accessible manner.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING APPLICATION Applicants who meet the criteria can submit their applications electronically in PDF format, with subject line clearly indicated “Documentation of Lessons Learned-WWF Education for Nature Program (EFN)” via email on or before February 20, 2024, at 5:00PM (EST) to: EFN@wwf.org and copy to flor.byers@wwfus.org. All applications should include the following: ● A brief expression of interest ● A summary of your relevant qualifications including two examples and samples of similar assignments recently completed. ● A technical proposal (max. 5 pages) outlining ○ methodological approach on how to conduct the assignment, ○ a proposed budget, work plan timeline, with a breakdown of the number of days expected to be spent on each stage of the deliverables. ● An up-to–date CV. Only short-listed candidates will be invited to submit a complete offer and will be contacted for the next step in the application process.