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IUCN: Request for Proposals
Request for Proposals (RfP): Integrated Baseline Assessment and Development of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Plan for the REPLAN Project
KCO REPLAN PROJECT
RfP Reference:
Welcome to this Procurement by IUCN. You are hereby invited to submit a Proposal. Please read the information and instructions carefully because non-compliance with the instructions may result in disqualification of your Proposal from this Procurement.
1. REQUIREMENTS
1.1. A detailed description of the services and/or goods to be provided can be found in Attachment 1.
2. CONTACT DETAILS
2.1. During the course of this procurement, i.e. from the publication of this RfP to the award of a contract, you may not discuss this procurement with any IUCN employee or representative other than the following contact. You must address all correspondence and questions to the contact, including your Proposal.
IUCN Contact: [email protected]
3**.PROCUREMENT TIMETABLE**
3.1. This timetable is indicative and may be changed by IUCN at any time. If IUCN decides that changes to any of the deadlines are necessary, we will publish this on our website and contact you directly if you have indicated your interest in this procurement (see Section 3.2).
DATE ACTIVITY
29/07/2026 – Publication of the Request for Proposals
03/08/2026 – Deadline for expressions of interest
03/08/2026 – Deadline for submission of questions
07/08/2026 – Planned publication of responses to questions
12/08/2026 – Deadline for submission of Proposals to IUCN (“Submission Deadline”)
31/08/2026 – Planned date for contract award
01/09/2026 – Expected contract start date
3.2. Please email the IUCN contact to express your interest in submitting a Proposal by the deadline stated above. This will help IUCN to keep you updated regarding the procurement.
4. COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL
4.1. Your Proposal must consist of the following four separate documents:
• Signed Declaration of Undertaking (see Attachment 2)
• Pre-Qualification Information (see Section 4.3 below)
• Technical Proposal (see Section 4.4 below)
• Financial Proposal (see Section 4.5 below)
Proposals must be prepared in English.
4.2. Your Proposal must be submitted by email to the IUCN Contact (see Section 2). The subject heading of the email shall be [RfP Reference – bidder name]. The bidder name is the name of the company/organisation on whose behalf you are submitting the Proposal, or your own surname if you are bidding as a self-employed consultant. Your Proposal must be submitted in PDF format. You may submit multiple emails suitably annotated, e.g. Email 1 of 3, if attached files are too large to suit a single email transmission. You may not submit your Proposal by uploading it to a file-sharing tool.
IMPORTANT: Submitted documents must be password-protected so that they cannot be opened and read before the submission deadline. Please use the same password for all submitted documents. After the deadline has passed and within 12 hours, please send the password to the IUCN Contact. This will ensure a secure bid submission and opening process. Please DO NOT email the password before the deadline for Proposal submission.
4.3. Pre-Qualification Criteria
IUCN will use the following Pre-Qualification Criteria to determine whether you have the capacity to provide the required goods and/or services to IUCN. Please provide the necessary information in a single, separate document.
Pre-Qualification Criteria
1. 3 relevant references of clients similar to IUCN / similar work
2. Confirm that you have all the necessary legal registrations in Kenya and physical presence in Kenya to perform the work
3. State your annual turnover for each of the past 3 years
4. How many employees does your organisation have who are qualified for this work?
4.4. Technical Proposal
The Technical Proposal must address each of the criteria stated below explicitly and separately, quoting the relevant criteria reference number (left-hand column).
Technical Proposal Format and Page Limits
Section Maximum Pages
Understanding of the Assignment – 2 pages
Technical Approach and Methodology including Sampling Strategy – 5 pages
Work plan and delivery schedule – 2 pages
Team composition and task allocation – 2 pages
Relevant Experience – 2 pages
Risk Mitigation Matrix – 1 page
Total Page Number for the Technical Proposal (excluding annexes) – 15 pages max.
Proposals in any other format will significantly increase the time it takes to evaluate, and such Proposals may therefore be rejected at IUCN’s discretion.
Provide CVs for relevant personnel only. These must be the individuals who will carry out the specified work. Each CV should not exceed three (3) pages. The individuals proposed may only be substituted with IUCN’s prior approval. IUCN will evaluate Technical Proposals with regards to each of the following criteria and their relative importance:
Description Information to provide Relative weight 1 Understanding of the assignment and project context Technical proposal 20% 2 Quality and practicality of proposed methodology including workplan Technical proposal 35% 3 Relevant expertise and experience as per the team composition qualification CVs and relevant qualification(s) 20% 4 Demonstrated experience and expertise in biodiversity, drylands, water, livelihoods, governance, gender, safeguards and conflict-sensitive programming Portfolios, reports, websites 25% TOTAL 100%
4.5. Financial Proposal
4.5.1. The Financial Proposal must be a fixed and firm price for the provision of the goods/services stated in the RfP in their entirety.
Description Cost (EUR)
Professional Fees
Fieldwork Costs
Data Collection and Field Implementation Costs
Workshop, Meetings, Partner Meetings
Other Reimbursable Expenses
4.5.2. Prices include all costs
Submitted rates and prices are deemed to include all costs, insurances, taxes (except VAT, see below), fees, expenses, liabilities, obligations, risk and other things necessary for the performance of the Terms of Reference or Specification of Requirements. IUCN will not accept charges beyond those clearly stated in the Financial Proposal. This includes applicable withholding taxes and similar. It is your responsibility to determine whether such taxes apply to your organisation and to include them in your Financial Proposal.
4.5.3. Applicable Goods and Services Taxes
Proposal rates and prices shall be exclusive of Value Added Tax.
4.5.4. Currency of proposed rates and prices
All rates and prices submitted by Proposers shall be in Euros (EUR).
4.6. Additional information not requested by IUCN should not be included in your Proposal and will not be considered in the evaluation.
4.7. Your Proposal must remain valid and capable of acceptance by IUCN for a period of 90 calendar days following the submission deadline.
4.8. Withdrawals and Changes
You may freely withdraw or change your Proposal at any time prior to the submission deadline by written notice to the IUCN Contact. However, in order to reduce the risk of fraud, no changes or withdrawals will be accepted after the submission deadline.
5. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS
5.1. Completeness
IUCN will firstly check your Proposal for completeness. Incomplete Proposals will not be considered further including the proposal length.
5.2. Pre-Qualification Criteria
Only Proposals that meet all of the pre-qualification criteria will be evaluated.
5.3. Technical Evaluation
5.3.1. Scoring Method
Your Proposal will be assigned a score from 0 to 10 for each of the technical evaluation criteria, such that ‘0’ is low and ‘10’ is high.
5.3.2. Minimum Quality Thresholds
Proposals that receive a score of ‘0’ for any of the criteria will not be considered further.
5.3.3. Technical Score
Your score for each technical evaluation criterion will be multiplied with the respective relative weight (see Section 4.4) and these weighted scores added together to give your Proposal’s overall technical score.
5.4. Financial Evaluation and Financial Scores
The financial evaluation will be based upon the full total price you submit. Your Financial Proposal will receive a score calculated by dividing the lowest Financial Proposal that has passed the minimum quality thresholds (see Section 5.3.2) by the total price of your Financial Proposal.
Thus, for example, if your Financial Proposal is for a total of CHF 100 and the lowest Financial Proposal is CHF 80, you will receive a financial score of 80/100 = 80%
5.5. Total Score
Your Proposal’s total score will be calculated as the weighted sum of your technical score and your financial score.
The relative weights will be:
Technical: 70%
Financial: 30%
Thus, for example, if your technical score is 83% and your financial score is 77%, you will receive a total score of 83 * 70% + 77 * 30% = 58.1% + 23.1% = 81.2%.
Subject to the requirements in Sections 4 and 7, IUCN will award the contract to the bidder whose Proposal achieves the highest total score.
6. EXPLANATION OF PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE
6.1. IUCN is using the Open Procedure for this procurement. This means that the contracting opportunity is published on IUCN’s website and open to all interested parties to take part, subject to the conditions in Section 7 below.
6.2. You are welcome to ask questions or seek clarification regarding this procurement. Please email the IUCN Contact (see Section 2), taking note of the deadline for submission of questions in Section 3.1.
6.3. All Proposals must be received by the submission deadline in Section 3.1 above. Late Proposals will not be considered. All Proposals received by the submission deadline will be evaluated by a team of evaluators in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in this RfP. No other criteria will be used to evaluate Proposals. The contract will be awarded to the bidder whose Proposal received the highest Total Score. IUCN does, however, reserve the right to cancel the procurement and not award a contract at all.
6.4. IUCN will contact the bidder with the highest-scoring Proposal to finalise the contract. We will contact unsuccessful bidders after the contract has been awarded and provide detailed feedback. The timetable in Section 3.1 gives an estimate of when we expect to have completed the contract award, but this date may change depending on how long the evaluation of Proposals takes.
7. CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROCUREMENT
7.1. To participate in this procurement, you are required to submit a Proposal, which fully complies with the instructions in this RfP and the Attachments.
7.1.1. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have submitted a complete and fully compliant Proposal.
7.1.2. Any incomplete or incorrectly completed Proposal submission may be deemed non-compliant, and as a result you may be unable to proceed further in the procurement process.
7.1.3. IUCN will query any obvious clerical errors in your Proposal and may, at IUCN’s sole discretion, allow you to correct these, but only if doing so could not be perceived as giving you an unfair advantage.
7.2. In order to participate in this procurement, you must meet the following conditions:
• Free of conflicts of interest
• Registered on the relevant professional or trade register of the country in which you are established (or resident, if self-employed)
• In full compliance with your obligations relating to payment of social security contributions and of all applicable taxes
• Not been convicted of failing to comply with environmental regulatory requirements or other legal requirements relating to sustainability and environmental protection
• Not bankrupt or being wound up
• Never been guilty of an offence concerning your professional conduct
• Not involved in fraud, corruption, a criminal organisation, money laundering, terrorism, or any other illegal activity.
7.3. You must complete and sign the Declaration of Undertaking (see Attachment 2).
7.4. If you are participating in this procurement as a member of a joint venture, or are using sub-contractors, submit a separate Declaration of Undertaking for each member of the joint venture and sub-contractor, and be clear in your Proposal which parts of the goods/services are provided by each partner or sub-contractor.
7.5. Each bidder shall submit only one Proposal, either individually or as a partner in a joint venture. In case of joint venture, one company shall not be allowed to participate in two different joint ventures in the same procurement nor shall a company be allowed to submit a Proposal both on its behalf and as part of a joint venture for the same procurement. A bidder who submits or participates in more than one Proposal (other than as a subcontractor or in cases of alternatives that have been permitted or requested) shall cause all the Proposals with the bidder’s participation to be disqualified.
7.6. By taking part in this procurement, you accept the conditions set out in this RfP, including the following:
• It is unacceptable to give or offer any gift or consideration to an employee or other representative of IUCN as a reward or inducement in relation to the awarding of a contract. Such action will give IUCN the right to exclude you from this and any future procurements, and to terminate any contract that may have been signed with you.
• Any attempt to obtain information from an employee or other representative of IUCN concerning another bidder will result in disqualification.
• Any price fixing or collusion with other bidders in relation to this procurement shall give IUCN the right to exclude you and any other involved bidder(s) from this and any future procurements and may constitute a criminal offence.
8. CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA PROTECTION
8.1. IUCN follows the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The information you submit to IUCN as part of this procurement will be treated as confidential and shared only as required to evaluate your Proposal in line with the procedure explained in this RfP, and for the maintenance of a clear audit trail. For audit purposes, IUCN is required to retain your Proposal in its entirety for 10 years after then end of the resulting contract and make this available to internal and external auditors and donors as and when requested.
8.2. In the Declaration of Undertaking (Attachment 2) you need to give IUCN express permission to use the information you submit in this way, including personal data that forms part of your Proposal. Where you include personal data of your employees (e.g. CVs) in your Proposal, you need to have written permission from those individuals to share this information with IUCN, and for IUCN to use this information as indicated in 8.1. Without these permissions, IUCN will not be able to consider your Proposal.
9. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
If you have a complaint or concern regarding the propriety of how a competitive process is or has been executed, then please contact [email protected]. Such complaints or concerns will be treated as confidential and are not considered in breach of the above restrictions on communication (Section 2.1).
10. CONTRACT
The contract will be based on IUCN’s template in Attachment 3, the terms of which are not negotiable. They may, however, be amended by IUCN to reflect particular requirements from the donor funding this particular procurement.
11. ABOUT IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Headquartered in Switzerland, IUCN Secretariat comprises around 1,000 staff with offices in more than 50 countries.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,300 Member organisations and some 10,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
www.iucn.org
https://twitter.com/IUCN/
12. ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 Specification of Requirements / Terms of Reference
Attachment 2 Declaration of Undertaking (select 2a for companies or 2b for self-employed as applicable to you)
Attachment 3 Contract Template
Terms of Reference for IUCN Consultancy
Integrated Baseline Assessment and Development of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Plan for the REPLAN Project
Overall Objective
To establish an integrated baseline and develop a practical Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system for the REPLAN Project.
Specific Objectives
1. Establish baseline values for the REPLAN project results framework. The draft results framework is available.
2. To identify priority restoration landscapes and implementation sites to inform project implementation.
3. Review and strengthen the project Results Framework, Theory of Change, indicators and targets.
4. To develop a practical and integrated MEAL system, including the PMP, PIRS, DQA framework and reporting tools.
5. Embed cross-cutting principles into the project monitoring system by ensuring that gender equality, human rights, safeguards, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), grievance redress, conflict sensitivity, social inclusion, and stakeholder engagement are systematically integrated into monitoring, reporting, and learning processes.
6. To strengthen the capacity of the PMU and implementing partners to implement the MEAL system.
Background
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is implementing the project ‘Building Resilient Community Conservancies for Biodiversity Conservation, Resilience, Livelihood Improvement and Peace/Security in the Churo-Kirisia-Mukogodo-Oldonyiro-Ndoto-Mathews Ranges-Sabarwawa Ecosystems in Northern Kenya’, short form REPLAN. The project is funded by the European Union under the NaturAfrica programme and implemented by IUCN in partnership with WWF-Kenya, VSF-Suisse and the Regional Centre for Mapping Resources and Development (RCMRD), each of which has responsibility for specific technical workstreams.
REPLAN is a 4-year project (2026 – 2029) implemented in a connected dryland landscape covering parts of Laikipia, Samburu, Isiolo, Baringo and Marsabit counties. The project area includes community conservancies, rangelands, dryland forests, riparian systems, wetlands, wildlife corridors, water towers, pastoral mobility routes and nature-based livelihood systems. The landscape faces interlinked pressures, including biodiversity loss, rangeland degradation, invasive species, water scarcity, human-wildlife conflict, climate vulnerability, weak natural resource governance, unclear resource tenure, and recurring resource use conflict and mobility.
The project seeks to strengthen the resilience of communities and ecosystems by improving biodiversity conservation, restoring degraded landscapes, strengthening climate-resilient livelihoods, promoting alternative energy, improving water and rangeland governance, supporting inclusive community institutions, strengthening human rights-based approaches, and improving conflict-sensitive natural resource governance.
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and some 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
www.iucn.org
About the Project
REPLAN has four main components:
Component 1: Improve biodiversity and ecosystem conservation in Northern Central Kenya. This includes degradation and invasive species mapping, restoration of degraded ecosystems, rangeland reseeding, invasive species management, water conservation measures, biodiversity monitoring, OECM-related work, safeguards screening, Human Rights Impact Assessments, Gender Analysis and human-wildlife coexistence measures.
Component 2: Improve livelihoods and resilience of communities, especially women and youth. This includes support to regenerative green and nature-based enterprises, sustainable enterprise plans, blended finance support, alternative energy solutions, predator-proof bomas, and resilient livestock market systems.
Component 3: Strengthen inclusive natural resource governance in project landscapes. This includes community land processes, grievance redress mechanisms, dispute-resolution frameworks, peacebuilding, IMET assessments, stakeholder learning and advocacy.
Component 4: Project management, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, learning and communication. This includes baseline, mid-term review, endline, project coordination, reporting, knowledge management, financial management and adaptive learning.
This Terms of Reference (ToR) provides the framework for an integrated baseline assessment that will consolidate these workstreams into a coherent project baseline. The baseline will provide the foundations for sex, age, vulnerability, and location disaggregated monitoring as well as for community resilience, socio-economic change, governance outcomes, private sector engagement and safeguards performance.
The consultancy will therefore support IUCN to develop an integrated baseline and Project Monitoring Plan that brings together project level Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) requirements and partner-led technical baseline inputs into one coherent monitoring system required for implementation, partner reporting, donor reporting and adaptive management.
Purpose of the Assignment
The purpose of the assignment is to establish credible baseline values, methods, tools and datasets for REPLAN’s logical framework, and develop the core project Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Plan required for implementation, donor reporting, safeguards tracking and adaptive management.
The baseline will provide the reference point against which project outputs, outcomes, EU Common Indicators and NaturAfrica indicators will be monitored, evaluated and reported. It will also support site prioritisation, partner work planning, safeguards implementation and compliance, gender-responsive programming, accountability and stakeholder feedback mechanisms beneficiary targeting, risk management, and learning throughout project implementation.
Description of the Assignment
IUCN seeks the services of a consultant to provide REPLAN and its partners with a technically sound, practical and field-usable baseline and Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system that enables the project to measure progress, demonstrate results, manage risks, support learning, and report credibly to the European Union.
The specific tasks of the consultancy are:
1. Establish baseline values for all REPLAN project indicators
2. Review, refine and, where necessary propose changes to the project results framework, indicators, targets, means of verification review the project’s Theory of Change (ToC) to ensure logical flow from activities to EU-level outcomes.
3. Develop a Project MEAL plan Plan that includes a) a monitoring plan which defines what will be measured, how, by whom, how often, using which tools, and with what quality controls; b) project Learning agenda to include learning questions, pause and reflect sessions and adaptive manage sessions; c) project knowledge management plan and d) and accountability plan to address grievance procedures
4. Develop a MEAL risk register
5. Prepare Performance Indicator Reference Sheets for all project indicators.
6. Develop a Data Quality Assurance framework, including data verification procedures, reporting responsibilities, evidence requirements and partner-level quality checks.
7. Co-design practical reporting templates and tools for IUCN, WWF-Kenya, VSF-Suisse, RCMRD and other relevant project actors.
8. Assess the status and drivers of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss and identify priority restoration landscapes and implementation sites using the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM) and a participatory Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA).
9. Undertake a stocktake of existing restoration initiatives to document best practices, lessons learned, and what has worked and not worked in the target country, drawing on scientific evidence and local and Indigenous knowledge.
10. In consultation with the consortium members and applying the principles of NbS develop context-specific restoration action packages for the prioritized landscapes, defining the recommended restoration interventions, implementation approaches, indicative investment needs, expected outcomes, and monitoring indicators.
11. Stakeholder Mapping and Categorization; Identifying all relevant actors, their interests, and their operational scales (from local to national).
12. Establish existing coordination mechanisms and related gaps targeting gender and social inclusion in the coordination structures and policy-related bottlenecks.
13. Security and conflict dynamics mapping to identify the hotspots, frequency, root causes and potential impacts to vulnerable groups.
14. Establish a beneficiary tracking and disaggregation framework covering sex, age, location, vulnerability category and relevant stakeholder group.
15. Integrate gender, safeguards, human rights, Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), stakeholder engagement, Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM), conflict sensitivity and inclusion requirements into the MEAL system.
16. Produce a final baseline report and MEAL package that can be used by the Project Management Unit and implementing partners.
The assignment will cover all REPLAN components, outputs, indicators and partner workstreams. It will include both quantitative and qualitative methods, and will draw on field-level, institutional, geospatial, ecological, socio-economic, governance, gender, safeguards and conflict-related data.
The consultant will work across the four REPLAN micro-landscapes and relevant counties, including the following broad landscape clusters: Churo-Kirisia / Ruko-Kaptuya-Mukutan landscape; Mukogodo-Oldonyiro / Naibunga-Shulmai landscape; Ndoto-Mathews landscape and Sabarwawa / Melako-Shurr landscape.
Final field sites will be confirmed during inception in consultation with IUCN and implementing partners.
Methodology
The baseline assessment will establish the starting position for REPLAN’s results framework and develop the core Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning system required to track implementation, measure results, support adaptive management and meet donor reporting requirements. The consultant will apply a mixed-methods approach combining document review, indicator mapping, field-based quantitative and qualitative data collection, geospatial and biophysical data review, partner consultations, and validation with IUCN and implementing partners.
The consultant shall not duplicate technical assessments already planned under other project activities, such as detailed geospatial mapping by RCMRD or specialist ecological assessments by biodiversity partners. The consultant shall coordinate with these workstreams and integrate available data into the baseline assessment and Project Monitoring Plan (PMP). Where partner-generated data are not available during the assignment, the consultant shall document the resulting data gaps, use the best available evidence where appropriate, and recommend how and when the outstanding data should be incorporated into the baseline and PMP.
The following are some of the activities to be included in the methodology:
1. Desk review and inception: Review relevant project documents and prepare an inception report setting out the proposed methodology, sampling approach, fieldwork plan, tools, team composition, data quality approach, ethical and safeguards protocols, risk management measures and detailed workplan.
2. Results framework and indicator review: Review the REPLAN project results framework and assess whether each indicator is clear, measurable, attributable, feasible and aligned with available data sources. The assessment will develop a practical indicator measurement framework for all project outcomes and outputs.
3. Methodology, sampling and data collection tools: The consultant shall design a mixed-methods baseline methodology, including the proposed sampling approach, data collection methods and tools, quality assurance measures, and analytical framework. The proposed methodology shall be technically robust, practical and fit for the scope and objectives of the assignment, with a clear justification for the proposed approach.
4. Landscape Restoration Opportunity Assessment and Restoration Planning: Applying the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM) and a participatory Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA), the firm will assess ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss, identify priority restoration landscapes and implementation sites, undertake a stocktake of existing restoration initiatives, and develop context-specific Nature-based Solutions (NbS) restoration action packages, including recommended interventions, implementation approaches, indicative investment needs, and monitoring indicators.
5. Field data collection: Undertake field data collection in selected project landscapes and counties using a mixed-methods approach proposed by the consultant and approved during the inception phase. The proposed methodology shall be appropriate to the scope and objectives of the assignment and should capture ecological, livelihood, governance, gender, safeguards, conflict, grievance redress and inclusion dimensions of the project. The consultant shall ensure that data collection does not raise unrealistic expectations or create conflict over project benefits.
6. Establish baseline values and confirm targets: Analyse collected data and establish baseline values for each indicator. For indicators where a baseline cannot be fully established during the assignment due to unforeseen issues, the consultant shall clearly explain the limitation and propose the method, responsible party, and timeline for confirming the baseline. The consultant shall also review and recommend refinements to targets where current targets are incomplete or require clarification.
7. Develop the Project Monitoring Plan: The consultant shall develop a Project Monitoring Plan (PMP) for REPLAN. The PMP shall be practical, concise, and usable by the PMU and partners. The PMP shall clearly identify which indicators are reported by IUCN, WWF-Kenya, VSF-Suisse, RCMRD or other actors, and how data will be consolidated. The consultant shall also prepare Performance Indicator Reference (PIR) Sheets for each indicator. The contents of the PIR shall be agreed during the inception phase.
8. Develop the Data Quality Assurance (DQA) framework: The consultant shall develop a DQA framework to guide project monitoring and reporting. The framework shall cover elements discussed during the inception workshop and should also include a simple DQA checklist for use during partner reporting and supervision.
9. Develop partner reporting tools and beneficiary tracking system: The consultant shall prepare reporting templates aligned to the donor reporting requirement and monitoring tools for use by IUCN and partners. The beneficiary tracking system shall enable disaggregation by sex, age, county, micro-landscape, conservancy/community, vulnerability category, beneficiary type and intervention type, subject to data protection and informed consent requirements.
10. Integrate Gender, Safeguards, HRBA, GRM and Conflict Sensitivity into MEAL: The consultant shall also work with the IUCN and Partner Gender and Safeguards team to ensure that the MEAL system captures the implementation of safeguards, gender, human rights and conflict-sensitivity commitments. These should be embedded in indicator reporting, activity reporting, field supervision, and adaptive management.
11. Validation and Capacity Building: The consultant shall organise and facilitate a validation workshop with IUCN, WWF-Kenya, VSF-Suisse, RCMRD and relevant stakeholders. The consultant shall also provide practical orientation to the Project Management Unit (PMU) and implementing partners on the use of the MEAL system, including monitoring and reporting tools, data quality assurance procedures, and roles and responsibilities for data collection, reporting and quality control.
Duration of the Assignment
The assignment is expected to be completed within 10 to 12 weeks maximum from the date of contract signature. The final timeline will be agreed during contract negotiation and confirmed in the inception report.
Deliverables and Activities
Deliverables
Phases Deliverable Timeline Description
Phase 1 – (Inception, Results Framework and Methodology)
Inception report
Within ten (10) days upon signing the contract
Should include the following:
The approach and/or clear methodology, Data Collection tools, Preliminary list of key documents to be reviewed, Ethical/Safeguards approach, Structure of the baseline report proposed refinement to the Results Framework and Delivery workplan.
Indicator mapping matrix
With inception report
Review of all indicators, baselines, targets, data sources, partner responsibilities and measurement methods. Which includes Indicator metrics (baseline and targets) backed by assessment results.
Phase 2(Baseline Assessment)
Final data collection tools
Within 5 days after inception workshop
Approved quantitative and qualitative tools, including gender, safeguards, HRBA, GRM and conflict-sensitivity modules.
Draft baseline report
After two (2) months upon signing the contract
The draft report based on the annotated outline developed during the inception phase, highlighting key findings on the indicator values, analysis by component/output, data limitations and target recommendations. Which should include priority landscapes and sites with maps.
Baseline Validation workshop
5 days after approval of the draft baseline report
Report presenting summary of stakeholder feedback and agreed revisions.
Phase 3 (MEAL System Development)
Draft Project Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Plan
Included with baseline report
Full PMP including indicators, baselines, targets, methods, frequency, responsibilities and data flow. Learning agenda, knowledge management plan, accountability plan and a project risk register
Draft PIRS package
Included with draft PMP
Performance Indicator Reference Sheets for all project indicators.
Draft DQA framework
Included with draft PMP
Data quality framework, verification procedures, evidence standards, DQA checklist and partner controls.
Draft reporting and tracking tools
Included with draft PMP
Partner reporting templates, beneficiary tracker, stakeholder engagement log, field mission template and evidence checklist.
Finalise project Results Framework
Included with draft PMP
Complete results framework
Capacity building workshop(s)
Within 5 working days after validation
Report summarizing proceedings, comments received, agreed changes, unresolved issues and decisions
Final baseline report and MEAL Package and all data including transcripts from the qualitative interviews and the cleaned
Within two (2) weeks of the finalisation of comments following the validation workshop
Revised and approved baseline report together with the finalized MEAL package, including the Project Monitoring Plan (PMP), Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS), Data Quality Assurance (DQA) framework, reporting tools, survey data in excel format beneficiary tracking tools and all supporting annexes and datasets.
Payment Schedule
Milestone – Deliverable – Description – Payment (%)
Milestone 1 – Inception Phase – Approval of the Inception Report and Indicator Mapping Matrix – 15%
Milestone 2 – Baseline Assessment – Approval of the final data collection tools, field data collection and submission of the draft baseline report – 30%
Milestone 3 – Validation Phase – Successful completion of the baseline validation Workshop and submission of the validation workshop report -15%
Milestone 4 – MEAL System Development – Submission and approval of the Draft Project Monitoring Plan (PMP), Draft PIRS Package, Draft DQA Framework, Draft Reporting and Tracking Tools, and Finalised Results Framework – 20%
Milestone 5 – Final Deliverables and Handover – Submission and approval of the Final Baseline Report and Final MEAL Package, including the finalized PMP, PIRS, DQA Framework, reporting tools, beneficiary tracking tools, all supporting annexes and datasets, and completion of the capacity-building workshop(s) – 20%
Total – 100%
Skills and Experience
The assignment may be undertaken by a consulting firm or a team of consultants. The proposed team shall collectively demonstrate the required expertise outlined below. Bidders may determine the most appropriate team composition, provided all required competencies are adequately covered, demonstrated and clearly justified.
Team Leader: Natural Resources Management Specialist:
• At least 15 years’ experience in natural resources management, biodiversity conservation, landscape restoration, rangeland management, ecosystem management or related fields.
• Advanced university/master’s degree in Natural Resources Management, Environmental Management, Conservation Biology, Forestry, Rangeland Management or related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience leading large multidisciplinary baseline assessments and coordinating technical teams in donor-funded programmes.
• Proven experience in landscape restoration, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management, and integrated natural resource management.
• Ability to interpret ecological, geospatial, and biophysical data.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams comprising monitoring and evaluation, governance, livelihoods and social safeguard specialists.
• Experience managing multi-partner programmes funded by the European Union or other international development partners will be an added advantage.
The team leader will be supported by experts in the following thematic areas Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Specialist:
• At least 15 years’ experience in conducting baseline studies, designing MEAL systems, and implementing MEAL systems for donor-funded programmes.
• Strong experience developing Results Frameworks, Project Monitoring Plans (PMPs), Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS), Data Quality Assurance (DQA) frameworks, indicator tracking systems and reporting tools.
• Proven experience leading MEAL system development for multi-partner consortia, including harmonising diverse reporting requirements across implementing partners. Experience with EU-funded or other large multi-partner programmes is highly desirable.
• Experience in designing and implementing baseline assessments, indicator measurement methodologies, data quality systems and learning frameworks.
• Strong analytical, reporting and data management skills.
Governance Specialist:
• Demonstrated experience in natural resource governance, community conservancies, institutional strengthening, policy development and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience supporting governance assessments, community participation, conflict-sensitive programming and multi-stakeholder coordination.
• Familiarity with governance systems within ASAL and conservation landscapes will be an added advantage.
Livelihoods Specialist:
• Demonstrated experience in sustainable livelihoods, nature-based enterprises, pastoral production systems, value chain development, and community resilience programming.
• Experience assessing socio-economic conditions and designing livelihood interventions within dryland and conservation landscapes.
• Familiarity with gender-responsive and inclusive livelihood approaches.
Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) Specialist:
• Experience integrating gender, safeguards, HRBA, FPIC, GRM, conflict sensitivity and inclusion into monitoring systems.
• Knowledge of gender and social inclusion issues in ASAL, pastoralist or conservation landscapes.
Quantitative and Qualitative Data Specialist(s):
• Experience designing sampling frameworks, survey tools, databases, data quality controls and quantitative analysis.
• Experience conducting KIIs, FGDs, participatory methods and institutional assessments in rural or dryland contexts.
Requirement: The consulting firm or team of consultants must be physically located in Kenya, as the assignment requires travel to the project target areas for field data collection, stakeholder consultations, and validation activities.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on technical and financial criteria.
Description Information to provide Relative weight 1 Understanding of the assignment and project context Technical proposal 20% 2 Quality and practicality of proposed methodology including workplan Technical proposal 35% 3 Relevant expertise and experience as per the team composition qualification CVs and relevant qualification(s) 20% 4 Demonstrated experience and expertise in Portfolios, reports, websites 25% biodiversity, drylands, water, livelihoods, governance, gender, safeguards and conflict-sensitive programming TOTAL 100%
Supervision and Coordination
The consultant will report directly to the REPLAN Chief of Party or another designated IUCN staff. While implementing partners (WWF-Kenya, VSF-Suisse, RCMRD) will review deliverables and provide technical inputs, IUCN holds the final approval authority for all deliverables and milestones.
DECLARATION OF UNDERTAKING
I, the undersigned, hereby confirm that I am an authorized representative of the following organization:
Registered Name of Organisation (the “Organisation”): _______________________
Registered Address (incl. country): _______________________________________
Year of Registration: ________________________________________________
I hereby authorise IUCN to store and use the information included in the attached Proposal for the purpose of evaluating Proposals and selecting the Proposal IUCN deems the most favourable. I acknowledge that IUCN is required to retain the Proposal in its entirety for 10 years after then end of the resulting contract and make this available to internal and external auditors and donors as and when reasonably requested.
Where the Proposal includes Personal Data as defined by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), I confirm that the Organisation has been authorised by each Data Subject to share this Data with IUCN for the purposes stated above.
I further confirm that the following statements are correct:
1. The Organisation is duly registered in accordance with all applicable laws.
2. The Organisation is fully compliant with all its tax and social security obligations.
3. The Organisation and its staff and representatives are free of any real or perceived conflicts of interest with regards to IUCN and its Mission.
4. The Organisation agrees to declare to IUCN any real or perceived emerging conflicts of interests it or any of its staff and representatives may have concerning IUCN. The Organisation acknowledges that IUCN may terminate any contracts with the Organisation that would, in IUCN sole discretion, be negatively affected by such conflicts of interests.
5. None of the Organisation’s staff has ever been convicted of grave professional misconduct or any other offence concerning their professional conduct.
6. Neither the Organisation nor any of its staff and representatives have ever been convicted of fraud, corruption, money laundering, supporting terrorism or involvement in a criminal organisation.
7. The Organisation acknowledges that engagement by itself or any of its staff in fraud, corruption, money laundering, supporting terrorism or involvement in a criminal organisation will entitle IUCN to terminate any and all contracts with the Organisation with immediate effect.
8. The Organisation is a going concern and is not bankrupt or being wound up, is not having its affairs administered by the courts, has not suspended business activities, is not the subject of proceedings concerning those matters, or in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure provided for in national legislation or regulations.
9. The Organisation complies with all applicable environmental regulatory requirements or other legal requirements relating to sustainability and environmental protection.
10. The Organisation is not included in the UN Security Council Sanctions List, EU Sanctions Map, US Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions List, or the World Bank listing of ineligible firms and individuals. The Organisation agrees that it will not provide direct or indirect support to firms and individuals included in these lists.
11. The Organisation has not been, is not, and will not be involved or implicated in any violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, or injustice or abuse of human rights related to other groups or individuals, including forced evictions, violation of fundamental rights of workers as defined by the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, child labour, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment.
______________________________________________________
< Name and position of authorised representative of the Proposer >
How to apply
https://procurement.iucn.org/