Documenting lessons learned and best practices Full Time NEW

Request for Proposals (RfP)
Documenting lessons learned and best practices
Requested by Uganda Country Office (UCO), Land Systems Programme under the GEF 7 Mt.Elgon Project: “Promoting Integrated Landscape Management Approach for Conservation of the Mt Elgon Ecosystem in Eastern Uganda”
RfP Reference: IUCN-26-04-P03404-04
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 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: Margaret Amony, Finance and Administrative Officer/ Procurement Focal Person, UCO Email address: [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
30th April 2026-Publication of the Request for Proposals
4th May 2026-Deadline for expressions of interest
7th May 2026-Deadline for submission of questions
11th May 2026-Planned publication of responses to questions
20th May 2026-Deadline for submission of Proposals to IUCN (“Submission Deadline”)
22nd May 2026-Clarification of Proposals
25th May 2026-Planned date for contract award
26th May 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 No. IUCN-26-04-P03404-04 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 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 in the table below explicitly and separately, quoting the relevant criteria reference number (in the two middle-columns).
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.
Where CVs are requested, these must be of the individuals who will actually carry out the work specified. The individuals you put forward may only be substituted with IUCN’s approval.
IUCN will evaluate Technical Proposals with regards to each of the following criteria and their relative importance as follows:
SN-Description-Information to provide Relative weight

1. Technical capability
1.1 State your understanding of the assignment objectives and tasks.-10
1.2. Define the scope of work clearly and in sufficient detail.-10
1.3. Articulate how you will achieve each objective and task in sufficient detail, while directing proper level of effort towards each objective and task.-15
1.4. State your understanding of the expected outputs and provide technical solutions and expected outcomes.-15
1.5. Define the equipment, techniques, tools, approaches, and methods to be used in executing the assignment.-20
1.6. Provide assignment time schedule in conformity with assignment scheduling and duration.-5
2. Past performance alignment and coherence with current assignment objectives and tasks
2.1. Provide your past performance/ relevant experience that match with the current assignment.-10
2.2. Indicate key personnel and their qualifications, expertise and past work experience that match with the current assignment.-10
2.3. Attach detailed CVs of individuals whose qualifications, expertise, and past work experience match with the current assignment, and who will carry out the work specified.-5

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.

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 to ensure that we are comparing like for like. This applies regardless of whether the IUCN office in question is exempt from VAT.

4.5.4. Currency of proposed rates and prices
All rates and prices submitted by Proposers shall be in Uganda Shillings.

4.5.5. Breakdown of rates and prices
Include here all the required price information breakdown, for example daily rates or unit prices for goods. The price needs to be broken down as follows:
SN-Description-Quantity-Unit Price-Total Price
1 Professional fees
2 Per diems/Day Day Allowance
3 Reimbursables (specify below)
a)
b)
c)
d)
4 Travel expenses
TOTAL

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 60 man 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.

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.
Subject to the requirements in Sections 4 and 7, IUCN will award the contract to the bidder whose Proposal achieves the highest total 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 noncompliant, 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 subcontractors, 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

Attachment 1
Specification of Requirements / Terms of Reference
Title: Documenting lessons learned and best practices
Objective of the Consultancy
This consultancy has the following objective(s):
The main objective of this assignment is to document lessons learned and best practices in the implementation of the incentive schemes as a catalyst for attracting and rewarding farmers, community members, the private sector and other stakeholders’ participation in Biodiversity Conservation, Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and for sustainable production of crops, value chains and their marketing in the Mt. Elgon landscape.
The specific objectives of the assignment are to:
1) Identify and document key lessons learned (technical, institutional, process-related) throughout the project lifecycle.
2) Identify and document best practices and innovative approaches to be replicated.
3) Analyze achievements, challenges, and adaptation strategies.
4) Produce user-friendly sustainable materials (lessons learned booklet, social media messages, infographics, 5–7-minute video documentary) to share project achievements.

Background
Project Reference: P03404
Donor reference: Mt Elgon Restoration Project – GEF 7

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 around 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
https://twitter.com/IUCN/

About the Project
The Mt. Elgon ecosystem is a trans-boundary ecosystem that straddles Eastern Uganda and Western Kenya and is a key resource in both Kenya and Uganda, providing ecosystem goods and services to over 4 million human lives and their livestock. The Mt. Elgon ecosystem serves as a catchment area for the drainage systems of Lakes Victoria, Turkana and Kyoga maintaining water quality, quantity and influencing the economies and livelihoods of communities in western Kenya, eastern Uganda, and the wider Nile Basin ecosystems. The forest mountain ecosystem is the source of critical goods and services that support livelihoods and economic development including provisioning (e.g. food, fiber, fuel, timber, water, and medicine), regulating (e.g. erosion regulation, flood regulation, landslide regulation), supporting (pollination, soil fertility) and cultural (e.g. recreation, cultural heritage). The higher slopes of Mt. Elgon landscape are protected as National Parks both in Kenya and Uganda. Mt. Elgon ecosystem was declared a UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) Reserve in Kenya and Uganda in 2003 and 2005 respectively and is destined to be made trans-boundary MAB conservation area. It also has the status of an Important Bird Area (IBA).

Despite its global, national, and local ecological and socio-economic significance, many areas of the Mt. Elgon landscape are affected by land degradation, deforestation, and forest degradation. Some wetlands and forests have been converted into farms and some riverbanks cultivated. The forest
ecosystem is particularly threatened by overharvesting of forest products and encroachment by settlements and for agriculture. Livestock grazing and poaching have equally and substantially reduced the biodiversity and, population sizes of animals are hunted down for meat and other products for traditional use. The main root cause of all this is high population pressure and poverty levels in the wider Mt. Elgon landscape.
The region experiences extensive impacts of land degradation in the form of loss of tree cover, severe erosion, increasingly frequent occurrence of landslides, excessive soil nutrient depletion due to overcultivation and offsite effect of sedimentation and flooding in the lowlands. Biodiversity has steadily declined at the ecosystem level and natural processes have drastically diminished and degraded in quality. Although there is rising coffee production, there is low integration of sustainable landscape approaches, lack of organization and collective action as well as incentives to ensure optimum production, insufficient incorporation of soil health in sustainable land management operations and high prevalence of poverty. Moreover, the existing landscape management approaches are fragmented and disjointed leading to unsustainable agricultural practices with inefficient value chains.

The current institutional arrangements and governance systems are weak leading to unsustainable agricultural practices and inefficient value chains. As such, the farming practices are unsustainable leading to low agricultural productivity and negative climate change impacts. Land and forest degradation are worsening climate change impacts. Moreover, the coffee and staple crop value chains are unresponsive to resource-poor farmers needs coupled with inadequate market linkages. The above situation is exacerbated by inadequate knowledge on Integrated Land Management approaches at landscape, national and regional levels. In meeting the economic growth, poverty reduction and industrialization plans, Government has identified and prioritized equitable access to productive land, sustainable natural resources management and integrated landscape planning and management as critical development pathways. One of Uganda’s critical landscapes faced with vast land management challenges is the Mt. Elgon landscape. The GEF 7 Project focus is on this area.

1.2 The GEF 7 Project in Mt. Elgon Ecosystem
The project goal is to enhance conservation of ecosystems that provide critical goods and services for rural livelihoods and food security in the Mt. Elgon landscape. This is a country child project to the global GEF Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) “Global Knowledge to Action Platform” child project which seeks to support transformational shifts in the use of environmentally sustainable practices and policies for priority global value chains. The Uganda child project has a transnational link to the Kenya FOLUR child project “Integrated Landscape Management for conservation and restoration of the Mt. Elgon Ecosystem in western Kenya” which will be implemented in the Mt. Elgon ecosystem. These two GEF-7 FOLUR child projects are complementary since both aim at addressing the drivers of the negative outcomes and governance barriers that prevent the achievement of secure ecosystems and livelihoods in a critical and fragile transboundary ecosystem.
Therefore, the project will provide many experiences and lessons to share with other similar areas of Uganda, regionally and globally, enabling scaling up and out for greater global environmental and livelihood benefits.

This project has been conceived to transition the Mt. Elgon region to a sustainable, integrated landscape with efficient value chains of coffee and staple crops (maize, banana and Irish potato). This will ultimately enhance food security and conserve the ecosystems that provide critical goods and services for rural livelihoods in the Mt. Elgon landscape. This will be achieved through the following four components: 1) Integrated Mt. Elgon Landscape Management System and institutional frameworks and improved governance, 2) Sustainable coffee and staple crops production practices
and responsible value chains, 3) Natural habitat restoration, and 4) Knowledge management (sharing, learning and scaling up).

Component 1 will support the mainstreaming of Integrated Landscape Management approaches and biodiversity conservation into national and district development plans as well as strengthening governance, law enforcement and compliance for improved regulatory environment in the nine district local governments in the Mt Elgon landscape. This will be done by strengthening the institutional and organizational capabilities of sub-national and national institutions for the implementation of ILM.
Extension workers, key local government leaders and existing structures such as the Mt Elgon Ecosystem Stakeholders’ Forum (MEESF) will be trained in governance, law enforcement and compliance monitoring to improve the regulatory environment, tenure rights and security of land rights holders, and encourage multi-stakeholder engagement. A land use management planning process will be undertaken to mainstream biodiversity conservation into the production landscape. Commodity production systems managed by farmers and groups, specifically coffee, will be assisted to meet thirdparty certification standards through training and provision of technical assistance. Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices including improved tree cover through agroforestry practices on the landscapes and planting of indigenous plant (trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses) and grass species. Through support of deforestation-free commodities, High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) loss will be avoided while climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and increase in vegetation cover across landscape will be promoted.

The diffusion of ILM and SLM into the priority sectors of Agriculture, Forestry and Land will be done under component 2 by influencing policy through evidence-based action that shows enhanced adoption of sustainable coffee and staple crops production practices in the Mt. Elgon landscape and improved sustainable market linkages and responsible value chains for coffee and staple crops. This will be achieved by: (i) promoting highland specific climate smart agriculture and SLM practices, including on-farm diversification, (ii) creating incentives (revolving funds and credit schemes) for sustainable production of crops and their marketing, and (iii) building the capacity of farmers, extension workers and other actors to apply sustainable coffee standards along coffee value chain.

Under component 3, degraded forests, fragile lands and unstable slopes will be restored for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and carbon stocks for mitigating climate change. In so doing, greenhouse gas emissions will be mitigated /sequestered, the loss of HCVFs will be halted through deforestation-free agriculture. Ultimately, this will result in controlled flooding and soil erosion, aquifer re-charge and sustainable coffee and other staple food crop production and improved food security. Through stakeholder engagements, Restoration Action Plans (RAPs) will be developed and approved at the district and sub-county levels. A total of 20,000 ha of degraded forests and 250 ha of wetlands, 35,000 ha of degraded farmland, fragile lands, unstable slopes and hilltops, and 6,000 ha of degraded riverbanks will be restored. Restoration activities will include gulley treatment, soil erosion and landslides control, water source protection and control of water logging, planting of indigenous tree species in agroforestry and woodlot setup.

Component 4 will facilitate and enhance knowledge management (sharing, learning and scaling up) through which improved Integrated Landscape Management approaches at landscape, national and regional levels is expected to be realized. An interactive M&E system to track implementation of ILM in Mt. Elgon landscape for purposes of scaling out in similar areas in Uganda will be developed and operationalized. Best practices and lessons learned at landscape, national and regional levels will be documented and shared for wider adoption, replication, leveraging and dissemination of FOLUR IP actions and results through landscape, country, regional and global platforms and knowledge networks.

2. The Revolving Funds Incentive Credit Scheme for the Mt. Elgon Landscape
The project intends to establish revolving funds and credit schemes, in conjunction with the following project implementing partners aimed at attracting and rewarding farmers, community members, the private sector and other stakeholders’ participation in Biodiversity Conservation, Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and for sustainable production of crops, value chains and their marketing in the Mt. Elgon landscape.
2.1 On ground activities implementing partners
On ground activity implementing partners on Biodiversity Conservation, Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and for sustainable production of crops, value chains and their marketing are:
1) National Environnent Management Authority (NEMA).
2) Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF).
3) Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE).
4) Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA).
5) Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
6) National Forestry Authority (NFA).
7) Bududa District Local Government.
8) Bukwo District Local Government.
9) Bulambuli District Local Government.
10) Kapchorwa District Local Government.
11) Kween District Local Government.
12) Manafwa District Local Government.
13) Mbale District Local Government.
14) Namisindwa District Local Government.
15) Sironko District Local Government.
16) International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
17) World Agroforestry Research Centre / ICRAF
18) Bugisu Cooperative Union.
19) Sebei Elgon Cooperative Union.
20) Kalaa Mugosi Women Empowerment Ltd.
21) Mt. Elgon Agroforestry Communities Coop Enterprise Ltd.
22) Bushika Integrated Area Cooperative Enterprise Ltd.

2.2 Purpose of Incentive Schemes in Catchment Restoration
The revolving funds and credit schemes serve to align the project goals for biodiversity conservation, Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and sustainable production of crops, value chains and their marketing in the Mt. Elgon landscape with the economic motivations of farmers and other stakeholders. They aim to overcome adoption barriersm such as high initial costs, labour intensity, and risk aversion—by providing financial, technical, or logistical support that compensates for the transition to sustainable practices, ultimately increasing productivity, reducing degradation, and enhancing livelihoods. The incentive programs are “bundled,” combining financial incentives (grants) and in-kind contributions (e.g. provision of seeds, tools etc) with nonfinancial support (training, extension services, technology). The schemes are designed to turn environmental degradation into restoration opportunities, shifting from unsustainable land use to sustainable practices by:
a) Encouraging Sustainable Practices: The incentives encourage techniques such as reforestation, afforestation, soil and water conservation, and agroforestry by covering the costs of setting aside land or implementing conservation measures.
b) Compensating for Opportunity Costs: They provide financial rewards in form of cash and in-kind support (tools, seeds) for the lost income incurred when farmers shift from intensive cultivation to less intensive, conservation oriented farming.
c) Addressing Public Good Neglect: They incentivize private landholders to protect water sources and resources (water quality, biodiversity) that benefit the wider community, offsetting the cost of these services.
d) Empowering Local Communities: By offering grants for community-based projects (e.g., beekeeping, tree nurseries), these incentives reduce pressure on natural resources (like wetlands, forests, rivers and hilltops) while improving local livelihoods.
e) Promoting Long-Term Stewardship: They aim to shift the focus from short-term exploitation to long-term sustainable management, by empowering local communities and fostering ownership.

2.3 Purpose of Incentive Schemes in Crop Value Chains
These incentives focus on improving efficiency, quality, and market access for agricultural products (coffee, Irish potatoes, bananas) by encouraging farmers to adopt better practices in biodiversity conservation, Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and sustainable production of crops, value chains and marketing through:
a) Enhanced Productivity and Quality: Incentives such as improved seeds and technology allow farmers to produce higher quality, better-yielding crops.
b) Access to Higher-Value Markets: The schemes connect smallholders to certification standards (organic, fair trade) and direct premium buyer contracts, ensuring better prices and reducing reliance on middlemen.
c) Reduced Post-Harvest Losses: Incentives in the form of technical support and post-harvest management infrastructure (e.g., drying yards, cold storage, processing machines) help maintain product quality and value.
d) Risk Sharing and Mitigation: By providing access to credit the incentive program enables farmers to invest in new practices without risking their entire livelihood.
e) Improved Coordination: They foster collaboration along the value chain, improving the information flow between farmers, traders, and consumers to meet market demands efficiently.

2.4 Context and principles
The incentive scheme is intended to form a critical part of the GEF 7 project by providing monetary and non-monetary impetus to the populace to take desired action for sustainable production of crops, Biodiversity Conservation, Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), and Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in Mt. Elgon landscape. In this regard, the scheme seeks to:
a) Set achievable targets – There should be tangible and measurable targets for sustainable production of crops, Biodiversity Conservation, Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), and Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in return for rewards from the scheme.
b) Target different demographics and groups – The scheme should benefit men, women, youth, PWDs, elderly persons, and offer appropriate rewards for each group.
c) Complement existing initiatives – The scheme should be sufficiently attractive to motivate popular participation, and complement (operate in tandem with) existing district and landscape level activities done by other partners.
d) Ensure sustainability of the interventions – The scheme is designed to remove the identified barriers and create an enabling environment and institutional framework for sustainable production of crops, Biodiversity Conservation, Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), and Sustainable Land Management (SLM). It must be able to continue in perpetuity, even after the end of the five-year span of the project.
e) Attract private sector participation – The scheme must provide sound business case and reasons why the private sector should contribute and participate in sustainable production of crops, Biodiversity Conservation, Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), and Sustainable Land Management (SLM).
f) Create replicable models – The scheme should yield lessons which can be applied to other areas in Uganda and beyond through which improved Integrated Landscape Management approaches at landscape, national and regional levels is expected to be realized.

In this regard, best practices and lessons learned at district, landscape and national levels need to be documented and shared for wider adoption, replication, leveraging and dissemination through district, landscape, national, regional and global platforms and knowledge networks.

Description of the Assignment
The consultant is expected to carry out the following tasks involving a mix of field work assessments of interventions, beneficiary consultations and canvassing the views of various stakeholders, including but not limited to, a) the private sector, b) target communities, farmer groups etc.), c) Project implementing partners (see Section 2.1):
a) Desk Review: Review project documents (proposals, reports, evaluations).
b) Stakeholder Consultations: Conduct interviews, focus group discussions, or workshops with partners and beneficiaries.
c) Analysis: Analyze the “5W to H” (who, what, when, where, why, how) to turn experiences into actionable insights.
d) Documentation: Draft case studies capturing human-interest stories and successful practices.
e) Production of Materials: Produce user-friendly materials (best practices booklet, social media messages, infographics, 5–7-minute video documentary) to share project achievements.

Duration of the Assignment
From 26th May 2026 to 15th December 2026

Deliverables and Activities
The consultant will provide the following deliverables and carry out the following activities:
Deliverable/Activity-Description-Deadline
Inception Report-5th June 2026
Detailed methodology and work plan.
Draft Report/ Case Studies-31st July 2026
Initial documentation of lessons and practices.
Final Documentation Package-30th October 2026
A comprehensive report, including a summary of methodology and processes, lessons and best practices learned and refined case studies.
Multimedia Materials-20th November 2026
Social media messages, 10 infographics, a 5–7-minute video documentary, lessons learnt and best practices booklet capturing key interviews and impacts lessons.

Payment Schedule
The Timetable below summarises the chronological order of deliverables and indicates milestones at which IUCN will pay the Consultant.
Deliverable-Milestone payment
Inception Report-20%
Draft Report/ Case Studies-20%
Final Documentation Package-30%
Multimedia Materials-30%

Skills and Experience
The consultant must have the following skills, education and experience as a minimum:
To effectively document best practices for credit schemes in environment and natural resources (ENR) management, video production skills are essential for creating engaging, visual case studies that demonstrate real-world impact. In this regard, we are looking of individuals/firms with:
 At least a first degree in social sciences, development, or related fields.
 At least 8 to 10 years of professional experience in identifying, assessing, and documenting “good practices” for climate-related and environmental management.
 Exceptional scholarly writing and publication skills to convert complex data into clear bestpractice manuals or reports.
 Ability to collaborate with diverse groups, including senior government officials, private sector financial institutions, and NGOs to capture varied perspectives on “best practices”.
 Skills in sustainable video production, such as estimating carbon footprints in the planning phase, selecting eco-friendly shooting locations.
 Competence in using professional equipment, including mirrorless cameras (like the Sony A7C) for high-quality video and stabilizers/tripods for steady, cinematic shots.
 Ability to find a clear narrative arc for short documentaries, including identifying a “hook,” introducing key characters (e.g., local farmers or project managers), and showing the “inciting moment” where the credit scheme made a difference.
 Mastery of sound recording using shotgun or lavalier microphones to ensure clear interviews and dialogue, which are as critical as video quality in documentary work.
 Proficiency in industry-standard software like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve for cutting, colour grading, and adding visual effects that enhance the “look and feel” of the film.
 Graphic design skills
 Knowledge of digital hosting platforms and social media strategies to ensure the documented best practices reach the intended audience of policymakers and financial institutions.
 Ability to set up key, fill, and backlighting to create professional-looking interviews and reduce footage “noise” in various environments.

Supervision and coordination
The consultant will report to and work under the supervision of Project manager/Senior Programme Officer Uganda

DECLARATION OF UNDERTAKING in relation to RfP IUCN-26-04-P03404-04
I, the undersigned, hereby confirm that I am an authorised representative of the following organisation:
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 >

DECLARATION OF UNDERTAKING for self-employed in relation to RfP IUCN 26-04-P03404-04
I, the undersigned, hereby confirm that I am self-employed and able to provide the service independent of any organisation or other legal entity.
Full name (as in passport):
Home or Office (please delete as appropriate) Address (incl. country):
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, including Personal Data as defined by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). I acknowledge that IUCN is required to retain my 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.
I further confirm that the following statements are correct:
1. I am legally registered as self-employed in accordance with all applicable laws.
2. I am fully compliant with all my tax and social security obligations.
3. I am free of any real or perceived conflicts of interest with regards to IUCN and its Mission.
4. I agree to declare to IUCN any real or perceived emerging conflicts of interests I may have concerning IUCN. I acknowledge that IUCN may terminate any contracts with me that would, in IUCN sole discretion, be negatively affected by such conflicts of interests.
5. I have never been convicted of grave professional misconduct or any other offence concerning my professional conduct.
6. I have never been convicted of fraud, corruption, money laundering, supporting terrorism or involvement in a criminal organisation.
7. I acknowledge that engagement in fraud, corruption, money laundering, supporting terrorism or involvement in a criminal organisation will entitle IUCN to terminate any and all contracts with me with immediate effect.
8. I am 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. I agree that I will not provide direct or indirect support to firms and individuals included in these lists.
9. I have not been, am 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.

______________________________________________________

How to apply
Step 1: Acquire Tender Documents
Obtain the relevant tender documents.

Step 2: Review Requirements
Thoroughly read the tender specifications, terms, and conditions.

Step 3: Prepare Proposal
Prepare your proposal as guided, ensuring all the required information is included.

Step 4: Submission
Submit your completed proposal by the submission deadline via the email address [email protected]

N.B: Please note that the email to be used exclusively for this consultancy is [email protected]

Tagged as: International Union for Conservation of Nature, Uganda