Project name:Forest Management and Carbon Sink Development Project (Hunan IV)

Project summary:

The Forest Management and Carbon Sink Development Project (Hunan IV) is an initiative of the Chinese Government within a framework of Hunan Forestry Bureau (HFB) to improve forest resilience against climate change and the capacity of carbon sequestration and storage in selected forest areas in Hunan. Therefore, the project contributes to improve climate change mitigation and adaptation by applying and implementing close-to-nature forest management (CNFM) approaches with long-term sustainable economic benefits. The project will be implemented by using KfW Promotional loan, while jointly financing technical assistance by European Union (EU) grant, to strengthen local expertise and build required capacities. In alignment with the Hunan Government the project will also support the Provincial Carbon Platform (PCP) implementing adequate carbonaccounting, trading and benefit sharing mechanism compatible with forest carbon sequestration. The project area is diverse and spread over the mountainous and hilly areas of Hunan, in a total of nine counties, including state, private and collective Forest Land Use Rights (FLUR).In view of complex FLUR holder system in Hunan, a comprehensive participatory approach will be applied to guarantee suitable smallholder engagement ensuring full environmental and social safeguards also on private and collective land, during the implementation of climate-smart sustainable forest management.

Requested Consultant services:

The duties of the Consultant shall comprise preparatory measures (phase 1), prior to project start, and the support in specific tasks referring to the implementation of the project (phase 2). Each phase has an individual contract and contract for phase 2 is conditional upon the signing of the Project Loan Agreement.

The professional input of the Consultant team is expected to cover the following fields of expertise:

1.General project management including operational and financial planning, project administration, and technical steering of project implementation as assistance to the Project Management Office (PMO);

2.Designing and assisting the implementation of the safeguard instruments required by the Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP) of the project.

3.Assisting and training relevant actors in preparation, implementation and operation of the project in compliance with national and international E&S standards related to participatory decision-making processes on collective land, contracts, benefit-sharing mechanisms.

4.Formulating CNFM guidelines including criteria for forest site selection and eligibility to be supported by the project, including beside technical forestry topics, socio-economic indicators, tender procedures, stakeholder engagement processes, risk assessment, and relevant regulatory compliance requirements.

5.Developing tender system for efficient and inclusive implementation, enabling local residents to participate in execution of works.

6.Preparing, planning, organizing and establishing diversified cooperation models, applying participatory inclusive and social balanced communication and decision-making process between Project Implementation Entities (PIEs) and Forest Management Units (FMUs) with different FLUR holders, based on specific economic, social and environmental regional circumstances.

7.Designing, planning and implementing Training, Development and Education (TD&E) modules, including capacity building material (operational manuals) for core group of experts in relevant topical subjects regarding SFMPs and implementation of CNFM operations;

8.Preparation, assistance and monitoring of the implementation of FMPs with the focus on CNFM (implying forest management targets, diversification of species and products, gradual transformation to mixed stands, Under Forest Economy (UFE), operational efficiency by minimal ecosystem impact);

9.Planning, organizing and implementing improved forest accessibility with multiple purposes (SFM, timber extraction, fish and wildlife habitat improvement, fire control, recreational activities), considering complex road location and design, involving economic and environmental requirements.

10.Monitoring the implementation of adequate equipment and infrastructure to assure improvement in efficiency of forest operations.

11.Assisting PCP in reviewing, designing, preparing and establishing a carbon sink validation, registration, monitoring and verification procedure for an adequate forest carbon credits mechanism with comprehensive revenues sharing to benefit all levels of FLUR holders.

12.Developing and implementing a Monitoring and Evaluation framework to measure project progress, financial disbursement and project impacts.

Approach:

Services are to be provided by a qualified independent team comprising of national and international experts with proven international (mandatory) and regional (preferably) expertise in CNFM, who are herewith invited to submit applications. Local sub-consultants are permitted and may participate in more than one application unless its qualification will be used by an Applicant. Individuals may participate in more than one proposal for non-key staff positions (key staff=International Chief technical Advisor, National Chief technical Advisor). The integration of national experts with local language knowledge is mandatory. Efficient backstopping services shall be made available. Consultants are free to associate themselves with other firms to ensure that all required know-how and experience are available to them.

Further information:

Tender documents can be obtained from the tender agent:

Przemyslaw Jan Walotek, Managing Partner of WaKa Servi?os de Investimentos Florestais Ltda., e-mail:pwalotek@gmail.com

Please note: Applications need to be submitted electronically via the platformwww.exfitender.de. Further information can be found in the tender document.

Reference documents:

The Tender Process is subject to KfW′s Standard Prequalification Document for the Procurement of Consulting Services and KfW’s Guidelines for the Procurement of Consulting Services, Works, Plant, Goods and Non-Consulting Services in Financial Cooperation with Partner Countries , seehttps://www.kfw-entwicklungsbank.de/PDF/Download-Center/PDF-Dokumente-Richtlinien/FZ-Vergaberichtlinien-V-2021-EN.pdf