Independent Environmental Audit of OFLP, RIP and other relevant initiatives

Source: World Bank — Oromia National Regional State Forested Landscape Program

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT SELECTION)

Name of Country: Ethiopia

Client: Oromia Environment Forest and Climate Change Authority (OEFCCA)               

Name of Project: Oromia National Regional State Forested Landscape Program (OFLP)

Grant No: TA 4442 and TF A4467

Assignment Title: Conducting Environmental Audit of Oromia Forested Landscape Program for 2018/2019

Reference No.: OFLP/ORCU/IC/02/2019

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has received financing from International Development Association (IDA) toward the cost of Oromia National Regional State Forested Landscape Program (OFLP) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services to conduct Environmental Audit of Oromia Forested Landscape Program for 2018/2019.

Therefore, the Oromia Environment, Forest and Climate Change Authority (OEFCCA) now invites eligible Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in providing the Service. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

General Objective    

The general objective of the study is to assess and evaluate the environmental safeguards performance of the OFLP, including its subprojects and activities against the OFLP safeguards instruments, and provide recommendation based on the findings of the assessment.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives are to:

• Review of the environmental safeguards implementation status of OFLP activities/interventions, the two legacy REDD+ Projects (Bale Mountains Eco-Region REDD+ Project and REDD+ Joint Forest Management in the five districts of Ilu Abba Bora Zone), and REDD+ investment Program (RIP) and others against OFLP safeguard instruments (prepared based on relevant environmental guidelines, regulations and policy document of the GoE, and World bank Policy);
• Assess any significant environmental issues observed/occurred due to OFLP interventions and the two legacy REDD+ project and others, including REDD+ Investment Program (RIP);
• Identify the gaps in implementing the  safeguard instruments  for OFLP and the environmental and social review of the two legacy REDD+ projects as well as RIP and evaluate the effectiveness of environmental management and performance systems of OFLP safeguard instruments;
• Identify and recommend required technical assistance, capacity building training and awareness needed by OFLP staff and relevant stakeholder/implementing partners; and
• Identify feasible, cost-effective mitigation and/or corrective measures and opportunities for overall improvement of environmental management practices; and prepare clear action plan accordingly.

Scope of the Work

The scope of environmental auditing will encompass the analysis of the actual environmental compliance of projects/programs(with the OFLP safeguards instruments) in the course of their implementation, through the assessment of the effectiveness of environmental impact mitigation and enhancement measures, and the gaps and the challenges(being) occurred under (a) OFLP grant financing; (b) the two legacy REDD+ projects; and (c) programs/projects (including RIP) implemented outside the implementation woredas of OFLP’s enabling investment areas/woredas. OFLP has two  components; namely,(a) Enabling Investment(Afforestation and Reforestation (A/R)) implemented by Oromia Environment and Forest Climate Change Authority (OEFCCA) and Participatory Forest Management(PFM) implemented both by OEFCCA and Oromia Forest and Wild life Enterprise (OFWE) in deforestation hotspot areas/woredas, and (b) Enabling Environment implemented throughout Oromia National Regional State. The two legacy REDD+ Projects (Bale Mountains Eco-region REDD+ Project, and REDD+ Joint Forest Management in the five districts of Ilu Abba Bora Zone) will be assessed in line with the implementation of the Environmental and Social Review prepared before a year ago. RIP and other initiatives (which are not financed by the OFLP) will be assessed in accordance with the OFLP safeguards instruments.  Accordingly, the following tasks will be carried out.

1. Review of documents: A review of relevant OFLP environmental and social safeguards instruments (ESMF, PF, RPF, SA, ESMP (prepared for site specific intervention) etc.)that help to implement OFLP (Enabling environment and Enabling investment(A/R and PFM)); and the environmental and social review of the two legacy REDD+ projects; and RIP and other initiatives; as well as safeguards monitoring and biannual/annual reports, among others;
2. Compliance status assessment: Assess whether there is safeguards compliance with the OFLP safeguards requirements, at different administrative levels;
3. Identify  gaps in implementing site-specific safeguard instruments (ESMPs) for OFLP subprojects and other REDD+ initiatives (including the two legacy REDD+ projects, and RIP) against the OFLP safeguards instruments to achieve the objectives of the safeguard requirements;
4. Identification of impacts: Identify any environmental impacts (positive and negative) due to implementation of OFLP  in hotspot and non-hotspot areas; the two legacy REDD+ projects; and RIP and others;
5. Security situation assessment for implementing proposed A/R and PFM subprojects: Assess security issue in some representative woredas specifically related with A/R and PFM hotspot woredas if they are accessible;
6.  Propose appropriate mitigation measures for the adverse environmental impacts  and enhancement measures for beneficial impacts as per the scope of the assignment;
7. Assess consultations: Consult local communities and other relevant stakeholders in OFLP hotspot areas, the two legacy REDD+ projects, and RIP intervention  areas regarding their engagement and awareness, including safeguards management, to ensure broader community and stakeholder support of the programs/projects implementations in their respective areas and  propose mitigation options;
8. Documentation and Information dissemination: Assess environmental safeguards documentation and information dissemination process of the program and other initiatives at different administrative levels;
9. Safeguards capacity and commitment assessment of implementing institutions: Assess the safeguards capacity and commitment of OFLP and other initiatives (including the two legacy REDD+ projects and RIP), implementing partners and other proponents to ensure safeguards compliance with the OFLP safeguards instruments requirements; and recommend capacity building training and awareness needed if there are gaps;
10. Site visits: Conduct field visits to observe OFLP subprojects, the two legacy REDD+ projects and other initiatives (such as RIP)to obtain first-hand information on environmental management status of representative subprojects/project activities as per site specific safeguards instruments prepared for them;
11. Action plan: Prepare a compliance action plan and/or monitoring plan for OFLP, the two legacy REDD+ projects and other initiatives, including RIP;
12. Propose appropriate recommendations based on the outputs of the assignment.

Time Frame

The consulting service intended duration is for three months (from beginning of September 2019 to end of November 2019).

Consultant Qualification & Experiences Required

• The consultant should have MSc/MA degree in Environmental science, Environment and Development, Forestry , Natural Resource Management and related field with related experience in environment audit;
• Minimum of 10years of related work experience in field of reconnaissance survey, experience in auditing of environmental management system, experience in EIA;
• The consultant are capable of addressing all the government and world bank safeguards policies triggered by the program;

• The consultant should have the ability to analyze a range of environmental issues in relation to Natural resource management;
• Experience in working with minority groups (underserved groups) and vulnerable peoples of Ethiopia;
• Experience in data analysis, both quantitative and qualitative;
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills.

Supervision and Responsibility

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Oromia REDD+ Coordination Unit and will also receive technical support from the EFCCC, OEFCCA and the World Bank task team members. The consultant organizes the report and conduct field visit to the intervention areas together with the consultant hired by ORCU for social audit. In addition, the consultant will work closely with the social consultant whose contract will run along with this consultancy. The findings of the two assessments will be combined into a single document to provide a clear picture of how Environmental and Social Safeguards Management is exercised by the Oromia Forested Landscape Program, the two legacy REDD+ Projects and other initiatives, including RIP.

ORCU will facilitate field visits, meetings for the consultants, provide relevant information/documents on the Program as well as will engage through each consultative process..

The attention of interested consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants [under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants] by World Bank Borrowers, January 2011 and revised July 2014 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.  In addition, please refer to the following specific information on conflict of interest related to this assignment (paras 1.9 (a-d) of the Consultant Guidelines.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours, 9:00am to 12:00am and 2:00pm to 5:00pm.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by 31st July, 2019 on or before 4:00PM.

Oromia Environment, Forest and Climate Change Authority

Oromia National Regional State Forested Landscape Program (OFLP) Coordination Unit

Attention: Tesfaye Gonfa

Sarbet, in front of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia Pushkin Branch, Bethlehem Building 3rd floor

P.O. Box 10633,

Tel. +251113852040

E-mail address: tesfaye.gonfa@yahoo.com cc: biirtaa@gmail.com

Finfinne/Addis Ababa, Ethiopia