Consulting Services, Technical Assistance for Preparatory Measures and Implementation of the Forest Management and Carbon Sink Development Project (Hunan IV)

Requested 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 selectionand 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 3 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.