Working with other consultants, the expert will undertake the following activities: Conduct spatial assessment of forest areas, land use, degraded areas, and emission factors; Assess and compile spatial information on current land uses, forested land, and degraded areas in the five (5) project sites. Assessment will include: (i) spatial assessment on current forest coverage, (ii) drawing on work through REDD+ on Forest Reference Emission Levels, estimation of reference deforestation rate based on the business as usual scenario and potential reduction of deforestation; (iv) establishment of emission reduction potential from various forest safeguarding measures including High Conservation Value (HCV)/ High Carbon Stock (HCS) forest protection, reforestation, invasive bush clearing and agroforestry. The assessment will conduct the following work as appropriate; Analyses of the baseline programs on forest management and conservation and sustainable management of land and other natural resources; Assess the dependency of the communities on the forests and estimate rates of degradation, and the resultant losses to local communities and economies; Evaluate current policies and community and national level procedures aimed at conservation of forests; Identify / confirm the threats and causes of threats to the tree species and ecosystems and rangeland ecosystems and recommend proposals to address them; Assist in the development of the site based measurement points. Assist in the selection and description of measurements and extrapolation methodologies for GHGs relevant to the project; Assist in calculation of the baseline and project emission scenarios, in particular: (i) the non-depletion of the carbon pool contained in the forests and rangelands as a result of the prevention of degradation of 3,000 ha of forest under Component 2; (ii) the sequestration dividend from restoration of 10,000 ha of forested land [Detailed tCO2e estimates in line with IPCC Tier 2 level will be presented including separate estimations for protection of existing forest cover and reforestation and comparison with appropriate baseline scenarios; Suggest participatory management measures to conserve the tree species and promote agro-forestry and climate-smart practices across 15,000 ha in the project sites; Assess the range condition (assessment of present state of health of the range in relation to its potential); Assess the range trend (direction of change of range condition); Together with the National Natural Resource Management Expert, suggest ways for development and implementation of integrated land use plans that promote the mainstreaming of SLM, SFM and biodiversity into land planning, use and agricultural practices in the project areas; Define project risks and risk mitigation strategies, and contribute as appropriate, to the completion of the final SESP, as well as identify and define the risk management measures to be put in place during the PPG and those that need to be undertake before and during project implementation; Supervise the development of specifications and selection of sites for reforestation and rehabilitation (including bush clearing) of areas; Facilitate selection, description and endorsement of rehabilitation and restoration systems which will be used as a basis for developing projects to introduce the principles of forest and landscape restoration in two newly-demarcated Regional Forest Reserves of 10,000ha; Conduct and estimation of the technology, equipment and labour requirements for implementation of the landscape restoration activities/interventions proposed; Calculate carbon benefits resulting from the establishment and improved management of the existing forest ecosystem/landscape and rangelands; Conduct review of the carbon emissions baseline data cited in the PIF. Define the baseline and project scenario, with special look at non-permanence, leakage, any social and economic safeguards issues; Conduct analysis of available tools for carbon monitoring, verification and reporting, and suggest most appropriate ones to be used for carbon monitoring, verification and reporting within the project; Utilising the UNDP Capacity Assessment Scorecard and other existing tools, conduct an assessment of the capacities of the key stakeholder in forest management, including government institutions, as well as NGO/CBOs and identify their capacity and training needs and make recommendations for capacity building/training on specific/relevant SFM and FLR aspects; Prepare indicative TORs for expertise to be recruited during implementation of the project; GEF CCM and SFM Tracking Tool and Project Indicator Development: The expert will take the lead in compiling the CCM and SFM Tracking Tools and will also be in charge of developing the following project indicators: (i) a finer calculation of emission reduction potential and carbon sequestration targets for the project; (ii) extent of degraded land and potential for improving land management; (iii) current rate of deforestation and probable reduced deforestation rate. Key Deliverables: Based on the technical assessments and analysis, propose strategies, indicators and targets for incorporation into the Project Results Framework; Based on the technical assessments, a report detailing the potential risks that may arise out project interventions, in particular the de-bushing/removal of tree species, as well as reforestation and rehabilitation of rangelands under component 2 of the project and recommend measures to avoid, minimise and mitigate against the identified risks (e.g. Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan); Complete the SFM and CCM Tracking Tools for submission to the GEF SEC; Prepare detailed tCO2e estimates in line with IPCC Tier 2 level/FAO EX-ACT Tool based on the preliminary estimates in the PIF; Prepare a detailed narrative report of the forest and rangeland degradation status and potential restoration of the landscape and interventions in the project areas and the potential SFM, sequestration and mitigation benefits to be gained; A report outlining the capacity (and capacity gaps/limitation) of forest management and land management institutions for implementing SFM and FLR practices. The UNDP Capacity Scorecard should serve as the primary tool for measuring capacity. Recommendations for capacity building on SFM and FLR for government and community institutions must form part of this assessment.
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