RFP_008_2026_Natl Firm develop policy assessment, regulatory, planning framework

Under this consultancy, the firm selected will need to work closely with the PMU, review the existing literature and report prepared by experts, as well as review existing systems already developed within national frameworks. The consultancy firm will perform following tasks:

1.     Inception meeting and desk review:  

• Conduct an inception meeting with the PMU and Government Partners.
• The PMU will facilitate a virtual meeting with the GEF Critical Forest Biome regional coordination programme, to exchange information on the regional policy review and align terminology and methodology. The Service Provider is expected to ensure alignment with regional and global programming for GEF Critical Forest Biome Integrated Programme.
• Conduct a desk review of international and regional definitions and frameworks for primary forest (e.g., intact forest landscapes, primary forests, high conservation value areas);
• Compile and review datasets, including GIS where possible, relevant to forest cover, biodiversity, land use, protected areas, infrastructure, and concessions (documenting metadata, sources, and data gaps);
• Review project documentation, national policies, strategies, laws, regulations, and institutional frameworks relevant to forestry, biodiversity, protected areas, agriculture, mining, energy, infrastructure development, environmental management, land administration, and national development planning.
• Assess national policies relevant to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), land use planning (LUP), gender, safeguards and planning tools for relevant sectors that impact primary forest landscapes in Lao PDR
• Review international and regional good practices for integrating primary forests into planning and development processes.
• Assess the extent to which Primary Forest Landscapes are currently defined, recognized, and incorporated within:

• • National policies and legislation;
  • Sector strategies and plans;
  • Government planning and budgeting processes;
  • National Forestry Strategy 2035;
  • Provincial and district planning frameworks.

• Identify available data and initial gaps from the above, and methodology for the Stock-taking Exercise.  Determine the extent of data gathering that will be required to ensure the qualitative depth of this study and which steps will be required (interviews, literature review etc.)
• Prepare and submit the desk review, methodology, and detailed workplan report. The workplan should provide proposed activities and timeframe to complete the tasks and achieve outputs. This will include plans to facilitate two workshops in Vientiane and one workshop in Pakse.  
• Identify key stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector actors, and relevant institutions to consult. Share a workshop outline and stakeholder list with DoF, who will coordinate invitations and logistics for the consultation workshop. Provide consideration for how the consultations will include meaningful participation from both men and women, and consideration of ethnic groups and FPIC.  
• Present the objectives of the consultancy, tasks, deadlines and logistical schedule to DoF and the PMU.

Output 1: Draft Stock-Taking Assessment for Primary Forest Landscapes and Inception Report

2.     Present Stock-Taking Assessment and Capacity Needs Assessment at Stakeholder Consultations

The consultancy firm will present initial findings from the stock taking assessment and consult stakeholders in Pakse and Vientiane, organized by DoF. The purpose of the consultation will be to present preliminary results, the methodology, and to assess/confirm the extent to which PFLs are recognized in (a) existing national policies related to forestry, extractive industry, agriculture and other development sectors); (b) forest and land use planning and management; (c) national, provincial and local decision-making process; (d) government decision-making and budgeting processes. The Service Provider shall:   

·       Work with DoF as required on the agenda and development of the PFL Stock-Taking Consultations in Vientiane and Pakse.

·       Design and deliver sessions in Vientiane and Pakse for the national and project landscape stakeholder consultations that present preliminary findings, provide information about PFLs to stakeholders, and validate findings from the policy gap assessment.

·       Develop workshop report with detailed minutes, insights, and remaining information gaps.

·       Identify challenges in recognition of PFLs (institutional failures, inadequate government decision-making in policy and processes), which will be captured with recommendations in the PFL Roadmap.

·       Identify priority reforms, institutional arrangements, coordination mechanisms, and implementation pathways.

·       Draft recommendations for integrating PFLs into:

o   National Forestry Strategy 2035;

o   Other relevant national policies, with justification;

o   National socio-economic development planning;

o   Sector development planning;

o   Provincial and district planning systems;

o   Spatial planning;

o   Public investment and budgeting processes.

·       Prepare a draft National Roadmap for Mainstreaming Primary Forest Landscapes in English and Lao.

·       Present to DoF and PMU for approval.

Output 2: Draft National PFL Policy Roadmap and Stakeholder Consultation Report

3.     Conduct Capacity Needs Assessment for National and Landscape-Level Stakeholders

The  consultancy firmwill conduct consultations and capacity assessments with relevant national authorities and associations, and with target stakeholders in the four target provinces, which will identify the drivers of deforestation and degradation of PFLs, including sectoral activities such as expansion of commodity production (e.g., rubber, charcoal, timber), infrastructure development, and extractive industries. The capacity needs assessment will include DoF staff, and provincial, district, and national park authorities, as well as private sector actors, to determine needs for practical, evidence-based recommendations and training to strengthen the use of gender-sensitive safeguards and planning tools for PFL conservation within national and sectoral development processes. The Service Provider shall:

·       Review relevant project safeguard documents including the gender action plan, the environment and social management framework, and the capacity development scorecard developed during project preparation stage;

·       Review ongoing work by the Environment and Social Impact Assessment consultants;

·       Review the Communications and Knowledge Management Strategy;

·       Design capacity needs assessment questionnaire building on Task 2;

·       Engage provincial and district authorities, protected area management authorities, local communities, NGOs and private sector actors.

·       Ensure meaningful representation of women, ethnic groups, and marginalized communities in the capacity needs assessment.

·       Review current regulatory frameworks, incentives, safeguards, certification systems, and compliance mechanisms affecting private sector activities.

·       Analyze private sector impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities relating to PFLs.

·       Assess institutional, technical and human resource capacities related to PFL integration into EIA, spatial planning, land use planning and monitoring systems, including the use of spatial data systems in planning and development decision-making.

·       Evaluate the best entry point(s) for incorporation of PFLs into these respective sector and development planning systems.

·       Identify training needs and institutional barriers, with considerations for gender-sensitivity and inclusion of ethnic groups and marginalized communities.

Output 3: Gender-sensitive Capacity Needs Assessment and Training Recommendations

4.     Prepare Technical Outputs and Roadmaps

Information gathered from previous Outputs will be used to develop the following Roadmaps towards improved PFL integration into national policy:

·       The Primary Forest Landscape Mainstreaming Roadmap will chart the required enabling framework (specific policies, strategies, planning guidelines, decision-making processes and budgeting systems) to ensure that PFLs are fully incorporated in the National Forest Strategy through 2035, among other key processes. The roadmap should also suggest means to integrate PFLs in economic and sector development planning, land use planning, multi-scale approaches and other appropriate instruments to ensure the effective and efficient integration of PFLs at all levels of decision-making. The policy mainstreaming roadmap should include a connected, but separate annex:

o   The Primary Forest Private Sector Roadmap will outline pathways for private sector to improve the protection and restoration of PFLs to assist , including regulations, procedures, guidelines, technical standards, and decision-support tools. The roadmap will include potential and real opportunities and incentives for private sector participation in PFL protection and restoration. The Private Sector Roadmap will identify opportunities and incentives for private sector participation in forest conservation, restoration, sustainable supply chains, nature-positive and gender-sensitive investments.

To support the Roadmaps, the Service Provider shall develop practical procedures, technical guidelines, and regulatory recommendations for integrating PFL considerations into:

o   Environmental Impact Assessment regulations (EIA);

o   Safeguard assessment and management;

o   Land-use and planning mechanisms;

o   GIS Guideline (using open-source programs and openly available datasets);

o   Infrastructure planning;

o   Mining and energy planning;

o   Agricultural development planning.

·       Develop screening criteria for identifying potential impacts on PFLs during planning and approval processes.

·       Present findings to DoF, incorporate feedback, and support the delivery of the implementation guidance to relevant stakeholders through presentations delivered in English and Lao.

Output 4: Draft PFL Integration Guidelines, Procedures, and Regulatory Recommendations.

5.     Capacity Development Programme and Training of Trainers Package

The  consultancy firmshall enhance the Roadmaps and facilitate the integration of PFL considerations into environmental assessment, spatial planning, land-use planning, infrastructure development, extractive industries, agriculture, energy, and other relevant sectors. Using the Capacity Needs Assessment and other outputs, the Service Provider shall:

·       Develop bilingual (Lao and English) training materials, manuals, presentations, and practical exercises. The training materials should equip entities such as government, private sector, NGOs and communities to enforce key mandates related to conservation of species, ecosystem and habitats in PFLs, particularly in the sectors related to mining, energy development, transportation and other relevant sectors.

·       Design training modules covering:

o   PFL concepts and policy framework;

o   Application of the Roadmap (s);

o   Use of guidelines and procedures;

o   Gender-sensitive planning considerations;

o   Guidelines for monitoring, evaluation, and enforcement;

o   PFL-sensitive planning and decision-making;

o   Cross-sector coordination;

o   Private sector engagement approaches.

·       Conduct “training of trainers” for DoF staff and selected government agencies to deliver the trainings, particularly at the provincial, district, and community levels within the project landscape. 

·       Deliver initial training workshop to relevant government agencies and stakeholders, including private sector, in Vientiane and Pakse.

·       Deliver database of background materials used in the analysis, including geospatial data in an open-data format, to DoF.

·       Revise training materials based on participant feedback.

Output 5: Training package in Lao and English, Completion of ‘training of trainers’ and training workshop, Database delivery.

6.     Finalization and validation of all documentation in English and Lao.

Integrate comments and finalize all products. The Service Provider shall enhance the Roadmaps and facilitate the integration of PFL considerations into environmental assessment, spatial planning, land-use planning, infrastructure development, extractive industries, agriculture, energy, and other relevant sectors. The results of the documents must be captured in a final presentation, which will then be presented to PMU, DoF, and other Project Stakeholders before final approval. The final package should include:

·       Policy Stocktaking and Gap Assessment

·       National Policy Roadmap for Mainstreaming PFL

·       Private Sector Roadmap

·       PFL Integration Guidelines, Procedures and Regulatory Recommendations.

·       Training Package

·       Final consultancy report, with recommendations and timelines to track implementation and success of the documents produced under the consultancy contract.

These will be captured in a one-day workshop, delivered in Vientiane and Pakse.

Output 6: All final documents approved and validated by DoF and PMU.

a.              Approach and Methodology

As indicated under Section B above, the Service Provider will work directly with with (i) the Department of Forestry (DoF) within the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and (ii) the UNDP GEF 8 Project Management Unit.

The Scope of this Consultancy is indicated under Section C; the Deliverables and Deadlines are listed under Section E. It is expected that the Service Provider engage in regular communication and provide regular progress updates to the PMU to ensure adequate progress is being made towards the delivery of the consultancy Outputs. Failure to do this, or to ensure Outputs are delivered as per deadlines, will result in an initial written warning from UNDP, followed by possible termination of contract if the transgressions are not remedied.

The assignment is open both to National and International Service Providers. The selected Service Provider would be required to have all of the appropriate and required technical assets and equipment in order to perform this consultancy. If the Service Provider is International, they are expected to have the local consultants available in Vientiane city to communicate regularly with the Project Team. Missions outside of Vientiane (to Pakse or surrounding provinces) to conduct the stakeholder consultation, capacity needs assessment in four provinces, the training of trainers, and final validation workshop will total up to 30 days (4 missions) per consultant. The Service Provider consultant requirements is listed in Section J below

During the consultancy, workshops and meetings will need to be conducted because of the consultations, reporting and training by the Service Provider. The costs and logistics of any workshops, training events and other activities will be supported by DoF and UNDP and should not be included in the financial proposals of the Service Provider. The number and types of workshops, training events and other activities, as well as the expected number of participants will be determined during the inception period (and indicated within the Inception Report, Methodology, and Workplan). Whereas the Service Provider will be responsible for the technical content and quality of workshops, training events and other activities.

Dissemination of results

The dissemination of results from this consultancy will be in the form of documents, presentations, and data from assessments. Each deliverable will be finalized by a presentation to DoF and UNDP to describe the output, which can be conducted in hybrid format as agreed in advance. The Service Provider will submit all draft reports and deliverables written in English to the National Project Team and UNDP PMU in Microsoft Word format along with all raw and primary data collected in electronic form. The Service Provider is expected to provide a draft table of contents for each document prepared at the beginning of each deliverable for feedback and confirmation from the UNDP PMU. The report/deliverable will only be approved for payment after it is (i) reviewed by the PMU with feed-back from Government Partner, (ii) the Service Provider addresses all the comments, edits, etc. satisfactorily, (iii) and the Service Provider submits a clean, final version. Finally, the Service Provider will be responsible for ensuring all final deliverables are provided in English and Laos. Working documents can be delivered for feedback in English until signed off by UNDP PMU and Government Partners. The training package, including a set of Powerpoint presentations, must also be delivered in Lao.

Further information

Bidders are referred to the project document for further detailed information, which also forms an integral part of this TOR. A total of three related consultancy packages under the Project are being advertised concurrently, and interested Bidders/ firms can submit proposals to one or more packages.

Technical proposal

Interested bidders/ firms are requested to submit a detailed technical proposal outlining their proposed approach/ methodology for each of the tasks as listed in this TOR, together with an activity workplan that includes proposed field missions, in-country meetings and workshops.

Budget for service

Financial proposals are to be submitted in USD[KK1] , and to include all costs associated with delivering all tasks and their deliverables as detailed in this TOR, including costs associated with:

–       International and national expert fees

–       Production of outputs (e.g. translated reports)

–       Domestic travel to project sites in Lao PDR as agreed by the project

–       Living allowance for Key Experts while participating in agreed in-country activities outside of Vientiane

–       Any other expenses associated with the services

Interested bidders/firms are requested to submit their financial proposals quoting their daily fees. Costs to be covered by the project (not to be included in the financial proposal) are the following:

–       Costs for government staff to participate in project activities

–       Costs for UNDP project staff to participate in project activities

–       Project workshops within Lao PDR and facility fees for the workshops.