[ref. v04092200] Knowledge Management and Learning Consultancy

Knowledge Management and Learning Consultancy

The Business Case for Collective Landscape Action

Summary:

Under direction of: Chief of Party, The Business Case for Collective Landscape Action.

ABOUT THE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE

The Rainforest Alliance (RA) is an international non-profit organization working at the intersection of business, agriculture, and forests to make responsible business the new normal. We are building an alliance to protect forests, improve the livelihoods of farmers and forest communities, promote their human rights, and help them mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis.

The Rainforest Alliance is creating a more sustainable world by using social and market forces to protect nature and improve the lives of farmers and forest communities.

We’re implementing proven and scalable solutions on the ground while testing innovative ways to drive change.

ABOUT THE BUSINESS CASE FOR COLLECTIVE LANDSCAPE ACTION

RA, in partnership with Clarmondial, CDP and Conservation International (CI) -Ecuador and with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is leading the “Business Case Initiative for Collective Landscape Action” (the Business Case or the BC Home - Business Case Initiative) a research initiative to scale-up reductions in commodity-driven deforestation while accelerating biodiversity conservation, restoration, and community livelihood gains by demonstrating the business case for collective landscape action and enabling its application globally.

When facing these problems, the landscape approach facilitates collaborative landscape governance processes to develop solutions to complex challenges, involving key stakeholders by creating or strengthening a landscape partnership.

The model that the BC is piloting consists of three interconnected components -also called strategic approaches- that support its theory of change:

1. Facilitation of multi-stakeholder landscape action plans and enhanced local capacity to implement activities and attract finance to achieve positive landscape-scale outcomes through the work of partners RA and CI. Component one works at the local level and is led by RA and CI- Ecuador.
2. The development of innovative financing mechanisms to support investment in high-performing landscapes mainly through the work of partner Clarmondial.
3. Increased disclosure of information on the performance of and governmental and private sector participation in landscapes and jurisdictions through the work of CDP.

As a result of this work, the initiative aims to unlock additional finance for sustainable production, channel it to well-planned landscapes, and ultimately stabilize critical deforestation frontiers.

BACKGROUND OF THE CONSULTANCY

Pilot activities are being implemented both locally at the scale of the prioritized landscapes in Caqueta (Colombia), Lamas (Peru), Orellana and Sucumbios (Ecuador) and Singtang (Indonesia), as well as globally.

Using an applied research method, the BC seeks to understand, register and report lessons learned and recommendations from all processes, successes, challenges, and adaptive management techniques. RA is not expecting a systematization of learnings as a result from this consultancy, but rather a more rigorous analysis that contributes to the global knowledge base on landscape and jurisdictional approaches.

Considering this, the consultancy will require support in the analysis of the experience of what has worked or what remains an ongoing learning process to test the BC theory of change. The consultancy will assist the work of the BC team in developing and implementing an extensive methodology for gathering and analyzing information on the theory of change hypothesis, lessons learned, and recommendations derived from the implementation of the initiative's activities and progress towards meeting its goals.

The consultancy will also offer written and visual materials containing the conclusions, insights, and suggestions tailored to the target audiences, such as USAID, Consortium partners, NGOs implementing a landscape approach, and other practitioners or governments involved in landscape approaches globally.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT[1]

Efficient knowledge management helps to create development programs that are more efficient and generate more creative ideas, and that capitalize on best practices to make better management decisions. Knowledge management's goal is to assist an organization or program in more successfully achieving its objectives.

• Design and implement a methodology for assessing and capturing knowledge and learnings on best practices and lessons from all processes, successes, challenges, and adaptive management techniques in the implementation of the BC strategic approaches and theory of change, considering organizational cultures of the consortium partners, the cultural differences of each country, and other relevant factors to be suggested by the consultancy.
• Develop a matrix (scheme of classification) with criteria to be recommended and agreed with RA, that responds to the aforementioned methodology, and which shall reflect the experiences in the implementation of activities in each landscape, and the differences and similarities in progressing on the theory of change.
• Provide written and visual materials and recommendations to ensure the proper transferring and understanding of learnings among consortium partners, RA teams, USAID, and other NGOs.

RA will provide input to define the criteria for collecting and processing information to carry out the consultancy.

The following are potential learning questions that the consultancy could consider when developing the methodology to capture learnings. These are not exhaustive:

Strategic Approach 1:

1. Comparing the theory and the practical application of the landscape approach, how the BC is operationalizing the concept in target landscapes and at the global level?
2. In the process of forming multi-actor platforms (landscape partnerships), what capabilities were and are still needed in the targeted landscapes for this type of governance structure to function?
3. Accordingly, from learnings gathered from the BC team, hat different types of strategies and activities were still needed to gain/increase the buy-in from stakeholders at the BC landscapes?
4. How can the BC and other potential organizations interested in replicating the BC model, encourage stakeholders, including local and international companies, to recognize the value of the landscape approach to go beyond issues found in the predominant value chain?
5. What are the best practices to encourage the participation of women, Indigenous peoples, and local communities (IPLC) in the processes of designing the Landscape Action Plans?
6. How to better engage and influence national and local governments to design State Policies that promote a landscape approach that are not dependent on government changes?

Strategic approach 2:

1. What types of financial flows and mechanisms are suitable for the BC and similar landscapes, and why?
2. What is needed for stakeholders to mobilize and channel financing to the piloting landscapes of the BC?
3. How can local landscape stakeholders be better engaged to lead in the development of relevant and appropriate financial mechanisms?
4. What local capacities must be strengthened so that landscape stakeholders become eligible to receive financing?
5. What type of (economic and policy) incentives should be proposed by local and national level to mobilize investment into the landscapes?

Strategic approach 3:

1. How can the participation in disclosure from local/subnational governments of the targeted landscapes can be stimulated?
2. What level of maturity should landscapes achieve to become interested in disclosure?
3. What incentives are essential to encourage the disclosure process of States and Governments, companies and financial institutions connected to the target landscapes?
4. What are the key benefits of disclosure for governments, companies, and landscape actors?

ACTIVITIES:

1. Review key documents of the Business Case for Collective Landscape Action initiative including the original proposal, the theory of change, reports and work plans, among others.
2. Develop a methodology to fulfill the objectives of the consultancy, including a detailed work plan.
3. Design a set of criteria to record and categorize learnings and facilitate the analysis.
4. Develop a guide of questions and data processing instruments to interview at least eight team members from landscapes, at least two per partners (CI, CDP and Clarmondial) and three members from the RA team.
5. With support from Chief of party of the BC, schedule the interviews with landscapes teams and partners.
6. Document and analyze the experiences in the implementation of activities in each landscape and globally, and the differences and similarities in progressing the theory of change. The document should evidence the collective learning effort and individually by component and/or landscape.
7. Document and analyze what is working and what is still a challenge across all landscapes and strategic approaches.
8. Analyze the correlations between the strategic approaches, the consortium interaction, and collaboration among partners.
9. Develop one executive summary, one infographic, one pager, and one design power point presentation to ensure the proper transferring and understanding of learnings among the consortium partners, RA teams, USAID, and other NGOs. All products must be delivered in PDF, PNG, JPEG, editable arts formats.
10. Create a repository with the information reviewed and developed for the consultancy.

DELIVERABLES

The consultancy must deliver the following products in English within the specified timeframes outlined in the table below:

MINIMUM CONSULTANCY FIRM AND TEAM REQUIREMENTS:

The ideal team for this consultancy would have a combination of cutting-edge research and evaluation expertise and in-depth understanding of how to organize, curate and disseminate knowledge across diverse stakeholders and dispersed globally.

Consultancy firm experience:

• At least eight years of experience in knowledge management processes.
• At least three years in data collection and management.

Team experience:

• The proposed team should consist of one consultancy leader and one communications specialist who contributes to the collection of learnings. It is preferable to also include a storytelling specialist and a graphic design specialist.
• Consultancy leader should have at least 5 years of demonstrated experience working on knowledge management in reputable organization(s), including strategically across the organization to coordinate efforts, set clear priorities and develop knowledge management programs.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English is essential for all team members.
• Advanced knowledge of information resources and information technology, which could include SharePoint, Tableau, Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, InDesign, Adobe Campaign, Cvent and Crowd Compass, HTML; video editing software; Survey Monkey or MS Forms.
• Demonstrated Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) skills, and the ability to use and produce content using platforms such as SharePoint and Adobe Connect.
• Experience working with international NGOs is an asset.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The following are the evaluation standards for possible consultant proposals:

• Technical and Economic Proposal (30%): The extent to which the applicant’s proposal demonstrates a clear and effective overall technical approach and presents a realistic and effective work schedule.
• Company Qualifications (30%): Knowledge and experience demonstrated through a portfolio of services provided by the company, including a list of client organizations.
• Team Qualifications (40%): Knowledge and experience of the proposed team that will execute the consultancy. CVs meeting technical specifications will be evaluated.

PROPOSAL PROCESS AND FORMAT

To be considered, proposals should include:

• Technical and economic proposal including contact information for recent references (email and phone number).
• Company qualifications, including a listing of executed contracts related to the scope of these terms of reference.
• CV´s of the to be assigned consultancy staff or associated independent consultants.

Submit the application through Hirehive by no later than October 11, 2024.

Preselected companies will be notified via email and/or phone, as appropriate.

Applications’ budget must not exceed $7,000 USD.

If you have questions, please submit them no later than September 24th to vcoronado@ra.org

Thank you for your interest in working with the Rainforest Alliance.

[1] Definition of ME&L – Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Toolkit/USAID: 4.6.1 ¿Qué es gestión de conocimiento? - MEL Toolkit (me-a.com.mx)