Job Details

Job Description

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Component: Integrated Socio-Economic and Stakeholder Engagement Assessment
Duration: 4 Months
Location: Bangweulu Wetlands, Zambia
Lead Implementer: African Parks – Bangweulu Wetlands
Budget Allocation: TBC

Key Partners: Community Resource Boards (CRBs), Traditional Authorities, Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), District Authorities, Ministry of Community Development, NGOs, CBOs, Research Institutions, Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), Bangweulu Wetlands Management Board

1. Background

The Bangweulu Wetlands’ conservation success is closely tied to the socio-economic resilience of its communities and the effectiveness of local stakeholder engagement. Poverty, food insecurity, and limited governance capacity are key drivers of poaching and resource degradation. African Parks, in collaboration with partners, is initiating an integrated assessment to:

• Establish a socio-economic baseline
• Evaluate community enterprise potential
• Improve participation in governance
• Strengthen communication, grievance mechanisms, and traditional leadership engagement
  This effort is aligned with the Community Development Plan (CDP), Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Commercial Development Plan, Land Use Plan, and Zambia’s national policies on conservation and rural development.

2. Objectives

Socio-Economic and Needs Assessment:

• Develop a gender-, age-, and vulnerability-disaggregated socio-economic baseline.
• Identify key needs and opportunities across livelihoods (fish, forest, wildlife).
• Assess food security dynamics, especially protein access during fish bans.
• Evaluate community-owned enterprises and youth-led initiatives.
• Determine conservation awareness and participation in governance and revenue-sharing.
• Provide actionable insights for updating the CDP.

Stakeholder Engagement and Governance:

• Map, classify, and prioritize stakeholders by interest, influence, and impact.
• Build governance capacity of CRBs and traditional leaders.
• Institutionalize communication, feedback, and grievance mechanisms.
• Foster community ownership through events, incentives, and participatory planning.
• Align community governance with national and local development structures.

3. Scope of Work

Phase 1: Planning and Preparation

• Design and validate socio-economic and stakeholder engagement tools.
• Develop a stakeholder map, communication matrix, and grievance strategy.
• Coordinate community mobilization with CRBs and traditional leaders.
• Train enumerators and CRB representatives in ethics, data collection, and facilitation.

Phase 2: Field Implementation

• Conduct household surveys, FGDs, and KIIs in all six chiefdoms.
• Engage community groups (women, youth, enterprise owners) and governance actors.
• Hold CRB trainings, chiefdom meetings, Umuganda events, and traditional ceremonies.
• Distribute communication materials and activate feedback platforms.

Phase 3: Analysis and Engagement Strengthening

• Analyze livelihoods data, governance participation, and enterprise capacity.
• Map food security risks and fish ban coping strategies.
• Monitor governance improvements using the Community Collaboration Index (CCI).
• Evaluate CRB performance and facilitate constitution review and AGM planning.

Phase 4: Reporting and Integration

• Deliver comprehensive findings and stakeholder feedback presentations.
• Create a Fish Ban Mitigation and Protein Access Toolkit.
• Provide recommendations for CDP and SEP updates.
• Translate and share simplified briefs with communities and leaders.

4. Key Deliverables

• Inception Report (methodology, tools, sampling plan, stakeholder map)
• Cleaned dataset from fieldwork
• Socio-Economic and Needs Assessment Report
• Community-Owned Enterprise and Skills Gap Analysis
• Fish Ban Mitigation and Protein Access Toolkit
• Updated Stakeholder Engagement Plan and communication materials
• CRB training reports, governance review documents, AGM records
• Functioning grievance mechanism documentation
• Quarterly outreach materials (newsletters, brochures)
• Final synthesis report with CDP/SEP recommendations
• Community feedback briefs and stakeholder validation outputs

5. Required Qualifications

For Consultancy Firms:

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Submit both a Technical Proposal (including methodology, team composition, and timelines) and a Financial Proposal (detailed and itemized).
• Provide valid Company Documents:
  • Business registration/incorporation certificate
  • Valid Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC)
• Submit at least two work samples or two letters of recommendation from similar assignments conducted within the last 5 years.
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-sector assessments and governance support in rural African contexts, preferably Zambia.
• Proven capacity to manage logistics, cultural sensitivities, and community dynamics.
  Lead Consultant / Team Leader:
• Master’s degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Economics, or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience conducting socio-economic assessments in rural African settings.
• Expertise in participatory appraisal, livelihoods, enterprise development, and food security analysis.
• Strong understanding of Zambia’s community-based conservation and resource management structures.
• Proficient in gender-sensitive data analysis and inclusive reporting.
• Fluent in English; knowledge of Bemba or local languages is an asset.
  Stakeholder Engagement Specialist:
• Degree in Social Sciences, Environmental Governance, or Community Development (Master’s preferred).
• Minimum 5 years of experience in stakeholder consultation, CRB support, and community engagement.
• Experience with grievance mechanisms and participatory governance design.
• Skilled in facilitation, consensus building, and traditional leadership engagement.
• Familiar with Zambia’s legal frameworks and decentralization processes.

6. Monitoring & Evaluation Indicators

Indicator Metric Frequency
Socio-economic baseline completed % of chiefdoms covered Once-off
Stakeholder Engagement Plan implemented Yes/No Annually
Community enterprises assessed Number and type End of fieldwork
Fish ban strategy developed Yes/No End of project
Skills gap identified Number and types End of project
CRBs trained and oriented % of CRBs completed Q1 2025
CCI score improvement % (Target >75%) Annually
Traditional leader participation No. of supported events Biannually
Grievance resolution rate % resolved on time Bimonthly
Communication materials distributed No. of materials/events Quarterly
Recommendations adopted into CDP/SEP % of relevant actions Post-report

7. Risk Management

Risk Mitigation Strategy
Low participation from communities or leaders Early and inclusive engagement, trust-building with CRBs/traditional authorities
Biased or incomplete data Local enumerator training, data triangulation, ethical oversight
Poor grievance uptake Awareness campaigns, multiple access points (hotlines, boxes)
Logistical and climate-related access issues Build flexibility, coordinate with DMMU for contingencies
Political/institutional disruption Continuous engagement with district/provincial officials
Overlapping mandates Clear roles through updated SEPs, ToRs, and governance training.

• Applicants are required to submit both a Technical and Financial Proposal.
• Company documents, including a valid Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC), must be submitted.
• At least two work samples or letters of recommendation should be provided.