Terms of Reference Consultancy for the preparation of the National Wildfire Prevention Strategy

Closing Date: March 28, 2019

---

Details:

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

Department of Environment

 

Terms of Reference

Consultancy for the preparation of the National Wildfire Prevention Strategy

Job Title	Consultancy for the preparation of the National Wildfire Prevention Strategy
Contracting Authority	Department of Environment, Ministry of Health and the Environment, Antigua and Barbuda
Date of Issue	March 11th 2019
New Deadline	April 12th 2019
Duration	Six Weeks
To Apply	Individual consultants are invited to apply for this opportunity. Please email the Procurement Officer at DOE@ab.gov.ag and copied to antiguaenvironmentdivision@gmail.com the following: Cover letter Curriculum Vitae (CV) Contact information for three (3) references Please use email subject line: “Application for Consultancy for the preparation of the National Wildfire Prevention Strategy”
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO)	The Department of Environment (DoE) provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. The DoE also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs.
LATE BIDS	Late Bids will not be opened and will be returned to Bidder.

 

 

Terms of Reference

Consultancy for the preparation of the National Wildfire Prevention Strategy

 

 

1. About the Department of Environment

 

The Department of Environment is a Government agency within the Ministry of Health and the Environment in the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.

The overall mission of the Department of Environment (DOE) is to provide technical advice on the environment and to design and implement projects on behalf of the Government and the people of Antigua and Barbuda. These interventions are designed to protect and enhance the country's environment, as well as seek common solutions to national, regional and global environmental challenges.

The Department of Environment accomplishes its mission inter alia through:

• An integrated environmental planning and management system established on the basis of public participation and interagency collaboration,
• Efficient implementation of appropriate programmes, projects and technical services,
• Providing accurate council on environmental management as well as effective and consistent enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, and
• Provide the public with easily accessible information and technical assistance on environmental issues.

The Department of Environment manages projects within four main Programmes, which are aligned with national legislation and international environmental agreements. These are:

1. Climate Change Programme (Adaptation, Mitigation, and Capacity Building)
2. Biodiversity Programme
3. Pollution Programme
4. Monitoring, Evaluation and Data Management Programme

The DOE has an active portfolio of 13 projects, with project sizes ranging from USD 50K to USD 15 million, with an additional 15 projects under development. Partners of the DOE include UN Environment, UNDP, IUCN, Caribbean Development Bank, Government of Italy, Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, among others. The DOE was accredited as a direct access entity to the Adaptation Fund in 2015 and to the Green Climate Fund in 2017. The DOE is focused on designing high-impact, transformational projects that maximize funding directly available to the public, private and civil society actors in order to meet an ambitious environmental agenda.

 

2. Purpose and Objective of Consultancy

 

Wildfires have devastating effects on forest ecosystems. As a Small Island Developing State, we particularly depend on ecosystem services for our survival. Our forest ecosystems are rich in biodiversity and if fires continue to devastate them, irreversible changes may take place.

 

The predominant objective of this consultancy is to reduce the incidence of wildfire in the forested environment via the preparation of a National Wildfire Prevention Strategy.  There have been many instances of farmers attempting to clear their agricultural lands by burning without the permission of the Fire Department and without any control measures in place.  These fires encroach on forested areas, killing trees and shrubs.  This indiscriminate clearing has led to the aggressive encroachment of the invasive alien species lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), outcompeting native species and gradually creating detrimental effects on the ecosystem, including important watersheds.

 

Additionally, the Fire Department does not have training in managing and fighting wildfires, therefore, these wildfires are usually left to “burn out” damaging the environment extensively.  Therefore, it is hoped that as part of this consultancy the fire department can be trained so as to improve management of wildfires and reduce environmental effects.

 

3. Scope of Work

The scope of work is understood to cover all the activities necessary to accomplish the stated objectives of the project including but not limited to the following:

1. Preparation of a comprehensive National Wildfire Prevention Strategy

This should include but limited to the following:

• Justification for wildfire control activities
• Baseline data required for forest fire control
• Responsible Organizations for wildfire control and basic law enforcement
• Wildfire prevention methods
• Forest Fire Behaviour
• Suppression Tactics and Techniques
• Organization and Management of Wildfires
• Community Based Fire Management
• Role of Fire in Ecosystems
• Source of fire threats to biodiversity
• Optional: Case Studies: i.e. Fire as a tool for Livelihood and Ecosystem Improvement       

2. Training of the Fire Department to manage and fight wildfires

This should include but limited to the following:

• Responsible Organizations for wildfire control and basic law enforcement
• Prevention
• Suppression Tactics and Techniques
• Wildfire Equipment
• Organization and Management of Wildfires
• Safety Procedures

 

4. Deliverables

The consultant will provide the following outputs:

1. Work Plan
2. National Wildfire Prevention Strategy
3. Final Report

 

5. Reporting Requirements

Under the general supervision of the Helena Jeffery Brown, the Consultant will be contracted to undertake and complete the specified activities, outlined in Section III – Scope of Work.

Seven (7) working days after the contract or agreement has been signed by the consultant and the Department of Environment (DoE), the consultant will submit a detailed Work Plan, inclusive of timelines.

Within fifteen (15) working days of completing the specified scope of work, the consultant will prepare and submit to the DoE, a Final Report.

The Final Report should be submitted electronically to Helena Jeffery Brown in Microsoft Word. The Final Report should also be accompanied by a signed invoice in the amount claimed by the Consultant in Eastern Caribbean Dollars.  The invoice should include full banking instructions in order to facilitate wire transfer of funds by DoE.

 

6. Duration

The assignment should not exceed a total of six weeks for the Consultant.

 

7. Required Qualifications and Experience

 

• Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent), in related fields. A first level university degree with a relevant combination of professional training, certification and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Minimum of two (2) years working experience in the related field
• Excellent English Language skills.
• Highly developed communication skills, including ability to draft/edit texts and to articulate ideas in a clear, concise style to a variety of audiences.
• Ability to identify strategic issues, opportunities and risks and communicate broad and compelling organizational direction;
• Advanced MS Office skills

 

8. Evaluation Criteria

 

The evaluation criteria and weightings that will be applied to this TOR are as follows:

Category	Description	Weighting
1	Qualifications of consultant and availability of named individuals including national experts	25
2	Adherence to TOR specifications and related requirements: Clear understanding of required deliverables	35
3	Experience with similar work	25
4	Demonstrated track record of success, supported by references	15
	Total	100

Notice expires at 3:35pm on Friday April 12th, 2019