Terms of Reference for the Development of the Partnership Framework/Model for WWF Zambia

WWF Zambia Country Office

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORK/MODEL FOR WWF ZAMBIA

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

World Wide Fund for Nature Zambia (WWF Zambia)has developed a new strategic plan to drive its mission and vision the next five years. In this new strategy  WWF emphases delivery through strategic and operational partnerships with the  public, private and CSO sectors to deliver results at the policy, landscape and community levels.  Its strategy is focused on 4 strategic impact areas that include: thriving forests and wildlife, freshwater and energy security, and realizing a green economy.

Thus, WWF invites applications from reputable, well experienced consultants’/consulting firms to develop the Partnership Framework that will help support the shift towards a partner focused delivery approach for WWF Zambia in its key landscape and thematic areas.

World Wide Fund for Nature Zambia (WWF Zambia) is part of WWF International, the world’s leading independent conservation organization with a global network in over 100 countries. Our mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, for the benefit of both people and nature. The organization has been working in Zambia since 1962; working to deliver key conservation impacts across freshwater ecosystems and natural wildlife habitats, reduce the impact of human foot print and promote community based natural resources management in communities living in or around game management areas in key landscapes where we work.

WWF Zambia employs an integrated landscape approach, that is based and anchored on strong partnerships at all levels. WWF believes that the landscape approach is the right level of promoting the much needed systemic change to the current threats of biodiversity conservation in Zambia and works through local partners to stimulate and drive this change.  A core component of WWF’s work is centered on creating the right enabling environment for sustaining conservation gains over the years. Further, the enabling environment through policy reform, institutional capacity building for sector actors, the right level of financing and ensuring sector monitoring systems are in place requires the right level of partners not only at landscape level but at national level too.

WWF Zambia’s new conservation strategy 2022-26 amplifies the importance of partnerships as premium strategy for implementing conservation. WWF Zambia sees its approach as delivering conservation through partnerships – both at strategic level as well as at field implementation level. As a science based organization, WWF seeks partnerships that not only deliver the scientific aspects of conservation but additionally other aspects relevant to the success of all conservation programme delivery such as gender, youth, policy and advocacy, media relations and community mobilization.

Due to the diverse nature of our partnership needs, it is important for the organization to develop a clear partnership engagement and management framework that will guide WWF Zambia’s engagement with local partners and develop engagement standards and guidelines to improve the quality of partnerships for conservation for the Zambia country office.

Based on the above, WWF Zambia would like to contract the services of a qualified consultant or firm to develop a partnership framework/model that will provide structured guidelines on the identification, engagement and management of strategic and implementing partners across all projects.

2. TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToRs)

2.1 Purpose of this Consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to develop a partnership framework to guide WWF implement a stronger partnership approach and reduce on direct implementation similar to WWF Zimbabwe. Develop a simplified partnership engagement and management framework with simplified tools for identification, engagement, management and monitoring of strategic and sub-grantee partners.

The framework will support WWF Zambia improve the identification, selection and management of both strategic and implementing partners that will drive and enhance conservation programme delivery. The partnership framework is critical to the success of WWF Zambia’s Conservation strategy and is therefore proposed to be aligned to partnership needs of the country programme, capacities and needs of landscapes inline with the network partnership guidelines and the overall ambitions of fundraising for the Zambia office.

2.2 Objectives and Scope of Work of this Consultancy

2.2.1 Objectives of the Consultancy

The following are the objectives of this consultancy:

• Review and update existing partnership policies and guidelines for identification of strategic and sub grantee partners
• To review  capacities of existing partnerships for conservation programme delivery per strategic pillar and identify related gaps, risks, threats and opportunities
• To determine if the current processes and procedures comply with the WWF Network guidelines, and suggest clear alignment with the network guideline were gaps exist
• To support WWF Zambia to develop partnership identification, assessment, monitoring and management tools

2.2.2 Scope of Work of the Consultancy

The scope of work for this consultancy shall include the following tasks:

• Review existing partnership identification and assessment, monitoring and management tools of WWf Zambia against best practice
• Develop a partnership framework that aligns with ZCO strategic plan and, WWF Network Partnership Guidelines, best practices including other external documents that the consultant will deem relevant to this assignment.
• Organize interviews with current and potential partnerships on preferred modus of effective and mutually accountable partnership for results.
• Facilitate a stakeholder and  validation workshop with selected WWF ZCO staff to validate the model and tools for management of strategic, community and sub-grantee partners.
• Identify potential strategic and operational partners to deliver pillar objectives and  facilitate a session with WWF Zambia staff to prioritize mapped partners relevant for achieving results and meeting the targets in the WWF conservation strategic plan.

2.3 Approach

The proposed approach will be a combination of both desk review and participatory and consultative approach, involving KII with Senior Management Team (SMT) and relevant/key staff of WWFZCO. The consultant will conduct consultative discussions with relevant partners to gather input into the document.  Documents to be reviewed include, the WWF Zambia strategic plan, specific strategies for the four strategic pillars, the WWF Network partnership guidelines, and other WWF Zambia policies and manuals related to the assignment. The consultant will be expected to make relevant additions to the approach based on their previous expertise.

2.4 Deliverables

1. Related to the objectives and scope of work (section 2.2) above, the following will be the deliverables for this consultancy:
2. The inception report with a clear description of the methodology/approach
3. Draft and final partnership framework/model for WWF Zambia with proposed shifts and activities from status quo to a partner dependent implementation model where WWF remains focused on strategic outcomes and building capacity of partners
4. Proposal on training of WWF staff and partners on new modus for effective and efficient partner and sub grantee management
5. Assessment of current partnership capacities (strengths and weaknesses) against strategic plan outcomes
6. Partnership management tools updated for strategic and operational partners: assessment, partnership development, partnership relationship management and monitoring, communication and mutual planning, accountability and learning framework for results; guidance on co-design and implementation of joint activities
7. A validation workshop Report
8. Partner matrix and tools for monitoring partnership outcomes per pillar   (as an annex to the partnership framework; to be developed in a participatory way) with clear alignment to the strategic pillars, and synergies across the pillars clearly identified. This will be done during the validation workshop.

2.5 Time-frame

It is anticipated that this consultancy will take 20 days (including the validation workshop) over a period of two (2) months between July and August. The consultant is expected to propose a detailed workplan of when and how they intend to carry out the assignment.

2.6 Reporting, Coordination and Payment

• The consultant shall report to WWFZCO’s Program Quality Assurance/Interim OD Manager and Chief Conservation Officer, with whom the consultant will coordinate the implementation of this assignment, including for logistical arrangements and facilitation of any required reference materials from WWFZCO.
• Payment schedule will be negotiated with the successful consultant

2.7 Application

Qualified consulting firms and individual consultants are invited to apply in writing. The application should include (i) cover letter (ii) technical proposal, clearly proposing how they intend to carry out the assignment with a clear work plan based on the timeframe indicated in section 2.5; and a (iii) financial proposal, giving breakdown and total costs, including consultancy fees for the assignment and justification for the consultancy fees (iv) profile of the company and CV of proposed lead-consultant and sub-consultants (if a team). The application should be as one document.

Applications should be submitted by email, by 17^th June 2022 at 5pm, to [email protected],  with subject line “Development of the Partnership Framework/Model for WWF Zambia”.