Project Background

An unusually prolonged dry season during the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 caused the loss of irrigation water at the Telemai Farming Group production site due to lack of rainfall which is the main source of most of the irrigation water for farmers in Liberia. During the consultative process that followed this experience, villagers in the project areas indicated that the flow of creeks and streams that have been feeding the larger bodies of water and wetland areas had never dried to the extent that was observed. They were shocked that creeks and streams had never either dried out completely and cut were very low and hardly flowing normally as in past years. This dryness continued from November 2023 until the start of the rain around the middle of May 2024. This project is the ACT Liberia Forum’s response to the situation experienced by the farmers; hence it evolved from threats to lowland rice and vegetables producing group activities from probable effects of climate change.

ACT Liberia Forum is implementing this two-component adaptation project which duration is one year. The LDS is implementing the component that relates to the construction of a catchment and demonstration of best practices in drought-resilient crop production. By the completion of the project, ACT Liberia Forum would have constructed a catchment that will retain irrigation water for lowland rice and vegetable production by farmers. In addition, fifteen (15) farmers will be demonstrating improved agronomic practices in drought-resilient crop production mainly cassava, eddo, potato, and yam. As Component Two, a district-level ecosystem development and management policy guideline would have been developed by the LCC and validated and rolled out by ACT Liberia Forum for the benefit of communities in Salayea District. The purpose of the policy guidelines is to promote the scale of grassroots/community actions for sustainable management of their ecosystems and other natural resources and encourage communities to make ecosystem and natural resource management a common practice in their livelihoods.

The objective of the Consultancy:

The primary objective of this consultancy is to lead and facilitate the development of a policy guideline that will serve as a pathway for developing an enforceable community and district-level policy for promoting and managing their ecosystems and natural resources.

Criteria for Selecting the Consultant:

1. Hold a minimum bachelor’s degree in agriculture-related disciplines, forestry, environmental science, or social science, master’s degree is an added advantage
2. Have a minimum of four years of working experience in rural communities and culturally oriented to work in rural traditional settings without hindrances;
3. Experience in policy development is an added advantage.
4. Consultant must have own computer. The forum will provide stationeries and other supplies for reporting.

Deliverables:

1. A draft outline for the policy guidelines for edits and approval approved by the Forum;
2. A draft guideline to be used as a roadmap for developing a community and/or district-level ecosystem promotion and management policy
3. Final draft of the guidelines in soft and eight (8) hard copies for sharing with stakeholders including the ACT Alliance Regional Office for their comments and suggestions.

Scope of Work:

• Literature review of other countries’ experiences with ecosystem development for integration into the Liberia policy,
• Key informant interview with local MOA, EPA, FDA staff relative to project activities
• Draft of the ecosystem guidelines for review by the Forum Members
• Integrate comments/suggestions made from review into the final document and resubmit to the forum
• Participate in a two-day validation and launch of the policy guideline

Duration of the Consultancy

This consultancy is for seventeen (17) working days as follows:

1. Literature Review – 1 day
2. Joint field trip to project areas in Salayea District for field orientation and engagements with a few stakeholders – 3 days to be planned with the consultant
3. Data analysis and drafting of the policy guidelines and sharing of the draft with stakeholders– 10 working days from field orientation
4. Integration of stakeholders’ comments/suggestions into the final draft policy guidelines– 1 day
5. Field trip to Salayea for the validation and launch of the guidelines – 2 days

Cost of Consultancy

ACT Liberia Forum will pay the consultant USD 200.00 for each of the 17 working days.

ACT Liberia Forum will facilitate the travel of the consultant for the field orientation and stakeholders’ engagement and for the trip for valuation and launch of the policy guidelines.

ACT will pay the consultant USD 20.00 per diem for days out of Monrovia and USD 25.00 for nights for lodging costs out of Monrovia on official duties.

ACT Liberia Forum will provide USD 50.00 for clericals.

Application Procedure:

ACT Liberia Forum seeks expressions of interest from individuals who meet the criteria for the section of a consultant and with the capacity to perform the roles and responsibilities herein stated.

Please deliver a hard copy of your CV with your EOI to the Project Focus Person on 13^th Street, Lutheran Compound (3^rd block when you turn toward the beach at Orange Office on 13^th Street) or to Ms. Luna Kiazolu at the LCC Compound on 15^th Street, Sinkor. You can also email a soft copy to jackollie1956@gmail.com and lunakiazolu69@gmail.com)

The deadline for application is COB on March 5, 2025.