Étendue des travaux

Arrière-plan

L'objectif de l'activité de soutien aux forêts et à la biodiversité (FABS) de l'USAID est d'aider le Programme régional pour l'environnement de l'Afrique centrale (CARPE) et d'autres acteurs environnementaux en Afrique centrale à mettre en œuvre des stratégies et des actions qui répondent aux menaces à grande échelle qui pèsent sur la conservation de la biodiversité et des forêts. gestion. L’activité se concentre sur trois résultats intermédiaires (RI) interconnectés :

1. Renforcement du leadership et de la participation de diverses organisations locales et du secteur privé ;
2. Amélioration de l’environnement politique, réglementaire et favorable ; et
3. Approches innovantes et fondées sur des données probantes adoptées et institutionnalisées dans les secteurs de la conservation et des forêts.

FABS s'engage en étroite collaboration avec un vaste réseau d'institutions comprenant la société civile, le secteur privé, le gouvernement et d'autres praticiens de la conservation et du développement à travers le bassin du Congo pour construire des institutions locales durables avec la capacité de générer de nouvelles analyses et preuves pour soutenir les réformes politiques et mettre en œuvre une conservation innovante. approches. À la base de ces objectifs se trouve l'approche de collaboration, d'apprentissage et d'adaptation (CLA) de l'activité visant à améliorer le partage des connaissances, la communication et l'apprentissage au sein des réseaux de conservation du bassin du Congo.

Contexte 

Les efforts visant à mettre fin à la gestion non durable des forêts ont eu un bilan modeste. La mauvaise gestion, la déforestation, la dégradation et l'exploitation forestière illégale restent des problèmes importants. L'exploitation des forêts tropicales représente près d'un cinquième des émissions de gaz à effet de serre dans le monde et menace certains des écosystèmes les plus divers de la planète. (UMD-Modis)

Historically, industrial logging based on a concession model is a dominant mode of forest management throughout much of Central Africa. While many have questioned the long-term sustainability of industrial forest management as well as its ability to distribute benefits to forest-dependent populations living adjacent to logging areas, throughout the region the logging sector is considered an important economic contributor to GDP and source of revenue to the state(*1). In recent years, increased advocacy for rights of forest communities, shifts in export markets, and focus on new financing streams create opportunities to rethink Central Africa’s Forest management paradigm. This includes both identifying governance and fiscal reforms needed to ensure that forest management activities achieve economic and social goals, strategies to improve governance of the sector including for small and medium-scale enterprises, as well as supporting emerging new models that better integrate community rights and diversify revenue streams. Key trends that will continue to shape the future of Central Africa’s logging include: 

• The September 2020 meeting of regional forest ministers convened by the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) announced the intent to establish a regional log export ban beginning January 1, 2022 and create new Special Economic Zones to support development of domestic wood industries and regional directives on forest fiscality.(*2) While countries such as Gabon have previously established log export bans, implementation is more recent in the Republic of Congo and countries such as Cameroon and CAR have yet to fully implement the proposed ban. While the ban is designed to stimulate job creation and strengthen the domestic processing sector, some regional governments are hesitant to accept the short-term losses in revenue from exports particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The implications of such bans for long-term economic and ecological resilience of the sector requires critical analysis of current fiscal incentives and tax structures, and clear recommendations on needed policy reforms as well as improved governance and enforcement of existing policies.
• While the contribution of the artisanal logging sector varies considerably between country contexts, in some countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and, to a lesser extent, Cameroon, small permits represent a significant contribution to timber extraction for both export and domestic use (e.g., poles for construction, furniture). Small-scale logging generates jobs and household revenue that are often not captured in official logging statistics, and any efforts to strengthen forest sector management in the long-term requires improved understanding of the contribution of this largely unregulated sector to the economy.
• Throughout the region, new and updated forest codes create opportunities for strengthening the rights of forest communities to manage forests. Community forest efforts vary in the extent to which they enable communities to carry out timber management activities; for example, the DRC’s community forest regulations allow artisanal logging but limit the types of equipment that can be used.
• Costs of operating a legal logging concession in many parts of Central Africa remain high, and some operators are exploring opportunities to convert rights to logging concessions or to diversify revenue streams. For example, in the DRC several concession holders have converted logging rights to conservation concessions with the aim of selling carbon credits. 

The above dynamics are shaped by complex political, social, and economic factors, and will continue to evolve in the next decade. Control and access to resources remains highly political in many parts of Central Africa; in addition, increasing social and political conflict such as the deteriorating situation in Central African Republic is likely to further impact long-term forest health as well as social well-being of forest-dependent communities. The use of timber resources to fund and fuel conflict may also have critical implications for regional security.(*3)

Objective

USAID’s Forest and Biodiversity Support Activity is seeking expressions of interest from qualified individuals with a background in political economy analysis, forest economics, and experience in Central Africa to design and implement a Regional Political Economy Analysis (PEA) focused on the timber sector. The PEA will assess and developed targeted recommendations for USAID and other actors to effectively support governance improvements in Central Africa’s Forest sector, with an emphasis on understanding the underlying power dynamics and interests that shape allocation and exploitation of forests, reviewing political and macroeconomic factors influencing forest fiscal frameworks, and crafting effective policy responses that strengthen economic, social, and ecosystem resilience. While each Central African country’s sector is governed by a specific set of laws, regulations, and practices, it is critical to also understand how regional trends including infrastructure and special economic zones, trade agreements, and regional collaboration shape national processes. The PEA will therefore identify key regional trends and questions that shape the future of Central Africa’s logging sector, and assess national policies, priorities, and influences for Cameroon, Central African Republic, DRC, Gabon, and ROC to guide future policy interventions.

Drawing on existing tools such as USAID’s Thinking and Working Politically Through Applied Political Economy Analysis Guide for Practitioners (revised 2018), the PEA Expert/Team Leader will work with country consultants in the PEA target countries. The PEA Team will work in close collaboration with relevant FABS staff to collect information through a literature review and interviews with key informants in national and local governments, regional bodies, civil society, the industrial and artisanal logging sector, and major forest sector donors. The analysis should point to the real incentive structures and obstacles for change and identify key actors at the regional and national levels. The analysis should identify who the power holders are, how they exercise their power, and who is likely to be a champion for addressing the underlying policy, governance, and economic challenges necessary to improve long-term sustainable management of Central Africa’s forests.

Tasks

Task 1: Develop the PEA methodology 

The consultant will meet with the FABS team and USAID to review priorities in order to develop a robust PEA methodology that is consistent with USAID CARPE and FABS objectives. Based on these discussions, the PEA team lead will propose a detailed work plan and methodology, including data collection tools to support power and network analysis for the forest sector in target countries. The consultant will propose a research methodology for the assessment, which is expected to include a comprehensive literature review, compilation and analysis of available quantitative data, collection and analysis of travel packages being offered online in primary source markets and by local tour operators, qualitative research through phone/video/in-person interviews, focus groups and/or other modalities, and field visits. The assessment is expected to cover, at a minimum, analysis of production, export, and trade data, an overview of the structure of the industrial and artisanal sectors including private sector beneficial ownership, review of forest fiscality including incentives, taxes, and how fiscal policy drives current trends in timber legality and trade, and an analysis of the major stakeholders involved in shaping policy.

Task 2: Conduct PEA analysis including fieldwork in priority countries  

The consultant will conduct a desk review and synthesis of existing literature (journals, government documents, policy papers, studies, and news) on current trends in Central Africa’s timber sector. The consultant will identify a list of key informants, including government, private sector (e.g., concessionaires, small-scale artisanal loggers, regional and national timber associations such as International Tropical Technical Timber Association (ATIBT)), other donors, NGOs, and civil society engaged in forest monitoring and management such as Forest Legality Advisory Group. The consultant will carry out key informant interviews and/or focus groups to review the current state of play of the timber sector and the current incentives or disincentives to sustainable and equitable management. The consultant will summarize results of these discussions in a draft report summarizing the document review, stakeholder interviews, and recommendations on entry points for strengthening both policy and implementation. Based on the desktop analysis, the PEA Team Leader will carry out field work in at least 3 countries to generate country specific case studies detailing current timber sector trends and perspectives from local actors engaged closely in the timber trade.

Task 3: Complete the PEA report

The consultant will submit a clear, informative, and credible report (up to 50 pages, including an executive summary of no more than two pages) that reflects PEA Team’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations focusing on short-term opportunities to strengthen forest sector governance as well as longer-term recommendations to support policy and institutional improvements. Additional details and analysis should be placed in an appendix. The consultant will integrate feedback from FABS and USAID, as relevant, to produce a final report that will include a summary chapter on regional trends, as well as country-specific chapters that present stakeholder analysis, policy and economic review, and specific recommendations for governance improvements.

Task 4: Develop policy brief with recommendations for regional and national stakeholders

Based on the PEA findings, the consultant will draft a policy brief summarizing major recommendations for regional and national stakeholders including policymakers, private sector, and donors.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree or equivalent in forest economics, social science, political science, or natural resource management;
• At least ten years of professional experience;
• Demonstrated prior experience conducting Political Economy Analysis focused on providing action-oriented recommendations;
• Experience working to strengthen policy, institutions, and governance practices in Central Africa’s Forest sector;
• Good knowledge of the private sector landscape and economic, social, and political contexts in Central Africa;
• Strong analytical skills and experience using social science research methods;
• Capacité à rédiger des descriptions de projet et des justifications techniques concises, claires et bien fondées ;
• Compétences interpersonnelles et de communication avérées, tant orales qu'écrites ;
• Maîtrise du français écrit et parlé et de l'anglais professionnel.

Processus de demande

Les candidats intéressés sont priés de soumettre un Curriculum Vitae (CV) mis à jour, une méthodologie proposée (pas plus de 5 pages) comprenant la période de performance, le niveau d'effort et le budget associé à ard.fabs.info@tetratech.com . Veuillez soumettre votre candidature au plus tard le 15 décembre. Les demandes seront examinées de façon continue.
Portée des travaux (SOW) – Consultant PEA

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(*1). Il est important de noter que la contribution globale de l’extraction du bois au PIB varie considérablement selon le contexte national. Par exemple, alors que la République démocratique du Congo abrite plus de la moitié des forêts du bassin du Congo, ses exportations totales de grumes en 2018 s'élevaient à 110,38 millions de dollars. Le Gabon, quant à lui, a généré 639,32 millions de dollars d'exportations en 2019.

(*2). Voir par exemple : https://pfbc-cbfp.org/news-partner/export-timber.html . Il est important de noter que la RDC n'est pas membre formel de la CEMAC mais a participé à la réunion aux côtés de la CEEAC et de la Banque de développement des États de l'Afrique centrale. 

(*3). Par exemple, l’extraction des ressources est un facteur de motivation et de financement essentiel pour les groupes armés dans plusieurs régions d’Afrique centrale, notamment en RCA et en RDC, avec des preuves du contrôle et de l’influence croissants du groupe de mercenaires russes Wagner en RCA : https://www.earthsight.org . Royaume-Uni/actualités/mercenaires-russes-cash-in-on-african-timber .