MegaFlorestais Assessment Consultant

1. Introduction

In 2025 both the RRI coalition and MegaFlorestais network will celebrate their 20th anniversaries. This will be a moment to look back on the past and build a vision for the future of the RRI coalition. During this review process, we will assess various RRI initiatives, including MegaFlorestais. These reviews will inform the next phase of the coalition as we rise to the current and emerging challenges in the community forestry sector.

The MegaFlorestais assessment has been requested by coalition and board members during annual planning meetings. Since MegaFlorestais has mostly operated as an independent initiative, its activities and results have not always been explicitly connected to other coalition activities. Partners, collaborators and board members have therefore requested to better understand how MegaFlorestais contributes to RRI objectives and what are the benefits of the network to advance our joint mission of securing land and resource rights for Indigenous, afro-descendent and local communities.

In addition to RRI's objectives, this assessment should also reflect on how MegaFlorestais has achieved its founding objectives in connecting forest agency leaders and advancing forest governance and sustainable forestry. With this assessment we are hoping to learn more about MegaFlorestais impact, achievements, shortcomings and recommendations that will drive the next phase of MegaFlorestais.

2. MegaFlorestais Background

Founded in 2005, MegaFlorestais (MF) is an informal network of public forest agency leaders from the twelve most forested countries in the world: Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, DR Congo, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Sweden, Russia, and the USA. Through providing a space for candid discussion under the Chatham House Rule, the network aims to advance international dialogue and exchange on transitions in forest governance, forest industry, and the roles of public forest agencies. The RRI has served as the secretariat of MegaFlorestais since its inception, acknowledging the vital role that Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and Afro-Descendant Peoples in ethical, effective forest management.

MegaFlorestais activities include: its Annual Meeting with country delegates and resources advisers; the Next Generation of Forest Leaders Workshop; the Rethinking Forest Regulation Workshop; study tours; thematic webinars; and analysis of the sector.

3. Purpose & Scope

The expected outcome of the MegaFlorestais Assessment is to provide guidance and recommendations for improving, and if it is the case, restructuring, the initiative to better meet current and future challenges of the forestry and land rights sectors. The purpose of the assessment can be summarized in three points:

1. Asses the ongoing relevance of MF and its adaptation over the years to changes in the forestry sector
2. Asses the effectiveness of MF in achieving its own objectives
3. Asses the contribution of MF to RRI mission and goals

Since its founding in 2005, we have conducted a 10-year assessment in 2014 and analysis and reviews of its strategic objectives in 2014 and 2016. The previous assessments, however, were more focused on the trends and changes in the forestry sector itself, rather than on the contribution of MF to RRI's mission. These documents are available on the MegaFlorestais website (here).

The present assessment should analyze the effectiveness of MegaFlorestais in achieving its objectives, particularly through a review of activities (such as the Annual Meeting, Next Generation of Forest Leaders Workshop, and Rethinking Forest Regulations Workshop), through a review of its materials (synopsis, participant list, agendas, etc.) and through interviews with participants. By interviewing current and past MegaFlorestais participants, we hope to learn about their own professional development and the evolution of forest management in their countries since their involvement with MegaFlorestais. Within the RRI context, we hope to understand how participating agencies have contributed to the advancement of tenure rights and community-led conservation over the years. The assessment should focus on the following guiding questions:

Looking Back:

1. To what extent and how has MegaFlorestais effectively strengthened international collaboration and knowledge exchange between forest agency leaders (and emerging leaders)?
2. To what extent and how has MegaFlorestais better prepared forest agency leaders to manage emerging challenges in their countries? What MegaFlorestais activities benefited were of greatest benefit to them? Of least benefit to them? Why?
3. To what extent has MegaFlorestais helped advance forest governance policies and regulations?
4. To what extent and how did MegaFlorestais activities help advance forest governance and tenure rights at the national level?
5. To what extent has MegaFlorestais contributed to RRI results achievement, strategic priorities, and/or influence in the forestry sector?

Looking Forward:

1. What MegaFlorestais premises and strategies remain relevant to the current context? Which are no longer or less relevant and why?
2. Does MegaFlorestais continue to target the most appropriate audiences and institutions to advance public and social forestry policies and their implementation? How could this improve, if at all?
3. What, if any, new strategies or tactics could MegaFlorestais explore going forward to more effectively achieve its objectives? To contribute to RRI mission and goals?

4. Methodology

The research stage of the assessment will include the collection of qualitative and quantitative information about the relevance and effectiveness of the network, its activities strategies, members.

Sources of data for this assessment will include documents and people. The assessment methodology will likely consist of a combination of the three data collection methods below:

• Review of MegaFlorestais documents such as: reports, publications, and meeting synopsis;
• Key informant interviews with MegaFlorestais leaders and collaborators (resource advisers, workshop attendees) who have been engaged with the network;
• Survey questionnaire of selected participants of MegaFlorestais activities including the annual meetings, the Next Generation of Forest Agency Leaders, and Rethinking Forest Regulations workshops.

5. Deliverables

All deliverables will be prepared in English. These include:

1. Develop a workplan for the assessment including specific sources of data/methodology timelines to answer the evaluation questions, activities, roles, responsibilities, data collection instruments, and detailed budget to guide the assessment.
2. Develop a draft report, answering each evaluation question through findings, conclusions, lessons learned, and recommendations.  
3. Present the draft findings, conclusions and recommendations for validation and discussion in a meeting to RRI staff, MegaFlorestais co-chairs, and Board (TBC).
4. Finalize the assessment report with feedback from the presentation to RRI and MF stakeholders, summarizing the learnings.  An Executive Summary (max 4 pages) to the final report should be integrated to include: a summary of key findings and conclusions; areas for improvement; and recommendations going forward.  

6. Timeline

November 2024:

• Document review and preliminary discussions with RRI and MF Board co-chairs.
• Develop draft assessment workplan.
• Finalize workplan based on any feedback from RRI

November – January 2024

• Document review continued
• Interviews with and surveys of MegaFlorestais and RRI stakeholders.

February 2025

• Data analysis

March 2025

• Prepare draft report.
• Present findings, conclusions, recommendations to RRI and MF.

March/April 2025

• Finalize assessment report integrating feedback.

7. Consultant Qualifications

Required:

• Experience conducting assessments using mixed methods
• At least five years’ demonstrated expertise in Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning.
• Familiarity with the fields of conservation, forestry, climate change, land tenure, and rights.
• Excellent analytical and research skills including research methodology, interviewing, and synthesizing data into clear and actionable recommendations.

 Strongly desired:

• Experience with international, multicultural, and multilingual communication.
• Experience with constituencies from various sectors, particularly senior leadership from the public sector.
• Knowledge of the conservation and forestry sector in Latin America, Asia or Africa.
• We welcome proposals from individuals or groups, especially people from the Global South and/or from Indigenous, Afro-descendent or local community backgrounds.

Budget: 40,000 to 60,000 USD.

Submission Requirements

1. A 2-page proposal describing your understanding of and overall approach for delivering the assessment
2. CV for principal consultant and team members
3. Summary of a workplan outlining methodology, key tasks, level of effort by activity, timelines and key milestones (2 pages max)
4. A detailed budget including all costs associated with the project (1 page max)

The deadline for submission is 5:00pm ET on November 5, 2024.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be scored based on the following parameters:

• Experience and Qualifications (25%): Demonstrated expertise conducting assessments and knowledge of MegaFlorestais issues.
• Approach, Methodology and Work planning (50%): Understanding of the mandate, clarity, rigor, feasibility, timeliness of the proposed approach.
• Budget (25%): Cost-effectiveness and value for money.