Policy Consultancy for Nature-Positive Food Systems for Climate Change Adaptation

Policy Consultancy for Nature-Positive Food Systems for Climate Change Adaptation in East Africa (Nature+)

Date: August 20, 2024

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s Nature-Positive Food Systems for Climate Change Adaptation in East Africa (Nature+) is fostering nature-positive food systems for enhanced climate change adaptation within a representative set of Afromontane and sub-Afromontane ecosystems in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The Nature+ program is scaling up nature-based solutions (NBS), promoting climate resilient livelihoods based on the sustainable use of biodiversity, and improving landscape governance systems.

Implemented by 10 local partners, nine Foodgrains Bank member agencies and six technical support partners, the Nature+ program has three years of funding support from Global Affairs Canada for operations until March 31, 2026 (with a possibility of a no-cost extension).

Policy change has been identified as a key component of an effective enabling environment for NBS, and thus, the program is integrating policy & advocacy work into the overall program.

Foodgrains Bank is seeking the services of a senior policy consultant to further develop the policy component of the Nature+ program, including to provide background research, policy workshop support, strategic advice, and policy and advocacy training for existing staff.

The policy consultancy is expected to be completed over approximately five months, from October 2024 to February 2025.

2.0 INTRODUCTION TO CANADIAN FOODGRAINS BANK

Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 Canadian churches and church-based agencies working together to end world hunger. They do this by:

• supporting international programs to meet immediate food needs, reduce malnutrition, and achieve sustainable food security;
• influencing improvements in national and international policies that contribute to ending global hunger;
• increasing and deepening the engagement of Canadians in efforts to end global hunger.

3.0 NATURE+ PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Nature Positive Food Systems for Climate Change Adaptation (in short: Nature+) is a three-year-initiative that is fostering nature-positive food systems for enhanced climate change adaptation within a representative set of Afromontane and sub-Afromontane ecosystems in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe:

• buffer zones surrounding the Chimanimani National Park (which straddles Mozambique and Zimbabwe)
• four separate landscapes in Ethiopia within the regions of Oromia, Amhara and South Ethiopia;
• four contiguous areas in one landscape surrounding the Athi River in Kitui and Makueni counties in Kenya.

The Nature+ program is scaling-up nature-based solutions, promoting climate resilient livelihoods based on the sustainable use of biodiversity, and improving landscape governance systems.

These landscapes are all extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change; have high levels of globally important but highly threatened endemic biodiversity; have high levels of land degradation; and high levels of poverty. Women, girls, and other vulnerable groups such as youth often bear the brunt of these threats, at the same time as being a critical piece of the solution and this program will include a strong focus on these groups.

The program is reducing vulnerability to climate change and enhancing the well-being of communities and their surrounding ecosystems in these areas through three interlinked elements.

1) It is increasing social-ecological system capacity to absorb climate-driven biophysical shocks and stresses (such as droughts and floods) by scaling up four core nature-based solutions (conservation agriculture, assisted natural regeneration and enrichment planting; improved water management; and improved livestock and range management) and increasing local communities’ and the Foodgrains Bank network (which includes Foodgrains Bank, member, and partner staff) capacity to do so in the future.

2) It is increasing capacity to absorb socio-economic shocks and stresses caused by climate change by promoting enhanced climate resilient livelihoods, based on the sustainable use of biodiversity, especially for women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.

3) It is increasing local communities’ ability to adapt to future climate change impacts and improve ecosystem management by increasing decision-making and leadership of women and other vulnerable people in community and landscape level governance systems, as well as strengthening coordination and collaboration for sustainable landscape management practices.

Together, these three pillars are contributing to restoring ecological functionality and enhancing human well-being and making a key contribution towards the ultimate outcome of improved low carbon, climate resilient economies in rural areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe for enhanced well-being of communities, especially women, girls, and other vulnerable groups.

This work is being implemented by 10 local partners; nine Foodgrains Bank member agencies; and several technical support partners. The majority of these have a long history of effective collaboration, information sharing, and peer-to-peer learning within the Foodgrains Bank network that has led to more effective and innovative programming.

Local implementing organizations:

Ethiopia

• FH Ethiopia (working with Foodgrains Bank member Mennonite Central Committee Canada);
• The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Ethiopia (working with Foodgrains Bank member Canadian Lutheran World Relief);
• Migbare Senay Children and Family Support Organization (MSCFSO) (working with Foodgrains Bank member Mennonite Central Committee Canada);
• Terepeza Development Association (TDA) (working with Foodgrains Bank member Tearfund Canada).

Kenya

• ADRA Kenya (working with Foodgrains Bank member ADRA Canada);
• Fadhili Trust (working with Foodgrains Bank member Tearfund Canada);
• National Council of Churches Kenya (NCCK) (working with Foodgrains Bank member United Church of Canada);
• Utooni Development Organization (UDO) (working with Foodgrains Bank member Mennonite Central Committee Canada).

Mozambique

• ADRA Mozambique (working with Foodgrains Bank member ADRA Canada).

Zimbabwe

• TSURO Trust (working with Foodgrains Bank member PWRDF).

4.0 NATURE+ POLICY GOALS

Foodgrains Bank is promoting an NBS+ model. In an NBS+ approach the chosen NBS need to be paired with best practices (science & research backed), an enabling environment (like good governance, policies), Indigenous knowledge (locally adapted understandings) and sustainable land management (undertaken at landscape levels, not just individual farms). This NBS+ model will allow NBS to have much greater success. The program has identified policy change as a key component to the necessary enabling environment for long-lasting and deeper-level change.

The Nature+ program will work to influence relevant government plans, by-laws and policies for the long-term sustainability of restored landscapes.

To achieve this the program will include evidence gathering on the policy and governance barriers to achieving NBS at the landscape level. Land rights—particularly inclusive land use governance—has been identified as a primary policy initiative. Land rights, such as the goal of improved policies to ensure increased decision-making and leadership of women and other vulnerable people in community and landscape level governance systems, is an integral issue for the success of the program.

A focus on land rights will be complemented by participation in other relevant national and regional policy initiatives as strategic opportunities. These will be related to climate change adaptation, biodiversity, gender equality, and NBS solutions such as conservation agriculture.

This approach will require a thorough analysis of the policy landscape and opportunities, such as potential allies among existing movements, influencers, and decision makers; critical evidence gaps regarding the impact of NBS on smallholder farmers, particularly women, and their communities; and relevant regional and national processes, including multistakeholder platforms.

The program will target key achievable policy improvements to address identified policy barriers, through training (particularly women and other vulnerable groups) in policy and advocacy; synthesizing the evidence base gathered from academic research, indigenous knowledge and learnings from program experimentation/research and impact; and joining coalitions and/or local and national platforms on gender, climate change, biodiversity/NBS, food security etc. which seek to improve policies and governance.

As the evidence base grows of the positive impact of low carbon, climate resilient economies on the well-being of communities, the program will communicate evidence and learnings to influencers and decision makers to build support for NBS at regional, national and county policy levels.

5.0 SCOPE OF WORK AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POLICY CONSULTANT

The policy consultant will support the development and roll-out of policy strategies in three program areas (Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe/Mozambique).

The major roles under the responsibility of the policy consultant include:

1. Review program documents, such as project proposals, annual reports, and other relevant documents to understand the overall program and policy work being undertaken thus far.
2. Hold meetings online or in person with relevant policy experts in the three program regions.
3. Do desk research on relevant policy areas, related to land rights, climate change adaptation, and biodiversity conservation (particularly for women) in the three program regions.
4. Prepare an internal policy strategy paper for Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe/Mozambique.
5. Provide guidance on policy engagement with the African Union.
6. Mentor the three Nature+ country managers (one based in Ethiopia, one in Kenya, and one in the Chimanimani region of Zimbabwe/Mozambique) on incorporating policy work into their overall roles.
7. Provide facilitation support for a five-day policy workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe (Sept 30-Oct 4, 2024) for implementing organizations.
8. Provide planning support and help facilitate a five-day policy workshop in Kenya.
9. Meet bi-weekly with the Nature+ policy & communications lead to discuss progress, challenges, and next steps.
10. Provide written and verbal feedback on overall policy strategies, including policy work plans.

6. DELIVERABLES

The policy consultant shall complete the following deliverables:

1. Three 15-20 page policy strategy papers: one each for Ethiopia, Kenya and Zimbabwe/Mozambique. The strategy paper should include:
   1. Major national policy positions and key legislation on land rights, climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and other NBS practices such as conservation agriculture.
   2. Key policy gaps and opportunities for policy change on the named thematic areas, including dates and timelines for policy processes where available.
   3. A list of relevant coalition groups/movements, potential Civil Society Organizations (CSO) advocacy partners and relevant government officials (and departments).
   4. Draft guidance on a policy strategy in each country (i.e. key political and policy moments, advocacy events etc.)
2. Prepare a 3-5 page background document on policy engagement with the African Union. This should include:
   1. Guidance on how CSO actors can engage with the African Union.
   2. Upcoming policy dialogues, consultations and other relevant themes or areas of work.
   3. A list of key officials in the AU Commission, and country representatives from Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
   4. Guidance on the value of a policy focus targeting the African Union and, as appropriate, a draft strategy.
3. Ten one-hour mentoring calls with each country manager, for a total of 30 meetings.
4. Bi-weekly update calls with the policy & advocacy lead, for a total of 8.
5. Planning support and help facilitate a five-day policy workshop in Kenya. This workshop will provide learning on topics such as land rights for women, climate change adaptation policy (as identified by partner organizations) and policy & advocacy capacity building. This would include:
   1. Working together with partner organization NCCK to plan and deliver the workshop.
   2. Inviting and working with outside speakers as appropriate.
   3. Preparing a 5-page policy workshop report.
6. Support facilitation of a policy workshop in Zimbabwe. This workshop will provide learning and capacity building on national-level policy opportunities in climate change adaptation, land rights and biodiversity conservation. This would include:
   1. Facilitation of learning & capacity building sessions as requested.
   2. Preparing a 5-page policy workshop report.
7. Policy visits to three countries (Ethiopia, Kenya and Zimbabwe) for approximately one week each to work in-person with country managers, including to accompany the country manager to relevant policy meetings.
8. Written feedback on a policy workplan for 2025 and overall program policy strategies.

7. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Nature+ policy & communications lead, based in Winnipeg, Canada, has overall responsibility for the Nature+ policy strategy and workplan, and reports to the Nature+ program manager (also based in Winnipeg, Canada). The policy consultant will report to the Nature+ policy & communications lead.

The three country managers will increasingly incorporate national-level policy work into their country coordination roles. As requested, they, with support from the policy & communications lead, will support implementing partners on policy strategies and activities from local to national levels. They report to the Nature+ Africa manager (based in Addis Ababa) but will meet at least monthly with the policy & communications lead to ensure good coordination on policy work.

8. LOCATION OF WORK

This consultancy will be home based, preferably in one of three countries: Ethiopia, Kenya or Zimbabwe. The consultant with use his/her/their own computer and related facilities to prepare all deliverables. The consultant will be responsible for arranging their own travel. However, all travel arrangements must be approved by the Foodgrains Bank prior to booking. All travel expenses (flight, visa, accommodations, food, local transportation, and incidentals) are to be included in the overall consultancy budget.

9. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

All writing, books, articles, artwork, computer programs, databases, source and object codes and other material of any nature whatsoever produced in whole or in part by the consultant in the course of his/her/their services to Foodgrains Bank shall be considered a work made for hire, or otherwise, and therefore Foodgrains Bank’s property.

Without permission of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank the consultant is not allowed to share any information with external bodies and all documents prepared and all data and information gathered by the consultants are the property of the client. The consultant shall not be entitled either directly or indirectly to make use of such documents or works without the prior written consent of the client (Canadian Foodgrains Bank).

10. POLICY CONSULTANT REQUIREMENTS

The consultant should meet the following criteria:

• Minimum 10 years of experience in research, planning and implementing policy strategies in Eastern and Southern Africa;
• Demonstrated knowledge of NBS practice and policy, including (women’s) land rights and climate change adaptation;
• Experience in delivering capacity-building workshops, particularly for policy and advocacy, and working with local partners;
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Language requirements: fluent spoken and written English required; in addition, fluency in other languages of the Nature+ work areas (such as Amharic, Swahili, Shona, and Portuguese) would be considered an advantage;
• Willingness to travel to the program countries.