Improve Policies for Development and Sustainable Use of Benzoin Gum (Styrax tonkinensis) Consultant

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Title: Improve policies for the development and sustainable use of Benzoin Gum (Styrax tonkinensis) consultant

Duration: ASAP - 20 August 2020

Duty Station: Hanoi

Supervisors: Project Coordinator and Director of TRAFFIC in Vietnam

1. Background

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wildlife plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. TRAFFIC monitors wildlife trade at international, regional and national levels – researching both domestic and international chains of supply and demand to identify interventions and increase the efficiency of management. TRAFFIC works closely with governments, providing critical information on the impacts of trade, motivating efforts to increase the ecological sustainability of trade in wild species, and helping to improve enforcement of international wildlife trade controls.

In the framework of cooperation between TRAFFIC and Helvetas for the implementation of the advocacy component of the BioTrade Project in South East Asia. TRAFFIC seeks a consultant to carry out policy research and advocacy for the development and sustainable use of Benzoin Gum (Styrax tonkinensis), the project as outlined below:

Scope of the consultancy

Consultant will be implemented over a period of four and a half months and will successfully advocate for improving the policy for the development and sustainable use of the Siam Benzoin Gum (Styrax tonkinensis) products in a Northern regional province of Vietnam. This project will include six outcomes: (01) Review legislation regarding Siam Benzoin Gum, including land use rights, harvest rights, and sustainable development and use; (02) Identify gaps in legislation and policy related to the sustainable development and use of Siam Benzoin Gum; (03) Identify a province to pilot the project and agree same with Helvetas; (04) Develop technical documentation on sustainable exploitation of Siam Benzoin Gum according to relevant forestry laws and Biotrade criteria in the project area; (05) Draft guideline document on the sustainable development and use of Siam Benzoin Gum products suitable for the locality - where the pilot is selected to implement the project; (06) Mobilize public authorities to issue guidelines and contribute to improve policies in local forest resource management. Details of expected results are mentioned as follows:

Outcome 1: Review legislation regarding Siam Benzoin Gum, including land use rights, harvest rights, and sustainable development and use

Activity 1.1: Study documents, information, and policies related to the land use and forestry laws, harvest laws, and sustainable development and use Siam Benzoin Gum.

Information will be collected from a variety of sources, including through meetings and discussions with stakeholders from private sector, governing bodies, and state and local authorities, and from a desk study of regulations, legal documents, and policies of the three provinces selected by Helvetas for the survey, upon conclusion of partner discussions. Prepare a finding report to be included in the guidance document (Activity 5), with the full report included as an Appendix.

Deliverable: Policy and legislative gaps identified.

Outcome 2: Identify gaps in legislation and policy related to the harvest, development, and use of Siam Benzoin Gum.

Activity 2.1: Field survey and legislative/policy issues-related findings

A survey will be conducted in the Northern mountainous region to collect information and detect issues of interest. It is expected that there will be three provinces (selected as above in Activity 1) representing the Northeast, Northwest and North Central regions - where there is potential for developing Benzoin Gum to be surveyed. Interviews/consultations and exchanges/meetings with stakeholders (government and private sector) will be organized and conducted.

Deliverable(s): Gaps in policy that discourage sustainable development are identified and described.

Outcome 3: Provide technical support on identify and agree upon a single pilot province

Activity 3.1: Discuss and agree with Helvetas on single province for project location

Based on the results of the policy review and the summary of the findings of policy gaps on the development and use of Benzoin Gum in the surveyed provinces, TRAFFIC will discuss and come to an agreement to select one of the three surveyed provinces for policy advocacy.

Deliverable(s): Meeting minutes / evidence for unifying the choice of project implementation site.

Outcome 4: Development of technical documentation on sustainable exploitation of Siam Benzoin Gum according to relevant forestry technical and and Biotrade criteria in the project area.

Activity 4.1: Research and finalize technical documents on sustainable exploitation of and promoting biodiversity conservation values for Benzoin Gum (Styrax tonkinensis).

This activity will be carried out through a study of scientific literature and gathering information from visits to areas currently exploiting the Benzoin Gum (preferably to the material area of the Duc Phuc Company).

Deliverable(s): Technical documentation on sustainable exploitation of and promoting biodiversity conservation values for Benzoin Gum. This product will be included in the appendix of the instruction document when issued.

Outcome 5: Guidelines document on the sustainable development and use of Siam Benzoin Gum products suitable for the locality in which the project is piloted.

Activity 5.1: Draft guidance documents

Based on the results of Activities 1, 2, 3 and 4, the document will be drafted in a manner suitable to the issuance to the state management, easy to understand and easy to apply to relevant parties to participate, supervise, and manage the product chain of Benzoin Gum locally. The draft version will be reviewed by stakeholders before final drafting.

Deliverable(s): A draft of the guidance document is completed and sent to stakeholders.

Activity 5.2: Collaborative with TRAFFIC to organizing consultation workshop with stakeholders

After receiving feedback from stakeholders for the guidance document, TRAFFIC will synthesize and revise this document, and hold a consultation workshop to reach agreement with stakeholders. The meeting minutes together with the agreed amendments to the policy document guiding the sustainable development and use of Benzoin Gum were completed to be submitted to the agency for approval and issuance.

Deliverable(s): The final guidance document is completed with and sent to the parties involved.

Outcome 6: Mobilize public authorities to issue guidelines and contribute to improving policies in local forest resource management

Activity 6.1: Collaborative with TRAFFIC to organizing provincial workshop to inform and disseminate policy documents guiding the development and use of Benzoin Gum.

A provincial-level workshop will be held in the province where the project is implemented, with at least 35 delegates representing stakeholders including enterprises, forestry companies, forest management boards, forest rangers, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Foreign Affairs, Benzoin Gum plantation and exploitation, companies, businesses participating in the value chain of Benzoin Gum products, Helvetas, and TRAFFIC will attend. The guidance documents for implementation of the regulations on development and use of Benzoin Gum the action plan, and the implementation plan for commitments among the stakeholders will also be prioritized for discussion in this workshop.

Deliverable(s): Workshop report with attached approved guidance document.

Other activities:Developing field work plan on detail and workshop agendas and supports TRAFFIC to contact with project partners for organizing and implementing project activities.

Technical areas requirement:

Having a doctorate in forestry, especially having expertise and understanding of policies in the management and development of non-timber forest products;

Having more than 10 years of experience in researching and experimenting on sustainable exploitation and use techniques in the direction of low impact on NTFP products, especially Benzoin Gum;

Knowledge of standards related to BioTrade, principles of biodiversity conservation, and sustainable use of forest resources;

Ability to coordinate and conduct discussions for consultation workshop activities and synthesize comments included in the report;

Experience in advocacy and understanding of processes / procedures in drafting state documents. Good accessibility when working with communities in disadvantaged areas and the ability to negotiate with local authorities;

Ability to develop technical guidelines for propagation, intensive cultivation of non-timber forest products and transfer to local authorities.

Tentative schedule

To apply and express your interest in this consultancy contract, please send your CV and cover letter to Ms. Chau Pham (email: [email protected]/ Telephone: 024.37265023)  and clearly indicate subject: “Ref: Improve Policies for Development and Sustainable Use of Benzoin Gum (Styrax tonkinensis) Consultant”. Short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Deadline for submission is 22 April 2020.