PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Inter-Africa Bamboo Smallholder Farmers Livelihood Development Programme is an initiative of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR) that seeks to harness the potential of bamboo to contribute to poverty reduction, women and youth employment, environmental protection and south-south cooperation in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With financial support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the programme aims to enhance incomes, livelihoods and climate change adaptive capacities of African smallholder farmers, women and youth by upscaling and increasing their participation in climate-smart bamboo value chains. The programme will intervene in the following four themes: (1) upscaling and diversifying existing target country bamboo value chains and promoting industrialization; (2) facilitating restoration of degraded areas; (3) integrating bamboo into country development plans, particularly for climate change; (4) enhancing South-South Cooperation within Africa and between Africa and China. Under the upscaling and industrialization theme, the programme will develop investment opportunities based on accurate resource assessments and strengthen institutions to enable wide-scale implementation. To facilitate restoration of degraded areas, the programme aims to boost market demand for bamboo resources and improve planting material delivery systems and management to reverse land degradation, reduce erosion, and protect watersheds. The programme will also build local and national capacities to assess and identify how to enhance bamboo’s economic & environmental benefits. To enhance south-south cooperation, the programme will enable sharing and transfer of best practices, knowledge, skills and technologies for bamboo development within Africa and from China.

To contribute to the achievement of objectives of the programme, one of the major focus of the programme is the understand the current policy environment and the implications of bamboo integration into sustainable development planning and strategies of African countries. INBAR is seeking for an eligible consultant to conduct bamboo policy integration analysis in Cameroon. This document outlines the terms of reference for undertaking this study.

INTRODUCTION

Until now, the bamboo sector in Africa countries has received less prominence as a potential sector for economic growth. There seems to be limited information regarding the status of the bamboo resource base as well as the policy options for bamboo development in many African countries. In many bamboo-rich countries, bamboo is not clearly defined and categorised, some policies categorise bamboo as trees and not as a non-timber forest product (NTFP) giving stem to bottleneck in the development of the sector. The policy environment in Cameroon is rapidly changing in a positive direction as old policies are being updated and new ones are being developed. Several legislations and policies govern the forestry, land, energy, small scale enterprise and the environment sector that have implications for the bamboo sector. However, few policies specifically identify or guide the development of bamboo and this presents an opportunity to inform and develop bamboo development strategies and programmes that can be integrated into sustainable development plans and strategies of Cameroon.

Highly important to this study is the identification of key factors and conditions that facilitate or impede the integration of bamboo policy and programmes into national development plans and strategies, including green growth strategies and climate change plans. It is expected that the study will also identify measures that can be taken to facilitate more effective bamboo policy integration into national sustainable development plans. The policy integration analysis will form the basis for framing roundtable discussions which will be convened in liaison with focal ministries.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The main objective of this assignment is to analyse relevant complimentary policies or programmes on thematic areas, such as forestry and environment, landscape restoration, bioenergy, and rural employment to ensure that newly drafted or existing bamboo policies/programmes are fully linked to national sustainable development planning with the objective of leveraging increased investment in bamboo development. The specific objectives of the study include;

• Provide an understanding and analysis of various sectors, including among others, forestry and environment, energy, biodiversity conservation, and climate change, that has implications on bamboo development in the respective countries;
• Define relevant legislations, complimentary policies and programmes that directly or indirectly support the bamboo development in the respective countries;
• Map key stakeholders (including their roles, responsibilities, interests) in the development of the bamboo sector;
• Assess the opportunities and incentives, including the market and investment in bamboo development in Cameroon.
• Define a framework for bamboo policy integration for sustainable development in Cameroon.country)

SPECIFIC TASKS

The assessment will consist of literature review and the application of qualitative and quantitative research methods to collect both primary and secondary data. The Consultant is expected to execute the following tasks as part of this assignment and their associated interactions thereof:

• Undertake an extensive desk study to review various literature (project document, journals, reports, and proposals) on the following:
  • Sectors, including forestry, energy, biodiversity conservation, climate change with implications on bamboo development
  • Relevant legislations, laws, complimentary policies and programmes that directly or indirectly support the bamboo development in the respective countries;
  • Stakeholders including women and youth, artisans in the bamboo sector
  • Market and investment opportunities for bamboo development
• Identify key actors and conduct brief interviews around pathways towards the integration of bamboo into national development plans and strategies.

EXPECTED OUTCOME OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The consultant firm will submit a comprehensive policy integration analysis report with disaggregated data including following, but not necessarily limited to:

• Detailed analysis of political, economic and environmental realities that shape the development of the bamboo sector;
• Detailed analyses of relevant legislations, complimentary policies and programmes that directly or indirectly support the bamboo development in the respective countries;
• List of key stakeholders (including their roles, responsibilities, interests) in the development of the bamboo sector;
• Analyses of the political, economic and ecological constraints that affect bamboo development in the respective countries and
• Analyses of the opportunities and policy incentives, including the market and demand for bamboo products in the respective countries
• Recommendations of interventions to overcome constraints and make use of opportunities to promote the integration of bamboo development into national policies and plans;
• Recommendations of interventions to attract both international and national investor to invest in the bamboo sector development in Cameroon.

SUPERVISION AND REPORTING

• Consultancy agency will report to the National Coordinator in liaison with the Project Manager, Inter-Africa Bamboo Smallholder Farmers Livelihood Development Programme.

DELIVERABLES

• This will result in the publication of four national bamboo policy brief that outline how the bamboo policy/programme under a specific line ministry may be integrated into sustainable development and financing efforts implemented at a national planning level, with the objective of leveraging increased investment in bamboo development.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications will be accepted until 20/02/2019. All applications will be acknowledged; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further action.

Please cover letter consisting of the methodology and work plan and your Curriculum Vitae (in English) to: caro@inbar.int and copy Human Resources Department, INBAR hr@inbar.int

Please indicate BAMBOO POLICY INTEGRATION ANALYSIS in the email subject line.

To learn more about INBAR, please visit our web site at: www.inbar.int