Terms of Reference (TOR) For the Consultant Services to Conduct an Assessment for Gap Identification in Existing National Policies, National and International Commitments



The CSO actions for a resilient ecosystem and community/Samvardhan project, funded by the European Union and the Austrian Development Cooperation through ADRA Austria, is implemented by ADRA Nepal, ANSAB Nepal, Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN), and Bheri Environment Excellence Group (BEE Group). The project is being executed in Kohalpur Municipality and Rapti-Sonari Rural Municipality of Banke district, and Thakurbaba Municipality and Madhuwan Municipality of Bardiya district. Its primary aim is to empower Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), particularly community forest user groups (CFUGs) and farmer’s groups, to restore and conserve biodiversity and ecosystems for sustainable use and equitable sharing. The project focuses on five main outputs:

1. Strengthened capacities of forest user groups in sustainable forest management approaches in line with National Forest Stewardship Standards (NFSS)

2. Enhanced capacities of farmer groups in climate-smart farming and wildlife-resilient farming practices

3. Increased capacities of community-based enterprises in utilizing natural resources and ecosystem services

4. Improved capacities of public and private sectors in joint development and implementation of policies, guidelines, and plans at the local level on conservation and sustainable utilization of forest and farm resources

5. Increased awareness of national stakeholders and the public on key environmental goals, frameworks, and relevant issues

The project is committed to enhancing environmental awareness and promoting the implementation of national and international environmental policies and commitments. As part of this initiative, an important activity under Output 5 is focused on generating knowledge and disseminating lessons learned regarding the implementation of national policies and international commitments, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The project seeks to engage a qualified consultant or consulting firm to assess the gaps in the existing national policies, national and international commitments. The aim is to identify the areas where there is a need for improvement in policy alignment, implementation, and the achievement of global environmental goals. The assessment will provide actionable recommendations for addressing these gaps and enhancing the effectiveness of policy implementation in the context of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

Objective of the Consultancy Service:
The overall objective of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of existing national policies and international commitments, specifically focusing on CBD, CITES, NBSAP, NDC, and the Global Biodiversity Framework and identify gaps in the implementation of these policies and commitments at the national and international level including the knowledge gaps among policy implementing agencies and communities. Based on the assessment, the consultant will recommend solutions to bridge these gaps and also inform on the contents of training modules for creating awareness.

Scope of Work:
The consultancy will involve the following key tasks:

1. Review of Existing National Policies, National and International Commitments:

• Review and analyze the national policies, and national and international commitments related to biodiversity conservation, including but not limited to NBSAP, NDC, and any other relevant national and international regulations.

• Review and analyze Nepal's alignment with international agreements including but not limited to CBD, CITES, and the Global Biodiversity Framework.

• Conduct an analysis of how well the existing national policies align with these national and international commitments.

• Identify any gaps or discrepancies between national policies, and national and international commitments.

• Examine areas where policies, regulations and other legal instruments may be insufficient, outdated, or poorly aligned with national and international commitments.

• Analyze institutional and operational barriers to effective implementation of national policies, other legal instruments and national and international commitments.

• Analyze the knowledge gaps among policy implementing agencies and communities on the implementation of policies and commitments.

• Conduct interviews and consultations with key stakeholders engaged in policies and national commitments formulation and alignment with international commitments implementation, including government agencies (federal, provincial and local), CSOs networks and relevant environmental and policy experts.

• Conduct interviews and consultations with policy implementing agencies and FGDs with communities including but not limited to DFOs, National Park Officials, development agencies, CSO networks and affected communities.

• Gather insights on challenges in policy implementation and the barriers faced in achieving international commitments.

• Analyze the findings from the document review and stakeholder consultations.

• Synthesize key gaps and challenges in the current policy landscape. 

1. Recommendations:

• Provide recommendations to address the identified gaps in policy implementation, including suggestions for improving policy coherence, institutional coordination, and capacity building.

• Recommend specific actions to align national policies and other legal instruments more closely with national and international commitments and frameworks.

• Recommend appropriate training methodologies and inform on the possible sessions/contents to include on training modules for creating awareness in these policies and commitments

• Prepare a detailed assessment report, including findings, analysis, and recommendations.

• Present the findings in a workshop with key stakeholders for validation and feedback.

• Finalize the report based on the feedback from the workshop.

Methodology:
The assessment will be based on both qualitative and quantitative methods and will include:

·         Document Review: A detailed review of national policies and other legal instruments, national and international agreements and commitments, and previous assessments related to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

·      Stakeholder Engagement: Key Informants Interviews (KII), focus group discussions (FGDs), and consultations with relevant stakeholders as described above including government agencies, CSOs and networks, like-minded organizations, community groups, and experts. All the consultations should ensure that voices of women, marginalized groups and vulnerable populations are incorporated.

·         Gap Analysis, validation and synthesis of report: Comparative analysis of national policies and international frameworks to identify gaps and alignment issues, prepare draft report, validate the findings and synthesis of the final report incorporating feedbacks.

Deliverables:
The consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:

·         Inception Report: Including a detailed methodology, work plan, and timeline for the assessment.

·         Draft Report: A comprehensive report presenting the findings, gap analysis, and preliminary recommendations.

·         Stakeholder Validation Workshop: Organizing and facilitating a validation workshop to discuss the draft report and collect feedback from stakeholders.

·         Presentation of Findings: A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the key findings and recommendations to be shared with project stakeholders.

·         Session Plan: Develop training session plan based on identified gaps or discrepancies on national and international policies.

·         Final Report: A revised report incorporating feedback from the validation workshop, with actionable recommendations for policy improvements.

Duration of the Consultancy:

The consultancy assignment is expected to take 45 days, starting from the date of agreement between the two parties. The timeline for key activities is as follows:

·         Inception and Methodology Development: 10 days

·         Document Review and Stakeholder Consultations: 15 days

·         Analysis and Reporting: 15 days

·         Stakeholder Workshop and Final Report Preparation: 5 days

Required Qualifications and Experience:

·         A minimum of a Master’s Degree in Law, environmental science, policy analysis, natural resource management, or a related field.

·         At least 5 years of experience working with national policies, international environmental agreements, and biodiversity conservation.

·         Proven experience in conducting policy assessments, gap analyses, and producing actionable recommendations for policy alignment.

·         Familiarity with CBD, CITES, NBSAP, NDC, and the Global Biodiversity Framework is highly desirable.

·         Strong experience in stakeholder engagement and conducting consultations with government agencies, NGOs, and community-based organizations.

·         Excellent writing and reporting skills in both English and Nepali.

Budget and Remuneration:
The available consultancy budget is maximum of NRs 415000.00 (Four Lakh Fifteen thousand rupees only) with tax, which will cover all the costs involved to accomplish the assignment including the facilitation to organize the validation workshop. The workshop cost will be bearded jointly by the implementing partners.

·         60% of the total budget will be released upon submission of the inception report.

·         40% will be released upon submission and approval of the final report.

Application Procedure:

Interested consultants or consulting firms should submit the following documents:

·         A technical proposal detailing the consultant’s approach, methodology, and work plan for the assignment.

·         A financial proposal outlining the total cost of the consultancy, including breakdowns of consultant fees, travel, and other costs.

·         CV(s) of the consultant(s) highlighting relevant experience.

·         A cover letter outlining the consultant’s understanding of the assignment and their suitability for the work.

Evaluation Criteria:
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

·         Understanding of the TOR and approach to the assignment: 20%

·         Relevant experience in similar assignments: 40%

·         Methodology and work plan: 25%

·         Financial proposal and budget justification: 15%

Application procedure:

Interested professionals/institutions are requested to submit a brief proposal (including technical and financial details) outlining how you plan to achieve the objective as stated in the TOR within the given budget limit along with a detailed CV of the consultant.

Qualified candidate/s may apply for this service latest by January 10, 2026 by submitting the proposal along with cover letter with the subject line Application for the consultancy Service- Conduct an Assessment for Gap Identification in Existing National Policies and International Commitments to vacancy@fecofun.org.np with CC to Jayanjoshi64@gmail.com by 10th Jan, 2026. Shortlist candidates/organizations will be informed for further processing. 

Contact Information:
For further information, please contact:

info@fecofun.org.np

birkha.shahi1@gmail.com

rampou@gmail.com

977-1- 6616408, 6616421, 9848739276