Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) recruits 01 Strategy Development Consultant

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) recruits 01 Strategy Development Consultant

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

Mozambique

Humanitaire (ONG, Associations, …), Projet/programme de développement

HWC Strategy Development Consultant
Creation of a HWC mitigation/coexistence outline for Niassa Special Reserve
Project contextThis intervention is part of the CWT-Link Mozambique project with a goal to combat the killing of elephants and the ivory trade by providing legal and technical support to disrupt poaching and trafficking networks in Mozambique.  The project has two components: one focusing on increasing capacity to collect, analyse and act upon IWT data nationally through enhanced collaboration between conservation areas, Mozambican regional authorities and neighbouring countries; and a second to enhance the legal capacity within NNR Administration Law Enforcement Department. In order to engage local people in countering poaching it is essential that they feel that they are at least equally important as wildlife, if not more so. It is therefore essential to address the biggest concern that local people have, that is, human-wildlife conflict.

WCS BackgroundThe Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US tax-free non-governmental organization founded in 1895 that protects wildlife and wilderness by understanding critical issues, creating science-based solutions and promoting conservation actions that benefit nature and the humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 countries and experience in helping to establish more than 150 protected areas worldwide, WCS has accumulated biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships to ensure that vibrant places, with flora and fauna, thrive together with local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, this knowledge is applied to address issues of management of species, habitats and critical ecosystems to improve the quality of life of rural poor people, whose livelihoods depend on the direct use of natural resource

WCS created a national program in Mozambique in 2012, with two main objectives:Increase the protection of the Niassa Special Reserve, a vast landscape in the north of the country and improve the conservation status of its elephants through co-management of the Reserve; and
Strengthen the management of protected areas at the national level, contributing to improving policies and strengthening the government’s capacity to implement legislation on crimes against wildlife through the strategic involvement of government agencies in Maputo.WCS Mozambique continues to work towards these objectives but has also commenced projects related to sustainable financing of conservation through the development of mechanisms for biodiversity offsets, the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and marine/coastal conservation.
Niassa Special Reserve BackgroundThe Niassa Special Reserve (NSR) is located in the North of Mozambique, bordered by the Rovuma River and Tanzania in the north, and extending over a large part of the province of Niassa and partly the province of Cabo Delgado. Currently, NSR is estimated to represent 36% of Mozambique’s Protected Area Network and 51% of its terrestrial parks and reserves. This scale makes Niassa part of an elite and increasingly rare group of ‘mega-protected areas’ in sub-Saharan Africa, with huge conservation significance continentally and globally.

The Niassa Reserve was first established in 1954. It was re-gazetted as a Partial Hunting Reserve in 1960. In 1969 the boundaries were changed to reduce the area to 12,380 km2 but in 1999 new boundaries were established and the Reserve became Niassa National Reserve (NNR) with a total area of 42,279 km2 declaring its buffer zone—made up of six large hunting coutadas—as an integral part of it. This year, through Decree 42/2020 of 16 June, the Reserve was recategorised as Niassa Special Reserve and the buffer zone redimensioned to align with the Conservation Law 16/2014 amended through 5/2017. The current extent is 42,530 km2 comprising a core area of 38,041 km2 and 4,489 km2 buffer zone.
The Reserve overlays parts of five districts of Niassa—Sanga, Mavago, Muembe, Majune and Marrupa in addition to the whole of the district of Mecula. It also overlays parts of two Districts of Cabo Delgado—Mueda and Montepues—although the latter has no communities within the Reserve. Currently approximately 60,000 people reside inside NSR in more than 40 twons/villages, with around half of these dwelling in the buffer zone in Mavago district.
In 2002, the Sociedade para Gestão e Desenvolvimento da Reserva do Niassa (SGDRN) was awarded the rights to manage NNR by the Council of Ministers Decree and formalised in a 10-year management rights lease agreement signed with the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) of the Government of Mozambique in 2002, which expired in 2012. This was superseded by a Memorandum of Understanding between MITUR and WCS to co-manage the Reserve in partnership with the National Conservation Area Administration (ANAC) for the following three years. This co-management arrangement has continued to the present and will be formally strengthened through the signing of a new 2-year Co-management Agreement between ANAC and WCS approved by the Council of Minister on 9 June 2020.
The Reserve has been divided into 19 management units, of which 11 are now designated for sport-hunting, 6 for eco-tourism blocks and 2 for total protection due to high biodiversity value and being the sources of many of the Reserve’s rivers. Of these, 8 are actively managed for hunting and 4 are managed for non-consumptive purposes. In 2020 two more management units were awarded for hunting and another for ecotourism but these are not yet active as contracts have not been finalised and the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented tourism in 2020 and consequently investment. Tourism operators can play an important role in wildlife management within their management units.
Human-Wildlife ConflictAs noted by Gross (2019), human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is a highly complex issue, involving not only behavioural and ecological aspects of wildlife species but also social, cultural, political and economic factors. Understanding the complexity is essential for the identification of strategies and solutions leading to a long-term coexistence of people and wildlife. Situations in which wildlife impacts humans negatively (physically, economically, or psychologically), and humans likewise negatively impact wildlife, are considered as HWC. This definition includes the interaction of species and people as well as underlying causes of conflict based on relationships between groups of people.

In 2002, Osborn and Anstey found that elephant-human conflict was a significant problem not only within the Reserve but in 9 of the 15 districts of Niassa province when the elephant population was estimated to be around 12,000, with the major distribution is within the Reserve but also considerable movements occur outside the reserve. Within the Reserve the main technique to minimize elephant-human conflict at the time was large-scale electric fencing, which then covered most of the community concentrations in Mecula district. These appeared to have had some success but were costly to maintain, being paid for by communities from the 20% dividend they receive from the hunting coutadas that made up the buffer zone at that time.
Sadly, around 5 people are killed in encounters with wildlife each year. Hippos and crocodiles cause the most deaths, but snakes, buffalos and elephants may also be the culprits. Attacks by lions have reduced significantly since 2012. Crop damage is the biggest problem most noticeable when caused by elephants and buffalos but baboons and wild pigs are actually far more common offenders. Domestic livestock are not numerous in NSR and are infrequently taken by large carnivores such as lions, leopards and hyenas since improved corralling has been encouraged, but poultry are still occasionally taken by raptors, baboons and smaller carnivores such as jackals.
Objective of this interventionThe objective of the consultancy is to assist NSR management to develop a holistic HWC strategy to mitigate conflict and foster peaceful coexistence.

The consultant should take a collaborative wildlife management approach involving local community members and groups and other stakeholders through open dialogue and shared information leading to meaningful local participation.
Expected OutcomeAgreed framework for all partners (NSR Administration, tourism operators, local communities and local government authorities) for a practical set of programs that systematically reduce conflicts between humans and wildlife and encourage a mutual respect and coexistence to the benefit of all.

Specific OutputsAssessment of data availability for HWC and conflict species/ecology
Background research, communication, expert discussionsSummary of findings and preparation of chartsAssessment of HWC situation in Niassa (farmers level)Background research and briefing of HWC officerDevelopment of questionnaireTraining HWC officer on questionnaire and study designSupervision of interviews/data collection by NSR HWC officersSupervision of data entry HWC officersData analysisSummary of findings and preparation of chartsAssessment of HWC situation in Niassa (expert/professional level): NGOs, wildlife authority, tourism, local authorities and local communitiesStructured expert interviews by video call (10 persons)Summary of findingsDeveloping an outline for a HEC mitigation/coexistence strategy based on data/reports aboveDeveloping and writing strategy based on findings that can be easily adapted to both fit into a new General Management Plan for NSR and for a project proposal for funding to implement it.
Materials to submit1 report detailing briefly the work undertaken and findings but focusing on a forward-looking strategy and programmatic approach to HWC mitigation in NSR
1 Powerpoint presentation to be given to NSR stakeholders through a teleconferenceThe materials are to be submitted in English Language in digital format Methods
In coordination with the NSR Administration Project Management Unit staff, in particular the HWC Officer, conduct background searches, interview key stakeholders and propose a set of complementary prioritised actions to mitigate HWC through the coordinated involvement of all relevant stakeholders.

Interviews with key entities or persons should be used to understand the existing situation, current HWC measures and assess levels of acceptance and the performance of the enabling environment.
Liaison with a number of other ongoing related interventions is expected:Doctoral student from the University of Lisbon research into HWC in NSR and Quirimbas National Park;
AB consultants from Kenya assessing the feasibility of developing a HWC micro-insurance scheme;Niassa Carnivore Project (NCP) program of Community Wildlife Guardians HWC monitoring;Researchers from Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) led by Dr. Natasha Ribeiro (Forestry Faculty) on a PEER project looking at dynamics between miombo ecology, fire, elephants and people.Experience / TrainingPhD or Master degree relating to human-wildlife conflict.Knowledge of broad conservation area management and conservation principles in Africa.At least 10 years of experience in human-wildlife conflict strategy/project development and implementation, mostly in AfricaFluent in English. Portuguese or Swahili advantageous
SalairyStart immediately. To be completed within 3 months after start of contract.
Expected time inputs are 26 days minimum.
How to apply
Technical proposalIn response to the scope of this TOR The candidate must submit the technical proposal and their CV and relevant certificates to wcsmozambique@wcs.org before 13 October 2020. Only selected candidates will be contacted for the next steps.

In the technical proposal, the consultant must:Present the detailed methodology and strategy on how you will carry out each of the points mentioned in the scope of these terms of reference;
Make clear what you will need from the contractor in order to ensure each of the points mentioned in the scope of this document.
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TownNiassa Special Reserve (NSR)
FunctionsSpecialized technicianProgram-Project management
Contract# FIXED-TERM CONTRACT
Areas of activity# OTHER# ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE
Country# AFRICA# MOZAMBIQUE
Closing date13/10/2020