Terms of Reference for IUCN Consultancy

Title: Strengthening Project Effectiveness, Sustainability, and Post-Project Transition in TREPA Implementation and Greening of the Eastern Province

Objective of the Consultancy

To engage a consultant to support the Eastern Province in strengthening monitoring of the TREPA Project, ensuring effective implementation, quality delivery of interventions, and long-term sustainability of results, while identifying practical opportunities and strategic pathways for scaling up successful approaches through evidence-based recommendations, stakeholder engagement, and continuous learning.

Background

Rwanda’s Eastern Province is among the region’s most vulnerable to climate variability, land degradation, and ecosystem loss, with significant implications for agricultural productivity, livelihoods, and food security. In response, the Transforming Eastern Province through Adaptation (TREPA) Project was designed to catalyze a paradigm shift in land use and climate-resilient development through integrated landscape restoration, sustainable livelihoods, and strengthened institutional systems.

Implemented by IUCN in partnership with Rwanda Forestry Authority (RFA), ICRAF, CORDAID, and Government of Rwanda institutions, TREPA aims to restore 60,000 hectares of degraded landscapes and increase the resilience of 75,000 smallholder farmers. Key interventions span agroforestry, forest landscape restoration, private forest management units (PFMUs), improved cooking stoves (ICS), community mobilization, and access to climate-sensitive finance.

Significant progress has already been achieved across these result areas, including large-scale restoration, adoption of climate-resilient livelihood practices, and strengthened district-level engagement. In parallel, TREPA contributes to climate-proofing strategic irrigation and watershed infrastructure projects in the Eastern Province and supports national and decentralized institutions to plan, manage, and monitor climate adaptation outcomes.

As the TREPA Project enters its final phase, there is a critical need to shift from implementation toward consolidation, sustainability, and long-term institutional ownership of achieved results. While TREPA has successfully established restoration systems, partnerships, and community structures across the Eastern Province, sustaining and scaling these outcomes beyond the project lifecycle requires focused technical support, consistent field-level follow-up, and strategic coordination with provincial and district authorities. This transition period presents both opportunity and risk: without deliberate action, gains may weaken; with targeted support, they can be institutionalized, expanded, and aligned with broader development priorities.

Recruiting a dedicated consultant will provide the technical and coordination capacity needed to strengthen project effectiveness, reinforce Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) compliance, and operationalize a short-term partnership with the Eastern Province that bridges ongoing TREPA interventions and longer-term greening ambitions. Embedded within provincial structures and working closely with IUCN, the consultant will support consolidation of lessons learned, guide adaptive scaling of successful approaches, and facilitate integration of nature-based solutions into district and provincial planning frameworks. This role is essential to safeguarding TREPA achievements, enabling a smooth transition toward post-project sustainability, and laying the foundation for a Green Eastern Province driven by locally led, climate-resilient development pathways.

Project Reference: P03168

Donor reference: FP167 

About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.

Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.

www.iucn.org

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About the Project

TREPA aims at achieving a paradigm shift in land management practices in Rwanda’s Eastern Province that will result in restoring 60,000 ha of landscapes that are degraded, fragile and unable to sustain livelihoods in the face of climate change. The project will also increase the resilience of 75,000 smallholder farmers in the Eastern Province. TREPA will improve food security for over 120,000 households living in high risky areas, over 100,000 rural Households will access ICS, and 260,000 people will directly benefit from enhanced financial inclusion and access for climate resilient investments.

As the TREPA project progresses beyond its mid-term phase, remarkable achievements have been recorded across key result areas. The project has made significant strides in restoring degraded landscapes, promoting climate-resilient livelihoods, and enhancing access to green finance. To date, over 80% of the 60,000 hectares targeted for restoration has been achieved, reflecting strong progress toward the overall goal. Additionally, 236,595 individuals have adopted diversified and climate-resilient livelihood options, while RWF 5.7 billion in climate-sensitive loans has been disbursed to 3,278 clients organized in savings groups and cooperatives supported by the project.

Description of the Assignment

The consultant will provide strategic and technical support to strengthen the effectiveness, sustainability, and institutionalization of TREPA interventions in the Eastern Province during the project’s transition phase. The assignment will focus on consolidating results, and supporting a structured shift from project-based implementation toward longer-term, locally owned and scalable development pathways.

Working closely with the Eastern Province, district authorities, and IUCN, the consultant will support integration of proven TREPA approaches such as forest landscape restoration, agroforestry, Private Forest Management Units (PFMUs), and clean cooking solutions into provincial and district planning and implementation frameworks. Through regular field engagement, performance monitoring, and documentation of lessons learned, the consultant will generate practical, evidence-based recommendations to enhance delivery quality and safeguard achieved gains.

In addition, the consultant will contribute to the development of strategic actions and implementation pathways that support post-project sustainability, including the formulation of priority concept notes and project ideas, identification of scaling opportunities, and alignment with potential financing windows and partnerships. The consultant will also support joint resource mobilization efforts between IUCN and the Eastern Province by translating proven approaches and field evidence into coherent programmatic narratives. Acting as a bridge between project implementation and post-project continuity, this role will strengthen local ownership, promote adaptive learning, and help translate TREPA achievements into lasting environmental, social, and economic benefits across both rural and urban landscapes of the Eastern Province.

Duration of the Assignment

From May 2026 to April 2027

Deliverables and Activities

Working collaboratively with the IUCN team and the Eastern Province leadership, the consultant will provide the following deliverables and carry out the following activities:

Payment Schedule

The Timetable below summarises the chronological order of deliverables and indicates milestones at which IUCN will pay the Consultant.

Skills and Experience

The consultant must have the following skills, education and experience as a minimum:

1. Advanced degree in environmental management, natural resources, forestry, climate change, urban planning, or a related field.
2. At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in landscape restoration, climate-resilient development, environmental and social safeguards, or related areas.
3. Demonstrated experience supporting project effectiveness, sustainability, and monitoring frameworks within multi-stakeholder development initiatives.
4. Proven ability to translate field evidence, lessons learned, and best practices into strategic recommendations, technical notes, and knowledge products.
5. Proven understanding of development of carbon credits selling mechanisms and payment for ecosystem services.
6. Experience working with district authorities, community institutions, and implementing partners to strengthen local ownership and institutional integration of project interventions.
7. Solid analytical and writing skills, with experience preparing high-quality technical documents, concept briefs, and implementation guidance.
8. Ability to contribute to the identification and articulation of scalable approaches and innovative solutions for environmental restoration and sustainable urban greening.
9. Strong coordination, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
10. Excellent communication skills in English; knowledge of Kinyarwanda is a strong asset.

Supervision and coordination

The consultant will report to and work under the supervision of both Eastern Province and IUCN
leaderships.