[newdevjobsindo] Invitation to Bid - Biodiversity and Soil Assessment - PAHALA Project

Agustus 12, 2024   Comment  

SNV Netherlands Development Organization

SNV is an international not-for-profit development organisation established in 1965 in the Netherlands. By connecting our global expertise with long-lasting in-country presence, we help realise locally owned solutions in more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. SNV specialises in supporting development actors' resourcefulness by developing local capacities, improving performance and services, strengthening governance systems, creating access for excluded groups, and making markets work for the poor. Our global team of advisors use their specialised expertise in Agriculture, Energy and WASH to improve the health and livelihoods of millions of people, focusing on the poor and marginalised groups. Gender and climate change are cross-cutting issues underlying all our interventions. SNV works hand-in-hand with national and local government and civil society actors, cooperatives and the private sector to ensure significant and lasting change.

 

PAHALA Project

SNV is implementing the PAHALA (Pangrango Halimun Salak) project, aimed at protecting the watershed through integrated management. This includes empowering local multi-stakeholder organizations to manage water resources and implement a Payment for Environmental Services (PES) scheme, as well as promoting regenerative agriculture and agroforestry among farmers. For regenerative agriculture and agroforestry, the project work with local farmer communities in five (5) villages within Caringin and Cigombong Sub-districts, Bogor District, targeting 100 hectares of farming land. To achieve the intended outcome, the project implements three solutions (components)

 

• Component 1: Watershed Forum: the project will strengthen and establish two (2) watershed forums (Cicatih and Cisadane watersheds) and provides technical assistance to enable them to provide advocacy and operate the Payment for Environmental Services (PES) scheme.

 

• Component 2: Regenerative Agriculture in Agroforestry Practice: The project will focus on, but not be limited to, soil (soil organic matter, cover soil, run-off reduction), manure management, and biodiversity (pesticides and weeds, tree replanting). Farmers are also expected to adopt sustainable practices and improve the profit and loss ratio.

 

• Component 3: Access Development/Community-based Organization (CBO): Providing access to resources and markets to improve the livelihood of farmers by creating and strengthening community-based organizations through value chain analysis, institutional building, and business development training/coaching.

 

Throughout the project, one of the key outcomes of PAHALA’s initiative is enhancing ecosystem services on agricultural land, particularly in terms of improved soil quality (health and fertility) and biodiversity. To farm sustainably, it's crucial to understand the physical structure of the soil along with its nutrient and biological status. To achieve optimal economic yields, crops need to obtain adequate nutrients and water from the soil through their roots. Maintaining good soil structure, nutrient status, and a balanced soil biology is essential to ensure that plant growth is not negatively impacted by poor soil conditions

 

Biodiversity is also vital for ecological regulation and significantly influences food production through processes like pollination and the soil's ability to produce organic matter. Biodiversity refers to the number, diversity, and variability of living organisms and their changes over time. While discussions about biodiversity often highlight endangered species, ordinary biodiversity is equally crucial. This includes insects, fauna, flora, and soil microorganisms unique to a particular region.

 

To provide a live and tangible reference of regenerative agriculture practices, the project is encouraging more than 600 farmers to adopt them and establish several demonstration plots that will serve as practical samples that could significantly enhance the knowledge and skills of local farmers.

The baseline assessment focusing on soil quality and biodiversity will help the project gain a better understanding of soils and identify areas for improvement. This assessment will provide crucial data on current soil conditions and biodiversity levels, establishing a reference point to monitor and evaluate the improvements brought by regenerative agriculture and agroforestry practices over the course of the project. Even further, the farmers can see firsthand the benefit of regenerative agriculture and agroforestry practices, including the terms improved soil quality, increased biodiversity, and enhanced crop productivity. This foundational step not only promotes the adoption of innovative practices but also empowers farmers to learn new techniques and implement these methods effectively.

 

Therefore, the PAHALA project requires recruiting an expert consultant (team) to support the project in this soil and biodiversity assessment.

 

Scope of Work

The primary objective of this assessment is to establish a comprehensive assessment of soil quality (health & fertility) and biodiversity indicators in the project area. This baseline will serve as a reference point for future comparisons to evaluate the impact of regenerative agriculture practices over time. Thus, the scope of this work is detailed below.

 

1. Providing Soil Assessment

1. Conduct integrated soil quality assessment: Measuring soil quality requires an integrated approach that combines the assessment of the chemical, physical, and biological properties of soil. At a minimum, this should involve a visual examination of soil structure, sampling for pH, nutrient status, and organic matter content.

 

Chemical analysis and nutrient balance: The assessment should be chosen based on the production system and its perceived challenges. The basic parameters include but not limited to pH, nutrient such as natrium (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and soil organic matter.

 

Physical soil condition: Develop the classification of soil texture and visually evaluate soil structure.

 

Biological soil test: Conduct soil biological tests such as assessments of the soil food web, or molecular indicators of soil bacterial and fungal communities.

 

Any other parameters or method that probably necessary to measure the affect of regenerative agriculture practices can be included.

 

2. Develop soil quality scorecard including visual soil structure, micro and macronutrient: Synthesizing the soil quality assessment result into a scoring card that can be used as a tool to assess the soil in a specific area. This tool includes indicators measured above such as soil structure, nutrient levels, moisture content, biological properties, and other key parameters related to soil quality.

 

Provide soil quality improvement strategy: based on the findings, provide recommendation on strategy to improve the soil quality while optimizing the agricultural productivity. The recommendation includes the suitable type of crops (timber and non-timber) based on the soil conditions, and the tolerance (minimum/maximum) of each promoted regenerative agriculture practices to avoid depleting soil elements and reducing soil health. There are seven (7) practices of regenerative agriculture which currently introduced to farmers e.g. move to an agroforestry model, increased use of composts, green manures, and cover crops, reduced tillage system, reintroduction of livestock, or incorporation of crop residues.

 

3. Based on above analysis, provide recommendation for soil quality assessment standard in the project site in relation to the regenerative agriculture practices’ impact and how frequent soil assessment should be conducted.

 

2. Providing Biodiversity Analysis

1. Identifying gaps in the understanding of multispecies interactions, including plant-soil feedback and their impact on ecosystem functioning, involves measuring and analysing below-ground soil biodiversity, such as earthworm diversity and abundance, as an indicator of soil health. Additionally, assess above-ground soil biodiversity including pollinators and insects, that becomes key to ecosystem processes.
2. Identifying habitats most susceptible to soil biodiversity loss, such as biodiversity "hot spots," and determining which habitats and time frames are most suitable for restoration.
3. Predicted on long-term (more than 3 years) experiments to examine the effects of global changes on aboveground – belowground biodiversity linkages and ecosystem functioning
4. Provide a brief description of the habitat for such endemic or threatened species within the project area, including their ecology and threats, as well as details about their breeding and foraging patterns (if any). Include information on any conservation or biodiversity action plans that have been implemented.
5. Provide an analysis using a valid approach to find an overview of biodiversity richness and classify organisms and substances of the soil based on the findings above.

 

Deliverables

1. Inception report. The consultant will provide the report covering desk review, agreed methodology, tools, as well as workplan, and detail data collection plan.
2. Field research and data collection report.  The consultant will provide the field visit report and consultation with relevant stakeholders.
3. Soil quality scorecard, provides detailed information about the various parameters of soil quality, including nutrient levels, pH balance, and organic content.
4. Final Narrative Report and presentation slide on soil biodiversity and soil health, consisting of methodology from the inception report and the result indicating below. The report’s outline will be discussed and agreed later.

• Below and above-the-ground biodiversity measurement and analysis. 
• The entomology analysis of the demonstration plots based on the findings.
• Soil health measurement and analysis and the recommendations for soil quality standards in the project sites.

 

Reporting Line

1. Assignment Period

The consultant will report to the PAHALA Project Coordinator and work closely with the project’s advisor as well as the M&E Officer. With an assignment period of a maximum of 3 months starting in early September 2024.

 

2. The payment will be made based on the progressive time stage, as shown below.

 

• The first payment is 30%, targeted on the 4^th week of September 2024, will be disbursed upon the submission of agreed inception report detailing the desk review, detailed methodology and tools based on scientific analysis, and timeline for the activities.
• The second payment of 30%, targeted on the 3^rd week of October 2024, upon the submission of the activity report of the soil health and biodiversity data collection in the agreed plots.
• The third payment of 40%, on the 4^th week of November 2024, upon the submission of a complete scorecard, narrative report as well as a presentation siled that has been finalized based on project team consultation.

 

3. Consultant Qualifications

The consultant sought for this assignment should have a strong combination of parameters including academic and expertise background, relevant work experience, technical proposal, and a commitment to data integrity. Below are the specific qualifications required

• Background: a team led by an expert with university Degree level of Ph.D. in agriculture, especially soil and entomology.
• Work experience: should have professional experience in conducting assessment/analysis related to soil and biodiversity. Previous experience in similar projects is highly desirable.
• Technical proposal: demonstrate strong technical skills which shown in proposed methodologies and well-structured budget that aligns with the scope of work. Proficiency in handling data, conducting field surveys, and preparing comprehensive report and presentation is essential.
• Integrity: the team must adhere to the highest standards of data integrity. This includes ensuring the validity and reliability of the collected data, maintaining transparency in methodologies, and providing accurate and unbiased analysis.

 

4. How To Apply

 

If you believe that your credentials meet the outlined profile, we invite you to apply by sending Letter of Interest (LoI) latest on 15 August 2024 to procurement-indonesia@snv.org

 

Pre-Bid Meeting will be held on 16 August 2024 at SNV Jakarta Office (email details will be replied from LoI sent).

 

Proposal should be sent to procurement-indonesia@snv.org by latest 25^th August 2024 with the subject (“Biodiversity and Soil Assessment PAHALA). The consultant (team) should prepare a proposal that includes:

·       A detailed proposed methodology, work plan, timeline, and budget.

·       CVs of team members, highlighting their relevant expertise and experiences.

• Sample abstract from a related or similar assignment.

 

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