TERMS OF REFERENCE TO CARRY OUT THE GOVERNANCE REVIEW OF THE MPINGO CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE GOVERNING BOARD
Submitted by Website Officer on 7 February 2012 - 1:04pm
Organization:
MCDI
Deadline:
23 February 2012
Introduction
Mpingo Conservation & Development Initiative (MCDI) is a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) working in collaboration with government authorities, particularly the Kilwa District Authority and communities to reduce poverty through forest related projects and Participatory Forest Management (PFM) in south-eastern Tanzania.
MCDI is officially registered as an NGO in Tanzania (Certificate of Compliance no. 1350) and has been working in collaboration with Tanzania Government, local government authorities and other NGOs in community-based projects. MCDI’s work currently falls into two thematic areas: Timber & Forest Certification, and REDD, with PFM and community benefit sharing underlying both. In both cases MCDI works with a variety of different partners.
MCDI has had number of major achievements since its establishment, it supported six communities to establish their Village Land Forest Reserves (VLFRs) that are sustainably managed. (More VLFRs are in the pipeline.) It holds the first, and so far only, FSC certificate for community managed natural forests in Africa, and facilitated the first ever commercial timber harvest from a community-managed forest in Tanzania. As well as all support to PFM, maintenance of the FSC group certificate, and advice on governance to communities, MCDI is also responsible for linking FSC-certified communities to local markets.
MCDI Governance
MCDI is managed at two different levels, through the NGO Management Team comprised of the MCDI Directors who manage day to day activities, and the Governing Board who have overall control, concentrating on strategic development and providing ethical oversight. The Board normally meets once or twice a year only, but may meet more often when needed, and also makes decisions through email communication.
Governance Review
Since 2007, the Fair Trade for African Blackwood project, of which MCDI is a partner, has been receiving funds from Comic Relief to support its ongoing work in community based forest management and trade in Tanzania and in marketing community managed timber to external markets. The project will reduce poverty amongst forest dependent communities in southeastern Tanzania, through developing fair trade for African Blackwood from community-owned forests.
The project partners, including MCDI wish to see the project they have developed achieve a high standard of governance and senior managerial capacity for three principal reasons:
- To ensure the project meets its dual aims of ensuring the sustainable supply of locally managed timber and that the people managing the forest resources are the principal beneficiaries of the gains the project is able to yield.
- To ensure the project has a high level of inbuilt sustainability, allowing it to continue to exist long into the future, adapting to both change and challenges as it does.
- To ensure the project is able to grow, incorporating new platforms for engaging consumers on the one hand and ensuring greater financial returns for community forest managers on the other.
With their primary interest in supporting communities to manage their forests sustainably for enhanced benefit, MCDI wishes to ensure ethical standards are upheld and best practices followed, from promoting good governance and management of the forest resources and revenues to promoting an ethical stance by supply chain partners and consumers. Under a new grant from Comic Relief awarded in 2011, MCDI has funds to review its governance with a view to improving the organisation’s capacity and achieving the high standards set out above.
Scope of work
The consultant(s) is expected to conduct an objective and detailed assessment of the MCDI Governing Board, organisation Directors and the NGO in general with clearly defined governance structure for both Board and Secretariat/Directors layers of management that will take it forward for the next phase.
Governance Review - MCDI Governing Board
Key areas to analyse here are how to continue to develop the Board and human resources management to ensure a strong, sustainable and well-governed organisation. Particular areas for consideration are what gaps currently exist at Board level and within HR management, and how should MCDI manage transitions involved in changes to key senior staff.
Specific Consultancy Tasks include:
- Assessment of MCDI’s current capacity, strengths and weaknesses, at Management Team and Board levels to deliver on its mission.
- Help MCDI’s Board and Management to develop a vision for the future: what capacities will be needed? What new roles may be appropriate?
- Facilitate MCDI’s Board and Management to map out a path from where MCDI currently is to where they wish to be, including an analysis of what potential training courses or exercises may be appropriate to strengthen both Board and Senior Management.
- Assess how MCDI can make the move from a donor support organisation to a service provider and what this may mean for the organisation in future.
- Carry out a risk assessment of the implications of the loss of Senior Management staff to MCDI, including an analysis and advice on succession, transitionary roles and onward transfer of responsibilities by departing senior staff.
Requirements and qualifications of the consultants/Firm
Ideally the team need to be made up of two experts, one International and local consultants, the local consultants can be more than one. Firms or individual partnerships are welcome. The following qualifications are required:
International Consultant:
- Master degree in Development Science, Organisational Development, Economic, Rural development or equivalent
- Previous experience in building NGO capacities and working with NGO Boards, in strategic organisational development and / or business / NGO development and management
- Language: fluent in English
Local Consultant (Tanzania / East Africa):
• Master degree in development, organisational development, Environmental Science, Natural Resources Management, Rural Development or equivalent
• Experience in NGO development and capacity building in East Africa
• Knowledge of Tanzanian laws and policies with respect to NGOs and business
• An understanding of Community-Based Natural Resources Management and community development would be helpful
• At least 6 years experience in the above mentioned fields
The team as a whole must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of capacity building and NGOs development in Africa and in Tanzania.
Start date and duration
This assignment is expected to be carried out from the 10th March 2012 throughout April 2012, the final report should be delivered by 27th April 2012, having received comments.
Requirements
• Expression of Interest
• Indicate number of days being offered and expected outputs per day, with proposed structure.
• Best budget offer - up to a maximum ceiling of GBP £7,750 including all costs and expenses.
Submission
Interested candidates should submit their expression of interest by email to contracts1201@mpingoconservation.org no later than 24th February 2012.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit their expression of interest by email to contracts1201@mpingoconservation.org no later than 24th February 2012.
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 MCDI Governance Review Board ToR.pdf | 178.12 KB |