WWF RCA is looking for an external consultant who will be responsible for implementing the multi-resource management plan for the community hunting area (CCA) at APDS.
- GENERAL CONTEXT
The Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (APDS) located in the extreme southwest of the Central African Republic (CAR) are composed of the Dzanga-Sangha Dense Forest Special Reserve (3,359 km²) and the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park (1,260 km²). The Dzanga and Ndoki areas of the Park are separated by a community hunting area (CCA) for local people and foreign residents, holding a hunting right. The APDS are part of the tri-national landscape of the Sangha (TNS), a UNESCO world heritage site, it also includes Nouabale-Ndoki national park in the Republic of Congo and Lobeke national park in Cameroon. APDS is recognized as an important rainforest stronghold with large populations of threatened and unique species.Focal conservation targets in the landscape include African forest elephants, great apes ( western plains gorillas, chimpanzees ) and consumable species ( ungulates and small monkeys ). The focal human well-being targets identified for the DPAs include the materials necessary for a good life, health, proper social relationships and security. Priority threats in the DSPA include poaching of elephants, over-exploitation of consumable species, unsustainable logging, zoonotic diseases, artisanal mining and unsustainable farming.Focal targets for human well-being identified for APDS include materials needed for good life, health, correct social relationships and safety. Priority threats in the DSPA include elephant poaching, overexploitation of consumable species, unsustainable logging, zoonotic diseases, artisanal mining and unsustainable agriculture.Focal targets for human well-being identified for APDS include materials needed for good life, health, correct social relationships and safety. Priority threats in the DSPA include elephant poaching, overexploitation of consumable species, unsustainable logging, zoonotic diseases, artisanal mining and unsustainable agriculture.unsustainable agriculture.unsustainable agriculture.
To ensure the conservation of this biodiversity and the sustainable management of natural resources, the Ministry of Water, Forests, Hunting and Fisheries (MEFCP), has, in collaboration with WWF (historical partner) manages APDS under funding from multiple donors involved in the field of conservation and support for the local development of communities living in the APDS.
APDSs work towards the sustainable and equitable management of the APDS CCZ, including, in order to ENSURE that strategies for the sustainable economic development of local natural resources are defined in consultation and implemented by and for the benefit of indigenous peoples and local communities (PACL) living in within APDS and their periphery. To that end, a CCZ management plan has been developed in accordance with the CLIP’s strict procedures (both free and prior informed consent) and is currently under ministerial review (see draft management plan in annex).
WWF RCA seeks the services of’a community conservation expert for the participatory implementation of this simple management plan (SMP) of the ZCC (priority 1) and other conservation activities community related to the’ study of the use of natural resources (priority 2) in collaboration with existing APDS staff over a two-year period (2024-2025).
Responsible Persons:
- Head of Development and Community Rights Department
- APDS Directorate
Working link :
APDS Research Manager, APDS curator, manager Elephant Listening Project
- Place of consultation :
Bayanga, APDS
- Objectives
The main objective is to rationalize hunting and thus increase the sustainability of hunting in the APDS community hunting area by implementing a management plan for the hunting area participatory hunting.
Specifically, the consultant is responsible for directing and coordinating the responsibilities of the CCA management plan SDAs for community conservation and research activities. Precisely it is’ :
- Accompany and advise the local governance structure in the initiation and coordination of the implementation of the CCZ MTP ;
- Conduct collaborative missions with the local governance structure and decentralized services of the ministry in charge of wildlife ;
- Contribute to the development of the environmental awareness of populations with a view to their participation in the protection and development of wildlife resources ;
- Conduct or participate in research studies and participatory work such as wildlife inventories, bioacoustic monitoring,’ traceability analysis of samples and the valorization of wildlife resources (market studies), etc, analyses of human-wildlife conflict, and’indication of the limits of hunting areas and areas ;
- Carry out ongoing and ad hoc participatory evaluations of the implementation of the management plan and stakeholder engagement in the outline of the plan ;
- Manage all elements of the planning of activities and’achats for the implementation of the work package.
- Expected results
- Establishment of community governance institutions ( community offices and the community committee )
- Launch of the rotation of hunting areas
- Continuous assessment of adherence to the hunting area through bio-acoustic analysis in collaboration with the Elephant Listening Project, the APDS research department and the ( participatory research community ).
- Deployment of participatory research activities linked to community conservation and the use of natural resources alongside the activities of the ZCC management plan ( market studies, human-fauna conflict surveys, hunters’ surveys, … )
- Establishment of the delimitation of hunting areas
- Organization of annual stakeholder meetings
- Deliverables
- Quarterly technical and evaluation reports following the APDS report and evaluation cycles
- Monthly and quarterly study reports
- Methodological Considerations
The management plan is explicit and contextualized to the APDS but requires detailed work plans for its implementation. Community conservation research activities are mainly based on existing surveys.
Basic methodological recommendations must be formulated in relation to the work batch, including community engagement bases, with emphasis on transferring data collection and processing to APDS staff and members of the ( capacity building ) community.
- Consultant profile :
- The consultant must hold a master’s or doctorate in environmental sciences, sociology, anthropology, sustainable development or other relevant fields;
- He / she must have solid project management skills for field projects / programs and team management ;
- He / she must master the digital survey tools ( Kobo, Survey 123, … ) ;
- He / she must have at least 10 years of work experience with community representatives, CSOs and / or grassroots organizations on the sustainable management of natural resources ; a thematic experience in the Central African region is an asset ;
- He / she must have an excellent knowledge of the Congo Basin region;
- He/she (or the team available) must be fluent in French and/or Sango, and preferably aka and English ;
- Composition of the application file :
- A cover letter indicating your interest in taking on this mission ;
- A curriculum vitae (CV) ;
- A technical proposal for the participatory implementation of this simple management plan for the CCZ (priority 1) and other community conservation activities related to the’ study of the use of natural resources (priority 2) over a period of two years with engagement/presence of part-time fieldwork possible.
- A financial offer indicating the details of the costs for the remuneration of the consultant – the costs of’activities will be made available through the APDS program.
How to apply
For any application:
Send your cover letter, CV and technical and financial proposals by e-mail to sdebethune@wwfcar.org
or for any request for the accompanying documents :
write to sdebethune@wwfcar.org
Deadline for’registration : 10 February 2024
Annex I’information documents (on request)
socio-economic study Chengeta
– Draft management plan ZCC
results of market research APDS
