81309020-Development of Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (MER) Systems for Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) in India

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), GmbH - India is implementing a six-year project titled "Restore, Conserve and Protect Forest and Tree Cover for NDC Implementation in India (RECAP4NDC)" under Indo-German bilateral cooperation. The Indian political partner is the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India. The project involves a consortium of six partners, including GIZ, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) India, Forest Survey of India (FSI), The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Indian Council for Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The project aims to support India in achieving its targets on restoring degraded forests and landscapes inside and outside forests as defined in the National Forest Policy and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC"s). The approach aligns with the principles of the Bonn Challenge, focusing on restoring the ecological functionality of degraded landscapes while enhancing the well-being of people. By 2029, RECAP4NDC aims to achieve ecological, socio-economic, governance, and climate change benefits across 0.4 million hectares of forest landscape, benefiting 10 million people through improved forest ecosystem services. Four states have been selected for cooperation, each with specific starting conditions: - Delhi NCR: Faces challenges of rapid urban development and encroachment, with potential for urban tree cover restoration and cross-agency collaboration. - Gujarat: Includes diverse habitats like grasslands, mangroves and hill ranges, requiring unique restoration approaches for coastal degradation and grazing pressures. - Maharashtra: Features nine agro-climatic zones, providing opportunities for comparative testing of different FLR approaches. - Uttarakhand: Has a range of elevation zones, with existing community forestry programmes that can be supplemented with targeted interventions. Implementing partners are State Forest Departments (SFD) of the respective states. Project outputs are divided among consortium partners and include FLR model implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting (MER) systems, financing models for FLR, policy and planning integration, and capacity building for stakeholders. The assignment is to be carried out in close coordination with FSI, who has responsibility for the MER output. The Terms of Reference (TOR) for this contract focus on developing an integrated MER system to assess the ecological, economic, and social impacts of FLR initiatives. The assignment has three main objectives: - Develop and refine digital monitoring and evaluation tools for FLR. - Build stakeholder capacities through targeted training and development programs. - Design and deploy adaptive and scalable reporting frameworks for FLR impacts. This project aims to develop and refine monitoring and evaluation tools to measure the ecological, economic, and social impacts of FLR initiatives across various governance levels. The goal is to create reliable monitoring systems to aid decision-makers in setting priorities, making informed decisions, and improving inter-departmental coordination. These systems will help report on national and international targets, adapting to dynamic landscapes and diverse needs of FLR projects in India. They will incorporate existing monitoring tools and frameworks from key partners at state and national levels, including State Forest Departments (SFDs), Agriculture, Rural Development, Water departments, and national mechanisms like the National Forest Inventory and India State of Forests Report. Starting with an assessment of existing FLR monitoring mechanisms, the project will define parameters with partners and experts, focusing on both mitigation and adaptation benefits in Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Uses (AFOLU) sectors. Innovative digital technologies such as satellite imagery, IoT devices, and AI will be explored for monitoring. Findings will inform the development of a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) framework, supported by appropriate methodologies, data collection formats, indicators, SOPs, tools, and dashboards. The framework will be pilot tested in selected FLR areas. Deliverables include a baseline report on existing mechanisms, newly developed tools, and a detailed pilot testing report. The assignment will begin with a thorough assessment of existing FLR monitoring mechanisms, examining state, national, and international frameworks that track biophysical, ecological, and socioeconomic parameters. This includes evaluating current systems and best practices from key implementing partners, such as SFDs, FSI, and MoEFCC. The assessment will help define critical parameters and explore innovative digital technologies like satellite imagery, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and artificial intelligence for enhanced monitoring capabilities. In parallel, the contract will support the development of standardized M&E tools and methodologies tailored to the Indian context. This will involve designing a MER framework that includes methodological approaches, data collection formats, indicators, standard operation procedures and dashboards/portals. Pilot testing of these tools in selected FLR areas will ensure their practicality and effectiveness. The expected deliverables include a comprehensive baseline report on current monitoring mechanisms, newly developed and standardized M&E tools, and a detailed pilot testing report demonstrating their practical utility and accuracy. Coordination with FSI, IUCN, and GIZ, as well as with political and implementing partners, will be integral to the project"s success, ensuring the tools address the nuanced requirements of FLR initiatives and contribute to improved ecosystem services and socio-economic benefits.