72061524RFI00003 - Transboundary RFI.pdf

Request for Information (RFI)

Reference: Request for Information No. 72061524RFI00003

Issue Date: March 14, 2024

Response Due Date: April 5, 2024, 11.00 am, Nairobi, Kenya Time

Title: USAID/Kenya and East Africa Transboundary Ecosystem Restoration and

Climate Resilience Program

USAID/Kenya and East Africa (USAID/KEA) is developing a new transboundary ecosystem restoration and climate resilience activity in East Africa. The activity will promote biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in one or two regional transboundary landscapes which have been identified as priorities based on their ecological, economic and social significance. The two landscapes are the Great East African Plains (Kenya-Tanzania) and Northern Savannas (Kenya-Uganda-South Sudan). Whether the activity will focus on one or both landscapes, and whether there will be one or two awards, has not yet been decided.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to 1) solicit feedback on the proposed activity and 2) identify qualified organizations capable of implementing the activity. This RFI intends to offer the opportunity for interested individuals and organizations to provide recommendations to help promote the recovery and resilience of priority transboundary landscapes in East Africa.

The RFI is an attempt to reach out to the market to determine the scope of industry capabilities and interest and will be treated as information only. Responses (comments, suggestions and enhancements) to this notice are not applications and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding agreement. This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP) or a Request for Applications (RFA) and therefore should not be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government or USAID to issue any solicitation or Notice of Funding opportunity, or ultimately award a contract or assistance agreement on the basis of this RFI. Do not submit any proposal/application at this time in response to this RFI.

Responses to this RFI are strictly voluntary. USAID will not pay respondents for the information provided in response to this RFI. Information, comments, and suggestions received will be reviewed and may be incorporated into a future solicitation. Responses to this RFI will not be returned and respondents will not be notified of the result of the review, but this information will be held confidential. Responding to this RFI does not give any advantage to any firm or organization in any subsequent competition. USAID reserves the right to respond to any, all, or none of the comments and questions submitted. USAID’s responses (if any) will be posted on https://www.grants.gov/ and on https://beta.sam.gov. Please continue to monitor the sites for any updates to this RFI.

https://www.grants.gov/ https://beta.sam.gov/

RFI No.72061524RFI00003 USAID/KEA Transboundary Ecosystem Restoration Program

This RFI does not restrict the Government’s approach on a future solicitation. No decision has been made regarding the type of instrument that will be used (e.g., acquisition or assistance). For this reason, this RFI will be posted on the Federal grants website, https://www.grants.gov/ and the Federal Government Business Opportunities website at https://beta.sam.gov.

Please review Attachments 1 and 2 to this RFI and submit any arising clarifications as well as your organization’s final responses via email to Jonathan Chappell at jchappell@usaid.gov with a copy to Milly Warobi at mwarobi@usaid.gov with the subject entitled: “RFI No.72061524RFI00003 USAID/Kenya and East Africa Transboundary Ecosystem Restoration.” If a Solicitation is issued related to this RFI, it will be announced publicly either on https://www.grants.gov/ or on https://beta.sam.gov at a later date.

Sincerely, Jonathan Chappell Contracting and Agreement Officer USAID/KEA/Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA)

Attachments:

Attachment 1:RFI Concept Attachment 2: Instructions To Respondents for Submission mailto:jchappell@usaid.gov mailto:mwarobi@usaid.gov

Attachment 1 - RFI Concept

USAID/KEA’S Transboundary Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Resilience Program

USAID/Kenya and East Africa (USAID/KEA) is developing a new transboundary ecosystem restoration and climate resilience activity in East Africa. The activity will promote biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in one or two regional transboundary landscapes which have been identified as priorities based on their ecological, economic and social significance. The two landscapes are the Great East African Plains (Kenya-Tanzania) and Northern Savannas (Kenya-Uganda-South Sudan). Whether the activity will focus on one or both landscapes, and whether there will be one or two awards, has not yet been decided.

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to 1) solicit feedback on the proposed activity and 2) identify qualified organizations capable of implementing the activity. This RFI intends to offer the opportunity for interested individuals and organizations to provide recommendations to help promote the recovery and resilience of priority transboundary landscapes in East Africa.

1.0 Introduction

The goal of USAID/KEA’s Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS) is to promote East African leadership for regional resilience, prosperity and stability. The RDCS prioritizes the following two Development Objectives (DOs):

● DO1: Regional capacity for resilience advanced

● DO2: Capacity of regional market systems advanced

USAID/KEA’s regional environmental program portfolio aims to contribute towards the achievement of the following two Intermediate Results (IRs) identified in the Regional Strategy’s Results Framework:

● IR 1.3: Conservation and management of transboundary natural resources improved

● IR 2.2: Investment in targeted sectors increased

USAID/KEA's Regional Environmental Strategy 2024-2028 identifies four approaches that will guide regional efforts in achieving the strategic objective of 'East African transboundary natural resources valued and conserved, and livelihoods improved.' This activity focuses on the second approach - support for transboundary management of high biodiversity landscapes. Through this approach, the Mission aims to support regional efforts to strengthen conservation, natural resource management, and climate resilience.

In line with USAID/KEA’s RCDS and Regional Environment Strategy, and to contribute to the implementation of the USAID Biodiversity Policy and the USAID Climate Strategy through an integrated approach, USAID/KEA seeks to develop a regional program on transboundary ecosystem restoration and climate resilience in East Africa.

The activity will promote biodiversity conservation and climate resilience in one or two regional transboundary landscapes - the Great East African Plains (Kenya-Tanzania) and the Northern Savannas (Kenya-Uganda-South Sudan).

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/Final_EA_RDCS_-_Public_508_20210701-opt.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/policy/biodiversity https://www.usaid.gov/climate/strategy

The purpose of the Activity is to promote climate resilient transboundary ecosystem conservation and management in critical areas of biological and economic significance in the East Africa region for the benefit of the ecosystem, people and the economy. The program will support nature-based and climate-resilient solutions and actions in targeted transboundary landscapes contributing to integrated regional development conservation, tourism and climate adaptation and mitigation through policy and practical interventions and investments at the national and regional level. The results will be achieved through regionally-led strategic partnerships consisting of: regional intergovernmental organizations and their respective specialized institutions, national governments, civil society and private sector actors based on their organizational mandates, comparative technical advantages and the constituents. Expected results will be achieved under the following outcome areas:

Working in partnership with regional institutions, particularly the East African Community (EAC), the activity will advance practical interventions and complementary policy work in the selected landscape(s) to achieve the following objectives:

● Landscape restoration and connectivity for sustainable wildlife populations and biodiversity

● Creation of economic opportunities to improve community livelihoods and climate resilience, particularly for women and youth

● Mobilization of private sector finance to support conservation and climate change adaptation

● Improved institutional capacity and policy coherence related to transboundary management of natural resources, including:

○ Improved institutional capacity and coordination among wildlife protection agencies and conservancy associations across borders in the target landscape.

○ Improved coordination at EAC level to address transboundary security that affects both wildlife and tourism in the target landscapes.

○ Policy harmonization within the target landscape countries to address HWC issues, protection of wildlife migration across national boundaries and coordinated wildlife monitoring.

This activity supports regional and national biodiversity conservation objectives and contributes to implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, which seeks to “ensure and enable that by 2030, at least 30 percent of terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed."

The program budget range is currently estimated at US$10-$20 million for a period of five (5) years.

The program may be implemented through one (1) or two (2) awards. USAID reserves the right to adjust the estimated funding and planned number of awards to be issued.

2.0 Background and Development Context

The East Africa region is endowed with rich biodiversity and natural resources that transcend national boundaries. These include vast landscapes, iconic wildlife species, watersheds, minerals, renewable energy resources, arable land and a conducive tropical climate that underpins socio-economic development in the region. The region’s natural capital is critical to the region’s economic and social sectors such as tourism, agriculture, fisheries and livestock, forestry and water resources and is a significant contributor to East Africa’s economic growth. Biodiversity contributes economically and intrinsically to the region’s economy and people through ecological, social and cultural value. The region’s nature-based tourism industry, which is heavily dependent on wildlife and protected areas, contributes 7.5 - 10% of GDP in the region and supports local communities that depend on natural capital for their livelihoods.

With support from USAID, the EAC undertook an assessment of the Economic Valuation of Natural Capital in priority Transboundary Wildlife Landscapes, which identified four priority regional transboundary landscapes1 in East Africa based on ecological, economic and social significance. The assessment estimated that these landscapes provide US$11.3 billion in direct and indirect value annually. The benefits to the global community are greater, with total economic values ranging from $32,000 to $56,000/ha/year on average. In addition, the landscapes have a carbon sequestration potential of storing about 7.5 billion tons of carbon. This study was adopted by the East African Community Technical Expert Group and used to develop an Action Plan to outline a regional approach. Through this new activity, USAID aims to support up to two of the four EAC priority transboundary landscapes - the Great East African Plains (Kenya-Tanzania) and the Northern Savannas (Kenya-Uganda-South Sudan).

Great East African Plains - Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania borderlands The Great East African Plains cover more than 100,000 km2 spanning the grasslands/rangelands between southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. This landscape is one of the most biodiverse in the world; it is home to 80 percent of the large mammals found in Kenya and Tanzania and generates significant tourist revenue. It also has extensive transboundary river systems on which wildlife depend including the Mau-Mara River basin, the south Ewaso Ng’iro basin as well as the Pangani river basin.

The region has approximately 16 national parks and forest reserves stretching from the Serengeti and Maasai Mara in the west to Tsavo and Mkomazi in the east, as well as wildlife management areas, wildlife ranches, and game reserves. However, the majority of wildlife - approximately 65 - 70% - live outside of protected areas either seasonally or permanently. Community-owned land or community conservation areas serve as critical wildlife dispersal areas and corridors that link the iconic protected areas in the landscape. The region is also home to significant livestock populations. Apart from the protected areas, most of the land in this region belongs to and is managed by Maasai pastoralists and other local communities.

According to the natural capital assessment, the annual regional value of ecosystem services from this landscape is $6.58 billion. More than half ($4.61 billion) comes from nature’s regulation of soil, water, and carbon. Another $1.2 billion comes from nature-based tourism.

Northern Savannas - Uganda, Kenya, and South Sudan borderlands Like the Great East African Plains, the Northern Savannas landscape is dominated by grassland and wooded grassland - with larger areas of Afromontane Forest in the north and south. It encompasses a largely semi-arid region covering more than 27,000 sq. km. in northeastern Uganda, southern South Sudan, and Kenya. The landscape supports pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities whose main livelihood is livestock production. A number of wildlife corridors provide cross-border connectivity between Uganda and Kenya. There is also a large migration corridor between Kidepo Game Reserve in South Sudan and the adjacent Kidepo Valley National Park in Uganda.

1 These landscapes include the Great East African Plains, Northern Savannas, the Albertine Rift Forests, and the Rweru-Mugesera-Akagera Wetland system.

https://biodiversitylinks.org/projects/completed-projects/economics-of-natural-capital-in-east-africa https://biodiversitylinks.org/projects/completed-projects/economics-of-natural-capital-in-east-africa

According to the natural capital assessment, the annual regional value of ecosystem services from this landscape is $3.46 billion. Water and sediment regulation are the most valuable services (at $2.4 billion).

3.0 Problem Statement

Despite the immense economic potential of East Africa’s natural resources, the region’s biodiversity faces a number of threats and challenges, including:

● Habitat loss due to land fragmentation and conversion to other uses. Fragmentation and degradation have been major drivers of the breakdown of landscape integrity across East African rangelands. Competing land uses such as agriculture production and infrastructure development are expected to continue growing in the region and further encroach on wildlife habitat and corridors, leading to significant biodiversity loss.

● Unsustainable natural resources extraction and deforestation - Reliance on charcoal or firewood for heating and cooking is high in East Africa and has led to significant deforestation.

● Wildlife trafficking and poaching - East Africa has made significant strides in reducing poaching of iconic wildlife species, but the demand for wildlife products continues to threaten biodiversity.

● Grazing - The levels of pastoral sedentarization and transitions to agricultural livelihoods continue to rise in many pastoral communities, with subsequent intensification of agriculture and livestock-keeping near protected areas. The growth of livestock numbers impacts ecosystem functions and has consequences for both wildlife in protected areas and livestock as the grazing opportunities and areas available for migration are reduced, making range management critical.

● Human-wildlife conflict - Human-wildlife conflict has increased as encroachment into wildlife habitats has increased, with competition over resources. In the Great East African Plains, the growth of livestock herds combined with drought pressures are increasing demands on land and resources, leading to increased encroachment on protected areas and increased human wildlife conflict. These conflicts are anticipated to increase with increasing population pressure and development, if not properly managed.

● Climate change - The region is extremely vulnerable to climate variability, as significant portions are arid or semi-arid. Severe droughts, floods and extreme weather events are occurring with greater frequency and intensity. The impacts are being felt throughout key habitats and pastoralist societies and are compounding shortages and conflicts related to land and water.

● Institutional challenges - Weak regulations and enforcement and limited institutional capacities and systems inhibit effective management of wildlife protected areas. In the Northern Savannahs, protected area management is weak. Despite cross-border movement of wildlife, there are no cross-border conservation agreements between Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda that would allow for protected area staff from the three countries to work together.

These threats are exacerbated by socio-economic factors such as poverty and limited livelihood options - especially for communities around transboundary biodiverse areas.

If no action is taken, it is projected that the degradation of ecosystems in these landscapes will lead to significant declines in wildlife, reduced productive land for livestock, forest and woodland degradation, water insecurity and reduced ecotourism opportunities - leaving these areas unable to sustain nature-dependent businesses, provide food security and clean water, and remain resilient to climate change. The transboundary nature of these ecosystems and challenges necessitates regional interventions to complement efforts within each of the countries.

4.0 Purpose and Geographic Scope

The purpose of this activity is to contribute to the restoration of up to two of these transboundary landscapes to increase livelihood and climate resilience while ensuring that wildlife habitats are sustainably connected and conserved.

Under previous USAID/KEA regional environment activities, USAID supported the implementation of the EAC’s Strategy to Combat Poaching, Illegal Trade and Trafficking of Wildlife and Wildlife Products, and supported the development of the EAC’s technical capacities to address a wider range of transboundary natural resources management priorities. The focus was on strengthening the development and implementation of relevant EAC policies and strategies, raising awareness on the value of wildlife and conservation, and building capacity for combating wildlife crime, particularly at ports.

This Activity will seek to build off of these efforts for sustainable long-term impact in specific landscapes.

Geographic scope: The Activity’s geographical scope is the East Africa region as defined by the USAID/KEA’s RDCS and the East African Community Treaty. Overarching regional policy interventions will cover the entire region and will indirectly benefit all the EAC member states. Specific nature-based solutions will be targeted in key transboundary ecosystems - the Great East African Plains (Kenya-Tanzania) and Northern Savannas (Kenya-Uganda-South Sudan). In the Great East African Plains, the area of focus may be further narrowed to the Tsavo-Mkomazi corridor, the border area near Kilimanjaro and the Mara-Serengeti migration corridors.

5.0 Performance Objectives

The overall objective of this activity is to contribute to the restoration of one or both of these landscapes to increase livelihood and climate resilience while ensuring that wildlife habitats are sustainably connected and conserved. While the restoration targets for each landscape are to be determined and specific interventions are to be proposed, it is envisioned that the Activity will support nature-based and climate-resilient solutions, mobilize private sector financing and investment through partnerships, and strengthen regional capacity to further the overall objective and advance integrated conservation and natural resource management, economic development and climate adaptation and mitigation in the target areas.

USAID is considering the following Performance Objectives:

1. Transboundary Landscape restoration and connectivity for sustainable wildlife populations and biodiversity

2. Creation of cross-border economic opportunities to improve community livelihoods and climate resilience, particularly for women and youth

3. Mobilization of finance to support conservation and climate change adaptation

4. Improved institutional capacity and policy coherence related to transboundary management of natural resources, including:

a. Improved institutional capacity and coordination among wildlife protection agencies and conservancy associations in the target landscape.

b. Improved coordination at EAC level to address transboundary security that affects both wildlife and tourism in the target landscapes.

c. Policy harmonization within the target landscape countries to address HWC issues, protection of wildlife migration across national boundaries and coordinated wildlife monitoring.

This Activity supports USAID/KEA’s Regional Development Cooperation Strategy (RDCS). It directly contributes to Development Objective (DO) 1: Regional Capacity for Resilience Enhanced. The Activity contributes to two of the intermediate results under this DO, including Intermediate Result (IR) 1.1: Capacity of Communities, Institutions, and Systems to Jointly Plan for Respond to and Recover from Shocks and Threats; and IR 1.3 Conservation and Management of Transboundary Natural Resources Improved. The activity also contributes to USAID’s Climate Strategy, including IR 1.1 Catalyze urgent mitigation (emissions reductions and sequestration) from energy, land use, and other key sources, IR 1.2 Strengthen resilience of populations vulnerable to climate impacts (adaptation), and IR 1.3 Increase the flow of and equitable access to finance to support adaptation and mitigation.

6.0 Relationship to Regional Priorities

This activity aligns with the regional development priorities outlined by intergovernmental organizations in East Africa, including the East African Community (EAC) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). In particular, it aligns with the EAC Wildlife Conservation and Management Policy (2022) which aims to facilitate coordinated efforts by partner states for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wildlife resources in the region; promote harmonization of wildlife conservation and management policies, strategies, and laws in the region; support effective governance mechanisms for engaging governments, private sector, local communities, and other partners; promote the active participation of local communities in wildlife conservation and management in the region; and promote sustainable and innovative financing for wildlife conservation.

Through its regional program, USAID/KEA creates opportunities for regional actors and national governments to coordinate efforts to strengthen climate action, conservation, and natural resource management and to develop a regional conservation and climate agenda to galvanize ambition, alignment, and investment. USAID/KEA’s regional strategy is designed to align with the vision and goals of intergovernmental authorities in the region. Regional activities prioritize the participation and leadership of indigenous peoples (including pastoral communities), women, and youth in natural resource management while promoting equity and inclusion, localization, and sustainable finance.

https://www.usaid.gov/climate/strategy

This activity will build off of previous USAID-funded activities and assessments, including:

● Conserving Natural Capital and Enhancing Collaborative Management of Transboundary

Resources (CONNECT)

● Improving Collaborative Conservation and Management of Natural Resources in East Africa

● Endangered Ecosystems of Northern Tanzania (EENT)

It will also coordinate and collaborate with existing USAID programs in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and with other donor programs as appropriate, to ensure alignment and maximize impact. This includes:

● Conservation of the Maasai Mara Landscape

● Sustainable Management of Amboseli And Tsavo Landscapes

● Cross-Border Community Resilience Activity

● Mara River Catchment (MRC) in Tanzania

● Tuhifadhi Maliasili in Tanzania

● Biodiversity for Resilience (B4R) in Uganda

● Uganda Feed the Future Water and Food Systems for Resilient Communities

● Uganda Biodiversity Fund

[End of Attachment 1] https://www.usaid.gov/east-africa-regional/fact-sheet/connect-fact-sheet https://www.usaid.gov/east-africa-regional/fact-sheet/connect-fact-sheet https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/Improving_Collaborative_Conservation_and_Management_of_Transboundary_Natural_Resources_fact_sheet_2022.pdf https://2017-2020.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/EENT_Fact_Sheet_April_2019_FINAL.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2023-05/Sustainable%20Management%20of%20the%20Tsavo%20and%20Amboseli%20Landscape.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/east-africa-regional/fact-sheet/cross-border-community-resilience-activity https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/MARA%20RIVER%20CATCHMENT%20IN%20TANZANIA%20FACTSHEET_1.pdf https://www.usaid.gov/tanzania/fact-sheet/tuhifadhi-maliasili-preserve-natural-resources

Attachment 2

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS FOR SUBMISSION

I. Eligibility: Responses to this RFI is unrestricted and may come from any source.

II. Submission of Responses: Responses (comments, suggestions, and enhancements) to this RFI are due to the USAID/KEA/OAA Points of Contact identified below by April 5, 2024, at 11:00 am, Nairobi time. Interested parties shall submit an electronic copy of their responses in either Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat formats. No Google documents will be accepted. The agency server is unable to accept *zip files and therefore respondents may not send any files in this format. Please email responses to Jonathan Chappell at jchappell@usaid.gov with a copy to Milly Warobi at mwarobi@usaid.gov with the subject title, “RFI No.72061524RFI00003 USAID/KEA Transboundary Ecosystem Restoration Program”.

III. Pre-solicitation Conference: USAID/KEA, may at its discretion, hold a Pre-solicitation Conference at a later date to be determined by USAID and after the Responses Due Date specified on the cover page.

IV. Preparation of Responses. Responses to this RFI must be limited to not more than 6 pages (12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and with one-inch margins) and respond to the following questions:

Cover Page: Responses should include the following:

Cover page, not to exceed one (1) page, that includes:

o Organization name and address;

o Point of contact name and contact information; and o Brief statement of interest and capability that indicates:

a. The organization’s level of interest in partnering with USAID on a potential Transboundary Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Resilience Activity; and

b. Whether the organization has experience implementing biodiversity and/or climate resilience activities, in what geographical areas, and in what capacity.

c. Whether the organization has experience mobilizing finance for conservation, and experience with climate finance and carbon finance in Africa.

Body of Response: Respondents are free to answer any or all of the questions below [5-page limit, excluding the cover page].

o At the regional, EAC level, which policies relevant to management of transboundary natural resources are most relevant for this activity? What are the gaps and opportunities relating to the scope of this proposed activity?

o What are the key regional challenges to improving climate resilient conservation and management of regional transboundary ecosystems in East Africa in general, and the proposed transboundary landscapes in particular?

o Are the proposed objectives appropriate and feasible for addressing the challenges and advancing transboundary restoration and climate resilience in the proposed landscapes? Why or why not? Please identify any challenges or opportunities to the proposed program of work.

mailto:jchappell@usaid.gov mailto:mwarobi@usaid.gov o Who are the critical stakeholders at the regional and national levels that USAID/KEA should engage with on this activity and how can the coordination and collaboration of these stakeholders be improved?

o What recommendations can you provide to improve terrestrial transboundary conservation, restoration, and climate resilience inside and outside of protected areas in East Africa, including catalyzing private sector investment?

o Are there any other suggestions you wish to offer to inform the design of the program?

No other documents or information are requested at this time. USAID asks respondents to not send any additional information other than what is requested above and to kindly adhere to the page limits mentioned.

V. Submissions Review Process USAID KEA will review all responses to the RFI. The quality and depth of responses will help to inform USAID’s future procurement approach.

[End of Attachment 2]

END OF RFI