RFI-621-20-EG-00001 Marine Biodiversity Activity.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

RFI Number: RFI-621-20-EG-00001 Issuance Date: March 17, 2020 Response Due Date and Time: April 6, 2020, at 11:30 am East Africa Time Response Email Address: rselemani@usaid.gov and usaidtzco@usaid.gov

Dear Prospective Offerors:

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania is in the process of gathering information to inform an activity design in support of a potential Marine Biodiversity Conservation Activity. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to 1) solicit feedback on the attached draft concept 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 reduce threats to marine and coastal biodiversity in Tanzania while moving Tanzanian institutions further on their journey to self-reliance. The level of funding anticipated to be allocated for this activity is between $5 and $15 million over a 5-year implementation period.

USAID is seeking responses to the questions outlined below on the following page and not seeking technical or cost applications/proposals at this time. Responses to this RFI are voluntary. This RFI is neither a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) nor a Request for Proposal (RFP) and in no way commits USAID to issue a NOFO/RFP or to make an award. Please note that responding to this RFI will not give any advantage to or preclude any organization or individual from any NOFO/RFP that may be subsequently issued as any/all comments received will be strictly for information gathering purposes only. USAID will not pay for any costs associated with responding to this RFI and information received shall become the property of USAID, therefore, information that cannot be shared should not be sent.

Responses to this RFI must be submitted by email only to Ramadhani Selemani at rselemani@usaid.gov with a copy to usaidtzco@usaid.gov no later than the date and time shown above. Please include “RFI-621-20-EG-00001” in the subject line. Responders will not receive individualized feedback. All inquiries concerning this RFI must be directed only to the email addresses identified above. Hard copy submissions will not be accepted nor will phone inquiries be entertained.

We look forward to receiving your comments.

Best regards, David Arnett Contracting/Agreement Officer mailto:rselemani@usaid.gov mailto:usaidtzco@usaid.gov mailto:rselemani@usaid.gov mailto:usaidtzco@usaid.gov

RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

Responses should include the following:

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

a. Organization name and address

b. Point of contact name and contact information

c. Size and type of organization, including if applicable U.S. small business or other status

d. Legal registration status in Tanzania

e. A brief statement of interest that indicates the organization’s interest in applying as a prime or subcontractor. If a team or consortium is envisioned, please provide the names of the potential partner organizations.

2. Comments and questions on the draft situation model, purposes and strategic approaches, not to exceed three (3) pages. USAID is interested in feedback on the following:

a. Please review the Tanzania Marine Biodiversity Situation Model (attached, and described below) and comment on the proposed targets, threats and drivers. Please note if there are any major targets, threats, drivers, or relationships between the drivers that you recommend removing, adding, or revising.

b. Any challenges from shifting political context or development priorities you can foresee related to this project.

c. Any cost-related obstacles you can foresee related to this project.

d. Any other comments or inputs you may have on the Situation Model.

3. [Optional] Past Peformance references: In a table format not to exceed two (2) pages, please provide the following information for work your organization has performed that addresses targets and threats similar to what is described in the draft Situation Model or to those changes proposed in 2.a. above.

1. Donor/funder name

2. Role: prime or sub recipient

3. Location

4. Period of Performance

5. Award amount in US Dollars

6. Brief description of the activities and results

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 adhere to the page limits mentioned.

I. PURPOSE AND STRATEGIC APPROACH

Sound management of biodiversity is integral to Tanzania’s development, resilience, and self-reliance. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) activity entitled ‘USAID Marine Conservation Activity’ is a key part of the U.S. government’s biodiversity conservation portfolio in Tanzania. This five-year contract will incorporate a series of interventions that support and strengthen capacity for biodiversity conservation in a manner that

i) reduces the use of illegal and unsustainable fishing; ii) improves the governance and management of coastal land and seascapes; and iii) improves policy development and capacity to implement policies. These interventions together will reduce threats to marine and coastal biodiversity in Tanzania while moving Tanzanian institutions further on their journey to self-reliance.

II. BACKGROUND

USAID focuses on supporting partner countries on the Journey to Self Reliance (J2SR). To accomplish this, USAID’s investments across sectors will need to prioritize helping partner countries to plan, finance, and implement solutions to their own development challenges. Self reliance depends on the sustainable use of natural resources and an equitable sharing of benefits derived from ecosystem goods and services. A country must both commit to protecting its resources and have the capacity to manage them in an inclusive and equitable manner.

As a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Tanzania has committed to ambitious national targets for conservation by 2020, in line with the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

This commitment to designating space for conservation is clearly reflected in the Tanzania FY2020 Country Road Map (https://selfreliance.usaid.gov/country/tanzania). Tanzania scores .95 in commitment to biodiversity and habitat protection, indicating that Tanzania has committed to protecting a large amount of area that is largely representative of the species and habitats found in the country. However, while Tanzania scores high on the biodiversity specific metric for terrestrial coverage, only 3% of Tanzania’s Marine Seascape is under protection, falling well short of the CBD commitment of 10%, and the country’s own internal goal of 15%.

International best practice recommends 30% of all representative habitats be conserved for optimal results and sustainability.

Tanzania’s scores for liberal democracy and open government demonstrate that there are additional commitment gaps that have the potential to erode the biodiversity sector commitments. Furthermore, several key capacity metrics lag behind.

The road map as a whole indicates that there is significant need to build the capacity of the institutions responsible for biodiversity conservation and sustainable management; to build an enabling environment that enables greater collaboration and cooperation across government https://selfreliance.usaid.gov/country/tanzania ministries to address marine conservation challenges; to engage the private sector to support marine biodiversity conservation measures; and to support civil society in these areas.

III. DRAFT SITUATION MODEL

This situation model describes high biodiversity areas in Tanzania (green), which could form the focus for a future USAID program in the country. It illustrates how effective conservation of those biodiversity focal interests are expected to provide benefits to human well-being (brown), and the key threats to these biodiversity assets (pink). The model also provides a hypothesis about the main drivers (orange) that lead to these threats. For more information on situation models, consult this resource.

The biodiversity focal areas for this model include coral reef ecosystems and key species groups.

Some analyses have argued that Tanzania’s reef systems (including mangrove and seagrass areas) are part of a second global hotspot for marine biodiversity, which also includes northern Mozambique and northern Madagascar. The model also identifies key species groups as biological focal interests for conservation, including coral reef and small pelagic fish; sharks and rays, including whale sharks; marine mammals; and sea turtles.

The situation model hypothesizes that effective conservation and management of these biodiversity focal interests could promote sustainable fisheries and tourism, improving livelihoods for youth, economic growth, and food security. The process and results of improved resource management is expected to strengthen governance, security, and resilience to change.

The greatest threats (ranked very high) to these biodiversity focal interests are overfishing, including the use of destructive fishing practices; climate change; and large infrastructure projects, such as dams and ports. While the practice of fishing using explosives (i.e., “blast fishing”) has been stopped, other practices which are indiscriminate and destroy habitats are still used. Infrastructure projects were ranked as very high threats to biodiversity using the precautionary principle; it is likely the resulting changes in water flow and habitat alteration could have profound impacts on key coastal fisheries as well as the tourism potential in the country, but little science is available to predict or mitigate these impacts. Threats from oil and gas exploration and extraction and from cutting of mangroves were ranked high, acknowledging these impacts vary along the coast. Harvesting of turtle eggs and unsustainable tourism were ranked as moderate to high threats to biodiversity.

The key driver behind overfishing and the use of destructive fishing practices is that current management arrangements are not delivering sustainability or optimizing the profitability of fisheries. Currently, there are few fishing restrictions in Tanzania and those that are in place are weakly implemented. However, there is currently work to revise the fishing regulations and the government’s decision to deny permits to foreign trawlers is a positive move toward managing and sustaining these resources for Tanzanians. Implementing an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management (EAFM) would help optimize the quantity of fish available for harvest and support the resilience of these ecosystems and fisheries to climate change.

A key step in implementing EAFM could be to develop an effective system of small refugia, or no-take fishing areas, in biologically appropriate places along the coast. The model notes that there are already successful examples of these refugia within Mafia Island Marine Park and the Chumbe Island private reserve. Further supporting an approach that integrates fisheries management with protected areas is the Government of Tanzania’s commitment to protecting 10% of its marine area by 2020.

The situation model also identifies that limited implementation of environmental safeguards and tourism codes of conduct are increasing threats to key biodiversity focal interests. And that important contextual factors influencing the current situation include, limited scientific information and influence; political disincentives to effective fisheries reform; strong demand for fishery livelihoods; and growing national interest in promoting a “blue economy.”

DRAFT TANZANIA MARINE CONSERVATION SITUATION MODEL