JOB DETAILS:

To enhance management effectiveness and ensure equitable benefit sharing, SFG is undertaking a Social Assessment for Protected and Conserved Areas (SAPA). The SAPA methodology, developed by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and partners, is a participatory process designed to assess and improve the social impacts of protected and conserved areas. To this end, we are looking for an experienced consultant or organisation to join our SAPA facilitation team as the Lead Facilitator.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective is to implement the SAPA process for PUWR to:

• • Identify and assess the positive and negative social impacts of the reserve on local communities.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness, equity, and governance of benefit-sharing and mitigation measures.
  • Recommend practical actions to improve the social outcomes of the reserve’s management.

SCOPE OF WORK

The consultant/organisation working as Lead Facilitator  will:

• Conduct preparatory consultations with stakeholders (community leaders, reserve managers, local government, etc.).
• Facilitate the SAPA stakeholder workshop(s).
• Coordinate household-level surveys and qualitative data collection.
• Analyze findings and compile a SAPA report with recommendations.
• Present results to stakeholders and incorporate feedback.
• Support the development of a simple action plan for social impact improvement.

DELIVERABLES

1. Inception report with proposed methodology, work plan and timeline.
2. Stakeholder engagement and workshop facilitation materials.
3. Final SAPA assessment report, including:
   1. 1. Stakeholder analysis
      2. Key findings on social impacts
      3. Governance and benefit-sharing assessment
      4. Recommendations and priority actions
4. Action plan (developed with stakeholders)
5. Final presentation to key stakeholders

DURATION AND TIMELINES

This assignment is expected to take place over 3-4 months (with some flexibility built in for stakeholder availability), requiring approximately 30 working days from the Lead Facilitator.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The applicant (individual or organisation) should have:

• Proven experience in social research, participatory methods, and/or natural resource governance.
• Familiarity with the SAPA methodology (preferred) and data analysis.
• Knowledge of conservation and community dynamics in Uganda.
• Fluency in English and local languages spoken in the project area.
• Excellent facilitation and communication skills.
• Excellent report writing skills

REPORTING & SUPERVISION

The consultant/organisation will report to Space for Giants and work closely with our partners at UWA, KOS, Pian Upe Community Wildlife Conservation Association (PUCWA), and local district governments as required.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants must meet all the following to be considered:

• Legal registration as a consulting firm, organization, or individual authorized to operate in Uganda.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in conducting social assessments, participatory rural appraisal, or community-based conservation work.
• Demonstrated experience in working with protected or conserved areas, preferably in Uganda or East Africa.
• Proven track record of engaging local communities and stakeholders in participatory research or planning processes.
• Ability to conduct fieldwork in Karamoja, Uganda.

Note: Failure to meet any eligibility criteria will result in disqualification.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

Interested applicants should submit:

• Technical proposal (understanding of the task, methodology, team composition).
• Financial proposal (itemized budget including consultancy fees, travel, accommodation, etc.).
• CV(s) of key personnel
• At least two examples of relevant previous work or references.