Individual Consultant - Ecological Expert

Terms of Reference for IUCN Consultancy Title: Ecological Expert Objective of the Consultancy This consultancy has the following objective(s): The primary role of the Consultant is to conduct scientific research and propose policy and management interventions under Outcome 1 and support implementation of capacity building activities under Outcome 3 of the European Union funded project, Improved Biodiversity Management to Support a Blue Economy in the Maldives Background Project Reference: P04978 About IUCN IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private, and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development, and nature conservation to take place together. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments, and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools, and international standards. IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development. Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems, and improve people’s well-being. www.iucn.org https://twitter.com/IUCN/ About the Project The project “Improved Biodiversity Management to Support a Blue Economy in the Maldives” funded by the European Union, aims to contribute to climate-resilient socio-economic development in the Maldives. The project has three interrelated outcomes: Outcome 1: Improved marine resource management and biodiversity protection in protected areas Outcome 2: Improved waste management at island and atoll levels, including reduction of single use plastics. Outcome 3: Strengthened institutional coordination on blue-green economic policies and issues. This consultancy assignment will contribute specifically to the implementation of Outcome 1 and Output 3.1 of Outcome 3, which focus on biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, and capacity development. Under Outcome 1, the relevant outputs include: Output 1.1: High-quality biodiversity data made accessible to inform policy adjustments and align with international commitments. Output 1.2: Conservation and resource management plans incorporating innovative nature-based solutions developed and implemented with stakeholder participation. Output 1.3: Practical technological solutions for biodiversity protection demonstrated and adopted by local authorities, communities, and private sector entities. Under Outcome 3: Output 3.1: Stakeholder collaboration and capacity-building initiatives launched to enhance natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and blue/green economic opportunities. The biodiversity-related activities supported through this consultancy will be implemented primarily in one atoll, engaging government institutions, local councils, communities, and private sector stakeholders. Description of the Assignment A. Technical Support for Implementation Provide high-level technical guidance on the implementation of activities that involve data generation and conservation planning. Provide evidence-based recommendations to align conservation efforts with national priorities. Lead the identification and scientific justification of priority protected and conserved areas, applying IUCN WCPA and Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) standards. Advise on the integration of socio-economic study findings into broader biodiversity management strategies. B. Data Collection Design, coordinate, and conduct field assessments to address the needs for various types of usage such as identification of potential high biodiversity areas for legal protection, mapping of ecosystems in project focus area, and natural capital accounting. Provide high-level technical guidance and participate in the collection of high-quality biodiversity data through field assessments. Manage the data cleaning, analysis and processing following field missions to ensure that findings are scientifically robust for use in policy briefs and management plans. Ensure all data gathered during ecological surveys is formatted and entered project databases that are immediately compatible with project deliverables such as identification of potential protected, conserved and heritage areas, atoll level ecosystem mapping requirements, and natural capital accounting. Design field data collection protocols to meet the requirements of both the ecosystem mapping and Natural Capital Accounting condition accounts and manage the data handover interface with the NCA specialist. Perform technical coordination between ecological field teams, other data gathering initiatives and experts to ensure that the ecological data collection supports all requirements for other outputs. Lead spatial biodiversity prioritisation analysis (e.g. Marxan) and cumulative threat mapping to identify and justify priority Marine Protected Areas and other PCAs across the project focus atoll. Provide high-level technical guidance integration of data into atoll-level ecosystem maps. C. Capacity Building Conduct briefing sessions and technical workshops for IUCN staff, and government officials on survey methodologies and data entry protocols as required. [...] Procurement details Reference: IUCN-26-06-Individual Consultant - Ecological Expert-208 Procedure: SOP1 - Open Procedure Procurement type: Consulting IUCN office (lead): ARO Thailand Requisitioning unit: Maldives Country Office Project: P04978 Maldives Biodiversity & Blue Economy Country of performance: Maldives Expected contract duration: 24 months Estimated contract value: 25,000-199,999 CHF Currency of proposals: USD - United States dollar Language of documents: English Deadline for questions: 07 July 2026 18:59 UTC Deadline for technical and financial proposals: 14 July 2026 18:59 UTC Expected contract award date: 01 August 2026 18:59 UTC Contract awarded to: Charles Dryden Contract amount: CHF 139,509 Contract signature date: 2026-09-28 Documents - Terms of Reference: Consultancy_TOR Ecological Expert .docx - Conditions for Participating: Conditions for Participating ENG-SPA-FRA.docx - Standard contract: Consultancy_Agreement_Self-Employed_Template.docx The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership union of government and civil society organisations working on nature conservation and sustainable development. IUCN procures consulting services, goods and works for its projects worldwide through the IUCN Procurement Portal. For all contracts above CHF 25,000 IUCN selects contractors through a formal competitive tendering process under its Standard Operating Procedure 1 (Open Procedure). Interested bidders must register on the portal, review the Terms of Reference, the Conditions for Participating and the standard contract, and submit their technical and financial proposals through the portal before the stated deadline. Questions must be raised through the portal's Q&A function before the deadline for questions.