IUCN MCO Strategy

Terms of Reference for IUCN Consultancy Recruitment of a Senior Consultant to Develop the IUCN Mozambique Country Strategy 2026–2029 Assignment type Strategic planning consultancy / individual consultant or consultancy firm Mozambique, with in-person engagement in Maputo and remote/in-country consultations Location as agreed Indicative duration 45–55 working days over approximately 9–11 weeks Portuguese for national consultations; English for working deliverables; English Working languages and Portuguese for the final strategy and executive summary Validated IUCN Mozambique Country Strategy 2026–2029, Action Plan, estimated Final output Budget, MEAL framework and communication package Purpose of this ToR These Terms of Reference are to recruit a qualified consultant to support IUCN Mozambique in developing its Country Strategy 2026–2029. The strategy will define where IUCN Mozambique can add the greatest value, ensure strong alignment with IUCN Global, ESARO, the REGEN Africa framework and Government of Mozambique priorities, IUCN Members and Commissions, partners, civil society private sector and donors, and other key stakeholders. 1. Background and rationale Created in 1948, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of its more than 1,500 Member organizations and 15,000 experts. This diversity and expertise make IUCN the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. IUCN’s broad membership also means it can incubate ideas and is a trusted repository of best practices, tools, and international standards. IUCN provides a neutral space in which governments, Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs), scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples’ organisations, and others can work together to solve environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development. The IUCN Mozambique is seeking to develop an action-oriented Country Strategy for the period 2026–2029. The strategy will guide IUCN Mozambique’s programmatic priorities, policy influence, partnerships, resource mobilization, communications and operational focus during the next quadrennial period. Mozambique is a country of exceptional ecological, social and economic significance. With a coastline of approximately 2,700 km along the Indian Ocean, extensive marine and coastal systems, important terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, and around 14 distinct ecoregions, 29 officially declared key biodiversity areas, the country hosts rich biodiversity, including an estimated 6,000 plant species and 4,000 animal species. Its landscapes and seascapes support globally important wildlife and marine species, while also sustaining communities whose livelihoods are closely linked to natural resources. Approximately two-thirds of Mozambique’s estimated 34 million people, 51% of whom are women, live and work in rural areas. Over 60% of the population leaves in coastal areas. The country’s abundant natural resource base presents a major opportunity for inclusive, resilient, and nature-positive development. Mozambique has over 36 million hectares of arable land, extensive miombo forests covering more than 70% of its land area, significant hydropower potential, diverse wildlife, and major natural gas reserves estimated at around 100 trillion cubic feet. Together with its strategic location as a gateway to regional and global markets, these assets Page 1 position Mozambique as a critical country for advancing biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods and green economic transformation. The IUCN Mozambique Country Strategy 2026–2029 must therefore be more than a descriptive document. It must make clear strategic choices. It must identify where IUCN Mozambique has a distinctive role, where it should concentrate effort, which partnerships should be prioritised, and how its work will contribute to national priorities, regional transformation and IUCN’s global ambition for nature and people. The strategy shall be developed in alignment with IUCN global and regional frameworks, including the IUCN 20-Year Strategic Vision, the IUCN Programme 2026–2029, relevant IUCN standards and tools, and the priorities of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), including regional transformational initiatives such as REGEN Africa. REGEN Africa is the framework translating the IUCN 20-Year Strategic Vision into the African context; introduce regenerative development and the Planet–Prosperity–People framing. It shall also be grounded in Mozambique’s national development and environmental policy architecture, including the National Development Strategy (ENDE) 2025–2044, the Government Five-Year Programme 2025–2029, and relevant national policies and strategies on biodiversity, climate change, land, forests, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems, fisheries, blue economy, disaster risk reduction, protected and conserved areas, sustainable finance, gender and social inclusion. To ensure ownership, relevance and quality, the strategy will be developed through an inclusive and consultative process involving IUCN Mozambique staff, relevant IUCN ESARO colleagues, key government institutions, national and international organizations active in the environmental sector, development partners, donors, civil society, research and academic institutions, the private sector, Mozambique-based members of IUCN Commissions, and other strategic stakeholders. The final strategy should be concise, practical and investment-ready. It should clearly articulate IUCN Mozambique’s niche and value proposition, guide the development of a focused and coherent programme portfolio, support policy influence, and enable IUCN to convene government, partners, civil society, the private sector and donors around a limited number of high-impact priorities for 2026–2029. 2. [...] Procurement details Reference: IUCN-26-09-IUCN MCO Strategy-885 Procedure: SOP1 - Open Procedure Procurement type: Consulting IUCN office (lead): ESARO Mozambique Requisitioning unit: ESARO - Mozambique Finance (MZ) Project: P90331 ESARO Mozambique Finance Country of performance: Mozambique Expected contract duration: 60 days Estimated contract value: 25,000-199,999 CHF Currency of proposals: CHF - Swiss franc Language of documents: English Deadline for questions: 28 September 2026 21:59 UTC Deadline for technical and financial proposals: 07 October 2026 21:59 UTC Expected contract award date: 12 October 2026 21:59 UTC Documents - Terms of Reference: ToR_IUCN Mozambique Country Strategy 2026-29.pdf - Conditions for Participating: Conditions for Participating ENG-SPA-FRA v23-09-26.pdf - Standard contract: Standard Agreement.docx - IUCN_RfP_Mozambique_Country_Strategy_2026_2029.pdf 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.