INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE TENDER AUGUST 2025
| REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) |
CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP A REGIONAL LMMA TOOLKIT FOR THE WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN
IUCN ESARO, WIO LMMA ALLIANCE, Coastal and Ocean Resilience Team
RFP Reference: IUCN-25-08- P05126-02
Closing date: 27 Aug 2025
CONTACT DETAILS
IUCN Contact: Jolly Chemutai
Job title: IUCN ESARO, Procurement and Operations Assistant
Email: jolly.chemutai@iucn.org
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.
Headquartered in Switzerland, IUCN Secretariat comprises around 1,000 staff with offices in more than 50 countries.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,300 Member organisations and some 10,000 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.
Terms of Reference for IUCN Consultancy
Title: Consultancy to develop a regional LMMA toolkit for the Western Indian Ocean
Objective of the Consultancy
The main objective of this consultancy is to recruit a team of consultants, including a highly professional communication team composed of an experienced graphic designer and video producer with a strong portfolio of high-quality, relevant work in conservation, development, or community-based initiatives. The team should also ideally include a specialist in gender equality and inclusion. This team will develop a comprehensive and user-friendly WIO LMMA Toolkit (maximum 50 pages, all inclusive). In addition to the technical toolkit, the team will be responsible for producing a well-designed 10-page communication document summarizing the toolkit’s key messages, as well as a 5-minute video clip demonstrating how to use it. The toolkit should capture the history, regional experiences, and lessons learned from LMMAs in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO), while also defining the LMMA philosophy specific to the region. It should provide clear, step-by-step guidance for the effective establishment, expansion, and management of LMMAs.
The target audience of the toolkit includes Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private sector and technical and financial partners involved in LMMA-related work in the WIO region and beyond. It is intended to serve as a practical resource for strengthening community-based marine management, supporting sustainable livelihoods, and guiding investment and policy efforts.
The toolkit and all associated communication products must be designed and implemented using an inclusive and rights-based approach, ensuring meaningful participation and leadership of women, youth, Indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities, with clear measures for accessibility (e.g., plain language, multiple languages, captions, audio description, alternative text) and safeguarding (PSEA/GBV risk mitigation). Co-creation of the toolkit should be undertaken with LMMA community leaders, Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs), and key community representatives from marginalized groups across the five ReSea countries (Comoros, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Kenya).
Background
Project Reference
WIO LMMA Alliance: P05126
Resea: P04216
Donor reference
WIO LMMA Alliance: DR05126.06
Resea: DR04216.69
The overall aim of this initiative is to establish and support the WIO LMMA Alliance to drive transformative change in the region. The specific objectives include:
- A functional, inclusive Alliance with a shared vision, mission, and strategic objectives
- Increased number of LMMAs under effective and sustainable management
- Legal recognition of LMMAs across countries, including integration as OECMs and in national conservation frameworks
- Financial and technical self-sufficiency of LMMAs, including mechanisms for direct access to funding
- Strengthened local leadership, particularly of women and youth, through platforms for learning and exchange
- Research, data collection, and the development of a regional LMMA database
- Recognition and valuation of traditional knowledge through science-policy dialogue and community-led research
- Strengthened LMMA visibility and voice through targeted advocacy, storytelling, and communications, particularly in achieving the 30×30 global conservation targets
- measurable ecological and biological outcomes, including increased use of permanent and temporary closures within LMMAs
Description of the Assignment
The consultant will be expected to:
- Foundational review and stakeholder engagement
- Review and analyse all relevant LMMA documentation (reports, scientific papers, grey papers, existing frameworks, legal analyses, etc.) at both regional and national levels, including in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles and South Africa.
- Consult key stakeholders and engage virtually (or in person where feasible) with relevant government departments and agencies (environment, tourism, fisheries, etc), LMMA practitioners, national focal points, community leaders, CSOs, NGOs, women’s organisations, and regional organizations (e.g., CORDIO, WIOMSA, WWF, MIHARI Network, WIOMPAN Network, CI, WCS, IUCN) to understand their ongoing initiatives and state of knowledge, align efforts, and assess community needs regarding a WIO LMMA Toolkit.
- Peer learning : Engage with the LMMA Network in the Pacific (virtually) to learn from their experiences and frameworks used to develop and scale the LMMA concept.
- Dedicated Gender Equality and Inclusion Analysis
- Apply the LMMA Gender Strategy: Building on the LMMA Gender Strategy co-developed under ReSea by Mission Inclusion and women’s organisations, conduct a comprehensive intersectional gender-power and inclusion analysis of LMMA governance, tenure, and practice.
- Scope of Analysis:
- a)Identify structural barriers (e.g., care economy, safety, mobility, disability, language, land/sea tenure, customary rights).
- b)Map risks (including GBV/PSEA) and propose mitigation measures.
- c)Align recommendations with national gender equality and disability frameworks, as well as international human rights and environmental agreements.
- Practical Outputs: Provide clear, actionable recommendations, tools, and checklists to integrate gender equality and inclusion across LMMA establishment, governance, operations, monitoring, financing, and communications.
- Drafting the WIO LMMA toolkit
Based on the review, consultations, and gender/inclusion analysis, ,develop a draft the WIO inclusive LMMA Toolkit, which should include at a minimum:
- Background emphasizing the purpose and relevance of the toolkits, along with a brief narrative on the evolution and advancement of LMMAs in the WIO. This includes how the model was replicated from the Pacific to the WIO region and its subsequent adoption.
- Foundational concepts covering the definition of LMMA extents, the demarcation protocol, and key principles for LMMAs in the WIO. It should also present a comparative analysis of the various terminologies used in the WIO in relation to the LMMA concept, and conclude with a recommendation for a common term for adoption.
- Implementation aspects, taking into account governance frameworks, management structures, and operational models inspired by other regions and case studies. This should include key criteria for site selection consistent with the LMMA philosophy, clear steps for establishing and scaling inclusive LMMAs, and recommendations for governance mechanisms suitable for LMMAs at both national and regional levels.
- Challenges and issues of inclusive LMMAs in the WIO region, along with
opportunities for expansion, scaling up, and future perspectives for ensuring
functional, effective, and sustainable LMMAs. - Lessons learned and guidance for creating national LMMA networks, drawing from experiences of the Pacific LMMA Network and the MIHARI Network in Madagascar.
- Legal and alternative pathways for LMMA recognition across WIO countries.
- The role of LMMAs in marine conservation, including their social, economic, and ecological contributions, and their alignment with global targets such as OECMs and 30×30.
- Key insights to inform the establishment of the regional WIO LMMA Alliance.
- Produce a strong advocacy and communication package to support the WIO LMMA Toolkit, including:
· Develop a 10-page communication brief summarizing the key messages of the toolkit in a visually engaging and accessible format.
· Produce a 5-minute video clip to introduce and promote the toolkit, highlighting its purpose, key content, and practical use.
· Design high-quality infographics and visual elements that communicate core
concepts of the toolkit, including steps for LMMA establishment, governance models, benefits, etc.
· Create summary bulletins or factsheets targeting specific audiences (e.g.,
policymakers, communities, donors).
· Define a communication and advocacy strategy outlining how the products will be disseminated and used to promote LMMA adoption across the WIO and beyond. - Facilitate a process to validate the toolkit through online or in-person workshop(s) to gather stakeholder feedback for refinement.
- Provide recommendations on how to duplicate and disseminate the toolkit for greater adoption, while fostering regional collaboration.
- Incorporate all stakeholder inputs and produce the final, publishable version of the toolkit including the communication materials
How to apply
