TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT 2023-2027

Background/context

Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (Chimpanzee Trust) is a Not for Profit, Non-Governmental Organization that was established in 1998 to contribute to the quality of life of chimpanzees in a captive environment and ensure the survival of wild chimpanzee populations.

Chimpanzee Trust believes in the need to conserve wild species and in particular the chimpanzee, man’s closest relative, from whom humanity has learned and gained so much, but also exploited and driven to the brink of extinction through habitat destruction, illegal wildlife trade, and the bushmeat trade. Chimpanzee Trust develops and implements programs for the welfare of chimpanzees in captivity and the protection of wild populations, reduction of the illegal bushmeat trade, and wildlife trade, particularly in chimpanzees, and increasing awareness of the plight of chimpanzees, in Uganda, Africa, and the world over.

The Trust operates and manages the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, home to now 52 orphaned and rescued chimpanzees as well as education and community conservation programs countrywide.

The Chimpanzee Trust believes that through deliberate action, and home-grown solutions, can we be able to stem the decline of chimpanzee populations, protect and increase existing habitats and positively change the attitudes of humanity locally and internationally towards wildlife species, the environment, and the world.

Vision

The Chimpanzee Trust in the current strategic plan envisioned a stable chimpanzee population in the northern Albertine rift and self-sustainability in captive management, by 2023. Our vision at the time was achievable and hence time-bound. The Chimpanzee Trust has seen an increase in the chimpanzee population in the Albertine region in the last four years.

Mission

The Chimpanzee Trust works to sustainably conserve chimpanzees in their natural habitats and provide optimum captive care for those that can not survive in the wild.

Our work

The Chimpanzee Trust manages the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, home to 52 orphaned and rescued chimpanzees, providing the best possible welfare in the nutrition, facilities, and veterinary care for these chimpanzees. The sanctuary also offers unique tourism products to a select market as a sustainability mechanism for the operations of the sanctuary.

The Trust has a conservation program whose objective is the protection of wild chimpanzee populations, the protection, and restoration of destroyed, degraded, or degenerated habitats, and the improvement of livelihoods of communities that live in close proximity to chimpanzees and chimpanzee habitats. This program engages with target communities to identify and recognize the conservation challenges in these areas and communities and then works with these communities to develop local solutions and integrated with known and proven initiatives to address these challenges. The program is focused on the Albertine region of western Uganda, particularly in areas around the Bugoma Central Forest reserve as well as other areas where chimpanzees and other wildlife are known to exist outside the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s protected Conservation Areas or National Parks. The program activities are primarily funded through grants from donor agencies local and international

The Trust also has an Education program whose objective is to increase the awareness of the plight of the chimpanzee as a species in the communities in which we operate, the country, and the world over. The Education Program started by educating visitors, the community and schools on the chimpanzee as a species, its similarity to humans and why it is endangered, why it is important to protect the species and the environment in which they thrive. The program has since grown to encompass environmental issues like climate change, environmental degradation and habitat destruction. The program engages with target audiences to devise the appropriate means of addressing the recognized challenges using the most effective and innovative means of communication. The program includes school and community outreach programs, education sports activities with conservation themes, and a radio drama program, going into its 4^th season. Each of these programs has activities designed for different target groups including; children from the ages of 5-10 years, 12-16, 17-21; family activities, and adult activities for the communities.

The Trust’s scope of operation is; Conservation Education whose focus is on creating awareness of the plight of chimpanzees, Eco-tourism which supports the sanctuary, and the sanctuary which is the key business of the Trust.

Our Impact

Over the last 25 years, the Chimpanzee Trust has evolved from a project under the Jane Goodall Institute, Uganda, into a fully registered NGO with a governance structure that includes a board of Trustees, a management structure, and staff with three operational sites to include the sanctuary, the field office for the conservation programs and a head office to coordinate all the programs.

Over the years, the Trust through its operations, and in partnership with Government agencies and other NGOs, has reduced the annual average rescues of baby chimpanzees from 10 annually to less than one. These programs have reduced incidences of illegal wildlife trade in primates and chimpanzees in particular, in Uganda. Recorded incidences of illegal primate trade have reduced to nil over the last few years.

As of 2022, the conservation program has been especially successful in the restoration of about 5000ha of forest and the protection of over 2000ha of natural forest through tree-planting projects, habitat monitoring, and PES projects. The Trust has also been able to improve the livelihoods of an estimated 2 million people in the Albertine region and reached over 5 million through its education and awareness programs. In Uganda, and especially the Northern Albertine Rift region, the Chimpanzee Trust brand is recognized for its work in the communities with chimpanzee conservation.

Our education program has over the years reached millions of children and students as well as adults, in the communities in which they live, through the interactive outreach programs, drama and sports events, and activities, a radio drama program that is into its 4^th season and through the production of educational material including posters, story books, and audiobooks.

The Chimpanzee Trust programs have been supported by individual donors, donor institutions, foundations, local and international governments, companies, and major nongovernmental Agencies.

Chimpanzee Trust realizes the value of strategic planning and is currently implementing its third strategic plan since 2006. Strategic planning allows us to assess the strengths and weaknesses of our approach to chimpanzee-focused conservation as well as look at internal and external factors that have influenced our successes or failures to date. The Trust intends to develop a new strategic plan to affirm our vision and mission and adapt to the changes in our operating environment and establish a design process and approach for effectiveness and sustainability towards achieving our vision over the next five years. The Chimpanzee Trust believes that its staff members, board, partners, and stakeholders are valuable contributors and drivers of this effort to strengthen the impact of the organization now and into the future.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The strategic planning consultant will facilitate a directional analysis of Chimpanzee Trust and communication, monitoring, and evaluation plan, using the theory of change approach. This includes assessing the programs of Chimpanzee Trust and examining how they serve to deliver the Trust’s mission. The purpose of this consultancy is to support and lead chimpanzee Trust staff, partners, and board in a participatory planning process, ensuring a sense of ownership and engaging meaningfully with key partners, funders, and other stakeholders. The substantive outcome is a five-year strategic plan for the period 2023-2028.

Scope of Work

The plan must address, among other things, the development of strong partnerships and resource mobilization initiatives, and how to strategically engage partner organizations, major international donor agencies, government agencies, and communities more meaningfully in the realization of Chimpanzee Trust’s mission and vision. The consultant will draw from any best practices within similar strategic plans for other non-governmental organizations with similar modus operandi as the Chimpanzee Trust.

Elements of the plan will include but are not limited to:

1. Develop a theory of change for the Trust, outlining the strategic direction and steps towards achieving its goal.
2. Develop a sound methodology that grounds the strategic plan and
   facilitates a directional analysis of the Trust’s current operations.
3. Conduct a needs assessment of the Organization including consideration of
   situation analysis and identification of constraints and opportunities for
   growth and development.
4. Guide stakeholder mapping and consultations and understand, obtain, and
   analyze qualitative and quantitative data relevant to stakeholders and
5. Develop a plan that includes a clear strategy or roadmap to reach the organization’s goals through programs with clear deliverables, indicators
   and tools that address the constraints and create the needed support
   systems and incentives
6. Development, validation, finalization, and costing of the strategic plan
   2023-2028, including outcome mapping for monitoring and evaluation,
   detailed implementation for 2023, and general activities for
   2024-2027/8.
7. Recommend methodology and tools for evaluating outcomes and develop
   monitoring and communication strategy.
8. The Consultant will collect, evaluate and lead in the presentation and
   validation process. Some of these elements may be included in the final
   document, as an appendix, or cited as separate literature.

Specific Task

The Consultant will:

1. Carry out a desk review of documents relevant to an understanding of the mandate, legal framework, and context of the work Chimpanzee Trust undertakes.
2. Assess existing programs employed by Chimpanzee Trust and support the Chimpanzee Trust team in establishing an Organizational Theory of Change for 2023-2028, including the goals identified to achieve the organizational mission through its programs. This exercise should include a process through which the organization can reassess and confirm its mission and determine specific goals it will center its efforts in the subsequent 5-year period.
3. Conduct a needs assessment of Chimpanzee Trust, which shall include a review of the existing structure, financial strategy, and sustainability.
4. Develop a comprehensive methodology and work plan for a participatory process with a view to achieving support from members and partners, which includes holding consultations and facilitating interviews with relevant stakeholders including, but not limited to, donor and development partners, private sector, international donor agencies, and civil society NGOs.
5. Together, with the executive team, lead a program of wider consultations to
   receive feedback on the draft strategic plan.
6. Support the strategy for reaching target populations and map and characterize the community needs in the target area.
7. Understand, obtain and analyze data relevant to the target populations.
8. Provide a risk matrix for each program and an overview of the major challenges of implementation.
9. Finalize the strategic plan, including the log frame and detailed implementation plan, for 2023 and provide general activities for 2024-2027/8.
10. The plan should include the organizational goals, expected results for each, the priority programs and strategies to achieve them, performance metrics (i.e: indicators with baselines and targets), timelines, and resource allocations required to accomplish them, as well as a monitoring and evaluation plan and a communication plan. The strategic plan will identify synergies between key programs and activities to advance the organizational goals.
11. Include a plan to align actions with existing relevant sectors’ strategies
    informed by best practices locally and internationally.

Deliverable Outputs

Based on the above, the Consultant shall prepare and complete the five-year
strategic plan. This shall entail, among other things the following:

1. An inception report detailing the work to be done, methodologies to be employed, and a work plan with a clear timeframe for all deliverables.
2. A draft strategic plan with clear deliverables, key milestones, and direct guidance on implementation to strengthen Chimpanzee Trust’s mission and vision (including an organizational monitoring and evaluation plan).
3. Presentation to the management, board, and stakeholders to validate the strategic plan.
4. A final strategic plan document.

Method

The consultant shall obtain disaggregated data, review relevant literature, and interviews, and undertake field visits in selected areas.

The consultant is permitted to form a team for the delivery of the objectives of the consultancy.

Commitment to Work Quality

The consultant shall use an evidence-based approach and ensure the highest standards of work and timely deliverables at every stage of this assignment. The
consultant shall ensure clarity of objectives and process during the consultations,
counter check all facts and figures cited, and ensure that the content and format of the draft strategic plan meet a high standard for such documents, including proper editing, clarity, and use of design and graphics.

The consultant shall, at the onset of the planning process, work with Chimpanzee Trust to identify all stakeholders having a direct and indirect interest in the strategic plan. Listing people, groups, and institutions that influence the work of Chimpanzee Trust. All stakeholders must be able to make inputs into the strategic plan to promote ownership of the plan.

Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

Chimpanzee Trust is seeking the services of a professional individual or a consultancy firm to develop a five-year strategic plan. The firm/individual must possess the following:

• A demonstration of relevant work experience in strategic planning and theory of change, particularly with conservation and welfare organizations, NGOs, and or Government agencies.
• Possess an understanding of animal welfare, tourism, and sustainability for NGOs.
• Excellent and proven analytical skills.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills, ability to prioritize, and work with minimum supervision.
• Possess knowledge of the general social, economic and political environment that influences conservation in Uganda.
• Understanding of participatory approaches to management and operations.

Duration

The consultancy shall be for a period not longer than 60 working days, beginning on October 15^th, 2022.

Details:

1. Remuneration for this assignment shall be negotiated with the best-evaluated individual or firm
2. The Consultant shall receive 20% of the final cost after delivery and acceptance of an inception report with a work plan and deliverables; 40% of the final cost after the delivery and acceptance of a satisfactory draft report based on the terms of reference; and 40% of the final cost after submission and acceptance of all deliverable outputs
3. Penalty:

• The consultant is subject to a 15% reduction of the total agreed if the report is submitted after the agreed timelines (without a just and reasonable mutually agreed explanation).
• Non-delivery against any of the agreed tasks and or deliverables shall lead to withholding of subsequent payments until receipt and approval of all deliverables’ outputs.

Application

Interested parties, (firms and individuals) should submit a concise proposal for undertaking this consultancy.

Interested applicants are encouraged to submit their bids alongside detailed technical and financial proposals, indicating their work schedule from the commencement to the end of the consultancy.

Included should be:

1. Technical approach and suggested timeline (maximum 5 pages)
2. Case studies of previous experience in strategic development planning, animal welfare, conservation, and tourism. (maximum 2 pages)

• Budget for work to be undertaken (submitted in a single Excel worksheet and broken down into personnel, fees, travel, and others)
• Any restrictions on consultant availability to begin work

Application timeline

Proposals should be submitted to: info@ngambaisland.org with the subject line
‘Chimpanzee Trust Strategic Planning Consultancy

Application deadline: September 30^th, 2022

• Short-listed applicants will be invited to attend a video conference interview and an in-person interview.
• Any questions should be sent to the email address above with “Chimpanzee Trust Strategic Planning Consultancy” in the subject line.