UNDP-GEF-Government of China Project on “The Biodiversity Management on
Coastal Areas of China’s South Sea” (CPR/02/31)
TERMS OF REFERENCE
for
SC-4: Targeted Mangrove and seagrass habitat restoration
1. Background
Biodiversity Management in the Coastal Area of China’s South Sea (in short
SCCBD) is a national project, co-financed by GEF and the Chinese government and
executed by UNDP, co-operated by State Oceanic Administration, Zhejiang, Fujian,
Guangdong, Hainan provinces，Guangxi Autonomous Region, and NOAA. The
project was approved by GEF in the year of 2002, will ensure the long-term
conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in China’s South Sea coastal
area through an innovative mechanism of demonstrations and cross-learning among
multiple sites. The participation and co-operation of, and effective management by, all
relevant Governmental, private sector, local community and NGO stakeholders will
be critical to the project’s success. The project will concentrate activities at four
demonstration sites within five coastal provinces.
The project document has designated 8 years for its implementation from 2005 to
2012, and phase one from 2005 to 2012.
The project has three immediate objectives: (i) Strengthen conservation and
sustainable use management capacities at four existing Marine Protected Areas. (ii)
Develop, test and demonstrate tools, instruments and approaches for addressing the
root causes of critical threats to marine biodiversity in China’s South Sea coastal areas,
and (iii) Implement appropriate tools for conservation and sustainable use at the six
sites and promote their broader adoption across China’s South Sea coastal area. The
first component will address threats that are directly related to weak conservation
capacity of existing MPAs, and which do not involve significant demonstration
aspects. The set of demonstration components will address key issues and develop
much needed tools for managers of these MPAs and of the broader seascape area.
These demonstrations have been selected in part because of their relevance to the sites
themselves but also because of their relevance to the other project MPAs and coastal
locations and the larger southern coastal area. During this stage, intensive cross-site
learning will also take place, involving stakeholders from relevant project sites.
Government-funded threat removal activities informed by the results of the
demonstration components will then continue at each project site. The project’s final
stage will be to disseminate lessons to promote replication at other MPAs within the
project area.
According to the project document, subcontract 4 will be implemented in
Shankou and Dugong Reserves, Guangxi Autonomous Region. Mangrove and
seagrass habitats at Shankou and Dugong MPAs respectively, have been reduced in
area and/ or degraded in recent years. This subcontract will demonstrate effective
techniques for restoring critical mangrove and seagrass habitats, and reduce or
mitigate the threats to mangrove and seagrass. The duration of this subcontract will be
18 months. The funding is 54,000 USD from the budget line 21.04 of SCCBD Pro
Doc.
2. Objectives
According to the project document, this subcontract is designed to demonstrate
effective techniques for restoring critical mangrove and seagrass habitats, reduce or
mitigate the threats to mangrove and seagrass, and promote the sustainable use of
resources and participation of local villagers and relevant organizations in natural
resources and environmental conservation.
Deliverables:
 Report on selecting the most appropriate restoration areas for mangrove and
seagrass;
 Report on appraising the best practices of coral and seagrass habitat restoration.
 Report on trainings of mangrove and seagrass habitat restoration, and the
summary of changed level of awareness/knowledge/skill among key stakeholders
as to these issues.
 Working report of mangrove and seagrass restoration according to the Pro Doc.
 50 hectares of mangrove habitat and 20 hectares of seagrass beds restored, with
independent confirmation of restored condition.
 Report on comparative study of self-restoration and human-interfered restoration
of mangrove after storm disaster
3. Activities
 Seek out the best practices for mangrove and seagrass bed restoration; contact
organizations with proven successful hands-on experience.
 Develop plan for removing stresses and threats to mangrove and seagrass habitat
and implement it prior to the launching of restoration activities;
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Working closely with staff of Shankou and dugong reserves and NOAA experts, develop
a mangrove restoration plan, including identifying promising locations, techniques, etc.
Implement plan while providing hands-on training in mangrove restoration to MPA staff.
Monitor mangrove rehabilitation, evaluate results of restoration, and develop lessons
learned.
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Conduct before and after surveys of knowledge among target groups of stakeholders.
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Comparative study of self-restoration and human-interfered restoration of
mangrove after storm disaster
4. Methodology and Approach
 The general methods and principles of MPAs and ICM will be applied in the
implementation of the subcontract.
 Adaptive management and knowledge management framework will be applied in
the implementation of the subcontract.
 The general technical approach approved in ProDoc should be followed
 Advanced concepts, technologies and experience of ecological restoration should
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be introduced to the site;
The sub-contractor will work in close co-operation with the MPA Management
Advisor.
5. Qualifications and Attributes of Subcontract Offerors
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Offerors will be an institute or organization consist of a subcontract team who
will work for the duration of the subcontract, and, if required, one or more
short-term members with important knowledge and expertise lacking in the team.
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The team leader will be an international consultant with the following
qualifications, skills, knowledge, and experience:
 Academic and/or professional background in the policy, legal and institutional
aspects of natural resource management and biodiversity conservation.
 A minimum of 10 years relevant experience.
 Experience in the evaluation of major development assistance projects.
 Experience in the evaluation of GEF and/or UNDP-funded MPA and ICM
projects an advantage.
 Excellent reporting and English writing and communication skills.
 Experience leading multi-disciplinary, multi-national technical teams.
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Good Knowledge of Chinese language an advantage.
The other members will be Chinese nationals with qualifications, skills,
knowledge and experience appropriate to the tasks of the team and to the scope of
the subcontract. Each will have a minimum of 8 years relevant working
experience, good written and spoken English, good reporting and communication
skills, and good socio-economic investigation skills.
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The skills, qualifications and experience of the short-term team members will
complement those of the core team in assessing progress and providing advice on
project implementation.
Translation and interpretation will be the responsibility of the contractor.
6. Responsibilities of Subcontract Offerors
Team Leader
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Take overall responsibility for the completion of the activities listed in the
subcontract, and for the quality and timely submission of subcontract reports
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Take the lead in the design of approaches and methodology to be used in the
subcontract assessments and in the subcontract’s measurements of progress
against indicators
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Lead field missions
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Allocate tasks within the team. Keep informed about subcontract progress
between field missions
Attend the Project Steering Committee (PSC) meetings as needed and required.
7. Liaison
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The offerors will consult with the officers in PCU and relevant SIUs before each
mission or assignment.
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The offerors will maintain dialogue with all the key stakeholders.
8. Reporting
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The missions will be arranged so that there is always a reasonable period of time
between receipt of the offerors reports and the next Project Steering Committee
meeting. This will allow PCU and others to prepare initial responses before the
official meetings.
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Reports will cover the results of the activities.
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The receipt and acceptance by PCU of the offerors reports will trigger payments
under an agreed payment schedule.
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The following reports will be required:
 Report on design of working framework.
 Seasonal, and semi-annual progress reports.
 Reports to the Project Steering Committee (PSC) at an agreed time before
each PSC meeting.
 Two annual reports summarizing activities and recommendations and listing
all other reports submitted during the year.
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Final report.
Reports will be submitted in English and Chinese.
9. Budget
There are 54,000 USD budgeted for the operation of the subcontract, including 3% of
maintenance fee.
PCU will be delegating the management of the subcontracts so all associated
management costs will be the responsibility of the subcontractors.