Call For Experts: Environmental baseline and safeguards assessment of selected wetland sites for the IKI project RAINBOW Retour vers les opportunités

PART 1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS AND PROPOSAL CONDITIONS

1.1. About the Contracting Authority and the Project

This Terms of Reference is issued in the framework of the project “Reviving North African Biodiversity and Nature-Based Climate Resilience in Outstanding Wetlands (RAINBOW)”, funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN)1.

The project is implemented by a consortium of organisations led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in collaboration with regional and national partners in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. BUSINESSMED – UMCE is an implementing partner of the RAINBOW project and is responsible for the implementation of specific activities under the project components in Tunisia. In this context, BUSINESSMED – UMCE is the contracting authority for this assignment.

The RAINBOW project aims to strengthen wetland governance, improve biodiversity monitoring, support ecosystem restoration, and promote nature-based livelihoods in North Africa. The project contributes to enhancing climate resilience and ensuring the sustainable management of wetlands as key ecosystems for biodiversity and human well-being.

1.2. The Procurement Process

The following key dates apply to these ToRs:

ActivityDate

ToRs Issue Date 01.07.2026

Deadline for Questions and Clarifications 14.07.2026

Closing Date and Time 21 July 2026. 23:59 EEST

Estimated Contract Award Date 28.07.2026

1 Pending approval of the project by the donor

1.3. Conditions

BUSINESSMED -UMCE is not bound in any way to enter into any contractual or other arrangement with any proposer as a result of issuing these ToRs. BUSINESSMED-UMCE is under no obligation to accept the lowest-priced proposal or any proposal. BUSINESSMED-UMCE reserves the right to terminate the procurement process at any time prior to contract award. By participating in these ToRs, proposers accept the conditions set out in these ToRs.

1.4. Queries and Questions during the ToRs Period

Proposers are to direct any queries and questions regarding the ToRs to the email: promotion@businessmed-umce.org . As far as possible, BUSINESSMED-UMCE will issue the responses to any questions, suitably anonymised, to all proposers.

1.5. Proposal Lodgement Methods and Requirements

Proposers must submit their proposal to BUSINESSMED -UMCE no later than the ToRs Closing Date via email to promotion@businessmed-umce.org (with the reference “RAINBOW Environmental Assessment” ). Electronic copies are to be submitted in PDF format. Any proposal received later than the stipulated ToRs closing date and time, and any proposal that is incomplete, will not be considered. Proposals are to remain valid for a period of 90 calendar days from the ToRs closing date.

1.6. Applicable Goods and Services Taxes & Currency

Proposal rates and prices shall be inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) and all applicable taxes. Unless otherwise indicated, all rates and prices submitted by proposers shall be in TND.

PART 2 – DESCRIPTION OF THE SERVICE

2.1 Objective of the Assignment

The objective of this assignment is to support the identification, assessment and prioritisation of potential pilot wetland sites in Tunisia, and to generate baseline information required to inform site selection, as well as analysing relevant potential environmental risks associated with the proposed interventions in selected pilot wetland sites, to inform the design of the RAINBOW Full Project Proposal (FPP).

The assignment will provide evidence-based inputs to:

• support the selection and validation of pilot sites
• identify key ecological characteristics, pressures and constraints at the site level
• assess feasibility and risks associated with potential interventions, and propose mitigation and management measures
• provide inputs to ensure alignment with IKI environmental and social safeguards requirements
• inform the design of restoration approaches and related project activities in Tunisia

The selected wetland sites will be identified through a separate site selection process led by project partners. One of the candidate wetland sites likely to be included is “Iles Kneiss”, but this is subject to the aforementioned process of selection and validation, taking into account national priorities and pending approval from national authorities.

2.2 Scope of Work

Site Selection, Environmental Baseline and Environmental Safeguards Assessment

The consultant will support the identification, screening and assessment of potential pilot wetland sites and provide baseline environmental inputs to inform site selection and project design within the RAINBOW Full Project Proposal (FPP). The assignment will focus on generating evidence-based inputs to support decision-making on site prioritisation, feasibility, ecological characterisation and risk management, including an environmental risk assessment focused on potential project interventions at the selected sites, in coordination with parallel socioeconomic assessments.

The assignment will include the following tasks:

Task 1. Review of Available Data for Selected Sites

Compile and review existing ecological, spatial, and environmental data for the selected sites, including:

• existing datasets, studies and reports covering short – Medium and long-term periods (1-3, 5-10 and up to 15-20 years where available) to support baseline and trend analysis.
• biodiversity and habitat information
• hydrological and climate-related data

Identify key information gaps.

Task 2. Rapid Environmental Baseline Assessment at Site Level

Conduct a rapid environmental baseline assessment for each selected site, including:

• ecological condition and main ecosystem characteristics
• key pressures and drivers of degradation
• preliminary assessment of ecosystem services

This task will require field missions to each of the selected sites for data collection and targeted field verification.

Task 3. Environmental Safeguards Assessment

Identify and evaluate potential environmental risks associated with proposed or potential interventions in selected sites, including:

• identification of potential unintended environmental impacts of restoration activities
• assessment of impacts on biodiversity, habitats and ecosystem functions and risks related to hydrological changes or land use modifications
• evaluation of impact significance in terms of likelihood (probability of occurrence) and potential impact (magnitude, extent) and reversibility
• identification of environmental risks and sensitivities associated with site-specific interventions
• assessment of cumulative and indirect environmental impacts where relevant

Develop a structured analysis of environmental risks and impacts to support project feasibility and compliance with relevant safeguards frameworks (e.g. IKI requirements and applicable environmental standards). Provide a qualitative categorisation of risks (e.g. low, moderate, high), with justification.

Task 4. Feasibility Assessment and Identification of Mitigation Measures

Assess key constraints affecting the feasibility of interventions, including:

• environmental and ecological risks
• access and operational constraints
• land tenure or governance-related considerations

Special attention should be given to water management and governance identifying water related conflicts, and potential mitigation approaches.

Propose practical and site-specific measures to:

• avoid or minimise identified risks
• mitigate potential negative impacts
• address high-risk environmental constraints identified in the assessment
• enhance positive environmental outcomes of interventions

Monitoring and management measures shall be developed as part of the assignment

Task 5. Site-Specific Inputs for Project Design

Provide site-specific inputs to inform project design and preliminary considerations for monitoring and baseline development, including:

• implications of baseline and safeguards findings for potential restoration approaches
• identification of priority intervention areas within each site
• preliminary environmental monitoring and indicator suggestions
• identification of key environmental data gaps for implementation phase

2.3. Duration

• Total duration of the assignment: 6-8 weeks
• Estimated level of effort: 25 working days

2.4. Deliverables

DeliverableDescriptionDeadline

Inception noteMethodology and workplanWeek 2

Data review summaryOverview of available data and gaps per siteWeek 4

Draft baseline and safeguards assessmentsPreliminary findings for each siteWeek 6

Final site assessment reportConsolidated analysis and design inputsWeek 8

PresentationTo consortiumWeek 8

2.5. Expected Output Format

The final report shall be concise, analytical, and directly oriented towards informing the design of site-level interventions and the RAINBOW Full Project Proposal (FPP). A dedicated report template will be provided by the RAINBOW Management Team to ensure consistency across project sites and between implementation countries.

It should include:

• A maximum length of 25-30 pages (excluding annexes)
• A clear description of the methodology used for data collection, site-level assessment and safeguards analysis
• Dedicated sections for each selected site
• Each site assessment should clearly present:
  • ecological condition and key ecosystem characteristics
  • main pressures and drivers of degradation
  • feasibility considerations and key environmental sensitivities relevant to potential interventions
  • key environmental risks and constraints affecting site-level implementation, with a risk analysis matrix including description of risks, likelihood and impact assessment and risk categorisation
  • a corresponding set of mitigation and management measures for each identified risk
• A dedicated section titled “Implications for RAINBOW Project Design”, including:
  • implications for restoration approaches at site level
  • key safeguards considerations for project activities and recommendations for integrating risk mitigation into project design
  • identification of priority intervention areas within each site
  • high-level considerations for monitoring and baseline development
  • identification of key data gaps to be addressed during implementation

The report should prioritise decision-oriented analysis over descriptive content and clearly distinguish between available evidence, assumptions, and elements requiring further validation during project design. The report can be in English or French.

2.6. Reporting and Coordination

• The consultant/team will report to: BUSINESSMED -UMCE / IUCN Lead
• The consultant/team will work in close coordination with:
  • national partners and site-level stakeholders
  • teams responsible for socio-economic assessments

Regular check-ins will be organised to ensure alignment with the overall project preparation process.

2.7. Required Expertise

Essential Requirements

• Demonstrated experience in wetland ecology, restoration, or environmental assessment in Tunisia
• Proven experience in spatial analysis and site-level environmental assessment, including identifying and analysing environmental risks and impacts in natural resource management or ecosystem restoration contexts
• Familiarity with safeguards frameworks (e.g. IKI requirements, IUCN ESMS, international donor standards)
• Experience working in the MENA region and Tunisia is highly desirable

Desirable Requirements

• Familiarity with wetland monitoring frameworks (e.g. Ramsar, MWO)
• Experience in wetland or water-related projects
• Experience in multi-criteria analysis and site prioritisation
• Experience with international donor-funded projects
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience in environmental assessments, wetland ecology, or nature-based solutions.

2.8. Available Budget and Payment Schedule

The maximum available budget for this consultancy is 8800 Euro (VAT and other taxes included).

The financial proposal submitted by the consultant must be all-inclusive. This includes professional fees, VAT, other applicable taxes, transportation, accommodation, and any other logistical expenses related to the field missions Payments will be made based on the following milestones:

MilestonePayment

Inception report approved20%

Data review and site screening completed30%

Final outputs approved50%