Terms of Reference

WWF Cameroon seeks to recruit a consultant to update the Legal and Institutional Review of the Palm Oil Value Chain in Cameroon

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is one of the largest independent conservation organizations in the world, active in almost 100 countries. It has been working in the Congo Basin in Central Africa for more than 20 years. Our mission is to stop the environmental degradation in the world and build a future where humans live in harmony with nature.

1. Context and Justification:

Cameroon is keen to becoming an emerging country by 2035. The Growth and Employment Strategy with a strong focus on ensuring the rural sector becomes a key driver of this vision and the Rural Sector Development Strategy further reinforces this ambition. To realize this, Cameroon intend to modernize its agricultural sector and focuses on those value chains such as palm oil with huge potential to contribute to poverty alleviation, reduce rural urban migration and unemployment in the rural areas. Though Cameroon is one of Africa’s largest palm oil producer with an estimated annual production of 300,000 tons, this production is insufficient to meet an ever-growing domestic demand forcing Cameroon to import palm oil from countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and recently Gabon. To reverse this trend, the Government is planning by 2020 to increase production by 400,000 tons. This government ambition generates a lot of interest especially from environmental organizations like WWF as this may mean increased deforestation. The Government in 2013 through a Ministerial Decision initiated the process to elaborate a National Sustainable Strategy for Palm Oil Development. The Strategy aim at reconciling the objective of increasing production while preserving Cameroon’s rich biodiversity. This strategy makes provisions for the incorporation of the Principles and Criteria of the Sustainable Palm Oil Roundtable (RSPO; The RSPO is a global multi-stakeholder initiative on sustainable palm oil established in 2004.).

WWF, one of the founding members of the RSPO in collaboration with the Government, other stakeholders is seeking a National Interpretation of this new standard as to ensure it accommodates local realities. This National Interpretation will help set the national norm for palm oil development forming the basis for any company interested in RSPO certification. The national agreed interpretation of the criteria shall be incorporated into the National Sustainable Palm Oil Strategy (pending final validation).

Considering that countries differ in laws for the same criteria and sometimes laws, policies and institutions may not have considered such criteria, it is therefore relevant to carry out a review of these laws, policies and institutions that would help ascertain the extent to which these are in conformity or not with the RSPO Principles and Criteria. In 2014, WWF carried out such a review based on the 2013 RSPO P&C. With the adoption of a new RSPO standard and considering new developments, WWF seek to update this review.

2. Overall Objective

The key objective is to update the 2014 legal and institutional review of the palm oil value chain in Cameroon to accommodate the 2018 new RSPO standard.

3. Expected Tasks

The consultant will:

• Review and analyse the Cameroonian legal and institutional framework as related to agricultural development and especially the palm oil value (environmental and social safeguards) based on the 2014 baseline established in the 2014 report
• Identify and review the different Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) to which Cameroon is signatory and their relevance to the sustainable production of palm oil;
• Identify and consult using a participatory approach the key stakeholders involved in the implementation of the palm oil sector;
• Review the findings of the study developed in 2014 and whether its findings are still of relevance within the context of the new 2018 RSPO standard and other recent developments since 2014;
• Prepare a draft report including the initial findings be presented to key stakeholders during a workshop to be organized by to the parties concerned to collect their contributions and comments;
• Finalize the updated version of the legal and institutional review of the palm oil sector in Cameroon and its correlation with the principles and criteria of the RSPO 2018 standard.

4. Methodology

• The assignment to ensure sufficient insight will have to be both participatory using iterative research methods with an in-depth documentary review.

5. Expected Results

The consultant undertakes to provide the WWF with a report mentioning:

• An updated version of the legal and institutional review of the palm oil sector in Cameroon in French either English or French with a summary in the secondary language i.e. English if the report is in French and French if it is English. The final report should refer to the methodology used, the findings and key recommendations on the how to improve on identified gaps.
• Establish a list of all referred policies (laws, regulations, decisions, etc.) and provide all such laws in an e-format for future referencing.

6. Duration of the study

• The expected duration of this assignment is 45 calendar days as from the contract signature date.

7. Qualification, skills, knowledge and experience required:

The Consultant must have the following profile:

• At least a Master’s degree in law preferably with specialization in environmental law, natural resource management, or any other social sciences
• Excellent knowledge of the legal, regulatory and institutional framework related to natural resources management, agriculture and investment as relevant to the agricultural sector in Cameroon and palm oil production in particular;
• A good understanding of the global policy architecture related to key commodity certification standards including the RSPO Principles and Criteria and especially the new version 2018
• Significant experience on palm oil related investment issues and natural resources will be an essential asset;
• Good working knowledge in French and English
• Strong analytical skills and ability to conduct policy related research
• Demonstrated high level proficiency in writing clear and concise analysis and in developing reports

8. How to apply?

Anyone interested in carrying out this study and meeting the above criteria should submit his application on single PDF electronic file including:

• A cover letter indicating the consultant’s experience with similar assignments
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) of not more than 3 pages
• A detailed technical and financial offer with a clear presentation of the proposed methodology to achieve the results and indicate similar assignments
• A timeline with key deliverables

Applications must be submitted no later than February 10, 2019 to the following address recruitcam@wwfcam.org with copy to DHalleson@wwfcam.org with subject line "Legal and Institutional Review Update"