Consultant – Comparative Analysis

Comparative Analysis of the Influence of Community Inclusion on the Effectiveness and Sustainability of Forest Landscape Restoration Initiatives in the Congo Basin

The Congo Basin is the world’s second-largest tropical forest and a key resource for climate stability, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of more than 60 million people. Yet the region continues to lose forest each year due to farming, logging, infrastructure growth, and population pressures.

Many Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) efforts in Central Africa have struggled to achieve long-lasting results. A major challenge is the limited involvement of local communities, whose knowledge, land rights, and priorities are often overlooked. When communities are not included, restoration sites show low seedling survival and limited long-term impact.

However, projects that actively involve communities—by sharing decision-making, securing land rights, and linking restoration to local economic benefits—tend to perform better and last longer. These successes exist but remain scattered and insufficiently documented.

This study will examine FLR initiatives in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo to understand how community participation affects restoration outcomes. The goal is to provide practical recommendations that can strengthen restoration efforts

 Scope of the Assignment 

The consultant will conduct a comprehensive and comparative assessment of how community inclusion influences the ecological and socio-economic outcomes of Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) initiatives in the Congo Basin. The assignment will cover the following key tasks: 

1. Assessment of Policy and Regulatory Frameworks
    Review and analyze national regulatory frameworks and mechanisms in Congo Basin countries to determine how they support FLR initiatives and to what extent they incorporate stakeholder and community inclusion.

 

2. Identification and Characterization of FLR Initiatives
    Map and document FLR initiatives across Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Congo, considering their ecological, institutional, and socio-economic contexts.

 

3. Documentation of Community Inclusion Measures
    Identify and describe the practical approaches used by FLR initiatives to engage and include local communities in restoration planning, implementation, and monitoring.

 

4. Evaluation of Community Inclusion Levels
    Assess community participation levels using recognized analytical frameworks such as Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation, co-management models, land-tenure securitization, and benefit-sharing mechanisms.

 

5. Performance Analysis of FLR Initiatives
    Evaluate the ecological effectiveness (e.g., seedling survival, biomass recovery, species diversity) and socio-economic sustainability (e.g., income benefits, integration of non-timber forest products, community ownership) of the selected initiatives.

 

6. Analysis of Relationships Between Inclusion and Performance
    Examine how different levels and forms of community inclusion influence ecological outcomes and socio-economic benefits.

 

7. Identification of Key Factors and Constraints
    Determine the main success factors, barriers, and enabling conditions that affect the sustainability and effectiveness of community engagement in FLR efforts.

 

8. Development of Recommendations
    Provide actionable operational and strategic recommendations for decision-makers, donors, and local factors to improve community-centered restoration practices across the Congo Basin.

Duties and responsibilities

• Inception report: Methodological framing note validated by CIFOR-ICRAF, including methodology, analytical tools, and timeline.

 

• Systematic review report: Synthesis of literature and identification of Central African FLR initiatives.

 

• Structured database: Indicators of inclusion, effectiveness, and sustainability for the initiatives.

 

• Main analytical report: Comparative results, correlations, success/failure factors.

 

• Strategic recommendations note: Targeted for decision-makers and donors.

 

• Restitution presentation: PowerPoint or equivalent for regional stakeholders.

 

• Draft scientific article prepared to international standards, ready for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

 

Education, knowledge and experience

• PhD in Environment and Natural Resources Management, with more than 15 years of experience in forestry, applied ecology, and sustainable landscape management. • Proven experience in forest landscape restoration in Central Africa, including the technical and strategic coordination of restoration programs, support to local communities, and the development of participatory action plans. • Extensive production of technical reports, studies, and strategic documents, along with regular contributions to applied research projects and ecological assessments, meeting the requirement of publications and reporting in forestry, environmental management, and restoration. • Advanced skills in GIS , statistical analysis, ecological monitoring, and multi-resource inventories, applied across numerous national and sub-regional projects.  • Strong knowledge of Central Africa’s forest, institutional, and community contexts, acquired through long-term field missions and operational engagement with stakeholders. • Fluency in French and good communication skills in English, both written and spoken.  • Extensive experience working with local communities, including participatory NTFP management, facilitation of consultation processes, capacity building, and support to local governance of natural resources.

Terms and conditions

• Duration: [Specify duration – e.g., 3–4 months]  • Level of Effort: [Specify estimated number of working days]  • Location: Home-based consultancy with virtual coordination meetings. Occasional interaction with the CIFOR Cameroon Country Office (Yaoundé) may be required. • Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications no later than 10 March 2026  • Applications must be sent by email to: CIFOR.CAMEROON@CIFOR-ICRAF.ORG
  The subject line must read: “Application – Modeller (RESSAC) – [CANDIDATE NAME]”
  The application must be submitted as a single PDF document named: “modeller_RESSAC_CANDIDATE NAME.pdf”, including:    • A detailed motivation letter outlining relevant experience.    • An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV).    • Evidence of previous relevant work (publications, modelling outputs, portfolio, reports, or links to projects).  • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.