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Introduction

Country: Lao PDR

Description of the Assignment:

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

Task 1 – Desk Review of Policy, Regulatory, and Sectoral Context

Develop a comprehensive geospatial database to support the identification, analysis, and monitoring of Primary Forest Landscapes in Lao PDR.

• Review the Project environment and safeguard assessments, including the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF);
• Review the UNDP SES Toolkit for developing safeguards and planning instruments, available at this link. Draft table of contents for national SESA.
• Review national policies, strategies, and legal frameworks related to forestry, land use, biodiversity, agriculture, infrastructure, mining, and energy;
• Review private sector practices, including export-oriented production systems and value chains impacting PFLs;
• Assess existing regulatory instruments (e.g., quotas, zoning, licensing, concessions) and their effectiveness in managing pressures on PFLs;
• Prepare a desk review report summarizing findings and priority issues to present to UNDP and DoF for validation.

Output: Desk Review Report on policy, regulatory, and sectoral context, including presentation to UNDP and Department of Forestry (DoF); draft Table of Contents for National SESA.

Task 2 – Stakeholder Consultation and National Workshop

Support and participate in a national-level stakeholder consultation workshop to validate findings and refine the scope of the SESA.

• Prepare consultation materials summarizing key findings from the desk review;
• Support UNDP in identifying and engaging relevant stakeholders across sectors (government, private sector, civil society);
• Participate in and contribute to the facilitation of the national workshop;
• Document stakeholder inputs, including key concerns, risks, and priorities related to PFL integration;
• Identify key policy gaps, inconsistencies, and opportunities for strengthening PFL integration;
• Refine analytical focus and priority themes for the SESA based on consultation outcomes.

Output: Stakeholder Consultation Summary Report and updated draft of SESA.

Task 3 – Development of Policy-Level Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA)

Develop a policy-level Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) to assess upstream environmental and social risks and opportunities associated with mainstreaming PFLs.

• Identify and analyze key environmental and social issues related to PFL integration, including:
• • Economic displacement and impacts on livelihoods;
  • Impacts on customary land and resource rights;
  • Biodiversity and ecosystem service trade-offs;
• Analyze trends and drivers of environmental and social change, including cumulative and indirect impacts;

Assess potential impacts of policy reforms, planning decisions, and sectoral development pathways on PFLs;

• Develop a SESA Action Matrix including:
• • Priority risks and impacts;
  • Recommended mitigation and enhancement measures;
  • Legal, institutional, and policy recommendations;
• Provide recommendations for strengthening governance frameworks and safeguards;
• Present draft SESA findings to UNDP and DoF for validation.

Output: Draft Policy-Level SESA Report and Action Matrix, with presentation. Methodology for Annamite IMS SESA.

Task 4 – Contribution to Annamite Integrated Management Strategy (IMS) Workshop

Support the development of the Integrated Management Strategy (IMS) for the Annamite Mountain Range through participation in a dedicated strategy workshop and development of a landscape-specific SESA. The consultant will attend the workshop (held in Savannakhet) and should plan to deliver a presentation in the workshop, which will be organized by DoF. See Section VII.

· Prepare inputs summarizing key SESA findings relevant to the Annamite landscape;

· Participate in and contribute technical inputs to the IMS workshop;

· Provide guidance on integrating environmental and social considerations into the IMS;

· Support identification of strategic priorities, trade-offs, and coordination mechanisms across sectors and governance levels;

· Document workshop outcomes relevant to SESA and IMS development.

Output: Technical input to IMS workshop. Draft Annamite IMS SESA.

Task 5 – Development of Landscape-Specific (Annamite) SESA and Training Package

Develop a scoped, landscape-level SESA for the Annamite Mountain Range to inform the Integrated Management Strategy.

• Adapt the national SESA findings to the specific context of the Annamite landscape;
• Review relevant national policies, strategies, and legal frameworks in Vietnam related to forestry, land use, biodiversity, agriculture, infrastructure, mining, and energy;
• Identify location-specific environmental and social risks, including cumulative impacts across sectors;
• Analyze sectoral pressures and land-use dynamics within the landscape;
• Assess implications for local communities, including livelihoods, resource access, and vulnerability;
• Develop targeted mitigation and enhancement measures tailored to the landscape context;
• Provide recommendations for integrating SESA findings into the IMS, including:
• • Institutional roles and coordination mechanisms;
  • Policy and regulatory adjustments;
  • Monitoring and adaptive management approaches;
• Consolidate all findings into a final SESA report and inputs to the IMS.
• Develop training presentation in Lao (2) for national SESA and Annamite SESA.

Output: Final SESA Report (National + Annamite-specific) and recommendations. Delivery of two training presentations in Lao. Delivery of summary note in Lao.

Period of assignment/services: 40 working days

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