RFP from the Agencies/Individual Consultant/Researchers for preparation of Community Forest Management Plan for Climate Justice Program

Preparation of Community Forest Management Plans for Climate Justice Program of Badlao Foundation, Mihijam, Jharkhand

Introduction

Badlao Foundation was born out of a contextual necessity of people whose land was submerged in water due to construction of Maithon dam on Barakar river in early fifties in the state of Jharkhand. The displacement created huge problems of livelihood for the affected people and Badlao Foundation organised them to promote non-farm income generating activities like sericulture and got affiliated to Khadi and Village Industries Commission in 1984. Since then the organisation has continuously expanded its efforts to empower people for social transformation to achieve self-reliance and gender justice.

Badlao believes that for effective intervention it is imperative to build community based organisations which can undertake the task of development. Badlao foundation has extended its operations in six districts of Santhal Pargana region and recently expanded it intervention area to Gumla and Lohardaga districts. It has interventions in the sectors of agriculture development, health nutrition and sanitation, women empowerment and gender justice, education, forest rights and advocacy.

Background/Context

In the context of Jharkhand, Adivasi claims to rights and resources have been legitimised to some extent with national and local legal frameworks, which have been attempted to dilute and weaken in the interest of ease of doing business.  However, time and again, Adivasi community keep protesting against such moves. The Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006, is a move towards protecting the rights of the Adivasis and secure their tenancy on the forest land, which they have been managing traditionally.

Badlao Foundation have been ensuring the smooth implementation of FRA in the 3 districts of Jharkhand namely- Godda, Lohardaga and Gumla, Badlao Foundation. In all Badlao works across 35 villages in these 3 districts with a team of 12+ members.

Assignment of the TOR

Badlao Foundation under its mandate to facilitate the process of filing of Community Forest Rights in 35 villages across the 3 districts, proposes to develop Community Forest Management Plans for all these villages.

In all these villages, the Community Forest Management Committees have been formed and these committees have also been explained about their roles and responsibilities. They are conducting meetings at their village levels and are eager to participate in the process of preparation of the Community Forest Management Plans. The Agencies/Individual Consultant/Researchers is expected to develop the Community Forest Management plans initially for these 20 villages- 5 from Gumla, 5 from Lohardaga and 10 from Godda. The management beside reflecting on the generic processes and plans, emphasis need to be made on planning of activities for enhancing the livelihood opportunities for the community by use of the forest resources.

Outcomes of the assignment:

1. Participatory planning process at community level in 20 villages for documentation of resource inventory
2. 20 Community Forest Management Plans
3. Implementation plan for each of these Management Plans with clear roles and responsibilities of the members of Community Forest Management Committees
4. Develop a template for preparation of Community Forest Management Plan

Time line:

The assignment can start from 1^st September 2024 and can come to a closure by 1^st week of January 2025.