A.    Expertise France

Expertise France is the public agency for the design and implementation of international technical Expertise France is the French public agency for international technical cooperation. It operates in four main thematic areas:

·       Democratic, economic and financial governance

·       Peace, stability and security

·       Climate, biodiversity and sustainable development

·       Health and human development

In the Caribbean, the agency implements regional programmes focused on climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and sustainable development. Notable initiatives include:

·       Euroclima Caribbean: Supporting green transition and biodiversity protection.

·       RESEMBID: Strengthening resilience, sustainable energy and marine biodiversity.

·       Green Overseas: Supporting energy transition and climate resilience in overseas territories.

The SARSEA, Sargassum regional strategies for ecosystem-based actions, project is implemented within this cooperation framework.

B.    Description of the SARSEA Project

The general objective of the SARSEA project is to minimize and limit the negative impacts of stranded sargassum on local economies, coastal communities and marine ecosystems.

To achieve this, the project comprises three main components and one cross-cutting gender outcome:

Component 1. Strengthening regional cooperation

This component aims to facilitate knowledge exchange and capitalization of experiences among public, private, scientific and community actors on:

·       prediction and monitoring of sargassum influxes,

·       collection and pre-treatment methods,

·       characterization, transport, storage,

·       valorization into sustainable products.

Component 2. Supporting operationalization in four Caribbean SIDS

Implemented in partnership with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, this component focuses on:

·       strengthening institutional and technical capacities,

·       developing early warning mechanisms,

·       equipping and training operational teams,

·       supporting private actors in structuring value chains,

·       launching a Call for Projects for business models in the four targeted countries.

Component 3. Strengthening regional scientific cooperation

Activities include:

·       a Collective Scientific Expertise led by Institute of Research and Development (IRD),

·       a Call for Research Projects for universities, laboratories and research hubs,

·       dissemination and communication of scientific evidence to decision-makers.

Cross-cutting outcome: Gender mainstreaming

Ensuring gender-responsive approaches in the management, operationalization and valorization of sargassum.

Main implementing partners include:

·       OECS Commission (public policy, governance, and technical capacity strengthening)

·       Private and public-private actors (via a Call for Projects)

·       Institute of Research and Development (IRD) and regional research centers (scientific knowledge generation)

1.    Overall Objective

SARSEA seeks to engage a consultant to undertake the baseline study for the SARSEA project, including the OECS grant component.

The purpose of this baseline study is to collect, verify and document baseline values for all indicators included in the SARSEA logframe before project implementation begins (the full list of indicators to be informed by the baseline is provided in Annex 1). This baseline analysis will provide a robust, comparable and comprehensive reference point for future monitoring, evaluation and learning activities.

2.    Specific Objectives

More specifically, the consultant will:

1.       Review SARSEA strategic and MEAL documentation (Logframe, Theory of Change, MEAL plan, Indicator Reference Sheets).

2.       Conduct national-level assessments in the four beneficiary countries: Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Commonwealth of Dominica.

3.       Collect, verify and triangulate quantitative and qualitative data through field missions, interviews and desk review.

4.       Collect qualitative testimonies, short case studies or stakeholder portraits that illustrate the current situation and help contextualise quantitative baseline values. These stories will support future communication, learning and comparison at mid-term and end-line.

5.       Establish baseline values for all indicators at national and regional levels following the definitions and methodologies specified in the Indicator Reference Sheets.

6.       Identify measurement constraints, risks and data gaps, and propose mitigation measures or methodological recommendations.

7.       Develop a structured and well-documented baseline indicator database compliant with Expertise France and AFD MEAL standards, including metadata and data quality notes.

In addition, the baseline study will also include the collection of non-indicator qualitative information to describe the prevailing conditions in the region and in each of the four beneficiary countries regarding Sargassum management and valorisation. This broader contextual information should help interpret the baseline values, refine indicator definitions where necessary and strengthen the overall MEAL framework.

The consultant must ensure that all baseline data are disaggregated, where relevant and feasible, by:

·       country or island,

·       sex (male, female),

·       and type of stakeholder (e.g. national public institutions, private sector firms, civil society organisations, local communities, academic or research stakeholders, media, etc.).

The consultant will be responsible for carrying out a comprehensive baseline study covering the four beneficiary countries, and region-level components. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following the tasks:

1.    Inception Phase

·       Review of project documentation:

o   Analyse all SARSEA project design documents and OECS grant documentation,

o   Review national-level strategies, policies, reports and research related to Sargassum management and coastal ecosystem governance,

o   Identify the availability, quality and gaps in existing secondary data.

·       Refinement of methodology and data-collection tools

·       Stakeholder mapping and engagement:

o   Map key national and regional stakeholders involved in Sargassum monitoring, collection, management, valorization, environmental protection, and disaster risk management,

o   Prepare stakeholder engagement plan for data collection,

o   Coordinate with national authorities and local partners to validate the data collection schedule.

·       Detailed workplan and schedule

·       Validation of the inception report by Expertise France and OECS

2.    Data Collection in the Four Countries

·       Field missions in the four beneficiary countries:

o   Conduct on-site visits to relevant ministries, agencies, coastal zones, community groups and operational sites,

o   Hold interviews and focus group discussions if relevant with public authorities, private sector actors, civil society organisations, academia and other stakeholders.

·       Review of national protocols, systems, and institutional capacities

·       Collect qualitative information describing the current status of Sargassum strandings, existing management and response systems, coordination mechanisms, valorisation initiatives, environmental, social and economic impacts.

·       Document how each Member State currently manages Sargassum operationally, institutionally and financially.

·       Identification of data limitations and country-specific challenges.

3.    Analysis and Baseline Establishment

·       Validate data accuracy through triangulation

·       Calculation and justification of indicator values

·       Comparative analysis across the four SIDS

·       Identification of common trends and regional gaps

4.    Reporting and Consolidation

·       Drafting of four national baseline reports

·       Consolidated regional analysis

·       Production of validated structured indicator database (Excel) including metadata, data sources, methods and data quality notes.

·       Presentation of findings to EF, OECS and AFD

The consultant will provide the following deliverables: