Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698833397191.pdf (Saint Kitts and Nevis)
Terms of Reference for a Consultant to Support the Development of an Operational Framework for Establishing the Caribbean Invasive Alien Species Trust Fund (CIASTF) 1.

Background Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are a main contributor to global biodiversity loss, with adverse impacts on overall ecosystem health, food security, and human health and well-being.
The cost of IAS to global economies is estimated to be over $1.4 trillion each year (Pimental et al, 2001) but the actual costs of impacts are expected to be considerably higher, since it is very difficult to quantify losses to biodiversity in monetary terms.
These costs disproportionately affect vulnerable communities in developing countries, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like the Caribbean, which depend on natural resources, healthy ecosystems, trade and tourism for their livelihoods.

Several regional projects have been involved in IAS management in the Caribbean.
The Mitigating the Threat of Invasive Alien Species in the Insular Caribbean (MTIASIC) project, which undertook Cost-Benefit Analyses (CBAs) on selected IAS, confirmed that donor or Government investment in IAS management made financial sense.

IAS management in the Caribbean must therefore be at a regional level with an emphasis on prevention; an approach that is also endorsed by various National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs).
This necessitates the establishment of a regional entity to develop and spearhead the initiative, along with a sustainable mechanism to provide the routine and consistent funds needed.

Gardier et al (2020)1, who undertook a consultancy to identify the most appropriate financing system, proposed the establishment of a trust fund as an efficient and cost-effective solution for managing IAS that are a common threat to multiple islands or the wider Caribbean.
Including this under an existing Caribbean-based trust fund is not an option, since none of these have regional coverage nor do they retain technical IAS experts.

More importantly, IAS management in the Caribbean poses a substantial challenge with global repercussions, warranting the development of a regional trust fund dedicated to the activity.

2.

CBF-CABI Partnership CABI established an office in Trinidad and Tobago in 1946.
Since then, its scientists have worked with local partners to improve people’s livelihoods in a region that is rich in natural resources but has significant social inequalities.
Agriculture (particularly commodity crops) remains 1 https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrJ7FbtNzNiWJUAr4FXNyoA;_ylu=Y29sbwNiZjEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZANQSFh TWUNUXzEEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1647552621/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fcaribbeaninvasives.org%2fwp- content%2fuploads%2f2021%2f04%2fSustainable-IAS-Trust-Fund-Final-Report-Submitted- 20201006.pdf/RK=2/RS=3rlfFWzI6WjYj42qEH_k6gqVWnQ- Page 1 of 4 economically important for the area.
The centre works across the whole of the Caribbean and Central America, carrying out work that is significant not just to the region, but globally.

Its focus has been on finding sustainable ways to manage crop pests and invasive species.

It is also working to conserve or enhance biodiversity in the local environment (the Caribbean’s exceptionally diverse ecosystems are home to many threatened species) and to support the commodity chains that flow from farmer to consumer.
To achieve this the centre researches and identifies agricultural pests and diseases, and works to mitigate the threats of invasive species.

Farmers are supported in their integrated pest management (IPM) choices, and encouraged to implement sustainable crop management and production strategies.

The centre also collaborates with Ministries of Agriculture in the region, and provides information to guide policy.
The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) is a regional environmental fund whose mission is to ensure continuous funding for conservation and sustainable development in the Caribbean.

Established in 2012 and with a flexible structure, the CBF was designed to accommodate the receipt, investment, distribution and monitoring of conservation funding throughout the region.
Currently, the CBF has two programs: (i) a Conservation Finance Program, anchored by a US$75 million endowment fund and (ii) a Climate Change Program, focused on Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), with a US$50 million sinking fund.

The CBF and its partner national conservation trust funds (NCTFs) together form the Caribbean Sustainable Finance Architecture, which works to develop and establish each of the funds as a source of reliable, long-term funding for conservation and sustainable development.
The EbA Facility sinking fund provides for larger grant funding to effect reduction to climate risks through the development of innovative approaches, and replication and scale-up of tested models.

The Architecture works throughout the Caribbean region at the national and regional levels, with a focus on supporting national systems of protected areas.
The infrastructure is already in place for the implementation of a successful CIAS TF: • The current project, “Preventing COSTS of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in Barbados and the OECS Countries” provides the ideal opportunity to introduce the concept of unified, systematic, science-based regional IAS management in the Caribbean supported by a trust fund.

The initiative, which would start in Barbados and the OECS, would eventually be expanded throughout the wider Caribbean.
• The long-standing Latin American and Caribbean Network of Environmental Funds (RedLAC) has been successfully providing support for trust fund capacity building and networking in the region.
RedLAC was involved in the development of Practice Standards for structuring and executing Conservation Trust Funds, so clear guidance on the design, management, and monitoring and evaluation of a successful trust fund is readily available • The 2012 Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF), a result of the regional-government-led Caribbean Challenge Initiative, is an umbrella fund and strong proponent of the Trust Fund Practice Standards.
The CBF was designed taking into account the CTFs Practice Standards and in turn, the CBF has supported (using the Practice Standards as a guide) the establishment of National Conservation Trust Funds (NCTFs) in twelve insular Caribbean countries.

Currently, the CBF manages about US$125 million through two financial instruments, an endowment and a sinking fund, which respectively anchor its Conservation Finance and the Climate Change Programs.
• CBF is currently developing a third instrument focused on the circular economy and is also engaged with the Caribbean Biodiversity Corridor (also supported by UNEP) in analysing the feasibility of a Trust Fund for the CBC.
Page 2 of 4 Given the enabling conditions described above, a CIAS TF under the CBF umbrella is therefore a viable and cost-effective option as the CBF is already set-up, which would reduce establishment costs, and has a flexible structure that can accommodate the CIAS TF and other financial instruments that can be developed in parallel or in the future.

3.
3.

Objectives The proposed scope of the Caribbean Invasive Alien Species Trust Fund (CIASTF) is to sustainably fund strategic actions in the Caribbean to prevent, detect and eradicate early, new Invasive Alien Species while managing existing species that threaten our biodiversity and livelihoods.

The consultant will develop an operational framework for establishing the CIASTF that is compatible with the legal and administrative structures of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund.
This includes the following activities: a.

Support CABI and the CBF to establish a steering committee to obtain the necessary approval of the above framework and obtain political endorsement and agreement by Caribbean Member States with an initial focus on Barbados and the OECS countries to be a party to the CIASTF b.
Develop a CIASTF profile approved by the Steering Committee for marketing and fund raising to potential donors inclusive of CABI’s and CBF’s donor conferences c. Develop a detail Action Plan for the start-up of the trust fund 4.

Services and Deliverables The consultant will, under the guidance of a CABI manager, provide the following: 1.
Develop the operational framework for the CIASTF as a dedicated fund for managing invasive species in the Caribbean that is consistent with international best practices and can be easily be managed under the CBF financial umbrella.

i.

Deliverable(s): Report for outlining the legal structures of the CIAS management structure and standard operating procedures for making the CIASTF fully functional.

2.
2.

Conduct a stakeholder analysis to inform the establishment of a dynamic steering committed involving initially Barbados and the OECS countries to oversee the establishment and operationalization of the CIASTF i. Deliverables: Report on the stakeholder analysis with possible stakeholder endorsement/commitment to participate in the CIASTF 3.

Develop a winning marketing strategy to ensure the sufficient donor commitment are obtained to establish the fund within a year.

i.
i.

Deliverable: a winning marketing campaign that identifies the targeted donors and strategic actions to get their agreement to pledging the initial startup funds Page 3 of 4 needed to operationalize the CIASTF 4.

Develop and operational Action Plan for the establishment of the CIASTF i.

Deliverable: Operational plan that provides detailed guidelines for all.

5.
Experience and competencies a) At least five years professional experience in strategic planning, management and/or conservation trust funds b) Demonstrated experience in working with Caribbean government, government partners, development partners and other stakeholders in public and private sector development programs; c) Experience in project management, policy development and programming-related work; d) Conducted a pre-feasibility Studies before e) Excellent leadership qualities and interpersonal skills f) Fluent in English g) Should be based in the Caribbean region 6.
Timing The entire assignment shall be completed no later than August 30th 2022.

7.
7.

Reporting The consultant will work closely with and report to CABI’s Regional Representative and IAS Coordinator based in the Trinidad and Tobago’s office with copy to the CBF Conservation Program Officer All deliverables, reports and related documents will be prepared in Word and PDF formats and submitted by email to Naitram Ramnanan at n.ramnanan@cabi.org and CBF Conservation Finance Program Officer at programofficer_cf@caribbeanbiodiversityfund.org 8.
Submission and deadline Expressions of interest including a detailed CV and technical/financial proposal should be submitted to n.ramnanan@cabi.org with copy to a.witt@cabi.org and programofficer_cf@caribbeanbiodiversityfund.org no later than 31st March 2022.

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