I. WCS ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US non-profit, tax-exempt, private organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild places by understanding critical issues, crafting science-based solutions, and taking conservation actions that benefit nature and humanity.
With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 nations, and experience helping to establish over 150 protected areas across the globe, WCS has amassed the biological knowledge, cultural understanding, and partnerships to ensure that vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities.
Working with local communities and organizations, that knowledge is applied to address species, habitat, and ecosystem management issues critical to improving the quality of life of vulnerable rural people whose livelihoods depend on the direct use of natural resources.
II. WCS MONGOLIA PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Established in Ulaanbaatar in 2003, WCS Mongolia has dedicated over two decades to the conservation of Mongolia’s rich wildlife and expansive landscapes. The organization focuses on science-driven, landscape-level conservation, with key efforts in the Southern Gobi and Eastern Steppe, alongside initiatives in Central Mongolia.
At the national level, WCS Mongolia collaborates with government, community groups, civil society organizations, and the private sector to promote biodiversity preservation, landscape connectivity, and sustainable natural resource management. In 2024, WCS Mongolia launched a five-year strategy focused on three key pillars: enhancing ecological function, strengthening landscape connectivity, and building resilience to climate change. These pillars guide the organization’s work, with the overarching vision of ensuring Mongolia’s ecological integrity for future generations.
III. PROJECT BACKGROUND
Project title: Rehabilitating and conserving the mountain landscapes in the Khangai region of Mongolia for improved ecosystem services and community livelihoods
Implementation Agency: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Execution Agency: WCS Mongolia/Operational Partner
Government partner: the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC)
The GEF-funded project "Rehabilitating and conserving the mountain landscapes in the Khangai region of Mongolia for improved ecosystem services and community livelihoods" is implemented by the UN-Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and executed by WCS Mongolia as the Operational Partner, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) and other relevant government agencies. WCS Mongolia is responsible for the day-to-day management and technical implementation of the project, ensuring compliance with GEF and FAO fiduciary, technical, environmental, and social standards, as well as WCS’s internal operational procedures and policies.
The project aims to restore the ecological integrity of the Khangai mountain landscapes, enhance ecosystem services such as water and soil health, and strengthen community resilience through sustainable land management and climate adaptation. It also seeks to improve rural livelihoods while conserving biodiversity. More information can be found here.
In its role as the project’s Operational Partner, WCS Mongolia commissions consultancies and service providers to deliver specialized expertise, support technical implementation, and ensure that project outputs meet GEF, FAO, and WCS quality standards.
IV. OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The overall objective under Component 3 of the project is to assess and strengthen value chains in selected soums of the Khangai region (to be confirmed during the inception phase) to support CBNRM groups at improving community livelihoods and deliver global environmental benefits. Specific objectives are:
- Assess existing and potential value chains in sectors relevant to CBNRM (e.g., livestock, non-timber forest products, eco-tourism, sustainable agriculture) with a strong emphasis on environmental benefits such as biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, and land restoration.
- Prioritize value chains using the following criteria: environmental sustainability, contribution to household and wider community sustainable livelihoods, resilience to climate and economic shocks, market potential, local buy-in and social inclusion.
- Validate assessment findings through participatory workshops with local households, cooperatives, private sector actors, and local government, with technical and facilitation support from the WCS team.
- Develop upgrading strategies for selected value chains, which may include eco-tourism, livestock products, non-timber forest products, integrating gender-responsive and environmentally sustainable production approaches, with technical support from the WCS team.
V. SCOPE OF THE WORK
The consultancy firm/team will:
- Examine value chains developed by related projects--e.g. the UNDP/GEF-6 ENSURE project and the FAO/WWF/GEF-7 projects on arid zones-- and assess their relevance and possible application in the context of the Khangai Mountains project.
- Map existing value chains emerging from these projects, as well as other recent or ongoing initiatives where relevant, that demonstrate significant environmental benefits in priority sectors (e.g., livestock products, non-timber forest products, eco-tourism, sustainable commodities).
- Identify promising emerging or underdeveloped value chains with potential environmental and livelihood benefits in the Khangai Mountains context, where evidence and stakeholder interest support further consideration.
- Prioritize value chains using the following criteria: environmental sustainability, contribution to household and wider community sustainable livelihoods, resilience to climate and economic shocks, market potential, local buy-in and social inclusion.
- Co-organize and facilitate multi-stakeholder validation workshops with the WCS team in each target soums to present and discuss results from the value chain analysis and confirm market opportunities, constraints, and potential interventions engaging cooperatives, private sector actors, and local government representatives to review and refine value chain assessment findings. Ensure at least 50% female participation where feasible and documenting constraints where this is not possible.
- Develop upgrading strategies and Integrated Value Chain Development Plans for selected value chains with technical support from the WCS team, including eco-tourism capacity building, skills development, marketing, and access to finance. Upgrading strategies shall explicitly integrate gender-responsive approaches and identify environmental safeguards and measurable biodiversity, climate adaptation, or land restoration benefits associated with each selected value chain
- Assess gender roles, constraints, and opportunities within prioritized value chains and reflect these findings in the design of upgrading strategies and proposed interventions
- All data collection protocols from individuals during the assignment must receive Institutional Review Committee (ICR) approval from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), where appropriate, prior to collection and use. The consultant is responsible for ensuring that all data collection activities comply with WCS ethical review requirements and relevant national regulations.
VI. DELIVERABLES
The consultancy firm/team is expected to deliver the following outputs:
- Inception Report: Detailed methodology, work plan (including allocation of workdays across phases), stakeholder engagement strategy, and proposed analytical framework.
- Value Chain Assessment Report: A comprehensive report synthesizing lessons from past and ongoing initiatives (including UNDP/GEF-6 ENSURE and FAO/WWF/GEF-7 projects), mapping existing and potential value chains, and applying agreed prioritization criteria. The report shall include:
- Gender-responsive value chain analysis
- Value chain mapping and prioritization matrix
- Assessment of context-appropriate incentive mechanisms (e.g., PES, BONAT)
- Identification of environmental, climate resilience, and biodiversity benefits
- Preliminary development pathways for the top 3–5 prioritized value chains
- Workshop Reports: Documentation of multi-stakeholder validation workshops conducted in target soums, including participant lists (disaggregated by gender where feasible), key feedback, confirmed priorities, identified constraints, and any agreed adjustments to value chain selection or design.
- Upgrading Strategies Document: Detailed upgrading strategies and Integrated Value Chain Development Plans for selected priority value chains, including eco-tourism capacity development, skills enhancement, marketing, access to finance, gender-responsive actions, and environmental safeguards and outcomes at the local level.
- Dataset and Supporting Materials: Cleaned and organized datasets, including survey instruments, anonymized interview transcripts, and supporting analysis files, suitable for further analysis and reference, in compliance with WCS ethical review requirements.
- Final Consolidated Report: A final report integrating findings from the value chain assessment, validation workshops, and upgrading strategies, including clear recommendations for implementation under the Khangai Mountains project.
VII. REPORTING AND SUPERVISION
The consultant/firm will report to the WCS Mongolia Lead Technical Advisor and work closely with the Community Engagement and Natural Resource Governance Expert (covering GRM, Safeguards, and Gender) of WCS’s Khangai team (PMU). Regular progress meetings (virtual or in-person) will be scheduled as needed.
VIII. DURATION OF THE WORK
Estimated 40 working days over Feb 2026 to May 2026, including desktop and fieldwork, analysis, validation workshops, and reporting.
IX. THE CONSULTANCY FIRM/TEAM SHOULD MEET FOLLOWING CRITERIA
The consultancy firm/team is expected to have a mix of skills relevant to the assignment. The required background and experience for the consultancy team is as follows:
- Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in agriculture, environment and/or conservation science, social science, economics, businesses, and development studies.
- A combination of relevant academic background (bachelor’s degree or equivalent) and extensive relevant professional experience in a related area may be accepted in lieu of advanced university degree.
- Experience in mitigating land degradation and biodiversity conservation are strongly recommended as they are core to the project deliveries.
- Experience conducting comprehensive assessments in value chains, rural economic development, and market systems.
- Experience working and gathering data in the provinces of Mongolia.
- Strong analytical, facilitation, data interpretation and report writing skills.
- Previous work experience in Khangai Mountains context will be an asset.
X. PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
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Deliverables
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Payment %
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Inception report
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20%
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Value Chain Assessment Report
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25%
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Workshop Reports and Upgrading Strategies Document
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25%
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Final Consolidated Report including dataset and Supporting Materials
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30%
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XI. SUBMISSION DETAILS
Interested consultants or firms are invited to submit a single PDF document containing:
- Technical Proposal – outlining your understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, and CVs of key experts (or individual CV if applying as a single consultant).
- Financial Proposal – providing an itemized budget, inclusive of all applicable taxes and fees.
- Profile/Legal Documents – including company registration (for firms) or proof of legal status (for individuals).
- Examples of similar work conducted
- References – at least two references from similar assignments, including contact details.
All proposal must be submitted electronically to WCS Mongolia by 20 February 2026 via email at procurementmongolia@wcs.org and please include the subject line:“Consultancy for value chain assessment”
Only complete applications submitted by the deadline will be considered. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview or follow-up discussion.