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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

Implemention Agency: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 

Execution Agency: WCS Mongolia/Operational Partner

Government partner: the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC)

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.

WCS Mongolia serves as the Operational Partner (OP) of the project responsible and accountable for the day-to-day management and implementation of activities, ensuring compliance with GEF and FAO fiduciary, technical, environmental, and social standards, as well as WCS’s internal operational procedures and policies. Under its role as OP, 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 objective of this consultancy is to identify and prioritize areas for ecosystem restoration within the target soums of the Khangai region. It will also propose practical restoration approaches for integration into land management plans and potential implementation of the project. Specifically, the consultancy will:

            1.         Identify and map priority areas within each target soum that:

• Have high biodiversity value
• Have high hydrological importance
• Are exposed to low, medium, or high levels of degradation

            2.         Propose restoration and rehabilitation approaches for priority areas that will:

• Improve biodiversity conservation
• Strengthen watershed protection
• Increase resilience to climate change
• Improve degraded pastureland
• Improve forest restoration

Priority areas will be identified using spatial analysis supported by available ecological, hydrological, and land-use data. The results of this consultancy will support restoration planning and integration into soum and aimag land management plans under the wider Khangai project.

V. SCOPE OF THE WORK

Using a High Conservation Value (HCV) approach, the consultant will identify and map areas of high biodiversity value and significant hydrological importance across the broader Khangai landscape, including Khangai Nuruu National Park and the surrounding landscapes of the project area. In parallel, the consultant will assess ecosystem degradation across the same broader landscape. Degradation will be classified as low, medium, or high based on indicators such as vegetation condition, soil erosion, forest condition, grazing pressure, and other human pressures.

The analysis will overlay mapped High Conservation Value areas with ecosystem degradation levels to identify areas where high biodiversity or hydrological importance coincides with ecosystem degradation. Based on this analysis, the consultant will prioritize ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation areas within the eight project target soums (Bat-Ulzii, Uyanga, Erdenetsogt, Galuut, Chuluut, Bulgan, Ikhtamir and Tsenkher).

The consultant will conduct spatial analysis and field validation to confirm priority restoration areas and propose practical restoration approaches suitable for integration into soum and aimag land management plans and potential implementation through project activities.

Task 1 – Data Review and Preparation

The consultant will conduct a desktop assessment of existing information relevant to ecosystem restoration in the Khangai region, using available spatial and ecological data. This will include available information on ecosystems, sustainable land management, biodiversity, watershed protection, and climate risks, as well as existing and planned restoration and other important landscape investment initiatives.

The consultant will compile and organize available spatial data and identify key information gaps relevant to the assessment. The review should consider the project restoration requirements and relevant Mongolian legal and policy frameworks related to land management and restoration.

Task 2 – Mapping Biodiversity, Hydrological Value and Degradation

Using available spatial data and expert interpretation, the consultant will map areas of high biodiversity value and high hydrological importance across the broader Khangai landscape, including Khangai Nuruu National Park and surrounding areas. The consultant will also assess ecosystem conditions across this landscape and classify areas according to levels of degradation (low, medium, or high), based on indicators such as vegetation condition, forest condition, soil erosion, grazing pressure, and human disturbance. Methods and data sources should be clearly described.

Task 3 – Identification of Priority Restoration Areas

Based on the spatial analysis, the consultant will identify priority areas for forest and rangeland rehabilitation within the 8 target soums. Priority areas should include locations with high biodiversity and/or hydrological value that are affected by degradation and where restoration activities could support both ecosystem recovery and local livelihoods. Priority areas should take into account existing and planned restoration actions under the project and related landscape investments where relevant. The final selected identification and prioritization of restoration areas will be conducted in consultation with the WCS project team and relevant technical experts to ensure alignment with project objectives, available data, and ongoing conservation and land management initiatives.

For each soum, the consultant will produce maps of priority restoration areas, estimate the approximate area, and provide a short justification for site selection.

Task 4 – Restoration Approaches and Pilot Areas

The consultant will propose restoration approaches suitable for the identified priority areas, focusing on practical nature-based solutions that support biodiversity conservation and watershed protection and contribute to climate resilience.

Recommendations should include suggested restoration models and potential pilot areas for forest and rangeland rehabilitation in each soum. Proposed approaches should be realistic and suitable for implementation in collaboration with local communities and stakeholders.

Task 5 – Field Validation and Consultation

Field visits will be conducted to validate the identified priority areas and restoration approaches. The consultant will consult with soum and aimag government staff, pasture and forest user groups, herder groups, and other relevant stakeholders. Consultations should consider gender balance and inclusion where possible.

Priority areas and restoration approaches will be refined based on field observations and consultations. The final priority restoration areas should be suitable for integration of integrated land management plans.

Task 6 – Baseline Description and Monitoring Approach

The consultant will develop practical and reliable approach describing measurable baseline conditions in selected restoration areas, and for monitoring restoration outcomes over time.

This will include a proposed methodology for baseline assessment and monitoring of forest and rangeland rehabilitation considering biodiversity and watershed conditions. The methodology will be discussed with the project team and refined as needed.

The consultant will conduct baseline field assessments in selected priority areas and provide a clear description of current ecosystem conditions to support future project monitoring and evaluation.

VI. DELIVERABLES

The consultant/consultant team is expected to deliver the following outputs:

Deliverable 1- Inception Report

The consultant will submit an inception report with the proposed work plan and methodology for the assignment. This report should include:

• Detailed work plan with timeline
• The approach for mapping biodiversity value, hydrological importance, and ecosystem degradation (Task 2).
• Planned methodology to identify the potential locations and geographies of forest and rangeland rehabilitation areas for further integration in aimag and soum level land management plans (Task 3).

Deliverable 2- Draft Assessment Report

Spatial prioritization: The consultant will submit a draft assessment report presenting the results of the spatial analysis (Task 2) and the preliminary identification of priority restoration areas (Task 3). The report should include:

• Summary of desktop review including gaps and challenges.
• Maps for each soum showing biodiversity values, hydrological importance, and levels of ecosystem degradation.

Preliminary restoration prioritization:

• Preliminary maps of priority areas for forest and rangeland rehabilitation, including a description of the methods, criteria and data used.
• Summary of consultations with the WCS project team on criteria, methods and data used to prioritize areas for forest and rangeland rehabilitation.
• Preliminary recommendations for restoration approaches and potential pilot areas suitable for implementation under the project.

Deliverable 3 – Field Validation and Baseline Report

Following field visits and stakeholder consultations, the consultant will submit a report summarizing field validation activities and consultation results. The report should include:

• Stakeholder Consultation Report on proposed locations and geographies of forest and rangeland rehabilitation considering biodiversity, watershed, wildlife corridors and connectivity by each soum – summarizing key inputs and feedback from engagement activities, submitted following completion of consultations.
• Preliminary report on forest and rangeland ecosystems baseline survey considering biodiversity, watershed, wildlife corridors and connectivity, and climate risk factors – incorporating feedback from project team.

Deliverable 4 – Final Report 

The final report will present the finalized assessment and restoration recommendations, incorporating comments from the project team. The report should include final maps of priority restoration areas for each soum, a description of proposed restoration approaches and potential pilot sites, and a clear summary of baseline conditions and monitoring approaches. The report should be suitable for use in restoration planning and for integration into soum and aimag land management plans. The final report must be submitted in both Mongolian and English. The final report should include:

• Maps of priority areas for forest and rangeland rehabilitation for each soum
• Recommendations for restoration approaches and potential pilot areas and business models suitable for implementation under the project
• Highlight of measurable indicators of restoration at baseline and for tracking over time.
• Highlight of measurable indicators of restoration at baseline and for tracking over time.  
• Annexes for priority forest and rangeland restoration areas, including ecological raw data collected during field validation, relevant GIS layers and shapefiles, and documentation from stakeholder consultations conducted in each soum

The exact timing of deliverables will be agreed upon in the Inception Report and must align with the overall duration of the assignment.

VII. REPORTING AND SUPERVISION

The consultant/consultant team will report to the WCS Mongolia Lead Technical Advisor and work closely with Rehabilitation and Biodiversity Expert and Senior Scientist and Khangai project team of WCS Mongolia. Regular progress meetings (virtual or in-person) will be scheduled as needed.

VIII. DURATION OF THE WORK

6-7 months between 1 Apr. and 30 Oct. 2026

IX. The consultant or team should meet following criteria:

1. Minimum 5 years of years’ experience in relevant fields (GIS and Remote Sensing, forest, rangeland, water, biodiversity and wildlife corridors)
2. Experience with GEF/FAO or other donor safeguard frameworks
3. Proven track record conducting environmental research in Khangai region, and working with government, communities, international partners and other stakeholders
4. Full compliance with Mongolian legal requirements (tax, registration, etc.)
5. Language requirements (English/Mongolian as applicable)
6. Payment schedule:

Deliverables	Payment %	Deadline
Inception Report	20%	20 April 2026
Draft Assessment Report	40%	30 June 2026
Field Validation and Baseline Report	20%	30 September 2026
Final Report	20%	30 October 2026

 

X. Submission details

Interested consultants or consultant teams are invited to submit a single PDF document containing:

1. Technical Proposal – outlining your understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, and CVs of key experts (Evaluation weight is 30%).
2. Financial Proposal – providing an itemized full budget (before tax with Mongolian currency), inclusive of all tax and fees, etc. personal income tax and social insurance  (Evaluation weight is 20%).
3. Profile/Legal Documents – including company registration (for firms) or proof of legal status (for individuals).
4. Examples of similar work conducted-including track record conducting environmental research in Khangai region, and working with government, communities, international partners and other stakeholders (Evaluation weight is 30%
5. References – at least two references from similar assignments with contact details (Evaluation weight is 20%).

All proposals must be submitted in English language electronically to WCS Mongolia by March 26 via email at procurementmongolia@wcs.org and please include the subject line: “Consultancy Proposal – Assessment on HCV & Ecosystem rehabilitation”

Only complete applications submitted by the deadline will be considered. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview or follow-up discussion.