The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Cameroon is recruiting a consultant to draw up a business plan for an artisanal wood processing project in three community forests located in the Moloundou Arrondissement of the East
Region

Want to make a positive difference to the future of people and our one shared home the
Earth? Working with WWF could be the opportunity of a lifetime:
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realization that nature is our life-support system. Nobody will be spared from the impacts of its
loss. Here at WWF, we are helping to tackle this enormous global challenge.
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What we do:
We are an independent conservation organization, striving to sustain the natural world for the
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government, we are part of a growing coalition calling on world leaders to set nature on the
path to recovery by 2030. Together, we seek to protect and restore natural habitats, stop the
mass extinction of wildlife, and make the way we produce and consume sustainably.
We are looking for a Consultant to draw up a business plan for a wood processing project in
the ADILEM, ACODELIMIT and ACODENDO community forests in the Moloundou
Arrondissement in the East Cameroon Region.
1. Context and justification
With biodiversity collapsing worldwide, local communities living close to threatened
ecosystems are becoming increasingly vulnerable. To guarantee the effectiveness and
improve the social acceptability of conservation programmes, it is important to involve these
communities in the measures put in place, so that they can derive socio-economic benefits
through access to natural resources or the maintenance of ecosystem services. This is only
possible if programmes are put in place to support local communities in preserving forest
resources, promoting sustainable economic activities and strengthening the voice of civil
society in decision-making on natural resources.
In Cameroon, a community forest is a portion of forest over which the State grants usage rights
to a village community that requests them. This forest, which continues to belong to the State,
is managed by the village community concerned, with technical assistance from the forestry
administration.
This forest is a key tool for the participative management of natural forest resources. However,
their operation is often poor, due to a lack of structure and training for the citizen-management
groups. By default, the exploitation of these forests is often negotiated between the
communities and has therefore been entrusted to private players, and the financial amounts
redistributed to ensure efficiency are low.
Through the ‘Integrated Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystems by Local Communities
(CIBEL)’ project, WWF aims to establish inclusive and sustainable protection systems for
natural environments and biodiversity in Madagascar and the Congo Basin, for the benefit of
the environment and local populations. More specifically, the project aims to: preserve and
restore the natural forest heritage in the intervention zones through technical and scientific
measures; strengthen adaptation to risks and develop resources from local ecosystems for
indigenous populations and local communities; and ensure the establishment of inclusive local
governance over biodiversity, the protection and exploitation of natural resources.
In Cameroon, the project will support communities in the responsible management of three
(03) community forests (ADILEM, ACODELIMIT and ADENDO) located in the Moloundou
district. These management communities will receive multi-faceted support, including the
drafting of simple management plans, capacity-building and the provision of a mobile saw for
small-scale timber processing in the first three (03) five-year blocks, to meet the demand for
local timber. To this end, a number of studies have already been carried out, including a socioeconomic study and a logging inventory for the three five-year blocks.
With a view to structuring and ensuring the viability of the project, convincing potential partners
and managing the community enterprise, WWF is looking for an expert to draw up a business
plan and produce a simplified management manual for a community enterprise, covering a
small-scale wood processing project in three community forests.
2. Objectives of the service
The general objective of this consultation is to draw up a business plan with a management
manual and a guide document for the processing and marketing of timber from the three (03)
five-year blocks of community forests: ADILEM, ACODELIMIT and ADENDO.
More specifically, this will involve:
- Defining the vision and objectives of the community enterprise.
- Analyzing the market.
- Develop a commercial strategy.
- Defining the organizational structure.
- Drawing up an operational plan.
- Draw up a financial plan.
- Drawing up a business plan and simplified management manual.
3. Expected results
The methodology will be developed by the Consultant. The participatory methodological
approach is to be encouraged, as it gives an important place to the involvement of the various
stakeholders. To this end, the methodology will clearly indicate how the Consultant intends to
carry out the assignment. It will include a detailed timetable and the implementation approach.
The assignment must include the following stages to ensure that it runs smoothly:- Preparation and framing of the study: briefing with the CIBEL project managers.
- Documentary research on artisanal timber processing and the timber market in the
project area. WWF will also make available the reports of the studies carried out in the
3 CFs, i.e. the socio-economic study reports and the logging inventory reports.
- A field mission to the project area to meet and conduct interviews with project
managers, beneficiaries and stakeholders.
- Analysis, synthesis and drafting of the business plan and its annexes.
4. Start date and duration of the consultation
Activities will start on March 10, 2025 for 45 days .
5. Consultant profile
The Consultant must have the following qualifications:
- At least a BAC+5 degree in economics, forestry, agro-economics, management or any
other similar discipline.
- Agroeconomics, Management or any other similar discipline.
- Have an excellent command of spoken and written French or English.
- Have carried out similar studies in the past.
- Good experience of working with the International Labour Office
- Have a good knowledge of the private sector.
6. Delivrables
At the end of the assignment, the three CFs will have two deliverables, namely:
a. A business plan based on the following 3 parts
- Part 1: presentation of the project, the market and the strategy,
- Part 2: presentation of the project leader, the team and the structure,
- Part 3: financial forecasts.
b. A simplified company management manual
7. Applications file composition
The application file (in PDF format) must be submitted in French or English and must include.
a. A technical offer including
- A duly signed letter of submission addressed to the National Director of WWF
Cameroon
- A note explaining the terms of reference
- A methodological proposal
- A timetable of activities
- The Consultant’s CV
- A completed and signed declaration of integrity to be requested from the following
address: recruit-cam@wwfcam.org
b. A detailed financial offer, including all tax charges relating to your schemec. A complete administrative file (bank account certificate, copy of the NIC of the person in
charge of the structure, certificate of compliance, trade register if applicable)
Tender evaluation criteria
8. Contractualization
Written contract incorporating the content of the TDRs and clarifying the terms of payment.
Suggested payment schedule:
- On signature: 60%
- After validation Deliverable: 40%
How to apply
Interested candidates should send their complete applications in english or french by e-mail to
recruit-cam@wwfcam.org. Please indicate in the subject line « « Consultation – business
plan ».
Application deadline: March 1, 2025.
Thank you in advance for your interest in this service. Please note that only shortlisted
candidates will be contacted for further consideration.
WWF is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to a diverse workforce.
diverse workforce.
Eligible proposals will be evaluated on the basis of full and open competition, in strict open
competition, in strict compliance with the combined score method, where the proposed technical
proposal will be weighted at 80%, and combined with the price offer, which will be weighted at
20%.
Technical proposal 80 %
Cover letter 15 marks
Experience 25 marks
Description of how the service will be provided 25 marks
Timetable for carrying out the service 15 marks
Financial proposal 20 %