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Deadline: 19/05/2025
Terms of Reference
Sabah and Southern Central Forest Spine (SCFS) Landscape Programmes: 2026 – 2030 Theory of Change Development
About Earthworm Foundation
Earthworm Foundation (EF) is a Swiss-based not-for-profit organisation with a presence in 20 countries worldwide, including Malaysia. EF, formerly known as The Forest Trust (TFT), has over 20 years of experience working in commodity supply chains to foster solutions on the ground that work for people and nature. EF acts as a bridge to foster collaboration between supply chain actors and to connect businesses with the smallholders they are sourcing from. EF strive towards a global society that respects itself and the needs of nature.
Landscape Background
With the aim to secure a future for forests and the people who live and work in and around them, there is a need for a collective action work on the ground. EF has been adopting the Landscape approach as a means to address complex environmental and social challenges in Malaysia. This approach brings together actors in the supply chain such as local communities, governments, and companies rather than individual farms or suppliers, to collaborate on sustainable land-use planning. By considering the broader landscape, it aims to protect ecosystems, improve livelihoods, and build resilient supply chains that benefit both people and nature.
EF is actively working on two key Landscape programmes in Malaysia: the Sabah Landscape and the Southern Central Forest Spine (SCFS) Landscape.Both programmes aim to balance economic development with environmental conservation and community well-being within the palm oil supply chain.
EF has been working in Sabah since 2011, engaging oil palm farmers, mills and plantations to address issues like smallholder resilience, biodiversity conservation and workers' welfare. In 2021, this work transitioned to a Landscape programme. The goal of the Sabah Landscape Programme is to harmonise sustainable economic development, forest conservation, decent working opportunities and community livelihoods, anchored in a farmer-centric landscape model. The Landscape area encompasses the Beluran, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Telupid and Tongod districts.
Meanwhile, EF started our work in the SCFS Landscape in 2021. The program seeks to demonstrate how sustainable economic development can coexist with forest conservation, decent work opportunities, and resilient community livelihoods through collective action. The SCFS stands out as a key player in Malaysia's palm oil industry while simultaneously showcasing the pressing need for sustainable practices to preserve both its ecological and social integrity.
The current five-year strategy (2021–2025) for both the Sabah and Southern Central Forest Spine (SCFS) Landscapes is set to conclude in 2025 and we are in the process of transitioning to the next phase (2026-2030). Hence, we are seeking proposals from qualified consultants or organisations to support the development of the Theory of Change (ToC) for the next phase of programmes.
The selected consultant will play a key role in developing the ToCs for the overall programme and three key thematic areas for both Sabah and SCSF Landscape programmes based on our high-level strategic priorities. The ToCs will serve as the foundation for guiding our Landscape programmes in the next five years.
Purpose of the consultancy
We are looking for a consultant to work closely with our Landscape leadership and thematic teams to support the development of ToCs through workshops and meetings.
Scope of work (for each of the Sabah and SCFS Landscape Programmes)
The consultancy work will be based on but not limited to:
Deliverables (for each of the Sabah and SCFS Landscape programmes)
Timeframe:
The expected duration of the assignment is twenty-eight (28) working days spread over the period from June to August 2025.
Budget: RM25,000
Management and reporting:
The work, progress and deliverables of the consultant will be supervised by the Malaysia Landscape Field Lead. The engagement with key leaders in the landscape will be conducted online or in person, while the in-person one-day workshop and final presentation for each landscape will be conducted in Kuala Lumpur.
Application process:
Individual consultants and a team of consultants possessing the qualifications outlined below are invited to apply.
Required experience:
Extensive experience in the development of programme Monitoring and Evaluation plans and tools, e.g. ToC, lograme, workplan, etc.
Experience in programme design and methodological experience in relation to supply chain/landscape fields of work.
Demonstrated experience in facilitating the organisational and programme development of non-profit organisations.
Desired experience:
Understand the Landscape management approach.
Familiarity with supply chain, RSPO and MSPO, regenerative agriculture, forest, biodiversity and conservation efforts, CSO development, and migrant workers' rights and children in plantation work is an advantage.
Prospective candidates should send an application responding to the Terms of Reference to a.sahrani@earthworm.org with the subject “SCFS and Sabah Landscape TOC and Logframe Consultancy” by 19 May 2025.
Your application should include:
Expression of interest indicating your understanding of the assignment and relevant skills and experiences with strategy development, including the CV of all consultants involved.
Proposed methodology and related time frame. In case you are applying as a team of consultants, your methodological offer should also clarify the role of each member.
Financial proposal comprising a detailed quotation for the assignment, showing working days and expected fee and availability;
Example of the work completed previously that is related to the assignment.