Request for Proposals (RFP)

Request for Proposals: Field Protocol Development for Indicators of Boreal Forest Integrity
Organization: WWF-Canada
Location: Any individual or organization in Canada may apply. Work on the project defined in the RFP will be completed remotely from the applicant's usual place of work.

Reference No: WWF-C – KS250409
Date Posted: April 09, 2025

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION – Field Protocol Development for Indicators of Boreal Forest Integrity

INTRODUCTION: THE PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ)

World Wildlife Fund Canada (hereinafter referred to as “WWF-Canada”) invites qualified firms and individuals to submit quotations for the development of a field protocol to measure a set of indicators of boreal forest integrity, including research to identify suitable indicators.

Canada’s boreal forest contains some of the highest proportions of intact primary forest remaining on Earth, although these are shrinking and may be degraded from the impacts of resource extraction (logging, oil and gas, mining), fragmentation (by road development), and effects of global climate change (i.e. increase in fire frequency and insect outbreaks). Canada does not have a national definition or set of indicators to measure forest degradation, although the Canadian government is preparing a definition and indicators, in part as a response to the European Union Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR). Under the EUDR, companies that sell products to the EU market must prove that their products do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation.

Similarly, there is no agreed upon definition or set of indicators to identify primary forests in Canada, but primary forests are assumed to have high ecological integrity, host high biodiversity, and store large amounts of carbon.

WWF-Canada is undertaking a project aimed at identifying and demonstrating the use of a credible set of boreal forest integrity indicators that can be applied towards forest degradation and primary forest research and monitoring. Through this work, WWF-Canada also hopes to better understand the linkages between forest degradation and primary forests.

Ultimately, WWF-Canada would like to:

• Identify candidate degraded forests for restoration. This will help advance WWF-Canada’s goal of restoring one million hectares by 2030, and help Canada meet its commitments under the Bonn Challenge pledge and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to bring degraded and deforested landscapes into restoration.
• Identify the causes of degradation, allowing for future work to identify, apply and test mitigation measures to prevent it. This will help advance WWF-Canada’s goal of stewarding 100 million hectares by 2030 via enhancing sustainable practices, thereby reducing industrial stressors and habitat destruction.
• Identify areas of high ecological integrity that may be suitable for enhanced conservation and stewardship, and that could help to advance Canada’s international conservation commitments.

BACKGROUND ON WWF-CANADA

Founded in 1967, WWF-Canada is the country’s largest international conservation organization, with the active support of hundreds of thousands of Canadians. WWF-Canada is part of the WWF global network, working in 100 countries worldwide and is committed to building a world where people and nature thrive.

WWF-Canada is halfway through a 10-year strategic plan that draws upon scientific analysis and Indigenous guidance working toward three ambitious goals designed to recover wildlife, fight climate change and get our future back on track:

• Restore at least one million hectares, regenerating lost complex ecosystems that provide essential wildlife habitat and capture carbon in nature.
• Steward or protect at least 100 million hectares of vital ecosystems for wildlife and communities.
• Reduce carbon emissions by 30 million tonnes by supporting and implementing innovative nature-based solutions in carbon-rich habitats.

WWF-Canada will achieve these goals by:

• Leading and contributing to ground-breaking projects and analysis to ensure the right actions are taken in the right places, driving the most powerful conservation outcomes.
• Supporting Indigenous-led conservation.
• Leveraging and advocating for nature-based climate solutions that have strong co-benefits for wildlife.
• Working with industry, businesses and governments to reduce impacts on wildlife and habitat.
• Engaging individuals and communities to take measurable actions for nature.

For more information about our work please visit https://wwf.ca.

SERVICE AND CONTRACTOR’S REQUIREMENTS

The scope of this consultancy is as follows:

1) Literature Review: Complete a review of the existing research and other published materials to identify and describe boreal forest integrity indicators1, with a focus on:
a. Indicators of forest degradation.
b. Indicators of primary forests.

Indicators in the review will be organized and cross-referenced according to categories in tabular format and will include information on how indicators were measured (e.g. temporal/spatial scale, resolution, units of measure, etc.) and how they were used where relevant (e.g. by government, industry, certification standard, First Nation, etc.), as well as (but not limited to):

a. Indicators that were confidently measured using remote sensing data
b. Indicators that were measured using remote sensing data, but that require field verification
c. Indicators that were measured in the field
d. Indicators that were confidently measured using publicly available datasets (e.g. road layers, human footprint layers)
e. Indicators that are currently being consistently measured (and at what scale)
f. Indicators that are not currently being consistently measured
g. Indicators that directly measured a value of interest
h. Indicators that indirectly measured a value of interest
i. Other relevant or emerging indicators

WWF-Canada welcomes input from the Contractor regarding the organization, classification, and presentation of indicators as part of Deliverable 1A (see Table 1 below).

2) Indicator Comparative Analysis: Develop a framework to assess the relevance, applicability, and strength of the identified indicators2 in the Canadian boreal forest context, and apply the framework to conduct a comparative analysis of indicators. Include in the framework the benefits, limitations, and challenges associated with each indicator. Identify and describe any gaps or areas of potential improvement in existing indicators in relation to the project.

3) Recommended Indicators: Propose a set of indicators based on the findings of the research and comparative analysis. Each proposed indicator will include a detailed description of measurement methods in consideration of best practices identified in the literature, proposed modifications to existing methods, and/or the need for the development of new, tailored protocols. Indicator measurement descriptions should include, at minimum, recommended scale, units, data sources, and skillset(s) required to complete measurement. The contractor will also identify which of the proposed indicators require field verification, forming the basis for deliverable 4.

1. See page 9 of “Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management at the Forest Management Unit Level” (France, 2000) for relevant definitions of indicators in the Canadian forest context: https://efi.int/sites/default/files/files/publication-bank/2018/proc38_net.pdf
2. See page 18-20 of “Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management at the Forest Management Unit Level” (France, 2000) for a useful framework of indicator quality: https://efi.int/sites/default/files/files/publication-bank/2018/proc38_net.pdf

4) Research Methods and Field Sampling Design: Prepare a detailed, scientifically defensible data collection protocol with a specific focus on field sampling needs for the 2026 field season for the boreal forest of Ontario, Canada. This will include methodologies, calculations, baselines, reporting mechanisms, and verification processes. Within the methodology, focus will be given to field sampling timelines, sampling design (including rate and frequency), site-level procedures, equipment required, and analysis needs (including if additional work is required by a specialized laboratory). The exact sites of the field work will be determined by WWF-Canada at a later date.

WWF-Canada will seek direction from the contractor to refine the scope of this project. WWF Canada is open to considering this project as part of a larger research initiative to avoid duplication and advance thinking in forest degradation.

DELIVERABLES

The contractor will be responsible for completing the deliverables provided in Table 1 in a manner satisfactory to WWF-Canada. All deliverables will need to be completed on or before 31 October 2025, unless otherwise extended by WWF-Canada in writing.

The contractor will be given reasonable access to all relevant existing project materials (e.g. existing literature review regarding primary forest definitions). The contractor will work closely with WWF-Canada’s designated project staff who will provide written feedback on each draft deliverable within three weeks of submission to WWF-Canada. WWF-Canada may invite external review of deliverables when in draft form (e.g. from governments, environmental non-government organizations, academic experts) and would be responsible for coordinating this review process. Periodic calls between the contractor and WWF-Canada are expected throughout the project to ensure project deliverables are meeting the needs of WWF-Canada (approximately 6-8 calls in total).

Table 1. Project deliverables.

Serial # Deliverables - The contractor will submit the following for WWF-Canada feedback:

1 – Literature Review
1A Draft report outline, including a proposed classification framework for indicators
1B Draft full report
1C Final fully referenced report

2 – Indicator Comparative Analysis
2A Draft analysis framework and proposed methodology, with 2-3 sample indicators
2B Final referenced report including full comparative analysis and identification of indicator gaps/improvements

3 – Recommended Indicators
3A Draft report
3B Final report of indicators and measurement methods, including identifying indicators requiring in-field measurement

4 – Research Methods and Field Sampling Design
4A Detailed (annotated) report outline
4B Draft full report
4C Final full report of data collection protocol for indicators requiring in-field measurement

CONTRACTOR’S QUALIFICATIONS

The required qualifications for the contractor include:

1) Strong scientific background in forest ecology.
2) Excellent writing and communication skills in English.
3) Experience planning and executing field-based research in boreal forests.

FORM AND CONTENT OF SUBMISSION

Quotations should be structured to include the following information:

• Executive Summary
• Provide a description of yourself/ your firm including, inter alia, the following:
  • Total number of staff/employees who will be working on the project along with their experience and qualifications. Please also explain about your practice in changing team member(s) if needed.
  • Relevant work that demonstrates knowledge and experience with:
• Literature reviews and cross-jurisdictional scans
• The use of indicators for monitoring and reporting
• Development and use of analysis frameworks
• The development of field sampling protocols for the Canadian boreal.
• Summary of the proposed approach along with timelines to undertake this project and perform all deliverables on or before the project completion date i.e. 31 October 2025.
• Proposed fixed fee structure along with a break down including administrative expenses, staff time etc.

BUDGET

The maximum budget allocated by WWF-Canada for completion of this project is $50,000 (Canadian Dollars fifty thousand only) which shall be inclusive of all applicable taxes.

The successful contractor shall be paid the agreed service fee in the following manner:

• 20% of the total service fee payable upon submission of the literature review (Deliverable 1);
• 20% of the total service fee payable upon submission of the comparison and analysis of indicators (Deliverable 2);
• 20% of the total service fee payable upon submission of the proposed set of boreal forest integrity indicators (Deliverable 3);
• 40% of the total service fee payable upon completion of the research methods and field sampling design (Deliverable 4).

The payment terms mentioned above may be revised if agreed by WWF-Canada in writing.

DURATION

This project shall commence on the 15 May 2025 and all the deliverables must be completed and submitted to WWF-Canada on or before end on 31 October 2025, unless otherwise extended by
WWF-Canada in writing.

Activity — Description — Due Date

• Publishing this RFQ — The RFQ will be sent to individual(s)/firm(s) to solicit their quotations and supporting documents. — 9 April 2025
• Questions on this RFQ — All individuals/firms would be required to put forward any questions that they may have in connection with this RFQ. — 18 April 2025
• Response to Questions — WWF-Canada will respond to the queries/request for clarifications. — 25 April 2025
• Submission of Quotations — All interested individuals/firms will be required to email their respective applications to Sarah Ratcliffe at sratcliffe@wwfcanada.org — 2 May 2025
• Award of Contract — After selection of the contractor, a contract for services will be signed off between WWF-Canada and the selected contractor. — 14 May 2025
• Project Commencement — The contractor would be required to start working on the project in accordance with the contract for services. — 15 May, 2025

SELECTION CRITERIA

WWF-Canada’s evaluation criteria will include, but not be limited to, rating your responses to the information requested above under ‘Form and Content of Submission’. Additionally, the following metrics will also be taken into consideration:

• The experience of the contractor and relevant team.
• The performance and suitability during the RFQ process and the organizational fit.
• Ability to meet deadlines and re-work on the deliverables in case of any suggestions from WWF-Canada.
• Value for the service fee proposed to WWF-Canada.
• The mandatory requirement for participants to allow for the perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free license/ownership and distribution rights over the deliverables and any intellectual property rights arising in connection to this project without any additional monetary claims over the same in the future.

The award will be subject to an approval by WWF-Canada’s conservation department’s senior management team and execution of the contract of services.

Notwithstanding to anything contained in this RFQ, WWF-Canada reserves the unrestricted right to cancel this RFQ process at any time where WWF-Canada solely determines that it would be in the best interest of WWF-Canada not to award an Agreement. WWF-Canada may also amend this RFQ process or issue a new RFQ at any time for the same deliverables or similar requirements.

Thank you for your willingness to participate in the RFQ process.

______________________
Mary MacDonald
Senior Vice President & Chief Conservation Officer

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