Legal analysis of key restoration policies from an equity perspective in Malawi
WRI intends to award a fixed price contract for the proposed equity legal analysis consultancy in Malawi, aimed at understanding how rights, responsibilities, benefits, and participation are defined and operationalized for diverse stakeholders. The expected outcomes of the analysis include an inception report and an equity analysis report providing findings and recommendations on how to integrate equity into restoration policies and programs in Malawi. Further, the consultant will examine coherence, alignment, and enforceability and practical application of GSE-related provisions across statutes, regulations, policies, and strategies The consultancy shall be implemented in 4 months beginning September and ending in December 2025.
Founded in 1982, The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. We work with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. WRI’s transformative ideas protect the earth and promote development because sustainability is essential to meeting human needs and fulfilling human aspirations in the future.
The overall objective of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive legal and policy review of Malawi’s forest and landscape restoration, frameworks, with a focus on understanding how rights, responsibilities, benefits, and participation are defined and operationalized for diverse stakeholders. The resulting evidence base will provide actionable insights for government and partners to refine restoration strategies, strengthen safeguards, and prepare for more inclusive and effective PES/OBF mechanisms and other emerging climate finance initiatives.
Specifically, the study will:
1. Map the legal and policy architecture of forest landscape restoration (FLR) in Malawi including key laws, regulations, policies, and institutional frameworks
2. Assess and synthesize evidence on the extent of integration of provisions related to gender and social equity (GSE), including access, control, and participation, benefit distribution, recognition of customary tenure and legal pluralism, and accountability or grievance mechanisms.
3. Examine coherence, alignment, and enforceability and practical application of GSE-related provisions across statutes, regulations, policies, and strategies,
World Resources Institute (WRI) expects the consultant to execute and complete the following tasks and outcomes:
1. Conduct a desk-based legal and policy review of Malawi’s frameworks related to forest and landscape restoration
2. Apply an equity-focused analysis framework, examining:
3. Assess policy coherence, contradictions, and enforcement mechanisms, highlighting how these enable or constrain equitable restoration outcomes.
4. Synthesize evidence on the practice of gender and social equity in Malawi’s forest and landscape a restoration governance system.
5. Conduct a stakeholder validation workshop with national and other institutional stakeholders in Malawi to draw insights on practical application and use these insights to develop actionable recommendations for strengthening equity considerations in the country’s restoration and climate legal frameworks.
The consultant will provide:
The consultancy is expected to run from September – December 2025 with the following timeline:
The successful consultant will work with a budget ranging between $10,000 - $13,000, inclusive of everything. WRI expects the consultant to submit the financial proposal with full information on the budgeted items. An estimate of the number of days required to carry out the activities is to be provided by the vendors in their proposal and must be reflected in the estimate. However, once the budget has been validated, the payment of the service will be conditional on the delivery of the deliverables and not on the number of days worked. All expenses (equipment, vehicles, materials, supplies, consumables, means of communication, insurance, travel expenses, etc.) necessary for the performance of the service, including travel expenses, mission expenses, etc., are the sole responsibility of the vendor and must be quantified in the budget proposal.
Please note that WRI is a United States IRS-registered 501(c)3, tax-exempt organization. WRI is not VAT exempt. All prices or quotes should include VAT and tax, as applicable.
The selected vendor will be able to demonstrate capacity in similar work, particularly:
Prospective consultants should submit the following complete documents to the address listed below
All expressions of interest and questions about this RFP must be received via email to the contact below by 10 September 2025 at 11:59 PM (CAT). For all questions and queries relating to the consultancy, send them to Mercy Mulanga (Mercy.Mulanga@wri.org) or Spencer Ng’oma (spencer.ngoma@wri.org). The responses to the questions and queries will be shared with all parties who have asked questions or otherwise expressed interest. All proposals must be sent by 10 September 2025 at 11:59 PM (CAT) in electronic format to Mercy Mulanga (Mercy.Mulanga@wri.org), with a copy to Spencer Ng’oma (spencer.ngoma@wri.org) and Edwin Mkabane (Edwin.Mkabane@wri.org).
The following elements will be the primary considerations in evaluating all proposals submitted in response to this RFP: Completion of all required elements.
The bidder offering the best overall value will be selected. Nevertheless, for this procurement, non-price aspects (technical competence and experience to deliver on this assignment) are particularly important. Proposal content and grading will consider these aspects and shall be evaluated using the weighted mechanism of 70% technical proposal and 30% financial proposal
No proposal development costs shall be charged to WRI / all expenses are to be borne by the bidders. WRI may award the bidder offering the best value without discussion. However, WRI reserves the right to seek bidder clarifications and to negotiate with those bidders deemed to be within a competitive range.
WRI may, at its discretion and without explanation to the prospective vendors/organizations/consultants, etc., choose to discontinue this RFP without obligation to such prospective vendors/organizations/consultants, etc., or make multiple awards under this RFP. Contracts will not be awarded to vendors/organizations/consultants, etc., debarred by the US government or named on restricted parties lists.