Consultancy to Develop a Western Indian Ocean Regional 30x30 Strategy and Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit

Organization: International Union for Conservation of Nature Closing date: 6 Oct 2026 Consultancy to Develop a Western Indian Ocean Regional 30x30 Strategy and Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit Objective of the Consultancy The objective of this consultancy is to support IUCN and its partners to develop a practical, ambitious and action-oriented Western Indian Ocean (WIO) Regional 30x30 Strategy and Roadmap, identifying tangible and scalable pathways through which the region can accelerate progress towards conserving and effectively managing at least 30% of marine and coastal areas by 2030. With only four years remaining to achieve the 2030 target, the consultancy will build on the substantial work already undertaken through the Regenerative Seascapes for People, Climate and Nature (ReSea) project, including regional learning exchanges, national roadmaps and strategic discussions involving governments, local communities and key stakeholders from Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and Comoros. The consultant will review and capitalise on this existing work, assess lessons learned and progress to date, and propose concrete actions and mechanisms for accelerating implementation. The consultancy will assess a range of potential pathways towards 30x30, including Regenerative Marine Seascapes and, separately, Large Marine Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), as well as Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), community-based marine conservation, marine protected areas and other relevant approaches. The consultancy will also develop a practical and visually engaging Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit, building on lessons and experience from the ReSea project and the IUCN ESARO Coastal and Ocean Resilience Programme. Ultimately, the assignment should result in a practical package of strategy, roadmap, tools and tangible recommendations that can support governments, communities, IUCN and regional partners in accelerating meaningful progress towards 30x30 over the remaining years to 2030. About IUCN IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world's largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards. IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders—including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, Indigenous Peoples' organisations and others—can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development. About the Project In support of the establishment of sustainable, resilient and inclusive seascapes in the Western Indian Ocean, Mission Inclusion (Mi) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) implement the Regenerative Seascapes for People, Climate and Nature (ReSea) project in partnership with local feminist organisations in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and Comoros. The project is funded by Global Affairs Canada as part of the Partnering for Climate initiative. Its broader goal is to enhance the physical and socioeconomic resilience of coastal communities in these five countries by accelerating the uptake of Nature-based Solutions and gender-responsive conservation practices to protect, restore and sustainably manage marine and coastal ecosystems and unlock a regenerative blue economy. The ReSea project contributes to the Western Indian Ocean-led Great Blue Wall initiative by supporting the development of a network of sustainable, resilient and inclusive seascapes through a people-centred approach. The Great Blue Wall initiative is built around four key pillars that align with the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Climate Agreement. Blue Planet focuses on scaling and improving the management and governance of protected and conserved marine areas, with a strong emphasis on equity, gender-responsiveness and local stewardship. Blue Nature aims to restore and conserve critical ecosystems through gender-responsive Nature-based Solutions. Blue People promotes a regenerative and inclusive Blue Economy by empowering local communities, especially women and youth. Blue Partnerships is a cross-cutting pillar focusing on strengthening connectivity at all levels and across social, ecological, institutional and geographical dimensions. Within this broader context, the ReSea project contributes to the Great Blue Wall's ambition for transformative and inclusive ocean governance by strengthening regenerative seascapes, community-led marine governance and other effective and sustainable approaches to marine and coastal conservation. The project is generating practical experience, lessons and evidence across Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and Comoros on how conservation and sustainable management can be strengthened through integrated, people-centred and gender-responsive approaches. As the project moves towards its final phase, there is an important opportunity to capitalise on these experiences and translate them into practical pathways, tools and recommendations that can accelerate progress towards the 30x30 target and support the scaling and replication of regenerative seascapes across the Western Indian Ocean. Existing work on Regenerative Seascapes As part of this work, IUCN ESARO brought together government representatives, local communities and key stakeholders from Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and Comoros to learn from international experiences in the establishment and governance of marine seascapes. A regional learning exchange took place in Fiji in May 2025, followed by a second exchange in Indonesia in February 2026, undertaken in collaboration with Conservation International, which hosted the learning processes. The exchanges explored, among other experiences, the Lau Seascape in Fiji and the Bird's Head Seascape in Indonesia. Building on these learning exchanges, participating countries developed national roadmaps and a regional strategic framework to guide further engagement and action. Since then, some countries have made further progress and demonstrated interest in the establishment of marine seascapes, including Madagascar and Comoros. There is now a need to review and capitalise on the work undertaken to date, document lessons learned and identify practical and strategic pathways for moving from planning and learning towards implementation. Other pathways towards 30x30 Regenerative Seascapes are designed to deliver holistic outcomes across biodiversity conservation, sustainable livelihoods, climate resilience and inclusive ocean governance, contributing to multiple targets under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, as well as relevant Sustainable Development Goals and climate commitments. Within this broader contribution, Regenerative Seascapes have strong potential to support delivery of the 30x30 target. One potential pathway is through the formal recognition and reporting of qualifying areas as large-scale marine Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs). Further work is therefore needed to define practical pathways through which Regenerative Seascapes could be recognised as direct contributions to 30x30, including by drawing lessons from emerging experiences such as the Philippines' approach to reporting large-scale marine OECMs. International experience, including from the Philippines, provides important lessons on how networks of locally managed and conserved marine areas, supported by overarching governance and management arrangements, can create the conditions for recognition and reporting as large-scale marine OECMs and thereby contribute significantly to progress towards Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), commonly referred to as the 30x30 target. Building on these lessons, the consultancy will assess how Regenerative Seascapes could create the enabling conditions for such recognition in the WIO, including through strengthened ecological connectivity, coordinated governance and management, and integration of locally managed and conserved areas within the wider seascape. This will include assessing the legal, governance, institutional, technical and reporting conditions required for all or part of a Regenerative Seascape to qualify and be reported as a large-scale marine OECM. The consultancy will also examine how existing approaches, including LMMAs, community-based marine conservation and governance systems, marine protected areas, other OECMs, and relevant legal and financing mechanisms, can act as foundations or complementary components of a Regenerative Seascape and support its contribution to 30x30. The consultant will create a report based on these findings. Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit A further major output of the consultancy will be the development of a practical Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit. The toolkit will build on lessons from the ReSea project and the experience of the IUCN ESARO Coastal and Ocean Resilience Programme in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and Comoros, while also capitalising on relevant work and practical experience on seascapes undertaken by key stakeholders across the WIO. The consultant will work closely with relevant IUCN teams and stakeholders to consolidate practical experience and develop a usable methodology for the establishment, governance, implementation and scaling of regenerative seascapes. The toolkit should move beyond a conceptual publication and provide practical guidance and tools, including lessons, approaches, methodologies, examples and practical steps that can support replication and scaling. Description of the Assignment • The consultant will design and implement an intensive and participatory consultation and engagement process with key stakeholders across the Western Indian Ocean. • The consultation process will involve, as appropriate, government representatives, local communities and their organisations, civil society organisations, technical experts, regional institutions, conservation practitioners and other key stakeholders across Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Comoros and Madagascar. • The consultant will review and capitalise on existing regional and national work related to 30x30, including strategies, roadmaps, frameworks, initiatives and relevant policy and planning processes, in order to ensure that the consultancy builds on existing efforts rather than duplicating them. • The consultant will also identify, review and capitalise on work undertaken by key stakeholders across the region on seascapes, including existing seascape approaches, frameworks, methodologies, governance models, initiatives and practical experiences. • The consultant will use consultations, interviews, group discussions, targeted workshops or virtual meetings and other appropriate engagement methods to validate lessons learned, identify barriers and opportunities, assess the feasibility of different pathways and ensure that the proposed strategy, roadmap and toolkit are informed by regional priorities and experience. • The consultant will develop a WIO Regional 30x30 Strategy and Roadmap based on the above work and create methodologies/guidance for a practical Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit. The consultancy will undertake the following four areas of work: 1. Review and capitalise on existing work The consultant will review, map and consolidate relevant work undertaken through the ReSea project and other relevant initiatives, as well as existing 30x30-related strategies, roadmaps, plans, frameworks and initiatives developed at both regional and national levels across the Western Indian Ocean. This should include, among others, the Fiji and Indonesia learning exchanges; experiences from the Lau Seascape and Bird's Head Seascape; national roadmaps developed by the five ReSea countries; the regional strategic framework; existing national 30x30 strategies and roadmaps, including the Madagascar 30x30 strategy; progress made since these processes; existing lessons, challenges and opportunities; and relevant work undertaken by IUCN, governments, communities and other key partners. The consultant will also identify, review and capitalise on relevant work undertaken by key stakeholders across the region on seascapes, including existing seascape approaches, frameworks, methodologies, governance models, initiatives and practical experiences. The consultant will undertake targeted and intensive consultations with relevant stakeholders to identify remaining gaps, emerging opportunities and priority areas for action and to ensure that the consultancy builds on, rather than duplicates, existing regional and national work. 2. Assess strategic pathways for accelerating 30x30 The consultant will assess the different practical and scalable pathways through which the WIO region can accelerate progress towards 30x30 during the remaining years to 2030. Large Marine Seascapes: The consultant will review the existing work undertaken through ReSea and assess the practical way forward for the establishment and scaling of Large Marine Seascapes in the WIO. This should include lessons from Fiji and Indonesia; lessons from existing WIO work; assessment of national progress; potential governance models; legal and institutional requirements; financing and sustainability mechanisms; potential pilot opportunities; and practical recommendations for interested countries. Large Marine OECMs: As a separate pathway, the consultant will assess the feasibility and potential contribution of Large Marine OECMs towards achieving meaningful progress towards 30x30. The work should draw on relevant international experience, particularly the Philippines, and assess relevant legal and policy frameworks; governance and management arrangements; technical and scientific requirements; spatial and data requirements; assessment and recognition processes; national and international reporting requirements; and potential opportunities in the WIO. The consultancy should propose practical next steps and a potential roadmap for governments interested in exploring this pathway. Other pathways: The consultant will also assess other relevant pathways, including LMMAs; community-based marine conservation and governance; marine protected areas; other OECMs; legal and policy reforms; governance innovations; financing mechanisms; and other practical approaches capable of accelerating progress towards 30x30. 3. Develop the Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit The consultant will work closely with the IUCN ESARO Coastal and Ocean Resilience Programme and relevant teams in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar and Comoros. The consultant will consult relevant teams and stakeholders and document practical lessons regarding the definition and understanding of regenerative seascapes; approaches applied across the ReSea portfolio; successes and challenges; governance models; community participation and ownership; conservation and sustainable-use approaches; financing and investment; policy and institutional arrangements; and opportunities for replication and scaling. The toolkit will provide practical, step-by-step guidance across the different stages of regenerative seascape development, using an accessible “recipe card” methodology or similar approach. It will be designed for a broad audience (including local communities, practitioners, policymakers, scientists and other stakeholders) who are interested in learning from, adapting and applying approaches that have contributed to successful regenerative seascapes. The toolkit will allow users to draw on individual methods relevant to their context, rather than requiring adoption of the full approach. The toolkit should be professionally designed and visually engaging. 4. Develop the WIO Regional 30x30 Strategy and Roadmap Building on the above work, the consultant will develop a practical and action-oriented WIO Regional 30x30 Strategy and Roadmap. The strategy should provide a clear regional vision; identify priority strategic pathways; propose tangible actions; identify national and regional priorities; propose legal and policy actions; recommend governance and institutional mechanisms; identify financing and investment opportunities; propose priority pilots and demonstration opportunities; identify key actors and partnerships; establish milestones and sequencing; and provide a practical roadmap towards 2030. The strategy should focus on concrete and implementable actions rather than broad recommendations alone. Deliverable/Activity - Description - Deadline Deliverable 1 - WIO 30x30 and Seascapes Stocktake, Lessons Learned and Strategic Assessment, including a comprehensive review and mapping of relevant regional and national 30x30 strategies, roadmaps, frameworks and initiatives; relevant ReSea work; the Fiji and Indonesia learning exchanges; national roadmaps; the regional strategic framework; existing work by key stakeholders on seascapes; progress to date; lessons learned; stakeholder mapping; and a detailed methodology for the consultancy. 31 October 2026 Activity 1A - Review and synthesise existing ReSea documentation, regional and national 30x30 strategies, roadmaps, frameworks and initiatives, national roadmaps, the regional strategic framework and other relevant materials, including the Madagascar 30x30 strategy and other relevant national processes. Activity 1B - Review and document lessons from the Fiji and Indonesia learning exchanges, relevant international experiences and existing work undertaken by key stakeholders in the WIO on seascapes, including approaches, frameworks, methodologies, governance models and practical initiatives. Activity 1C - Assess progress, barriers, opportunities and priority gaps across the five countries and at regional level. Activity 1D - Design and initiate an intensive stakeholder consultation process across the WIO, including targeted consultations with relevant government representatives, local communities and their organisations, civil society, technical experts, regional institutions and other key stakeholders. Deliverable 2 - WIO 30x30 Pathways and Opportunities Assessment, including separate assessments of Large Marine Seascapes and Large Marine OECMs, as well as LMMAs, community-based conservation, other OECMs, marine protected areas and other relevant legal, governance, policy and financing pathways. - 20 November 2026 Activity 2A - Assess practical opportunities, requirements and next steps for Large Marine Seascapes in the WIO. Activity 2B - Assess the feasibility and potential contribution of Large Marine OECMs, including lessons from the Philippines and other relevant experience. Activity 2C - Assess opportunities to scale LMMAs, community-based marine conservation and other area-based conservation approaches. Activity 2D - Identify legal, policy, governance, institutional and financing opportunities required to accelerate progress towards 30x30. Activity 2E - Continue intensive consultations and validation with key stakeholders across the five ReSea countries and at regional level to assess, prioritise and validate the different strategic pathways towards achieving 30x30. Deliverable 3 - Draft Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit, including a practical and visually designed methodology documenting ReSea lessons and providing guidance and tools for the design, establishment, governance, implementation, financing and scaling of regenerative seascapes. - 5 December 2026 Activity 3A - Undertake intensive consultations with the IUCN ESARO COR Seascape Team across Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Comoros and Madagascar, as well as relevant stakeholders and practitioners, to collect lessons, best practices, challenges and practical experience for the toolkit. Activity 3B -Consolidate practical lessons, best practices, challenges and enabling conditions from the five ReSea countries. Activity 3C - Develop the practical methodology, tools and case examples for the toolkit. Activity 3D - Produce the draft professionally designed and visually engaging toolkit for review and validation. Deliverable 4 - Final WIO Regional 30x30 Strategy and Implementation Roadmap and Final Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit, including a prioritised four-year roadmap, recommendations on the different strategic pathways, proposed legal and governance actions, financing opportunities, priority pilots and tangible next steps towards 2030. - 15 December 2026 Activity 4A - Develop and validate the final WIO Regional 30x30 Strategy and implementation roadmap. Activity 4B - Finalise recommendations and proposed next steps for Large Marine Seascapes and Large Marine OECMs as distinct pathways. Activity 4C - Finalise recommendations on other priority pathways, including LMMAs and community-based marine conservation. Activity 4D - Incorporate stakeholder feedback and finalise the Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit. Activity 4E - Submit all final editable documents, supporting materials and agreed knowledge products to IUCN. Activity 4F - Organise and facilitate a regional webinar to present the final WIO Regional 30x30 Strategy and Implementation Roadmap and the Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit, share the key findings and recommendations, and facilitate discussion and initial socialisation with key stakeholders. Payment Schedule The Timetable below summarises the chronological order of deliverables and indicates milestones at which IUCN will pay the Consultant. Deliverable 1 - 20% Deliverable 2 - 25% Deliverable 3 - 25% Deliverable 4 - 30% Skills and Experience The ideal group of consultants for this consultancy should demonstrate a strong combination of technical expertise, regional knowledge and practical experience in marine conservation, seascape approaches and area-based conservation. The team should collectively demonstrate the following qualifications: Technical skills • A senior Team Leader with demonstrated expertise in large-scale marine seascapes and seascape approaches. • Extensive experience in marine conservation, ocean governance and area-based conservation. • Demonstrated experience in the development, governance and implementation of large marine seascapes. • Strong knowledge and practical experience of the Western Indian Ocean region. • Demonstrated experience working with governments, local communities, civil society and regional organisations. • Strong knowledge of the Global Biodiversity Framework and the 30x30 target. • Demonstrated expertise in OECMs, protected and conserved areas and other area-based conservation approaches. • Knowledge of community-led conservation, LMMAs and community-based marine governance. • Expertise in marine policy, law and institutional frameworks. • Experience in strategic planning and the development of practical implementation roadmaps. • Strong experience in multi-stakeholder consultations, facilitation and participatory processes. • Experience developing practical knowledge products, methodologies and toolkits. It will be considered a strong asset for the proposed team to include an expert with direct experience of the Philippines' approach to Large Marine OECMs, or a team member with demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the Philippine large marine OECM experience and its relevance to other regions. Communications and design expertise The team should include a communications, knowledge management and/or visual design specialist with demonstrated experience in developing high-quality and visually engaging toolkits, knowledge products, practical guides, publications and visual communication materials. This expertise will be essential for the development and professional design of the Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit. Other qualifications • Excellent analytical and writing skills. • Demonstrated ability to synthesise complex technical and stakeholder inputs into practical and actionable strategies and recommendations. • Strong project management and coordination capacity. • Excellent English language skills. • Working knowledge of French and/or Portuguese would be an asset given the linguistic diversity of the WIO region. • Relevant advanced university degree in marine conservation, ocean governance, environmental policy, natural resource management, geography, ecology or a related field. • The proposed team should collectively demonstrate the full range of expertise required to undertake the assignment. Supervision and Coordination The consultancy will be jointly supervised by the IUCN Regional Coastal and Ocean Governance Manager and the IUCN Regional Blue Science and Business Innovation Manager. The consultant will work very closely with the IUCN ESARO Coastal and Ocean Resilience (COR) Seascape Team across the five ReSea countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Comoros and Madagascar throughout the development of the WIO Regional 30x30 Strategy and the Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit. For the development and design of the Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit, the consultant will also work closely with the IUCN ESARO COR Impact Officer and the Regional Ocean Communications Officer, particularly to ensure that the toolkit appropriately reflects IUCN experience and lessons, is practical and accessible to its intended audiences, and meets the required communication and visual design standards. The consultant will also be expected to engage and consult with relevant government representatives, local communities, national and regional stakeholders and technical partners as required for the assignment. Timeframe and Location The main consultancy period will run from 9 October 2026 to 15 December 2026. All four deliverables, including the final WIO Regional 30x30 Strategy and Implementation Roadmap and the final Regenerative Seascapes Toolkit, must be submitted by 15 December 2026. Following the submission of the final deliverable, the consultant will continue to provide agreed technical and implementation support until 28 February 2027. This support will focus on the early socialisation and implementation of the strategy and its priority actions, including follow-up with IUCN and relevant partners, as agreed with the supervising team. The consultancy may be undertaken remotely. Any travel requirements will be agreed in advance with IUCN. How to apply IUCN Procurement Portal