Kenneth Luephang, USAID/REDSO/ESA, Unit 64102, APO AE 09831-4102

F -- TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE A LANDSCAPE APPROACH, STRENGTHEN CAPACITY FOR ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AND IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF CRITICAL BIODIVERSITY HABITATS SOL 623-98-005 DUE 030398 POC Contact Point: Kenneth Luephang, Agreement Officer and Beatrice Diah, Negotiator, Tel: 254-2-751613, Fax: 254-2-749395, E-mail: kluephang@usaid.gov and bdiah@usaid.gov. International Address at USAID Towers -- The Crescent, Parklands, P.O. Box 30261. Nairobi, Kenya. USAID/Madagascar through the Regional Contracting Officer in Nairobi, REDSO/ESA, plans to issue a request for application (rfa) to achieve the strategic objective no. 3 (SO3), biologically-diverse ecosystems conserved in priority conservation zones of Madagascar, result package no. 1 (Rp#1): landscape ecology approach. Activities under rp#1 are based on applied landscape ecology approach to conservation of natural resources. Usaid plans to award a four year (4) technical assistance cooperative agreement to (i) promote a landscape approach and strengthen capacity for adaptive management and (ii) improve management of critical biodiversity habitats within the rp#1. To foster biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resources management, a consultative approach to eco-regional planning will be promoted through use of information for decision making. Usaid will work to further improve management and conservation of critical biodiversity habitats through development of improved protected area management systems, as well as community-based, participatory forestry management. Usaid will support a series of activities through the cooperative agreement that foster multi-level consultative planning and implementation of a landscape approach among stakeholders. These activities include: the development of an eco-regional planning process through platforms for consultations, analysis, information sharing and negotiation, improved use of information for decision making through the collection and dissemination of spatial data on landscape structure, changes in the conditions of land types and their position through time, and the application of these data to an adaptive landscape management strategy, capacity building for eco-regional partners, and small grants for eco-regional activities. As one of the central components to the rp1 program, usaid through the cooperative agreement will also support elements of the cape (composante aires protigies et ecotourisme) and esfum (ecosysthmes forestiers ` usage multiple) components of environment program 2 by assisting angap (association nationale pour la gestion des aires protigies) and mef (ministhre des eaux et forjts) respectively to improve management of protected areas and forests, as well as corridors linking these areas (priority conservation zones). The strategic objective agreement outlining the natural resource office signed agreement with the government of madagascar can be found at : http://www.Info.USAID.GOV/countries/mg/sntzsoag.Htm the preferred method of distribution of usaid procurement information is via internet or by request of a solicitation on a 3.5" floppy disk (Wordperfect 5.1/5.2 Format). This CBD notice can be viewed and downloaded using the agency web site. The RFA, once issued, can be downloaded from the Agency Web Site. The worldwide web address is http://www.Info.USAID.GOV. Select business and procurement opportunities from the home page, then "USAID procurement." On the following screen, select downloaded via anonymous File Transfer Protocol (FTP). The FTP address is FTP.INFO.USAID.GOV. Logon using the user identification of "anonymous" and the password is your e-mail address. Look under the following directory for the rfa: pub/OP/RFA/62398005/62398005.rfa. Receipt of this rfa through internet must be confirmed by written notification to the contact person noted above. It is the responsibility of the recipient of this solicitation document to ensure that it has been received from internet in its entirety and usaid bears no responsibility for data errors resulting from transmission or conversion processes. (0307)

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