EU-China Biodiversity Programme (ECBP) seeks a highly qualified organization that will establish and implement a Task Force on Ecosystem Service and Management Strategy of China.

The objectives of the Task Force are to show decision makers the economic and social benefits of sustainable eco-system management based on an ecosystem service approach; to provide evidence to illustrate the opportunities as well as the Chinese and international lessons on promising approaches; and to present science-based recommen-dations and policy options to integrate ecosystem services into development decision-making in China.

The Task Force shall have the following four major tasks: integrated status study of ecosystem service and man-agement in China (Task 1), scenarios study for the analysis of ecosystems services in China’s development (Task 2), case study of best practices (Task 3), and communication, education and public awareness (Task 4). The Task Force shall also serve as the coordinator and organizer of task-related meetings and workshops.

As the largest biodiversity investment of EU in China, ECBP works to conserve typical ecosystems and improve bio-diversity management all over China. A Programme Management Office (PMO) supervised by Foreign Economic Cooperation Office (FECO) under Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) is established for ECBP to develop specific activities in this aspect. Co-sponsor of the Task Force, the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), is a high-level, non-profit international advisory body that brings together national and international leaders and experts in environmental and development issues, with its secretariat based in MEP. The task force will be co-funded by CCICED and ECBP. Within this RFP, ECBP will provide the funds to cover the expenditures of national consultants, meetings and workshops. For the expenditures of international consultants, CCICED will provide additional 300,000 US$, which will not be budgeted in this RFP. In the full length of the task force, MEP/FECO and CCICED will be responsible for contracting their own funds.

Any legal entity that has more than 5 years experience in ecosystem services and ecological studies is invited to re-spond to the Request For Proposal.

Request For Proposal and relevant documentation will be available from 26th June, 2009 at UN China website: www.un.org.cn

Closing date for the receipt of proposals is 31st July, 2009, 16.00 hrs.
Questions regarding this RFP should be sent in writing (Ref. ECBP-TFESMS) no later than 15th July, 2009 to

Programme Management Office
EU-China Biodiversity Programme
E-mail: pmo@ecbp.cn  
Fax: 010-8226 5421