External Project Evaluation for Participatory Conservation

The Tyonek Tribal Conservation District [TTCD] is seeking an evaluation contractor familiar with Participatory Action Research and developmental-model evaluation practices to inform adjustments in TTCD’s approach toward community-led conservation, demonstrate best practices for including participatory methodology in outreach activities based on evaluation findings, and share best practices with the conservation sector. 

 

Timeline:

• RFP Sent: October 24, 2024
• Responses Due: November 8, 2024
• Chosen Agency Contacted: November 15, 2024
• Project Start: Week of November 18, 2024
• Project End: April 30, 2025

 

Organizational Overview:

Tyonek Tribal Conservation District [TTCD] is a 501c3 nonprofit that supports local conservation and resource management projects in the Tyonek, Alaska area. Our tagline is “Subsistence is our Agriculture.” TTCD was founded in 2004 as the first tribal conservation district in Alaska. Our district boundaries mirror Alaska Fish & Game Management Unit 16B, covering nearly 6.6 million acres of habitat and multiple communities. Our four focus areas are: habitat restoration, landowner technical assistance, Tyonek Grown community garden and Tyonek Youth Conservation Science. We partner with numerous tribal organizations, state and federal agencies and fellow nonprofits to achieve our goals.

 

Project Overview:

TTCD was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to implement the project “Participatory Conservation through Subsistence Agriculture in the Tyonek Tribal Conservation District.” The goal of this project was to leverage existing data, projects, and agency resources within the conservation district to ensure that current scientific information, conservation solutions, and projects are publicly accessible and culturally responsive, and that they serve the needs identified by Tyonek subsistence farmers, ranchers, and landowners.

Project Objectives:

• Objective 1: Subsistence farmers, ranchers, and landowners within the Tyonek Tribal Conservation District can easily access all publicly available data on natural resources within the district in formats relevant to their needs and are able to request collaborations with agencies best able to respond to their inquiries. As a result, stakeholders will be able to make better informed decisions and inquiries regarding habitat for the subsistence wildlife upon which their community depends, as well as the community garden which also contributes to food security in this remote district.
• Objective 2: Science outreach and information is relevant, co-created, and culturally responsive to subsistence farmers, ranchers, and landowners within the Tyonek Tribal Conservation District, leading to increased utilization of available knowledge on local resources.
• Objective 3: Tribal Conservation Districts within Alaska share technical information on an annual basis, increasing the shared inclusion of tribal subsistence agriculture in decision-making conversations throughout Alaska.
• Objective 4: Increase capacity of residents and shareholders of Native Village of Tyonek to build and maintain sustainable agricultural and subsistence practices through increased knowledge, skills, and access to partnerships.

 

Project Scope:

The evaluator will work closely with the TTCD Executive Director and staff to understand the vision, accomplishments, and setbacks for each objective and associated activities. The evaluator will also work with Tyonek subsistence farmers, ranchers, and landowners, as well as Native Village of Tyonek, Tyonek Native Corporation and Tebughna Foundation staff to understand the impact of these project activities in the community of Tyonek. These activities include:

• Re-design of the TTCD website become an information hub for publicly available data pertaining to natural resource projects, data, and policies within the conservation district.
• Community Conversation engagement meetings intended to ensure that current scientific information, conservation solutions and projects are publicly accessible and culturally responsive, and that they serve the ongoing conservation needs identified by Tyonek subsistence farmers, ranchers, and landowners.
• TTCD staff training in trauma-informed management and the integration of these trainings into organizational policies as well as outreach products and trainings.
• Hiring two field interns to assist with seasonal fish assessments and invasives mitigations, with the intention that these internships build competencies, confidence, and interest in pursuing careers in natural resource management.
• Outreach to other conservation organizations to share technical skills.

The evaluator is encouraged to invite partnering agencies and community stakeholders to help inform the creation of the evaluation model and interpret the data, identifying ways in which TTCD can better integrate Participatory Action Research or similar principles into future projects. The evaluation deliverable will be a final report with summative findings and a set of best practices, which will be used to train staff and agency partners on strategies for designing conservation, research, and outreach projects with community-led, participatory methodology. The evaluator and TTCD Executive Director will co-present best practices learned from the evaluation to conservation stakeholders.  

 

Budget: Up to $36,000

 

Project Period: November 18, 2024 – April 30, 2025

 

Proposal Requirements:

• Brief description of your company or organization’s evaluation experience with Participatory Action Research, developmental-evaluation models, or similar evaluation models applicable to this project, and examples of past deliverables.
• Estimated timeline for each step of the evaluation process.
• Demonstration of qualifications and experience for key personnel, such as a resume or curriculum vitae.
• A general budget for facilitation and project evaluation. Meetings for this project will largely occur in Anchorage with possible travel to Tyonek. Travel budget will be negotiated separately as workplan is finalized. 
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Scoring Criteria:

Experience with appropriate evaluation techniques and/or description of anticipated methodologies	50 points
Professional qualifications	15 points
Cost (proposed budget expenses appear reasonable and justified given project scope and duration)	35 points

 

Please submit questions and proposals to Erica Lujan at elujan@ttcd.org

A full RFP document is attached or can be found at our website: https://ttcd.org/how-you-can-help/job-opportunities/

Or the following direct link: https://ttcd.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/NRCS-ECC-RFP-External-Project-Evaluation-for-Participatory-Conservation.pdf