Consultancy Terms of Reference (ToR)
Assessment of Marine Protected Area (MPA) Financing Needs
Position Title: Consultant –MPA Financing Needs Assessment
Reports to: Manager, Marine Conservation Program
Location: Remote with site-level visits to Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Duration: 88 days over a period of 12 months.
Internal Liaison: Senior Marine Advisor, Senior Advisor, Blue Action Fund Project Manager, International Technical Advisor, and Country Director.
Bangladesh Program Overview:
WCS has been actively engaged in Bangladesh since 2004, aiming to save wildlife and wild places through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. We currently have Terrestrial and Marine Conservation Programs that are supported through Educational Outreach and Finance Programs. WCS Bangladesh works closely with government and community partners to advance science-based and community-informed marine and coastal conservation solutions that optimize the protection of threatened marine wildlife and their priority habitats and sustain coastal fisheries and livelihoods.
Background
Bangladesh has established five Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to date and is in the process of expanding area-based conservation measures (OECMs) to safeguard biodiversity and support coastal livelihoods. However, sustainable financing for MPA management remains a critical challenge. Current financing is fragmented, insufficient to meet operational costs, and lacks an integrated national strategy for long-term financial sustainability.
Under the Blue Action Funded “Sustho Sagor (Healthy Ocean)” project, WCS is supporting the development of a Sustainable Financing Plan for MPA Management in Bangladesh. This consultancy focusing specifically on the ‘core’ financing needs of MPAs at both national and site levels, with a focus on ‘established MPA’ project sites (SoNG and Nijhum Dwip MPAs). Findings will feed into the overall Sustainable Financing Plan and inform a national dialogue on MPA financing.
Objectives
The main objectives of this consultancy are to:
- Assess the current and projected ‘core’ financing needs for Bangladesh’s MPA network
- Assess the current and projected ‘core’ financing needs for selected established project sites (SoNG and Nijhum Dwip MPAs), including operational, enforcement, staffing, and monitoring costs.
- Identify financing gaps and provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening national and site-level financing frameworks.
- Contribute to the development of a roadmap for sustainable financing of MPAs in Bangladesh.
- Develop a draft Sustainable Financing Plan for MPA Management in Bangladesh.
Scope of Work / Tasks
The consultant will undertake the following tasks:
1. Baseline assessment of financing
- Review existing financing levels and budget allocations for MPAs in Bangladesh at both national and site levels, along with other fisheries/natural resource management funding mechanisms in the country that may be applicable (e.g. Hilsha Trust Fund).
- Identify current sources of funding (government, donor, trust funds, etc.).
- Document operational and management costs of selected MPAs and OECMs.
2. Financing needs and gap analysis
- Estimate the ‘core’ financing requirements for Bangladesh’s MPA network, using benchmarks and site-specific data.
- Conduct detailed assessments of the ‘core’ financing requirements (addressing the short, medium and long-term needs) for established MPAs in the Blue Action project portfolio (namely SoNG and Nijhum Dwip MPAs).
- Assess gaps between current financing and required operational levels.
3. Policy and institutional analysis
- Review the legal, institutional, and policy environment for MPA financing in Bangladesh.
- Assess roles and mandates of key agencies (Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh Forest Department, Coast Guard, etc.).
- Identify institutional bottlenecks to financing flows and budget mobilization.
4. Options and feasibility of core financing mechanisms
- Identify potential financing sources and mechanisms suitable for sustaining core MPA management costs (e.g., government budget allocations, conservation trust funds, fees, levies, fines, penalties, public-private partnerships, payment for ecosystem services schemes).
- Assess feasibility of financing sources instruments, drawing on regional and global examples.
5. Stakeholder engagement
- Conduct consultations with national government agencies, site-level MPA managers, local government bodies, and relevant stakeholders.
- Facilitate roundtable discussions with Department of Fisheries and Bangladesh Forest Department and relevant stakeholders on financing priorities and governance arrangements for managing funds.
6. Recommendations and roadmap
- Provide prioritized recommendations for strengthening core MPA financing.
- Outline governance and capacity requirements for financing implementation.
- Prepare a financing roadmap that feeds into the national Sustainable Financing Plan for MPA Management in Bangladesh.
- Prepare an implementation roadmap for MPA financing mechanisms in Bangladesh.
Deliverables
- Final Report: A comprehensive core MPA financing needs assessment report, with:
- MPA Sustainable Financing Assessment Report (national level)
- MPA Sustainable Financing Assessment Reports for project sites (established MPAs only)
- Comprehensive analysis of current financing levels, needs, and gaps across Bangladesh’s MPAs/OECMs.
- Legal/policy context review.
- Assessment, shortlisting, and feasibility study of financing and revenue options (including carbon/biodiversity markets, community schemes).
- Includes recommendations, roadmap, governance and benefit-sharing arrangements.
- Draft Sustainable Financing Plan for MPA Management in Bangladesh
- Synthesizes findings from the assessment.
- Include detailed information on MPA costing, current expenditures, revenue options, financing mechanisms, etc. required by Bangladesh Forestry Department and Department of Fisheries.
- Provides a national-level framework and site-specific financing options.
Required Qualifications
- Advanced degree in environmental economics, conservation finance, natural resource management, protected area management, coastal and marine development and governance or related field.
- Minimum 7 years’ professional experience in conservation finance, sustainable finance, or environmental economics.
- Proven experience with MPA/OECM financing assessments, preferably in South Asia or comparable contexts.
- Strong understanding of government budgetary processes, conservation trust funds, and financing instruments.
- Demonstrated ability to engage government agencies and local stakeholders.
- Excellent report-writing and communication skills in English.
Interested candidates should send an e-mail with the subject line ‘Assessment of Marine Protected Area (MPA) Financing Needs, WCS Bangladesh’ and attach their CV, Proven documents of relevant experiences and a Letter of Interest describing their interest, qualifications, experiences, and expected per day remuneration for this position. Please submit your application and associated documents to the WCS Bangladesh Country Director (e-mail: wcsbangladesh@wcs.org) by 20 June 2026.