Consultant for Firm for Developing Joint Forest Working Group (JFWG)

Background

Indonesia and Timor-Leste signed a Provisional Agreement on their land boundary in 2005, followed by a separate arrangement focused on river management and improving local livelihoods. In 2017, an Implementation Arrangement (IA) was signed by the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MOEF) and Timor-Leste's Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), focusing on transboundary watershed management. The IA emphasizes the importance of the Talau-Loes basin, given its population density, water needs and use, and high accessibility. It also provides for the establishment of a Joint Forestry Working Group (JFWG) to coordinate day-to-day support for watershed management across the two countries' shared basins.

However, the JFWG has not yet been operationalized. Neither government has appointed JFWG members, nor have processes and procedures been defined for the JFWG to carry out its transboundary watershed management mandate. Although a management plan (RPDAS) has been prepared for the Talau-Loes basin, institutional arrangements for implementation have not been defined. The Talau-Loes RPDAS also notes gaps in data, information, knowledge, and capacity that limit effective management.

The project has already laid important groundwork. In Indonesia, stakeholder mapping and policy analysis were completed in August 2025, with consultations involving 22 potential stakeholders. The final report, including selected JFWG members for Indonesia, will be shared. In Timor-Leste, similar mapping efforts are ongoing, with 19 stakeholders engaged in discussions on the conceptualization of the JFWG. These foundational activities provide a strong basis for formal establishment.

The objective of the TIWA Project is to ensure collaborative management of freshwater ecosystems and protect water, food, and livelihood security in these shared watersheds. The project aims to establish the JFWG as a permanent standing body mandated by bilateral agreements between Indonesia and Timor-Leste to oversee transboundary watershed management. The JFWG is intended to serve as the primary mechanism for cross-border coordination, data sharing, policy alignment, and joint decision-making. Despite its legal foundation, the JFWG has not yet been formally established or operational. This institutional gap poses a significant risk to the long-term sustainability of transboundary management efforts, as there is currently no dedicated bilateral body to carry forward the work initiated by the TIWA Project.

Recognizing this critical gap, the TIWA Project is dedicated to formally establishing and operationalizing the JFWG. This includes defining the body's size and composition, developing clear Terms of Reference and Standard Operating Procedures (Operations Manual), and ensuring that the JFWG has the capacity to fulfill its mandate. Key guiding principles for the JFWG approach include participation, stakeholder consultation, adaptive management, collaboration, stepwise approach, consensus building, transparency, and government engagement.

Scope of Work

• Establishment of the Join Forest Working Group (JFWG) both countries
• Conduct a capacity gap and needs assessment
• Development of JFWG Governance and Operational Tools
• Facilitate the Operationalization of JFWG
• Develop JFWG Priorities Recommendation

Required Qualifications and Experience

We are looking for a consultant team with the following qualifications:

• Education: The main consultants hold degrees in law (or trained and experiences of legal drafting), conflict resolution, communication, diplomacy (international relation), community development, watershed, environmental science, and natural resource management.
• Experience in legal drafting
• Experience in policy review and analyses
• Experience in development planning in both countries
• Understand the formal coordination both at national and bilateral levels, among government stakeholders in both countries
• Familiar with stakeholder mapping and working group formation
• Experience in conflict resolution and management
• Experience in public communication and diplomacy
• Experience in working both in RDTL and Indonesia and understanding legal aspect of both countries related to transboundary watersheds is desirable

Application Requirements

Interested applicants are requested to submit:

• Letter of Interest
• Technical Proposal
• Financial Proposal
• At least 2 samples of Previous relevant works (e.g., reports or publications)
• CV(s) and contact details two professional referees

How to Apply

Application should be submitted via email to both: [email protected] and [email protected] application package in English by Monday 31 August 2026 (17pm Dili Time).

Subject of the email: "Application – JFWG Consultant – TIWA"

For details, please refer to TOR in this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gJ6X3eakzfWtnRPQZhR4wt_bfi_POOwA/view?usp=sharing

Please Note: Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted, and applications received beyond the cut off business day will not be considered.

Duration: 5 Months