The Jurisdictional Approach (JA), supported by the Sustainable Jurisdictional Indicators (SJI) framework, offers a promising pathway to address these challenges. By enabling coordinated action across government agencies, private sector actors, and local communities, the approach supports landscape-level verification systems, strengthens traceability infrastructure, improves land governance, and enhances market readiness. Furthermore, jurisdictional performance can help unlock access to forest-positive financing mechanisms, including blended finance, green bonds, and carbon finance, creating opportunities for long-term sustainable development.

As interest in jurisdictional approaches continues to grow among policymakers, investors, development partners, and commodity market actors, there is a need to document emerging experiences, lessons learned, opportunities, and implementation pathways. To support knowledge sharing and broader uptake of the approach, The Tropical Forest Alliance seeks to develop a knowledge publication that communicates the strategic value of the Jurisdictional Approach in strengthening market compliance, improving smallholder inclusion, and mobilizing sustainable finance.

  1. Objective

The knowledge publication aims to:

  1. Document and communicate the role of the Jurisdictional Approach in responding to emerging global market compliance requirements, particularly EUDR and related due diligence regulations.
  2. Highlight key challenges associated with traceability, land legality, and smallholder inclusion within commodity supply chains.
  3. Showcase how the Sustainable Jurisdictional Indicators (SJI) framework can support landscape-level governance, compliance readiness, and risk reduction.
  4. Present opportunities for leveraging jurisdictional performance to attract sustainable and forest-positive finance, including blended finance, green bonds, and jurisdictional carbon mechanisms.
  5. Generate practical insights and recommendations for governments, private sector actors, financial institutions, and development partners seeking to strengthen sustainable commodity production and market access.
  6. Produce an accessible and evidence-based knowledge product that can support advocacy, policy dialogue, investment engagement, and replication of jurisdictional approaches in other regions.

3. Scope of Work

The selected consultant or consulting firm will be responsible for developing a high-quality knowledge publication that documents the strategic value, implementation pathways, challenges, and opportunities of the Jurisdictional Approach (JA) and Sustainable Jurisdictional Indicators (SJI) framework in supporting market compliance and sustainable finance. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

Task 1. Inception and Publication Planning

  • Review relevant documents and references.
  • Develop the publication framework, key messages, and outline.

Task 2. Research and Stakeholder Consultation

  • Conduct desk research and stakeholder consultations.
  • Gather evidence, case studies, and key insights for the publication.

Task 3. Content Development

  • Develop and draft the publication manuscript in English.
  • Incorporate feedback from the project team and stakeholders.

Task 4. Editing and Finalization

  • Revise, edit, and proofread the publication.
  • Ensure the publication is ready for design and dissemination.

Task 5. Submission

  • Submit the final publication manuscript and all editable source files.

Expected Deliverables

The consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:

  1. Publication outline and content framework.
  2. Stakeholder consultation summary.
  3. First draft of the knowledge publication.
  4. Revised draft incorporating stakeholder feedback.
  5. Final knowledge publication in English (25 pages max)
  6. Executive summary of the publication (2 pages).
  7. Publication-ready package, including editable source files and supporting materials.

Consultant Qualifications

  1. Proven experience in developing knowledge products, publications, research reports, or policy papers.
  2. Strong understanding of sustainable commodity supply chains, jurisdictional approaches, and landscape governance.
  3. Familiarity with EUDR, traceability systems, land governance, and/or sustainable finance issues.
  4. Excellent research, analytical, and writing skills in English.
  5. Experience conducting stakeholder consultations and synthesizing complex information into accessible content.
  6. Experience working with government agencies, development partners, private sector actors, or financial institutions.
  7. Availability of a portfolio demonstrating relevant publications or similar assignments.

Please submit your CV and a one-page summary of relevant experience for the position to Nadila Simbolon at [email protected] no later than Friday, 3 July.