Terms of Reference (ToR)
Background
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to conserving wildlife and wildlands through science, international conservation, education, and managing the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks.
The WCS Nigeria Country Program is a multi-donor-funded initiative operating across Cross River, Abuja, and Bauchi states.
To strengthen ranger capacity, WCS seeks to engage experienced trainers to provide specialized and basic ranger training across Cross River and Bauchi states. These regions face significant challenges, including:
- Insecurity due to the presence of armed groups and kidnappers
- Poaching for the bushmeat trade
- Human-elephant conflict
- Illegal livestock grazing
- Encroachment by surrounding farmers
- Logging
Scope of Work
The consultant or company will design and deliver specialized and basic training sessions in both states on a need basis throughout the year. The specific training sessions will be agreed upon by both parties through a Scope of Work issued per deployment. Training topics include but are not limited to:
Core Training Areas
- Annual refresher training
- Law enforcement training
- Leadership training
- Anti-poaching intervention techniques
- Navigation skills: Use of maps, compass, GPS, CyberTracker, or other navigation tools
- First aid training
- Radio communication systems training
- International human rights law
- Self-defense techniques
Field Training Areas
- Physical fitness and endurance
- Drill and discipline
- Firearm handling and safety
- Patrol techniques
- Armed contact and ambush response
- Community relations and conflict resolution
- Legislation: The ranger’s role in law enforcement
- Wildlife and ecological conflict
- Human wildlife conflict
- Teambuilding
- Human Rights
Deliverables
The selected consultant or company will be expected to:
- Submit detailed training reports
- Conduct individual ranger evaluations at the end of each training course where required.
Duration
The agreement with the selected company will be valid for an initial period of three years (2025 – 2027).
Required Qualifications
The consultant or company must demonstrate:
- A proven track record in designing and delivering training programs for conservation organizations
- A strong understanding of Nigeria’s conservation landscape
- Familiarity with the socio-cultural and environmental context of Cross River and Bauchi states (preferred)
Evaluation Criteria
WCS will evaluate all proposals based on the following criteria:
- Track record – Experience conducting similar training for conservation programs in Africa
- Local Experience-Experience delivering similar trainings in Nigeria (Cross River and Bauchi will be added advantage).
- Proposed fee – Cost-effectiveness and value for money
WCS reserves the right to reject any or all proposals if none meet its criteria. The evaluation process may include interviews.
How to apply
Interested applicants should submit:
- Company profile – Highlighting past conservation-related engagements
- Evidence of past work – Contracts, purchase orders, or agreements from the last two years
- Technical proposal – Approach to delivering the scope of work
- Financial proposal – Daily rates for all category of trainers (e.g., Senior Instructor, Instructor, Training Assistant, etc.), including rates for travel and report writing days Note: WCS will cover logistics, visa fees, flights, airport transfers, and meals. These should not be included in the cost.
Submission Details
- Deadline:Â September 5, 2025
- Email:Â ngprocurement@wcs.org
- Subject Line Format:Â Consultancy for Ranger Training
Proposals clarification
All clarification to the process should be sent via email sjwanle@wcs.org before the proposal due
date.
GENERAL CONDITIONS OF PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS
The following general conditions apply to all proposals submitted in response to any RFP issued by WCS.
- Non-Binding:
WCS’s solicitation of proposals in response to any RFP does not commit WCS to award a contract, and this RFP is not an offer to enter into a contract for the services to be provided as described herein.
- Proposal Materials and Costs:
WCS is not liable for any costs incurred in the preparation, submission or negotiation of a response to its RFP or incurred for any other purpose or reason in connection with the RFP.No materials submitted with this RFP will be returned.
- Confidentiality:All information and material contained in any WCS RFP or issued by WCS or any of its agents as part of any WCS RFP process is confidential and is the exclusive property of WCS.
- Modifications:As a condition of award, WCS may request any proposer to make revisions, additions, or deletions to its proposal.
- Subcontractors:After award of contract, WCS will have no obligation, financial or otherwise, to any subcontractor of the awardee. Nevertheless, any subcontract will be required to be subject to and consistent with the prime contract between WCS and the awardee, and WCS may require any subcontract to include specific terms and conditions.
- Reserved Rights:WCS at any time in its sole discretion may, without notice and without liability to any proposer or any other party for their expenses incurred in the preparation of the responses hereto or otherwise, do any and all of the following:
- Amend or withdraw this RFP;
- Accept or reject any and all proposals received in response to this RFP;
- Award the contract to a proposer other than the proposer offering the lowest fee;
- Request additional materials and clarification or modification of any submitted proposal;
- Extend the time for submission of all proposals after notification to all prospective proposers;
- Terminate negotiations with a selected proposer and select another proposer;
- Take such action as WCS deems appropriate if negotiations fail to result in a signed agreement within a reasonable amount of time;
- Terminate or modify the solicitation and selection process at any time and re-issue the solicitation to whomever WCS deems appropriate.