Landscape Planning Consultant – aGROWforests Project

We are looking for a Landscape Planning Consultant — engaged as a firm, consulting entity, or consortium — to guide the development of pepper-based agroforestry clusters through a landscape-based planning approach that integrates ecological, social, economic, institutional, climate, biodiversity, and governance dimensions, so that cluster change makers are equipped to drive sustainable agroforest restoration and development amid competing land-use pressures and multi-stakeholder dynamics across the landscape.

About the role

Agroforestry-based business clusters increasingly operate within a landscape shaped by competing land uses, shifting ecosystem conditions, and a range of local and institutional actors. These external dynamics can constrain the ability of individual business clusters to develop and sustain their operations.

In response, PT.CAN intends to shift its planning approach from one centred narrowly on individual business units to a landscape-based approach that positions business-cluster change makers as agents of change operating within, and in coordination with, the broader ecological, social, and institutional landscape.

Engaging a Landscape Planning Consultant will enable a holistic assessment of agroforestry impacts, strengthen spatial monitoring of landscape-level ecosystem change, and create the analytical and planning foundation for business-cluster change makers to develop and sustain their initiatives going forward.

Project background

The objective of the aGROWforests for Sustainable Spices project is to contribute to a sustainable, bio-diverse, climate-resilient, and responsible spices sector in Indonesia. This is pursued by increasing farm productivity and income of pepper farmers as the main commodity, supported by other high-potential commodities, through climate-smart agriculture and agroforestry, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions attributed to pepper farming and agriculture more broadly. The 3-year project targets 2,300 farmers (30% women, 15% youth) across Bangka Belitung and Lampung.

By the end of December 2025, more than 1,300 farmers had been trained in basic Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), with over 200 farmers committing to transition into agroforestry systems — marking a shift from individual farm-level adoption toward a broader community- and landscape-based approach, to be piloted and scaled through 2027.

Pepper-based agroforestry systems offer significant potential to improve farmer livelihoods while delivering ecosystem benefits such as enhanced biodiversity, soil health, and climate resilience. Over the past three years, PT.CAN has also identified the potential of other commodities as intercropping options alongside pepper.

Engagement details

• Engagement type: External service — engaged as a firm or consulting entity (B2B), rather than an individual consultant.
• Duration: 7-month engagement period, with possibility of extension.
• Start date: 1 September 2026
• End date: 31 March 2027
• Location: Hybrid — home-based/office-based work combined with field engagement in Bangka Belitung across the engagement period.
• Reports to: aGROWforests Project Coordinator, PT Cinquer Agro Nusantara (PT.CAN).

Scope of work

The Landscape Planning Consultant will provide technical expertise in spatial and landscape planning to support pepper-based agroforestry development and other supporting commodities. The engagement follows a phased workflow, structured into four terms.

Within each term, the engaged firm is expected to propose and apply the specific methods, tools, level of technical rigour, and sequencing of activities that it considers most appropriate to the landscape and business-cluster context. The descriptions below outline the expected scope and intent of each term, rather than a prescribed methodology.

Term 1 — Methodology

• Develop a robust working methodology for the engagement that sets out the overall analytical approach and grounds it in a landscape approach — one that reconciles economic, ecological, and governance objectives across the target landscape rather than treating business development in isolation. The methodology will define: (a) the analytical framework and sequencing of the work; (b) the approach to identifying, characterising, and grouping business clusters, including the criteria used to delineate them; (c) the field engagement and stakeholder consultation strategy; and (d) the analytical and planning frameworks to be applied in subsequent stages.
• In relation to climate, biodiversity, and governance, the methodology will specify how the following dimensions will be assessed and integrated:
  • Climate: how the analysis will account for climate risks and resilience, greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation potential — including land-use change and carbon stocks — and alignment with low-emission development and national climate commitments, so that business clusters are evaluated based on their climate footprint and adaptive capacity.
  • Biodiversity: how the analysis will map and consider ecosystem services, forest cover, critical habitats, and High Conservation Value and High Carbon Stock areas, as well as the potential impacts and dependencies of business activities on biodiversity, ensuring that cluster development does not undermine ecological integrity.
  • Governance: how the analysis will engage relevant provincial and district authorities and align with spatial planning, including the RTRW, permitting and land-tenure arrangements, and existing policy and regulatory frameworks, so that recommendations are institutionally grounded and implementable.
• Explain how findings across these three dimensions will be synthesised to inform subsequent analysis, prioritisation, and planning stages.
• Produce an initial workplan, team composition, and logistical arrangements for the engagement period.

Term 2 — Data Collection

• Desk-based contextual review and consolidation of available secondary data (time-series spatial/GIS layers, socioeconomic data, climate, biodiversity, land-use and regulatory information, and relevant prior studies), to inform and calibrate subsequent field data collection.
• Primary field data collection relevant to the business clusters and surrounding landscape, calibrated to the findings of the desk review, including engagement with relevant local stakeholders as needed.

Term 3 — Analysis

• Landscape-level (macro) analysis covering the ecoregion as a whole, including the relationship among business clusters within it.
• Grouping/typology-level (meso) analysis identifying meaningful groupings among business clusters, based on relevant shared characteristics.
• Cluster-level (micro) analysis of individual business clusters, including relevant social, economic, and land-use/stakeholder dynamics affecting each.
• Additional field confirmation, where needed, to validate analytical findings prior to the planning stage.

Term 4 — Planning

• Macro-level landscape integration plan for the ecoregion.
• Meso-level plan addressing synergy and complementarity among grouped business clusters.
• Micro-level site and action plans for representative business clusters, including relevant supporting technical and design detail for key strategic locations within each site.
• Field-based consultation and dissemination of planning outputs with business-cluster change makers and relevant stakeholders.
• Development of operational implementation guidance that translates the plans into a practical, living reference for change makers to act on over time — issued first in draft form ahead of the consultation above, then finalised to reflect the input gathered.

Expected deliverables

The Consultant is expected to deliver outputs corresponding to each of the four terms. Each term is closed out following formal review, acceptance, and approval of the corresponding output by PT.CAN before the next begins.

The number of business clusters and change makers covered under this engagement is not fixed in advance, and will be determined as part of the identification and grouping process under Term 3. The engaging firm is expected to propose an approach that remains appropriate and feasible within the proposed budget and timeline as this number becomes clear.

Term 1 — Methodology

Indicative output: working methodology, analytical approach, and workplan for the engagement.

• Methodology and workplan document submitted and approved by PT.CAN and Fairfood within a maximum of 45 calendar days of contract effectiveness.
• Analytical framework explicitly covers all three levels (macro, meso, and micro).
• Key personnel composition and field logistics plan approved by PT.CAN and Fairfood within a maximum of two revision rounds.

Term 2 — Data Collection

Indicative output: consolidated desk-review findings and primary field data collection outputs.

• Secondary data across at least four categories (spatial/GIS, socioeconomic, land-use, and regulatory) consolidated and verified as the basis for calibrating field data collection.
• Primary field data collected, covering one field surveying framework and the business clusters together with the surrounding landscape as a whole within the agreed scope.
• Evidence of local stakeholder engagement (number and type of consultations/meetings) documented.

Term 3 — Analysis

Indicative output: macro, meso, and micro-level analytical findings, including business-cluster identification and grouping.

• Macro-level analysis completed and approved, covering 100% of the agreed ecoregion area.
• Three to five typologies/cluster groups identified at meso level, with clear and relevant criteria.
• 100% of identified individual clusters analysed at micro level.
• At least one draft grouping of business clusters and change makers established as the baseline for Term 4.

Term 4 — Planning

Indicative output: macro, meso, and micro-level plans; field consultation and dissemination; draft and final implementation guidance.

• Macro plan covering 100% of the landscape integration plan for the ecoregion completed and submitted.
• Meso plan covering 100% of the typologies/groupings from Term 3.
• Micro-level site/action plans, including technical detail for key strategic locations, completed for representative clusters.
• Draft implementation guidance submitted no later than two weeks before the consultation session; final version no later than one week after.
• At least one FGD for consultation and dissemination with change makers and stakeholders carried out and documented.
• Action plan, programme, and budget allocation document supporting the landscape planning document.
• Masterplan landscape planning document.

Required profile

This engagement is open to firms, consulting entities, or consortia. The engaged firm is responsible for assembling and managing an appropriately qualified team, and for the overall management of resources, timeline, and deliverables across the engagement period, subject to aGROWforests consortium members' review and approval of proposed key personnel. Collectively, the engaged team is expected to demonstrate:

• Technical expertise: advanced expertise in landscape, regional, or spatial planning, including relevant academic qualifications and a minimum of 5–8 years of collective professional experience in geospatial analysis and masterplan/landscape planning, preferably within agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, or land-use planning contexts.
• Systems thinking: the ability to treat a region as an integrated system in which economic, social, institutional, and environmental factors intersect.
• Stakeholder engagement: experience engaging with local communities, government, and other stakeholders, including navigating land-use dynamics and multi-actor interests at the local level.
• Data integration: experience integrating multi-source data (remote sensing, field data, socio-environmental datasets) into decision-ready insights for feasibility studies, monitoring, and planning.
• Business planning: relevant business/economic planning capability applicable to agroforestry or smallholder commodity systems.
• Regulatory knowledge: familiarity with national and regional spatial planning frameworks (such as RTRW and RDTR); familiarity with Southeast Asian or tropical agroforestry contexts is preferred, with Bangka Belitung experience considered an asset.
• Track record: a proven record of producing high-quality maps, spatial models, and technical or planning documentation for donor, investor, or institutional partners.
• Communication: strong communication skills in English and Bahasa Indonesia, and the ability to convey technical outputs clearly to non-technical stakeholders.
• Values: a high level of integrity, adaptability, and cultural sensitivity, with a genuine commitment to regenerative agroforestry and community-based rural development.

Working arrangement and duty station

The Landscape Planning Consultant will be engaged as an external service firm. Work is expected to combine home-based/office-based activity with field engagement in Bangka Belitung at multiple points across the engagement, corresponding to the working phases described above. The specific frequency, duration, and staffing of field engagement is to be proposed by the engaging firm as part of its methodology and workplan.

Proposal submission

Interested firms, consulting entities, or consortia are invited to submit:

• Company or organisational profile: or CVs of key personnel, with a cover letter welcome, indicating interest in and suitability for this engagement.
• Project proposal: covering the proposed methodology, workplan, team composition, and budget, in accordance with the scope of work and terms described above.

Applicants are encouraged to apply via the application form on this page. The submission deadline is 31 August 2026.

Notes

This recruitment is generally open to qualified firms and professional entities. PT.CAN ensures that this recruitment process will be carried out openly and fairly for all applicants who meet the required qualifications, without regard to race, gender, religion, or political affiliation.

If you have any questions about this ToR please contact fani@cinquer.id