Date: 8 October, 2026

Terms of Reference
For Field Volunteers for the Bamboo for Climate Action

1. Organizational Background

iDE is an international NGO with over 44 years of experience in designing and delivering market-based anti-poverty programs in 11 countries. We are a world leader in making markets work for the poor as well as the longest established market development specialist NGO in Bangladesh. iDE believes that markets can be a powerful force for improving smallholder prosperity by creating income and livelihood opportunities for poor rural households. iDE Bangladesh currently has eight projects in agricultural markets, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), and access to finance with a focus on women’s economic empowerment and climate-smart technologies.

2. Project Background

Bamboo for the climate action (B4CA) project aligns with the SDC’s global strategy to promote climate interventions and sustainable growth. This project integrates at least three approaches to programming such as humanitarian programs, climate interventions, and market driven support in CXB and CHT.   The influx of Rohingya refugees has sparked a surge in demand for infrastructure and construction materials within their camps, leading to the rapid depletion of local bamboo reserves in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and other northern districts. This extensive harvesting of bamboo stocks has precipitated adverse environmental impacts, including soil erosion, flooding, landslides, and habitat degradation, exacerbating the vulnerability of local populations to climate-induced shocks. Since the 2017 refugee influx, Cox’s Bazar witnessed a near depletion of its bamboo supply, prompting a supply chain extension to the CHTs and northern regions of Bangladesh. Correspondingly, the number of bamboo traders in Cox’s Bazar district escalated significantly to meet market demands. According to the UNHCR's Humanitarian Bamboo Technical Report, the annual bamboo consumption in Rohingya Camps surged to 15,665,024, 15,665,024, and 13,837,108 culms in 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. On the national scale, the demand-supply gap for bamboo culms has persisted, reaching 324.6, 390.78, and 919.46 million culms in 2013, 2020, and projected 2040 figures, respectively. To address the intertwined issues of climate change, environmental degradation, high demand, and low productivity, CNRS, in collaboration with iDE, launched the 'Bamboo for Climate Action (B4CA)' initiative. Funded by SDC and operational in five upazilas under Cox’s Bazar district, this project aims to provide nature-based and market-based solutions to meet demands, sequester carbon, and improve livelihoods while mitigating environmental impacts. CNRS will focus on bamboo propagation, plantation, awareness raising, and community mobilisation, while iDE will concentrate on market development and private sector engagement, benefiting both host and Rohingya communities in the bamboo sector.

3. Primary responsibilities include:

One Field Volunteer will be assigned to each intervention Zone to ensure continuous field presence and close engagement with local stakeholders and project partners. The Field Volunteers will direct reporting to Field Technical Specialist-FTS and closely work with Associate Officers-AOs and connect Dhaka Technical Team. 

  • Stakeholders mobilization.
  • Organize training, meetings, workshop and any kind of field level activities
  • Support for market events and exposure visits.
  • Beneficiary follow-up.
  • Data collection and reporting.
  • Monitoring of field activities.
  • Documentation of success stories.
  • Coordination with local government and community institutions.
  • Day-to-day communication with growers, nurseries, Collection Points, and enterprises.

Deploying one volunteer per Zone will significantly improve implementation efficiency, reduce operational delays, and strengthen community ownership while allowing technical staff to focus on facilitation and strategic engagement which will be alignment with the Detailed Implementation Plan.

The proposed field Volunteer directly supports delivery of the activities outlined in the Detailed Implementation Plan, including:

  • Strengthening bamboo market systems.
  • Establishing and expanding Collection Points.
  • Nursery commercialization.
  • Private sector engagement.
  • Market research and intelligence.
  • Business-to-business linkage facilitation.
  • Enterprise incubation.
  • Institutional procurement.
  • Financial service linkages.
  • Branding and promotion.
  • Climate-resilient bamboo enterprises.
  • Social cohesion initiatives.
  • Monitoring, learning, and adaptive management.

4. Understanding of the Assignment

iDE is looking to hire experienced and skilled field volunteers for the B4CA project in three Zones of Cos’s Bazar (Zone-1 Sadar & Ramu, Zone- 2 Ukhiya & Teknaf and Zone -3 Chakaria. The Field Volunteers will work under the supervision of a field program implementation team (led by the Field Technical Specialist) based in Cox’s Bazar Sadar, Ramu, Ukhiya, Teknaf & Chakaria (in the Project  working areas), where they will mainly be engaged in field activity planning, implementation, and monitoring.

She/He will be guided by the project and field staff. She/He will maintain field rules and policies and will have to be available for agreed dates and assignments. Potential volunteers will have to be permanently based in the B4CA working area. As per this ToR, iDE will make a pool of  3 volunteers from which they will be called upon on basis of workload and the payment will be made on a “no work no pay” basis.  

Position Field Volunteer
Project Bamboo for Climate Action -B4CA
Number of Vacancies 3
Fee 1500 BDT/Day plus actual conveyance allowance 
Job Location 1.Zone 1 ( Cox’s Bazar Sadar and Ramu ) -1 nos Field Volunteer
2.Zone -2 ( Ukhiya and Teknaf ) -1nos Field Volunteer
3. Zone -3 ( Chakaria ) -1 nos Field Volunteer
Reporting Line Field Technical Specialist -FTS

The responsibilities of the Field Volunteer include but are not limited to the descriptions below.

  • Participate in the planning of field intervention, preparation of work plans, implementation of planned activities, and monitoring/reporting of progress
  • Assist and monitor the implementation of planned activities and community-level activities
  • Work closely with project-supported Incubates, Entrepreneurs, Nurseries, Collection Point Management Committee, Bamboo Growers Association, Contact Farmers, Bamboo Growers, local government representatives, Government line department, and the project stakeholders and beneficiaries’ households.
  • Facilitate and mobilize the engagements of stakeholders during planning, implementation and development meetings, workshops, and seminars.
  • Identify and mobilize local level entrepreneurs (especially women and youth), support and facilitate in the implementation of planned activities.
  • Assist Associate Officer & Field Technical Specialist and Technical Team to conduct the capacity-building programs, visits, report, information collection, budget preparation
  • Work with local people and foster the community cultures and belief
  • Conduct field scoping/scouting, collect and analyze data
  • Organize/Facilitate demand generation activities in the targeted community
  • Participate in different stakeholder meetings at all levels (Community, Union,Upazila, and District)
  • Support the collection and documentation of impact and success stories on monthly, quarterly, semiannual, and annually
  • Collect qualitative and quantitative data from the field and documentation of evidence-based impact stories
  • Respond to project email and attend the project event/meeting
  • Perform other duties as required

Skills and Experience

A successful Field Volunteer will have the following skills and experience and will be comfortable with the following conditions.

Education Minimum Bachelor degree. However, Master’s degree holders in any relevant subject will get priority
Work Experience Prior experience of a minimum of two relevant volunteering assignments will be prioritized

Key Competencies
  • Ability to understand and adapt financial and administrative systems, project management, leadership, and operational activities
  • Considerable understanding and knowledge of the role of the private sector, government, and civil society/NGOs in creating an effective market system development
  • Ability to coordinate and collaborate effectively with various stakeholders including government agencies and private sector service providers
  • High quality of written and spoken both Bangla and English with an ability to produce regular qualitative narrative reports
  • Proficient user of computer software and smartphones
  • Self-reliant, able to work independently and effectively in a multi-cultural environment, and willing to work under pressure in remote areas
  • Good communication skills and common sense to handle the unseen situation

Personal Qualities
  • Self-motivated, quick learner, energetic, and team player
  • Good analytical and problem-solving skills, ability to think creatively, and encourage community people to adapt to new initiatives
  • Prepared to undertake frequent field visits and extensive travel
  • Ability to adapt and work with all genders, religions, nationalities, and ages
  • The candidates those have personal motorcycle with valid driving license and laptop will be given priority

Other Information and Conditions
  • Paid volunteers will earn a fixed rate on a daily basis upon completion of agreed assignments
  • Remuneration package, workdays, and deliverables might be changed based on negotiation among iDE management and the contract
  • iDE reserves the right to terminate this agreement at any time with the consultation of the employee as per HR policy

Major responsibilities of iDE

iDE will provide the volunteers with the necessary support to undertake and implement the assignment and execute the objectives of this assignment. Such responsibilities include the following:

  1. iDE will take responsibility for the procurement of the pool of volunteers
  2. Provide initial briefing and provide training
  3. Provide relevant documents and technical support
  4. Provide guidance to the Field Volunteers to enable him/her to understand the Deliverables required
  5. Field operation team will assist the Field Volunteers by providing information on project locations and respondents
  6. Disburse payment as per the agreed schedule in the contract

Interested Field Volunteers are asked to submit their CV (max. 03 pages) to:

The Senior Manager-Procurement and Asset Management, iDE Bangladesh
([email protected]) with ‘B4CA Field Volunteers’ in the subject line. The applications should be submitted by 11:59 pm BST on 15 October 2026. Only shortlisted volunteers will be contacted and invited for an interview.