Individual Consultant to Prepare Two full-fledged project proposals

Oxford Policy Management

Oxford Policy Management Limited (OPM) is one of the world’s leading international policy development and management consultancies. We enable strategic decision-makers in the public and private sector to identify and implement sustainable solutions for reducing social and economic disadvantage in low and middle-income countries.

We seek to bring about lasting positive change using analytical and practical policy expertise.

Building Resilience in Ethiopia Technical Assistance (BRE) Programme

Building Resilience in Ethiopia (BRE) is a four-year (2019-2023) technical assistance (TA) project co-funded by FCDO and USAID, being implemented by OPM. The main aim of BRE is to support Ethiopia’s drive towards becoming a middle-income country, by strengthening nationally owned and led systems that better anticipate and respond to recurrent shocks and resulting acute needs. The BRE-TA vision is to support the ‘Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to lead and deliver an effective, gradually self-financed and accountable response to climate and humanitarian shocks. The BRE-TA programme’s Disaster Risk Finance (DRF) workstream is closely working with the CRGE Facility and other Directorates under the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to ensure public finances are more resilient to climate and humanitarian shocks.

I. BACKGROUND / RATIONALE

Climate change is affecting sustainable development in Ethiopia mostly due to high dependence of the economy on rain-fed agriculture. The livelihoods of majority of the population are sensitive to climate-related shocks, including drought and flooding. Climate change is likely to exacerbate the impacts of degradation of the country’s environmental resources – including arable land, water, pasture and forest – with connected impacts on Ethiopia’s food and water securities. Consequently, communities living both rural and urban settings will be further impacted by this predicted climate change variability. For addressing this, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) Climate Resilience Green Economy (CRGE) facility was until recently implementing a Climate Smart Integrated Rural Development project financed by the Adaptation Fund (AF) in fourteen kebeles across seven woredas within Six regional Sates.

The Building Resilience Ethiopia (BRE-TA), which is financed by FCDO and USAID has agreed with the CRGE Facility to scale up the benefits gained from the above project by preparing two proposals based on it. The two proposals target to mobilize $25 Million from Green Climate Fund under the Simplified Approval Process (GCF-SAP) and $10 million from the AF. The Proposal for the GCF-SAP funding window is planned to be implemented in the same woredas as the previous AF-financed project but different kebeles while the proposal for the AF is expected to target possibly new regional governments and new woredas.

The Oxford Policy Management (OPM), which is managing the BRE-TA Program, is hiring an individual consultant who will closely work with the OPM BRE-TA Team and the CRGE Facility at the Ministry of Finance. The IC is expected to begin developing the proposal for the AF as soon as the contract is signed, and to do the same for the GCF-SAP proposal as soon as the GCF has accepted the Concept note. The BRE-TA and CRGE Facility Team are currently working to complete the drafting of the concept note and choose the kebeles for the GCF-SAP. A stakeholder consultation on the concept note is also held.

Drafting of the proposals is expected to be based on the mid-term and final evaluation report and other documents of the AF Financed recently completed Project.

II. SCOPE OF THE SERVICE / WORK

The IC is expected to produce two project proposals with the required annexes (except the Environmental and Social Safeguard Management Plan for which a separate consultant will be recruited) as per the template at the onset of the assignment, which among others should include implementation plan, a detailed budget breakdown, a procurement plan, gender and environmental considerations. All these documents should be finalized after incorporating comments and suggestions received from BRE-TA and CRGE facility staff.

The task requires active and regular engagement with relevant sector experts from federal and regional levels in determining the scope and geographic locations of the projects. The consultant should also review relevant secondary sources of information.

Key activities and tasks include the following but not limited to:

·         In consultation with BRE-TA Team and the CRGE Facility, facilitate stakeholders consultations to elicit information for designing an effective project proposals;

·         Undertake a desk review on the historic climate trends and future projections in the specific context of the projects;

·         Engage with the federal and regional stakeholders to determine the scope, budget, beneficiaries and geographic locations of the project proposals;

·         Review and map stakeholders in the context of the project and identify specific role(s) they play during the project preparation and implementation;

·         Review existing Government strategies, policies, and regulations as they are relevant for the achievement of the project objectives;

·         Review ongoing government and non-government work that is relevant for the project and identify gaps;

·         Develop a robust theory of changes that underlies the project interventions supported by evidence;

·         Develop gender and environmental safeguard action/management plan;

·         Ensure that as many relevant NGOs, CSOs and women and vulnerable groups are sufficiently consulted throughout the preparation process;

·         Prepare periodic briefings to the MOF CRGE facility, BRE-TA and other stakeholders to update on the progress of the project preparation.

III. OBJECTIVES OF THE SERVICE / WORK

The main objective of the assignment is to formulate two full-fledged bankable project proposals that meet the criteria of GCF-SAP and AF. The IC is expected to formulate two bankable project proposals and related annexes with inputs from the different stakeholders at the national and regional levels.

IV. EXPECTED OUTPUTS / DELIVERABLES

The IC is expected to deliver the following outputs:

Ø  Inception report detailing clear methodology, work plan and list of national documents to be reviewed and institutions consulted for the purpose of the project proposal design,

Ø  Two final draft full-fledged proposals with relevant annexes

V. METHODOLOGY / APPROACH OF THE SERVICE (WORK)

The approach of the assignment will be:

·         The IC will work under the close guidance of the BRE-TA CRGE Project coordinator and International Advisor.

·         The IC will undertake project site visits. The purpose of the site visits may include (a) collection of baseline information, (b)verification and finalization of project activities; (c) clarifying monitoring; and (d) evaluation framework, including measurable impact indicators

·         Undertake desk review on thematic areas;

·         Conduct extensive document, data compilation, validation and analysis;

·         Conduct extensive consultations with the relevant stakeholders at federal and regional levels;

·         Conduct stakeholder mapping and analysis;

·         Develop theory of change, logical framework analysis and identify implementable actions/interventions;

·         Prepare detailed budget breakdown and implementation plan;

·         Consolidate the complete proposal document in coordination with other consultants in charge for gender/social safeguard action plan;

·         In collaboration with the BRE-TA Project coordinator and International Advisor conduct validation workshop, facilitate consultation of stakeholders and practitioners as relevant.

VI. TIMEFRAME OF THE WORK /DELIVERABLES/OUTPUT 

The expected duration of this work is 100 days with a start date of immediate. The timeframe and expected deliverables are shown below:

VII. PAYMENT MILESTONES AND AUTHORITY

Payments shall be linked with the deliverables and shall be affected after the successful completion of each deliverable as stipulated hereunder. The IC shall be paid the lump sum contract amount upon certification of the completed tasks satisfactorily, as per the following payment schedule:

VII. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

The IC is expected to meet the following minimum requirements:

• Post-graduate qualification in Agricultural Economics, Development Studies, Economics, Resources and Environmental Economics, Agriculture, Forest Management, Environmental Engineering, Climate Change, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Science and other related disciplines;
• At least 15 years of experience in result-based project planning, project management with extensive experience in climate finance;
• Demonstrable experience in leading the design and appraisal of complex, inter-disciplinary projects/programs of climate change related projects/programs for bilateral and multilateral organizations (including Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund);
• Practical experience in environmental planning and management, environmental and social safeguard assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment;
• Demonstrated experience in incorporating gender equality considerations in climate resilient projects/programs;
• Strong track record of conducting environmental/social safeguards studies for significant projects
• Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research and data analysis methods and tools;
• Knowledge and familiarity with international bilateral and multilateral climate finance entities is an added advantage;
• Good inter-personal communication skills;
• Excellent report writing skills;
• Proven capability to meet deadlines and work under pressure;
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written in English,

VIII. CRITERIA FOR SELECTING THE BEST OFFER

Upon the advertisement of the procurement notice, qualified individual consultant is requested to submit their CV along with their daily fee rate. Accordingly, IC will be evaluated based on cumulative analysis as per the following scenario:

a. Technical Criteria weight is 70%

b. Financial Criteria weight is 30%

IX. LOGISTICAL SUPPORT

The BRE-TA shall provide transportation and pay DSA for the consultant during authorized travels to the regional states for data gathering.

X. CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROPRIETARY INTERESTS

The consultant shall not either during the term or after termination of the assignment, disclose any proprietary or confidential information related to the consultancy or the Government without prior written consent. Proprietary interests on all materials and documents prepared by the consultants under the assignment shall become and remain properties of the MOF.