We are seeking a Consultant to provide Climate Technical Assistance (TA) for WASH SMEs
1. Background
We have launched the Scaling Climate-Resilient WASH Programme targeting growth-stage enterprises in West Africa and the Horn of Africa. Through this programme, we will support water and sanitation small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with climate-focused technical assistance projects to integrate climate resilience into their service delivery.
The use of grants will be determined by the needs of the enterprises, with the overall focus on developing climate strategies and implementing strategic adaptation projects to enhance the climate resilience of the SMEs
We are pleased to launch this programme recognising the significant need for this type of funding. Therefore, we aim to use the funds strategically to demonstrate the need and best use of this funding. To that end, our initial considerations include:
- Selecting enterprises that will use adaptation funds to complement larger investments, covering the incremental costs of adaptation
- Focusing on enterprises with innovative and highly promising approaches to climate resilience.
In addition to these climate-focused TA projects, the programme also includes business development support, results-based grants, and technical assistance with risk-sharing for financial institutions. All aspects of the programme will be aligned with our climate policy, which aims to ensure that our investments are climate-smart (avoiding emissions, reducing risks and building resilience). We do this by:
- Mainstreaming climate risk, adaptation and mitigation impact assessments in all initiatives supported directly
- Supporting the design and implementation of adaptation and mitigation measures where needed
- Supporting our Financial Institution/investor partners in climate risk assessment and mitigation screening
- Reducing our own operational footprint.
To provide strategic advice and shape the use of the funds and selection of the enterprises accordingly, we are looking for a Consultant to provide Climate Technical Assistance (TA) for WASH SMEs.
2. Objectives
The consultant will assist in identifying suitable water and sanitation SMEs for the programme and collaborate closely with them throughout its duration.
The focus will be on supporting them in assessing climate risks, developing or improving their climate resilience strategies and selecting impactful adaptation measures for implementation. The consultant will also support project with management tasks.
The support will help build the SMEs capacity for sustainable, climate-smart business practices and enhance their investment readiness, contributing towards long-term resilience and sustainability.
The consultant will support and advise on the inclusion of our climate strategy in all programme activities, including technical assistance for business development projects, results-based grants, and partnerships with financial institutions.
3. Deliverables
The consultant will be responsible for:
Project Management:
- Review applications for the Scaling Climate-Resilient WASH and assist the team in selecting enterprises for Climate TA grants
- Project management tasks for the selected enterprise projects (e.g.: contracting and financial administration, assist with the selection of TA service providers where needed, etc.)
Climate Risk Assessment with SMEs:
- Support selected SMEs with climate risk assessments using our climate risk assessment tool, which examines their exposure to hazards and identifies vulnerabilities in SME operations.
Adaptation Strategy Development:
- Support SMEs in developing climate adaptation strategies tailored to their business context. If external TA providers are contracted to work with an enterprise, make sure effective collaboration is taking place
- Provide support in identifying practical and effective adaptation measures to ensure resilience in service delivery and safeguard the long-term sustainability of water and sanitation services.
Monitoring and Reporting:
- Supervise SMEs in setting up monitoring systems to track the effectiveness of adaptation strategies and climate resilience measures
- Develop and submit progress reports detailing milestones, lessons learned, and future recommendations for improvement in our Climate Strategy.
Climate Advisory to the Scaling Climate-Resilient WASH programme:
- Serve as a resource for SMEs and Financial institutions which are supported in the programme where needed on their climate adaptation measures
- Review programme tools and documents to refine and improve the Climate-Smart granting approach in collaboration with our team.
Please note: The tasks are designed to be flexible and not fully pre-defined, the content can evolve and be adapted to emerging operational directions throughout the year. The allocation of time per deliverable will depend on the needs of the enterprises and the support needed to sharpen this and other climate-smart granting approaches.
4. Timeline
The Climate Technical Assistance programme will run from 1 March 2025 – July 2026: Period of assignment: 1 March 2025 – 31 July 2026
Phase 1 will include preparation, selection and contracting of the Climate TA projects and will run from February to August 2025, Phase 2 will include implementation, monitoring and reporting and will continue until July 2026.
We expect the Level of Effort needed for this assignment to be (maximum) 36 days spread out over the two phases, with roughly 60% of the time spent in Phase 1 and 40% spent in Phase 2.
The consultant is expected to attend regular update meetings with our Impact & Knowledge team and the Scaling Climate-Resilient WASH programme team.
5. Proposal requirements
- Summary/interpretation of the assignment and approach, including ideas of how the available climate funding can be used in a strategic manner
- Overview of team and expertise (see below; please highlight experience in climate risk assessment, climate strategy development, water and sanitation related fields, as well as experience working with SMEs, preferably in water, sanitation or related sectors)
- Estimated workplan and budget
- Evaluation criteria
- Proposed team, skills and experience – 70%
- Budget and Level of Effort – 30%
Profile Technical Assistance Consultant
- Independent Consultant
- At least bachelor’s degree in relevant subject (master’s degree or PhD will be considered an advantage)
- Knowledge of and experience in the water and sanitation sector
- Knowledge of and experience in climate resilience in the water and sanitation sector
- Experience in providing technical assistance to enterprises
- Experience in the SME space and developing business strategies
- Strong writing and presenting skills
- Proficiency in French and English
- Flexibility and good time keeping skills
- Experience working with financial institutions is considered an advantage
- Experience in emerging markets is considered an advantage.
Firms that meet the following requirements can submit their proposal:
- Independent Firms
- At least 2 years of operations
- At least 3 of experience in similar assignments in climate-smart WASH
- A designated team leader to co-ordinate team members and liaise with our team.
Timeline
Proposals should be submitted to programmes@aquaforall.org by close of business on 31 January 2025, with the subject line: “Proposal Climate Consultant.”
Interviews will be conducted on 11 February 2025.
You can find more information on Aqua for All’s approach to climate-smart WASH here.