Request For Proposal -Terms Of Reference For Consultancy Services For Developing Gender Equality And Social Inclusion In Renewable Energy Policy Briefs, November 2021- AECF
1.0 The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund
The AECF (formerly the “Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund”) (www.aecfafrica.org), is a leading African-based development organization that supports innovative commercial businesses in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors with the aim of reducing rural poverty, promoting resilient communities and creating jobs. The AECF has raised over US$ 400 million to date and provides catalytic funding and technical advisory support to enterprises in 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa by investing in businesses that struggle to meet traditional risk-return standards for commercial investors. In just over a decade, we have supported 343 businesses, impacted more than 28 million lives, created close to 25,898 direct jobs, and leveraged over US $753.8 million in matching funds.
In 2021, the AECF launched a new strategy with the objective to build resilience and sustainable incomes for rural and marginalized communities in Africa. Through catalytic funding, we help surface and commercialize new ideas, business models, companies and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, expand energy access, and alleviate poverty while also addressing the crosscutting themes of women, youth, climate change and fragility. AECF is committed to working in frontier markets, fragile contexts, and high-risk economies where few mainstream financing institutions dare to go.
2.0 REACT SSA Program
REACT SSA is a Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) funded program implemented by AECF that provides matching grant financing and technical assistance (TA) to catalyze investment into innovative renewable energy businesses / business ideas across Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). Its objective is to improve access to renewable energy for low-income off-grid households, increase incomes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in eight target countries. One of the objectives of the REACT SSA program is to capture and disseminate lessons on how increased access to clean energy can deliver positive impact on the rural poor, especially women, through i)business models, and ii) improved business environment, through policy influencing and advocacy, iii) improved business environment through crowding in, replication and copying best practice.
3.0 Rationale for this Consultancy
The REACT SSA program seeks to play a crucial role in supporting evidence-based policy and advocacy initiatives that are at the intersection of gender, energy, and sustainable development, and in advancing gender equality, social inclusion, and women’s empowerment in the energy sector. One of the critical points of entry is through the production of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in clean energy policy briefs with a focus on the REACT SSA target countries which will be used for engagement with policy makers. The purpose of the policy briefs is to introduce and improve the integration of GESI issues in renewable energy policies, plans and strategies by providing practical ways to step up commitments in renewable energy policy in an inclusive and gender responsive way. The program aims to develop two GESI in clean energy policy briefs in 2021 focusing on Kenya and Mozambique and disseminate the policy findings and recommendations with selected policy makers through various forums. AECF seeks to develop policy briefs to:
• Provide compelling evidence to support improvements and implementation of gender sensitive, responsive and transformative policy frameworks supporting improved access to energy across the region.
• Generate evidence to support the development of more inclusive RE policies which incorporate Gender and Social Inclusion1 (GESI). GESI provides for special consideration and inclusion of the varied energy-specific interests of individuals and groups particularly women, youth, People with Disabilities (PWDs), internally displaced persons, refugees, nomadic communities, and marginalized households, regarding access to energy.
• Provide guidance and contribute to the inclusion of appropriate indicators to the national RE policy frameworks in REACT SSA countries over and above those proposed by UN Women. As primary energy managers in households, women can play a powerful role in the successful transition to sustainable energy for all. UN Women have designed supplemental gender indicators for SDG 7 i.e., (a) Average amount of time per day women and girls spend gathering fuel for household energy, and (b) Proportion of women with access to clean cooking fuel. However, there may be a need for additional indicators to adequately address access to energy for women.
Once these policy briefs are developed, they will be utilized to engage with the Ministries of Energy and other key stakeholders in the REACT SSA countries to encourage the gender sensitive and socially inclusive improvements of the RE policy frameworks. Subsequently, a targeted advocacy plan for each country will be developed and implemented.
4.0 Objectives of the Assignment
AECF seeks to develop compelling GESI in renewable energy policy briefs which provide compelling evidence to support improvements and implementation of gender sensitive, responsive and transformative policy frameworks supporting improved equitable access to energy in Kenya and Mozambique. AECF through review of renewable energy policy frameworks, and developing specific recommendations seeks to contribute to reducing the burden of energy poverty which is more likely to be carried by women as they experience the adverse effects of lack of safe, reliable, affordable, and clean energy. Women and children account for most of the estimated 4 million premature deaths that occur annually from Household Air Pollution (HAP) linked to cooking with traditional stoves and fuels. In
addition, access to electricity has a direct impact on reducing the drudgery of women’s daily activities, thus enabling them to undertake other meaningful activities including income generating activities.
A brief overview of REACT SSA countries shows that there are some gender energy policies in place. However, it is unclear to what extent the existing policy frameworks are implemented, and what would need to be done to improve and implement these policies to enhance energy access for women, youth, PWDs and marginalized populations. It is important to also note that the policies and the policy frameworks address the needs of women and do not address to the same degree the youth, people with disabilities and marginalized populations.
Given this background, the GESI in renewable energy policy briefs should address the following:
• The state of the gender energy policy frameworks in Kenya and Mozambique and articulate the appropriateness of the policy framework for increased energy access specifically for women and marginalized populations.
• Identify the specific constraints for women and marginalized populations to access energy linked to gaps in the regulatory framework in Kenya and Mozambique including – access to finance, access to jobs and incomes impacting on affordability of RE products, decision making and participation in the RE governance process among others.
• Recommend specific improvements to the policy frameworks to accelerate energy access for women and marginalized populations addressing identified constraints.
• Outline the impact of a gender responsive and socially inclusive policy framework on reducing energy poverty and propose specific interventions that would address energy poverty for women and marginalized populations in Kenya and Mozambique.
• Propose the development of appropriate indicators for both Kenya and Mozambique to adopt in their gender policy frameworks.
• Provide recommendations and an action plan to improve the renewable energy policy frameworks so that they are gender responsive, transformative, and socially inclusive. The policy frameworks need to accelerate energy access for women and marginalized populations addressing the identified constraints in Kenya and Mozambique.
5.0 Tasks and Responsibilities
Given the geographic spread and varied context of the two countries, a consultant can bid for one or both of the target countries. To achieve the envisaged objectives, the consultant under the overall supervision of AECF will:
a) Conduct a comprehensive literature review of GESI in renewable energy for the two countries which includes a thorough review of the enabling environment for the renewable energy sector in Kenya and Mozambique. This should include some interviews and other primary data collection from key stakeholders.
b) Identify the GESI gaps in the renewable energy policy frameworks in Kenya and Mozambique and provide recommendations for an enabling environment for GESI within the renewable energy sector in consultation with key stakeholders.
c) Produce a draft GESI in renewable energy policy brief/s outlining literature review, identified gaps and possible recommendations for consideration by sector actors.
d) Hold a one-day stakeholder’s engagement forum with the relevant actors in the renewable energy sector in Kenya and Mozambique to deliberate and agree on an appropriate position by sector actors.
e) Produce a final brief/s incorporating feedback from the stakeholder engagement forum articulating the position of sector actors, concise gaps in the enabling environment for GESI in the sector and appropriate recommendations for subsequent advocacy engagements. In addition, the final brief should incorporate an advocacy action plan to implement the proposed recommendations.
6.0 Deliverables
The consultant will deliver the following to AECF:
• An inception phase report demonstrating understanding of the tasks in the ToR and how they propose to accomplish the required tasks.
• Draft GESI in renewable energy policy briefs for each of the countries.
• Stakeholder validation forums in Kenya and Mozambique.
• Final GESI in renewable energy policy briefs incorporating an advocacy action plan.
7.0 Duration of Service
The duration of the service will be 25 days per policy brief. This service is expected to commence at the beginning of December 2021.
8.0 Proposal Submission
Qualified consultants (individual or institutional consultants) are invited to submit the proposal (in English) that includes the following:
a) Qualification and experience of the individual/institution.
b) Approach and methodology to undertake this assignment.
c) Previous experience in similar assignment(s).
d) Detailed financial budget (in USD) and work plan.
e) Technical and Financial proposals will need to be submitted as separate documents.
9.0 Qualifications
The consultant /consultant team should have:
a) Academic background in Renewable Energy, Gender, Development Finance, Economics, or equivalent at a Master’s level with a minimum of 7 years’ experience in the field.
b) A specialist or knowledge in gender integration and mainstreaming in the renewable energy sector.
c) Experience in developing policy briefs in the renewable energy sector in sub-Sahara Africa.
d) Experience in undertaking policy advocacy work in the renewable energy sector in sub-Sahara Africa.
e) Familiarity with the renewable energy contexts in Kenya and Mozambique.
f) Experience in gender integration in renewable energy businesses will be an advantage.
10.0 Reporting
The consultant will be accountable to AECF Manager – Partnerships and Gender.
11.0 Pricing
The AECF is obliged by the Kenyan tax authorities to withhold taxes on service contract fees as well as ensure VAT, at 16%, is charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position with regards to provisions of Kenya tax legislation when developing their proposals.
12.0 Evaluation Criteria
An evaluation committee will be formed by the AECF and shall include employees. All members will be bound by the same standards of confidentiality. The vendor should ensure that they fully respond to all criteria to be comprehensively evaluated.
The AECF may request and receive clarification from any Vendor when evaluating a proposal. The evaluation committee may invite some or all the Vendors to appear before the committee to clarify their proposals. In such event, the evaluation committee may consider such clarifications in evaluating proposals.
In deciding the final selection of qualified bidder, the technical quality of the proposal will be given a weighting of 70% based on the evaluation criteria. Only the financial proposal of those bidders who qualify technically will be opened. The financial proposal will be allocated a weighting of 30% and the proposals will be ranked in terms of total points scored.
The mandatory and desirable criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are identified below.
Key Areas for Evaluation/ Assessment
a) Technical Proposal – 70
i) An understanding of the consultancy requirements:
• Demonstrate understanding of the assignment – 5
• An in-depth understanding of the Renewable Energy Policy terrain in sub-Saharan Africa
• Demonstrated understanding of gender and social inclusion issues in the renewable energy sector -15
ii) Methodology and work-plan for performing the assignment:
Demonstrate capacity to deliver the task(s) within a realistic timeline, based on the consultancy days designated per task.
Present a clear and comprehensive strategy and work plan for this assignment – 15
iii) Relevant services undertaken by the bidder in the past engagements:
Demonstrate relevant experience.- 20
iv) Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments:
Three letters of reference from past customers for the lead consultant or the consulting organization. -15
b) Financial Proposal:
Clarity, relevance, reality to market value/ value for money of cost for the assignment (inclusive of any applicable tax).- 30
13.0 Disclaimer
AECF reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party.
14.0 Application Details
The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The AECF considers all interested candidates based on merit without regard to race, gender, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
AECF invites qualified consultants/firms to send a proposal to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org clearly marked “TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR DEVELOPING GENDER EQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION IN RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY BRIEFS” with reference to either Kenya or Mozambique. The proposal should be received no later than 26th November 2021 by 5.00 pm East Africa Time (GMT +3) addressed to: The AECF, Procurement Department. All clarifications and or questions should be sent to aecfprcurement@aecfafrica.org.
