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Consultancy Vacancy: Scoping work for CCG activities in Malawi

Scope the institutional actors and policy frameworks relevant to planning policy development, particularly in relation to the energy and transport sectors, and produce a stakeholder map of key researchers, influencers, and decision makers within such processes.

Location: Malawi

Period of Work: 25 working days; full delivery by 16 December 2024

Application Deadline: 11 October 2024

Full details and how to submit: download the Terms of Reference or read on below

Background

The Centre for Global Equality (CGE) is an organisation based in Cambridge, UK, that evolves innovative approaches to solving global challenges relating to food, water, energy, health, work, and the environment. Key to CGE’s inclusive innovation approach is the building of productive interdisciplinary, inter-sectoral and international collaborations.

CGE is leading the Country Partnerships workstream in the Climate Compatible Growth (CCG) programme funded by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The CCG Country Partnerships team is responsible for establishing strong engagement and well-supported collaborations between key stakeholders in partner countries and UK researchers.

Overall, the CCG programme supports investment in sustainable energy and transport systems to meet development priorities in the programme’s partner countries. The programme brings researchers from the UK’s top Universities together with leading researchers, planners and government officials in partner countries, and stakeholders from national, international, and multilateral organisations, including development banks, to identify appropriate low-carbon development pathways. CCG also contributes to building the research capacity and public goods to pursue these pathways in partner countries.

Being demand-led, CCG expands capacity within strategic sectors to meet the specific development priorities of each partner country. Since its establishment in early 2021, CCG has developed ongoing country networks in Ghana, India, Kenya, Lao PDR, Vietnam and Zambia, where it is supporting national planning and policy developments within the energy, transport, and other planning-related sectors. CCG is now establishing a network in Malawi, the initiation of which will be based on the findings undertaken through this work.

CCG is organised across research and partnership workstreams. CCG researchers investigate diverse issues ranging from energy planning, low-carbon transport, gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), resilience, and political economy. Working closely with the researchers, CCG partnerships both at the international- and country-partnership level aim to build collaborations and embed CCG knowledge products in a meaningful and useful way, such that the use of these materials outlives the research programme.

Purpose of the consultancy

At the heart of CCG’s strategy is effective influencing and impact. To achieve this, it is vital for the programme to establish a comprehensive understanding of context including the political, economic, and social factors that shape the decision-making environment as well as how institutions emerge and operate. To meet the complex climate and sustainable development challenges, governments across the world are setting new targets, restructuring their institutions and revising their policies. It is therefore crucial for CCG to be equipped with up-to-date information on the institutions, policies and processes.

The assignment includes scoping of the policy frameworks and planning strategies currently being pursued for low carbon development in Malawi identifying the key actors (both national and international) involved in the sponsoring, development, implementation, and revision of these frameworks and strategies; and identifying feasible areas of opportunity and knowledge gaps where research, stronger data provision, or scenario modelling capacity building (see CCG supported modelling tools) may enhance progress towards climate compatible growth in Malawi. The analysis must also identify (a) key emerging trends (focusing on political, economic, technological, environmental and investment issues) that can impact developments in the sectors CCG work in; and (b) significant shifts among state and non-state institutions and their bearing on policy outcomes and political processes (for example, what is the nature of the interests, incentives, ideas and the balance of power among relevant groups and individuals).

Scope

CCG’s overarching goal is to collaborate and support climate compatible growth decisions through providing evidence-based policy recommendations that are developed in collaboration with Malawi-based experts. The consultant should identify opportunities at the research-policy interface where CCG expertise can help fill knowledge gaps and enhance collaboration between researchers and policy makers in Malawi.

Thus, this scope of work will include the following key aspects:

A) Contextual analysis and sector assessment: analysis of Malawi’s political, economic, and social context, including the current policy environment, development plans, ambitions, and priorities. Identify the main drivers, challenges, and opportunities for climate compatible growth and sustainable development. Assess the existing policies and regulations for effectiveness, coherence, and alignment with development goals and international commitments (e.g. NDC). Identify policy gaps and regulatory challenges and include GESI considerations where possible.
B) Institutional mapping and stakeholder analysis: Identify and map key institutions and stakeholders involved in low-carbon development in Malawi, including government agencies, regulatory bodies, research organisations, international partners, financial institutions, private sector entities, civil society groups, political parties and any other actor/group that influence, or is affected by climate compatible policies. Analyse their roles, mandates, capacities, and relationships, highlighting their influence on policy formulation and implementation. Assess stakeholders’ interests, incentives, power dynamics, and their potential to shape policy decisions. The stakeholder analysis should also include how informal actors, both organised or non-organised, shape policy adoption and enforcement.
C) Based on the analysis conducted, provide evidence-based recommendations including identifying barriers, gaps, and potential entry points for CCG to improve the programme’s engagement strategy in Malawi. These recommendations should be tailored to address the identified barriers and leverage the identified entry points at the research-policy interface where CCG expertise can help fill knowledge gaps and enhance collaboration between researchers and policy makers in Malawi.
D) If not addressed above, we want to ensure this study investigates the following questions:

  1. How are climate goals aligned with broader national development objectives?
  2. What drives government incentives to decarbonise? Is there a high-level political commitment to decarbonisation?
  3. Are there information flow deficiencies between the actors responsible for National Communications, Energy Scenarios, National Development Planning, and Finance ministries’ engagement?
  4. What are the decision-making processes for the finance departments to integrate policy proposal into financial planning?
  5. Which are the most relevant agencies sponsoring the green energy agenda in the country?
  6. What is the current capacity of local institutions to manage and implement climate finance projects?
  7. Are there strategies being employed to mobilise financial resources for climate projects, both domestically and through international channels?
  8. What mechanisms are in place for monitoring and evaluating the progress of decarbonization efforts?
  9. Who are the key stakeholders, including marginalized and vulnerable groups, that need to be engaged in discussions and decision-making processes related to climate actions?
  10. Does the government provide support for research in areas related to the work of the CCG?

Main tasks & activities

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

  • Review of existing and more recent literature and secondary data that might provide key insights in Malawi’s macroeconomic, institutional and political context relevant to understanding its climate-compatible growth strategies eg World Bank’s CCDR 2022.
  • A desktop review of relevant legislation, policies, and projects currently being employed by the Malawi Government at the national and sub-national levels to guide low-emission development plans. The review should highlight whether these policies were successful or not.
  • A desktop review of the current initiatives run by domestic and international non-government organisations in Malawi within the context of low-emission development and whether these interventions have been successful to date.
  • Consult relevant stakeholders to verify and elaborate findings from (1) and (2) above and discern the connections between different actors within the policy development processes.
  • Consolidate the findings of the scoping into a pair of written reports that is accompanied by a stakeholder map.
  • A verbal presentation of the draft findings to the CCG consortium

Expected deliverables

  • A short inception report outlining the priority policy areas in Malawi for low-emission development with relevant supporting evidence and references also providing a summary of historical, political, social and economic context (~7 pages).
  • A stakeholder map of the key actors and institutions relevant to planning policy development within the energy, critical minerals and transport sectors in government, business, civil society, and academia. Ideal if the consultant can include excluded factions, e.g., opposition political parties. This will help CCG identify (i) plausible contending ideas and interests towards climate compatible development and (ii) how pressure from these groups shape government’s commitment to low-carbon policies.
  • A more detailed report that captures how CCG can productively develop activity that are aligned with research and policy interests in Malawi (~10 pages).
  • A comprehensive slide deck that summaries the key findings from this study.

Reporting relationship

The consultant will work directly with the CGE team (CCG’s Country Partnerships lead organisation). CGE will award the funding for the assignment, provide overall guidance, and will receive the final deliverables. The CGE team will work closely with CCG’s internal team to ensure progress of materials is meeting expectations.

Contractual arrangements

One consultant will be engaged for this assignment. A contract will be signed between CGE and the individual consultant. Prior to signing this contract, the successful candidate will be required to carry out due diligence.

Duration of the assignment

The assignment covers 25 payable working days. Contractual/professional fees will be made upon acceptance of all deliverables by the 16th of December 2024.
Note: an inception report (deliverable 1) will be expected by the 11th of November 2024.

Work arrangements

The consultant is expected to be able to carry out the assignment from their own office and must use their own equipment and resources to deliver the tasks set out. The consultant will be required to have online update meetings with the Country Partnerships and relevant research teams regularly.

Required qualification and experience:

The preferred candidate will hold a PhD, or a master’s degree plus five (5) years relevant work experience, in related subjects such as engineering, energy, political sciences, social sciences, engineering, climate policy or a related field.

  • A strong background in the energy sector in Malawi. Knowledge of critical mineral will be an added advantage.
  • Be familiar with policy, regulatory and institutional frameworks in relevant sectors
  • Currently based in Malawi
  • A strong understanding of civil service policy, laws, systems, and structures in Malawi
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
  • Experience in conducting institutional and governance and/or context and policy analysis
  • Strong knowledge of Malawi political, economic, and social dynamics, including the energy, transportation, financial and industry sectors
  • Expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including analysis and stakeholder engagement
  • Familiarity with low-carbon policies, regulations, and investment frameworks at the national and international levels

Application Process:

Applicants should submit a bid consisting of:

  • a CV
  • a covering letter outlining how their knowledge and experience meets the requirements for this assignment
  • a quotation for up to 25 working days

to elizabeth.tennyson@centreforglobalequality.org by 11th of October 2024