Description
In May 2026, the African Development Bank Group approved a Climate Action Window grant of eight million four hundred and ninety thousand United States dollars (USD 8.49 million) to implement the project, “Enhancing Climate-Adapted Agricultural Productivity through Improved Water Management (P-MW-AA0-042)”. The project will be implemented in Phalombe and Thyolo districts, which were affected by Cyclone Freddy, with co-financing from the Government of Malawi, FAO, UNOPS and IFAD through a consortium arrangement. Its development objective is to enhance agricultural productivity, promote sustainable water resources management, and strengthen the socio-economic resilience of smallholder farming communities through integrated, community-led interventions. Using Technical Assistance resources from the Bank’s Climate Action Window, the African Development Bank’s Department of Agriculture and Agro-Industry seeks to recruit a local consulting firm with multidisciplinary expertise to undertake a package of preparatory activities including technical studies that will support implementation readiness and field delivery of project interventions.
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1.1. In May 2026, the African Development Bank Group approved a Climate Action Window grant of eight million four hundred and ninety thousand United States dollars (USD 8.49 million) to implement the project, “Enhancing Climate-Adapted Agricultural Productivity through Improved Water Management (P-MW-AA0-042)” in Malawi. The project will be implemented in Phalombe and Thyolo districts of Malawi, which were affected by Cyclone Freddy, with co-financing from the Government of Malawi, FAO, UNOPS and IFAD through a consortium arrangement. Its development objective is to enhance agricultural productivity, promote sustainable water resources management, and strengthen the socio-economic resilience of smallholder farming communities through integrated, community-led interventions.
1.2. The project comprises four interlinked components that collectively support its transformative agenda. Together, they provide an integrated framework to strengthen the resilience of rural communities in Malawi to climate shocks, improve food and nutrition security, and promote inclusive, climate-adapted economic growth in the targeted districts. Below is brief description of the project components:
• Component 1: Climate-Adapted Agricultural and WASH Infrastructure Restoration: This component will rehabilitate and climate-proof essential agricultural and WASH infrastructure in Cyclone Freddy-affected areas of Phalombe and Thyolo districts. It will promote equitable access, apply gender-responsive design principles, and strengthen long-term resilience to future climate shocks.
• Component 2: Climate-Adapted, Gender- and Nutrition-Sensitive Agricultural Productivity and Commercialization: This component seeks to transform smallholder agriculture in Phalombe and Thyolo into a climate-resilient, market-oriented, and nutrition-sensitive sector that supports sustainable rural livelihoods. It focuses on access to actionable climate information, climate-resilient seed multiplication, inclusive extension systems, and the adoption of adaptive agricultural technologies.
• Component 3: Catchment Management and Institutional Strengthening: This component will restore 650 hectares of degraded catchment areas through nature-based solutions while strengthening inclusive community capacity for sustainable natural resource governance. It aims to improve ecosystem functionality, increase agricultural productivity, and build local resilience to climate variability and shocks.
• Component 4: Project Management which focus on ensuring effective, transparent, and timely implementation of the project through strong operational management, robust monitoring and evaluation, multi-level stakeholder coordination, and strategic communication – thereby maximizing impact, learning, and long-term sustainability.
1.3. Through Technical Assistance Resources of the Climate Action Window, the Bank seeks services a local consulting firm with multidisciplinary expertise to undertake a package of preparatory assessments and technical studies that will support implementation readiness and field delivery of project interventions.
1.4. Specifically, the consultant will collect baseline data on project indicators to document pre-project conditions and establish a reference point for future monitoring and evaluation. This data will provide the basis for measuring project outcomes and assessing effectiveness by comparing baseline results with midterm, endline, and final evaluation findings.
1.5. Purpose of the assignment is to establish the technical, institutional, spatial, and
operational framework required for effective implementation of CAWMA interventions in targeted micro-catchments. Consulting firm shall undertake integrated assessments, produce implementation-ready planning tools, strengthen governance systems, develop capacity-building materials, establish monitoring systems & generate spatial information required to guide implementation through the project lifecycle. |
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2.1 The consulting firm shall undertake a comprehensive package of preparatory assessments, studies, planning exercises, capacity development initiatives, and systems development activities required to establish a strong foundation for implementation of the CAWMA Project. The assignment shall adopt an integrated approach that combines participatory planning, natural resources assessment, institutional strengthening, GIS and remote sensing analysis, capacity development, and monitoring system development. Through close collaboration with FAO, consortium member institutions, district councils, technical departments, traditional authorities, and community stakeholders, the consulting firm shall ensure that all outputs are practical, implementation-oriented, and aligned with national policies, district development priorities, and project objectives.
2.2 Participatory Planning and Institutional Assessments: The consulting firm shall undertake participatory assessments in target micro-catchments to understand local development priorities, institutional capacities, resource management challenges, and climate-related vulnerabilities. The firm shall assess the functionality, effectiveness, coordination arrangements, and sustainability of local governance structures responsible for natural resource management, irrigation governance, catchment restoration, community development, agricultural extension, nutrition programming, and local economic development. The results shall inform the development of Village Level Action Plans (VLAPs), governance strengthening frameworks, community engagement mechanisms, and implementation arrangements for project interventions.
2.3 Spatial Analysis and Restoration Targeting Assessments: The consulting firm shall undertake detailed GIS and remote sensing analyses to generate spatial information required for planning, prioritization, targeting, and monitoring of project interventions. The analysis shall identify critical degradation hotspots, restoration opportunities, erosion-prone areas, hydrological conditions, and priority intervention sites within the selected micro-catchments. The firm shall prepare geo-referenced datasets, thematic maps, restoration suitability assessments, watershed characterization products, and spatial decision-support tools that will enable evidence-based allocation of project resources and facilitate monitoring of environmental outcomes throughout project implementation.
2.4 Capacity Development and Knowledge Systems Assessments: The consulting firm shall evaluate existing institutional and community capacity gaps that may affect implementation of restoration, climate-smart agriculture, governance strengthening, nutrition-sensitive programming, and water management activities. Based on the findings, the firm shall develop comprehensive training and knowledge-management packages designed to enhance technical capacities and promote sustainable knowledge transfer. The firm shall develop standardized training manuals, extension materials, facilitator guides, and learning tools suitable for government extension workers, community institutions, lead farmers, producer organizations, and local facilitators.
2.5 Monitoring, Evaluation, and Spatial Reporting Systems Assessments; The consulting firm shall assess existing monitoring and reporting systems and establish a GIS-enabled monitoring framework that integrates spatial and non-spatial information relevant to CAWMA interventions. The monitoring system shall support data collection, analysis, reporting, and decision-making at community, district, and project levels. The system shall facilitate tracking of restoration activities, adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices, institutional performance, community participation, environmental outcomes, and project results. The consulting firm shall develop reporting protocols, digital tools, dashboards, data management standards. |
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The consulting firm shall deliver a complete package of integrated outputs that provide the technical, institutional, operational, and monitoring framework necessary for project implementation.
i) Output 1: Inception Report - A detailed inception report presenting the proposed methodology, work plan, staffing arrangements, stakeholder engagement strategy, quality assurance framework, risk management measures, and implementation schedule for the assignment. The report shall demonstrate a clear understanding of project requirements and provide a roadmap for execution of all assignment activities.
ii) Output 2: Integrated Assessment Report - A comprehensive report consolidating findings from institutional, governance, natural resources, climate risk, livelihoods, gender, youth, nutrition, environmental, and capacity assessments. The report shall identify priority constraints, opportunities, implementation risks, and recommendations for project implementation.
iii) Output 3: GIS Database and Spatial Planning Package - A complete package of geo-referenced datasets, watershed maps, hotspot maps, restoration opportunity maps, land suitability analyses, and intervention targeting maps designed to support planning, prioritization, and monitoring of project activities.
iv) Output 4: Village Level Action Plans - A set of validated and community-endorsed Village Level Action Plans that identify priority interventions, restoration measures, institutional responsibilities, implementation schedules, financing requirements, and monitoring arrangements for each target micro-catchment.
v) Output 5: Governance and Institutional Strengthening Framework - A detailed framework outlining improved governance arrangements, coordination mechanisms, accountability structures, stakeholder roles, institutional linkages, and capacity strengthening actions required to support implementation and sustainability.
vi) Output 6: Capacity Development and Knowledge Management Package - A comprehensive set of capacity-development products including training manuals, facilitator guides, technical extension materials, learning modules, training curricula, field reference materials, and knowledge products covering all relevant thematic areas as agreed at inception.
vii) Output 7: GIS-Enabled Monitoring and Reporting System - A fully developed monitoring framework consisting of indicator matrices, digital tools, reporting templates, GIS dashboards, spatial databases, data standards, reporting protocols, and user manuals to support implementation monitoring and reporting.
viii) Output 8: Final Consolidated Report - A final report integrating all assignment outputs, technical findings, recommendations, implementation guidance, lessons learned, and operational considerations necessary for successful implementation of the CAWMA Project. |
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| D. Duration and Timetable for the Assignment | |
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The contract shall be for a term not to exceed two (2) consecutive months (or otherwise negotiated with the successful candidate).
The Consultant will receive lump sum, which will be disbursed on milestone based:
• Production of an acceptable inception report: 50%
• Production of the Draft Baseline Report: 20%
• Final baseline assessment report, updated project result matrix annexed and the baseline data set: 30%
The Consultant is responsible for his/her own health insurance and accommodation costs. |
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| E. Bank Contribution and Institutional Arrangement | |
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The Bank will provide all the necessary project documents to support the consultant in delivering the Task.
The consultant will however be required to make own arrangements for the data collection enumerators as well as field travel. |
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The Bank will provide all the necessary project documents to support the consultant in delivering the Task. The consultant will however be required to make own arrangements for the data collection enumerators as well as field travel. |
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| G. Essential Specialized Skills/Knowledge/Competencies | |
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Key Experts Required:
The consulting firm shall have a multidisciplinary team with the below Essential Specialized Skills/Knowledge/Competencies;
i) Team Leader / Watershed and Natural Resources Management Specialist:
• Master's degree in Natural Resources Management, Rural Development, Environmental Management, Community Development, Governance, Agriculture, or related field.
• Minimum of 7 years' experience in participatory planning and community-based natural resource management.
• Demonstrated experience in watershed management and community governance strengthening.
• Experience preparing community development plans or landscape action plans.
• Strong facilitation, report writing and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience working with donor-funded projects in Malawi.
ii) GIS, Remote Sensing and Monitoring Systems Specialist:
• Advanced degree in GIS, Geomatics, Geography, Environmental Sciences or related field.
• Minimum 8 years experience in GIS-based monitoring and evaluation systems.
• Expertise in GIS analysis, remote sensing, database systems, dashboard development and monitoring frameworks.
• Experience developing spatial monitoring systems for donor-funded programmes.
• Experience in database development and dashboard design, geospatial databases and thematic maps.
• Proficiency in GIS software and monitoring platforms.
• Experience developing MEL systems for donor-funded projects.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills.
iii) Governance, Community Development and Social Inclusion Specialist:
• Advanced degree in Rural Development, Community Development, Social Sciences or related discipline.
• Minimum 8 years experience in participatory planning and community-based natural resource management.
• Experience in governance strengthening, participatory planning, stakeholder engagement, gender mainstreaming and institutional assessments.
• Demonstrated experience in watershed management and community governance strengthening.
• Experience preparing community development plans or landscape action plans.
• Strong facilitation, report writing and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience working with donor-funded projects in Malawi.
iv) Climate-Smart Agriculture, Livelihoods and Capacity Development Specialist:
• Advanced degree in Agriculture, Extension, Agribusiness or related field.
• Minimum 8 years experience.
• Experience developing training materials, conducting ToTs, promoting climate-smart agriculture and strengthening producer organizations.
• Experience in curriculum development and adult learning methodologies.
• Strong facilitation and communication skills.
• Experience working with government extension systems
v) Minimum Qualifications of the Consulting Firm:
The consulting firm shall demonstrate:
• At least 10 years experience in natural resources management, watershed restoration, climate resilience and rural development.
• Proven experience undertaking multidisciplinary assessments.
• Experience in GIS and remote sensing applications.
• Experience in governance and institutional strengthening.
• Experience in training and capacity development.
• Experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning systems.
• Experience implementing donor-funded assignments in Malawi or Southern Africa.
• Must be a local firm
• Availability of qualified multidisciplinary experts. |
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The Consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Sector Manager, Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department, Southern Africa, and under the direct supervision of the Task Team, comprising the Task Manager and the Consortium. |
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Consultancy Input Days
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