Private Sector Engagement and Conservation Fund Development Specialist

USAID Karnali Water Activity

Details / requirements:

USAID Paani Program

Request for Applications

DAI seeks a Short Term Private Sector Engagement and Conservation Fund Development Specialist for the USAID Paani Program. The Short Term Private Sector Engagement & Conservation Fund Development Specialist will lead socialization of the Nepal River Basin Conservation Fund (NRBCF) concept, engagement with the private sector and other partnership engagement to achieve specific milestones in the NRBCF’s development.

Applicants should submit a CV and cover letter to PANI_recruitment@dai.com by February 19, 2019.  Please mention the position in the subject line of the email.

Detail Scope of Work

POSITION:Private Sector Engagement and Conservation Fund Development Specialist

TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT:Short Term Technical Assistance (STTA), 260 days (approx.10 days/month)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:On/about March 1, 2019 – December 10, 2020

LEVEL OF EFFORT:260 days

BASE OF OPERATIONS:Kathmandu, Nepal, with possible travel to the United States and/or Europe

1.BACKGROUND

The Paani Program—also known in Nepali as the “USAID Water Project”, यà¥à¤à¤¸à¤à¤¡à¤ªà¤¾à¤¨à¥€à¤ªà¤°à¤¿à¤¯à¥‹à¤œà¤¨à¤¾ —is a 5 year, $25 million USAID-funded Project in Nepal. Water is the single most important natural resource underpinning Nepal’s economy and livelihoods. The sustainable management of water resources in Nepal depends on addressing climate change and protecting healthy, biodiverse ecosystems. Paani aims to enhance Nepal’s ability to manage water resources for multiple uses and users through climate change adaptation and the conservation of freshwater biodiversity. Paani employs an integrated, whole-of-basin approach with activities under four “intermediate result” (IR) areas at the watershed, river basin, and national scales to reduce threats to freshwater biodiversity and strengthen the resilience of targeted human and ecological communities in the Karnali, Mahakali, and Rapti river basins through improved water management.This will be accomplished through 11 strategic approaches and four intermediate results (each with several sub-IRs), and supporting activities, as defined in Section C, Statement of Work (SOW) of the Paani Contract, the Year 3 Annual Work Plan and Paani Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, which provide the framework and overall guidance for all Paani team members.

USAID has made an investment in the future of Nepal’s water resource management through the Paani Program. An important aspect of sustaining the gains made by the Paani program is the availability of a long-term funding mechanism to support water resource management into the future, particularly asadditional hydropower projects advance from design to the construction and operational phases. As such, Paani’s Year 2 and 3 Annual Work Plans and Task Order include the development of a Nepal River BasinConservation Fund (NRBCF) to support longer term financing of freshwater conservation activities. In the summer of 2018 two international consultants – a Climate Change Adaption Specialist and Financial Services Specialist – completed a scoping study that examines the possibility of creating a long-term financing mechanism to finance innovative freshwater conservation and watershed management activities.The report was submitted to USAID in December 2018.  The development of the NRBCF will require ongoing engagement with a range of stakeholders over the next year and beyond. A key recommendation of the report is for Paani to engage a Specialist to facilitate the development of the fund.  

2.PURPOSE / OBJECTIVES:

The Private Sector Engagement & Conservation Fund Development Specialist will lead socialization of the NRBCF concept, engagement with the private sector and other partnership engagement to achieve specific milestones in the NRBCF’s development.

3.RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

Essential Duties:  

  1. Lead efforts to socialize the NRBCF fund concept.  This will include organizing one-on-one outreach meetings and leading socialization events, such as a series of in-country workshops; and publicizing the fund at larger events such as the Sustainable Hydropower events co-sponsored with IFC and the Nepal River Summit planned for March 2019. This may also include formulating, convening and guiding a NRBCF Steering Committee composed of key decision-makers at stakeholder institutions.  
  2. Working closely with the short-term Co-Creation Specialist, select participants, design, launch,and co-facilitate a co-creation event that will convene short-listed firms/entities to collectively validate and co-design a structure for the fund.  The event is scheduled to be held in May 2018.
  3. Emerging from the co-creation event and subsequent deliberations, Paani expects to award a grant or subcontract to a firm or consortium to complete a detailed design (and possible implementation) of the fund.  The consultant will monitor and advise the detailed fund design and launch.  
  4. Lead resource mobilization efforts.  The consultant will develop a strategic resource mobilization strategy. They will also explore and confirm several sources for seed funding for the fund including multilateral institutions, non-profits, corporate entities and private investors.  The consultant will work in concert with the selected fund designer to create innovative, low-friction funding agreement terms.

4.DELIVERABLES

  1. Brief (2-3 page) monthly activity  reports summarizing key activities, meetings, and planned activities for the following month.  Reports due the 5th working day of each month.
  2. Stakeholder management database. Comprehensive database, or spreadsheet, that identifies the full range of Nepali and international stakeholders relevant for establishment and operation of the fund, including potential fund managers, donors, investors, beneficiaries, government contacts and other interested parties. The database should include information such as contact information, contact dates, and notes about items for discussion.
  3. Detailed resource mobilization fund strategy.  Strategy will be informed by learning from socialization efforts and detailed fund design.  
  4. Selection memos for the participants of the co-creation event on fund design

5.LEVEL OF EFFORT/TIMELINE:

The Conservation Fund Development Specialist position is based in Kathmandu, with travel possible to the United States and/or Europe.  The level of effort is 260 days from March 1, 2019 to December 16, 2020. 

6.SUPERVISION / REPORTING:

The Private Sector Engagement and Conservation Fund Development Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Deputy Chief of Party and in close coordination with the Chief of Party, related international consultants and the Paani Program’s technical team.  

7.QUALIFICATIONS

  • Ten years of experience in a relevant field including: impact investing, private sector corporate social responsibility initiatives (especially in the conservation sector), public private partnership development, etc.
  • Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is required, master’s degree preferred
  • Fluency in both spoken and written Nepali and English

Overview

Category Development and Project
Openings 1
Experience 10+ years
Education Graduate (Bachelors)
Posted Date 05 Feb, 2019
Apply Before 19 Feb, 2019
City Kathmandu