Call for Proposals: Consultancy Services for Baseline Studies & Selection of Communities

With the support of AECID, ECREEE is developing the project “Water & Energy for Increased Food Security and Socio- Economic Development. Promoting Clean Cooking Solutions and Solar Technologies” in three countries, being them Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau and The Gambia. As preparatory phase of the project, baseline studies shall be conducted in these countries in order to target value chains and communities in which the project will be developed.

Through this project, ECREEE and AECID intend to promote the adoption of solar photovoltaic technologies to produce clean energy and water pump for agricultural purposes.

The project “Water & Energy for Increased Food Security and Socio- Economic Development. Promoting Clean Cooking Solutions and Solar Technologies” is a 30-month project that will be implemented in the following 3 different countries of ECOWAS region: Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau and The Gambia. This will be done alongside the promotion of clean cooking solutions in schools and health centers as well as clean and efficient fish smoking for integrated community development.

The interventions will also spur the adoption of low-carbon technologies in the communities, they will contribute to building resilience and mitigating the negative effects of climate change in the region.

General Objective of the Project

• The general objective of the project is to participate in the socio-economic development of local communities through the development of productive activities supported by sustainable energy solutions.
• As part of the project activities, solar technologies will be implemented in selected communities in order to increase production and reduce losses in agriculture and fish value chains. Also, health and educational facilities in urban and peri-urban areas will be provided with cleaner cooking solutions that will permit the reduction of GHG emmissions.
• While economic development continues to move people from poverty into middle income living, this is resulting in increased demand for water, food, and energy as a consequence of consumption patterns. Even if many people are lifted out of poverty, the poorest sector of the population is growing even faster, and the actual number of poor and vulnerable populations and inequalities are increasing. Increasing demand due to population growth and economic development combined with unsustainable production methods will put increased strain on the natural resources base that is unlikely to be reversed during the foreseeable future.
• Through these actions, SDG’s will be addressed in an integrated way, and not in silos, allowing a bigger impact of the action and to increase resilience of the selected communities.

Specific Objectives of the Project

• The expected outcomes of the project will be the following:
  • Outcome 1: Improved agricultural productivity among assisted communities as a result of using solar-powered water irrigation systems.
  • Outcome 2: Increased incomes of assisted fish traders. – Outcome 3: Reduction in fish post-harvest losses.
  • Outcome 4: Carbon dioxide emissions reduced as a result of using of clean cookstoves in assisted hospital or educational facilities.
  • Outcome 5: Improved management of clean technologies that promote the energy efficiency and clean cooking by assisted communities.
  • Outcome 6: Increased awareness about the benefits of adopting clean energy technologies in assisted communities.
• The previous outcomes are expected to occur following site interventions in the three countries:
  • Provision of clean water for agricultural production.
  • Provision of industrial type of fish smoking facilities to facilitate preservation of fresh fish.
  • Provision of PV plants to feed ice cubing machines for preservation of fresh fish.
  • Provision of improved institutional cookstoves for schools/hospitals.
  • Awareness-raising workshop are held to sensitize on alternative energy, energy efficiency (clean cooking).

Planned Activities of the Project

• In order to set a right approach for the planification of the activities of the project, they will rely on two of the key principles of the WEFE Nexus:
  • Recognize the interdependence between water, energy, food, and ecosystems and promote rational and inclusive dialogue and decision-making processes and efficient use of these resources in an environmentally responsible way.
  • Ensure coordination across sectors and stakeholders to enable synergies and increase solution sustainability.
• Therefore, a complete study should be conducted to select certain communities where different interventions involving several sectors can be carried out in a sustainable way and ensuring that the actions will revert in socio economic development of the population. This study should be conducted in consultation with the main stakeholders of the WEF in the 3 countries.
• Following this rationale, the main activities for the project are:
  • Regional Virtual Workshop with the National Focal Institutions to launch the project.
  • Baseline studies and selection of value chains and communities: Desk research will conduct to the selection of value chains.
  • Stakeholder’s Engagement: National meetings will be organized engaging all relevant stakeholders of the sector in order to provide input into the baseline study and relevant information for the design of the site interventions and site selection.
  • Site interventions: Provision of solar pumping systems, industrial type of fish smoking facilities, PV plants to feed ice cubing machines and improved institutional cookstoves for schools/hospitals. Awareness-raising workshop will also be held to sensitize on alternative energy, energy efficiency (clean cooking).
  • Production of communication materials for scale-up and replication. Ongoing projects under the Water, Energy and Food Programme intend to become flagship initiatives and therefore, that its activities can be expanded and replicated.
  • External Evaluation. External final evaluation of the project to determine the extent of technologies adoption, and its impact on users.

Location and Duration

• Location: The work will be home-based.
• Duration: The total duration of the assignment will be around 50 working days, broken down as follows.
  • Expert 1: Home based work – 35
  • Expert 2: Home based work – 15

Language: The language of the mission will be English and Portuguese. The report and annexes will be in English.

Experts Profile

• Expert 1: Team Leader/Energy Expert
  • Qualification and skills
    • University degree (or equivalent) in engineering, physics, energy law, agriculture, environmental sciences, socioeconomics, or relevant areas;
    • Fluent in English and Portuguese spoken and written;
    • Excellent reporting, structuration, and communication skills.
  • Professional Experience
    • Over 20 years of general professional experience;
    • Experience in project management, scoping studies, and analysis of multidimensional information.
  • Specific professional experience
    • Minimum 10 years of experience with sustainable energy;
    • Work experience in SSA countries. Knowledge of West African institutions will be an advantage.
    • Familiar with climate change issues;
    • Previous experience in projects related to the following topics:
      • Productive uses of energy
      • Energy efficiency
      • Water Energy and Food Nexus
• Expert 2 Environmental/Agriculture expert
  • Qualification and skills
    • University degree (or equivalent) in engineering, physics, energy law, environmental sciences, agronomist, socioeconomics, or relevant areas.
    • Fluent in English or Portuguese spoken and written.
    • Excellent reporting and communication skills.
  • Professional Experience
    • Minimum 10 years of general professional experience.
    • Experience in scoping studies, analysis of multidimensional information.
  • Specific professional experience
    • Minimum 5 years of experience with sustainable energy.
    • Experience in sustainable energy/climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa.
    • Previous experience in projects related to the following topics:
      • Productive uses of energy
      • Sustainable Agriculture
      • GHG calculation
      • Environmental, gender and social impact assessment.

For more information, visit ECREEE.