CONSULTANT – Solar Phase 2 Programme
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4 days ago
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1 Vacancy
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Job Summary
THE ORGANIZATION
The Alliance of Bioversity International () and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) () delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve peoples lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition climate change biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.
With novel partnerships the Alliance generates evidence and mainstreams innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet drive prosperity and nourish people in a climate crisis.
The Alliance is part of CGIAR a global research partnership for a food-secure future.
Describe the overall objective of the project and clearly explain the specific purpose of the consultancy. This section should explain why the consultant is being hired what the assignment aims to achieve and how the consultancy contributes to the projects objectives.
About the project:
The SoLAR Phase 2 programme is supporting the development of practical investment pathways for scaling solar-powered irrigation systems known as SPIS in Ethiopia and Kenya. Under Output 2.2 the programme will prepare a decision-oriented Investment Strategy Report that identifies how scalable financing for SPIS can be catalyzed including the potential design parameters of a Solar Irrigation Investment Fund or comparable financing mechanism.
About the consultancy:
The objective of the Ethiopia consultancy is to provide country-level technical and market input for the Ethiopia component of the SPIS Investment Strategy. The consultant will support targeted market analysis stakeholder engagement opportunity identification and financing pathway assessment to inform the consolidated EthiopiaKenya Investment Strategy Report.
The Ethiopia consultant will support the Ethiopia country component of the assignment. The work will focus on Ethiopias SPIS market farmer and value-chain demand financial-sector readiness supplier ecosystem enabling policy environment climate and credit risk considerations and investment pathways. The consultant will help ensure that Ethiopia-specific analysis is grounded in local market realities stakeholder perspectives and implementation constraints.
2. The key contact people for the Consultant and the frequency and mode of interaction with the person supervising the consultancy assignment
Frequency and mode of interaction of interaction: Weekly and virtually.
A. ACTIVITIES
A. Inception and Country-Level Framing
The consultant will support the development of an Ethiopia-specific workplan stakeholder engagement plan and analytical focus. This will include confirming priority regions value chains farmer segments financing actors technology providers and institutional stakeholders relevant to SPIS scale-up.
B. Ethiopia SPIS Market and Policy Landscape
The consultant will conduct a focused review of Ethiopias SPIS ecosystem including:
1. Current status of SPIS adoption and market development.
2. Priority irrigation geographies water-access considerations and production systems.
3. Relevant agricultural irrigation renewable energy import tax financial-sector and climate policy frameworks.
4. Existing SPIS suppliers importers distributors local service providers and after-sales support models.
5. Barriers affecting SPIS scale-up including affordability foreign exchange constraints import pathways spare parts availability maintenance capacity farmer demand bankability and loan repayment risk.
6. Linkages between irrigation climate resilience horticulture productivity and farmer income stabilization.
C. Stakeholder Mapping and Consultations
The consultant will identify and consult key Ethiopian stakeholders including:
1. Commercial banks MFIs cooperative banks and development finance actors.
2. SPIS suppliers importers distributors and service providers.
3. Farmer organizations cooperatives aggregators and extension actors.
4. Relevant government agencies in agriculture irrigation water energy finance and investment.
5. Insurers guarantee providers climate-risk actors and development partners.
6. Value-chain actors including buyers processors exporters and input/service providers where relevant.
The consultant will summarize stakeholder perspectives and extract implications for financing investment structuring and implementation readiness.
D. Investment Opportunity Identification
The consultant will identify potential SPIS investment pathways in Ethiopia including:
1. Priority value chains suitable for SPIS-linked financing with particular attention to horticulture and other commercially viable irrigated crops.
2. Farmer segments and aggregation channels that could support scalable lending or asset finance.
3. SPIS business models including supplier-led finance bank-led lending aggregator-linked models cooperative-based delivery blended finance and risk-sharing structures.
4. Potential entry points for combining irrigation finance with climate-smart agriculture productivity enhancement and resilience-building.
5. Indicative assessment of demand affordability repayment capacity institutional readiness and investment viability.
E. Financing and Risk-Structuring Assessment
The consultant will assess Ethiopia-specific financing and risk-sharing considerations including:
1. Bank appetite and constraints for SPIS lending.
2. Potential financing models for farmers cooperatives suppliers or aggregators.
3. Role of concessional capital guarantees insurance first-loss capital technical assistance or premium support.
4. Climate and credit risk considerations including drought water variability production risk crop-price volatility and repayment risk.
5. Operational constraints linked to procurement importation installation after-sales service verification and monitoring.
6. Minimum conditions required for investment readiness and future scale-up.
F. Contribution to Regional Investment Strategy
The consultant will prepare Ethiopia-specific inputs for the consolidated Investment Strategy Report. This will include market context stakeholder findings financing pathway analysis risk-sharing considerations investment opportunity framing and a transition roadmap for moving toward capital mobilization.
B. DELIVERABLES
- Deliverable 1: Inception Note
- Description: Ethiopia-specific workplan stakeholder map interview guide and analytical focus
- Deliverable 2: Ethiopia Market Landscape Brief
- Description: Summary of SPIS market context policy environment supplier ecosystem financing landscape and constraints
- Deliverable 3: Stakeholder Consultation Summary
- Description: Summary of consultations with banks suppliers public actors development partners and value-chain actors
- Deliverable 4: Ethiopia Investment Opportunity Note
- Description: Shortlist of priority value chains financing pathways delivery models and investment entry points
- Deliverable 5: Ethiopia Financing and Risk Structuring Input
- Description: Indicative financing models de-risking options operational constraints and minimum scale-up conditions
- Deliverable 6: Final Ethiopia Country Input
- Description: Final Ethiopia chapter/input for the consolidated EthiopiaKenya Investment Strategy Report
- Deliverable 7: Travel
4. The calendar of activities
Deliverable 1: Month 1 of contract start date
Deliverable 2: Months 23
Deliverable 3: Months 35
Deliverable 4: Months 57
Deliverable 5: Months 79
Deliverable 6: Months 910
Deliverable 7: By month 10
Planned timeline for the consultancy: 12 months. Exact start date to be confirmed following selection of the candidate after publishing the advert and review of applications.
Level of effort: 45 working days
5. Duty Station
Ethiopia
Requirements
The consultant should have:
1. Advanced degree in agricultural economics finance development economics climate finance renewable energy irrigation agribusiness water management or a related field.
2. At least 7 years of relevant experience in agricultural finance renewable energy irrigation climate-smart agriculture rural finance or investment analysis.
3. Strong understanding of Ethiopias agriculture irrigation financial-sector and renewable energy ecosystem.
4. Demonstrated experience conducting stakeholder consultations and preparing analytical reports.
5. Familiarity with SPIS irrigation finance supplier models climate-smart agriculture blended finance guarantees or insurance-backed financing mechanisms.
6. Ability to assess investment opportunities from commercial institutional and development-impact perspectives.
7. Strong writing synthesis and communication skills.
8. Existing networks with Ethiopian banks SPIS suppliers government agencies development partners farmer organizations or agribusiness actors will be an advantage.
9. Fluency in English is required; working knowledge of Amharic or other relevant local languages is strongly preferred.
8. Reporting and Coordination
The consultant will report to the ImpactSF / CGIAR technical lead for Output 2.2 and coordinate with the SoLAR Phase 2 team. The consultant will participate in regular progress check-ins support stakeholder engagement and submit concise written outputs that can be incorporated directly into the consolidated investment strategy report.
9. Evaluation Criteria
Criteria | Weight |
Relevant technical experience in agricultural finance irrigation SPIS or climate-smart agriculture | 30% |
Understanding of Ethiopias SPIS agriculture and financial-sector ecosystem | 25% |
Experience with market assessment stakeholder engagement or investment strategy development | 20% |
Quality of proposed methodology and country-level networks | 15% |
Writing quality availability and value for money | 10% |
Benefits
total estimated budget for the consultancy
Total consultancy value: USD 8000.00
Payment schedule (as per the project budget but subject to confirmation once the consultant is selected after review of applications to consultancy advert):
Deliverable 1: USD 466.67
Deliverable 2: USD 1088.89
Deliverable 3: USD 1244.44
Deliverable 4: USD 1711.11
Deliverable 5: USD 1555.56
Deliverable 6: USD 933.33
Deliverable 7: USD 1000
Applications
Note: The Alliance does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application interview meeting processing or training). The Alliance also does not concern itself with information on applicants bank accounts.
Applications closing date: 15 July 2026
Please note that email applications will not be considered.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
We invite you to learn more about us at:
Required Skills:
The consultant should have: 1. Advanced degree in agricultural economics finance development economics climate finance renewable energy irrigation agribusiness water management or a related field. 2. At least 7 years of relevant experience in agricultural finance renewable energy irrigation climate-smart agriculture rural finance or investment analysis. 3. Strong understanding of Ethiopias agriculture irrigation financial-sector and renewable energy ecosystem. 4. Demonstrated experience conducting stakeholder consultations and preparing analytical reports. 5. Familiarity with SPIS irrigation finance supplier models climate-smart agriculture blended finance guarantees or insurance-backed financing mechanisms. 6. Ability to assess investment opportunities from commercial institutional and development-impact perspectives. 7. Strong writing synthesis and communication skills. 8. Existing networks with Ethiopian banks SPIS suppliers government agencies development partners farmer organizations or agribusiness actors will be an advantage. 9. Fluency in English is required; working knowledge of Amharic or other relevant local languages is strongly preferred.
Required Education:
Educación y RequerimientosProfesional en Administración de Empresas Psicología o áreas afines. Mínimo 3 años de experiencia relevante en operaciones de Recursos Humanos o en rol de generalista de RR. sólidos en procesos de reclutamiento inducción (onboarding) relaciones con empleados administración de beneficios y cumplimiento de inglés intermedio (requisito indispensable).Dominio de Microsoft Office (Word Excel PowerPoint).
