Consultant / Consultancy Firm at World Resources Institute (WRI)

Scope, activities and deliverables

With the foregoing, WRI is keen to hire a consultant/ consultancy firm with extensive experience and knowledge in policy analysis, GESI mainstreaming, projects design, projects finance sourcing, citywide urban and climate action planning, as well as development of citywide climate resilience strategic frameworks.

The specific activities to be executed by the consultant are:

• Support the development of a GESI responsive Nairobi rivers NbS strategic framework[3] by August 2025, targeted to the NCCG, NRC and other climate actors, as a toolkit for providing practical guidance, tools, and resources to design, implement, and scale NbS projects. To achieve this, the consultant is expected to:-
• Build on existing and ongoing WRI and open-source data work to assess GESI sensitive climate vulnerabilities (urban flooding, extreme heat, air quality and biodiversity loss) within Nairobi County’s Riparian Landscape, with a detailed focus on Nairobi rivers riparian.
• Carry out an assessment of GESI responsive NbS opportunities, through analysis of the rivers riparian land uses, potential NbS interventions, typologies and sites, past and ongoing interventions by different actors, through a detailed opportunities matrix
• Develop a matrix of the compatibility of the proposed government led affordable housing along the Nairobi riparian with the developed GESI responsive Nairobi rivers NbS strategic framework- including the identified climate vulnerabilities and NbS typologies.
• Identify opportunities to integrate NbS and GGI interventions in the delivery of core urban services (mobility, storm water management, sanitation and solid waste management) to the proposed government led affordable housing along the riparian
• Facilitating continuous stakeholders' engagement to scope, design and validate the mapped needs and opportunities for potential NbS and affordable housing interventions.
• Facilitate at least 2 multistakeholder convenings: a) Draft stage convening (write shop) aimed at validating the WRI issue brief[4], scoping the needs and opportunities for potential NbS interventions; to review and enhance the situational analysis; and b) the validation stage convening, aimed at reviewing, enhancing and validating the GESI responsive Nairobi rivers NbS strategic framework
• Support in resource mobilization efforts targeting GESI responsive catalytic climate resilient (GGI and NbS) projects, targeting the Nairobi Rivers. In particular, the consultant is expected to:
• Support WRI in the scoping, prioritization, refinement and identification of 2 GESI responsive catalytic GGI/ NbS projects ideas working with multi-stakeholders
• Support in further developing the identified potential 2 projects to an investor/donor ready level, while working with all the identified stakeholders. This will include among others assessment of viability as well as development of donor/investor pitching materials.
• Facilitate investor and other stakeholder round tables and/or engagements towards financing of the developed GESI responsive catalytic projects
• Conduct a Nairobi citywide GESI responsive NbS financial landscape analysis, detailing among others: actors, resources available, past and ongoing actions, trends, structures and financing options for NbS

Expected Deliverables

An inception report

• The report will describe among others, the consultant’s understanding of the TORs, proposed methodology, execution strategy, detailed workplan, and road map to attain the expected work packages

Report on projects scoping and prioritization, including recommendations

• It will include an analysis of existing GESI sensitive climate vulnerabilities, such as- flooding, extreme heat, air quality and biodiversity loss- in Nairobi city, with a detailed focus along the rivers riparian; and GESI responsive NbS opportunities through an analysis of existing riverine land uses, contextual NbS interventions/ opportunities at different zones, and ongoing interventions by different actors. It will also detail the identified (through different approaches e.g. stakeholder engagements), conceptualized, refined and prioritized GESI responsive catalytic climate resilient (GGI and NbS) projects, with detailed recommendations including implementation strategies, potential funding sources, potential actors and timelines, and other technical needs. This analysis will inform the development of the GESI responsive Nairobi rivers NbS strategic framework

Convenings reports

• Develop comprehensive convenings reports of the following: a) Inception stage convening, outlining the recommendations suggested for the high-level policy brief[5], and a detail of the proposal and acceptability of the GESI responsive Nairobi rivers NbS strategic framework concept, and the needs and opportunities for potential NbS interventions; b) Draft stage convening highlighting the review, validation and enhancement of the situational analysis, needs and opportunities mapping; c) the validation stage convening, detailing the validation of the NbS strategic framework, and d) investor round table convenings, detailing the financing options for the identified catalytic projects.

Specific developed project documents and supportive/annexed studies or reports and pitch materials

• Develop reports on the 2 catalytic projects detailing among others the projects viability assessments, their financing options and implementation mechanisms, and best practices to serve as a guide for the actioning of the catalytic projects. Additionally, provide the developed project proposals, investment pitch materials for pitching for financial and technical resources for the catalytic projects.

A Nairobi citywide NbS financial landscape analysis report

• This report will assess the Nairobi city NbS financing landscape, detailing among others - financing challenges/ shortcomings, successes, opportunities, actors, resources flows, past and ongoing actions, trends, structures and financing options for NbS.

Requirements

The consultant(s) or consultancy firm should demonstrate the following: -

Education:

• A master's degree or higher in environmental science, climate resilience, urban planning, sustainable development, natural resource management, Geospatial Information System (GIS) or a closely related field. A Ph.D. in a relevant field is an added advantage.
• Additional certifications or specialized training in climate adaptation, NbS implementation, urban ecology, environmental finance, or policy analysis are desirable.

Experience:

• At least 8 years of hands-on experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating NbS and GGI projects, particularly in urban settings.
• Proven ability to analyze climate vulnerabilities (urban flooding, extreme heat, air quality, and biodiversity loss) and recommend targeted NbS interventions.
• Strong experience in developing citywide climate resilience strategies, toolkits, and high-level policy briefs.
• Understanding of Nairobi’s urban governance, environmental challenges, and the role of key actors (e.g., NCCG, NRC) in climate action.
• Demonstratable ability to coordinate and lead engagements with government agencies, community organizations, private sector actors, academia and development partners, among other actors.