Employment Type: Contract: Consultancy Role for 12 -
18 months. Around 10 – 15 days per month (variable)
Location: Hybrid · Multiple locations Kenya ·
Ethiopia · Uganda Selected refugee settlements in Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia
Salary£12,000 - £33,750 (GBP)Fees: £100/day (Uganda
and Ethiopia); £125/day (Kenya).
Seniority: Mid-level, Senior
- Closing: 10:00am,
7th May 2025 BST
Job Description:
Location: Selected refugee settlements in Uganda,
Kenya, and Ethiopia
Duration: 12 - 18 months; anticipated 10 – 15
days per month (variable month to month)
Reporting to: Anthony Okello, THEA Programme
Co-ordinator
Overview
As part of the Transforming Humanitarian Energy Access
(THEA) programme, funded by the UK Government Foreign Commonwealth and
Development Office (FCDO) through the Transforming Energy Access (TEA)
platform, which is managed by Carbon Trust, Ashden are seeking consultant(s)
with experience in humanitarian energy access to support a number of
refugee-led clean energy initiatives in Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.
PLEASE NOTE THAT PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO APPLICANTS
WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF FORCED DISPLACEMENT
Purpose of the Project Support Consultants
To strengthen project delivery, ensure real-time monitoring,
and enhance local engagement, Ashden seeks to contract Settlement-Based Project
Support Consultants to assist with ongoing activities implemented by the
selected THEA grantees.
The Project Support Consultants will support Ashden and its
grantees to:
- Monitor
the implementation of activities by the different grantees.
- Ensure
timely progress of planned activities.
- Facilitate
documentation, feedback, and communication between Ashden and Refugee Led
Enterprises.
- Act
as a local liaison for coordination and accountability.
- Understand
grantees technical assistance (TA) needs and identify suitable TA
programmes or providers.
The grantees fall into two groups:
Inclusive investment pilots (IIPs) of £10,000 plus TA and
comms support, which will be awarded to twelve refugee-led clean energy
projects in Kenya (3), Uganda (6) and Ethiopia (3), (both enterprise and
not-for-profit), to test different business- and energy delivery models in
displacement settings.
Refugee-led Energy Enterprise Accelerator (REEA) grants of
£25,000 plus TA and comms support, which will be awarded to six refugee-led
energy enterprises in Uganda (3), Kenya (2) and Ethiopia (1), to demonstrate
how, with the right support in place, refugee-led clean energy initiatives can
achieve impact and scale.
Key Responsibilities
The Project Support Consultants will:
- Support
the assigned THEA grantees to adopt and implement required policy and
procedure to manage their proposed project and grant funding (e.g.
adopting suitable safeguarding or health and safety policies; developing
simple financial management systems).
- Work
with Ashden and THEA grantees to identify suitable suppliers and guide
grantees through the procurement process.
- Understand
the TA and communications training/support which THEA grantees require,
and support Ashden to identify suitable local providers (where
possible).
- Facilitate
communication between Ashden and THEA grantees, ensuring timely submission
of reports and sharing of insights.
- Support
the THEA grantees in organising or attending community-level meetings or
events, including stakeholder engagement.
- Monitor
project activities by the assigned THEA grantees, including monthly field
visits and more regular informal check-ins via phone
call/WhatsApp/email.
- Track
progress of deliverables and timelines, flagging delays or risks to the
THEA Project Coordinator.
- Support
data collection as required for monitoring and evaluation (M&E),
including beneficiary feedback, energy access indicators, case studies,
and photos/videos.
- Assist
in verifying deliverables and expenditures (e.g., installation of
equipment, user engagement sessions).
- Provide
basic logistical support for site visits by Ashden staff, donors, or
partners.
- Maintain
a simple activity log and submit short monthly updates for each grantee
(template to be provided).
- Promote ethical conduct and uphold safeguarding and financial integrity.
Deliverables
- Monthly
activity reports summarising progress, issues, and recommendations for
each THEA grantee.
- Real-time
alerts on any red flags, delays, or changes in context to projects or
project sites.
- Support
documentation (e.g. photos, short stories, data collection sheets where
applicable).
Duration, Time Commitment, Fees and Expenses
- Project
Support Consultants will be expected to work 10-15 days each month,
including site visits, support to grantees, and preparation of
reports
- Duration:
Maximum of 18 months, subject to performance and programme needs.
- Fees:
£100/day (Uganda and Ethiopia); £125/day (Kenya).
- Payment
will be made on a monthly basis upon submission of an invoice and
timesheet, agreed deliverables and confirmation of work done.
- Expenses:
Reasonable travel and other expenses will be agreed in advance and
reimbursed by Ashden upon proof of spend
- Consultants
shall be responsible for paying all relevant taxes and other insurances,
social security or deductions required in their country of
operation.
Required Experience
- Experience
working in humanitarian, development, or energy-related projects.
- Experience
in supporting community-led projects and small enterprises to develop
their policies, procedures business models.
- Knowledge
of renewable energy technologies (esp. Solar and clean cooking) and
interest in climate or sustainability.
- Resident
of or familiar with the assigned refugee settlement(s).
- Strong
communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability
to write short reports and use tools like WhatsApp and basic
spreadsheets.
- Familiarity
with local languages and community dynamics is an added advantage (e.g.
Somali and/or Afar in Ethiopia; Kiswahili in Kenya and Uganda; Juba
Arabic, Arabic, Kinyarwanda or Kirundi in Uganda)
Ethical Considerations
Project Support Consultants will be expected to:
- Uphold
the highest standards of safeguarding; diversity, equity and inclusion;
transparency; and anti-bribery and corruption
- Adhere
to Ashden’s policies and procedures when carrying out any and all
activities related to Ashden and the THEA programme.
- Respect
autonomy and confidentiality of all THEA grantees and those coming into
contact with the programme, and to represent the values of THEA programme
and Ashden in all community engagements.
Application TIMELINE
Interested applicants are encouraged to complete the
application no later than May 7th 2025.
Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we
receive a high volume of applications.
Interviews will take place on Teams:
- First
round interviews will be held on May 15th and 16th
- Second
round interviews will be held on May 21st
If you require reasonable adjustments please contact us
at people@sfct.org.uk
Background
According to UNHCR, the UN agency mandated to aid and
protect refugees, as of May 2024, an estimated 130 million people around the
world are in need of humanitarian assistance. Of these, 120 million have been
forcibly displaced. If refugees and displaced people were the population of a
single country, it would be the 12th or 13th largest in the world, with
sub-Saharan Africa hosting around 20% of the global refugee population. Many
camps and settlements for refugees and displaced people in sub-Saharan Africa
are situated near national borders, in remote locations which are far from
large cities, and beyond the reach of electricity grids.
Estimates suggest that refugee households collectively could
be spending as much as $2.1billion on energy each year, without accounting for
humanitarian agencies’ costs to hand out rations of firewood for household
cooking. But with millions now living in displacement as a result of protracted
crises, such vast sums still only equate to the most basic levels of energy
provision and come at considerable cost to some of the poorest and most
vulnerable populations in the world - spending for energy by displaced people
is estimated to be around $200 per
family per year for less than 4 hours of energy a day. According to 2022
Chatham House research, 94% of forcibly displaced people living in camps have
no meaningful access to electricity, and 81% rely on firewood or charcoal for
cooking.
As far as energy is concerned, humanitarian provision has
generally been limited to NGOs supplying firewood for cooking, and basic
torches for lighting. According to the UNHCRs 2023 Report on Sustainable
Energy, over half a million solar lanterns have been distributed as part of
rapid emergency response. Indeed, small solar lanterns and solar home systems
are well suited to refugee and displacement contexts. They are portable in case
households are relocated, and sometimes provide enough power to charge mobile
phones, radios or laptops - devices which are as crucial for the day-to-day
life of households in displacement settings as they are to anyone else in the
modern world.
In long established displacement settings, where
humanitarian agencies no longer hand out large numbers of solar lanterns for
free, falling costs mean that solar lighting solutions and small solar home
systems can be purchased for $10 - $150. Though affordability remains a
challenge, the success of several commercial entities providing sustainable
energy products and services to refugee households - including five Ashden
Award winners - serves to demonstrate the high demand for energy in
displacement settings, and the viability of market-based solutions.
While the mainstream humanitarian system struggles to meet
the increasing energy needs of households and enterprises in displacement
settings, and faces continuing resource constraints, there has been a
noticeable growth in the participation of refugee-led organisations and refugee
entrepreneurs in providing critical energy solutions to communities in
long-term displacement situations.
Under the THEA programme, Ashden is providing six grants of
£25,000 to refugee-led organisations already active in the clean energy sector,
and a further twelve grants of £10,000 to refugee-led clean energy initiatives
which are at an earlier stage or with a less established track record. To
support this work, in particular assisting with technical assistance,
monitoring visits and project reporting, Ashden are seeking consultants based
in or near the grantee project locations
Know someone great for this?
Apply: Project Support Consultant - Ashden Climate Solutions - Applied