DevelopAdaptationFundProposal

Terms of Reference for Lead Consultant to Develop a Full Adaptation Fund Proposal Title: Consultancy Services for the Development of a Full Adaptation Fund (AF) Project Proposal for the “Enhancing Locally Led Adaptation through Devolved Climate Financing for Resilient Communities Project in Uganda” Objective of the Consultancy This consultancy has the following objective(s): To engage a Lead Consultant to draft, assemble, and finalize a complete Adaptation Fund (AF) Project Proposal package (Parts I-IV and the required annexes) in line with the Adaptation Fund’s Project/ Program standards and guidelines. Background Project Reference: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Donor reference: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx About IUCN IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together. Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 15,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards. IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development. Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being. www.iucn.org https://twitter.com/IUCN/ About the Project The Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE), has received endorsement from the Adaptation Fund (AF) Board for the Concept Note titled "Enhancing Locally Led Adaptation through Devolved Climate Financing for Resilient Communities in Uganda," alongside a Project Formulation Grant (PFG) to finalize the Full Project Proposal. The project will expand the Devolved Climate Finance (DCF) mechanism under the Least Developed Countries Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience (LIFE-AR). Because the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) serves as the fund manager for the LIFE-AR program in Uganda, IUCN is acting as the procuring and contracting agency for this PFG phase to ensure seamless programmatic alignment and accelerated deployment of preparatory resources. The project will be piloted across 23 target sub-counties in 4 districts (Kalungu, Kaabong, Kibaale, and Pader), representing highly vulnerable agro-ecological zones. It is structured around three primary components: Component 1: Devolved Climate Financing for Community-Led Adaptation Outcome: Enhanced resilience of communities and ecosystems through direct grassroots investments. Outputs: Implementation of 69 community-selected adaptation investments (classified as Unidentified Sub-Projects or USPs) across the 23 target sub-counties. Component 2: Institutional Capacity Strengthening for Locally Led Adaptation Outcome: Local government structures and Parish Climate Change Committees (PCCCs) possess the capacity to manage and safeguard climate finance. Outputs: Deployment of localized Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMF), Gender Action Plans (GAP), and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) manuals. Component 3: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) and Knowledge Management Outcome: An evidence base of effective Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) that informs national policy. Outputs: An upgraded DCF tracking system embedded within existing local government frameworks to capture safeguards compliance and USP progress. Context and Purpose of the Consultancy To fulfill the Adaptation Fund’s rigorous project appraisal requirements, MWE is executing parallel technical workstreams, including environmental and social risk assessments, participatory gender analyses, and extensive field consultations across the 23 sub-counties. To consolidate these efforts, IUCN is procuring a Lead Proposal Development Consultant. Reporting technically to the MWE Project Task Force and contractually to IUCN, the consultant will synthesize all technical outputs, detail the USP risk-screening mechanics, facilitate national validation workshops, and author the submission-ready Full Project Proposal package (Parts I–IV and mandatory annexes). Furthermore, the consultant will remain engaged to lead the technical response to AF Secretariat review comments through to final technical clearance. Description of the Assignment The Consultant will be responsible for the following specific tasks: Task 1: Desk Review & Gap Analysis Review the approved AF Concept Note, AF Secretariat feedback, all the relevant national development/climate strategies (including, but not limited to, NDP IV, Updated NDC, 2022, National Climate Change Act 2021, National Climate Change Policy, 2015, NAPs, Tenfold Growth Strategy, key LIFE-AR documents, etc.), and other relevant sector policies. Review and synthesize the deliverables of the other parallel PFG consultancies, including the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), Gender Action Plan (GAP), updated MEL framework, and local stakeholder consultation reports. Task 2: Drafting the Narrative for AF Full Proposal (Parts I–IV) [...] Procurement details Reference: IUCN-26-10-DevelopAdaptationFundProposal-1030 Procedure: SOP1 - Open Procedure Procurement type: Consulting IUCN office (lead): ESARO Uganda Requisitioning unit: Uganda - Programme (UG) Project: P04810 LIFE-AR Country of performance: Uganda Expected contract duration: 6 months Estimated contract value: <25,000 CHF Currency of proposals: USD - United States dollar Language of documents: English Donor requirements: Donor permits use of IUCN procurement process Deadline for questions: 09 October 2026 20:59 UTC Deadline for technical and financial proposals: 19 October 2026 13:00 UTC Expected contract award date: 30 October 2026 20:59 UTC Documents - Terms of Reference: Final Final - TOR for the Full Proposal Development.docx - Conditions for Participating: Conditions for Participating ENG-SPA-FRA v23-09-26.pdf - Standard contract: Standard Agreement.docx The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership union of government and civil society organisations working on nature conservation and sustainable development. IUCN procures consulting services, goods and works for its projects worldwide through the IUCN Procurement Portal. For all contracts above CHF 25,000 IUCN selects contractors through a formal competitive tendering process under its Standard Operating Procedure 1 (Open Procedure). Interested bidders must register on the portal, review the Terms of Reference, the Conditions for Participating and the standard contract, and submit their technical and financial proposals through the portal before the stated deadline. Questions must be raised through the portal's Q&A function before the deadline for questions.