INVITATION TO BID FOR CONSULTANCY
Title of Consultancy: TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR RESEARCH ON SUSTAINABLE FINANCING FOR ANTICIPATORY ACTION AND ENHANCING THE VALUE OF EARLY WARNING INFORMATION SERVICES.
SCI Contracting Office: Save the Children Somalia/land Country Office
Period of Consultancy: The duration of the assignment will be from November 2025 to April 2026 including travel days. This is also inclusive of weekends.
Consultant type required: Consultancy Firm/ Individual.
Responsibility for Logistics arrangements and Costs
Save the children will pay the consultant fee in a lump sum and will not reimburse any incurred costs during the assignment. The consultant will cover their own Logistical arrangements, costs; including food, accommodation, local transport and all cost associated with data collection work and whole activities.
Taxation Provisions: The applicant shall be responsible for all taxes arising from the consultancy in line with the local Tax regulations applicable at the SCI contracting office, Hargeisa.
Travel requirements: The applicant will cover all travel costs (tickets) and arrange local travel to field sites.
Security requirements: The consultancy firm/individual will comply with standard of Save the Children Security procedures, including the completion of SCI online security training (applicable to international consultants) prior to travel to Somalia.
Professional quality and Expertise
The following are the minimum requirements for the Consultant Firm/individual to be considered for carrying out the assignment:
· Advanced degree (master’s or PhD preferred) in Economics, Development Finance, Public Policy, Business Administration, climate change, anticipatory action, Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Science, Environmental Studies, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or related disciplines.
· Training in innovative financing mechanisms, Islamic finance, or private sector engagement is an asset.
· Strong expertise in financing models for humanitarian and development initiatives, including private sector contributions, zakat, remittances, and philanthropy.
· Knowledge of corporate social responsibility (CSR), impact investing, and blended financing approaches.
· Proven ability to analyze market trends, regulatory environments, and opportunities for private sector engagement in AA.
· Understanding of Islamic finance principles and their potential application in humanitarian financing.
· Minimum of 7–10 years of experience in research or practice related to development financing, humanitarian funding, or private sector engagement.
· Experience engaging with banks, private firms, diaspora organizations, and philanthropic foundations.
· Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality research outputs, including policy papers and donor briefs.
· Previous work in Somalia, or similar fragile and conflict-affected contexts, is a strong asset.
· Excellent quantitative and qualitative research skills, including stakeholder mapping, inclusive collection and analysis of data through KII and FGD and financial analysis.
· Strong networking and stakeholder engagement skills with private sector and civil society actors.
· Ability to identify innovative financing opportunities and recommend practical models for scaling.
· Excellent communication and presentation skills for diverse audiences, including donors and policymakers.
· Specialized training in risk communication, community-based early warning systems, or disaster risk management is an advantage.
· Strong expertise in design, implementation, and evaluation of Early Warning Systems (EWS) and anticipatory action frameworks.
· Knowledge of climate and hazard modeling, information dissemination systems, and community-level risk communication.
· Proven ability to conduct participatory research with communities to assess information needs and accessibility barriers.
· Experience integrating gender, age, disability, and socio-economic perspectives into risk communication and early warning design.
· experience in early warning systems, disaster preparedness, or humanitarian programming.
· Demonstrated experience working with governments, humanitarian agencies, and local communities on risk-informed programming.
· Track record of conducting applied research and producing high-quality, peer-reviewed publications or policy briefs on early warning and anticipatory action
· Strong participatory research and facilitation skills for engaging diverse communities.
· Excellent analytical and writing abilities to translate findings into actionable recommendations.
· Competence in GIS, climate data analysis, or digital platforms for early warning dissemination is desirable.
· Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders
KEY PROFESSIONAL STAFF REQUIREMENT
Description
Minimum Qualification and professional experience
· Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD preferred) in Economics, Development Finance, Public Policy, Business Administration, or related disciplines.
· Training in innovative financing mechanisms, Islamic finance, or private sector engagement is an asset.
