Portfolio Officer- Tanzania Clean Cooking Programme

Written by AECF

The Tanzania Clean Cooking Programme

The Tanzania Clean Cooking Programme (TCCP) is a three-year, US$3.75 million program that aims to transform the clean cooking sector and enable access to clean cooking for more than 300,000 rural and marginalized households in Tanzania. The program aims to address the two-fold challenge of supply and demand through innovative mechanisms that de-risk private sector investments through supply-side grants and make clean cooking solutions more affordable through demand-side grants.

The program will deploy a direct matching grant financing facility coupled with technical assistance as a means of incentivizing and de-risking the private sector to venture into these markets and expect that by the end of the program period, the target markets will have opened and be able to crowd in other private sector actors.

The key objectives of the programme are:

  1. Catalyze the private sector participation in clean cooking solutions in underserved markets
  2. Accelerate the uptake of clean cooking solutions through innovative financing mechanisms
  3. Strengthen the clean cooking sector coordination and advocate for a conducive policy environment for a market-led clean cooking sector.

The Role

The Tanzania Clean Cooking Programme (TCCP) is a US$ 3.75 million, three-year programme that aims to transform the clean cooking sector and enable access to clean cooking to more than 300,000 rural and marginalized households in Tanzania. The programme aims to address the two-fold challenge of supply and demand through innovative mechanisms that de-risk private sector investments through supply-side grants and make clean cooking solutions more affordable through demand-side grants. The program will deploy a direct matching grant financing facility coupled with technical assistance as a means of incentivizing and de-risking the private sector to venture into these markets and expect that by the end of the program period, the target markets will have opened and be able to crowd in other private sector actors.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop portfolio management plans, in line with the program and the overall AECF operational and technical management strategy.
  • Work with the AECF competition team to execute competition activities, including marketing open windows, evaluating concept notes and business plans, conducting due diligence, supporting business plan development at the application stage, and contracting selected companies
  • Responsible for ensuring effective investee’s performance and relationship management
  • With support from the AECF Impact Team, develop results measurement plans together with each investee company.
  • Lead the planning and execution of the investee’s performance monitoring activities, including data verification exercises to ensure the quality of program results.
  • Implementing the AECF’s operational processes for grant management including contribution to the operationalization of the Portfolio Management Information System (PMIS).
  • Implementation of the financial policies, procedures, and systems guidelines for grant recipients
  • Ensure all investee site visits are conducted periodically, as per the agreed site visit schedule.
  • Coordinate identification of investees who require technical assistance and investment services and arrange to deliver services based on the AECF TA and Learning service delivery framework.
  • Reviewing periodic investee narrative and financial reports, as well as disbursement requests from investee.
  • Ensure legal review and opinion on investees that require the legal departments’ review.
  • Manage the flow of disbursements throughout implementation, advising the Program manager on timing and potential issues that need to be addressed.
  • Provide periodic reports on the program, information trends and other relevant information as requested, and periodic portfolio management reports.
  • Contribute to the impact & learning agenda, specifically on the TCCP.
  • Ensure continuous improvement of the portfolio relationship management based on learning.
  • With the support of the Knowledge and Insights Manager, regularly apply lessons, emerging innovations, and best practices from investee project evaluations, field visit reports, and project reports across the TCCP and the organization.

 Qualifications

  • Degree in the areas of Business Management, Energy, Economics, Rural Development, Project Management, Development Studies, or any related studies.
  • A minimum of five (5) years experience in private sector development and sustainable finance, preferably in the energy sector in Tanzania.
  • Strong understanding of and practical experience in the energy sector, preferably clean cooking
  • Have an ability and demonstrate experience in designing and appraising energy business cases.
  • Have a demonstrated track record in portfolio management, specifically in conducting project due diligence monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and financial management for early-stage companies.
  • Have experience managing gender-responsive programs/investments.
  • Have excellent analytical and communication skills, with the ability to prepare portfolio analysis reports
  • Have a high degree of initiative and energy, “can-do” attitude, flexibility, teamwork, and attention to detail.
  • Have excellent interpersonal skills including a strong work ethic, impeccable integrity, and judgment.

How to Apply

The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered based on merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin, religion, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

AECF does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, processing, training, or any other fees).

Register and apply if you believe you can clearly demonstrate your abilities to meet the relevant criteria for the role. Applications must be received by November 1, 2024, to be considered.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Request For Proposal:Terms of Reference for outbound call centre services for Tanzania Clean Cooking Project, October 2024

Written by AECF

 1. Background

The AECF, LLC (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund) is a leading non-profit development organisation that supports innovative enterprises in the agribusiness and renewable energy sectors with the aim of reducing rural poverty, promoting climate resilient communities, and creating jobs.

We catalyze the private sector by surfacing and commercializing new ideas, business models and technologies designed to increase agricultural productivity, improve farmer incomes, expand clean energy access, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve resilience to the effects of climate change. We finance high risk businesses that struggle to access commercial funding; we are committed to working in frontier markets, fragile contexts, and high-risk economies where few mainstream financing institutions dare to go.

To date, we have supported over 510 businesses in 26 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, impacted more than 33million lives and created over 35,000 direct jobs.

AECF is headquartered in Kenya and has offices in Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Sudan, Benin, and Somalia.

2. Tanzania Clean Cooking Project – TCCP

The TCCP is a three-year programme (July 2022 – June 2025) funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The project seeks to reduce energy poverty through a transformational increase in the use of clean cooking solutions in rural, marginalized, and underserved communities. The envisaged outcome is increased private sector investment, innovation in affordable clean cooking solutions and accelerated access to clean cooking solutions in Tanzania.

The programme aims to achieve three main objectives:

  • Accelerate adoption of clean cooking solutions in underserved markets in Tanzania.
  • Catalyze private sector participation and innovation in market-based approaches for clean cooking. Focus on small and growing businesses.
  • Strengthen sector coordination and advocate for a conducive policy environment for the clean cooking sector

3. Purpose of the assignment

Through this request for proposals (“RFP”), the AECF is looking for a consultant to provide outbound call centre services for the TCCP results-based financing program.

3.1 Specific Duties and Responsibilities of the Consultant

  • Conduct telephone interviews of a random sample of customers to verify information provided on reported sales e.g. name of the customer, product/service sold, date of sale, sales price and location, as provided by the customer interviewed corresponds with the sales information provided by the results-based award company. It is expected that 1800 customers will be interviewed over the course of 1 year.
  • Provide periodic reports to AECF as an output of the telephone interviews.

3.2 Outputs and Reporting Requirements

  • Monthly telephone verification reports
  • Supporting call logs and reports

4. Duration of Service

This task is expected to be for 9months after contract sign-off.

5. Qualifications & Experience

  • A call centre based in Tanzania that has been providing services to corporate and SME clients in Tanzania for at least three years.
  • Experience providing customer care services on behalf of companies that provide solar or clean cooking solutions to households will be an added advantage
  • Demonstrated capacity to deliver in the timeframe outlined.
  • Fluency in written, spoken English and Swahili.

6. Reporting

The lead consultant will report to the TCCP Programme Manager.

7. Evaluation Criteria

The AECF will form an evaluation committee.  All members will be bound by the same standards of confidentiality. The consultant should ensure that they fully respond to all criteria to be comprehensively evaluated.

The AECF may request and receive clarification from any consultant when evaluating a proposal. The evaluation committee may invite some or all the consultants to appear before the committee to clarify their proposals. In such an event, the evaluation committee may consider such clarifications in evaluating the proposals.

In deciding the final selection of a qualified bidder, the technical proposal will be given a weighting of 70% based on the evaluation criteria. Only the financial proposal of those bidders who qualify technically will be opened. The financial proposal will be allocated a weighting of 30% and the proposals will be ranked according to the total points scored.

The mandatory and desirable criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are identified in the table below.

 

Key Areas for Evaluation/ Assessment Weighted Award 
(A)  TECHNIAL PROPOSAL  70
i) An understanding of the consultancy requirements;  
·       Show a clear understanding of the consultancy requirements, focusing on verifying household stove purchases and aligning with project goals.

·       Demonstrate a thorough grasp of the consultancy’s needs, ensuring timely and efficient verification of household stove purchases

 5

 

10
ii) Methodology and work-plan that will deliver the best value on the Assignment:  
·       Demonstrate a strategy and capacity to verify the accuracy of the provided list of households who have purchased stoves, ensuring each task is completed within a realistic timeline and offers value for money 20
·       Strategy that demonstrates the capability to conduct a significant portion of this assignment through in-person household verifications 10
Organizational capability and experience  
·       Track record of delivering similar services in recent years in Tanzania

·       Organization capacity, including infrastructure and staff resources to execute the assignment.

 10

5
v) Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments:  
·       Bidders to provide minimum 3 references of similar work done in the last 3 years

·       Submit a comprehensive list highlighting the scope and magnitude of relevant past assignments.

 5

5
(B)  FINANCIAL PROPOSAL  30
  • Present a financial proposal that outlines detailed costs and justifications for the assignment.
 30
Total score 100

 8. Proposal submission

Interested companies/individuals must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications.

a) A technical proposal, max 15 pages (excluding annexes) including the following:

  • A profile of the lead consultant (max. 3 pages) explaining why they are the most suitable for the work
  • CVs of the team composition, qualification and experience.
  • An understanding of the consultancy requirements.
  • Methodology and work plan for performing the assignment.
  • Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments.
  • Letters of references/recommendation from previous companies/assignments
  • Relevant services undertaken. Sample of past work: applicants are requested to submit a sample of similar tasks to demonstrate the experiences required by this Terms of Reference
  • Registration and other relevant statutory documents (this apply to Institutional consultants).

b) A financial proposal

  • Financial proposal in USD clearly showing the proposed team member, roles, and proposed days and the proposed professional fee. The financial proposal shall also include an indication of reimbursables (travel, communication etc.)

9. Pricing

The financial proposals shall include all applicable taxes quoted separately. The AECF is obliged by the Tanzania tax authorities to withhold taxes on service contract fees as well as ensure (VAT) is charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position with regards to provisions of tax legislation when developing their proposals.

 10. Application details

The AECF is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The AECF considers all interested candidates based on merit without regard to race, sex, colour, national origin, religion, age, marital status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

  • All clarifications and/or questions should be sent to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org  by 25th October 2024, 5.00pm (EAT)
  • The AECF invites qualified consultants/firms to send a proposal to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org  clearly marked read ‘’TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A FOR OUTBOUND CALL CENTRE SERVICES FOR TANZANIA CLEAN COOKING PROJECT to receive no later than 31st October 2024, 5.00pm (EAT) time. addressed to: AECF, Procurement Department.

11. Disclaimer

AECF reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party

NB: The AECF does not charge an application fee for participation in the tender process and has not appointed any agents or intermediaries to facilitate applications. Applicants are advised to reach out directly to the AECF PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT

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