Consultant - National Platform Liaison, South Africa

Summary

WRI intends to award a consultant a 12-month fixed-price contract to lead engagement with the National Platform in South Africa, coordinate startup partnership support, and contribute to policy ecosystem development aligned with P4G’s objectives.

Program Overview

P4G supports early-stage climate startups in emerging markets by helping them become investment ready and scaling their solutions through enabling public-private ecosystems. In South Africa, the P4G program is working through the National Platform (NP) to identify high-impact startups, remove market barriers, and facilitate partnerships across government, private sector, and civil society to advance goals in clean energy, climate-smart agriculture, food loss & waste and water resilience.

Scope of Work and Deliverables/Outputs

The consultant will be responsible for:

National Platform Engagement and Strategy (30%)

• Facilitate regular meetings with NP co-chairs and focal points to ensure strategic alignment.
• Develop and track implementation of the NP Implementation Plan; conduct annual NP assessments.
• Support South Africa-specific inputs to P4G’s global strategy and roadmap.

Startup Partnership Management and Acceleration (30%)

• Oversee engagement with P4G-supported startups, including field visits and regular check-ins.
• Organize acceleration activities and policy learning events with ministries and partners.
• Coordinate documentation of enabling environment contributions in partnership closeouts.

Policy Engagement and Ecosystem Strengthening (25%)

• Engage with public and private stakeholders to identify and address market barriers.
• Represent P4G in sectoral dialogues and multi-stakeholder forums.
• Facilitate planning and stakeholder engagement for P4G missions and summits.

Knowledge Management and Reporting (15%)

• Draft and distribute bi-annual Partnership Update Reports.
• Prepare mission trip summaries, workshop reports, and internal updates.
• Ensure proper documentation and use of internal WRI systems for knowledge sharing.

Key deliverables include:

• Monthly NP meeting reports
• NP Implementation Plan tracking (2025–26)
• Acceleration and policy workshop summaries
• Hub mission trip reports
• Partnerships Update Reports
• National Platform roadmap inputs

Consultant Qualifications

• Master’s degree in public policy, economics, development, or related field (preferred)
• 5–10 years’ experience in government engagement, policy advocacy, or program management
• Demonstrated experience working with South African ministries, private sector, and/or climate-focused startups
• Strong networks in climate, finance, and startup ecosystems
• Excellent coordination, communication, and reporting skills

Evaluation and Selection

The following elements will be the primary considerations in evaluating all applications submitted in response to this posting [items below are tentative and can be changed or altered to meet the specific requirements of the procurement team]:

• Relevance of Experience: Demonstrated expertise and past performance in government engagement, startup ecosystems, and climate or development policy implementation in South Africa.
• Ecosystem Networks: Strength of the consultant’s existing networks across public, private, and civil society sectors, especially with actors in clean energy, climate-smart agriculture, and water resilience.
• Approach and Fit: The extent to which the applicant’s proposal aligns with WRI’s stated objectives and P4G’s implementation model.
• Value for Money: Overall cost-effectiveness of the proposal relative to the proposed approach, deliverables, and time commitment.
• Sustainability and Feasibility: Practicality and clarity of the proposed work plan, with attention to sustainability in delivery.

The consultant offering the best overall value will be selected. For this position, price and non-price aspects are considered to be of approximately equal importance.

Compliance Requirements: WRI receives funding from a variety of sources, including governments and other non-governmental organizations. In addition to WRI’s standard contract terms, certain funder conditions may apply.

How to Apply

Applications should include:

• Cover letter
• CV
• Fixed-price proposal with milestone-based breakdown.
• Short proposal outlining approach to stakeholder engagement and deliverable delivery.

Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

WRI Overview

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.

We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence and respect.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges, and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years and our operating budget is now $150 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of 1,000+ people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.

The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org) is an environmental and development research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people’s lives. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, protected veteran status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI's policy research and analysis. WRI, therefore, encourages applications from U.S. minorities, persons from other countries (especially developing nations), and from women of all backgrounds.