Overview of position
- Yemenโs energy crisis, exacerbated by a decade of conflict, economic collapse & climate vulnerability, has left millions without reliable electricity, undermining essential services & livelihoods. Against this backdrop, our client has positioned renewable energy, particularly solar power, as a cornerstone of its strategy to restore critical services, reduce greenhouse gas emissions & strengthen community resilience. This dual approach, combining on the ground interventions with policy level engagement, is central to advancing Yemenโs sustainable development and energy transition.
- Since 2023, our client in Yemen has solarized 164 public service facilities, including 98 schools & 54 health centres, benefiting nearly 200,000 people & avoiding an estimated 560 tCOโe annually. Through flagship initiatives such as the Enhanced Rural Resilience in Yemen (ERRY) joint program, Strengthening Institutional & Economic Resilience in Yemen (SIERY) & the renewable energy to improve access to Health Services & Livelihood Opportunities (HEAL) project, our client has deployed institutional rooftop PV systems, community managed microgrids & hybrid mini grids. These solutions have reduced household energy costs by up to 65%, enabled small businesses to thrive & improved service continuity in health, education & water sectors.
- Beyond infrastructure, our client has championed gender responsive energy access, supporting women led solar enterprises that create green jobs & foster inclusive economic recovery. These interventions align with Yemenโs Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) & the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reinforcing the humanitarian development peace nexus.
- Our clients role extends beyond project delivery to shaping national energy policy & investment planning. In May 2024, they launched the summary of the Yemen mixed renewable energy investment plan, a strategic blueprint developed with national authorities & partners to accelerate the energy transition. The plan outlines short & long term investment pathways for solar, wind & hybrid systems, prioritizing decentralized solutions for fragile contexts while identifying regulatory reforms & financing mechanisms to attract private capital. It emphasizes Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), independent Power Producer (IPP) models & blended finance instruments to scale renewable energy deployment across Yemen.
- Complementing this, our clients private sector engagement strategy (2024 โ 2026) & energy transition consultations have created an enabling environment for private investment in clean energy, while initiatives like the Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT LEDS) & green climate fund readiness support strengthen institutional capacity for climate aligned planning. These efforts converge in platforms such as the Yemen energy task force, cochaired by our client, the Ministry of Electricity & Energy & development partners, to ensure policy coherence & donor alignment.
- Clean energy is more than a technical fix, it is a strategic enabler of peacebuilding, service continuity & climate adaptation. By reducing dependence on volatile fuel markets, solar & hybrid systems enhance local stability, lower emissions & unlock economic opportunities. At the policy level, our clients investment planning & regulatory support aim to institutionalize these gains, paving the way for a low carbon & inclusive energy future in Yemen.
- Our client seeks to recruit two individual consultants (an international & a national consultant) to develop a knowledge product on our clients energy interventions in Yemen. As part of the two person assignment, the international consultant will oversee the methodological approach, ensure the quality assurance & provide technical support to the national consultant to carry out the necessary fieldwork & complete the set of deliverables. The national consultant will be based in Yemen & may travel within target governorates & districts according to the methodology designed by the international consultant & approved by the Team Leader for Climate Change, Energy & Environment Portfolio for our client in Yemen.
Role objectives
The primary objective of this assignment is to produce a comprehensive, high quality knowledge product that documents, analyses & synthesizes our clients solar & renewable energy interventions to date to highlight the impact of such interventions in advancing sustainable development & resilience in Yemen. This product will serve as a strategic resource to inform programmatic decision making, policy dialogue & donor engagement. Specifically, the knowledge product will:
- Map the scope & scale of our clients Yemenโs solar energy interventions, including key projects, delivery models, geographic coverage & beneficiary groups (with attention to women, youth & vulnerable populations).
- Assess technical & financial models used, including microgrids, hybrid mini grids, facility scale solar & enterprise level interventions, with a focus on capital & operating cost structures, tariff models & sustainability mechanisms for operations & maintenance.
- Synthesize lessons learned & good practices, including what has worked well (& why), challenges encountered & how these experiences compare across urban, peri urban & rural settings.
- Examine enabling or constraining factors, such as market dynamics, community governance, institutional capacity, regulatory frameworks & private sector participation, especially within Yemenโs conflict affected environment.
- Highlight gender & social inclusion dimensions, identifying how solar energy interventions have supported or could further enhance womenโs economic empowerment, youth engagement & equitable access to energy services.
Quantify development outcomes across five core dimensions:
- Energy access: Number & type of facilities & households reached.
- Affordability: Relative cost savings versus traditional energy sources (e.g., diesel).
- Resilience & sustainability (ownership / O&M & PPPs): Contributions to public service continuity, local livelihoods & shock absorption, including the existence & performance of asset ownership / O&M arrangements & PPP.
- Climate impact: Estimated emissions reductions & sustainability indicators.
- Livelihoods impacts: Livelihoods impacts of energy access on communities, social services, public services, microbusinesses, SMEs, households & beneficiaries.
Develop clear, actionable recommendations for:
- Scaling up successful models & approaches supporting sustainable economic development (e.g., public facility electrification, agrosolar systems, enterprise led microgrids).
- Strengthening the enabling environment through policy reforms, de-risking mechanisms & climate finance.
- Deepening partnerships with donors, the private sector & local implementing partners.
- Aligning energy programming with national energy & climate priorities, including Yemenโs NDC & with our clients global frameworks such as the sustainable energy hub & climate promise.
Ultimately, the product will support evidence based planning, knowledge sharing & strategic positioning for our client in Yemen, contributing to the global understanding of renewable energy solutions in fragile & crisis affected contexts.
The international & national consultants will review initiatives across various our clients projects & initiatives. The review will be guided by the following questions:
- What was our clients work at the policy, community, economic & social sectors & household levels.
- What has our clients delivered in terms of facilities & households served & what are the resulting socio economic, service delivery & climate benefits?
- How have costs & business models (e.g., OPEX / CAPEX, tariffs, sustainability mechanisms & operations & maintenance) performed across different solar solutions & contexts?
- What were the successes & challenges in market development, community governance, capacity building & private sector engagement?
- What are the priority niches for future scaling (e.g., health, education, water, agrosolar pumping, hybridization), policy levers, financing mechanisms & potential partnerships?
- How do these initiatives align with Yemen's solar resources, national strategies & with our clients corporate frameworks?
The International & national consultants will use a mixed methods approach to gather & analyse data:
- Document & data review: The consultants will review project documents, reports from the projects, M&E data, procurement documents, donor reports & our clients policy notes.
- Stakeholder interviews & FGDs: Conduct interviews & focus group discussions with our clients staff, local partners, Facility Managers, operators, projectsโ participants & communities targeted by the projects & international partners.
- Case studies: Develop two to three case studies focusing on public services (schools / health), micro / mini grids & the hybrid mini-grid in Ash Shamayatain.
The consultants will also conduct a quantitative analysis to analyse data on access, cost & emissions benefits, affordability compared to diesel & the sustainability of operations & maintenance. The consultants will also ensure equality & inclusion by ensuring a gender sensitive approach, including sex disaggregated data & consider the participation of women & youth operators.
Key milestones
Time allocation
Approving Officer
Payment linked to this role
Inception report after completion of desk review & initial discussion with our client & their stakeholders. The IR will include proposed approach, detailed methodology, outline, tools, annotated bibliography & workplan.
5 days
Climate Change, Energy & Environment Team Leader
40% of total payment
Evidence & data pack: A compiled portfolio dataset, indicator mapping, & a photo / asset log, including all inputs & outputs of data collection & analysis as well as documentation fieldwork activities.
10 days
30% of total payment
Draft knowledge Report: A 40 โ 60-page product with visuals & infographics, including 2 - 3 standalone case studies & recommendations for policy & partnerships.
6 days
30% of total payment
Project reporting
- The international consultant will work from home & will be supported by a national consultant who will conduct fieldwork & support the analysis & report development.
- The international consultant will report to & be supervised primarily by the Climate Change, Energy & Environment Portfolio (CCEE) Team Leader.
- Both the national & international consultants will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment.
- The national consultant will be responsible for providing her / his own workstation (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner / printer, etc.) & must have access to a reliable internet connection.
Key competencies
- Masterโs degree in relevant disciplines such as development studies, energy, climate change or related disciplines.
- At least five years of knowledge & experience in developing knowledge products, conducting case studies research & participatory methodologies.
- Knowledge of thematic areas including energy access in crisis settings, with expertise in solar engineering or economics & a strong publications record.
- Excellent skills in writing for impact, with good editing skills & strong attention to detail.
- Experience in facilitating FGDs, informative interviews & knowledge of ethical interviewing methodologies.
- Excellent time management skills & ability to meet deadlines.
- Fluency in written & spoken English and Arabic is required.
Team management
This role has no team management responsibility.
Further information
- The duration of this assignment is 25 days over two months (September & October).
- Payments will be made upon submission of a certification of payment form & acceptance & confirmation by the Supervisor on days worked (with a โdayโ calculated as 8 hours of work) & outputs delivered. If the quality does not meet standards or requirements, the national consultant will be asked to rewrite or revise (as necessary) the document before proceeding with payment.
- Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for this role.