Consultancy Assignment: Strengthening MEL for Mission 300 CDMU Support

1. Introduction

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet brings together philanthropy including the IKEA Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund, governments, technology, policy and development partners, and the private sector to tackle the twin challenges of energy access and transition in emerging and developing countries. By 2030, we aim to expand clean energy access to one billion people, enable 150 million new jobs and reduce 4 gigatons of future carbon emissions. We believe clean energy is development: without it, every other form of progress is undermined so we’re building a movement to unlock a new era of inclusive green economic growth that accelerates universal energy access while enabling the global community to meet critical climate goals during the next decade.

2. Goal

The overall goal of this consultancy is to strengthen the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems that underpin the Mission 300 program, with a focus on supporting the establishment and operationalization of Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units (CDMUs).

Mission 300 is an ambitious partnership between the Global Energy Alliance, the World Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation, African Development Bank, and SE4All aimed at addressing Africa's energy poverty by providing reliable energy to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. In addition to concessional financing and building impactful partnerships M300 advances energy access by enabling African governments to lead policy reform through action oriented “energy compacts” and CDMUs. The CDMUs are the primary institutional mechanism through which Global Energy Alliance supports governments to deliver on their national compacts under Mission 300.

By improving MEL frameworks, tools, and capacity, the consultancy will contribute to more effective delivery of national energy compacts and, ultimately, to the shared ambition of providing reliable energy access to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.

3. Objectives

The consultant will support the Africa Region MEL Manager in coordinating Global Energy Alliance’s contributions to Mission 300 MEL and capacity building activities. This short-term assignment will be embedded within the Impact Department and will support cross-cutting MEL priorities across the M300 partnership.

The consultancy will focus on the following key objectives:

• Strengthen MEL frameworks: Review and refine the Mission 300 CDMU Support Program’s Theory of Change and MEL framework, ensuring coherence with both Global Energy Alliance’s and M300’s overarching impact goals.
• Build institutional capacity: Design and deliver tailored MEL capacity-building plans, tools, and training modules to enable CDMUs to effectively monitor, report, and learn from energy compact implementation.
• Generate learning and evidence: Develop an evaluation plan to assess the performance of CDMUs, their role in driving systems change, and their contribution to broader energy sector reforms.
• Ensure data quality and usability: Create and test practical tools, templates, and processes that strengthen data collection, improve reliability, and enhance evidence-based decision-making.
• Support cross-partner coordination: Foster alignment and collaboration across M300 MEL stakeholders, including Global Energy Alliance, SEforALL, the World Bank, AfDB, and The Rockefeller Foundation.
• Enable sustainability: Develop a handover strategy with actionable recommendations to institutionalize MEL practices within CDMUs and partner governments beyond the consultancy period.
• Contribute to broader MEL priorities: Provide flexible support to the Impact Department on cross-cutting MEL tasks beyond Mission 300, including inputs to frameworks, tools, and reporting processes as needed.

4. Scope of Work

The consultancy will be delivered in two phases: Design and Implementation. The consultant will work closely with Global Energy Alliance’s Africa MEL Manager and M300 partners to provide technical expertise, build CDMU capacity, and ensure that learning is embedded across the program. In addition, the consultant may contribute to other Global Energy Alliance MEL workstreams outside of M300, where there are synergies or opportunities to strengthen the overall MEL system.

1. Phase 1 – Design (November – December 2025)

• Conduct a technical review of the Mission 300 CDMU Support Program’s Theory of Change and MEL framework, with recommendations for strengthening alignment with M300’s overarching MEL framework.
• Develop a capacity building plan for MEL support to CDMUs.
• Design an evaluation plan to assess CDMU effectiveness, their influence on systems change, and their contribution to impact.
• Create MEL data collection tools, templates, and guidance tailored for CDMUs (including survey instruments and data management platform integration).
• Coordinate with Mission 300 MEL counterparts (Global Energy Alliance, SEforALL, RF, World Bank, AfDB) to ensure alignment and avoid duplication.

2. Phase 2 – Implementation (January – April 2026)

• Continuing with all operational deliverables from Phase 1.
• Conduct a rapid MEL capacity assessment of the first 5 CDMUs (staffing, existing MEL systems, data availability).
• Support the design and delivery of capacity building activities, including training sessions and one-on-one consultations with CDMU staff.
• Conduct quality assurance checks on monitoring data submitted by CDMUs, ensuring standardization, reliability, and alignment with M300 metrics.
• Support synthesis of evidence and lessons into reports, briefs, and knowledge products for M300 partners.
• Develop a handover plan and facilitate transition workshops for designated staff or consultants.

5. Key Deliverables

• Updated Theory of Change and MEL framework for the Mission 300 CDMU Support Program.
• Evaluation plan for assessing CDMU effectiveness, systems influence, and impact pathways.
• Capacity building plan for MEL support to CDMUs.
• Capacity assessment report for the first five CDMUs established in 2025.
• Standardized MEL tools, templates, and user guides (e.g., survey instruments, data entry formats, dashboards).
• Training manuals and short training reports documenting delivery of MEL sessions and consultations.
• Data analysis outputs and learning products (visualizations, briefs, presentations, summaries).
• Final handover report with actionable recommendations and sustainability roadmap.
• Contributions to Global Energy Alliance’s broader MEL outputs (e.g., frameworks, tools, or reports) as agreed with the Africa MEL Manager.

6. Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum 7 years of experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, preferably in Africa programming and/or energy access, climate, and international development.
• Professional Certification in Monitoring and Evaluation for development programs is an added advantage.
• Experience designing and MEL  trainings, drafting guidance documentation, and other capacity building modalities.
• Extensive experience in qualitative and quantitative research, including tool design, data collection, analysis, and reporting. 
• Experience working in fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environments. 
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate across government partners and multidisciplinary team, ensuring delivery of high-quality outputs within deadlines.
• Ability to work independently, manage complex assignments, and meet tight deadlines.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written).
• Based in Africa, with the ability to work remotely across time zones and coordinate virtually with global teams.  

7. Duration of the assignment

The consultancy will run for a period of six (6) calendar months, commencing in mid-November 2025. Within this timeframe, all deliverables are expected to be prepared, submitted, and approved. While the indicative duration is six months, the consultant is expected to propose a level of effort (LOE) per deliverable in their application, ensuring that the overall allocation of time is realistic and aligned with the scope of work.

8. Reporting lines

The consultant will report to Africa Region’s MEL Manager and work closely with the Chief Impact Officer, the Director of Government Enablement/ CDMUs as well as relevant stakeholders across Global Energy Alliance and the M300 partnership.

9. Submission Requirements

To apply, interested and qualified consultants should submit a brief proposal (max 2 pages) outlining:

• Proposed approach for delivery on the scope of work.
• Indicative level of effort (LOE) per key deliverable, aligned with the 6-month duration of the assignment.
• Proposed daily rate and overall cost estimate.

Appended to the proposal should be: Curriculum Vitae (CV), two relevant samples of prior work, two professional references.

Only complete applications will be considered. Individual or team applications are welcome. Interested consultants should send their applications to Boaz Liesdek at boaz.liesdek@energyalliance.org by 12:00 pm ET on October 31, 2025.