Request for proposals for WRI Africa: ProTana Ethiopia project: Regional IWRM Specialist in the Tana Subbasin / Ethiopia WRI intends to award a Fixed Price one-year contract, with the possibility of extension for the duration of the ProTana project based on performance, project needs, and funding. The Protecting Water Supplies and Catchments in Ethiopias Tana Subbasin (ProTana) project is being implemented in the Amhara Region and within the Tana Subbasin, with special attention to the woredas (districts) of North Mecha, Dera, and Farta. The consultant will be based in Bahir Dar and is expected to spend 3040% of their contractual time visiting watershed management intervention areas and engaging stakeholders across the three target woredas. The consultant will be an important resource person located in the project region to facilitate proper implementation of key project activities in consultation with WRI project staff based in Addis Ababa. Main responsibilities will include supporting WRI across the three project components, primarily supporting watershed restoration interventions and monitoring, while also assisting with data collection and research, capacity building trainings, and contributing to the projects knowledge dissemination elements. The consultant is expected to provide 120 working days of support over the one year. Compensation will be provided on a monthly basis. The consultant must have good working conditions at home, including laptop and internet for regular contact with WRI project staff. Application submissions are due by close of business on 20 January 2026 EAT. About the World Resources Institute Founded in 1982, The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. We work with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. WRIs transformative ideas protect the earth and promote development because sustainability is essential to meeting human needs and fulfilling human aspirations in the future. About the Project The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global research and development organization working at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human wellbeing. Using research-based approaches, we work globally and in focus countries to meet peoples essential needs, protect and restore nature, and stabilize the climate while building resilience. In Ethiopia, the Water program aims to advance sustainable water resources management and to mainstream water and climate risk information into national and sub-national planning processes. The team focuses on three key areas: analyzing and managing water risk; promoting watershed restoration to protect water supplies; and driving urban water resilience. Ethiopias Tana Subbasin, found within the Amhara Region, is a critical water source for 3 million people supporting diverse ecosystems, economic activities, and agricultural communities. However, water availability and quality are declining due to environmental degradation, climatic shifts, and governance challenges. Poor water resources management and watershed degradation are exacerbating water scarcity and jeopardizing livelihoods, creating increasing challenges for water service provision. WRIs new 5-year project phase (which runs from September 2025 to August 2030) will confront systemic issues that threaten water availability, access, and ultimately service delivery. WRI and partners will advance institutional strengthening and on-the-ground watershed restoration, cross-cut by hydrological monitoring and learning. Activities will improve governance processes and technical capacities to advance integrated WRM. In parallel, the project will restore local catchments through nature-based interventions, in so doing, protect the source waters on which WASH systems draw. This approach looks at the full water system from source to tap, promoting water security alongside socio-economic and environmental co-benefits. The project vision rests on both institutional strengthening aspects and on-the-ground resource management interventions to support local actors better protecting and managing water resources. Key components include strengthening governance mechanisms for data-driven decision-making; integrated and cross-sectoral planning; capacity building on water source and system sustainability; interventions in catchment protection; and hydrological monitoring to build evidence for change. We will improve knowledge and technical capacities in government agencies to advance integrated WRM at multiple decision-making scales. Simultaneously, the project aims to safeguard the source waters that WASH systems rely on through community-led water and landscape management interventions. A strong focus on learning, advocacy, and adaptive management will also promote positive water security solutions, advancing improvements from local to regional and national scales. In this program, WRI continues to embrace Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as a guiding principle. IWRM links socio-economic development with environmental sustainability and emphasizes a cross-sectoral approach to water management. By looking at water service delivery more systematically, the ultimate goal is to enhance well-being, livelihoods, and the resilience of water systems and communities. SCOPE OF WORK AND OUTPUTS/DELIVERABLES The consultant will implement tasks in coordination with the project coordinator in Addis Ababa, the project manager in Washington, DC, and the wider project team. His or her key activities are listed below: Activity 1. Organize/support necessary logistical support for WRI field travel and convenings when and as needed (e.g., transport, local facilitation, attendance sheets, per diem). Activity 2. Support implementing partners, local government offices, and watershed/water committees in the planning, design, and implementation of the projects watershed management interventions, including providing technical support on community water planning and sustainable watershed management. Activity 3. Assist with the organization, delivery, and facilitation of WRI project convenings and capacity building workshops to government stakeholders in basin, region, zone, and woreda offices. Activity 4. Contribute to water, land, and climate-related data collection, analysis, and documentation, for example, soil erosion assessments, soil and water tool assessments, baseline studies, and other technical analyses, as needed. Activity 5. Help oversee the watershed restoration work in the three woredas, ensuring smooth running, tracking and monitoring, including engaging regularly with watershed associations and woreda officials and timely data collection and recording. Activity 6. Engage in consortium coordination meetings, joint field missions, and broader regional and local government consultations. Activity 7. Support the projects Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) aspects, including tracking activities and results for project monitoring according to the project MEL plan. Activity 8. Contribute to the documentation of best practices and lessons together with implementing partners. Tender Link : https://www.wri.org/about/procurement-opportunities
