MWA KENYA MEMBERS’ ENGAGEMENT EVENT
Terms of Reference
Consultancy Services for Design, Facilitation, Moderation, and Documentation of a Half-Day MWA Kenya Member Convening Event
A. Background and Rationale
MWA Kenya intends to convene a high-level, Half-Day afternoon member convening bringing together MWA member organizations present in Kenya, impact fund managers, selected private sector partners, development organizations, and other relevant ecosystem actors. The convening will provide a structured platform for dialogue on the evolving development and financing landscape, with a particular focus on practical collaboration between development actors, investors, and enterprises working across water, agriculture, climate resilience, and related value chains.
The event is designed as an interactive convening that combines short insight sessions, direct investor-enterprise engagement, and informal networking. It will enable MWA members and sector stakeholders to better understand emerging financing trends, connect with relevant impact investors and private sector actors, and explore opportunities for collaboration, partnership, and financing that advance sustainable development outcomes in frontier, underserved, and climate-vulnerable markets.
MWA Kenya seeks to engage a qualified consultant to support the design, facilitation, moderation, and documentation of the convening in a manner that is concise, interactive, inclusive, professionally managed, and strongly oriented toward tangible relationship-building and partnership outcomes.
B. Purpose of the Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to engage an individual consultant to provide technical, process, facilitation, moderation, and documentation support for the successful delivery of a Half-Day MWA Kenya member convening. The consultant will help translate the event concept into a coherent and outcome-oriented program, prepare speakers and enterprise presenters, facilitate dialogue among diverse stakeholders, and document key insights, recommendations, follow-up actions, and potential collaboration or financing opportunities emerging from the convening.
C. Event Objectives
- Facilitate dialogue on emerging trends in development financing, including the growing role of impact investment, blended finance, and private capital in advancing development outcomes.
- Strengthen collaboration between MWA member organizations, impact fund managers, development organizations, and selected private sector partners by identifying areas for partnership and collaboration.
- Provide visibility for selected enterprises and ecosystem actors working in water, agriculture, climate resilience, and related value chains.
- Create opportunities for direct engagement and networking between funding bodies, private sector actors, and MWA members to explore financing and partnership opportunities.
- Strengthen learning, collaboration, and peer exchange among MWA member organizations through a dedicated knowledge-sharing and networking platform.
- Generate clear recommendations and follow-up actions to guide MWA Kenya’s continued engagement with finance-sector stakeholders and ecosystem partners.
D. Scope of Work
The consultant will provide technical and facilitation support before, during, and immediately after the Half-Day afternoon convening. The assignment will include the tasks outlined below.
D.1 Pre-Event Preparation and Design
- Review the existing concept note, background materials, participant profiles, and relevant MWA Kenya documentation to understand the purpose, audience, expected outcomes, and strategic positioning of the convening.
- Refine the event concept note, agenda, session flow, and facilitation approach in consultation with MWA Kenya, ensuring coherence, engagement, and alignment to the event objectives.
- Develop detailed facilitation notes, session guides, moderation questions, and process tools for the round of introductions and opening remarks, lightning talks, investor-enterprise engagement session, and networking cocktail.
- Support MWA Kenya to clarify the roles of speakers, presenters, moderators, panelists, rapporteurs, and technical support teams involved in the event.
- Conduct preparatory briefing sessions and, where needed, short dry runs with selected lightning talk speakers and private sector presenters to align messaging, timing, audience expectations, and desired outcomes.
- Advise on practical approaches for stimulating meaningful interaction between MWA members, finance-sector actors, and enterprises.
D.2 Event Facilitation and Moderation
- Provide professional, independent facilitation and moderation of the Half-Day afternoon convening, ensuring that discussions remain focused, inclusive, time-conscious, and oriented toward practical outcomes.
- Moderate the round of introductions, welcome and opening remarks, lightning talks and question-and-answer segment, investor-enterprise engagement session, and networking transition as agreed with MWA Kenya.
- Create a constructive and neutral environment that encourages open exchange among MWA members, impact fund managers, development organizations, private sector partners, enterprises, and other sector actors.
- Use appropriate facilitation techniques to surface participant perspectives, identify areas of convergence, manage differing viewpoints, and build momentum around shared opportunities.
- Guide participants toward clear outputs, including emerging partnership opportunities, priority financing interests, collaboration areas, and recommended follow-up actions.
- Support real-time synthesis of discussions, including summarizing key points, highlighting agreements and areas requiring further engagement, and framing issues for decision or follow-up.
D.3 Documentation, Synthesis, and Reporting
- Provide rapporteur and documentation support during the event, including capturing key messages, discussion highlights, recommendations, action points, and potential partnership or investment leads.
- Prepare a concise synthesis immediately after the convening to support MWA Kenya’s internal reflection and follow-up planning.
- Prepare and submit a concise event proceedings report documenting the event purpose, participant profile, session summaries, key insights, emerging opportunities, recommendations, and proposed next steps.
- Incorporate feedback from MWA Kenya into the final report and ensure all documentation is submitted in a professional, clear, and usable format.
E. Expected Deliverables and Timelines
Deliverable 1
Refined concept note and event agenda
- Finalized session flow, facilitation approach, and detailed agenda aligned to the Half-Day afternoon format, event objectives, and participant profile.
- 4 weeks to event
Deliverable 2
Facilitation and moderation guide
- Detailed facilitation notes, session prompts, moderation questions, and process design for introductions, opening remarks, lightning talks, investor-enterprise engagement, and networking segments.
- 3 weeks to event
Deliverable 3
Speaker and presenter preparation
- Briefing notes and preparatory sessions or short dry runs with selected lightning talk speakers and private sector presenters.
- 2 weeks to event
Deliverable 4
Event facilitation and moderation
- Professional facilitation and moderation of the Half-Day MWA Kenya member convening, including the opening segment, lightning talks, investor-enterprise engagement, and networking transition.
- Event day
Deliverable 5
Event proceedings report
- Concise proceedings report capturing session summaries, key discussions, insights, recommendations, action points, and emerging partnership or investment opportunities.
- 2 weeks after event
F. Consultant Qualifications and Experience
- Demonstrated experience designing and facilitating high-level multi-stakeholder workshops, investment forums, B2B engagements, investor roundtables, or partnership-building events.
- Strong understanding of development financing, impact investment, blended finance, private sector engagement, enterprise support, and/or ecosystem-building approaches.
- Experience working with diverse stakeholders, including INGOs, financial institutions, fund managers, investors, enterprises, government actors, private sector actors, and development partners.
- Excellent facilitation, moderation, communication, synthesis, and report-writing skills.
- Ability to manage diverse viewpoints, encourage constructive dialogue, and guide participants toward clear outcomes and actionable next steps.
- Strong familiarity with Kenya’s development, finance, enterprise, resilience, water, agriculture, or climate-related ecosystem will be an added advantage.
- Demonstrated professionalism, neutrality, integrity, and ability to work under tight timelines.
G. Event Date, Duration and Level of Effort
The assignment is expected to cover pre-event preparation, facilitation of the Half-Day convening, and post-event reporting. The estimated level of effort is 8-10 days, to be agreed with MWA Kenya based on the confirmed scope of preparatory engagements, number of speakers and enterprise presenters, and reporting requirements.
H. Reporting and Coordination
The consultant will work closely with the designated MWA Kenya focal person or event planning team throughout the assignment. All draft deliverables will be submitted to MWA Kenya for review and validation. The consultant will incorporate feedback in a timely manner and maintain regular communication on progress, emerging issues, and decisions required to ensure successful delivery of the convening.
I. Expected Outcome
Through this assignment, MWA Kenya expects to deliver a well-structured, engaging, and solutions-oriented Half-Day convening that strengthens relationships between MWA members, impact investors, development organizations, and private sector partners; improves understanding of emerging financing approaches; creates visibility for selected enterprises; and generates practical recommendations, partnership leads, and follow-up actions to advance collaboration, financing, and sustainable development outcomes in Kenya.
J. Information and Support to be Provided by MWA Kenya
MWA Kenya will provide relevant background documents, the event concept note, proposed participant and speaker lists, branding guidance, logistical information, and timely feedback on draft deliverables. MWA Kenya will also coordinate invitations, venue arrangements, participant communications, catering, and any other logistical support required for the event.
K. Budget
All costs inclusive of applicable taxes should be included in the consultant’s quoted budget. The financial proposal should provide an itemized budget indicating professional fees covering preparatory engagements, facilitation and moderation costs, documentation and reporting costs, any related expenses, and applicable taxes.
L. Application Process
Interested individual consultants are expected to submit technical and financial proposals in English, including the following:
- Short cover letter stating interest, availability, and suitability for the assignment (no more than 1 page)
- Consultant profile demonstrating relevant experience in event design, facilitation, moderation, investor engagement, partnership-building, and documentation (no more than 2 pages)
- Technical proposal outlining understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, facilitation approach, and work plan (no more than 2 pages).
- Financial proposal showing all professional fees, related expenses, and applicable taxes.
- Updated CV of the consultant (no more than 4 pages)
- Contact details of at least three previous clients or organizations for whom similar assignments have been undertaken.
Adherence to the proposed page limits is mandatory and failure to do so will result in rejection of the submitted bid.
M. Statutory Requirements
Interested individual consultants are expected to submit the following statutory documents as part of the mandatory requirements:
- Copy of Valid Kenyan tax compliance certificate
- Copy of KRA PIN certificate.
- Copy of Kenyan National Identification Card
This consultancy is only open to Kenyan individuals.