Consultant – Policy Reform Facility

Project Overview

Palladium is seeking consultants for the upcoming FCDO-funded Policy Reform Facility (PRF) in Zambia. PRF is expected to run from 2027 to 2031 and will operate as a flexible, politically informed and adaptive technical assistance facility supporting the government of Zambia’s domestic reform agendas through policy reform, institutional strengthening, implementation support and systems-strengthening activities across priority sectors. Potential sector may include agriculture, mining, energy, public financial management, and climate finance.

This is a call to join Palladium’s bid consultant roster for both short (1-3 weeks) and long-term (up to 220 days per year) technical assistance activities. While qualified candidates both local/national and international to Zambia are encouraged to apply, local expertise will be prioritised in line with donor expectations. Inclusion in the roster does not guarantee consultancy work and is contingent on Palladium’s successful bid on the programme.

To Apply

1. A short cover letter with the following (tabular or bulleted format highly encouraged):

• Country of domicile
• Availability for short (1-3 weeks) vs long-term assignments (up to 220 days per year)
• Areas of expertise (see Areas of Expertise) in this advertisement

1. CV demonstrating relevant sector, policy and technical assistance expertise, with clear examples of results achieved. Applicants should highlight Zambia-specific experience, work with government institutions, and examples of policy analysis, reform design, institutional strengthening or implementation support in their specialist area.
   For each experience, in 2-3 sentences, provide:

• Your role / job title
• Your task
• What actions you took
• Any results / outcomes from your work

Required Qualifications:

Required Areas of Expertise
We are seeking consultants with expertise in at least one of the following domains:

Priority policy and sector expertise

• Agriculture and agri-food policy
• Mining, minerals and extractives policy
• Energy policy, regulation and sector reform
• Public financial management
• Domestic revenue mobilisation and fiscal policy
• Climate finance and green investment
• Public investment planning and management
• Private sector development and investment climate
• Trade and economic policy
• Cross-government policy development and implementation

Cross-cutting technical assistance expertise

• Policy analysis, formulation and implementation
• Institutional and organisational strengthening
• Political economy analysis and politically informed delivery
• Government capacity strengthening
• Public sector reform
• Stakeholder engagement, consultation and coalition building
• Monitoring, evaluation, learning and adaptive management
• Gender equality, disability and social inclusion
• Facilitation, training and knowledge transfer

Key Competencies Required

• Proven experience in the direct delivery of politically informed support in Zambia or comparable contexts via technical assistance to government partners on-time and within budget; preference for candidates with previous experience providing high-quality technical and policy advice to government, direct-to-donor.
• Demonstrated understanding of Zambia’s political economy and institutional context.
• Translating analysis into practical policy options, reforms or implementation plans.
• Working effectively with senior government officials and technical counterparts.
• Experience managing short, responsive technical assistance assignments.
• Facilitating consultation across government, private sector, civil society and development partners.
• Strong communication skills including the ability to succinctly communicate technical information for diverse audiences.
• Excellent leadership, representation, organisational, and interpersonal skills, both in-person and remotely.
• Strong written English capability and proven capacity to complete deliverables to high-quality standards.

Minimum Requirements:

• Relevant academic, technical or professional qualifications, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience in the applicant’s area of expertise.
• A minimum of 5 years’ professional experience relevant to your field of expertise.
• Thorough knowledge of the subject area with proven ability to translate theory into practice.
• Proven previous experience working with governments, international agencies, or development programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Applicants currently employed by government may be considered only where there is no actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest.
  Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and communication skills for working with high-level stakeholders and multi-sectoral teams.
• Fluency in English required.
• Palladium particularly encourages applications from Zambian experts and organisations with deep contextual knowledge, established networks, and practical experience supporting locally led governance, accountability and reform initiatives.

Our company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.