Terms of Reference: Contractor for Energy Transition Policy-Making and Undue Influence

March 11, 2025

Background and Objectives

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a broad partnership that includes 75 countries and 150 local governments, along with thousands of civil society organizations. Through the Partnership, these powerful forces work together to promote transparent, participatory, inclusive and accountable governance through two-year action plans with concrete steps – commitments – across a broad range of issues. This unique model ensures that civil society organizations or direct citizen engagement has a role in shaping and overseeing governments.

The Policy & Partnerships team within the OGP Support Unit is dedicated to accelerating partnership-wide collective progress in policy areas prioritized in the OGP’s 2023-2028 strategy and in the Open Government Challenge. The team focuses on leveraging governments, civil society, thematic and development partners, resources, and events to drive thematic priorities at the global and country level, ensuring the adoption and implementation of specific reforms that respond to country needs, global/regional trends, and political opportunities. 

The consultant will support the team in implementation of deliverables in its work on climate policy, within the scope of a specific project on undue influence in decision-making related to the energy transition. Specifically, this project seeks to advance national-level dialogue on and policy proposals that address i) opaque political influence processes, which can often lead to decision making favoring the fossil fuel industry and ii) unequal access to decision-making processes for climate advocates. 

Tasks and Deliverables 

Objective: 

To successfully engage country-level actors in creating a more level playing field for influencing policy on a just energy transition. This is achieved by supporting domestic reformers through direct engagement, coalition building, facilitation of peer exchange and in a subset of cases, technical assistance. Deliverables

• Organize and support a series of one-on-one or group discussions with thematic partners working at global or regional level to share information and collect input on the project

• • Finalize the conducting and documenting of consultations with mapped stakeholders in a maximum of 7 countries to obtain feedback on completed research by the OGP Support Unit on 
    • policies, tactics and the political influence of the fossil fuel industry in key countries
    • ‘strawman’ points of entry for open government reforms or actions

• Organize and facilitate discussions among government reformers, climate advocates, and civil society organizations in a subset (3-4) of countries to prioritize potential actions. Consultant to deliver summary of such meetings. 

• Facilitate coalition-building among national actors in a subset (3-4) of countries through shared strategy and roadmap development, based on prioritized actions.

• Lead, under the close guidance of the Policy and Partnerships team, the organization of a cross-regional peer exchange on shared challenges and strategies at the OGP Global Summit in Spain in October 2025 

Requirements 

• No less than 10 years experience working on energy transition and/or climate policy, with a strong preference for activities rooted in open government approaches – transparency, participation and accountability
• Proven experience in engaging with a range of government institutions, civil society organizations, and advocacy groups.
• Strong understanding of political lobbying, corporate influence tactics, and regulatory frameworks governing energy policy.
• Good facilitation skills for workshops, coalition meetings, and stakeholder consultations.
• Ability to analyze complex information, synthesize findings, and communicate them effectively to diverse audiences.
• Familiarity with tactics, approaches and legal barriers that hinder effective and inclusive participation in climate policymaking. 
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to work with international teams and across time zones, ensuring effective coordination and collaboration.

Compensation and contract duration

Compensation for this consultancy has an estimated value of 63,500-65,500 USD depending on the number of days worked and travel requirement. This amount will cover all costs, including fees, materials, and any other expenses related to the execution of the contract. 

The contract duration is between 7 to 10 months, starting as soon as possible and ending at the latest on the 31st of March 2026. Number of hours to be determined based on project needs and scope.

Location

This position is fully remote. Due to the location of other key staff working on this project, there is a very strong preference for applicants based in Europe, North or South America. 

Travel

The applicant will be expected to travel to the OGP Global Summit in Spain the week of October 6 2025, in line with a specific deliverable outlined above. There is potential for one more additional trip, depending on project needs.  Travel costs will be covered by OGP.

How to Apply

All interested individuals must complete this form to apply.