World Bank RFP: Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Adaptation Programs in South Asia

The World Bank has released a major Request for Proposals (RFP) focusing on the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of Climate Adaptation Programs across South Asia. This is a key opportunity for organizations with expertise in M&E and climate resilience to partner with one of the world's largest development financiers. The RFP is open from March 15, 2026, with a deadline of July 15, 2026, reflecting its high urgency. The overall goal is to design and implement a comprehensive, multi-country M&E system that tracks the outcomes and impacts of adaptation investments in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The estimated budget is between $5 and $10 million over three years, making it a substantial engagement. The World Bank expects the M&E framework to be results-oriented, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data to capture not only outputs but also long-term changes in resilience. Key evaluation criteria will include technical quality, past performance, team expertise, and cost. Organizations must demonstrate deep understanding of the region's climatic and socio-political diversity, as well as the ability to work with governments and communities. This RFP is an excellent opportunity for international and local entities to showcase their capabilities and contribute to climate adaptation. The deadline is firm; applicants are strongly advised to start early and consider engaging GSLI's capacity-building courses to strengthen their teams' M&E and proposal writing skills. The RFP is driven by the urgent need to scale adaptation efforts in a region that is both highly vulnerable and densely populated. The World Bank is committed to aligning its investments with the Paris Agreement, and this M&E system will be a critical tool for ensuring accountability and learning. Beyond internal reporting, the data collected will be shared publicly to inform broader climate research and policy. Hence, the partner must adhere to high data quality and ethical standards. The RFP also emphasizes capacity building—a key component is training national and local stakeholders to eventually sustain the M&E system independently. This aligns with the World Bank's focus on country ownership and sustainability. The anticipated outcomes include better-informed adaptation strategies, increased donor confidence, and improved livelihood for millions. The selected partner will work in close coordination with the World Bank's Climate Change Group and country offices, as well as with national ministries of environment and planning. Regular interaction with project implementers and local communities will be essential. The M&E system should be scalable to eventually cover all World Bank climate adaptation projects in the region, providing a unified picture of progress. Thus, the framework must be interoperable and incorporate emerging technologies like remote sensing and AI. This is a transformative opportunity for any organization to set the standard for climate adaptation M&E in developing countries. Given the complexity of this assignment, the World Bank encourages consortia or partnerships that combine local knowledge with international best practices. A strong proposal will outline a clear governance structure, with a single lead entity responsible for contractual compliance. The team composition should include an M&E director, a climate adaptation specialist, a data management officer, a gender expert, and regional coordinators. All key personnel must have master's degrees or higher and at least ten years of relevant experience. The budget must be broken down by activity category, with narrative justification. Overhead should not exceed 20% of total direct costs. Financial viability and audited accounts are crucial for eligibility. The proposal must also include a detailed work plan, a risk management matrix, and a capacity building plan. Bidders should showcase their ability to deliver timely reports—monthly, quarterly, and annually—with clear data visualizations. The World Bank will evaluate proposals based on technical quality (60%), past performance (20%), and cost (10%), with the remaining 10% for value-added innovations. The evaluation will include a possible presentation or interview. Successful negotiation of the contract will lead to a three-year agreement with possibility of extension. This is a highly competitive procurement; only well-prepared, evidence-based proposals will succeed. GSLI's courses on M&E, project management, and financial management can provide the edge needed to meet these exacting standards.

Strategic Overview

The World Bank has released a major Request for Proposals (RFP) focusing on the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of Climate Adaptation Programs across South Asia. This is a key opportunity for organizations with expertise in M&E and climate resilience to partner with one of the world's largest development financiers. The RFP is open from March 15, 2026, with a deadline of July 15, 2026, reflecting its high urgency. The overall goal is to design and implement a comprehensive, multi-country M&E system that tracks the outcomes and impacts of adaptation investments in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The estimated budget is between $5 and $10 million over three years, making it a substantial engagement. The World Bank expects the M&E framework to be results-oriented, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data to capture not only outputs but also long-term changes in resilience. Key evaluation criteria will include technical quality, past performance, team expertise, and cost. Organizations must demonstrate deep understanding of the region's climatic and socio-political diversity, as well as the ability to work with governments and communities. This RFP is an excellent opportunity for international and local entities to showcase their capabilities and contribute to climate adaptation. The deadline is firm; applicants are strongly advised to start early and consider engaging GSLI's capacity-building courses to strengthen their teams' M&E and proposal writing skills. The RFP is driven by the urgent need to scale adaptation efforts in a region that is both highly vulnerable and densely populated. The World Bank is committed to aligning its investments with the Paris Agreement, and this M&E system will be a critical tool for ensuring accountability and learning. Beyond internal reporting, the data collected will be shared publicly to inform broader climate research and policy. Hence, the partner must adhere to high data quality and ethical standards. The RFP also emphasizes capacity building—a key component is training national and local stakeholders to eventually sustain the M&E system independently. This aligns with the World Bank's focus on country ownership and sustainability. The anticipated outcomes include better-informed adaptation strategies, increased donor confidence, and improved livelihood for millions. The selected partner will work in close coordination with the World Bank's Climate Change Group and country offices, as well as with national ministries of environment and planning. Regular interaction with project implementers and local communities will be essential. The M&E system should be scalable to eventually cover all World Bank climate adaptation projects in the region, providing a unified picture of progress. Thus, the framework must be interoperable and incorporate emerging technologies like remote sensing and AI. This is a transformative opportunity for any organization to set the standard for climate adaptation M&E in developing countries. Given the complexity of this assignment, the World Bank encourages consortia or partnerships that combine local knowledge with international best practices. A strong proposal will outline a clear governance structure, with a single lead entity responsible for contractual compliance. The team composition should include an M&E director, a climate adaptation specialist, a data management officer, a gender expert, and regional coordinators. All key personnel must have master's degrees or higher and at least ten years of relevant experience. The budget must be broken down by activity category, with narrative justification. Overhead should not exceed 20% of total direct costs. Financial viability and audited accounts are crucial for eligibility. The proposal must also include a detailed work plan, a risk management matrix, and a capacity building plan. Bidders should showcase their ability to deliver timely reports—monthly, quarterly, and annually—with clear data visualizations. The World Bank will evaluate proposals based on technical quality (60%), past performance (20%), and cost (10%), with the remaining 10% for value-added innovations. The evaluation will include a possible presentation or interview. Successful negotiation of the contract will lead to a three-year agreement with possibility of extension. This is a highly competitive procurement; only well-prepared, evidence-based proposals will succeed. GSLI's courses on M&E, project management, and financial management can provide the edge needed to meet these exacting standards.

Who is it For?

This RFP is open to international and local organizations, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), research institutions, private consulting firms, and multilateral agencies that specialize in climate adaptation, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and development program management. Eligible applicants must have a demonstrated track record of designing and implementing M&E frameworks for large-scale climate adaptation or environmental programs in South Asia or similar developing regions. The ideal bidder possesses a multidisciplinary team comprising climate scientists, M&E specialists, statisticians, GIS analysts, and social scientists. Organizations should have a legal registration in at least one country of operation and be able to show audited financial statements for the past three years. The World Bank mandates that any bidder must have an annual turnover of at least $2 million in the last three years to demonstrate financial stability. Additionally, the entity must have experience working with international donors (e.g., World Bank, UN agencies, bilateral funds) and familiarity with their procurement and reporting procedures. The RFP encourages consortia or partnerships to leverage complementary strengths; however, a single lead entity must be designated as the contractual counterpart. Organizations with a presence in South Asia (e.g., field offices) are highly preferred due to logistical advantages. Local civil society organizations with strong community ties are also encouraged to apply, especially those that can bring sector-specific expertise in water, agriculture, or coastal resilience. Excluded are individuals, governments of borrowing countries, and entities that have been debarred or suspended by the World Bank Group.

Priorities

The World Bank's overarching priorities for this RFP are to enhance the resilience of South Asian communities and ecosystems to climate change through evidence-based adaptation investments. The donor emphasizes the use of a results-based management approach, requiring the M&E system to link adaptation outputs and outcomes directly to strategic goals such as those outlined in the World Bank's Climate Change Action Plan 2021–2025 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 6, 11, 13, 15). Key investment KPIs include: (1) number of beneficiaries with strengthened adaptive capacity (target: at least 5 million); (2) area of land under climate-resilient management (target: 500,000 hectares); (3) percentage of adaptation projects achieving at least 90% of their output targets; (4) cost efficiency ratio (administrative costs not exceeding 20% of total budget); (5) timeliness of reporting (monthly progress reports, quarterly evaluation reports, annual impact assessments). The donor also prioritizes gender equality and social inclusion, requiring that all M&E indicators be disaggregated by sex, age, and disability. Data quality assurance is paramount, including the use of third-party verification and triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative data streams. Furthermore, the World Bank seeks innovations in M&E, such as the use of satellite imagery for crop monitoring, mobile-based surveys, and AI-driven analytics for early warning systems. A strong emphasis is placed on building national and local M&E capacity, meaning the selected partner must provide training and knowledge transfer to government agencies and local NGOs. The ultimate goal is to create a scalable M&E model that can be replicated across other regions and sectors, with lessons learned documented and disseminated through global knowledge platforms like the World Bank's Open Knowledge Repository.

Eligibility

Eligibility is defined by a rigorous set of financial, spatial, and corporate legal criteria. Financially, the lead applicant must submit certified audited financial statements for the last three fiscal years demonstrating a minimum annual revenue of $2 million. The organization must have a current debt-to-equity ratio not exceeding 3:1 and sufficient liquidity to cover at least three months of operational costs. A bank guarantee or similar instrument may be required upon contracting. Spatially, the applicant must demonstrate proven operational presence in at least one South Asian country (e.g., through a registered office, permanent staff, or active project implementation in the last three years). If a consortium is formed, the spatial requirement applies to the lead member; consortium partners with complementary South Asia experience are encouraged. Corporate legal compliance includes a valid tax registration, business license, and any sector-specific accreditations (e.g., ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for environmental management). The applicant must not be listed on any World Bank debarment lists (e.g., the list of Ineligible Firms and Individuals). Additionally, the entity must have a documented anti-corruption policy, a code of conduct, and a proven commitment to environmental and social safeguards (e.g., no history of labor violations, environmental damages, or fraud). For international organizations, evidence of host country agreements or memoranda of understanding is required. All proposals must be submitted in English, with financial figures in US dollars. The World Bank reserves the right to reject any proposal that does not meet these eligibility criteria without further justification.

Path to Success

Step 1: Strategic Alignment and Capacity Gap Analysis (Months 1-2). Begin by thoroughly reviewing the full RFP document on the World Bank e-procurement portal. Identify key technical areas (e.g., M&E framework design, baseline data collection, GIS integration, gender and social inclusion) and assess your organization's current capacity against each. Use GSLI’s 'Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)' course to update your team on the latest tools like Theory of Change, Logical Framework, and indicator tracking tables. Simultaneously, enroll your finance team in GSLI’s 'Financial Management for NGOs' course to ensure compliance with World Bank budgeting and reporting standards. Establish a dedicated bid team with clear roles, including a proposal manager, technical lead, and finance officer. Step 2: Partnership Development and In-Country Engagement (Months 2-4). Forge partnerships with local organizations, research institutions, or government agencies to strengthen your understanding of context and secure letters of intent. Reach out to potential consortium members through platforms like Devex or local Chambers of Commerce. Ensure any partner aligns with the eligibility criteria—especially financial and legal standing. Use GSLI’s 'Writing Winning Proposals' course to refine your consortium agreement and narrative tailoring. Conduct preliminary consultative visits (if feasible) to project sites to understand community perspectives and baseline conditions. Step 3: Technical Proposal Development (Months 4-6). Draft a compelling technical proposal that directly addresses the RFP’s three main pillars: M&E framework design, data management systems, and capacity building. Use evidence from past projects (similar climate adaptation programs) to showcase your expertise. Include a detailed work plan with Gantt chart, a teaming chart with resumes of key personnel, and a robust gender and social inclusion plan. GSLI’s 'Project Management for Development' course can help you design a realistic timeline and risk management matrix. For the M&E methodology, emphasize mixed methods (e.g., impact evaluations, participatory rural appraisal, remote sensing) and stress that indicators align with World Bank standards. Obtain quotes for equipment (GPS devices, servers) and software licenses (like KoboToolbox or DHIS2). Step 4: Budgeting, Compliance, and Submission (Months 6-7). Prepare a detailed budget broken down by activity, with justification for each line item. Ensure the budget follows World Bank cost categories: personnel, equipment, travel, training, and overhead. Cap administrative costs at 20% of the total. Apply GSLI’s 'Grants Management' course principles to ensure accurate cost allocation and audit-readiness. Complete mandatory compliance forms (e.g., eligibility self-certification, previous contracts disclosure). Conduct an internal quality review to eliminate any inconsistencies between technical and financial sections. Submit the proposal online by July 15, 2026, via the World Bank’s e-procurement system, ensuring all attachments are in PDF format and under the size limit. After submission, attend any pre-bid conferences (to be announced) and promptly respond to any clarifications requested by the evaluation panel.

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Deadline: 2026-07-15

Persona: General

Urgency: Normal