AURA RFI-SSN No. 72027824RFI00003.pdf

Request for Information (RFI) and Source Sought Notice (SSN) No. 72027824RFI00003

Activity Title: Amman Urban Resilience Activity Issuance Date: April 1, 2024 Submission Deadline: April 22, 2024 - 3:00 p.m. Amman time Via email to: jordan_aura@usaid.gov, with a carbon copy to jlloyd@usaid.gov

To All Interested Organizations:

Pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10, the U.S. Agency for International Development Mission to Jordan (USAID/Jordan) is conducting market research for a potential prospective activity. This notice has two parts:

1. a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit input from interested organizations on a draft statement of work for a prospective USAID/Jordan activity; and

2. a Sources Sought Notice (SSN) to identify potential sources capable of providing similar services.

The RFI/SSN is solely for information gathering purposes and is not a Request for Proposal (RFP), a Request for Quotation (RFQ), an Invitation for Bids (IFB), a solicitation, or an indication that USAID/Jordan will contract for the activities described herein. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by USAID/Jordan to form a binding contract. Any proposals submitted in response to this request will not be considered and will be discarded. If a solicitation is eventually issued, it will be announced on the sam.gov website:

https://sam.gov/ at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately. It is the responsibility of interested organizations to monitor that website for additional information pertaining to any potential future requirement.

This RFI/SSN is not to be construed as a commitment by USAID/Jordan to issue any solicitation or ultimately award a contract for services similar to those described in this RFI/SSN. Responses to this notice are strictly voluntary and USAID/Jordan will not pay respondents for information provided in response to this notice. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI/SSN.

Respondents must follow the instructions provided in Attachment 1 to this notice. Responses to this RFI/SSN will be retained by USAID/Jordan and will not be returned. USAID/Jordan may elect to use the information submitted at its discretion. Organizations should not submit any proprietary or otherwise sensitive information. This RFI does not restrict USAID/Jordan's acquisition approach on a future solicitation, and USAID/Jordan reserves the right to modify the scope, scale or other details of the planned activities. Similarly, USAID/Jordan is not obligated to modify its planned approach or otherwise incorporate the input that organizations offer.

It should be noted that responding to or providing input in response to this RFI/SSN will not give any advantage to an organization in any subsequent procurement action. Likewise, organizations that choose not to respond will not be precluded from submitting a proposal in response to a subsequent solicitation, if one is ultimately issued. Respondents will receive a confirmation of receipt of submissions. However, USAID/Jordan will not provide feedback on submissions or answers to any questions submitted in response to this request. Phone inquiries will not be entertained.

USAID/Jordan appreciates the interest in its programs in Jordan.

Sincerely, Camille Garcia Supervisory Contracting Officer USAID/Jordan

Attachment 1: Instructions for Respondents Attachment 2: Draft Statement of Work for the Amman Urban Resilience Activity (AURA)

Attachment 1: Instructions for Respondents

USAID/Jordan welcomes all segments of the public (in the U.S. and abroad) to reply to this RFI/SSN. Small businesses are encouraged to respond. Interested organizations may choose to respond to either or both parts of this notice following the instructions included below.

All responses to this RFI/SSN must be submitted via email by the date and time indicated on the cover letter of this notice to jordan_aura@usaid.gov, with a carbon copy to jlloyd@usaid.gov. Submission must be in Microsoft Word format as a single email attachment. All pages must be numbered consecutively. Responses must be typed in 12-point Calibri (or other sans serif) font, single spaced with one-inch margins on the electronic equivalent of 8.5 x 11-inch paper. The email subject line must include the RFI/SSN number and the name of the submitting organization.

Responses sent by any other means or in any other format will not be reviewed. Submissions must not exceed the page limitations for each part indicated below. Submissions exceeding the page limits will not be read. Only one submission will be accepted per organization.

Cover Page (1 page limit)

Whether responding to the RFI component, the SSN component, or both, all submissions must include a cover page (one page maximum) that includes the following information:

Organization name and address, Organization’s point of contact name, UEI number (if applicable), telephone number, and email address, Organization type, i.e. commercial, public sector, educational institution, NGO, etc.

If applicable, socioeconomic status, e.g., other than small business, small business, woman-owned, veteran-owned, etc.

Primary field(s) of expertise/work, Geographic presence, e.g., countries in which your organization is currently working, also noting the countries in which your organization is legally and formally registered, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code, if applicable.

Responses to Part 1 – RFI (7 page limit)

If responding to the RFI to provide input on the prospective activity, organizations are requested to carefully review the attached draft statement of work.

Interested organizations must submit no more than a seven-page statement that includes inputs, suggestions or questions related to the attached SOW and answers to some or all of the technical and cost questions below. Particularly, USAID/Jordan requests comments related to the following questions:

1. Based on the constraints and opportunities in Jordan, are AURA’s performance objectives achievable? What operating constraints do you perceive?

2. What is your view of the likely effectiveness of AURA’s proposed approach of focusing implementation and construction work on three to five specific climate-vulnerable GAM districts, to demonstrate how comprehensive and focused interventions can have sustainable impacts that could be later replicated in other districts? Is there a better approach than the one USAID/Jordan is contemplating?

3. How would you distribute the expected level of effort (LOE) over the three proposed objectives and/or the nine proposed intermediate results set forth in the SOW?

4. Are there any additional specific objectives or areas of intervention that should be addressed? And are any of the nine proposed specific intermediate results duplicative or unnecessary?

5. Will the inclusion of construction work be likely to dissuade firms from submitting proposals for AURA?

6. What would be reasonable budget estimates to set aside for each of the C.3.2 Grants under Contract, C.3.3 Construction, and C.3.4 Institutional Support Fund components of the described activity, given the objectives USAID wants to achieve?

7. Any other additional input/comments to the attached draft SOW are welcome.

Responses to Part 2 - SSN (4 page limit)

USAID/Jordan seeks capability statements from U.S. and non-U.S. organizations capable of performing the project described in the attached draft AURA SOW.

Interested parties must demonstrate their relevant organizational capabilities relative to the attached draft AURA SOW. Organizations are requested to provide capability statements that provide relevant examples of both governmental and non-governmental contracts under which the organization has performed. The items below must be addressed in the response:

1. A statement of up to two pages demonstrating the organization’s capability to perform the services and tasks described in the attached draft AURA SOW. The statement must include core capabilities and experience working with other stakeholders, construction, and grants; and other information relevant to the organization’s ability to successfully perform the tasks outlined in this RFI.

2. A one-page statement describing the organization’s experience in relation to the services described, with specific emphasis on implementing sustainable approaches with tangible results.

3. A one-page table (sample table below) with a list of three to seven past or current projects demonstrating relevant work experience in any of the noted technical areas.

Table A

Project Project Dollar Value

Overview Country Year

(From – To)

Point of Contact

Phone Email

Responses to the SSN must not exceed four (4) pages total, including Table A. Any organization responding to this SSN should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow USAID/Jordan to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform this work.

Attachment 2 - Draft Statement of Work

DRAFT SECTION C - STATEMENT OF WORK

USAID/Jordan Amman Urban Resilience Activity (AURA)

C.1 PURPOSE, PARAMETERS, AND SCOPE

Purpose and Overall Objectives: The goal of the Amman Urban Resilience Activity (AURA) is to improve urban resilience to climate change and decarbonization in the municipality of Amman, Jordan (Amman).

This Statement of Work (SOW) describes the objectives of AURA, and the activities and desired results for achieving those objectives. Under the AURA contract, the Contractor must provide targeted support to the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), the Ministry of Environment (MoEnv), and other line ministries of the Government of Jordan (GOJ) responsible for improving urban resilience to climate change and decarbonization, as well as local community organizations and private sector companies acting in this space. The Contractor must utilize evidence-based and international best practices specifically adapted to the Jordanian context to improve urban resilience to climate change and accelerate decarbonization in GAM.

Parameters and Scope: AURA is USAID/Jordan’s first Mission-wide climate-focused intervention. AURA is a cross-sectoral urban resilience activity focused on Amman that primarily supports climate resilience (also called climate adaptation) and also includes decarbonization (also called climate mitigation). AURA will support GAM holistically and in targeted neighborhoods within Amman to increase their resilience to climate change. Specific urban climate resilience interventions will be defined during implementation to meet GAM priorities and will be responsive to local community needs, leveraging local private sector initiatives while prioritizing projects with systemic impact and capacity to attract investment.

These interventions may be market-driven, investor-driven, community-driven, or GAM-driven to address both market and community needs.

Much of the development that has occurred in improving resilience to climate change in recent years has been donor-funded. While short-term results have improved, reliance on donor funding creates meaningful concerns with the sustainability of these efforts. This SOW outlines a combination of support mechanisms to improve the coordination between GAM and different line ministries to increase the sustainability of interventions. The Contractor will strengthen GAM’s institutional capacity to undertake urban resilience and decarbonization projects and the enabling environment for urban resilience and decarbonization projects in Amman.

AURA will include a Grants under Contracts program further described under Section C.3.5 Grants under Contract, an amount set aside for sub-contracts for targeted construction work or other interventions that are not suitable for grants further described under Section C.3.6 Construction, and funds set aside for GAM’s institutional support further described under Section C.3.7 Institutional Support Fund.

Geographic focus: While AURA will focus on urban resilience and decarbonization in Amman, Outcome 3 will be geographically focused on approximately three to five specific districts (Implementation Focus Areas) in Amman.

The theory of change for the AURA activity is that:

1. IF USAID enhances GAM’s capacity to plan, finance, build, implement, and manage urban resilience, particularly climate resilience, and climate mitigation projects, and its ability to effectively coordinate with the local communities, investors, and the private sector,

2. THEN Amman will become a more resilient, prosperous, and equitable city with a clear path towards net-zero emissions.

C.2 BACKGROUND

Amman, home to 45% of Jordan's population and 80% of its economy, has experienced an 87% population increase in the last decade while facing increasingly irregular weather patterns leading to extreme heat waves and flash floods. The rapid rise in population has led to uncontrolled and unplanned urbanization and increased demands on public facilities and basic urban services (e.g., public transport, waste management, water and energy supply, health care, education, and public security), significantly straining the city’s resources and infrastructure while negatively impacting its fragile environment. Official Amman strategic documents illustrate the impact of this uncontrolled growth across multiple facets of municipal life--an 83% increase in public debt, a 30% increase in youth unemployment, and a 40% increase in demand for water, while directly impacting health, economy, and education, especially in Amman’s poorest neighborhoods. In addition, the city is increasingly expanding into areas with steeper slopes and valley bottoms, which are more vulnerable to climate hazards.

At the same time, Amman is facing irregular patterns of rainfall ranging from extreme drought to excessive rain over a short period of time causing flash floods in low-lying areas, as well as rising temperatures in summer causing heat waves and declining temperatures in winter causing debilitating blizzards. Climate hazards directly impact the health of the population and operation of businesses, disproportionately impacting the poorest communities in Amman.

To effectively respond to climate change, many large urban areas need to increase their climate ambitions and adaptation and climate planning and implementation approaches. Amman’s climate targets, which are outlined in Amman’s Green City Action Plan and the Amman Climate Plan - A vision for 2050 Amman, include achieving net-zero by 2050 and becoming a more resilient city, with specific targets such as reducing flood risk in critical areas by 50% by 2040 and reducing water network losses by 70% by 2040. While it already has a Resilience Strategy with ambitious targets, GAM’s technical capacity, climate change data, and financial resources are insufficient to meet the significant climate-related challenges facing Amman. For instance, GAM lacks a stormwater master plan and has inadequate stormwater infrastructure to manage flash floods, which have been increasing in severity. In 2012, it was estimated that more than 60% of GAM’s roadways face severe problems during intense rainfall due to the poor conditions of the existing drainage systems. Such flooding causes major economic costs; for example, flash floods in Amman in 2019 resulted in an estimated USD $15 million in damages.

While total projected costs associated with GAM’s climate targets are not yet defined, it is clear from both desk research and stakeholder interviews that there is a significant funding gap.

Most of Amman’s climate investments have historically been funded by international donor organizations rather than the city’s own budget, and the government is currently servicing a large debt acquired during the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, GAM’s lack of multi-year fiscal planning and use of cash accounting pose risks to long-term public-private partnerships (PPP) arrangements.

While the city’s Green City Action Plan lays out a series of short term investments in both climate mitigation and climate adaptation that have a total cost of around US$250 million, much (if not all) of this financing is dependent on international donor support. Indeed, this reliance on international financing is reflected in Jordan’s national climate financing landscape, with the GOJ pledging approximately US$565 million of the US$8.0 billion projected cost of Jordan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), i.e., approximately 7% of the overall projected cost. Moreover, international public financing has made up the majority (over 85%) of the climate finance flows into Jordan over the past decade.

Achieving climate resilience and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets in urban settings necessitates coordinated land use planning across multiple spatial areas and government levels.

Cities are best placed to understand the climate needs and opportunities specific to local communities and create the conditions for locally-led climate action. However, local governments have to balance many competing priorities from basic service delivery to job creation to climate change adaptation. Many of these priorities may not be easy targets for private investment and thus rely on already limited public budgets. Moreover, local governments tend to face greater technical and human capacity constraints than their national counterparts, which can impact their ability to develop a pipeline of ready-to-finance climate projects.

Adhering to sustainable development and integrating green growth principles into urban planning and land-use decisions are crucial for rapidly growing cities like Amman to align economic growth trajectories and environmental and social challenges and minimize the need for trade-offs. Policies that promote compact urban development and climate-resilient infrastructure hold immense potential to transform urban systems, fostering resilience and lowering emissions.

Key Stakeholders and Development Challenges

Key providers of urban resilience and decarbonization services and responsible GOJ institutions lack adequate capacity, are under-resourced, and do not coordinate effectively. Interventions must account for the complex needs of these stakeholders and their operating environment, while working to develop implementable legal and policy frameworks and to provide essential urban resilience and decarbonization. The list of stakeholders mentioned throughout the SOW is not exhaustive and the Contractor may identify additional areas to work on within the overall activity scope, in consultation with USAID.

Key stakeholders include GAM, MoEnv, Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MPWH), Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ), Ministry of Finance (MOF), Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Health (MOH), the private sector, civil society organizations (CSOs), and other donors. While there is a fair amount of donor support for GAM, the support is scattered and there are major gaps in areas that are critical to achieving real resilience results, specifically in climate information and planning, finance, and implementation across the major climate risks: flooding, drought, and heat, with heat being the least addressed.

Link to USAID/Jordan Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS):

AURA directly supports:

Development Objective One (Inclusive Private Sector-Led Growth) Intermediate Results (IR) 1.1 (implementation of GoJ economic reform agenda enhanced) and 1.2 (private sector capacity to compete advanced) as it will promote partnerships with the local private sector, mobilize climate finance, improve municipal financial management, and improve livelihoods in the targeted communities.

Development Objective Two (Jordan’s Ability to Improve its Water Security Strengthened) IR 2.2 (water sector governance and management strengthened) and IR

2.3 (water use efficiency and conservation expanded) by working on flood prevention, stormwater management, and water conservation education.

Development Objective Three (Equitable, Democratic Governance Strengthened) IR 3.1 (accountability and effectiveness of public institutions increased), IR 3.2 (inclusive civic engagement increased) and IR 3.3 (rights of women and marginalized groups advanced) by enhancing the accountability and effectiveness of local public institutions, climate policy work, and engagements with civil society.

Development Objective Four (Human Potential Accelerated) IR 4.1 (health outcomes of families and communities improved), IR 4.2 (learning outcomes for school-age children improved) and IR 4.3 (resilience of vulnerable populations improved) as it will bolster vulnerable populations' resilience and improve learning and health outcomes.

Development Objective Five (Agency and Leadership of Women and Youth Enhanced) IR

5.3 (inclusive participation in public life enhanced) by promoting the inclusive and equitable participation of women and youth in public life and ensuring that women and youth are able to voice their climate change needs and concerns.

C.3 STATEMENT OF WORK - CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

The Contractor must support the deployment of urban climate resilience and decarbonization infrastructure projects. Simultaneously, to create sustainable change, the Contractor must recognize and support the necessary reforms to improve the urban resilience and decarbonization ecosystem. These include building the institutional and human resource capacity of key GOJ stakeholders, CSOs, and the private sector to enhance the quality of their urban resilience and decarbonization work. The Contractor must support the GOJ, civil society, and other national stakeholders to reform policy and legal frameworks for addressing the scope of AURA. In doing so, the Contractor must ensure that its efforts address the broad gaps between policies and implementation, and must implement interventions that promote holistic and cross-sectoral interventions across the outcomes mentioned below.

The Contractor must take qualitative measurable actions that will advance urban adaptation and resilience. These include impact, vulnerability, and risk assessments; a country-driven, gender-responsive, participatory, transparent National Adaptation Plan (NAP); local action plans; and monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks.

Illustrative activities may include the provision of feasibility studies; urban planning activities;

environmental/climate risk assessments; engineering design; construction management services for urban resilience projects (e.g., stormwater and flood prevention infrastructure, green spaces, community-based renewable energy projects); procurement of selected equipment, tools and furnishings; mobilization of climate finance; facilitating the management of possible Government-to-Government (G2G) contracts to support GAM’s climate-resilient infrastructure work; and other supportive approaches to urban climate resilience. Interventions must include new construction and rehabilitating existing, deteriorated urban infrastructure to strengthen its resilience while promoting nature-based solutions. Specific interventions will be determined through work planning based on identified needs and available resources.

C.3.1 GOAL, OUTCOMES AND INTERMEDIATE RESULTS

The following Results Framework (RF) outlines the overall goal and outcomes, which are outlined in further detail in the sections below. The Contractor is expected to achieve these goals and outcomes by implementing activities under the following nine intermediate results (IRs). The Contractor must employ a flexible, adaptive management approach, both across IRs, and within each IR, to achieve the desired outcomes and overall goal. Specific interventions under each IR will be determined through the annual work planning process and will require USAID’s prior written approval.

AURA Results Framework

Goal: Improve urban resilience and decarbonization in Amman

Outcome 1: Improve data-driven policy-making and planning, and promote behavior change for urban resilience and decarbonization

Outcome 2: Improve finance mobilization for urban resilience and decarbonization projects

Outcome 3: Increase implementation of priority urban resilience and decarbonization projects

IR 1.1 Build GAM’s capacity to collect and analyze climate data, and plan for urban resilience and decarbonization projects

IR 2.1 Improve GAM’s financial management to enable effective financial planning and public investment in climate-responsive projects

IR 3.1 Implement interventions, including nature-based solutions, to respond to climate risks and/or reduce GHG emissions

IR 1.2 Address policy, regulatory, and institutional constraints to urban resilience and decarbonization

IR 2.2 Structure and match resilience projects with innovative finance instruments to finance urban resilience needs and climate-responsive projects

IR 3.2 Increase the number of green building measures installed to improve energy and water efficiency and conservation

IR 1.3 Promote behavior change for urban resilience and decarbonization

IR 2.3 Accelerate private capital for urban resilience and decarbonization

IR 3.3 Enhance local SMEs & CSOs’ capacity to provide climate services and products, and to construct and implement climate-responsive projects

Within four months from the start of the activity, the Contractor will:

Conduct a rapid assessment to identify three to five Implementation Focus Areas for Outcome 3 and will submit its recommendations of those three to five specific Implementation Focus Areas for USAID’s approval. The Contractor will work with USAID and GAM to develop criteria for district selection based on factors such as areas of high climate vulnerability (including sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity), overall district socio-economic status, access to municipal infrastructure and/or services, location of critical infrastructure, and potential for impact; and

Conduct a rapid Political Economy Analysis to assess how and why local actors behave as they do in addressing urban resilience and decarbonization within Amman, what institutions, rules, and norms frame their actions, and what forces have molded and continues to incentivize their behaviors, including a gender and social inclusion analysis.

The Contractor, in consultation with USAID and GAM, will utilize the results of these two initial assessments to inform its implementation of the AURA Results Framework and the nine IRs.

C.3.2 OUTCOME 1: Improve data-driven policy-making and planning, and promote behavior change for urban resilience and decarbonization

To create systemic change, the Contractor must improve data-driven policy-making and planning for urban climate risks and promote behavior change towards sustainable climate action. The Contractor must engage with GAM and other key stakeholders (e.g. national ministries, NGOs, private sector, and donors) in an integrated and comprehensive manner, while simultaneously identifying gaps and needed reforms. Interventions under this outcome will contribute to building coordination and awareness of urban resilience and decarbonization measures that need to be implemented within Amman, and will improve public participation.

IR 1.1 Build GAM’s capacity to collect and analyze climate data, and plan for urban resilience and decarbonization projects

Data is critical for setting climate and urban planning strategies, developing plans, tracking progress, and making public disclosures. However, a diversity of standards, inconsistency, “missing” data and technical knowledge, and analytical tools makes collecting and analyzing climate data especially difficult.

Urban planning is now a front-line response to climate change. Cities need to map climate risks and overlay these on existing and future urban zones to identify the “hot spots”, make it mandatory to consider natural disaster and climate risks in all land-use planning decisions, plan for the cumulative impacts of climate change on communities and their consequences, and provide accessible information on predicted climate risks so communities and businesses can make informed decisions.

Under IR. 1.1, the Contractor will substantially increase GAM’s technical and management capacity to collect and analyze climate data to inform responses to climate risks, including the establishment of necessary databases, models, and/or instrumentation. Additionally, the Contractor will significantly improve GAM’s capacity to develop sector-specific and city-wide plans to manage and monitor climate risks, including through utilizing the climate data GAM will collect and analyze.

Key areas of focus:

The Contractor will conduct or refine an existing Climate Change and Health Assessment of the population in Amman and use this data for land use planning and improving awareness within GAM and local communities of the interlinkages between health and climate.

The Contractor will conduct or refine existing climate risk and vulnerability assessments in key sectors such as health, education, and water to inform actions the GAM takes to mitigate or manage climate risks in Amman.

The Contractor will develop a city-wide Stormwater Masterplan for Amman. This effort will include (1) gathering and analyzing data on rainfall patterns, land use, and infrastructure; (2) reviewing relevant regulations to develop a hydrological analysis to estimate stormwater runoff volumes; (3) developing hydraulic models to simulate stormwater flow and assess drainage system capacity; (4) evaluating stormwater quality and environmental impacts, followed by stakeholder engagement to ensure inclusivity and transparency; (5) developing a comprehensive master plan incorporating traditional and green infrastructure strategies, prioritizing projects based on cost-effectiveness and feasibility; and (6) outlining an implementation strategy with phased approaches, identified funding sources, and established performance metrics for tracking progress.

The Contractor will also build capacity within GAM to plan the financing of stormwater projects (e.g. budgeting construction, operation, and maintenance) to inform capital improvement planning. The Contractor will leverage existing stormwater and flood analyses for Amman conducted by UN Habitat, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and academic institutions, while also mobilizing resources from other donors or public and private funding to achieve this objective.

The Contractor will conduct or improve localized Urban Heat Island Mapping for Amman to determine health hazards and identify local solutions.

Additional illustrative interventions under this IR, subject to USAID’s approval, could include:

The Contractor could conduct an inventory and assess GAM’s stormwater drainage system, and develop a digitized map and database of GAM’s stormwater assets (e.g.

pipes, drains, culverts, and open channels).

The Contractor could develop a stormwater management platform tailored for GAM, consisting of a hydrological model and GAM’s drainage system with different climate scenarios.

The Contractor could conduct a health risk and vulnerability assessment of heat.

Depending on the need, develop a spatial map of heat-sensitive areas.

The Contractor could develop an Urban Green Space masterplan.

The Contractor could support the research of GAM staff and other Jordanian scientists and experts on climate vulnerabilities in urban areas and their understanding and use of international climate models, ensuring equitable access between male and female researchers to opportunities.

The Contractor could coordinate with USAID education activities on a planned assessment of the Jordanian public school curriculum that examines the extent to which climate change is being addressed at the school level in Amman, and then use this data for behavior change activities planning.

The Contractor could expand the USAID/Jordan Municipal Support Program (MSP)’s Early Warning System to include warnings to extreme heat events in Amman.

The Contractor could work with the MoEnv and GAM to review and propose legislation and policies on urban resilience and decarbonization.

The Contractor could provide technical assistance and equipment support to the Health and Environment Affairs Office, the Engineering Affairs Office, the Planning Affairs Office, the Financial Affairs Office and other relevant offices and departments within GAM or companies owned by GAM on urban resilience and decarbonization planning and implementation.

The Contractor could harness the latest in artificial intelligence and big data innovation to solve Amman’s urban planning needs.

The Contractor could work with GAM to develop climate-informed mixed-use zoning policies and local masterplans, to include a Masterplan for Transportation and Mobility, Masterplan for Green Space/Urban Parks, and/or a Masterplan to direct growth to East Amman.

The Contractor could develop a Heat Action Plan (HAP) and a Cooling Action Plan (CAP) for Amman listing specific actions for key actors to undertake in the event of a heat emergency. A HAP would outline actions for building public awareness, work with medical professionals on diagnosing health-related impacts from extreme heat, and implementing mitigation actions across sectors.

The Contractor could help GAM review the existing strategic climate documents that contain lists of climate projects (e.g., Amman Resilience Strategy; Amman Climate Plan;

Amman Green City Action Plan) and could refine and prioritize projects with high impact and potential to be financed by GAM, directly or through public-private partnerships. To maximize limited resources, GAM needs a prioritization process to determine the most impactful climate projects that can advance multiple development priorities. The prioritization process would combine information from sector-specific plans, strategy documents, and the urban masterplan with cost-benefit analysis.

The Contractor could help assess the resource requirements of future climate-responsive urbanization, infrastructure transition pathways, and the response, recovery and adaptation of urban systems under multiple climate hazards impacting Amman.

IR 1.2 Address policy, regulatory, and institutional constraints to urban resilience and decarbonization

Policy, regulatory reform, and institutional capacity building are critical components of successful urban resilience and decarbonization. Supporting partner governments in reforming national, subnational, sectoral and fiscal policies and regulations to shift market incentives towards climate resilient practices is key for sustained climate action. Under this IR, the Contractor will develop policy recommendations and address institutional capacity needs for sustained urban resilience and decarbonization actions.

The Contractor will support the implementation of NAP and the NDCs at municipal level while ensuring policy, regulatory, and budgetary alignment.

The Contractor will provide GAM with technical and legal assistance to implement its proposed Urban Planning Regulations.

The Contractor will engage with the MoEnv and other national stakeholders to promote policy and regulatory reforms to advance urban resilience and decarbonization.

The Contractor could work with GAM to improve building codes and practices to increase energy efficiency, water efficiency utilization of nature-based solutions and locally sourced material to improve climate resilience.

If USAID and GAM enter into urban climate resilience infrastructure G2G agreements during the period of performance of this contract, the Contractor may be required to oversee the implementation of those agreements.

IR 1.3 Promote behavior change for urban resilience and decarbonization

Behavior change is a critical component of successful urban resilience and decarbonization initiatives. Effectively addressing the climate crisis requires the adoption of new behaviors by a range of actors including policy makers, public officials, the private sector, community leaders, households, women and youth. Good governance and coordination among different stakeholders are essential if cities are to become more resilient to climate change and reduce GHGs emissions. Local authorities, citizen groups, donors, and the private sector need to work together, and with institutions at national and global levels, to facilitate climate action. Under this IR, the Contractor will apply insight and evidence from the latest research on behavior change to advance urban resilience and decarbonization while providing a greater voice for marginalized and underrepresented groups in Amman.

The Contractor will foster, incentivize, and nurture the civic engagement and behavior changes necessary to guide and sustain systems change for urban resilience and decarbonization in Amman, including through education and other sectoral activities.

The Contractor will support GAM in strengthening and implementing inclusive and equitable public participation processes in its Urban Planning Regulations.

The Contractor will establish a multisectoral Climate Taskforce to facilitate coordination on the implementation of GAM’s climate responsive plans.

The Contractor will conduct a stocktaking of all donors’ activities supporting urban resilience and decarbonization in Amman and will set up and lead a donor coordination group together with USAID representatives.

The Contractor will help GAM develop a strategy and action plan to effectively communicate climate information to their constituencies.

The Contractor will engage GAM employees as a target audience, given those employees’ significant influence in affecting local government change.

The Contractor could promote transparency, social accountability and multi-stakeholder dialogue to contribute to improved climate governance at all levels, and to secure better prospects for urban resilience in Amman.

The Contractor could integrate local community and neighborhood needs, concerns, and perspectives into the planning and decision-making process, purposely including marginalized and underrepresented groups.

The Contractor could develop local ownership of adaptation solutions and interventions.

The Contractor could create successful community outreach campaigns in Amman, reach out to local media, host climate action events, and develop materials that reflect local circumstances and inspire local climate action on urban resilience and decarbonization.

The Contractor could raise awareness and engagement in Amman through formal and informal education means, incentivizing behavior change in local communities and residents toward more climate-friendly habits, with a focus on women, youth, and other marginalized or underrepresented groups.

The Contractor could raise awareness in Amman about locally relevant climate hazards and their expected harm to the city and its businesses, including health impacts.

The Contractor could strengthen youth and teachers’ education in Amman on climate change topics, especially through hands-on-experiences and thought provoking museum programs and exhibitions.

The Contractor could make all relevant climate information available to the public and to researchers through a specialized open-access climate information portal for Amman in coordination with GAM’s Urban Observatory.

C.3.3 OUTCOME 2: IMPROVE FINANCE MOBILIZATION FOR URBAN RESILIENCE AND

DECARBONIZATION PROJECTS

Interventions under this outcome aim to increase financing for urban resilience and climate-responsive projects in Amman. In addition to working on improving GAM’s municipal financial management, structuring and matching resilience projects with innovative finance instruments, and accelerating private capital for urban resilience and decarbonization projects, the Contractor will facilitate GAM’s access to climate finance facilities and funds like the C40 Cities Climate Facility, the World Bank and European Investment Bank’s City Climate Finance Gap Fund, the Global Climate Fund’s Subnational Climate Fund, MUFG’s GAIA Climate and Blended finance platform, and will help GAM access guarantee products from organizations like the Green Guarantee Company (GGC).

IR 2.1 Improve GAM’s financial management to enable effective financial planning and public investment in climate-responsive projects

Municipal financial decisions and budgetary practices are shaping how, when, and for whom cities are responding to climate change. Under IR 2.1, the Contractor will significantly improve GAM’s financial management and capacity to fund and attract financing for climate-responsive projects in Amman.

Illustrative interventions under this IR, subject to USAID’s approval, could include:

The Contractor could build GAM’s capacity to increase domestic revenue mobilization and reduce costs to address the systemic problem of GAM’s limited fiscal space to invest in climate resilience projects.

The Contractor could help GAM improve its creditworthiness by focusing on how it can strategically manage underlying fundamental factors, such as GAM’s ability to generate revenue, to responsibly, transparently, and predictably manage its financial position, and to legally tax and borrow under national legislation.

The Contractor could help GAM develop climate-smart capital investment plans.

The Contractor could provide technical assistance to GAM’s budget office to both support GAM’s ability to budget and structure climate resilient projects and provide reliable data on cost, and to assess the environmental impact of projects outlined in the Amman Green City Action Plan, including calculating the benefit from avoided damages/costs associated (the cost of inaction) with adaptation investments.

The Contractor could help GAM improve its ability to access municipal finance, including exploring its ability to levy certain taxes, assume debt, or enter into other liabilities.

The Contractor could support GAM’s transition to accrual accounting.

The Contractor could support GAM’s development of municipal financing strategies.

The Contractor could ensure the traceability of GAM’s climate action strategies and plans to the annual budget and multi-year financial plans.

The Contractor could strengthen GAM’s management of financial and non-financial assets and liabilities to reduce emissions, promote adaptation, and build resilience.

The Contractor could automate GAM’s procurement and financial management processes and tools ensuring transparency and improving customer service.

The Contractor could improve GAM’s management, financial and procurement capacity to make it potentially eligible for future USAID G2G agreements.

IR 2.2 Structure and match resilience projects with innovative finance instruments to finance urban resilience needs and climate-responsive projects

There is an urgent need to finance urban climate action, but investments currently flowing to cities in developing countries cover only a small part of those cities’ investment needs. Cities need to look at opportunities to mobilize urban climate finance through strategic, spatial and capital investment planning, municipal revenue-raising, PPPs, carbon pricing instruments, green bonds, access to global climate funds, and other innovative financing instruments. Cities also need to build a pipeline of ‘bankable’, investment-ready projects, directly or through the use of project preparation facilities like the City Climate Finance Gap Fund, the International Municipal Investment Fund – Technical Assistance Facility, the Transformative Actions Program, developed by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, or the C40 Cities Finance Facility.

Under IR 2.2, the Contractor will measurably improve GAM’s capacity to structure resilience projects as part of the capital investment planning process and to use innovative finance instruments to finance urban resilience needs and climate-responsive projects. By facilitating GAM (or another authority that could support GAM in this process) in both the planning process to structure necessary projects, and in the structuring of green instruments to build urban resilience in Amman, the Contractor will facilitate a larger process of budget management, project preparation, and allow for smaller ticket size items to be grouped into schemes. Importantly, the Contractor’s success at structuring innovative finance instruments, such as green or resilience bonds, stormwater markets, etc., may increase access to financing sources for GAM.

The Contractor could conduct analyses and scoping with financial institutions, national authorities (e.g. MOF and CBJ) and GAM to pinpoint opportunities and barriers to develop and scale green finance instruments, such as green or resilience bonds.

The Contractor could provide capacity building and technical advising to GAM, private financial institutions, and other relevant authorities to structure a green bond instrument.

The Contractor could convene partners to help GAM or other issuing authorities secure guarantees for green finance instruments.

The Contractor could support GAM and the MoEnv in identifying and developing a pipeline of potential programs and projects within Amman that are suitable for carbon trading and climate adaptation financing.

The Contractor could set up a small-grants facility that helps build up urban resilience and decarbonization project feasibility, and increases the investability and fundability of the proposed projects under the NDC, NAP or GAM's adaptation plans.

The Contractor could work with GAM and the MoEnv to explore the creation of a stormwater market, a tool that has proved useful in other cities for increasing green infrastructure.

The Contractor could build GAM’s capacity to attract finance for climate resilience projects, directly or through the Amman Vision Investment & Development (AVID) company that was launched in 2018 by GAM and is acting as Master Developer of municipality-owned lands in Amman.

IR 2.3 Accelerate private capital for urban resilience and decarbonization

Private capital can help cities bridge the investment gap in building urban resilience and enabling low-carbon development. More specifically, the private sector can play an important role in closing the financing gap as an investor and/or a beneficiary. Under IR 2.3, the Contractor will encourage and support private capital providers and local and foreign businesses to significantly increase their investments in urban resilience and decarbonization projects or measures.

The Contractor could provide support to the private sector to scale business models related to urban resilience and decarbonization in Amman by leveraging catalytic capital through grants, technical assistance and transaction advisory services.

The Contractor could set up a Climate Finance for Urban Development Accelerator to identify and develop viable urban resilience and decarbonization projects in Amman and help link them to private capital suppliers. Importantly, this work may build off of the successful models of other USAID/Jordan activities such as Beyond Capital and the Business Growth Activity (BGA) that have used a variety of technical assistance and early-stage investments to help scale businesses across the economy in Jordan.

The Contractor could support changes in the regulatory environment to facilitate private capital investments in urban resilience and decarbonization projects and measures in Amman.

The Contractor could support commercial banks’ credit product development for green building measures installed in Amman to improve energy and water efficiency and conservation.

The Contractor could conduct a cost-benefit analysis for private sector stakeholders on integrating urban nature-based solutions in construction and redevelopment projects in Amman. The additional cost for developers for adding green infrastructure to development projects is usually less than 1% in additional costs.

The Contractor could help de-risk and subsidize urban resilience and decarbonization projects and measures in Amman with public funds wherever possible, using municipal revenue to support private actors in adaptation by sharing the cost.

The Contractor could evaluate the feasibility of local business’ financing of urban climate resilience projects in Amman under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts and pursue available opportunities.

C.3.4 OUTCOME 3: INCREASE IMPLEMENTATION OF PRIORITY URBAN RESILIENCE AND

DECARBONIZATION PROJECTS

Interventions under this outcome will increase the number of climate resilience and decarbonization projects implemented within Amman. The Contractor will encourage the use of natural building materials and techniques and will incorporate local labor and capacity building to improve structures and economic opportunities in the communities in which it works.

IR 3.1 Implement interventions, including nature-based solutions, to respond to climate risks and/or reduce GHG emissions

Urban infrastructure networks play an essential role in building cities’ resistance to the physical impacts of heat waves and flooding events. To this end, cities need to build additional infrastructure or to retrofit existing infrastructure that has been affected by past heat waves and flooding events. The additional infrastructure can include traditional infrastructure, such as hard defenses and other engineered solutions, as well as natural infrastructure, such as nature-based solutions. Under IR 3.1, the Contractor will significantly increase the number of interventions, including nature-based solutions, that are being implemented or constructed in the Implementation Focus Areas to respond to climate risks and/or reduce GHG emissions.

The Contractor could build flood-prevention infrastructure on at least two of the sites identified by GAM and under Outcome 1 as locations with high risks of flooding.

The Contractor could help build and/or expand public parks and gardens that mitigate flooding, extreme heat, and drought.