Our services
Too many climate and development programmes cannot show whether they work, for whom and why. Evidence is where we start. Our eight service areas are built around research, evaluation and learning, with gender, inclusion, protection and localisation built into every assignment.
Eight service areas, one approach
Each area can be commissioned on its own or combined into one package. Our core is research, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL).
Research & MEAL
Research, evaluation and MEAL systems that show what works.
02Climate & resilience
Climate risk assessment, adaptation planning, resilience design and carbon standards.
03Climate finance
Readiness, finance strategies and support to partners preparing fund submissions.
04Policy & governance
Policy analysis, institutional reform and advocacy.
05Livelihoods & humanitarian
Livelihoods, food security, social protection and crisis response.
06Capacity strengthening
Capacity assessments, certified training, technical assistance and certification readiness.
07Digital & knowledge
Data systems, GIS, decision-support tools and knowledge management.
08Exchange & partnerships
Conferences, exchange programmes, partnerships and the Climate Academy.
Certification and accreditation support
We help organisations, producer groups and projects get ready for the certifications and accreditations their partners and markets require.
Climate fund accreditation
Accreditation support and gap assessments for direct access to the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund and the GEF.
Carbon standards and GHG
Greenhouse gas inventories, carbon footprints and project readiness for validation under Gold Standard and Verra.
Agricultural certification
Certification readiness for producer groups and cooperatives: Fairtrade, organic and Rainforest Alliance.
Sustainability standards
Preparation for ISO 14001 certification, social responsibility reviews in line with ISO 26000, and B Corp readiness.
Certified training
Training courses with certificates, delivered with academic and training partners.
Discuss your certification needs
Tell us which standard you are working towards and where you are now.
Research, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning
Credible, independent evidence on whether climate and development programmes deliver real results, for whom and why, and systems that let partners keep learning after we leave.
Inception reports, evaluation and research reports, MEAL frameworks and plans, clean datasets with codebooks, evidence briefs, dashboards and learning products.
Standards we work toOECD-DAC evaluation criteria (revised 2019), UNEG Norms and Standards for Evaluation (2016), UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation (2020), and data protection under the GDPR.
Research and assessment
- Applied, policy and operational research using qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods
- Baseline, midline and endline studies
- Context, needs and vulnerability assessments
- Rapid and systematic evidence reviews and synthesis
- Participatory and community-led research
Evaluation
- Process, performance, outcome, final and ex-post evaluations
- Evaluability assessments, and real-time and developmental evaluation
- Impact evaluation with quasi-experimental designs where data allow
- Theory-based methods: contribution analysis, process tracing, outcome harvesting, most significant change and realist evaluation
- Value-for-money and cost-effectiveness analysis
MEAL systems
- Theories of change, results frameworks and indicators, aligned to donor frameworks including the GCF Integrated Results Management Framework
- MEAL system design, plans and tools
- Community feedback and complaints mechanisms
- Third-party and remote monitoring in fragile and hard-to-reach settings
- Data quality assessments, learning agendas and adaptive management
Climate Change, Adaptation & Resilience
Understanding climate risk and helping people, institutions and ecosystems adapt.
Climate risk and vulnerability assessments, climate rationale analyses, adaptation plans, resilience strategies, technical guidelines and implementation frameworks.
Standards we work toThe IPCC AR6 risk framework (hazard, exposure, vulnerability), the UNFCCC NAP Technical Guidelines, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the Early Warnings for All initiative and the Principles for Locally Led Adaptation.
Risk and vulnerability
- Climate risk and vulnerability assessments
- Climate rationale analysis for programme and project design
- GIS and remote-sensing risk mapping
Adaptation planning
- Support to National Adaptation Plans and the adaptation components of NDCs
- Sector and local adaptation plans
- Locally led and community-based adaptation
- Resilience assessments and programme design
Solutions
- Climate-resilient agriculture and water management
- Ecosystem-based adaptation and nature-based solutions
- Disaster risk reduction, early warning and anticipatory action
- Loss and damage analysis and policy support
Mitigation and carbon standards
- Greenhouse gas inventories and carbon footprint assessments
- Project preparation and readiness for validation under carbon standards such as Gold Standard and Verra
- Mitigation co-benefits within adaptation and development programmes
Climate Finance & Sustainable Investment
Helping partners access, plan and use climate finance well, with inclusion and safeguards built in from the start.
Readiness and gap assessments, finance strategies, technical inputs to fund submissions, feasibility studies, gender assessments and action plans, and environmental and social management frameworks.
Standards we work toThe GCF Investment Framework, Updated Gender Policy and Revised Environmental and Social Policy; the Adaptation Fund Environmental and Social Policy and Gender Policy; and the GEF Policies on Gender Equality and on Environmental and Social Safeguards.
Strategy and readiness
- Climate finance needs, gap and readiness assessments
- Climate finance strategies and investment planning
- Support to partners preparing GCF Readiness and Preparatory Support requests
- Accreditation support and gap assessments for entities seeking direct access to the GCF, the Adaptation Fund and the GEF
Project preparation
- Technical support to partners developing concept notes and project submissions to the Green Climate Fund (including the Simplified Approval Process), the Adaptation Fund and the GEF
- Climate rationale, theory of change and results frameworks
- Pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, and project pipeline preparation
- Gender assessments and gender action plans
- Environmental and social management frameworks, action plans and stakeholder engagement plans
Risk finance and tracking
- Climate and disaster risk financing, including agricultural and parametric insurance analysis
- Locally accessible and devolved climate finance mechanisms
- Inclusive and gender-responsive climate finance design
- Climate finance tracking and climate budget tagging
- Policy analysis on access to the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage
Policy, Governance & Institutional Advisory
Turning evidence into sound policy, strong institutions and accountable governance.
Policy briefs, policy and regulatory assessments, strategic plans, institutional frameworks, toolkits, standard operating procedures and policy roadmaps.
Standards we work toThe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, and rights frameworks including CEDAW, the CRPD and the CRC.
Analysis
- Climate and sustainable development policy analysis, formulation and review
- Stakeholder and political economy analysis
- Institutional and governance assessments, and regulatory gap analysis
- Policy coherence and SDG alignment
Reform and planning
- Policy implementation and reform support
- Strategic and institutional planning
- Toolkits, guidelines and standard operating procedures
- Multi-stakeholder coordination and partnership frameworks
Influence
- Advocacy strategies and campaigns
- Policy dialogue and strategic communications
Livelihoods, Food Systems & Humanitarian Response
Secure livelihoods, food and social protection, from stable settings to protracted crises.
Livelihood and food security assessments, value chain analyses, programme designs, targeting and social protection reviews, and social impact studies.
Standards we work toThe Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability, the Sphere Handbook, and established food security analysis methods including the IPC, WFP's CARI approach, the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) and the Household Economy Approach (HEA).
Livelihoods and markets
- Sustainable livelihoods and economic resilience
- Rural development and inclusive agricultural value chains
- Private sector and MSME development
- Financial inclusion, including digital financial services
- Certification readiness for producer groups and cooperatives, including Fairtrade, organic and Rainforest Alliance
Food security and social protection
- Food security, nutrition-sensitive programming and sustainable food systems
- School meals and home-grown school feeding
- Social protection, targeting and shock-responsive systems
Crisis and recovery
- Humanitarian and protracted crisis programming
- The humanitarian-development-peace nexus
- Community-driven development
- Social impact and distributional assessments
Institutional Capacity Strengthening & Technical Assistance
Leaving people, organisations and institutions stronger than we found them.
Capacity assessment reports, capacity strengthening plans, training packages and curricula, operational manuals, and resource mobilisation plans.
How we measure itWe assess training results at four levels, from participant reaction to change in practice and organisational results, and track institutional change against an agreed baseline.
Assess and plan
- Institutional and organisational capacity assessments
- Training needs assessments
- Capacity strengthening strategies and action plans
Deliver
- Technical training and training of trainers
- Certified training courses, delivered with academic and training partners
- Coaching, mentoring and embedded technical assistance
- Organisational development and improvement of systems and procedures
- Quality assurance and technical backstopping during implementation
Support to NGOs and CSOs
- Fundraising, proposal writing and resource mobilisation support
- Preparation for donor due diligence and partner capacity assessments
- Reviews of capacity strengthening effectiveness
Standards and certification
- Gap assessments and preparation for ISO 14001 environmental management certification
- Social responsibility reviews in line with ISO 26000
- B Corp readiness assessments and impact management systems
Innovation, Digital Solutions & Knowledge Management
Practical digital tools and knowledge systems that make evidence usable.
Data collection and monitoring systems, dashboards, GIS maps, prototype tools, knowledge platforms, user guides and pilot reports.
Standards we work toThe Principles for Digital Development, responsible data practice and the GDPR, and WCAG 2.2 accessibility for the digital tools we build.
Data and monitoring
- Mobile data collection and monitoring systems (KoboToolbox, ODK)
- Dashboards, data visualisation and management information systems
- GIS mapping and remote-sensing analysis
Digital tools
- Digital needs and readiness assessments
- Decision-support tools and applications for climate and agriculture
- Digital learning platforms and e-learning
- Innovation pilots: design, testing, usability and impact assessment
Knowledge management
- Knowledge management strategies and systems
- Technical knowledge products
Knowledge Exchange, Partnerships & Climate Academy
Bringing academia, experts, governments, communities and the private sector together to learn from each other and build lasting partnerships.
Event concepts and reports, exchange programme designs, partnership agreements, learning journey plans and good-practice case studies.
In development: the Klimawise Climate AcademyWe are designing a network of field-based learning sites where communities, practitioners, students and decision-makers can see adaptation practices working on the ground and learn how to apply them. Sites will be chosen and run with local partners.
Events and dialogue
- Design and facilitation of national, regional and international conferences, workshops and policy dialogues
- Expert panels, roundtables and learning events
Exchange and partnerships
- Exchange programmes between academia, experts, practitioners, governments and communities
- Peer learning visits, and South-South and triangular cooperation
- Partnership and consortium building, including research-practice partnerships
Learning in the field
- Climate learning journeys to adaptation sites, designed with host communities and benefiting them
- Documentation and sharing of adaptation good practice
Cross-cutting expertise
Six commitments built into all eight service areas. Each is also available as a standalone assignment.
Gender Equality & Social Inclusion
Gender analyses, GESI assessments, gender action plans and gender-transformative design. Social inclusion covers disability, age and diversity, using the IASC Gender with Age Marker, the CRPD, the IASC Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action and the Washington Group Short Set on Functioning.
Youth Empowerment
Youth participation and leadership, youth-led climate action, safe spaces for children and young people, and youth engagement in policy and programme design.
Protection, GBV & Child Protection
Protection mainstreaming, GBV risk mitigation, child protection and safeguarding, and PSEA. Guided by the IASC Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action and the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.
Localisation
Local leadership, equitable partnerships with national organisations, and institutional ownership, in line with the Grand Bargain localisation commitments.
Climate Justice, Human Rights & Accountability
Rights-based approaches, a just transition, and accountability to affected populations, in line with the IASC commitments on AAP and PSEA.
Environmental & Social Safeguards
Risk screening, mitigation plans, do-no-harm analysis and SEA/SH risk mitigation, in line with the IFC Performance Standards and the safeguard policies of the GCF, the Adaptation Fund and the GEF.
Quality you can rely on
Matched teams
A core team works with senior associate experts and national partners, chosen for each context and question.
Independent quality review
Key deliverables are reviewed by a senior expert who was not involved in producing them.
Ethics and safeguarding
Informed consent, do-no-harm, safeguarding and data protection are planned into every assignment, not added at the end.
Built to last
We design for local ownership, sustainability and scale, so results continue after the assignment ends.
Need a tailored package?
Tell us your objectives, context and timeline. We will combine the right services and experts into one proposal.