ShelterTech Ecosystem Consultant (LAC)

More than a quarter of the world’s population lives in substandard shelter, affecting their health, livelihoods, and children’s education. According to Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), since 1976, the organization has assisted over 59 million people in improving their shelter conditions. However, the growing need exceeds what Habitat, governments, or philanthropy alone can address.
Recognizing that low-income families already rely on local markets for housing, the Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS) partners with local firms to strengthen market-based solutions. Through ShelterTech, HFHI’s leading platform for affordable housing innovation, TCIS identifies and scales entrepreneurial solutions that serve or have the potential to serve low-income populations, providing funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental and imperative for Habitat for Humanity. We believe in a world where everyone—regardless of who we are or where we come from—deserves a dignified place to live. We recognize that to create this world, our work must always break down barriers, bring together people from all backgrounds, and generate equity, respect, and lasting change.

The Assignment

After six years of implementing ShelterTech programming, we seek a consultancy firm to develop and promote the ShelterTech ecosystem throughout Latin America.
Key objectives include:
A. Establish partnerships: Collaborate with ShelterTech stakeholders in Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico to integrate ShelterTech initiatives into local programs.
B. Identify and support investments: Locate promising ShelterTech startups and aid them in launching pilot projects.
C. Develop Scaling Strategies: Formulate a strategy to expand ShelterTech solutions across Latin America with a focus on sustainability and gender.

Key Actions and KPIs

A. Establish partnerships.
Objective: Create alliances with local ShelterTech stakeholders and integrate them into the shelterTech ecosystem across Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico to enhance scalability and impact.

Actions:

– Create partnerships with organizations supporting ShelterTech.
– Host regional meetings and workshops for stakeholder engagement.
– Investigate innovative financing options for ShelterTech initiatives.

KPIs:

– Number of partnerships formed.
– Engagement and feedback from workshop participants.
– Amount of financing models developed.
B. Identify and support investments.
Objective: Establish criteria to allocate funds for pilot projects led by high-potential ShelterTech startups, ensuring they have the resources to test and scale their solutions.
Key Actions:
– Identify top-performing impact investment funds for ShelterTech startups, including crosscutting solutions (climate, green, gender, etc.).
– Identify funding sources to launch pilots and test solutions in real-world settings.
– Align criteria to evaluate potential pilots based on scalability and impact.
KPIs:
– Total funding required for pilot projects.
– Number of qualifying impact funds.
– Development of an impact reporting mechanism for startups.
C. Develop Scaling Strategies.
Objective: Create a comprehensive strategy for scaling ShelterTech solutions across Latin America and map the current ShelterTech landscape to identify gaps and opportunities.
Key Actions:
– Conduct a mapping exercise of the ShelterTech ecosystem in Latin America
– Formulate regional scaling strategies, identifying key stakeholders for collaboration
KPIs:
– Completion of ecosystem mapping reports.
– Number of scaling strategies developed.
– Metrics for stakeholder engagement from mapping exercises.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The consultant will have access to ongoing evaluations of ShelterTech and the Shelter Venture Fund to align solutions and provide recommendations for enhancing collaboration.

These recommendations should be actionable and tailored to enhance collaboration between the two initiatives (refer to deliverable 4).

Timeline
The consultant and TCIS will agree on a suitable timeline based on the final work plan. The target timeline is March- Dec 2025.
• Deliverable 1: Work plan and outline: A detailed work plan and outline of the methodology, including key activities and timelines. (Due: April 05, 2025)
• Deliverable 2: Kickoff and presentation: A draft report summarizing and validating KPIs, along with a presentation for feedback. (Due: May 15, 2025)
• Deliverable 3: Scale strategy and ShelterTech mapping in Latin America Report: A comprehensive final report, including the mapping, model review, and strategic recommendations. (Due: December 5, 2025)
• Deliverable 4: Strategic recommendations and roadmap: A strategic roadmap including an assessment of internal management and governance, recommendations for improvement, and future directions for ShelterTech’s growth. Includes a final presentation to the oversight committee. (Due: December 20, 2025)

Consultancy Management
The consultancy will be overseen by the Regional Director LAC, TCIS, with regular check-ins to ensure alignment with goals. Key stakeholders will be identified, and a communication plan will detail how progress will be reported.

Budget
Firms are requested to submit a detailed budget proposal as part of their submission. Guidelines for the budget structure will be provided upon request.

Qualifications

Required:

• Proven history of creating innovation platforms, especially in housing or international development.
• Extensive experience in designing MEAL frameworks for impact assessment and systems change. Desirable:
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills and high-quality report production.

How to Apply
Interested firms should submit the following under the subject “ShelterTech Evaluation Application” to Gema Stratico at [email protected]:
– A formal letter of interest (Max 2 pages)
– A detailed firm profile (Max 4 pages)
– A comprehensive proposal (Max 4 pages)
– A budget proposal (Max 1 page)
– A page with professional references

Submission Deadline
Submissions will be evaluated based on the information provided by February 28th, 2025 and in relation to the described needs and qualifications. This document provides a general description of the consultancy’s requirements and scope. It does not represent a contract, and the terms and conditions of any consultancy agreement will be negotiated separately. The client reserves the right to modify the TOR at any time, subject to agreement with the consultant. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, especially women and individuals of various sexual orientations and gender identities, to submit their proposals.

Ethical Standards
The consultant must adhere to HFHI’s policies on data protection, confidentiality, and conflict of interest. Specific safeguards should be considered based on regional contexts as we actively live the values that we at Habitat for Humanity aim to share with our collaborators: humility, courage, and responsibility.

ONLY CANDIDATES WHO FOLLOW APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS ROLE.