Tender Summary: Review, Consolidation and Implementation Support for the Durban Climate Change Strategy (DCCS 2027) and Climate Action Implementation Programme

Objectives

The primary objective is to review, consolidate, and update existing municipal climate instruments into an integrated Durban Climate Change Strategy (DCCS 2027) paired with a prioritised, time-bound Climate Action Plan (CAP). Key goals include:

• Strengthening the mainstreaming of climate action across municipal governance, planning, budgeting, infrastructure, and service delivery.
• Transitioning from fragmented, project-based interventions to a coordinated, programmatic, and system-based implementation approach.
• Developing robust monitoring, reporting, adaptive management systems, and a climate investment and resource mobilisation framework.
• Providing institutional strengthening, capacity building, and knowledge transfer to ensure sustained implementation beyond the contract period.

Scope

The 36-month assignment is structured into five interrelated phases, supported by cross-cutting services:

• Phase 1: Inception, Assessment and Strategic Review – Baseline assessments, strategy reviews, greenhouse gas emissions analysis, climate risk and vulnerability assessments, stakeholder mapping, and institutional capacity evaluations.
• Phase 2: Climate Strategy and Action Planning – Designing governance arrangements, developing the DCCS 2027/CAP, creating implementation and monitoring systems, and formulating a climate investment framework.
• Phase 3: Implementation Systems Operationalisation and Institutional Integration – Embedding climate responsibilities into municipal planning, budgeting, performance management, and data systems.
• Phase 4: Implementation Acceleration, Capability and Programme Strengthening – Capacity building, knowledge transfer, strategic partnership activation, and public awareness initiatives.
• Phase 5: Institutionalisation, Continuous Improvement and Transition – Knowledge management, consolidation of outputs, and structured transition to long-term municipal ownership.

Cross-cutting services include continuous stakeholder engagement, technical validation, and secretariat support throughout all phases.

Technical Requirements

Tenderers must demonstrate comprehensive expertise in climate policy, legislative frameworks (notably the Climate Change Act No. 22 of 2024), municipal planning cycles, and international climate commitments. Specific requirements include:

• Evidence-based assessments and integrated strategic planning capable of tracking emissions, risks, and implementation progress.
• Delivery of all final outputs in editable source formats, properly version-controlled, and aligned with municipal templates.
• Maintenance of Professional Indemnity Insurance (covers claims arising from negligence or errors in professional advice) of at least R10 million for the contract duration.
• Compliance with occupational health and safety legislation, confidentiality protocols, and intellectual property clauses (all deliverables vest with the municipality).
• Mandatory local presence within the municipal boundary.
• Empowerment Subcontracting Requirement: A minimum of 30% of subcontracted work must be awarded to designated empowerment entities (Exempted Micro Enterprises or Qualifying Small Enterprises owned by black South Africans, youth, women, persons with disabilities, rural residents, cooperatives, or veterans). Failure to meet this target triggers financial penalties calculated against the award value.

Skills Requirements

Evaluation uses a functionality scoring system requiring a minimum of 70%. Personnel and methodological requirements are stringent:

• Project Lead: Must hold a recognised tertiary qualification at NQF Level 8 or higher (Honours, Master’s, or Doctoral degree within the National Qualifications Framework) in a relevant discipline and possess 15 to 20 years of experience leading multidisciplinary climate assignments.
• Key Specialists: The team must collectively cover eight core technical areas: mitigation/decarbonisation, adaptation/resilience, climate finance, stakeholder engagement, monitoring and evaluation/data systems, environmental law/governance, urban/regional planning, and implementation support. Members must hold appropriate NQF-aligned qualifications and demonstrate verifiable professional experience ranging from 5 to 15+ years.
• Knowledge Outputs: Submission of verifiable peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, or climate knowledge products demonstrating practical application across the scope areas.
• Methodology: Detailed approach covering climate assessments, inclusive stakeholder engagement (including isiZulu communication and SASL/Braille accessibility), governance integration, climate financing, capacity building, risk management, and a realistic Gantt-chart-driven project plan.