ESG Impact Management and Measurement Strategy Consultant

Background

Launched by Habitat for Humanity International and managed by Triple Jump and Habitat’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter, the MicroBuild Fund supports microfinance institutions in developing or refining affordable, housing-specific loan products tailored to the needs of low-income families. When it launched in 2012, MicroBuild was the first housing-specific microfinance investment vehicle in the world. The fund invests in financial institutions, which on-lend this capital as housing microfinance loans directly to low- income borrowers. MicroBuild loans are paired with advisory services from Habitat’s Terwilliger Center, ranging from market analysis and product design to capacity building for loan officers. By providing both long-term capital and advisory services, MicroBuild models a systems-level approach to addressing the lack of housing finance options available to low-income households. It has demonstrated the financial viability and the opportunity to scale up these products to meet the vast housing demand, encouraging other institutions to support this market.

Building on the success of the first MicroBuild Fund, MicroBuild Fund 2 will be a force multiplier by expanding access to improved, climate-resilient and affordable housing for low-income people around the globe through financing, technical assistance and thought leadership. MicroBuild Fund 2 will address both housing supply and housing demand challenges by providing capital to financial institutions for lending to low-income households and to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises — also known as MSMEs — active in the construction value chain. A second key objective will be a dedicated technical assistance facility targeting both demand and supply.

Habitat is dedicated to improving its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) footprint. Acknowledging the significance of sustainable construction practices and ethical business behavior, Habitat is actively pursuing a holistic ESG Impact Management and Measurement Strategy for the MicroBuild 2 fund.

Objectives

The main goals of this collaboration are as follows:

• Clearly delineate and express crucial Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) focus areas that align with the business model of MicroBuild 2 and comply with industry standards, with the intersectionality of housing
• Formulate a robust ESG impact management framework and strategy designed to steer decision-making and operational processes effectively.

The subsequent phase of this collaboration will involve implementing the strategy. This encompasses the development of necessary tools, templates, and reporting standards for overseeing MicroBuild 2’s ESG performance. Simultaneously, there will be a focus on providing training to the technical assistance team and the ESG manager on these operational protocols. This phase will be detailed in a separate Terms of Reference (ToR).

3. Scope of Work:
The selected consultant or firm will be responsible for:

• Conducting an ESG assessment to identify relevant factors within the housing sector.
• Engaging with key stakeholders, including internal teams, industry experts, and fund manager to gather insights.
• Crafting an ESG impact management framework and strategy tailored to MicroBuild’s business model and sector-specific considerations.
• Formulating key performance indicators (KPIs) and measurement methodologies for each identified ESG focus area.
• Developing recommendations for operationalizing the strategy and the framework

4. Deliverables:

The consultant/firm will be expected to deliver the following:

• An ESG assessment report outlining sector-specific challenges, opportunities, and best practices. Habitat’s Terwilliger Center has conducted a few studies on the Environmental factor of the housing sector, which can be used as a starting point to further build on.
• An ESG impact management framework detailing the company’s approach to ESG integration.
• Key performance indicators (KPIs) with corresponding measurement methodologies.
• A comprehensive ESG impact measurement strategy.
• Recommendations for operationalizing the strategy.