Consultant - African Energy Dialogues

Programme & Policy

Program Overview:

The African Energy Dialogues (AED) aims to create a space for African voices to converge in developing nuanced energy pathways for African countries. The stakeholders involved in this initiative will deliberate on opportunities and trade-offs for achieving African countries’ energy development and industrialisation objectives. The discourse facilitated by AED will address numerous key topics related to countries’ unique energy transition pathways – including the utilisation of renewable energy resources and fossil fuels; enabling policies and regulations; trade, import and export considerations; local and regional transmission and distribution issues; and strategies for scaling up investment and finance.

The AED is led by a Steering Committee consisting of World Resources Institute (WRI) Africa, the African Energy Commission (AFREC), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). AED meetings include in-person and virtual convenings of national and regional policymakers and other key stakeholders in the energy sector across the continent. The AED will deliver reports, policy proposals, recommendations, and tools developed through rigorous discussion, research, and analysis by three Working Groups focusing on 1) Investment and Finance, 2) Enabling Policies and Regulations, and 3) Technologies and Infrastructure. The knowledge materials will be developed by the Working Groups, reviewed, and approved by the Steering Committee, and used strategically to support country-level policymakers in their energy transition planning.

WRI intends to award three consultants a nine-month reimbursable contract for research and analysis to support the three AED Working Groups on key topics related to Africa’s energy transition pathways. Each of the Working Groups -- 1) Investment and Finance, 2) Enabling Policies and Regulations, and 3) Technologies and Infrastructure – will be supported by one consultant.

Each consultant is expected to play a pivotal role in identifying priorities for each Working Group’s activities, conducting in-depth research on identified topics, and presenting findings. The successful candidate will have a deep understanding of energy transition issues, particularly in relation to their specific Working Group, and will possess strong analytical and communication skills. Each consultant will be required to provide the following services to the relevant working Group:

Scope of Work (SoW):

1. Engage with the relevant Working Group:
   • Support the Working Group discussions and draft meeting reports with key findings and next steps.
   • Support the identification of priorities in relation to policies and regulations impacting Africa’s energy transition.
2. Conduct research and analysis on identified issues to provide a basis for discourse for the Working Group. Specifically:
   • Undertake desktop research on prioritized issues and conduct outreach with regional experts to develop a draft research paper for consideration by the Working Group.
   • Identify and develop at least two country case studies outlining best practices on the identified topics to be incorporated in the research paper.
   • Report and present the evidence-based research paper to the Working Group for input and further refinement.
   • Revise and present the final research paper for endorsement by Working Group members.
3. Support the WRI team and Working Group Chair in organising a webinar to present the final research paper to a convening of stakeholders for discussion. The responsibilities of the consultant will include:
   • Develop webinar materials including presentations.
   • Present the research findings and the case studies during the webinar.
   • Document the webinar proceedings and draft a webinar report for publication on the AED Website.
4. Develop a policy proposal from the research paper and webinar proceedings for endorsement by the Working Group:
   • Extract key details from the research report and webinar proceedings and develop a draft policy proposal.
   • Submit draft policy proposal to the Working Group for further discussion and agreement.
   • Finalise the policy proposal and submit it to the AED Steering Committee.

Note: for the Investment and Finance Working Group, there will be an additional task to develop an investment prospectus, this will include desk research, stakeholder consultations and preparation of the prospectus.

Deliverables:

Each consultant will be expected to deliver the following for the relevant Working Group:

1. Meeting reports of working group discussions with key findings and next steps.
2. Final research report endorsed by working group, including at least two country case studies.
3. Webinar report from the webinar presenting the research findings.
4. Policy proposal consolidating the final research report and the webinar report.

Consultant Qualifications:

• A master’s degree in renewable energy, energy transition, energy policy and regulations, investment and energy finance, engineering, infrastructure planning and development or a relevant field.
• At least 5-8 years of research or governmental experience with good working knowledge of policy and regulation landscapes in the energy sector in Africa.
• Experience supporting the African Union or African country governments is an added advantage.
• Excellent research and analytical skills, with comfort exploring new research topics and identifying synergies within a broader energy transition context.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience facilitating consultations and webinars.
• Experience drafting reporting documents, including literature reviews, policy proposals, case studies and brief reports based on multi-stakeholder discussions.
• Flexibility in working with dynamic and diverse project teams and comfort with tight timelines in a multicultural environment across multiple time zones.
• Proficiency in English is required, and fluency in French or African languages is highly desirable.
• Native of Africa, currently located in Africa, and able to travel within the continent whenever needed.

Evaluation and Selection:

The following elements will be the primary considerations in evaluating all applications submitted in response to this posting:

• Submission of resume with a cover letter;
• Demonstrated expertise and experience with similar projects;
• Overall cost of the applicant’s proposal;
• The extent to which the consultant’s qualifications fulfills WRI’s stated requirements as set out above;
• Debarment and sanctions – WRI will not consider proposals from vendors/consultants, etc., that are presently debarred by the U.S. government or named on any restricted parties lists;
• Sustainability – WRI values sustainability and all other factors being equal, will favor a proposal to perform the work more sustainably.

NB: The consultant will indicate in their cover letter one or more specific Working Group(s) for which their application should be considered i.e., Enabling Policies and Regulations; Investment and Finance; Technologies and Infrastructure.

The consultant offering the best overall value will be selected. For this position, non-price aspects are considered to be relatively more important than price.

Compliance Requirements: WRI receives funding from a variety of sources, including governments and other non-governmental organisations. In addition to WRI’s standard contract terms, certain funder conditions may apply.

How to Apply:

Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

WRI Overview:

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organisation that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.

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The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org) is an environmental and development research and policy organisation that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people’s lives. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, protected veteran status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experiences enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI's policy research and analysis. WRI, therefore, encourages applications from U.S. minorities, persons from other countries (especially developing nations), and women of all backgrounds.

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Added 13 days ago - Updated 2 hours ago - Source: wri.org