Electrical Engineer (Technical Solar Power System Expert) - Consultancy Agreement - Beirut, Lebanon

Consultant Programme & Policy

Overview

Provide technical support for renewable energy solutions in educational centers.

You have:

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering with focus on sustainability.
• At least five years of experience in sustainable electrical engineering.
• Experience in technical design and installation of renewable energy/solar systems.
• Experience working in the UN or other international development organization.
• Experience in capacity building on training on solar systems.
• Good knowledge of local market including rates for solar systems.
• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, dedication

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic, and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.While the adolescent period is characterized by a period of heightened vulnerabilities, it also provides a window of opportunity for successful transition to adulthood and equality, especially for the most disadvantaged adolescents. Identifying these most disadvantaged adolescents and designing our interventions to address the barriers that limit their fulfillment of rights to development, protection, and participation is instrumental to breaking cycles of deprivation and poverty for these adolescents. Lebanon’s electricity sector is suffering severe challenges, including fuel shortages exacerbated by the severe economic crisis the country is experiencing, causing increasingly frequent and lengthy blackouts. The electricity shortage is having a major impact on Lebanon's education, health, and WASH sector, obstructing the delivery of vital services to children and the most vulnerable population. Syrian refugee children are bearing the brunt of the crisis and have become at higher risk of lacking access to vital services. Even before the crisis, education was a challenge, with 58 percent of Syrian refugee children out of formal education in 2018. To mitigate these concerns, UNICEF Adolescent and Youth Section (YAD) aim to utilize alternative energy and provide a sustainable solution to continue operations of UNICEF-funded non-formal educational centers located in critical areas facing electricity blackouts in which are providing educational opportunities for young refugees and its host communities.

In parallel, vulnerable youth and refugees across Lebanon are facing a multitude of challenges to pursue education, obtain employment and lead healthy, active, and civically engaged lives. The goal of UNICEF Lebanon’s Adolescent and Youth Programme is to foster economically, personally, and socially active and resilient adolescents and youth in order to increase their education, skills, self-empowerment, participation, and civic engagement. In the response to the electricity crisis, the UNICEF YAD will leverage youth enterprises launched under Generation of Innovative Leaders Programme (GIL) in conjunction with the Cash for Work (CFW) modality – providing youth, in particularly refugees, with skills and access to income-generating opportunities (CFW), being creative, and developing innovative solutions (GIL), that will deliver alternative energy and enhance operations of non-formal educational centers. Under the management of the YAD specialist and the supervision of the YAD officers, the consultant is supposed to support the assessment and delivery of sustainable energy solutions for non-formal educational centers, the consultant should have experience in the delivery of renewable energy solutions and technical background in electrical engineering and solar energy installation and maintenance.

The consultant will deliver technical assessments, recommendations, and provide technical support and capacity building of youth solar enterprises incubated by GIL to deliver high-quality supplies, and for the partners implementing CFW during renewable energy installments for the centers.The consultant will support the installation of solar energy in the training centers where programs supported by UNICEF are running. The consultant is supposed to lead this initiative through:

1. Planning:

Objective 1: Designing a road MAP/ action plan to implement the initiative including (needs assessment, implementation, training preparation and provision, monitoring and coaching the installation, the exit strategy).

1.1: Assessment and technical advice on feasibility, preconditions, and implementation at educational centres.

• Conduct site visits to selected NFEs and Youth training centres
• Assess the feasibility of implementing solar panels at the centres, including preconditions, maintenance and operation, estimated costs and potential challenges/ risks.

1.2: Designing a road MAP/ action plan to implement the initiative, including:

• Implementation strategy
• Training preparation and provision
• Timeframe
• Roles and responsibilities
• Monitoring
• Coaching of installation
• Exit strategy

The road map should be enough for UNICEF partners to proceed with implementation and installation of solar at educational centres.

2. Provision of Technical support:

Objective 2: Deliver designs for energy systems and develop a production and installation plan accordingly considering location, infrastructure, and electricity needed for the centres as well as modality of implementation through skilled youth and C4W.

• Based on findings from Objective 1, the contractor is expected to provide technical input to implementation. UNICEF will be responsible for funding the pilot through implementing partners. Contribute to the development and / or review of the related curriculum and training materials.
• Provision of TOT and coaching the related skills building program for the first cycle.
• Coaching the implementation of the solar system in the training centres (with support to GIL start-ups and C4W).
• Taking adjustment action to the materials or the project when needed.

3. Knowledge generation:

Objective 3: develop and compile knowledge resources and transfer it to partners and youth based on final evaluation and learnings at the end of the pilot.

• Developing a final report based on the final evaluation.
• Compile training and related materials and tools in one package friendly to be used by the implementing partners.
• Design a cascading map to be followed when needed.

Depending on the outcome of the assessments, there could be an option for the contractor to be offered an extension to the contract to support implementation at other UNICEF centers for a longer period. All material produced under this assignment, including data, report, and presentation, are the sole property of UNICEF.

How can you make a difference?

The Individual contractor is expected to deliver the below tasks and the payment will be processed monthly upon receiving a monthly report (integrating UNICEF’s feedback and comments) :

Tasks/Milestone 1:

• Introductory briefing for UNICEF partners.
• Inception Report.
• Conducting site visits to educational centers.

• Assessing and advise on design and installation of renewable energy systems by checking its feasibility, effectiveness of implementation in specific site, quality, progress, and challenges.

  Deliverables/Outputs:

• Delivering an inception report, outlining methodologies and timelines, to be validated by UNICEF.

• Conducting visits to centers.
• Facilitating a technical information session for UNICEF partners.

Tasks/Milestone 2:

• Creating an action plan to implement the initiative in collaboration with UNICEF staff and partners.
• Reviewing curriculum and training materials and provide technical advice.
• Contributing and/or develop content for technical trainings on solar system installation.

Deliverables/Outputs:

• Delivering report and presentation to UNICEF on assessment and technical advice on feasibility and preconditions for implementation.
• Creating a road MAP/ action plan to implement the initiative.
• Contributing to the development and / or review of the related curriculum and training materials.

Tasks/Milestone 3:

• Developing and delivering a Training of Trainers (ToT) for UNICEF’s skills training partners on technical content and relevant local renewable energy market knowledge.
• Kick off the implementation action plan.
• Coaching and quality check the production of solar panels by GIL start-ups.

Deliverables/Outputs:

• Provision of TOT and coaching the related skills building program for the first cycle.
• Visiting, assessing, and advising GIL solar start-ups

Tasks/Milestone 4:

• Supervising and quality check the implementation of the solar systems at the centres by partners and trained youth.
• Coaching and quality check the production of solar panels by GIL start-ups.

Deliverables/Outputs:

• Coaching and supervising the implementation of the solar system in the training centres (with support to the GIL start-ups and the cash for work.

Tasks/Milestone 5:

• Following up on the implementation of C4W and GIL start-ups.
• Conducting monitoring visits to centers.
• Compiling training and related materials and tools in one package.
• Facilitating a handover session with partners and UNICEF staff.

Deliverables/Outputs:

• Compiling training and related materials and tools in one package to be handed over to partners.
• Supervising and monitor implementation.

Tasks/Milestone 6:

• Following up on the implementation of C4W and GIL start-ups.
• Conducting monitoring visits to centres.
• Evaluating the implementation.
• Developing a report based on the evaluation.

Deliverables/Outputs:

• Developing a final report based on the final evaluation.
• Supervising and monitoring implementation.

Tasks/Milestone 7:

• Following up on the implementation of C4W and GIL start-ups.
• Conducting monitoring visits to centers.
• Designing and delivering a cascading map.
• Presenting all documents and deliverables to UNICEF supervisor.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering with focus on sustainability (solar power systems design and installation).
• At least five years of experience in sustainable electrical engineering (design and installation of solar power systems).

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Experience in technical design and installation of renewable energy/solar systems.
• Experience working in the UN or other international development organization an asset.
• Experience in capacity building on training on solar systems.
• Good knowledge of local market including rates for solar systems.
• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws

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Potential interview questions

Added 4 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org