International consultant on Health Facility Solar Electrification (HFSE) – determining energy needs and infrastructural condition

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, Health

To provide support to UNICEF office in North Macedonia and the Ministry of Health to conduct site assessments for determining energy needs and infrastructural condition of 11 primary healthcare facilities in North Macedonia for solar photovoltaic electrification.

How can you make a difference?

In contribution to the UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-2025, UNICEF North Macedonia Country Office is committed to scaling up sustainable energy integration in priority programme areas (e.g., Health, Education, and related WASH interventions) with the goal of promoting positive social benefits for children and young people.

Positive correlations between electricity access and health outcomes have been demonstrated during routine maternal, new-born and child health services and emergencies. North Macedonia relies upon a stable electricity grid providing reliable and uninterrupted supply to citizens, services and industry. Such an infrastructure provides elementary grounds for the required performance in delivering health services overall, proper administration of the health facilities, and access to better communication channels and data management. This has also proven to be critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the capacities of the entire national health system had been challenged to an extent that hadn’t been experienced before, and especially in the period when having a proper cold chain available was critical for vaccination against COVID-19.

However, the subsequent economic crisis and, especially, the energy crisis following Russia’s aggression over Ukraine, accompanied by significant spikes in prices for production, distribution, wholesale and retail commerce, have reinstated an even stronger emphasis of the existing national priorities of North Macedonia for achieving relevant SDGs and EU accession priorities related to environmental sustainability, including increasing energy efficiency practices, decreasing carbon emissions and footprint overall, and reducing dependence on energy from carbon fuels. These determinations, coupled with UNICEF’s well-established experience in facilitating the provision of alternative energy solutions to health facilities worldwide, have given rise to an initiative, supported by the Ministry of Health as its principal beneficiary, to investigate the feasibility and the opportunities for auxiliary power supply options for the primary health facilities (PHCFs) in the country.

Given the significantly high number of sunny days during a calendar year, it has been suggested that photovoltaic energy supply would be the optimal option for consideration. It has therefore been estimated that an effort of this scale is likely to – at the very least – significantly reduce both carbon-based energy consumption in PHCFs countrywide and the regular costs for energy consumption. Financially, this would bring about notable savings which could be reinvested in further advancements of health services, while environmentally these options can also simultaneously transform the sector and lead it further along a low carbon and climate resilient development pathway – the latter, in the face of a changing climate and degrading environment would bring about powerful benefits to children and young people.

Therefore, with the objective to provide reliable auxiliary electricity options to the PHCFs in North Macedonia through solar PV systems, UNICEF North Macedonia is planning to carry out a site assessment of 11 PHCFs in North Macedonia to determine the energy needs and infrastructure conditions of those facilities in order to assess the feasibility and cost-benefit of potential solar PV installations in those PHCFs.

Purpose, objectives and scope of work:

The purpose of this consultancy is to carry out site assessments of 11 PHCFs in North Macedonia to determine the energy needs of the facilities and infrastructural information which will provide information to assess the feasibility and cost-benefit of potential solar PV installation project at the PHCFs in the country.

Major deliverables:

The purpose of this consultancy is to carry out site assessments of 11 PHCFs in North Macedonia to determine the energy needs of the facilities and infrastructural information which will provide information to assess the feasibility and cost-benefit of potential solar PV installation project at the PHCFs in the country.

The general objectives of this consultancy are to:

• Assess the energy needs for each of the 11 PHC facilities in Berovo, Bitola, Chair, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Kichevo, Kumanovo, Struga, Valandovo, Veles and Zhelino – structured as totals and averages, and disaggregated per periods in a calendar year, as relevant for the assignment

• Assess for each PHCF the insolation exposure across a calendar year – structured as totals and averages, and disaggregated per periods in a calendar year, as relevant for the assignment), for at least 5 years back.

• Measure/test the energy efficiency of each PHCF (examine structure, lighting, HVAC, etc.) per methodology as relevant for the assignment

• Assess for each PHCF the technical feasibility and economic cost benefit of incorporating auxiliary power supply from PV panels

• Assess investment costs* for installation and 5-year maintenance of incorporating auxiliary power supply from PV panels (*for those PHCFs where incorporation would be feasible and cost beneficial).

****Tasks/Milestone:**** Assessment of the energy needs for each of the 11 PHC facilities

****Deliverables/Outputs:**** Assess the energy needs for each of the 11 PHC facilities in Berovo, Bitola, Chair, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Kichevo, Kumanovo, Struga, Valandovo, Veles and Zhelino – structured as totals and averages, and disaggregated per periods in a calendar year, as relevant for the assignment

Timeline: 15 days by 21 June 2023

Tasks/Milestone: Submit the collected data

****Deliverables/Outputs:****

Report on the energy efficiency status for each PHCF - 3 days by 26 June 2023;

Report on the technical feasibility and economic cost benefit of incorporating auxiliary power supply from PV panels, for each PHCF - 2 days by 28 June 2023

The consultant will report directly to UNICEF North Macedonia – Deputy Representative and the Health & Nutrition Team. The contractor will liaise with Ministry of Health officials and UNICEF Health HQ team as advised by UNICEF.

The lines of communication and liaison with UNICEF will remain open for regular contact throughout the assignment, and UNICEF staff will remain available to assist and participate in the assignment as necessary or appropriate. Ultimately however, the contractor would be expected to have the self-sufficiency to work independently.

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

- Graduate degree in Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction preferably Electrical/Civil Technical Background: with proven skills of data collection and assessing infrastructural and electrical condition of buildings - Expertise and experience in assessment, design and/or installation of electrical and solar works - Knowledge of infrastructural assessment - Relevant experience with institutions and organizations in the field of solarization - Fluency in English. - Previous experience with the UN will be considered an asset.

To apply please upload your: - Most recent CV and cover letter - Short portfolio of previous similar work - Financial proposal which should include daily fee and travel cost to/from North Macedonia and travel within the country

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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:

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.