International Expert to Develop a Plan for Development of the Electric Vehicles Public Charging Network In Montenegro (2 positions)

Contract

This is a International Consultant contract. More about International Consultant contracts.

Background

In Montenegro, the transport sector is characterized by progressive increase of total number of registered vehicles with at the same time aging vehicle fleet. Road transport is the dominant mode of transport with a very low share of public transport in modal spit while the transport almost entirely depends on fossil fuels. The transport sector is characterized by progressive increase of total number of registered vehicles with at the same time aging vehicle fleet. The average age of registered vehicles is about 16 years. Urban environments are characterized by numerous congestions in the traffic flow, which ultimately results in pollution of the environment from exhaust gases and noise from the vehicle. Special attention should be paid to the degree of motorization that is about 330 expected to reach the EU motorway in the next decade, which will mean 50% more cars. The aforementioned problems have burdened most of the countries of the European Union. As a result of efforts to overcome these problems, alternative fuels and alternative drives of motor vehicles were created. An alternative drive which has become increasingly popular lately is electric drive, or electric vehicles. In order to support the promotion of the e-mobility concept in Montenegro, UNDP developed a comprehensive E-mobility Feasibility Study that consists of: 1) Up to date Analyses of Legal and Institutional Framework, 2) Market analyses, 3) Cost-benefit analyses and 4) Proposed financial and non-financial tools to incentivize investments in e-mobility. The study provides a thorough review of EV charging systems and infrastructure best practices and their applicability in MNE (including a breakdown of typical voltages, output, and cost for each type of charging system). It also identified existing legal and institutional requirements for placement of charging infrastructure with a schematic preview of all stakeholders and required procedures and it provides recommendations for improvement The Study showed that the citizens and businesses see the lack of EV charging infrastructure as the key barrier to the transition to electric vehicles. Therefore, UNDP initiated and supported installation of 11 public chargers for electric vehicles from north to south of Montenegro. They are visible on the European map of EV charging stations, by using a mobile application. In parallel, UNDP has provided technical assistance and expertise in creating preconditions for establishment of Eco Fund, including the identification of the key programmatic areas of work and support mechanisms. As of June 2020, the Eco Fund has been populated by critical personnel, and in September 2020 the Government adopted the Annual Work Programme and Financial Plan (2020 – 2021). One of programmatic areas that has a high potential for initiation of Eco Fund’s support activities is transport, as effective and efficient transportation is critical for the economic and social prosperity of the citizens of Montenegro. It is important to add that the Capital City Podgorica has initiated the development processes that will eventually lead to increased share of electric vehicles with taxi services and public transport operators. The new business initiatives such as EV taxi services recently established and the growing demand for EV charging stations proved that the e-mobility concept will be further evolving. In order to enable the country of Montenegro to create conditions for residents and businesses, but also public institutiona to use electric vehicles every day and for any purpose, to be able to recharge them quickly and conveniently, taking advantage of their lower cost operation and in doing so helping improve air quality, it is necessary to further work on the development of electric vehicles charging network, where the optimal location and size of charging stations are important considerations in relation to the large-scale application of electric vehicles (EVs). This is the reason for UNDP to render services of 2 consultants that will develop a comprehensive PLAN for development of the electric vehicles public charging network in Montenegro.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives of the assignment

The objective of this consultancy is to develop a Plan for development of the EVs public charging network, based on techno-economic analyses and forecast of the future needs, based on the anticipated growth of the share of EVs used by citizens, businesses, TAXI services and public transport service operators. The Plan will contain specific technical guidelines and recommendations for future investments in development of EV Public charging network:

Job Content

Under direct supervision of the UNDP Programme Manager, the Consultants will conduct the tasks listed below:

I. Review of the studies and analyses to date, where the E-mobility Feasibility Study, SUMP – Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for Podgorica, SUMP BokaCet and other sustainable transport related plans will be analyzed in details II. Analysis of the current situation in the Montenegro, with the focus on the following: - Groups of vehicle users (citizens, businesses, taxis, delivery services, public services…) - Transport and traffic habits – use of private vehicles, public transport, taxi, other transport modes, walking (by age, sex, education) - Existing transport infrastructure, including the review of existing EV charging stations (public and private) - Projections of future needs. III. Development of the charging network - Dimensioning the network of publicly available charging stations (number and type of charging stations) based on anticipated growth of the share of EVs in total number of vehicles, - Definition of criteria for strategic placement of charging infrastructure, based on zoning, permitting, and inspection processes as critical factors in the development of an EV infrastructure network. - Spatial distribution/deployment of the charging network (density of charging stations in individual parts of the countries, intermodal locations) presented on the map. IV. The interconnection of high penetration of electric vehicles into the power grid can alter the operation of the existing network. Fast charging mechanism of electric vehicle worsens the situation as this kind of charging drains high power from the power grid, thus stressing the local power grid. Therefore. It is necessary to conduct the - Analysis of challenges concerning integration with the electricity grid and propose solutions (e.g. smart charging schemes, e-mobility tariff/s etc.) - Analysis of the potentials of the renewable energy as a source of EVs charging network. V. Payment for the charging services - Propose a metering system and pricing scheme/s– based on the current regulatory system, including recommendations for adjustments of the specific regulations Above elaborated analyses will be bas on based on desk and field research that will result in preparation and submission of a combined report. Field research will be based on Interviews with key decision makers and relevant stakeholders as elaborated above (where energy management/distribution related companies and institutions must be deeply involved), which will be identified jointly with the UNDP Project Team. Desk research will imply analyses of all available information, studies, registers, data and analyses - some to be provided by the UNDP Project Team, some to be identified and collected by the Consultants. The desk research may also consist of online/telephone interviews/short surveys with selected stakeholders.

Deliverables

Delivery

Date of execution

Review of the studies and analyses to date

1 week upon signing of the contract

Analysis of the current situation in MNE

3 weeks upon signing of the contract

Development of the charging network

8 weeks upon signing of the contract

Analysis of challenges concerning integration with the electricity grid and propose solutions and analysis of renewable energy sources’ potentials

10 weeks upon signing the contract

Payment for the charging services - metering system and pricing schemes

12 weeks upon signing the contract

Final report

14 weeks upon signing the contract

Duration of the assignment: 4 months (December 2020 - March 2021)

The engagement will be home based and in the field for meetings with relevant national and/or local stakeholders. Travel costs and Daily Subsistence Allowance costs should be included in the lump sum figure. Each consultant is expected to work 40 days – in total 80 days.

Reporting and Coordination

All outputs/products will be delivered in Montenegrin. Each deliverable need to be approved by the Programme Manager. All produced materials will be the property of the UNDP and will not be released without prior written consent.

Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UN/UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates ability to manage complexities and work under pressure, as well as conflict resolution skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Degree in Transport/Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Master Degree would be considered as advantage;

Experience:

• At least 10 years of extensive technical professional experience in the development and implementation of low carbon and clean energy projects, researches and studies, including urban transport systems, e-mobility concepts and plans;
• Knowledge of Montenegrin institutional and regulatory framework in relation to transport, energy, climate change related policies, instruments, institutions and organizations.
• Proven record on active involvement in similar assignments/projects;
• Experience with UN agencies will be considered as an asset;
• Experience with the usage of various systems analysis methods and techniques, including data collection from various stakeholders and on-site;
• Proven experience in working with multiple stakeholders;

Language:

• Fluency in English and Montenegrin (written and spoken);

Other:

• Capability to work effectively under deadline pressure and to take on a range of responsibilities;
• Ability to work in a team, good decision-making skills, communication and writing skills;
• Excellent social, communication, advocacy and reporting skills;

Criteria for selection:

Combined Scoring method will be used. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: (i) responsive, compliant, acceptable, and (ii) having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

• Technical criteria weight - 70% (Background and education 10%; Relevant previous experience 20%; Substantial knowledge/Required competencies 30%; Required language 10%);
• Financial criteria weight - 30%.

Only offerors obtaining a minimum 490 points for technical criteria will be considered for the financial evaluation. For more information on procurement methodology for Individual Contractors, please refer to Procurement Notice.

Application procedure:

Interested applicants are requested to submit their applications by January 4, 2021 by using the Apply now button. The application should contain CV or P11 that can be downloaded at https://www.me.undp.org/content/montenegro/en/home/jobs.html. Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file.

Only the short-listed applicants will be contacted and requested to submit a letter of interest including a price quotation indicating the lump sum (in EUR) requested for the work envisaged in the section "Description of Responsibilities".