Senior Energy and Finance Advisor

Consultant Environment

Overview

Develop policy brief on renewable energy and finance for green recovery in the Arab region

You have:

• Master’s degree in climate change, energy, environment, finance, business administration or other closely related field.
• Minimum ten (10) years of previous relevant working experience in climate change, energy or environment, and finance or private sector investments preferably with at least 5 years’ experience supporting sustainable energy cooperation in developing countries.
• Demonstrated experience supporting energy access programming or research in LDCs and or countries in fragile or crisis contexts is an asset.
• Language proficiency in both written and oral English is required. Knowledge of any other UN language (French and/or Arabic) is a plus.

Contract

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

Background

The Arab region is particularly susceptible to climate change, with temperatures rising faster than the global average. Moreover, it is also the most-water scarce and food-import dependent region in the world. These vulnerabilities have contributed to various forms of social unrest, exacerbated conflicts, and driven the displacement of large numbers of people.

The Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction have stressed that for development to be sustainable and resilient to shocks, it must integrate climate change and disaster into short-term responses, and long-term planning. Likewise, the Secretary General’s Strategy and Roadmap for financing Agenda 2030 calls on stakeholders to scale up climate finance and enhance sustainable financing strategies and investments at all levels, and across the different, but interlinked spheres of work. The recent Climate Summit, and the High-Level event on Sustainable Development further highlighted that to enable long-lasting changes, there is a need to rethink the way we address current development challenges, and to take on a more integrated approach.

Against this background, multiple UN agencies (UNDP, UNEP-FI, WFP, UN-Habitat, UNDRR) together with the League of Arab States and the Arab Water Council have initiated a new regional project (SDG-Climate Facility Project) that aims to enhance the capacity of regional and national institutions to address climate change in a way that brings benefits across multiple goals, while also reducing the impacts of conflict and crises. Through joint action, the project will: a) promote integrated solutions for climate action that brings benefits across the SDGs, and crisis and recovery efforts; and b) scale up local partnerships and finance towards those efforts.

The SDG Climate Facility project will culminate in establishing an SDG-Climate Facility as an independent entity that will continue to take forward initiatives and actions beyond the life of the project. It is expected to serve as a long-term platform that will help to address the complex and intertwined challenges of climate change, sustainable development and crisis (the nexus) in the region through regional and national actions. In other words, it is expected to bridge different agendas to enable maximum impact across different sectors. One of the main aims of the SDG-Climate Facility is to enable innovative finance and partnership models to catalyze investments to meet climate and sustainable development objectives, in a region characterized by different levels of fragility.

The climate finance pillar of the SDG Climate Facility project is a key component of the regional project. To enhance the synergies and complementarities across these different activities, the project seeks to engage a Senior Private Sector Energy Advisor within the UNDP hosted project office.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life, as envisaged by 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UNDP is on the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. UNDP is the UN’s largest implementer of grant assistance for climate change, sustainable energy, and the environment, with over $5 billion of projects ongoing today. UNDP supports over $20 million of local grant projects in the Arab region to deploy decentralized renewable energy solutions that power local schools, clinics, orphanages, households, and small businesses and help war affected communities stabilize and build the bridge to recovery. But providing sustainable financial solutions and innovative business models for closing the energy gap for the poor and displaced communities in the region will require much greater support, particularly given the protracted nature of many conflicts, fragmented institutions, and non-favorable financial environment.

UNDP seeks to engage a Senior Energy and Finance Advisor to develop a Regional Policy brief on the opportunities of renewable energy for green recovery in fragile and crisis countries in the Arab Region, with specific focus on innovations in finance and business models. The policy brief aims at contributing to the implementation of Pan Arab Clean Energy Initiative (PACE) one of the pillars of the Arab Sustainable Energy Strategy (ASES). The strategy was enacted by the League of Arab States and member countries across the region to chart the path on a green recovery of the region’s economy to a more sustainable energy pathway. Additionally, the policy brief contributes to achieving the objectives of the Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Energy Solutions in Situations of Displacement (GPA), a multi-stakeholder framework launched in 2018 with UNDP and other partners to accelerate progress towards the vision of “safe access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy services for all displaced people by 2030”.

The United Nations General Assembly, through resolution 74/225, invited the Secretary-General, with the support of the relevant United Nations system entities, to convene a high-level dialogue in 2021 to promote the implementation of the energy-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The dialogue supports the implementation of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Energy for All (2014-2024), including the global plan of action for the Decade, and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The High-level Dialogue on Energy in 2021 represents the first global gathering on energy under the auspices of the General Assembly since the UN Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy held in Nairobi in 1981. It represents a historic opportunity to provide transformational action in the first years of the SDG Decade of Action and support the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The Finance and Energy Advisor will support UNDP Regional Hub for Arab States to articulate through the Policy Brief the role, and opportunities of renewable energy for green recovery by use of innovative finance and business models especially in fragile countries and those in conflict context.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Energy and Finance Advisor will support the development of a new regional UNDP policy brief on the role and opportunities of renewable energy for green recovery in the Arab Region, with specific focus on innovations in finance and business models. The brief will elaborate the challenges of accelerating private sector investments in fragile and conflict impacted countries and the opportunities for closing the energy gap for post-COVID green recovery in the Arab Region including annexes articulating specific instruments and tools for specific categories of countries and roles of UNDP, development partners, private sector and Governments. It will learn from lessons from projects and initiatives from both the UN and non-UN innovative finance approaches and business models in recent years in places like Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Palestine, Libya, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq. It will give detailed accounts of potential actions moving forward including potential finance instruments, business models and policy related tools to accelerate private sector investments.

In achieving the objectives of this assignment, the individual will particularly focus on:

1. Elaboration of the challenges of accelerating private sector investments in fragile and conflict impacted countries.
2. Articulate the opportunities presented by private investment to close the energy access gap and contributing to achieving SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy transition as a way of strengthening post-COVID green recovery in the Arab Region. In addition articulate potential ways humanitarian, development and private finance can accelerate the process.
3. Describe potential finance instruments, business models and policy related tools that have been used in different countries (crisis, fragile, protracted crisis) which may be replicated and provide opportunities to increase private sector investments.
4. Based on the above, recommend the most viable innovative financing ideas, business models and solutions applicable for replication in specific country contexts (crisis, fragile, protracted crisis) in order to accelerate the clean energy transition. The recommended instruments and solutions should be aligned with categories of countries based on fragility or crisis situation and context in recognition that there is no one instruments or tools that fits all.
5. In addition, annexes will be developed to articulate in detail the category of countries that each identified innovative instruments and business models could be applied including the role of UNDP, development partners, IFIs, private sector and Government.

Focus 3 and 4 will form the bulk of the policy brief with focus 1 and 2 providing the background and overview.

S/he will ensure close alignment of the Policy Brief to the vision and focus of UNDPs Strategic Plan, the UN and UNDP’s post COVID 19 response strategies, the Arab Sustainable Energy Strategy, and the Global Plan of Action on Sustainable Energy for Displaced Communities in line with regional development challenges are opportunities. Alignment with the objectives of the SDG-Climate Facility project should also be considered.

The regional policy brief will serve as a flagship initiative for bridging the gap between humanitarian, development and private sector sustainable energy financing and investments in countries conflict and fragile situations in the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change. A green recovery of the region`s economy powered by sustainable energy provides the Arab Region with the needed impetus for bringing important co-benefits from local social, economic, and environmental goals.

Expected Output:

Regional Policy brief on the role and opportunities of renewable energy for green recovery in fragile and crisis countries in the Arab Region: Innovative finance and business models.

Reporting:

The Project Manager of the SDG Climate Facility regional project and UNDPs Regional Energy Specialist will jointly supervise the consultant, and regularly evaluate progress in meeting the specific deliverables including virtual meetings for this purpose. They will in turn regularly report on progress to UNDPs Regional Team Leader for Nature, Climate and Energy at UNDPs Regional Hub.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Expected number of working days for each deliverable

Targeted Due Dates

Review and Approvals Required

Deliverable 1:

Provide draft Outline of the Policy brief along with its annexes;

Within (03) working days from contract signature date

By May 25, 2021

Project Manager of the SDG Climate Facility regional project

Regional Energy Specialist

Deliverable 2:

Provide draft one (01) of the Policy brief with annexes, including comments from relevant technical reviewers and management on the draft outline;

Within (30) working days from satisfactory completion of Deliverable 1

By July 20, 2021

Deliverable 3:

Provide full draft two (02) of the Policy brief along with annexes;

Within (12) working days from satisfactory completion of Deliverable 2

By September 20, 2021

Deliverable 4:

Provide final policy brief with annexes incorporating comments from reviewers.

Within (05) working days from satisfactory completion of Deliverable 3

By December 10, 2021

Competencies

Corporate

1. Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards.
2. Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP.
3. Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional

1. Proven technical and intellectual skills in understanding and interpreting regional, national, and local green financing issues.
2. Ability to understand and analyze and political dynamics in the region.
3. Demonstrated ability for facilitation and coordination skills.
4. Demonstrated entrepreneurial abilities and demonstrated ability to work in an independent manner.
5. Background knowledge about the SDGs, United Nations and UNDP.
6. Good teamwork and interpersonal skills.
7. Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks and work under pressure.
8. Excellent drafting and formulation skills.
9. Excellent computer skills especially Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Leadership

1. Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to provide credible leadership.
2. Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate green finance with broader strategic overview and corporate vision.
3. Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis/resolution of complex issues.
4. Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience.

Managing Relationships

1. Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strategic partnerships.
2. Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational management skills.
3. Excellent negotiating and networking skills with strong partnerships in academia, technical organizations and as a recognized expert in the practice area.

Managing Complexity

1. Ability to address global development issues.
2. Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives.

Knowledge Management and Learning

1. Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products.
2. Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example.
3. Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP.
4. Demonstrates a strong capacity for innovation and creativity in providing strategic policy advice and direction.

Judgment/Decision-Making

1. Mature judgment and initiative.
2. Proven ability to provide strategic direction to the project implementation process.
3. Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges, uses diplomacy and tact to achieve result.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in climate change, energy, environment, finance, business administration or other closely related field.

Work experience:

1. Minimum ten (10) years of previous relevant working experience in climate change, energy or environment, and finance or private sector investments preferably with at least 5 years’ experience supporting sustainable energy cooperation in developing countries.
2. Demonstrated experience supporting energy access programming or research in LDCs and or countries in fragile or crisis contexts is an asset.
3. Previous working experience with the United Nations (UN) is an advantage.

Language Requirements:

1. Language proficiency in both written and oral English is required. Knowledge of any other UN language (French and/or Arabic) is a plus.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

• The individual is required to exhibit his or her full-time commitment with UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS).
• S/He shall perform tasks under the general guidance of the Regional Team Leader for Nature Climate and Energy at the UNDP Regional Hub for Arab States, and the direct supervision of the Project Manager of the SDG Climate Facility regional project and the Regional Energy Specialist.
• The supervision of the Regional Hub Manager will include approvals/acceptance of the outputs and deliverables as identified in the previous section.
• The individual is expected to liaise and collaborate in the course of performing the work with other consultants, suppliers, and UN colleagues.
• The individual is required to provide periodical progress reports on regular and needed basis throughout the assignment to monitor progress.
• The individual is required to maintain close communication with UNDP-RBAS on regular and needed basis at any period throughout the assignment in order to monitor progress. In the event of any delay, S/he will inform UNDP promptly so that decisions and remedial action may be taken accordingly.
• Should UNDP deem it necessary, it reserves the right to commission additional inputs, reviews, or revisions, as needed to ensure the quality and relevance of the work.

DURATION OF THE WORK

The expected duration of the assignment is expected to be up to fifty (50) working days over a period of seven (07) calendar months from the contract signature date.

DUTY STATION

Home Based Assignment.

TRAVEL PLAN (OPTIONAL)

If any unforeseen travel outside the consultant home based city is requested by UNDP and not required by the Terms of References (ToR), such travel shall be covered by UNDP in line with applicable rules and regulations and upon prior written agreement. In such cases, the consultant shall receive living allowances not exceeding the United Nations (UN) Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) rate for such other location(s).

SCOPE OF PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

Interested candidates should provide lump sum fees for requested services with detailed breakdown. This amount must be “all-inclusive”. Please note that the terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal. Also, please note that the contract price will be Deliverables/Outputs based - not fixed - subject to change in the cost components.

The contractor will be paid an all-inclusive Deliverables/Outputs based lump sum amounts over the assignment period, subject to the submission of Certification of Payment (CoP) duly certified or an invoice and confirmation of satisfactory performance of achieved work (deliverables/outputs) in line with the schedule of payments table hereunder:

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Expected number of working days for each deliverable

Targeted Due Dates

Payment Terms/Schedule

Deliverable 1:

Provide draft outline of the Policy brief along with its annexes;

Within (03) working days from contract signature date

By May 5, 2021

After satisfactory completion of Deliverables (01) and (02), and submission of duly certified Certification of Payment (CoP) up to 60% of total contract amount.

Deliverable 2:

Provide draft one (01) of the Policy brief with annexes, including comments from relevant technical reviewers and management on the draft outline;

Within (30) working days from satisfactory completion of Deliverable 1

By July 10, 2021

Deliverable 3:

Provide full draft two (02) of the Policy brief along with annexes;

Within (12) working days from satisfactory completion of Deliverable 2

By September 10, 2021

After satisfactory completion of Deliverables (03) and (04), and submission of duly certified Certification of Payment (CoP) up to 40% of total contract amount.

Deliverable 4:

Provide final policy brief with annexes incorporating comments from reviewers.

Within (05) working days from satisfactory completion of Deliverable 3

By December 10, 2021

RECOMMENDED PRESENTATION OF OFFER

Interested individual consultants must submit documents under point 1,2,3 &4 to demonstrate their qualifications. Applications of candidates that fail to submit these documents will not be considered.

1. Duly accomplished using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
3. Brief Description of why you consider yourself as the most suitable candidate for this assignment;
4. Technical Proposal (A half page technical proposal detailing how they will approach the assignment, prioritizing activities to meet the deliverables as set above in the most efficient and effective manner
5. Financial Proposal: Please do not submit financial proposal in this stage. Financial proposal shall be requested from Candidates who are considered technically responsive

When the financial proposal is requested it should indicate the all-inclusive Deliverables/Outputs based total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. The terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

Interested candidates shall submit required documents to Job Advertisement Website (https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm ) as one document not later than 24 April 2021.

Interested candidates can find Procurement Notice, Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability and P11 templates on the following link: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF THE BEST OFFERS

This selection criteria will follow the Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted a max. of 70%, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%, using the following evaluation criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:

Step I: Screening and desk review:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology.

Applications will be first screened and only candidates meeting the following minimum requirements will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

• Criteria A: Master’s degree in climate change, energy, environment, finance, business administration or other closely related field.
• Criteria B: Minimum 10 years of previous relevant working experience in climate change, energy or environment, and finance or private sector investments preferably with at least 5 years supporting sustainable energy cooperation in developing countries.

• Criteria E: Language proficiency in both written and oral English is required.

  Shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit a technical proposal, then assessed and scored against the following evaluation criteria:

  Step II: Technical Review

Shortlisted candidates will undergo a technical evaluation, and a submission of a proposal to tackle the assignment.

Technical evaluation Criteria max 100 points (Weighted 70):

• Criteria A: Master’s degree in climate change, energy, environment, finance, business administration or other closely related field. (20 points);
• Criteria B: Minimum 10 years of relevant working experience in climate change, energy or environment, and finance or private sector investments preferably with at least 5 years supporting sustainable energy cooperation in developing countries (30 points);
• Criteria C: Demonstrated experience supporting energy access programming or research in LDCs and or countries in fragile or crisis contexts is an asset (20 points);
• Criteria D: Technical Proposal (A half page technical proposal detailing how they will approach the assignment, prioritizing activities to meet the deliverables as set above in the most efficient and effective manner) (20 points);
• Criteria E: Previous working experience with the United Nations (UN) (10 points).

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation

For those offers considered in the financial evaluation, the lowest price offer will receive 30 points. The other offers will receive points in relation to the lowest offer, based on the following formula: (PI / Pn) * 30 where Pn is the financial offer being evaluated and Pl is the lowest financial offer received.

Step II: Final evaluation

The final evaluation will combine the scores of the desk review and the financial proposal with the following weights assigned to each:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis methodology (weighted scoring method), where the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
• Technical Criteria weight: [70%]

• Financial Criteria weight: [30%]

  Only Individual Consultants obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70%) on the Technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

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Added 5 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: jobs.undp.org