Background
With regard on the solar pumping for irrigation, the Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity requested that UNDP to formulate a Project Identification Form and submitted to the GEF. The GEFSec approved the project concept and UNDP is now under preparation of the full-fledged project document in consultation with the various development partners.
The full-fledged project document will build on the baseline projects and the recommendations of the earlier GEF projects and GEF technical reviewers to address the barriers confronting low-emission pumping technology take-up in the irrigated sector. A model for PV pump financing, quality assurance, technical support, capacity development and climate finance will be developed and implemented in the Northern State by GEF fund. The allocated GEF fund is aiming also to scale-up the experiences gained from the Northern State into other States where irrigated agriculture is a dominant farming practices.
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of Work
The preparation of the required documentation for final GEF CEO Endorsement will focus on conducting detailed research to identify technical, regulatory and policy gaps and appropriate responses for promoting the solar systems in Sudan, as well as to write-up of the Project Document and CEO Endorsement Request. The study will be conducted taking into account GEF Secretariat, GEF Council and GEF Scientific & Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) reviews and comments on the Project Identification Form (PIF).
Under the overall guidance of the Team Leader of the Energy and Environment Unit of UNDP Sudan Country Office and in coordination with national consultants and as informed by technical guidance from the UNDP-GEF Regional Technical Advisor, the International Consultant (acting in his/her individual capacity) will be tasked with the following duties and responsibilities:
Market and policy analysis for electric water pumping system in Sudan.
- Review and analyze barriers to the effective promotion of renewable energy technologies in Sudan, and solar pumping systems in particular;
- Review current policy, institutional and regulatory frameworks (including incentives, financial options and sources of funds) and identify gaps hindering private investment in the renewable energy, and solar pumps in particular;
- Analyze the cost effectiveness of the existing financial policy options in use internationally (portfolio standards, feed-in tariffs, carbon finance, subsidies, energy purchase agreement structure and Public Private Partnership Acts and identify potential areas for project intervention and support needed;
- Assess local technical capacities of government and private sector to undertake solar data analysis, site assessment, design, installation, operation and maintenance of solar pumps and capacity development needed;
- Assess the existing micro-finance model and its suitability for adoption as financial mechanism for wider dissemination and scale up the use of solar pumps in the irrigated sector in Sudan;
- Assess technical ability to develop proposals to attract private financing, as well as leveraging novel funding mechanisms under the international architecture for climate change mitigation;
- Identify key project stakeholders and their respective roles in the project implmenattion;
- Work out agreements with project partners (e.g. implementing institutions, project partners and co-financers); and facilitate to obtain letters of co-financing;
- Developing a monitoring system to facilitate early detection of market developments and to enable programme design adjustments as and where necessary;
- Development of a strategy and a set of measures to remove the identified barriers based on the approved Project Identification Form;
- Draft the situation analysis.
Baseline electrical pumps in the Northern state
- Review information relating to electrification of agricultural schemes in the Northern State and identify key areas for intervention, including solar energy-related technology transfer, technical assistance (system sizing and technology selection for different farm size and pumping conditions);
- Undertake a baseline study of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for different irrigation system using different pumping technologies. The study will identify and justify the selection of business-as-usual conditions and scenarios for estimating project-related GHG emission reductions associated with replacement of diesel pumps with solar pumps;
- Finalize the scoping of the solar pump project (pre-feasibility, sensitivity analysis and risk assessment) to be implemented within the GEF Full-Sized Project (FSP).
Monitoring & Evaluation, Information Dissemination and Replication Plan
- Develop a lesson-learning and replication strategy, and a strategy to integrate project results and lessons learnt into the wider dissemination and scale up plans.
Project Scoping and Definition
Define the full-sized project scope and logical framework based on the results of the baseline analysis and approved Project Identification Form (PIF):
- List of priority barriers to technology transfer and market development for solar pumping technology;
- A set of viable outcomes, outputs and activities that constitute the most effective response to the identified barriers to technology transfer and market development for solar pumping technology;
- Justified and confirmed choice of project sites and types of demonstration projects;
- Scope for technology transfer and market development for solar pump;
- Social, economic and financial sustainability of proposed project activities;
- Cost-effectiveness analysis to identify the most effective project alternative;
- Detailed incremental cost analysis to justify GEF intervention in the project;
- A set of indicators (tons CO2e avoided, adoption of policy frameworks and kW generated for solar pumping) to track the project’s progress and effectiveness, baseline and target values on indicators;
- Costing of expected project outcomes and outputs, co-financing sources and co-financing commitments in compliance with the GEF incrementally principle;
- Description of local, national and global environmental benefits;
- Project M&E plan, including a set of indicators to track the project’s progress and effectiveness, baseline and target values on indicators;
- A logical framework with indicators for the project implementation plan;
- Learning and replication strategy;
- Revise the elaborated project scoping to address the comments/suggestions made by UNDP/GEF RTA and HQ, GEFSec, and other reviewers.
Finalize and submit to UNDP the Request for GEF CEO Endorsement document, the UNDP Project Document, the UNDP Environment & Social Safeguards summary form, and the GEF Tracking Tool.
Methodology of Work
The methodology of work will consist of the following:
- Desk review of relevant project documentation and background information prepared by a local consultant and the UNDP team in Sudan;
- Direct consultations with relevant ministries, institutions and other local stakeholders, including time spent in Sudan;
- Aterative document-writing process, acting on early-draft comments and feedback from the UNDP Country Office, the UNDP Regional Technical Advisor, and national stakeholders;
Expected Outputs and Deliverables
The following table summarizes the expected deliverable and output, the estimated duration, targets dates for each deliverable and list of reviewers who will approves each of the deliverable output.
Deliverables/ Outputs
- Date: 20 Working Days;
- Target: 30/September 2014.
Review and Approved:
- Head of Energy& environment Unit;
- Programme analyst.
Deliverable 2: Draft Request for CEO Approval and UNDP Project Document:
- Date: 15 Working Days
- Target: 30 November 2014
Review and Approved:
- Head of Energy and environment Unit;
- Programme analyst.
Deliverable 3: Final Request for CEO Approval and UNDP Project Document
- Date:15 Working Days;
- Target: 31 March 2015.
Review and Approved:
- Head of Energy and environment Unit;
- Programme analyst;
- GEFSec.
Institutional Arrangement
The international consultant performs his duties under the overall guidance of the Team Leader of the Energy and Environment Unit of UNDP Sudan Country Office and in coordination with national consultants and as informed by technical guidance from the UNDP-GEF Regional Technical Advisor.
The consultant should liaise with the following institutions:
- Ministry of water resources and Electricity (MWRE);
- The Northern State Ministry of Agriculture the direct beneficiary of the project ;
- National Energy Research Center (NERC) ;
- The Ministry of Petroleum (MoP) ;
- The Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources (HCNER).
The role of these institution is to avail their relevant information, reflect their views and participate in the consultative meetings and review of the project document.
Duration of the Work
- The overall duration of the tasks has been estimated to not exceed 50 days extended over a maximum of 9 months, including two missions to Sudan and related desk-work to pre-review the required project documentation and to finalize the project documentation;
- The work will starts as planned 1 of August /2014 and ends by 30 April/2015;
- The consultancy services is extended over a maximum of 9 months, including two missions to Sudan and related desk-work to pre-review the required project documentation and to finalize the project documentation;
- The preparation of the ProDoc has to be finished by March/2015 to meet application deadline for GEFEC which is June/2015.
- Duty Station
The services is home based with including two missions to Sudan and related desk-work to pre-review the required project documentation and to finalize the project documentation.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
- Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
- Ability to work with a multi-cultural and diverse team.
Functional Competencies:
- Sound understanding of issues related to renewable energy policies;
- Ability to analyze large amounts of complex and diversified data related to crop irrigation, water pumping and climate change;
- Demonstrated strong coordination and facilitation skills;
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to initiate discussions about complex energy policies.
Required Skills and Experience
- Postgraduate university degree in Engineering, agriculture or Energy, with significant renewable energy competence.
Experience:
- Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in the energy and development sector, with a good knowledge of international best practices in sustainable energy;
- Demonstrated experience in developing GEF project documents, particularly in energy sector;
- Demonstrate experience in climate change mitigation, carbon market, CDM and NAMA modalities:
- Good knowledge of international climate finance (CDM, NAMAs, etc.) and national financing mechanisms is desirable;
- Prior experience of multilateral agency development projects, ideally in Sudan or the region, is highly desirable.
- Familiarity and experience with UNDP and GEF project preparation is highly desirable;
- Irrigation system analysis (technical/financial) and irrigation modeling systems is desirable.
- Programme development, monitoring and evaluation and resource mobilization
- Computer skills (e.g. Microsoft including MS Project, MS-Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access).
Language:
- Fluency in English language, knowledge of Arabic language is an assets but not required.
Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:
As full consideration for the services performed, the Consultant shall express his financial offers in total lump-sum amount, all-inclusive. This lump-sum amount is fixed and cannot be changed under any conditions of changes in the cost of components.
Recommended Presentation of Offer
The following documents are requested to be submitted:
- Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
- 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;
- Brief description:
- The consultant should briefly state why he/she considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment.
- The financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.
Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer
The criteria which shall serve as basis for evaluating offers, is based on a combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted a max. of 70% (qualification and relevant experiences), and combined with the financial offer which will be weighted a max of 30%. The following table details the combined scoring procedure that will be adopted to rank offers for selection.
Qualification and Methodology Financial offer:
- Qualifications 15%;
- Experiences in solar water pumping 20%;
- Experiences in preparation of project document 20%;
- Experiences in climate change 15%;
- NAMA and CDM modalities 30% .