Background

Agriculture sector remains central to livelihood of local communities in rural Yemen and provides direct employment to over 50% of the aggregate national workforce. In-efficient irrigated agriculture enabled by non-sustainable policy instruments including subsidized diesel for water pumping have been among the key drivers of fossil groundwater depletion leading to increased agricultural vulnerability and hence food insecurity. Although solar energy has high potential in Yemen, expansion of solar water pumping (SWP) to substitute diesel powered water pumps is still limited owing to a number of obstacles including structural barriers such as lack of effective financing mechanisms, and continuing diesel subsidy policy.

Primarily, subsidized diesel for water pumping has evidently been discouraging accelerated commercialization and market expansion of solar water pumping; due to the fact of being perceived as less cost-competitive relative to diesel water pumps. Therefore, a pilot solar water pumping initiative is planned aiming to 1) demonstrate feasibility of solar water pumping for irrigation in coastal areas, and 2) examine existing market-based solar financing business models (ex. CAC Bank business model). As a result, the pilot will feedback into pipelined processes of creating an enabling environment to accelerate market expansion of renewable solar energy which, among others, streamlines the Government’s fiscal reform policies including removal of diesel subsidy, spending on critical sectoral investments for socio-economic development, job creation, and poverty reduction.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Ensures the day-to-day implementation and management of the pilot solar water pumping initiative;
•  In collaboration with stakeholders, lead the process of solar water pumping demonstration including site selection, technology testing, setting of minimal quality standards and specifications, integration of modern irrigation technology, irrigation scheduling, and crop water requirement;
• Lead the process of examining sound market-based solar financing instruments to support accelerated solar water pumping in collaboration with key stakeholders including banking institutions, solar vendors, farmers, etcetera
• Produce substantive policy and technical analysis for scaling-up commercialization of solar water pumping
• Ensure provision of policy advice services to the Government and relevant ministries, local authorities and other stakeholders, and facilitation of knowledge sharing, and awareness raising;
• Ensuring effective dissemination of and access to information on project activities and results;
• Ensure identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt and share relevant and substantive and operational experiences with partners;
• Ensure creation of strategic partnership, synergies and coordination between earlier and ongoing related initiatives;
• Analysis and research of information, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, and ensure identification of opportunities for accelerated solar water pumping market expansion;
• overseeing the communication/awareness raising work associated with the initiative.

Deliverable

• Ensures the day-to-day implementation and management of the pilot solar water pumping initiative;
• In collaboration with stakeholders, lead the process of solar water pumping demonstration including site selection, technology testing, setting of minimal quality standards and specifications, integration of modern irrigation technology, irrigation scheduling, and crop water requirements.

• Lead the process of examining sound market-based solar financing instruments to support accelerated solar water pumping in collaboration with key stakeholders including banking institutions, solar vendors, farmers, etcetera.
• Produce substantive policy and technical analysis for scaling-up commercialization of solar water pumping.

•  Ensure provision of policy advice services to the Government and relevant ministries, local authorities and other stakeholders, and facilitation of knowledge sharing, and awareness raising. Ensuring effective dissemination of and access to information on project activities and results;
• Ensure identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt and share relevant and substantive and operational experiences with partners.

• Ensure creation of strategic partnership, synergies and coordination between earlier and ongoing related initiatives.
• Overseeing the communication/awareness raising work associated with the initiative

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Integrity: Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values.
• Respect of diversity: Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability; Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

• Client Orientation: Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
• Team Work: Participates in teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills
• Relationship Building: Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities

Functional Competencies:

• Excellent communications, report writing and analytical skills.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to participate in strategic planning, results-based management, monitoring and reporting;
  
• Ability to contribute in formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes;

Judgment/Decision Making

• identifies key issues in a complex situation and proposes course of action for overcoming of the issues.     

Technical Competencies

• Demonstrated experience and success on the engagement of and working with the private sector and NGOs, creating partnerships and leveraging financing for activities of common interest;
• Demonstrated capacity to actively explore new, innovative implementation and financing mechanisms to support the SWP market and leveraging of financing;
• Familiarity and prior experience with the specific UNDP requirements are considered as assets;
• Good communication skills and competence in handling strategic partnership, and stakeholder consultations, and conflict resolution;
• Demonstrated capacity to work in a team, to effectively organise and motivate stakeholder and partners to effectively engage in the various activities planned under the pilot.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree Renewable Energy, Agricultural Extension, Irrigation Engineering or any other in relevant field.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of relevant professional project management experience preferably on similar projects;
• Previous experience in implementing renewable energy related projects would be an asset;
• Evident experience in liaising and co-operating with strategic partners including government officials, research institutions, farmer communities, NGOs and private sector;
• Experience in implementing/managing environment and/or renewable energy related projects including management of work plans and budgets;
• Evident experience in performing multi-stakeholder consultation, awareness raising, and extension services
• Excellent computer literacy (MS Office; Windows XP, Internet).

Language Requirements:

•  Language proficiency in both written and oral English and Arabic is required. 

Evaluation criteria  

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%.