UNDP Jobs - 48903- International Consultant for Economic Analysis and

International Consultant for Economic Analysis and Demand-Side Management Planning

Location :

Home-based with two missions to Ashkhabad (Ashgabat), each covering 5 working days, TURKMENISTAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

15-Sep-2014

Application Deadline :

26-Aug-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

40 working days

Languages Required :

English Russian

Expected Duration of Assignment :

40 working days in the period from September 2014 to November 2015

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The objective of the UNDP/GEF project on improving energy efficiency in residential buildings in Turkmenistan is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving energy management and reducing energy consumption in the residential sector in Turkmenistan.

The project has been designed to:

Strengthen building codes and associated normative documents on energy efficiency in buildings;
develop capacity at Turkmengas State Corporation and other state entities to identify end-use energy savings in their housing stock and implement investments to reduce end-use energy consumption;
Introduce improved highly-efficient design measures to major housing designers and developers; and
Replicate these measures through protocols for energy-saving measures in prototype buildings and through mainstreaming EE issues into state construction and housing policies and programs.

The project seeks to reduce energy consumption and associated greenhouse gases in residential sector in Turkmenistan and is structured into four project components:

Energy efficient building codes and supporting capacity strengthening;
Energy audit, energy management, and investment in energy improvements to existing building stock;
Improved design measures for major residential building designers and developers;
Replication through partnership with other developers and support for policies that encourage energy efficiency

At present, neither new construction nor refurbishment projects consider the energy performance of the buildings involved. The buildings being constructed and refurbished now without any attention to energy efficiency are effectively “locking in” patterns of energy consumption – and associated greenhouse gas emissions -- for the next several decades at needlessly high levels. Even before the construction boom, emissions in the residential sector totaled more than 3 million tonnes of CO2, or nearly 10% of total CO2 emissions from fuel combustion. Now, these emissions play an increasing role in the overall share of greenhouse gas emissions in Turkmenistan, and the residential sector is the third largest source of emissions in the country. Without intervention, these emissions will continue to grow unchecked.

Turkmengas provides natural gas to residential consumers in Turkmenistan essentially free of charge. Electricity is similarly provided to residential consumers at extremely inexpensive rates. Therefore residential consumers in Turkmenistan have no financial incentive to conserve energy. But the Government does have a financial incentive to promote domestic energy conservation in the building sector, thereby reducing its own uncompensated expenditures and increasing the quantity of gas available for export. The project’s second component seeks to support the Government in comprehensively assessing the potential of energy efficiency in buildings in Turkmenistan, and in designing and implementing energy conservation programs to realize this potential as a profitable alternative to current practice. Such programs are expected to focus on existing residential buildings, but may also include work in other subsectors of buildings in Turkmenistan.

Duties and Responsibilities

The International Consultant for Economic Analysis and Demand-Side Management Planning (hereinafter referred to as IC for Economic Analysis, or Consultant) will have expertise in quantitative economic analysis of energy efficiency programs at the regional and/or national level. Based on the results of energy audits and other initial research, the IC for Economic Analysis will analyze expected energy performance, societal benefits including demand-side management benefits for the Government, and cost-effectiveness. The IC for Economic Analysis will then develop proposed plans, including quantitative estimates of costs and benefits, for a scaled-up national program of energy-efficiency investment in the building sector.

Under the overall supervision of the Program Specialist for the Environment and the direct supervision of the Component Manager for the Green Economic Development Program, in close collaboration with other international consultants and the project team, the International Consultant on Economic Analysis and Demand-Side Management Planning will be responsible for fulfilling the following duties and functions:

Compilation and presentation of selected world best practices in demand-side management by energy companies (utilities) and large-scale public or private investment programs for energy-efficiency in buildings, with regard to both gas and electricity, Given that market conditions and policy frameworks in Turkmenistan differ strongly from those of countries where demand-side management has been most widely implemented, this study will focus especially on technical and financial-performance dimensions, with less emphasis on market aspects such as producer or consumer incentives;
Review and financial and economic analysis of energy audits and other research on the technical potential for energy efficiency in buildings in Turkmenistan;
Participation in development of the energy management plan / recommendations of a selected pilot complex of buildings and a manual for communal facilities, with the goal of supporting energy management in residential buildings under the conditions of Turkmenistan;
Missions to Ashkhabad, focusing on discussions with Turkmengas staff, other local relevant stakeholders and national experts, as well as the gathering of information needed for the implementation of the given consulting assignment;
Preparation and delivery presentations and materials for the meetings / workshops held during the missions;
Development and delivery of a comprehensive analysis of the economic potential of energy efficiency in buildings in Turkmenistan, including assessment of specific technical measures and variation by region, estimation of costs and benefits, calculation of rates of return to the Government, and expected time frames for implementation. This analysis is to cover the whole nation of Turkmenistan, with sections specifically discussing Ashkhabad and other key cities;
Development and delivery of proposed plans for Turkmengas and other interested agencies and companies for program activity reflecting the maximal scale at which this economic potential can be feasibly and cost-effectively realized. These plans are to include estimated budgets, agency responsibilities, timetables for implementation, and evaluation / coordination / monitoring procedures;
All analysis and recommendations with regard to Turkmenistan will be conducted with the support of national experts in Turkmenistan. The Consultant will be expected to articulate requests for needed information in a clear and timely way. At the same time, the Consultant must recognize that the analysis and recommendations should be completed as fully as possible even if there are information gaps that national experts and data sources cannot fill.

Outputs:

Summary of selected world best practices in demand-side management presented in writing and in one or more direct presentations in Turkmenistan on best practices in demand-side management planning and programs;
Written report summarizing Consultant’s participation in the mission to Ashkhabad undertaken during this assignment outlining: mission objectives, goals and outputs; brief assessment of results achieved during the mission to Ashkhabad and other cities of Turkmenistan; enumeration of next steps and needed support for the completion of assignment;
Comprehensive analysis of economic potential of energy efficiency in buildings in Turkmenistan, as described above, written and delivered;
Proposed plans for program activity prepared and delivered as described above. This output may be delivered as a single document together with the analysis of economic potential (see output shown immediately above);
Response to comments and questions from Turkmengas and national experts, with revisions of analysis and proposed plans as needed;
Final report presented to the project team on lesson learnt and results of the given consulting assignment, including recommendations on next steps to ensure sustainability of project results.

This work will be carried out via regular remote correspondence with the Project Team, plus two visits to Ashkhabad, each covering 5 working days. If needed and justified, additional travels will be covered separately by the project budget.

Deliverables and timeframe:

The following deliverables and indicative schedule are expected from the consultancy contract. The final schedule will be agreed upon in the beginning of consultancy assignment. All deliverables should be submitted to UNDP by the Consultant in Russian (preferably) or English.

Phase 1 of assignment :

Summary of selected world best practices in demand-side management and large-scale investment programs for energy efficiency in buildings presented in writing and in one or more direct presentations - October 2014 (3 days);
Mission to Ashkhabad completed and mission report prepared and delivered - October 2014 or other time frame to be agreed upon (5 days);

Phase 2 of assignment:

Comprehensive analysis of economic potential of energy-efficiency in buildings in Turkmenistan, as described above in duties and functions written and delivered - March 2015;
Proposed plans for program activity prepared and delivered as described above duties and functions - March 2015 (8 days); First two deliverables for phase 2 may be combined;
Mission to Ashkhabad completed and mission report prepared and delivered - April 2015(5 days) or other time frame to be agreed upon;

Phase 3 of assignment:

Energy management plan / recommendations for a pilot complex of buildings prepared and delivered - July 2015 (3 days);
A manual for energy efficient management of communal facilities prepared, with the goal of supporting energy management in residential buildings under the conditions of Turkmenistan - August 2015 (4 days);
Response to comments and questions from Turkmengas and national experts, with revisions of analysis and proposed plans as needed. Proposed plans for program activity finalized - September 2015 (3 days);
Final report presented on lessons learnt and results of the consulting assignment, including recommendations on next steps to ensure sustainability of project results - October 2015 (4 days);

Payment Conditions:

This is a lump sum contract that should include costs of consultancy and travel costs required to produce the above deliverables. The final schedule will be agreed upon in the beginning of consultancy.
Payment will be released in three installments: 20% (Phase 1 deliverables), 45% (Phase 2 deliverables) and 35% (Phase 3 deliverables), upon timely submission of respective deliverables and their acceptance by the Programme Specialist on Environment.

Evaluation:

The Individual will be evaluated against a combination of the Offerors’ qualifications and financial proposal:

Consultant’s technical qualification -70%, which includes: appropriate education -25%, relevant experience - 35%, additional skills (language, etc.) - 10%;
Financial proposal - 30%.

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

Demonstrate integrity and ethical standards;
Possess a positive and constructive attitude to the assignment;
Respect cultural, historical, religious, national, and ethnic peculiarities of the country.

Functional and technical competencies:

Wide familiarity with current best and cost-effective practices in increasing energy-efficiency in buildings, with regard to policy / economics / technical as well as other relevant issues;
Excellent organizational, analytic, communicative, time-management, and teamwork skills;
Good writing skills and computer literacy.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced degree (master’s level, equivalent or higher) in the field of engineering, finance, economics, or other directly relevant field. The candidate shall also have knowledge of economics and/or policy regarding energy efficiency.

Experience:

At least 5 years of experience with program analysis, design, and implementation of demand-side management and/or large-scale investment programs for energy-efficiency in buildings, with close familiarity with world best practice with regard to both gas and electricity;
Proven experience in preparing economic analysis and planning of energy management / investment programmes in buildings;
Strong expertise in quantitative financial analysis;
Knowledge of best practices on energy efficiency in buildings;
Working experience in developing countries and especially CIS countries is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Proficiency in English, including excellent oral, written, and presentation skills;
Skill in written and spoken Russian is strongly preferred.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals.

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

Offeror's letter to UNDP, please follow the link for download: http://www.tm.undp.org/content/turkmenistan/en/home/operations/jobs/;
Detailed, carefully considered and justified financial statement based on a lump sum, which should include: consultancy fee, travel costs, administrative expenses (if applicable), and/or any other expenses an applicant deems would incur during assignment;
Detailed methodology indicating phases, tasks, methods, techniques, time, resources, accessibility and tools to be applied for successful completion of assignment;
Resume (curriculum vitae) describing similar project assignments in recent years;
UN P11 form, please follow the link for download http://www.tm.undp.org/content/turkmenistan/en/home/operations/jobs/.