Background
Derisking Renewable Energy Investment (DREI) is an innovative theory of change, centred on investment risks and financing costs, about the role the public sector can play in promoting investment in clean energy. To complement the theory of change, UNDP has developed a quantitative 4-stage DREI methodology to assist policymakers to cost-effectively select packages of public instruments to promote clean energy.
DREI has been developed in-house by UNDP. Its development has drawn strongly on lessons learnt and best practices from UNDP’s 20 years of experience in clean energy and its extensive portfolio of Global Environment Facility funded projects.
UNDP launched DREI in 2013 with the publication of the original DREI report, which focused on large-scale, on-grid renewable energy. The report was also accompanied by the launch of an Excel based LCOE financial tool. Since then, UNDP and its partners have continued to develop the DREI methodology in the area of large-scale renewable energy, including applying DREI in practice in developing countries. For more information, and to access reports, guidance materials and tools on DREI, please visit www.undp.org/DREI.
UNDP is now embarking on an exercise to expand the DREI methodology to additional clean energy sectors, in particular small-scale renewable energy and energy efficiency. In small-scale renewable energy, the work is envisaged to be organised in three sub-sectors: (i) off-grid (mini-grids), (ii) off-grid (stand-alone systems) and (iii) on-grid. This work will be carried out by a focused, multi-disciplinary core research team, composed of UNDP practitioners, academics, and technical experts.
Duties and Responsibilities
Working as part of the core team, the junior engineering consultant will contribute to the development of the DREI methodology for small-scale renewable energy. The junior engineering consultant’s inputs will focus on the engineering, technological and operational aspects of small-scale renewable energy.
The junior engineering consultant’s duties will include:
Literature review:
- Provide an overview of current academic papers and ‘grey’ reports relevant to small scale renewable energy.
Methodology development:
- Review and provide input into the development of methodological steps.
Data and assumptions:
- Review and provide input into engineering specifications and technical data and assumptions.
Modelling:
- Assist, where necessary, in Excel based modelling and sensitivity analyses.
Writing:
- Assist, where necessary, in the drafting of reports and materials related to the findings of the team’s work.
Outputs
For each of the three sub-sectors of small scale renewable energy (off-grid (minigrids); off-grid (standalone systems); on-grid), the core research team will collectively develop the following outputs:
- Methodology tools, including a barrier, risk and instrument table, and an Excel based LCOE financial tool;
- Country case studies to test the application of the methodology;
- A UNDP report setting out the new methodology and case study findings.
Institutional arrangements
- Estimated level of effort, including travel, is up to 60 working days, working on a part-time basis;
- The consultant will work from home with possible mission travel;
- The consultant will be directly supervised by the UNDP-GEF Energy Finance Specialist based in New York;
- The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
- The consultant will engage regularly by email, Skype and/or and phone on an as needed basis;
- Payments will be made once a month upon submission of a time sheet and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the supervisor of satisfactory receipt of deliverables.
Travel
- The consultancy is anticipated to include two missions: the first for a working meeting of the core team, either in New York or Europe; the second to a developing country as part of the case study analysis;
- All travels must be authorized in advance and in writing by the supervisor;
- The Advanced and Basic Security in the Field II courses must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
- Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
- Consultants are required to comply with the UN security directives;
- The consultant will be responsible for making his/her own mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies;
- Consultants are responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP;
- All related travel expenses will be supported by the project travel fund and will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations for consultants;
- Costs for round trip economy fare tickets, terminal expenses, and daily living allowances should not be included in financial proposal.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies
- Demonstrates integrity by modelling 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;
- Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.
Functional Competencies
- Technical skills in small-scale renewable energy;
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a collaborative team and process;
- Ability to work with multiple stakeholders across a wide range of disciplines;
- Ability to communicate effectively in writing to in a simple and concise manner;
- Able to work independently and remotely with minimal supervision;
- Ability to work under pressure and time constraints.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree and Master’s, or equivalent degree, in renewable energy, electrical engineering, or other closely related field (Max 25pts).
Experience:
- Minimum of 1-year’s work experience (employment, internships, apprenticeships) in renewable energy and/or engineering (Max 10pts);
- Experience in relevant data driven studies and reports, including in academia, on small-scale renewable energy and renewable energy in general. Experience with mini-grids will be an advantage (Max 30pts);
- Experience with Excel modelling for renewable energy (Max 15pts);
- Experience in a developing country context preferred (Max 10pts);
- Experience working with multilateral organizations and the UN system desirable (Max 10pts).
Language requirement:
- Fluency in written and spoken English required (eliminatory criteria)
Financial Proposal:
- Each candidate is asked to submit a financial proposal which must be expressed as an all-inclusive daily fee in USD. The term ‘all inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, utilities, consumables, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal;
- Payments will be made based on the agreed daily rate and released upon submission of a certificate of payment request, indicating days worked, to be verified and cleared for payment by the supervisor.
Evaluation Criteria
- Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated;
- Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the technical criteria will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer will be weighted at 30%;
- The technical criteria (education, experience) will be based on a maximum 100 points. Only the top 3 candidates that have achieved a minimum of 70 points from the review of the technical criteria will be deemed technically qualified and considered for financial evaluation;
- The financial score (max 100pts) shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal of those technically qualified;
- The applicant receiving the highest combined score and that has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.
Documentation required:
- Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P11) to be downloaded from the link below:
- Please note you can upload only one document to this application (scan all documents in one single PDF file to attach). In addition, applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application.
General Conditions of Contract for the ICs
UNDP Personal History form (P11) required of all applicants
http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.