UNDP Jobs - 57780- International Consultant: Senior Advisor to UNDP o

International Consultant: Senior Advisor to UNDP on District Cooling

Location :

home-based with missions to the Dominican Republic

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

03-Aug-2015

Application Deadline :

10-Jul-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

12 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

12 months

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

Organizational Context:

The Government of the Dominican Republic and UNDP have been in contact with the Fundación Ecológica PUNTACANA (Punta Cana Ecological Foundation) with the intent to develop the first District Cooling project in the country. The objective of the Feasibility study is to determine the technical and financial feasibility of developing a district cooling system within the areas owned by the Grupo Punta Cana (including 3 Hotels, International airport, a new Mall, etc.) and will include future needs for development in the area. The feasibility study will include different financial options for undertaking the full activity.

The technology to be assessed under the feasibility study will include the use of alternative source of energy generation, such as waste heat from an existing waste incineration facility owned by the Grupo Punta Cana, as well as deep sea water from Punta Cana bay, alleviating demand over the energy generation source current in use in the area. Other options could also be evaluated.

The introduction of a district cooling system in Punta Cana could potentially lead to an up to 80 % reduction in the use of energy (depending on the final choice of technology) and would lead to huge reductions in GHG emissions. The current energy generation made by the Utility Company owned by the Foundation is 21 MW and all the energy is produced from fossil fuels. The District cooling would potentially cover an area of 3 high-end hotels, an international airport, a mall and 3 new hotels that will be constructed shortly. Options to further expand to other parts of Punta Cana will also be explored during the feasibility study.

The Punta Cana Ecological Foundation manages the environmental aspects of the Punta Cana Group, which are the owners of all the facilities. They have a strong environmental profile and the feasibility study will provide them with valuable information about the advantages and challenges related to the installation of a district cooling project.

UNDP requires the assistance of a Senior Technical Advisor of District Cooling to provide technical guidance and advice to UNDP during this process. In this sense, this Term of Reference (TOR) identifies and specifies the scope of services required by the Senior Advisor to UNDP.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Responsibilities:

Under the direct supervision of the Director of UNDP’s Montreal Protocol Unit/Chemicals, and in continuous consultation with Programme Specialists of the Unit, the consultant will provide technical advisory services related to District Cooling, while assisting the team with:

Provide Technical guidance and advice to UNDP during the preparation of the Business Case Study for Punta Cana.
Analyze available data about the current the potential
Prepare the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Business Case Study for District Cooling in Punta Cana.
Analyze the bids received during the RFP.
Review and analyze the deliverables received in the context of the business case study.
Undertake 1 mission to Punta Cana in October to discuss the result of the first stage of the Business case study and provide guidance for the second phase.
Review and provide comments the final report of Business case study

Duration:

The contract will enter into upon signature of both parties and is expected to last 12 months.

Duty Station:

Home based with missions to the Dominican Republic, as detailed in the expected deliverables below.

Fees & Payments:

Candidates shall quote his/her services on a Deliverable basis, and this quotation shall include all travel costs needed to the attendance of planned missions. Missions not foreseen shall be paid to the consultant as per IC Rules and Principles
The consultant will receive payment based on the deliverables identified below
A Best value for Money approach will be used in the evaluation of the applicants, and will lead to a combined score for technical capabilities and the financial offer.

Expected Deliverables:

D1 (20 %) upon presentation of work plan for the consultancy.

D2 (30%): Preparation of the Request of Proposal with inputs from UNDP and Punta Cana Ecological Foundation.
D3 (30%): Mission report from the Mid-term Workshops at site including the review of the first stage of the business case study. Mission 1: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic / October, 2015 (5 days of mission)
D4 (20%): Upon delivery of comments on final report of the business case study for Punta Cana.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in a team;
Excellent analytical skills and the capacity to research and comprehend technical and strategic documentation and prepare policy and strategy papers;
Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations, and to meet tight deadlines;
Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities;
Capacity to establish and maintain excellent relationships with key partners
Good presentation skills.
Good computer skills (Microsoft suite, email, internet, …)

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;

Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Degree in engineering, chemical, physics or technology Sciences;
Master Degree in engineering, chemical, physics or technology Sciences and/or energy efficiency is desirable;

Experience:

At least 5 years of experience in the field of centralized cooling systems
At least 10 years of Experience with district cooling projects at national and/or international level in international development is highly desirable.
Practical experience from the Refrigeration and AC Sector,
Hands-on experience working on the subject of district cooling / energy at the international level in at least 2 of the following regions is desirable (Europe, Africa, Arab States, Asia, America)Development of Financial Mechanism for District Energy is desirable
Experience with programme development, implementation and monitoring related to district cooling, as well as knowledge and experience in preparation of technical communications is desirable;
Working experience with projects in developing countries and/or countries in transition.

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken English.

Evaluation Method:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on Combined Scoring method [Technical (70%); Financial (30%)] taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal.
Applicants that have 70 or less points will not be short listed.

Technical Capabilities (70%): the candidate will be evaluated and scored against the following criterion:

Degree in engineering, chemical, physics or technology Sciences or related field; 10 points
Master Degree in engineering, chemical, physics, technology or Social Sciences; 10 points
At least 5 years of experience in the field of centralized cooling systems; 10 points
At least 10 years of experience with district cooling projects at national and/or international level in international development is highly desirable; 10 points
Practical experience from the Refrigeration and AC Sector; 25 points
Hands-on experience working on the subject of district cooling / energy at the international level in at least 2 of the following regions is desirable (Europe, Africa, Arab States, Asia, America); 10 points
Development of Financial Mechanism for District Energy is desirable; 15 points
Working experience with projects in developing countries and/or countries in transition; 5 points
Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English; 5 points

Financial Proposal (30%):

Based on their assessed technical capabilities, the candidates will receive the standard format that they must fill out to submit their financial offer.