UNDP Jobs - 60624- Financial Consultant – Model to Conduct Financial

Financial Consultant – Model to Conduct Financial and Economic Analysis of Energy Efficiency Investment in Buildings

Location :

Home-based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

02-Nov-2015

Application Deadline :

13-Oct-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

2.5 months, part-time

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

Since 1992, UNDP, in conjunction with governmental and nongovernmental partners from more than 40 countries, has been developing and implementing projects on energy efficiency (EE) in buildings in developing and transitional nations around the world. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has provided over US $161 million in support to 55 projects, supplementing $1 billion in projected co-financing contributions from national and international partners. The focus of UNDP’s work is on removing barriers and creating enabling market environment for increased investment in energy efficient buildings.

To underpin UNDP’s programming on clean energy investment, UNDP developed the Derisking Renewable Energy Investment (DREI) framework (for more information, and to access reports, guidance materials and tools on DREI, please visit www.undp.org/DREI). 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 with a focus on large-scale, on-grid renewable energy.

UNDP is now embarking on an exercise to expand the DREI methodology to additional clean energy sectors, in particular energy efficiency in buildings. The first step in this respect is to develop a financial tool/model to help conduct financial and economic analysis of energy efficiency projects in buildings and assess the cost effectiveness of various public policy-derisking instruments to promote energy efficient buildings.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective of Assignment:

The objective of this assignment is to support UNDP’s work on developing the DEEI framework with a focus on preparation of a financial tool/model to facilitate DEEI development and application.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The financial consultant will contribute to the development of the DEEI framework for building sector. His/her inputs will focus on financial aspects and Excel-based modelling. The financial consultant’s duties will include:

Output 1: Financial modelling:

Develop an Excel-based financial tool to assist UNDP to quantify, in a standardized and automated way, the cost effectiveness of measures to promote energy efficient buildings. This tool will be used for the financial analysis and design of UNDP projects in energy efficient buildings.

The financial tool will have the following overall characteristics:

Be able to be applied to 3 categories of buildings (public/commercial, individual residential buildings and multi-apartment residential buildings);
Be able to receive input data from energy efficiency audits (e.g., data on a range of energy efficiency measures; the cost of these energy efficiency measures; the performance improvement for each measure) and then use this data for financial analyses;
Have a similar user-friendly functionality, as well as formatting, as UNDP’s Excel-based LCOE financial tool for renewable energy under DREI (available at www.undp.org/DREI ).

The specific functions of the financial tool will include the following:

Identification of energy efficient building measures. Using the data from the energy efficiency audit, this will allow the user to manually optimise the cost-effectiveness of a collection of different energy efficiency measures;
Financial analysis. This will take a private sector perspective, analysing the financial viability through indicators such as payback period, IRR and NPV;
Economic analysis. This will take a public sector perspective, using a public cost of capital, determining the present value of future cash flows nationally;
Financial structuring. This will allow the modelling of different debt, equity and grant components, including debt schedules, for the energy efficiency measures. This will include the ability to analyse the impact of public grants or public loans in improving financial viability;
Co-benefits. This will analyse national co-benefits in the form of (i) GHG emission reductions and (ii) estimates of green job creation (e.g. new jobs per USD of investment);
Sensitivities. This will perform sensitivity analyses on key assumptions and inputs, including investment cost and performance.

Output 2: EE Building case studies:

Apply, validate and refine developed model in the context of UNDP projects on EE in building (collection of input data for case studies will be done by UNDP-GEF project team and is outside of the scope of this assignment) and assist in preparation of DEEI case studies (case studies to be prepared by separately recruited EE consultant):

Energy efficiency of public buildings (Uzbekistan);
Energy efficiency of residential multi-apartment buildings (Armenia);
Energy efficiency of commercial buildings (Lebanon or Morocco).

Output 3: Training on financial tool application:

Prepare and deliver a webinar, a presentation and accompanying guidance note to UNDP staff on application of financial model.

Outputs and delivery schedule:

Output 1: Model to conduct financial and economic analysis of EE in building, 2 weeks after contract signature;
Output 2: Three case studies of model application, 2 months after contract signature;
Output 3: Training package and guidance note on model application, 2,5 months after contract signature.

Payment schedule:

Output 1: Financial model – 40%;
Output 2: Model application in 3 case studies – 30%;
Output 3: Training and guidance note – 30%.

Institutional arrangements:

The consultant will work from home, on a part-time basis;
The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
The consultant will be co-supervised by the UNDP-GEF Energy Finance Specialist based in New York and UNDP-GEF Regional Technical Advisor on Energy and Climate Change based in UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub, Turkey;
The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, specific software if needed, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
The consultant will engage regularly by email, Skype and/or phone on an as needed basis;
Payments will be made upon submission of a certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the supervisors on days worked and outputs delivered.

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 financial analysis and modelling;
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:

Master’s or equivalent degree in finance, international affairs, or other closely related field (Max 10pts).

Experience:

At least 5 years or more professional experience in the area of finance (e.g., banking, asset management) (Max 25pts);
Research experience in relevant data driven studies and reports, including in academia, on financial aspects of energy efficiency. Experience in public promotion of energy efficiency in building sector will be at an advantage (Max 25pts);
Experience with financial modelling, including for energy efficiency projects (Max 20pts);
Experience working in developing country contexts preferred (Max 10pts);
Experience working with multilateral organizations and the UN system preferred (Max 5pts).

Language requirement:

Fluency in written and spoken English required (Max 5pts).

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, language, max 100 points), proposed methodology [max. 20 points]) will be based on a maximum 120 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 100 points) shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal of those technically qualified;
The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, including breakdown per deliverable. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must additionally include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including number of anticipated working days and all foreseeable expenses for this assignment).
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.
Proposed Methodology for the Completion of Services. The applicant must describe how s/he will address/deliver the demands of the assignment, providing a short high level description of the Implementation Plan and anticipated number of work days;
Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application.

Please note you can upload only one document to this application (scan all documents in one single PDF file to attach).

UNDP Personal History form (P11) required of all applicants:

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.

General Conditions of Contract for ICs is available here:

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf.