Antecedentes

India has a major challenge in enabling access to modern and affordable energy services in un-served and underserved regions of the country. The challenges include reaching out to people who do not have access to energy and in providing energy solutions that address the impacts of climate change. In addressing these challenges, specifically related to energy access, a list of actions were taken by the government of India through policy interventions which emerged as a result of Electricity Act 2003, Rural Electrification Policy 2006, and Integrated Energy Policy 2006.

Energy access to rural areas comes from both grid power supply and alternate sources. Therefore in the provision of energy access, there is a huge potential for the promotion of modern and clean energy services and technologies especially in remote and underserved villages. There are pockets of successful case studies, which need to be scaled up and replicated. This involves promotion of investments in energy service delivery and deployment of modern and clean energy technologies.
 
In order to tap into these potentials, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) with the support of UNDP is proposing an initiative to upscale the access to clean energy for productive uses, and will do so beyond pilots by addressing barriers and developing the market.
 
The initiative is to be taken up as a project “Scale up of Access to Clean Energy for Rural Productive and Domestic Uses” whose objective is the enabling of access to modern and affordable energy services in un-served and underserved regions and communities for meeting their domestic and commercial energy needs. The expected outcomes from the various components of the project that will contribute to the realization of this objective are in line with the GEF-5 climate change mitigation (CCM) focal area strategic objective CCM-3.
The proposed project focuses on the removal of barriers to enable the creation of favourable investment conditions for energy access projects in un-served and underserved regions and rural communities through scale up and replication of investment financing for rural energy technology enterprises, and end-users with productive applications. The major barriers for promoting access to modern energy services for underserved regions and communities are categorised as follows:
Policy and institutional barriers:
  • Exiting policies must recognize energy access is not only supply of electricity, but it needs to cover thermal, mechanical and transportation energy needs of un-served and underserved regions including rural communities. Barriers from lack of effective coordination between the institutions, both central and state agencies.

Financial barriers:

  • Financial institutions lack knowledge on proven modern energy products and services serving the rural communities. Often such products and services are considered as high risk investments if involved and are reluctant to provide loans.

Technical barriers:

  • There may be barriers that pertain to the availability of technologies and modern energy service providers at the remote rural locations. This is mainly due to the commercial nature of such business service/enterprises which prohibits them to serve the poor rural communities. Lack of supply and access to energy services in underserved and rural communities apart from affordability are considered to be barriers.

Awareness & Capacity Building related barriers:

  • Lack of awareness about modern energy services and their benefits among the end-users targeted, and lack of information pertain to the suppliers of energy services are observed among awareness barriers. 

The proposed project is intended to address the above mentioned barriers through its four components:

  • Investment financing for rural energy technology enterprises and for end-users that promote productive applications – The expected outcomes are to create an enabling environment for technology developers, investors; financing options for enterprises that provide access to clean energy; increased access to finance for rural energy development;
  • Policy and institutional support for the promotion of access to modern and clean energy services – The expected outcomes are that energy access efforts are coordinated at national/central level; and projects are implemented in line with the institutionalized Rural Electrification Policy;
  • Scale up and replicate access to clean and modern energy services in un-served and underserved regions – The expected outcomes are that there is an increased number of rural energy technology enterprises and service providers which influences an increased flow of investments in energy access projects;
  • Awareness and institutional capacity development – The expected outcomes are strengthened institutional capacities for implementation of energy access projects; improved accessibility of information on clean and modern energy services & technologies.

The GEF Council has recently approved a concept for the initiative (the Project Identification Form (PIF)), and UNDP is now commencing a detailed design/project preparatory phase, expected to last no longer than 12 months. At the end of the design/project preparatory phase, UNDP will finalize a UNDP-GEF compliant full-sized project document for final approval by the GEF CEO. During the project design phase, the activities performed will include, among others:

  • Revalidate barriers and baseline projects/activities;
  • Identification, evaluation and selection of demonstrations
  • Conduct of Logical Framework Analysis (LFA) with the project stakeholders;
  • Detailed design of project components & activities including risk analysis;
  • Preparation of project’s budget and workplan;
  • Establishment of institutional framework for project partners/co-financiers in the project implementation and to ensure close coordination with co-financed baseline activities;
  • Drafting of the Project Document (ProDoc);
  • Finalization and Submission of the ProDoc and CEO Endorsement Request.

At the end of these activities, a UNDP-GEF compliant project document and GEF-CEO endorsement request document will be prepared.

During this preparatory phase, a national consulting team with subject matter experts and an international consultant as Project Development & Management Specialist will be recruited, to produce the results under each activity as per the work plan. The preparatory phase will be led by UNDP in close collaboration with MNRE, other ministries and key stakeholders identified in the approved PIF.

Based on the current Terms of Reference (ToR), UNDP is seeking to recruit an International Consultant, who will be the Project Development & Management Specialist, to work with the national team, UNDP and relevant government counterparts during the project preparatory phase for the project. The Project Development & Management Specialist will undertake various activities (outlined in detail below) that will inform and contribute towards the preparation of a UNDP-GEF compliant project document and GEF CEO Endorsement Request document. The Project Development & Management Specialist will work closely with, and be assisted by the national consulting firm, to undertake in-country activities related to attending and gathering relevant information stakeholder workshops & discussions, and provide technical, GEF-UNDP guideline specific inputs that will inform the design of the project.

Deberes y responsabilidades

The key deliverable of the Project Development & Management Specialist will be to develop a final comprehensive UNDP/GEF compliant full-sized Project Document and GEF CEO Endorsement Request Document. In order to deliver this output, the Project Development & Management Specialist will be required to perform the following tasks:
  • Participate in stakeholder consultations and coordinate overall technical inputs, comments and suggestions. Draw inputs for preparing FSP and CEO Endorsement Request document and be responsible for the finalisation of the same;
  • Consolidate and finalise the inputs from individual experts [National consulting firm], but not limited to (a) finalizing project sites, (b) technology packages which are based on the needs assessment, (c) methodology and guidelines for selecting technology packages for various situations, (d) finalise institutional structure for the project based on the inputs and (e) synthesize the information from status paper on decentralized innovative low-carbon, modern and clean energy technologies and services as well as productive use elements;
  • The consultant will bring in international experience and narrate them in the ProDoc.

What he project entails:  

The proposal aims to scale up access to clean energy for rural productive and domestic uses. There is limited experience in this space of linking renewable energy for rural productive uses. It is expected that the project would supply thermal, electrical and mechanical energy needs in the project area, focusing interventions in the area of domestic, irrigation, cooking and other economic activities including commercial energy needs of the communities in rural area. However, the interventions in a village will depend on energy demand, needs and availability of resources. The project is expected to improve productivity of about 4,000 farmers through reliable irrigation and lead to provision of some means of livelihoods to about 3000 individuals. Overall, the project is expected to benefit more than 350,000 individuals in many ways, train 500 entrepreneurs, and develop 25 nos. Renewable Energy Service Companies [RESCOs] for implementation and dissemination.

The duration of the project is 5 years. The project aims to implement carefully chosen technology packages in 30 un-served [1] and 30 under-served [2] villages to draw lessons for developing a larger programme/ dissemination plan. These pilot interventions may focus on three states namely, Assam or Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa or Jharkhand. The project then supports preparation of state action plan for access to clean energy, create awareness and build capacity of stakeholders in 3 to 5 states for project implementation and replications and support 3 districts for actual implementation. Collaboration with key institutions will be forged to implement the project, draw lessons for policy development. Some outcomes of the project such as policy guidelines/fiscal schemes will also cover PAN India.

The project aims to collaborate with Public Sector Units, State Nodal Agencies, Rural Banks such as NABARD, KVIC and other relevant agencies. The project will be implemented involving suitable NGOs. villages to draw lessons for developing a larger programme/ dissemination plan. These pilot interventions may focus on three states namely, Assam or Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa or Jharkhand. The project then supports preparation of state action plan for access to clean energy, create awareness and build capacity of stakeholders in 3 to 5 states for project implementation and replications and support 3 districts for actual implementation. Collaboration with key institutions will be forged to implement the project, draw lessons for policy development. Some outcomes of the project such as policy guidelines/fiscal schemes will also cover PAN India. The project aims to collaborate with Public Sector Units, State Nodal Agencies, Rural Banks such as NABARD, KVIC and other relevant agencies.

The project will be implemented involving suitable NGOs. villages to draw lessons for developing a larger programme/ dissemination plan. These pilot interventions may focus on three states namely, Assam or Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa or Jharkhand. The project then supports preparation of state action plan for access to clean energy, create awareness and build capacity of stakeholders in 3 to 5 states for project implementation and replications and support 3 districts for actual implementation.

Collaboration with key institutions will be forged to implement the project, draw lessons for policy development. Some outcomes of the project such as policy guidelines/fiscal schemes will also cover PAN India. The project aims to collaborate with Public Sector Units, State Nodal Agencies, Rural Banks such as NABARD, KVIC and other relevant agencies. The project will be implemented involving suitable NGOs. and 30 under-served villages to draw lessons for developing a larger programme/ dissemination plan. These pilot interventions may focus on three states namely, Assam or Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa or Jharkhand. The project then supports preparation of state action plan for access to clean energy, create awareness and build capacity of stakeholders in 3 to 5 states for project implementation and replications and support 3 districts for actual implementation. Collaboration with key institutions will be forged to implement the project, draw lessons for policy development. Some outcomes of the project such as policy guidelines/fiscal schemes will also cover PAN India. The project aims to collaborate with Public Sector Units, State Nodal Agencies, Rural Banks such as NABARD, KVIC and other relevant agencies. The project will be implemented involving suitable NGOs.

The proposals [Prodoc and CEO endorsement document] expected to be the outcome of this assignment will detail out different project components, outcomes, outputs, activities; budgets; project management structure, co-financing details, etc.  
  • Discuss/ outline activities with rest of the experts;
  • Organize, facilitate and conduct a Logical Framework Analysis (LFA) workshop [this is scheduled to be in Delhi for at least 2 days] to define the project’s goal, objective, outcomes, outputs, activities, indicators, means of verification,    risks and assumptions. On the basis of the workshop’s results, prepare a project planning matrix (including success indicators) in accordance with GEF procedures and guidelines;
  • Finalise analysis and presentation of information required for the barriers analysis; elaboration of the project baseline and the estimation of emission reductions;
  • Assist in the elaboration of the project’s management arrangements, monitoring and evaluation plan; 
  • Finalise the preparation of the project budget [activity-wise, year-wise, as per UNDP budget head wise], taking note of the incremental cost analysis and GEF approved budget allocation; also for co-financed portion;
  • Liaise with UNDP/GEF/MNRE to ensure compliance with GEF procedures and guidelines and facilitate its monitoring and evaluation role; 

Prepare a project financing plan, that includes:

  • Developing the co-financing plan, including the value of baseline initiatives, a strategy to leverage new public and private sources of funding and support the efforts of UNDP country office to secure the requisite co-financing letters;
  • A detailed sustainability strategy to provide for continuation and replication of the project interventions beyond the period of GEF support. This will require:
Prepare a project financing plan, that includes
  • Developing the co-financing plan, including the value of baseline initiatives, a strategy to leverage new public and private sources of funding and support the efforts of UNDP country office to secure the requisite co-financing letters;
  • A detailed sustainability strategy to provide for continuation and replication of the project interventions beyond the period of GEF support. This will require:
  • Definition of a detailed sustainability strategy in order to ensure the continuation of the project after the four years of project grant. The cost analysis should include a review of options to ensure cost recovery for the continuation of the project interventions beyond the project grant. The key stakeholders should be fully involved in the design of the project interventions, to ensure that they are designed in a financially sustainable way;
  • A total budget and its distribution in a multi-year work plan;
  • Terms of reference for the Project Management Unit (PMU), staff, PSC, NPD and other functionaries if any;
  • Address the council comments received for the PIF at its approval in the work program;
  • Prepare draft UNDP ProDoc, CEO endorsement request and CC tracking tool [GHG calculations] documents based   on inputs during consultation and from individual experts.
Finalize the documents based on feedback from MNRE/ UNDP CO/Bangkok, liaising with individual experts in the team for required inputs/clarifications.      
  • Assist with clarifications on comments from GEF Sec review. Address the comments from UNDP-GEF RTA, the GEF Programme Manager following the submission of the Project Document and CEO Endorsement Request;
  • Assess and finalize a report on important lessons following completion of the preparatory phase; and
  • Prepare a power-point presentation on the final project design including UNDP factsheet (2 pages) that summarize the expected results of the project.
The Project Development & Management Specialist will be required to obtain guidance by the UNDP/GEF Regional Technical Advisor on applicable project document formats and templates and ensure that his/her work is compliant with UNDP/GEF requirements. 
 
[1] Un-served – villages, communities without supply of electricity.
[2] Under-served – villages, communities without adequate supply of electricity.

Competencias

 Competencies: Functional competencies:

  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills; 
  • Excellent English written communication skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports;
  • Ability to speak, read and write technical and conversational English; 
  • Ability to understand new terminology and concepts easily and to synthesize information from different sources into a coherent project document;
  • Skill in negotiating effectively in sensitive situations;
  • Skill in achieving results through persuading, influencing and working with others; 
  • Skill in facilitating meetings effectively and efficiently and to resolve conflicts as they arise; 
    Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high-ranking members of international, regional and national institutions; 
  • Displays sensitivity and adaptability to different cultures, genders, religions, races, nationalities and age groups;
  • Good oral communication skills and conflict resolution competency to manage inter-group dynamics and mediate conflicting interests of varied actors; 
  • Good team player, self-starter, has ability to work under minimum supervision and maintain good relationships.
 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; 
  • Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:
  • Essential: Masters degree in engineering, science stream preferably with a Management degree;
  • Desirable: Doctorate in engineering/ science stream.
 Essential Experience:
  • At least 15 years of relevant work experience;
  • Of the above at least 3 years’ experience with international multi- or bilateral projects and/or cooperation;
  • At least one GEF project design that has been approved by GEF.

Desirable

  • Demonstrable experience in developing project proposals for UNDP/GEF and/or other international organizations, in particular on capacity building and barriers removal projects;
  • Experience in developing log-frames and SMART -based indicators for GEF financed projects;
  • Experience in institutional capacity assessments;
  • Experience with Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) & rural service delivery mechanisms in South Asian countries;
  • At least two GEF projects evaluation that habe been finalised (please provide the web link t these documents).

Above given description is  short so kindly review detailed Terms of Reference by clicking below link. proposal has to be submitted as per instructions given in ToR.

 http://www.in.undp.org/content/dam/india/docs/procurement/2013-44.pdf