Background

Promoting Sustainable Biomass Energy Production and Modern Bio- Energy Technologies, is a project funded through the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) through its climate change mitigation portfolio. Project Manager is responsible for the implementation of the project’s four components with the Ministry of Environment. The 4-year project will operate under the technical supervision of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority and Forest Department. Monitoring and reporting to GEF is the responsibility of both UNDP (for components 1,3 and 4) and FAO (component 2). The goal of the project is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fossil fuel for thermal energy generation in the Sri Lanka industrial sector. This goal will be realized through four interlinked components that address the full value chain of bio energy production and conversion.

The project aims to remove barriers that hinder the sector growth, such as policy-to-practice gaps, sustainable biomass plantations, sustainable fuel wood processing and supply chain development, increased of market share of biomass energy generation mix and adoption of biomass-based energy technologies in Sri Lanka. The project consists of the following components: (1) Policy-institutional support for effective implementation; (2) Barrier removal for sustainable fuel wood production; (3) Enabling environment for fuel wood suppliers; (4) Wood-based energy technology development. The project is expected to generate global benefits in directly avoided greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of almost 252 kilotons of CO2 due to switching from fossil fuels to wood-based technologies (over the lifetime of 10 years) and almost 756-1,432 ktCO2 as indirect emission reduction impact.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

• Overall technical guidance to deliver project objectives, outcomes and outputs;
  
• Direct supervision and quality assurance of project outputs and activities with key partners;
• Coordination between Ministry, project partners, UNDP and FAO;
• Support Project Manager to hire and supervise national and international experts;
• Monitoring and risk management ;
  
• Provide programmatic guidance in energy policy and inter-ministerial coordination.

Overall technical guidance to deliver project objectives and outcomes: 

• Provide technical support to achieve project objectives and the four main outcomes relating to 1) Energy policy and enabling environment, 2) Fuel wood plantations 3) Sustainable fuel wood supply chains and 4) Modern biomass technology promotion ;
  
• The CTA is expected to be directly providing technical support to Outcomes 3 and 4; while providing guidance to the local experts hired to deliver activities in Outcomes 1 and 2. The specific duties regarding Outcome 3 and Outcome 4 are listed below.
  

Outcome 3:Developing sustainable fuel wood supply chains:

• Provide technical assistance to develop innovative approaches to fuel wood processing including drying, chipping, pelleting, storing, handling and transport;
• Conduct feasibility of supply chain management and develop viable proposals including a fair pricing mechanism linked to global fuel costs;
  
• Conduct training programmes fuel wood suppliers on trouble shooting common problems related to reliable supply and required quality;
  
• Develop quality standards;
  
• Organize training programmes for small businessmen and entrepreneurs on developing bankable proposals for fuelwood supply;
  
• Develop and disseminate knowledge products on supply chain development;
  
• With the International Consultant for Bio fuel development, organise trainings for financial institutions on the benefits and risk mitigation mechanisms in fuel wood supply chains;
  
• Advise on policies and incentive schemes for fuel wood supply.

Outcome 4: Modern biomass technology promotion:

• Provide technical assistance in the preparation, financial analysis, design and implementation of biomass energy projects with industries (gasification, boilers, furnaces) ;
  
• Provide support to draft feasibility studies and bankable proposals for biomass supply chains ;
  
• Provide training in maintenance, servicing and trouble-shooting in gasification units ;
• Train a cadre of servicing technicians who can provide back-up services to industries interested in fuel switching ;
  
• Assist in preparing a manual on biomass fuel switching options with the international consultant on improved gasification technology and under the guidance of the Sustainable Energy Authority ;
  
• Assist in matchmaking Sri Lankan companies with similar companies in developed countries for technology transfer ;
  
• Provide technical Assistance in implementation of the biomass energy switching projects and the techno-economic evaluation of completed projects.
  

Supervision and quality assurance of project outputs and activities with key project partners:

• Ensuring project delivery against agreed work plans and results framework;
• Support project manager to ensure that project outputs and activities are coordinated and coherently delivered;
• Ensuring the right implementation modality and partner engagement for each project output;
• Provide accurate and timely reports against the results framework and agreed deliverables.

Coordination between Ministry, project partners, UNDP and FAO:

• Supporting the National Project Director to coordinate the core project management team and the two technical committees;
• Ensure timely reporting to GEF through UNDP and FAO;
• Support NDP to ensure smooth fund flow from treasury to Ministry to project partners.

Support Project Manager to hire and supervise national and international experts:

• Coordinating the hiring of local and international technical experts for different outcomes to ensure maximum synergy between consultants working for different components;
• Ensuring timely reporting by hired expert consultants;
• Managing the logistics of international consultant missions to Sri Lanka for project purposes, including paperwork for Visas and other government approvals.
  

Monitoring and risk management against the project results framework and project monitoring schedule:

• Effective application of RBM tools, establishment of management targets and monitoring achievement of results;
• Financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the projects, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions. Participation in audit of NEX projects;
• Facilitating the project mid-term review and ensuring that recommendations are incorporated to the project budget and work plan;
• Providing information to UNDP and FAO on annual progress reviews that are submitted to GEF.
  

Provides quality advisory services and  facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Conduct analysis of institutional constraints related to sustainable fuel wood production, supply chains and efficient utilization of fuel wood energy and recommend solutions to support activities under component 1;
• Assist in drafting recommendations on the most suitable set up, mandate and membership of ICRE (Inter-ministerial Committee for Renewable Energy) with the Policy/ Economic consultant and Sustainable Energy Authority;
• Ensuring effective dissemination of and access to information on project activities and results, (including a regularly updated project website);
• Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to project-specific policy goals;
• Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects, active contribution to the overall office effort in resource mobilization;
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
• Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme issues.
  

Impact of Results

The key results have an impact on the successful implementation of the project Promoting Sustainable Biomass Energy Production and Modern Bio-Energy Technologies and the timely delivery of its key outputs against the agreed work plan; and also effective monitoring of the project outcomes. In particular, the key results have an impact on the operation and programming of activities, effective and time-bound monitoring and reporting as well as building strong partnerships with government, non-government, and private sector agencies.

Competencies

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.

Functional Competencies:

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
  
• Ability to lead formulation and monitoring of management projects;
  
• Solid knowledge in financial resources and human resources management, contract, asset and procurement, information and communication technology, general administration;
  
• Ability to lead business processes re-engineering, implementation of new systems (business side), and affect staff behavioral/ attitudinal change;
• Good analytical and problem solving skills and related ability for adaptive management;
  
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment, to effectively manage it and to motivate its members and other project counterparts to effectively work towards the project’s objective and expected outcomes;
  
• Good communication skills and competence in handling project’s external relations at all levels.

.Management and Leadership

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
  
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
  
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
  
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
  
• Leads teams effectively and shows mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
  
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
  
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
  
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Masters (Engineering, Environment, Project Management or Economics).
  

Experience:

• 5 years or more professional experience in project subject matter, including biomass energy technologies (gasification, wood-fired boilers and furnaces, pelleting and biomass densification) and biomass supply chain development and affinity with/ experience in sustainable firewood production modalities; including 2 years or more experience in Project Management, ideally donor funded projects implemented through or in partnership with government;
  
• Demonstrated capacity to advice on technical outcomes, especially Outcome 3 and 4;
  
• Familiarity and prior experience with the specific UNDP, FAO and GEF requirements and procedures are considered as an asset.
  

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English Sinhala or Tamil.

Open to Sri Lanka Nationals only.