UNDP Jobs - 80407- Renewable Energy Specialist

Renewable Energy Specialist

Location :

Luanda, ANGOLA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

20-Aug-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

11 Months

Languages Required :

English Portuguese

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

Although Angola is classified as an upper middle-income country and one of the largest oil exporters in Africa, its human development index places it in the Low Human Development category. More than 15 million Angolans, or nearly 60% of the population, do not have access to electricity. More than 8 out of 10 households in rural areas live in energy poverty without access to modern energy services. Much of Angola’s electricity infrastructure was damaged during the 27-year civil war that ended in 2002 when population growth expanded and demand for electricity services increased significantly. Demand for electricity has been growing by as much as 15% per year. As a result, blackouts and energy shortages are a common occurrence where the grid is able to provide. Two-thirds of Angolan businesses are estimated to rely on their own stand-by generators, which greatly increases production costs. Those households that can afford to also run their own backup generation supplied by diesel. Improving access to modern, reliable and affordable energy services is essential for Angola’s economic and human development.

Grid extension will be focused until 2025 on powering the capitals of all Municipalities in Angola. For many rural areas especially in the south and east of the country, grid extension is unlikely even in the medium to long-term because of the remoteness of villages and low population density. At the same time, deforestation of the dry forest that covers central and south-eastern Angola is increasing, with unsustainable use of fuelwood and charcoal as one of the main drivers. According to FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment, over the past 25 years, Angola has lost nearly 125,000 hectares of forest per year. According to the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, 92% of the rural population uses solid fuels for cooking, especially fuelwood, with nearly 12 million Angolans affected by hazardous air pollutants. It is estimated that more than 7,800 people die per year due to indoor air pollution.

Angola is endowed with substantial renewable energy resource potential. Major focus has been on the use of hydro power placing Angola in the global top five with respect to additions to the world’s hydro power capacity in 2017. At the same time, solar energy constitutes the largest and most uniformly distributed renewable resource of the country. The country also has good biomass and wind energy resource potential. One of the key objectives of Angola’s Renewable Energy Strategy is to improve access to energy services in rural areas based on renewables. While renewable energy can play an important role in rural energy access and in providing basic services, essential for the socio-economic development of remote areas, there are significant barriers to overcome, including: (1) high barriers for private sector entry in the renewable energy market; (2) gaps in the policy, regulation and institutional framework for renewable energy; (3) insufficient public investment in decentralized renewable energy, especially in remote rural areas; (4) limited awareness of clean energy alternatives; (5) limited human resource capacity in the sector.

In collaboration with the Government of Angola, notably its Ministries of Environment and of Water and Energy, UNDP is seeking to develop and support a comprehensive strategy for expanding the access to renewable energy in the country, with focus on rural areas. The strategy will initially focus on small to medium-sized solutions such as family size solar and clean cooking technologies as well as mini-grids based on solar and hydro-energy, but may also expand to include renewable energy solutions for small to medium sized towns and even (peri-)urban areas should opportunities for this arise. UNDP will work with a range of stakeholders and bi-lateral and multi-lateral development partners who are already engaged in the renewable energy sector in Angola, and will be actively seeking new partners to engage in the sector, including from the private sector.

Among UNDP’s ongoing activities in the renewable energy sector are a full-sized project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) on “Promoting sustainable energy access for rural communities in South-Eastern Angola”, that is currently in its Project Preparation Grant (PPG) phase and will likely begin implementation in mid-2019, as well as an ongoing program funded by the Global Fund to provide warehouses for medical supplies with solar energy. UNDP works with Angola and its bi-lateral and multi-lateral partners with the aim of increasing energy access for all Angolans and reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

The UNDP Country Office (CO) in Angola is now seeking the services of an International Renewable Energy Specialist to support the Country Office in the strategic development and expansion of its renewable energy strategy and the implementation of ongoing projects.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Renewable Energy Specialist will support the Country Office through the collection, analysis and presentation of data on renewable energy needs and opportunities, the identification of strategic opportunities for UNDP in this sector, the negotiation of partnerships with Government and development partners, the preparation of funding proposals, organization and participation in meetings and workshops, and support to the implementation of existing projects, among other tasks.

Expected deliverables

Set up a strategic platform facilitating policy dialogue, transfer and engagement for renewable energy in Angola, including:

Baseline/situational analysis with identification of needs and opportunities for renewable energy technologies in Angola, analysis of political, institutional, regulatory, economic and technological factors, identification of barriers to overcome for the expansion of renewable energies;
Comprehensive stakeholder analysis and consultations with other actors in the sector and opportunities for collaboration for UNDP, including international donors with actual or potential interest in the renewable energy sector in Angola;
Drafting of a strategy for significantly expanding its engagement in the renewable energy sector for UNDP Angola.

Develop and contextualize UNDP’s de-risking approach and methodology for small-scale renewable energy (solar home kits (off-grid); mini-grids (off-grid); rooftop solar PV (on-grid)) and energy efficiency in Angola.

Assisting government partners to address barriers to investment via a combination of policy and financial de-risking instruments and targeted financial incentives to consumers and key energy market players.
Supporting business and entrepreneurial skills development and enhancing access to small-scale financing for renewable energy solutions, particularly for women

Project development and partnerships in the renewable energy sector for UNDP Angola

Drafting of concept notes and full proposals
Drafting of a resource mobilization action plan with identification of key donors and partners for renewable energy in Angola;
Organization and participation in meetings and communication with potential partners and donors;

Technical support to the implementation of projects and studies in the renewable energy sector

Support pre-feasibility studies, site assessments, the drafting of Terms of Reference, and other activities involved in the preparation and implementation of projects in the renewable energy sector. This may involve a pre-feasibility study for the siting of mini-hydro systems, studies comparing specific renewable energy technologies (such as fuel-efficient cook stoves and solar technologies), and other technical tasks involved in the design and implementation of renewable energy projects in Angola.
Oversee and implement of CO strategy on renewable energy including solar for health system and water management programmes.

The incumbent will also perform other tasks related to renewable energy and engage in support of UNDP’s global and regional energy practice as required.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The Renewable Energy Specialist will perform the afore-mentioned tasks and produce the respective outputs and products over a period of 11 months. Payments will be made upon delivery of monthly reports of activities including completed products and drafts of products under elaboration as annexes. The first monthly report will also include a time plan for the delivery of all afore-listed products on a monthly scale which can be updated as needed, making sure that all products are completed before the end of the contracting period.

UNDP may contact the contractor at any time during working hours and request the contractor’s expert support and guidance, technical inputs, participation in meetings (including by skype or telephone) and elaboration of a document pertaining to the execution of the products outlined above.

The final payment is based upon output and will be made upon confirmation by UNDP that contract obligations have been met in a satisfactory manner in accordance with the afore-listed tasks and approved time plans and deadlines. The tentative payment schedule is as follows: Upon submission of each of 10 monthly reports: 9% of the total amount. Upon submission of final report: 10% of the total amount.

Approval: Review of the deliverables regarding quality and timeliness will be undertaken by the UNDP Country Office.

Implementation Arrangements:

The Renewable Energy Specialist will be a member of the environment team under the Sustainable Growth Program. He/she will work in close association with the other members of the environment team (currently a Program Specialist Environment, a Biodiversity Officer, and a Climate Change Officer) as well as other members of the Sustainable Growth and Governance Programs, under the overall responsibility of the Country Director. Where necessary, he/she will liaise with regional advisors in Addis Ababa or New York. The incumbent will also work in close contact with officials in the Government of Angola, notable the Ministry of the Environment and Ministry of Water and Energy.
Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org. Consultants are responsible for obtaining valid visas for travelling to Angola, however the CO will support visa applications.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning

Shares knowledge and experience;

Development and Operational Effectiveness

Ability to perform a variety of specialized tasks related to managing data, reporting, technical and administrative services in support of programme activities;
Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new system, including new IT based systems.

Leadership and Self-Management

Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills;
Presentation skills;
Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view;

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field, such as engineering with focus on renewable energy technologies.

Experience:

Minimum 3 years of demonstrable experience in the technical area of renewable energy systems, energy access and development infrastructure.
Previous experience working in Africa is a distinct advantage.
Experience working with international financial institutions and donors in the sector of renewable energy is a distinct advantage.
Experience working with the private sector is a distinct advantage.

Languages:

Fluency in English and Portuguese required.

Selection Criteria:

Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field, such as engineering with focus on renewable energy technologies: 15 points
Minimum 3 years of demonstrable experience in the technical area of renewable energy systems, energy access and development infrastructure: 25 points
Previous experience working in Africa is a distinct advantage: 10 points
Experience working with international financial institutions and donors in the sector of renewable energy is a distinct advantage: 20 points
Experience working with the private sector is a distinct advantage: 15 points
Fluency in English: 5 points
Fluency in Portuguese: 10 points

Applications should be composed of the following:

Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
Technical Proposal explaining why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment.
Financial Proposal that indicates the fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs. Travel costs to and from the duty station are to be included and listed separately; travel costs during the assignment should not be included.

Proposals not including all items listed above will not be considered.

Proposals will be evaluated according to a combined scoring method where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted at 70% and the price offer will be weighted at 30%.