UNDP Jobs - 89502- International Specialist for GEF Transport Project

International Specialist for GEF Transport Project Development (Team Leader) for the Preparation of the GEF/UNDP Project Document and CEO Endorsement Request Package

Location :

Beirut,, LEBANON

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

04-Feb-20 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

60 working days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

60 working days

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

Impacts of the current transportation system

The current Lebanese transport sector is not sustainable characterized by the absence of reliable public transport, underdeveloped and uncoordinated public works, prevalence of old and pollutive cars, and very high rate of car ownership. As a result, the transport sector is the second largest contributor of Lebanon’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for 23% of the total emissions and also contributing the emissions of other pollutants such as NOx (60%), CO (99%), SO2(5%) and particulate matter, VOC, copper, zinc and lead. As for the contribution of the different vehicle categories, passenger cars have the highest share of the emissions with 58.38% of the total transport GHG emissions while light-duty vehicles (LDV), heavy-duty vehicles (HDV), and motorcycles account for 17.46%, 23.81%, and 0.35% respectively. It is estimated that air pollution from polluting old cars costs at least $ 200 million of economic loss per year resulting from morbidity, adult mortality, child mortality and discomfort, which does not include the cost from health care services. A substantial additional impact is that of congestion, leading to an estimated increase of travle time, where one estimate puts the burden of congestion at 8% of GDP per annum.

Institutional structure of the transportation sector

The public institutional structure of the transport sector in Lebanon is subjected to fragmented structure. The planning and regulation of public transport is undertaken by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT). This includes the licensing of companies to undertake public transport services, fare setting, and planning. The MPWT oversees the construction and maintenance of the national highways and road networks. The MPWT is also the guardian of the state-owned enterprise, the Railways and Public Transport Authority (RPTA), a public institution with a semi-independent legal identity with financial and administrative autonomy. However, the RPTA has not been able to effectively play its role due to the destruction of railways, tramways, and most of the buses that were once under its management. The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MoIM) licenses vehicles and drivers and undertakes the overall management of vehicle inspections, in addition to the responsibility for the enforcement of traffic law, including on public transport, through the Internal Security Forces (ISF). Municipalities are also assigned some public transport competences through the Municipal Law while also being responsible for planning and implementation of urban projects. The Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) has competencies in national planning, including transport planning, and the execution of large infrastructure projects such as road and transport through project-specific mandates by the Council of Ministers.

Barriers hindering the transformation toward sustainable transport system

The transport sector lacks technical capacity and remains institutionally weak, particularly in terms of coordinating all the activities related to transport due to the fragmented structure and the absence of leading institution. As a result, the comprehensive approach and systematic integration of sustainability are missing particularly considering the NDC commitments of the government and the potential for the introduction of alternative modes of transport, electric and hybrid vehicles in both the public and private spheres. Due to the lack of the integrated approach to financing, limited state budget for necessary infrastructure investment and incentives pose a significant challenge toward sustainable mobility transformation. Moreover, the current state revenue structure heavily depends on fuel consumption and vehicle purchase, negatively affecting the transition toward sustainable transport. Thus, the adaptation or proactive shift of the taxation structure will be required. From a technical perspective, although the national market has seen a growing appetite for electric vehicles, little is known about the electricity infrastructure needs, the technical needs for recharging stations, the capacity of the grid, the safety and maintenance needs of these types of vehicles. Weak enforcement of traffic rules results in illegal parking and reckless driving, undermining road safety and exacerbating congestion. In addition to the issues of road safety, lack of supportive infrastructure such as quality pedestrian zones and parking facilities is hindering the promotion of non-motorized transport.

Duties and Responsibilities

UNDP Lebanon in partnership with the Ministry of Environment is preparing a full-project proposal to be submitted to the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) which aims to work towards sustainable low-emission transport system. The project will consist of 3 main components: on one hand to tackle the policy issues and provide technical options for the best way forward to improve the transport sector and to introduce efficient transport technologies to the market. On the other hand, the project will consider piloting a renewable energy pilot application for charging stations or some other modality to determine the applicability of charging electric vehicles. Finally, the project will work with NGOs and universities to promote research on the topic and raise awareness on sustainable transport and modal transport change.

The proposed UNDP-GEF project will be complementary to the baseline initiatives as it addresses barriers that are specifically related to the transformation towards sustainable mobility. The main ongoing/planned initiatives includes Great Beirut Public Transport (Bus Rapid Transit, BRT) project by the World Bank, Bus Transportation Public-Private Project by the local private company (WeGo) and feasibility studies for bus network system and revival of the railway systems by European Investment Bank (EIB).

This consultancy is for the preparation of the GEF the GEF/UNDP project document and CEO endorsement request package. At the national level, a local consultant will also be recruited to support in the preparation of the project document in addition to a gender expert and the national UNDP group of experts. The team will provide the Team Leader with the necessary survey work, assessments, consultations and other data gathering needs for the preparation of the GEF documents.

Under the overall guidance of the UNDP-GEF Regional Technical Advisor and the Programme Manager of the Energy and Environment Programme in the UNDP Lebanon Country Office, the International Consultant will assume the lead responsibility for the project design and elaboration, the timely preparation of all the reports needed for the GEF including the Project Document and CEO Template and will coordinate the work of the local consultants including the national transport expert, gender specialist and social and environmental safeguards expert.

More specifically, the international consultant will carry out the following tasks:

Task 1: Baseline studies and analysis for the sustainable transport projects

Task 2: Project Design and Preparation of the full-sized project document

For additional information, please refer to ANNEX I – Terms of Reference

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Strong planning, research, and analytical skills
Excellent communication skills, cultural sensitivity
Fluent in English

Corporate Competencies:

Proven ability to work flexibly and independently with limited supervision and deliver quality results against tight deadlines and to work from a distance;
Ability to lead a team of experts remotely;
Proven ability to prepare project documents under sustainable transport area for either the UNDP-GEF or other agencies.
Experience in transportation projects, implementation and/or design of transport-related policy projects;
Experience in climate mitigation policies, particularly in the transport sector;
Experience or knowledge in fuel efficient vehicles and e-mobility;
Knowledge of renewable energy is an asset

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Graduate degree in transport engineering, civil engineering, electric or energy engineer, environmental engineering or policy or a related field. PhD is an asset.

Years of experience:

At least 12 years of substantive professional experience in development and design of sustainable transport and transport policy related projects.

How to apply:
The consultancy is open for all international consultants who meet the selection criteria and propose a competitive fee. Interested consultants are requested to apply only through this UNDP jobs portal.
Submissions through any other media will not be considered.
The application must include all of the following documents:

1. P11,
2. Technical Proposal,
3. Annex 3 (Offerors Letter) and
4. Financial proposal

All files shall be submitted in one single document and uploaded as word or PDF file to the UNDP job site.
It has been observed that bidders don’t submit all requested documents and thus reducing their chance to be selected for a contract with UNDP. before you submit your offer please revise that the application is complete and comprises all four (4) documents.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.