Background

Installations under the S4H project started in 2017. Then, Zimbabwe had been experiencing power cuts of up to 18 hours a day for about two years as drought shrank water levels for hydroelectricity and imports were unable to fill the gap. The outages were damaging for pharmaceuticals and laboratory reagents that must be kept at certain temperatures. 

Four hundred and five (405) healthcare facilities have been equipped with solar systems across Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces in a partnership between UNDP and Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) with Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and Nation Housing (MoLGPWNH) providing the technical expertise. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) is funding the S4H project. In addition to these 405 Health facilities, UNDP is expecting new request to come from MOHCC to support 540 Health facilities with solar support.

The S4H project aims to strengthen Zimbabwe’s national health systems by improving access to quality health services through four priority areas namely health information system, cold chain, maternity and laboratory. In addition, S4H project ensures constant and cost-e?ective access to electricity, while also mitigating the impact of climate change and advancing multiple Sustainable Development Goals.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective of the Assignment

UNDP is the Principal Recipient (PR) for The Global Fund HIV grant for the implementation period 2018-2020 and is responsible for the effective functioning of the installed solar systems. Hence UNDP seeks the services of a qualified and experienced Solar/Power/Electrical Engineer to be responsible for the management of new solar installations and maintenance and repairs of those already installed.

Scope of Work

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Manager & Head, the Solar/Power/Electrical Engineer will be responsible for the following based on international experiences, related to solar systems:

  • Project management for all ongoing and new S4H projects;
  • Provision of Technical support to S4H projects; and
  • Supporting knowledge management and documentation of lessons learned

Project Management:         

  • Liaise with the Procurement Supply Management (PSM) unit to establish the most important criteria for the desired solution in terms of cost, quality, timeframe for supply, functionality of the equipment, scope of services to be provided, the contractual obligations of all parties involved, and the assignment of risk, performance guarantees etc.
  • Supervise health facilities solar need assessment for the 540 new sites
  • Review and certify assessment deliverables which will be but not limited to design, drawing, KW measures, re-wiring needs, etc.
  • The preparation of detailed tender packages for designers/suppliers and contractors.
  • Supervision of firms involved in the implementation of projects.
  • Establishment and maintenance of project performance monitoring, evaluation and reporting up to project completion.
  • Establishment of a comprehensive system for maintaining solar systems records including correspondence, survey/assessment data, inspection records, test data, site diaries, records of meetings, progress records etc.
  • Issuance of project completion reports on completion of projects.
  • Monitor closely the progress of all projects on a regular basis to ensure they are proceeding in accordance with the approved work program.  Liaise with clients, suppliers and contractors in the event of programme “slippage” to arrest the situation.
  • Preparation and issuance of reports to the Programme Manager & Head including progress reports, technical appraisals, contract documentation, reviews on the contractor’s proposals and any other relevant reports as required.
  • Using the remote monitoring, engineer to advice PMU on the functionality status of all Solar system connected to the remote monitoring system
  • Design and provide training session on solar system for the end users, MOHCC staff and MPW engineers.

Technical support:

  • Provide high quality technical inputs to trainings and technical assistance to partners on matters related to solar systems.
  • Designing renewable energy (on grid, off grid or microgrid) solutions (primarily based on solar photovoltaic system).
  • Preparing cost estimates for various solutions and conducting cost-benefit analysis and developing the business case for the solutions which provide the best financial return on investment and positive environmental impact.

Supporting knowledge management and documentation of lessons learned:

  • Documenting and synthesizing key lessons/insights from engaging with various stakeholders throughout lifetime of the S4H project.
  • Support and contribute to the development of user toolkits/manuals.

Deliverables

The following are the expected deliverables:

  • Monthly progress reports on the status of each of the ongoing solar installations, preventive and corrective maintenance.
  • Develop specifications, TORs and BOQs for upgrades and new solar installations.
  • Coordinate/draft the technical drawings for solar system and structures to be upgraded or installed.
  • Coordinate the approval of technical drawings by the responsible authorities and the filing of the same.
  • Arrange site visits for assessments, site handover meetings and stage certifications.
  • Verification and certification of solar installations completed by Solar Contractors under UNDP solar contracts.
  • Coordinate the certification by Ministry of Local Government Public Works and National Housing and handover of completed sites to beneficiaries.
  • Monitor the solar budget to ensure that any variations do not exceed the budget allowed in the contract.
  • Provide supervision of project work progress and quality for on-time project delivery.
  • Monitor contractor presence on the project site, measuring and assessing the work accomplishment as per the scope of work, BOQ and signed contract.
  • Coordinate the training of the end users of the solar systems and ensure simplified preventive user manuals are in place.

Institutional Arrangement

In terms of the project governance, the client is the Government of Zimbabwe through MoHCC. Funding is from the Global Fund through UNDP Zimbabwe as the PR. Other actors are MoLGPWNH, Rural District Councils, Municipal and City Authorities.

 Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

A monthly rate will be agreed based on qualifications, experience and complexity of work.

Application Procedure

Applicants are requested to upload copies of:

Latest CV highlighting the relevant experience.

Updated P11 Form template of which can be downloaded from this website - http://www.sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.

A brief technical proposal on undertaking the tasks and evidence of previous work.

Please group all your documents (CV, P11, Technical Proposal and certificates) into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document. Incomplete applications will not be given consideration.

Please note that only applicants who are short-listed will be contacted. Only successful candidates will be contacted as a result of the overall evaluation.

Evaluation Criteria

The proposals will be evaluated using the cumulative analysis method with a split 70% technical and 30% financial scoring. The proposal with the highest cumulative scoring will be awarded the contract. Applications will be evaluated technically, and points are attributed based on how well the proposal meets the requirements of the TORs using the guidelines detailed in the table below.

Qualifications

  • Minimum university degree in Electrical Engineering or other related field 5%
  • Postgraduate certification in project and financial management would be an asset 2%
  • International certification on renewable energy or energy efficiency (e.g. a protocol for performance & measurement of energy savings) would be a strong asset 1%
  • A professional engineering accreditation from an internationally recognised professional supervisory body is an asset 2%

Work Experience

  • At least 5 years of demonstratable experience with Solar energy installations, remote monitoring, maintenance, and repairs 15%
  • Good understanding of developing countries context, particularly Zimbabwe 2%
  • Experience dealing with renewable energy and energy efficiency in developing countries context (familiarity with good international practices) 5%
  • Experience in liaising with stakeholders, in particular private sector parties 3%
  • Excellent oral and written communications skills, including demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with different stakeholders with diverse education levels and in a multi-cultural environment 2%
  • An advanced ability to write technical and non-technical reports is essential 5%
  • Ability to develop, analyze and articulate project issues and to diagnose problems and propose reliable solutions 5%
  • High proficiency in Microsoft Office (e.g., MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Microsoft Project and AutoCAD 3%

Quality of Technical Proposal

  • Quality and soundness of the proposed approach/methodology 10%
  • Realistic work plan, including time schedule 10%

Financial Offer – Lowest Price 30%

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract may be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and,

Having received the highest score out of the pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 50 points in the Technical Evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation. Interviews may be conducted as part of technical assessment for shortlisted proposals.

Proposal Requirements

Technical Proposal

  • A statement of how the applicant meets the qualifications and experience requirements.
  • A Detailed CV with contact details of minimum 3 referees. 
  • Proposed methodology/approach including preliminary work plan (covering deliverables, key activities and due dates).

Financial Proposal

  • A completed Offeror’s Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) Assignment including Annex A: Breakdown of Cost by Compon

Competencies

Technical/Functional Competencies:

  • Demonstrates strong technical knowledge and commitment to continuous learning.
  • Demonstrates results orientation and focus on solutions.
  • Ability to develop and maintain effective work relationships with clients, donors and other stakeholders.
  • Ability to plan work in a collaborative manner and to manage priorities
  • Knowledge of national regulations regarding management of construction projects is required
  • Knowledge of UN procedures for tendering and managing construction contracts is considered an asset.
  • Strong analytical skills and strong writing skills

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 favouritism.
  • ·         Communication and networking skills
  • ·         Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
  • ·         Strong interpersonal and negotiating skills, sound judgement and discretion.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

  • University degree in Electrical Engineering or other related field.
  • Postgraduate certification in project and financial management would be an asset.
  • International certification on renewable energy or energy efficiency (e.g. a protocol for performance & measurement of energy savings) would be a strong asset.
  • A professional engineering accreditation from an internationally recognised professional supervisory body is an asset.

Experience

  • At least 5 years of demonstratable experience with Solar energy installations, remote monitoring, maintenance, and repairs.
  • Good understanding of developing countries context, particularly Zimbabwe.
  • Experience dealing with renewable energy and energy efficiency in developing countries context (familiarity with good international practices).
  • Experience in liaising with stakeholders, in particular private sector parties.
  • Excellent oral and written communications skills, including demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with different stakeholders with diverse education levels and in a multi-cultural environment.
  • An advanced ability to write technical and non-technical reports is essential.
  • Ability to develop, analyze and articulate project issues and to diagnose problems and propose reliable solutions.
  • High proficiency in Microsoft Office (e.g., MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Microsoft Project and AutoCAD.

Language Requirements

  • Fluency in oral and written English required.