Background
UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.
Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages; represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private, government and civil society dialogues; and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.
BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.
As a Global Environment Facility (GEF) Implementing Agency and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Accredited Entity (together, GEF and GCF are considered ‘vertical funds’), UNDP also supports countries in addressing development, climate, and ecosystem sustainability in an integrated manner. The UNDP Nature, Climate and Energy Unit is based in BPPS and is responsible for providing leadership and technical support for, among other areas, delivery of the Environment and Sustainable Development pillar of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. The principal areas of work are in environmental mainstreaming, environmental finance, adaptation to climate change, and local governance of resources, including energy.
The Climate Aggregation Platform (CAP) is an Environmental Finance Unit GEF-funded project which, in partnership with the Climate Bonds Initiative, seeks to promote the scale-up of financial aggregation for small-scale, low-carbon energy assets in developing countries. The project aims to advance and raise awareness for innovative solutions to market barriers for financial aggregation. In so doing, the project can contribute to improving the lives of citizens in developing countries, bringing about affordable, reliable and clean energy.
The CAP’s activities and value proposition will be formulated in terms of a global offer and an in-country offer:
- Global offer: global awareness raising, knowledge management products and global network;
- In-country offer: an initial two to three in-country or regional initiatives (initial initiatives identified in Rwanda and Uganda), each centered around (i) a showcase transaction, likely in partnership with a development bank and/or the private sector, and (ii) tailored market development activities from a menu of services, such as market assessments, standardization efforts and addressing tax/regulatory barriers.
CAP’s primary focus is on advancing solutions to market barriers, and subsequentially raising awareness around those solutions. The project seeks to support innovative solutions. Innovative solutions can be understood as new, first-of-a-kind solutions in a particular market. Where possible, the CAP will prioritize innovative solutions which promise high impact, transform and/or disrupt established approaches.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has provided initial seed-funding to establish the CAP in the form of an initial USD 2 million grant. UNDP is the project implementing entity and the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), as a Responsible Party to UNDP, will implement specific pre-identified activities.
In the CAP Project Coordinator role, the Energy Consultant will support the successful execution of the CAP project. 75% of the time assigned for this consultancy will be dedicated to this role. The assignment has both administrative and technical components. Administratively, the Energy Consultant will support the day-to-day running of the project; technically, the Energy Consultant will draw on her/his expertise in finance to guide the project’s direction and activities. The Energy Consultant will work alongside a part-time Project Assistant providing administrative support, and additional project consultants. In the CAP Project Coordinator role, the Energy Consultant will report to the Global Energy and Finance Advisor based in Panama.
In addition, the Energy Consultant will dedicate 25% of the assigned time to provide technical support to the design and implementation of the portfolio of environmental vertical fund energy projects in the Africa region. UNDP’s Africa Regional Hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia currently covers 46 countries. In this portfolio, support is required to provide high quality technical design and implementation support and oversight, and knowledge and capacity development services to UNDP country offices in the region. Secondary clients might include other UN agencies, governments and inter-governmental organizations, NGOs, donors and so forth. This role will specifically provide support to Francophone and Spanish-speaking country offices. For these project-related activities, the Energy Consultant will report to the Regional Technical Advisors for Energy in the Africa Regional Hub.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Energy Consultant will have the following responsibilities:
Administrative responsibilities for the CAP:
- Support the recruitment and coordination of project consultants;
- Assist with the management and implementation of the project activities in accordance with the project document, annual and quarterly work plans and budgets;
- Support the Global Energy and Finance Advisor in managing the project’s financial resources, including reporting, both internally and externally;
- Manage and coordinate the project’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan;
- Organize Project Board meetings, including the preparation of board documents and materials;
- Support the coordination of UNDP country offices for the CAP’s in-country activities.
Technical responsibilities:
- Provide guidance and develop high standards for the CAP’s technical planning, activities and products. This will include:
- Latest developments: Incorporating an up-to-date technical understanding of financial aggregation for small-scale, low-carbon energy, across technologies, geographies, deal structures and investors;
- Strategic direction: Ensuring a strong and relevant CAP value proposition, responsive to latest developments and opportunities;
- Identify to the Global Energy and Finance Advisor strategic relationships with the CAP’s partners, for example development banks;
- In conjunction with other staff and consultants, present at industry meetings and events, including delivering talks and presentations;
- Advise on opportunities to augment the CAP’s initial seed funding, expanding the CAP into new areas and increasing the CAP’s impact;
- Support the review of project outputs to ensure that they are delivering project outcomes;
- Assist with the technical reviews of draft annual performance reports (PIR), and where necessary, reviewing the final draft and complete project implementation reports appropriately;
- Support the technical backstopping, as necessary, to on-going studies in specific projects. Support review of logframes and indicators, budgets, and annual workplans.
These tasks are expected to be completed through a combination of (1) home-based work (2) participating in country-level missions in selected countries, and (3) remote technical assistance to client countries and UNDP staff.
Deliverables | Due Date | Payment% |
Finalized PIRs for up to four GEF projects | 31-Aug-20 | 10% |
Q3 2020 Quarterly work plan, budgets, M&E and CBI management | 30-Sep-20 | 8% |
Q4 2020 Quarterly work plan, budgets, M&E and CBI management | 31-Dec-20 | 8% |
Technical inputs into the CAP’s in-country initiatives, committees, activities and products, 2nd Semester 2020 | 31-Dec-20 | 14% |
Provide customized implementation troubling-shooting for up to 4 projects, including stock-taking reviews, oversight activities, and developing adaptive management measures | 31-Jan-21 | 7% |
Q1 2021 Quarterly work plan, budgets, M&E and CBI management | 31-Mar-21
| 8% |
Provide customized implementation troubling-shooting for up to 4 projects, including stock-taking reviews, oversight activities, and developing adaptive management measures | 31-May-21 | 8% |
Technical inputs into the CAP’s in-country initiatives, committees, activities and products, 1st Semester 2 2021 | 30-Jun-21
| 14% |
Presentations to and organization of events at industry conferences | 30-Jun-21
| 5% |
Final Report, including inputs into CAP’s partnership management, and proposals on opportunities to augment CAP’s initial funding | 30-Jun-21 | 10% |
Total | 100% | |
Information on working arrangements
- The Energy Consultant will be home-based with mission travel;
- Estimated level of effort including travel days: 220 days;
- The initial contract will be for one year, with the possibility of renewal dependent on demand for services, availability of financial resources and good performance;
- The Energy Consultant will report to and be directly supervised by the Global Energy and Finance Advisor (primary supervisor), and the Regional Technical Advisor (secondary supervisor) who are based in Panama City, Panama and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
- The Energy Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
- The Energy Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
- Payments will be made upon submission of a detailed time sheet and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the Supervisor on days worked (with a “day” calculated as 8 hours of work) and outputs delivered.
Mission Travel:
- International mission travel might be required at least to New York, USA, London, UK, and various developing countries;
- Any necessary mission travel must be approved in advance and in writing by the Supervisor;
- The BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of the first mission;
- Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
- Consultants are responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP;
- The Energy Consultant is required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/;
- The Energy Consultant will be responsible for making his/her own mission travel arrangements in line with the UNDP travel policies;
- All travel expenses related to mission travels will be supported by the project travel fund and will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations for consultants. Costs for mission airfares, terminal expenses, and living allowances should not be included in financial proposal.
Competencies
Corporate:
- Demonstrates integrity by modelling 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.
Technical:
- Expertise in finance and financial structuring;
- Knowledge of innovative business and financial models in low-carbon energy to disrupt existing markets and to bring energy and development benefits to developing countries.
Communication:
- Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in a simple, concise and persuasive manner.
Professionalism:
- Ability to work and build partnerships with multiple stakeholders and partners across a wide range of disciplines;
- Demonstrated ability in strategic thinking;
- Strong organizational, reporting and writing abilities;
- Able to work independently and remotely with minimal supervision;
- Remains calm, in control and good humored, even under pressure;
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
- Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback.
Teamwork:
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a collaborative team and process.
Required Skills and Experience
Education
- Master’s or equivalent degree in finance, international affairs, or other closely related field (max. 10 points);
Experience
- At least 7 years or more professional experience in the area of clean energy finance (e.g. banking, asset management, fund management, development finance) (max. 25 points);
- Experience in sustainable energy. Candidates with experience in financial aggregation for low-carbon energy will be at an advantage (max. 20 points);
- Experience working with multilateral organizations, development banks and/or the UN system preferred (max. 15 points);
- Experience in the design and/or implementation of development projects for energy access in Sub-Saharan Africa (max. 20 points);
- Experience working in developing country contexts preferred (max. 10 points).
Language:
- Excellent knowledge (written and spoken) of English and French (Pass/Fail);
- Knowledge of Spanish is an advantage (max. 5 points).
Evaluation Method
- Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated;
- Applicants will be evaluated according to a combined scoring method – where the technical criteria will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer will be weighted at 30%;
- The technical criteria (education, experience, languages [max. 105 points] and interview [max. 20 points]) will be based on a maximum 125 points;
- Only the top 3 candidates obtaining 73.5 points or more of the review of education, experience, languages will be considered for the interview;
- Candidates obtaining 14 points or higher in the interview will deemed technically qualified and considered for financial evaluation;
- Financial score (max 100 points) shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal of those technically qualified;
- The financial proposal shall specify an all-inclusive daily fee. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must additionally include a breakdown of this daily fee (including all foreseeable expenses to carry out this assignment);
- The applicant receiving the highest combined score and who has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.
Documentation to be submitted
- Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P11) and/or CV including Education/Qualification, Professional Certification, Employment Records /Experience;
- Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application;
- Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment to be downloaded from the UNDP procurement site.
YOUR APPLICATION MUST BE SUBMITED THROUGH UNDP eTENDERING SYSTEM
Links
UNDP Personal History form (P11): P11.
General Conditions of Contract for the ICs: GTC.