Antecedentes

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). As a Global Environment Facility (GEF) Implementing Agency, UNDP supports countries in addressing development, climate, and ecosystem sustainability in an integrated manner. Addressing climate change is one the key global challenges and priority for UNDP. Working in over 170 countries and territories, UNDP is uniquely placed to work with all sectors of society to help mobilize the institutions and resources required to support countries implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in the context of the Paris Agreement. The principal areas of work are in environmental mainstreaming, environmental finance, adaptation to climate change, and local governance of resources, including energy.

One of six signature solutions under UNDP’s current Strategic Plan is to “Close the energy gap.” Access to clean and affordable energy is a critical enabler for sustainable development whether it be for nutrition, transport, education or economic opportunity. UNDP’s work in this area focuses on increasing energy access, promoting renewable energy, and enhancing energy efficiency in a manner that is inclusive and responsive to the needs of different sectors of the population (urban/rural, women/men, household/businesses), in line with the aspirations of Sustainable Development Goal 7. UNDP’s offer builds on UNDP’s growing portfolio of innovative interventions and projects at the country, regional and global levels – funded both by the GEF, other donors and UNDP core resources.

UNDP’s Engagement with the GEF 7 Africa Mini-grids Program (AMP)

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council approved the Program Framework Document (PFD) for the Africa Mini-grids Program (AMP). The overall program objective of AMP is to support 11 African countries, including Somalia, to increase energy access by reducing the cost and increasing commercial viability of Renewable Energy (RE) mini-grids. In Somalia, while it is acknowledged that energy access is an important lever for poverty alleviation, access to modern energy remains very low. About 90% of electricity generation relies exclusively on diesel mini-grids. These mini-grids are normally zoned with each operator building, owning and operating the generation, transmission, distribution, maintenance and collecting tariffs. Tariffs can reach a maximum of $1/kWh, one of the costliest in the world. At the same time, Somalia has huge potential of scaling RE mini-grids to meet the current and future energy demand

Deberes y responsabilidades

The consultant will undertake tasks at national level and will be responsible of supporting the international consultants with various PPG tasks. S/he will be responsible of gathering all needed information/data in national level. The role will be as following but not limited to:

Tasks

-       Provide a detailed analysis and the best strategy for the consultants to promote investments in decentralised mini grids based on renewable energy (including financial and fiscal instruments, socio-economic interests and value chain analysis).

-       Review relevant documents (reports, plans, studies/assessments, academic papers) in Somalia concerning decentralized energy, renewable energy and mini-grids.

-       Compile information on overall landscape of energy sector with the aim of identifying co-financing opportunities, private sector engagement and location of the mini-grids.

-       Promote technical and strategic dialogue (coordination meetings, workshops in person or via teleconferences) at the national level between stakeholders and consultants, with the aim of facilitating the achievement of the objectives for the integration of mini-grids and ensure their full participation and agreement in the development of the strategy and project design;

-       Support the team of international consultants in the development of strategies aimed at effective and sustainable ownership of the actions undertaken.

-       Provide support to international consultants and national stakeholders (such as, GEF Operational Focal Points, Ministries of Energy (Federal and Federal Member States and local enterprises) to improve the enabling environment for the use of Renewable Energy (RE) in electrification by helping the relevant institutions to: a) make improvements in the legal and regulatory framework, b) improve procedures and develop tools for national programmes to promote off-grid RE solutions such as mini-grid clean energy systems.

-       Provide support to consultants and national stakeholders to analyse experiences with different institutional approaches and formulate lessons learned; this analytical work, which will also cover the use of off-grid RE solutions for productive use of energy, should form the basis for training and development of extension materials.

-       Participate with the team of consultants in the reviews of the programmes and action plans of other technical and financial partners to ensure complementarity of the different activities,

-       Assist the international team lead in the work of the various stakeholders with a view to giving advice on the various documents designed and sharing information and knowledge: in particular

o   Assist in organizing and carrying out gender responsive stakeholder consultations sessions and coordinate inputs from national stakeholders;

o   Support the identification of project sites, as applicable;

o   Collect and compile gender responsive baseline/situational analysis for the Somalia project. This will include a precise definition of baseline projects, activities, budgets, goals and co-financing links to GEF outcomes;

o   Assist in establishing the “baseline scenario”— what will be the expected for rural electrification scenario in Somalia in the absence of the GEF project;

o   Assist in mapping what other stakeholders and initiatives are doing to address the development challenge that the mini-grid project is also addressing;

o   Provide inputs for the preparation of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan, the gender analysis and assist in ensuring the findings are adequately integrated into the project’s strategy, theory of change and results framework; and contribute to the preparation of a Gender Action Plan;

o   Provide inputs to the Social and Environmental Screening Procedure and Indigenous People’s Plan. including assessing potential negative impacts of the project on gender equality and specific activities to mitigate and/or minimize them;

o   Assist in finalizing the Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP) and Indigenous People’s Plan through reviewing the pre-screening (SESP) of the Child Project Concept Note; and preparation of legal and institutional framework for the national project;

o   Contribute to  outlining the existing policy and regulatory framework in Somalia regard to rural electrification in general and solar mini-grids in particular;

-       To support the consultants in identifying problems and obstacles in the implementation and to formulate proposals concerning the measures to be taken to modify or adjust the faulty actions and their modalities of implementation of full-scale project.

-       Contribute to the project-specific safeguards approach, workplan and mission schedule (as needed) with the PPG Team Lead, International Social and Environmental Safeguards Consultants and Gender and Energy Specialist Consultant, UNDP Country Office and the UNDP-GEF Regional Technical Specialist (RTS);

-       Any other tasks that may be assigned in the implementation of the PPG if needed, taking a more prominent role in coordination of in-country activities given COVID-19 travel restrictions:

o   Ensure that the required official endorsement and co-financing letters are ready;

o   Support synthesis of all analyses, studies, etc. to produce the draft UNDP-GEF Child Project Document, GEF CEO Approval Request, and all mandatory and project-specific Annexes, using the required templates (to be verified with the UNDP-GEF team to ensure that the correct templates are being used).

o   Coordinate and contribute to the organisation  of the validation workshop in the country to present, discuss and validate the final draft of the Project Document and mandatory and project-specific annexes, with a special focus on the SESP and any management plans;

o   Support all necessary revisions that arise during the workshop, as appropriate and;

o   Assist in finalizing the Validation Workshop Report.

Competencias

A.       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.

Functional:

·        Able to communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner.

·        Capable of working in a high- pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;

·        Excellent analytical and organizational skills;

·        Exercises the highest level of responsibility and be able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner.

·        Works well in a team;

·        Projects a positive image and is ready to take on a wide range of tasks;

·        Focuses on results for the client;

·        Welcomes constructive feedback.

·        Fluent English language (both oral and written) and excellent communication and presentation skills, particularly in the preparation of written documents

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education;

Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field of Energy, Engineering, Renewable Energy, Environmental Sciences, or a related discipline;