Historique

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life, as envisaged by 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UNDP is on the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. UNDP is the UN’s largest implementer of grant assistance for climate change, sustainable energy and the environment, with over $5 billion of projects ongoing today. Under UNDP’s Strategic Plan (2018-2021), one priority is on scaling up assistance to achieve SDG 7 on energy and expand energy access for the poor. The world’s displaced communities are a priority in this regard, among the poorest and most vulnerable communities in society today, while also facing serious challenges from lack of access to energy for meeting basic needs.

The Middle East and North Africa region is a priority in this regard. It hosts the world’s largest numbers of refugees and internally displaced communities (IDPs), with most countries affected by crisis also facing high levels of energy insecurity. A key focus for UNDP is on expanding  cooperation in the region on solar solutions for meeting the emergency development needs of communities in places like Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Palestine, Libya, Lebanon and Iraq. Today, UNDP supports over $20 million of local grant projects in the region to deploy decentralized solar solutions that power local schools, clinics, orphanages, households and small businesses and help war affected communities stabilize and build the bridge to recovery. But closing the energy gap for the poor and displaced in the region will require much greater support, particularly given the protracted nature of many conflicts.

To further expand UNDP support, a new regional initiative on Sustainable Energy for Displaced Communities is envisaged to help scale-up support to affected communities across the region, putting in place the type of policies, finance, partnerships and sustainable energy technology solutions needed to close the energy gap.

This is undertake within the framework of UNDPs ongoing regional project SDG Climate Facility: Climate Action for Human Security which seeks to scale up climate actions in the region in a way that it addresses situations of fragility and vulnerability in crisis settings, while at the same time bringing benefits across other relevant SDGs.

Developing a new regional initiative on Sustainable Energy for Displaced Communities also helps achieve the goals of the Arab Sustainable Energy Strategy (ASES) enacted by the League of Arab States and member countries across the region to chart the path to a more sustainable energy pathways in the region, with a key focus on accelerating SDG 7 achievement for the vulnerable in society. It also helps achieve the Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Energy Solutions in Situations of Displacement (GPA), a multi-stakeholder  framework launched in 2018 with UNDP and other partners to accelerate progress towards the vision of “safe access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy services for all displaced people by 2030.” As GPA moves from global dialogue to local action, a key focus is on having lead members like UNDP initiative regional and country initiatives to take action. As such the new regional initiative on Sustainable Energy for Displaced Communities to be developed under this consultancy will mobilize partnerships with regional bodies under ASES as well as GPA partners.

Devoirs et responsabilités

The Senior Energy Advisor will support UNDP Regional Hub for Arab States in scaling up  cooperation in                         the region on sustainable energy for displaced communities. This will entail two key outputs: Firstly, the Senior Energy Advisor will support design of a new regional UNDP policy brief on Sustainable Energy for Displaced Communities elaborating the challenge of achieving SDG 7 on energy access in crisis contexts, the opportunity for closing the energy gap for crisis impacted communities, and the lessons learned from UNDPs local projects in recent years on the topic in places like Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Palestine, Libya, Lebanon and Iraq.

Secondly, the Senior Energy Advisor will support the design of a new UNDP regional initiative on Sustainable Energy for Displaced Communities elaborating on the energy access challenge in crisis contexts across                           the region; the strategy for implementing the Arab Sustainable Energy Strategy (ASES)  and Global Plan of Action (GPA)  to close the energy gap for displaced communities in a way that scales up support to emergency and development needs. It will also focus on addressing long-term development priorities by providing sustainable sources of energy, supporting recovery efforts and building the resilience of countries through improved level of energy security; and elaboration of the key outputs, activities and budget requirements for the multi-year regional initiative. This will entail extensive consultations with UNDP regional and country units, regional bodies and other partner agencies engaged in energy access solutions.

In the design of the regional policy brief and the regional initiative the Senior Energy Advisor will develop set of ideas for scaling up energy access priorities in crisis settings of the region, covering priorities such as policy innovation, scaling up finance and local capacity development. In doing so, s/he will draw upon and link with UNDPs ongoing initiatives on energy access in places like Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Palestine, Libya, Lebanon and Iraq. S/he will also ensure close alignment to the vision and focus of UNDPs Strategic Plan, the Arab Sustainable Energy Strategy and the Global Plan of Action on Sustainable Energy for Displaced Communities while  ensuring regional development challenges are addressed.

The new regional initiative will serve as a flagship initiative for achieving the goals of these three strategies in the context of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change including, considering the transition to a low carbon, sustainable energy pathway. This is an important opportunity for the Arab Region to re-energize the region`s economy impacted by crisis, while bringing important co-benefits from local social and environmental goals. In particular the regional initiative will be an important basis for  implementation of GPA priorities in the Arab Region, such as: enhancing coordination among development and humanitarian actors for expanding access to sustainable energy solutions in crisis settings, strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships and innovative approaches to finance energy solutions in situations of displacement, capturing and sharing evidence-based best practices, and creating a collaborative platform for unified, multi-stakeholder action to improve sustainable energy access in situations of displacement.

Expected Outputs:

1.       A UNDP regional policy brief on Sustainable Energy for Displaced Communities elaborating the challenge of achieving SDG 7 on energy access in crisis contexts, the opportunity for closing the energy gap for crisis impacted communities, and the lessons learned from UNDPs local projects in recent years on the topic in places like Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Palestine, Libya, Lebanon and Iraq.

2.       Design of a new UNDP regional initiative on Sustainable Energy for Displaced Communities elaborating the energy access challenge in crisis contexts across the region; the strategy for implementing the Arab Sustainable Energy Strategy and Global Plan of Action to close the energy gap for displaced communities in a way that scales up support to emergency and development needs; and elaboration of the key outputs, activities and budget requirements for the multi-year regional initiative. This will entail consultations with UNDP regional and country units, regional bodies and other partner agencies including GPA members engaged on the energy access solutions in the region.

Reporting:

The Project Manager of the SDG Climate Facility regional project and UNDPs Regional Energy Specialist will jointly supervise the consultant, and regularly evaluate progress in meeting the specific deliverables including virtual meetings for this purpose. They will in turn regularly report on progress to UNDPs Regional Team Leader for Climate Change, DRR, Energy and Environment at UNDPs Regional Hub.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES

Compétences

Key Competencies:

a)      Corporate

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’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.

b)      Functional

• Proven technical and intellectual skills in understanding and interpreting regional, national and local green financing issues;
• Ability to understand and analyze and political dynamics in the region;
• Demonstrated ability for facilitation and coordination skills;
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial abilities and demonstrated ability to work in an independent manner;
• Background knowledge about the SDGs, United Nations and UNDP;
• Good teamwork and interpersonal skills;
• Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks and work under pressure;
• Excellent drafting and formulation skills;
• Excellent computer skills especially Word, Excel and PowerPoint;

c)       Leadership

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to provide credible leadership;
• Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate green finance with broader strategic overview and corporate vision;
• Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis/resolution of complex issues;
• Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience.

d)      Managing Relationships

• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strategic partnerships;
• Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational management skills;
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills with strong partnerships in academia, technical organizations and as a recognized expert in the practice area.

e)      Managing Complexity

• Ability to address global development issues;
• Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives.

f)        Knowledge Management and Learning

• Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products;
• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
• Demonstrates a strong capacity for innovation and creativity in providing strategic policy advice and direction.

g)      Judgment/Decision-Making

• Mature judgment and initiative;
• Proven ability to provide strategic direction to the project implementation process;
• Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges, uses diplomacy and tact to achieve result.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education:

• Master’s degree in climate change, energy, environment or other closely related field.

Work experience:

• Minimum 10 years of previous relevant working experience in climate change, energy or environment, preferably with at least 5 years’ experience supporting sustainable energy cooperation in developing countries;
• Previous experience supporting energy access programming or research in LDCs or crisis contexts
• Previous working experience with the United Nations (UN) is an advantage;

 Language Requirements:

• Language proficiency in both written and oral English is required. Knowledge of any other UN language, particularly French and/or Arabic, is an asset.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT

• The individual is required to exhibit his or her full-time commitment with UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS);
• S/He shall perform tasks under the general guidance of the Regional Team Leader for Climate Change, DRR, Energy and Environment at the UNDP Regional Hub for Arab States and the direct supervision of the Project Manager of the SDG Climate Facility regional project and the Regional Energy Specialist.
• The supervision of the Regional Hub Manager will include approvals/acceptance of the outputs and deliverables as identified in the previous section;
• The individual is expected to liaise and collaborate in the course of performing the work with other consultants, suppliers and UN colleagues;
• The individual is required to provide periodical progress reports on regular and needed basis throughout the assignment to monitor progress;
• The individual is required to maintain close communication with UNDP-RBAS on regular and needed basis at any period throughout the assignment in order to monitor progress. In the event of any delay, S/he will inform UNDP promptly so that decisions and remedial action may be taken accordingly;
  • Should UNDP deem it necessary, it reserves the right to commission additional inputs, reviews or revisions, as needed to ensure the quality and relevance of the work.

DURATION OF THE WORK

The expected duration of the assignment is expected to be up to Forty (40) working days over a period of six (06) calendar months from the contract signature date.

DUTY STATION

Home Based Assignment.

TRAVEL PLAN (OPTIONAL)

If any unforeseen travel outside the consultant home based city is requested by UNDP and not required by the Terms of References (ToR), such travel shall be covered by UNDP in line with applicable rules and regulations and upon prior written agreement. In such cases, the consultant shall receive living allowances not exceeding the United Nations (UN) Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) rate for such other location(s).

SCOPE OF PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

Interested candidates should provide lump sum fees for requested services with detailed breakdown. This amount must be “all-inclusive”. Please note that the terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal. Also, please note that the contract price will be Deliverables/Outputs based - not fixed - subject to change in the cost components.

The contractor will be paid an all-inclusive Deliverables/Outputs based lump sum amounts over the assignment period, subject to the submission of Certification of Payment (CoP) duly certified or an invoice and confirmation of satisfactory performance of achieved work (deliverables/outputs) in line with  the schedule of payments table hereunder:

RECOMMENDED PRESENTATION OF OFFER

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Candidates that fail to submit the required information will not be considered.

1)      Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;

2)      Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;

3)       Technical Proposal (A half page technical proposal detailing how they will approach the assignment, prioritizing activities to meet the deliverables as set above in the most efficient and effective manner);

4)      Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive Deliverables/Outputs based total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.  The terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel costs, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

All necessary information including: Complete Procurement Notice, the Selection Criteria, and Annexes are found on the following link under Procurement http://procurement-notices.undp.org/

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications to Job advertisement website (https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm) and should submit their proposal by e-mail to the following address: proc.contract.rscjo@undp.org.  Candidates that fail to submit the required information on or before the set deadline will not be considered.

Please do not submit financial proposal in this stage.  Financial proposal shall be requested from Candidates who are considered technically responsive

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF THE BEST OFFERS

This selection criteria will follow the Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted a max. of 70%, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%; using the following evaluation criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:

Step I: Screening and desk review:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology.

Applications will be first screened and only candidates meeting the following minimum requirements will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

Ø  Criteria A: Master’s degree or equivalent in climate change, energy, environment or closely related field;

Ø  Criteria B: Minimum 10 years of previous working experience in climate change, energy or environment preferably with at least 5 years supporting sustainable energy cooperation in developing countries;

Ø  Criteria E: Language proficiency in both written and oral English is required;

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for virtual consultation, then assessed and scored against the following evaluation criteria:

Technical evaluation Criteria max 100 points (Weighted 70):

Ø  Criteria A: Master’s degree or equivalent in climate change, energy, environment or closely related field (15 points);

Ø  Criteria B: Minimum 10 years of relevant working experience in climate change, energy or environment, preferably with at least 5 years supporting sustainable energy cooperation in developing countries (30 points);

Ø  Criteria C: Previous experience supporting programming or research on energy access in LDC or crisis contexts (20 points);

Ø  Criteria D: Technical Proposal (A half page technical proposal detailing how they will approach the assignment, prioritizing activities to meet the deliverables as set above in the most efficient and effective manner) (15 points);

Ø  Criteria E: Previous working experience with the United Nations (UN) (10 points);

Ø  Criteria F: Language proficiency in both written and oral English (10 points);

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation

For those offers considered in the financial evaluation, the lowest price offer will receive 30 points. The other offers will receive points in relation to the lowest offer, based on the following formula: (PI / Pn) * 30 where Pn is the financial offer being evaluated and Pl is the lowest financial offer received.

Step II: Final evaluation

The final evaluation will combine the scores of the desk review and the financial proposal with the following weights assigned to each:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis methodology (weighted scoring method), where the award of the contract will 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 a pre-determined set of technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight: [70%]

Financial Criteria weight: [30%]

Only Individual Consultants obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70%) on the Technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evalua