Antecedentes

The objective of this project is to enable transformation of market for investments in EE in public buildings in the country, by  using Energy Service Company (ESCO) modality, utilizing Energy Performance Contract (EPC),  facilitated by introducing a single nationwide energy management information systems (EMIS) for Ukraine.

The project has four components which are as follows:

Component 1: Formulation and introduction of a streamlined and comprehensive legal/regulatory, and policy framework for promoting energy efficiency in public buildings..

Component 2: Promotion of private investment in energy efficiency in public buildings through appropriate catalytic financial incentives.

Component 3: Demonstration of the implementation of EPC modality for energy efficiency initiatives in public buildings in different cities/municipalities.

Component 4: Establishment and operationalization of a National Energy Management and Information (NEMIS) and a NEMIS Database.

Investments in EE in public buildings  are intended to be supported by improved ESCO market development in Ukraine, including through the signing of at least 10 EPC’s in 10 different cities in Ukraine.

Lately, ESCO modality in municipal public sector demonstrates rapid growth in number of tenders announced, and less so – in number of ESCO contracts signed. Among main reasons are discrepancy between customers’ expectations and restrained ability of private companies to invest significant resources into deep reconstruction of the buildings.  High cost of capital and inflation limits ESCO-funded measures to few measures with high return rate. Moreover, current legislation does not allow owners to effectively select types of energy efficient measures they would prefer to receive it also does not allow to prioritize long-term investments over short-term partial measures. This dictates a necessity to look for new approaches and models to insure effectiveness and sustainability of ESCO modality in the country.

As a part of adaptive approach and based on inception stage baseline studies and findings, the Project took strategic decision as following:

• regard ESCO mechanism in internationally accepted context, as one of the applicable forms of Public- private partnership (PPP).
• explore possibilities to find applicable, accessible, and affordable financial support instruments for mainly small Ukrainian ESCO companies, such as leasing, factoring, blank loans.
• foster (promote) the Ukrainian EE market to  international leaders of ESCO- industry.
• developing legal and financial solutions, organizational structures for municipalities to enable greater possibilities to attract external and internal financing of EE measures (green municipal bonds, municipal ESCO, regional revolving EE funds etc.)   

The required Technical Advisor on ESCOs in Public Buildings is to provide strategic support to the implementation of the ESCO-related activities on XXXX Components 2 and  3 of the project. The advisor is also required to provide advice on international best practices in the ESCO business, particularly in public buildings, as well as information and guidance on ESCO-related legislation in Component 1 of the project.

The main point to note is that Ukraine currently has laws to support ESCO market development, but that legislative framework needs to be improved in various aspects of removing barriers and enhancing applicability of ESCO mechanism. For example, the ability of municipalities to enter into long term EPCs and signed shared savings agreements needs to be further analyzed and possibly new regulations need to be introduced to facilitate such market development.

The following outcome and outputs should be achieved under Component 2:

Outcome 2: Increased availability of, and access to, financing for EE and EM initiatives in public buildings in cities and municipalities.

As one of the ways to facilitate increasing investments in energy efficient reconstructions in municipal and other public buildings the Project commenced and continues to develop a project support platform (PSP). The PSP envisages providing different forms of expert support for partner municipalities which in turn encourage municipalities to play a greater role in improving energy efficiency and to apply new financial and  organizational ESCO supporting models. Early results demonstrate promising outcomes and lead to positive feedback from various stakeholders including municipalities, so strategic and operational support for the further development of PSP is required.

1.1 Support for development of a detailed action on how to support the project activities through the Financial Support Mechanism

1.2 Gap analysis of existing work on ESCO market development in Ukraine, looking at what other donors are doing, clearly explaining barriers and why market does not work properly yet, with recommendations on steps to overcome barriers.

1.3 Development of recommendations on financial incentives scheme and financial models, properly working in current economic situation of Ukraine, to support ESCO market mechanism, including analysis of all options such as (i) partial or full loan guarantees (ii) development of a secondary market for trading in EPCs, (iii) other financial incentives aimed at supporting ESCO market development

1.4 Supporting further development of ‘ESCO HELP Desk’ and recommendations on how to fund and sustain it.

1.5 Support for training and capacity building activities related to the financial support mechanism and/or the ESCO Help desk including participating in workshops, seminars, conferences, and/or training events.

Under component 3, the outcome is an “Increased adoption and implementation of EE technologies, techniques, and practices in public buildings; and enhanced confidence in the viability of EE projects in public buildings”.  In this regard, the following list of services required:

1.6       Assistance in implementation of selected pilot sites and projects and in selection of new ones, that are based upon clear and transparent selection criteria, including replicability, co-financing and innovative approaches.

1.7        As it is commonly accepted now, comprehensive buildings renovations serves not only improving of just energy efficiency but simultaneously maintains required living and sanitary conditions, extends the lifespan of buildings and therefore requires financing not only from limited numbers of small ESCO companies but from the owners of buildings. In this view, development of working schemes to establish co-financing from municipalities, state and regional EE funds, international and national financial institutions and donors is required. 

1.8       Detailed review of completed energy audits, progress and mission reports.

1.9       Participating in capacity building and training activities related to the implementation of the pilot EPC demonstration projects. This includes developed and published public awareness raising materials and completed nation-wide awareness and information campaign advocating the benefits of ESCO approaches.

1.10      Regularly updating CO management, UNP NCE at IRH, regional bureau (RBEC) and international community on the Project’s progress, achievements and challenges. 

An important part of removing policy/regulatory barriers to ESCO projects in public buildings is improving ESCO - related primary and secondary legislation. The advisor on ESCO in public buildings will have to contribute to Ukrainian legislation and policies updating and improvement.

The technical advisor on ESCOs in public buildings must work with the UNDP GEF project team and with the UNDP Energy and Environment portfolio management to lobby the Ukrainian government on the importance of the ESCO modality in increasing energy efficiency in public buildings in Ukraine and to introduce proposals for the ESCO market development. The technical advisor on ESCOs, using best international practices and know-how must work closely with all the other actors in Ukraine who are working in the field of ESCO to determine (through gap analysis) what work needs to be undertaken in order to strengthen the ESCO market development.

The Technical Advisor (TA) shall be working part-time and shall be home based. But he/she will be expected to travel to Ukraine a minimum of four times per year. Each mission to Ukraine will consists normally of 5 full working days, not including travel days. The total estimated working days for this assignment is 80.

Travel to the selected cities may be required as part of mission travel.

Deberes y responsabilidades

The TA on ESCO in public buildings will be working under the overall supervision of Project Manager and the guidance of the Chief Technical Advisor, Energy Efficiency. He/she will have the following duties:

• Project Management and Implementation
  • Provide technical and strategic support as required to the NPSA post holders in the EEPB team
  • Assist the PM/CTA in the preparation and revision of the Multi Year Work Plan and the Annual Work Plans (AWPs) and Budgets as well as formalizing the activities (baseline and incremental) that will deliver ESCO-related outputs in Components 2 and 3 of the EEPB Project;
  • Assist the PM/CTA in the designing of an appropriate Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Framework; and develop suitable monitoring tools for the project activities (both baseline and incremental) that will deliver ESCO-related outputs that link to the log frame’s indicators, end of the year target, means of verification, and risks and assumptions, including advising on the implementation of such tools;
  • In line with the preceding task, assist the PM/CTA in the designing and implementation of appropriate scheme to track the implementation of co-financed activities in Components 2 & 3 of the project and the amount of committed co-financing that have been realized;
  • Develop recommendations on financial incentives schemes to support ESCO market mechanism, including analysis of all options aimed at supporting ESCO market development.
  • Explore possibilities to find an affordable financial support instruments for mainly small Ukrainian ESCO companies, using best international practice but considering local context.
  • Review, upon request, the terms of reference required for the Project’s successful implementation.
  • Review of the completed energy audits, reports and papers, lesson-learned reports and notes.
  • Assist the project manager with carrying out the annual project implementation review (PIR) and other relevant monitoring and evaluation activities
  • Assist the PM/CTA in evaluating annually the extent by which the barriers to ESCO applications in public buildings that the EEPB Project is supposed to remove have been achieved.
  • Provide support to the Terminal Evaluation (TE) process and provide comments and feedback to the TE evaluator
  • Provide necessary technical inputs to the members of Project Board.
  • Develop strategic notes on selected topics, assigned by Project Manager and CTA.
  • Prepare progress reports on the ESCO-related activities of the project
• Legislative Development
  • Provide support in either drafting of new law on energy efficiency in buildings or amendments to other relevant legislation on energy efficiency in buildings and includes minimum energy performance standards and long-term budgetary commitment. This includes support for preparation of supporting documents such as background papers, gap analyses and/or analysis of international best practice in the area of energy-efficiency in public buildings.
• Market Intelligence
  • Track and advise on the work of other donors and review of international best practice relating to ESCO market development.
• Outreach
  • Promote  Ukrainian EE market for potential international investors from  ESCO  industry.
  • Provide capacity building to the pertinent project partners/stakeholders.
• Recommendations on development of Project Support Platform (PSP).
  • Prepare public awareness raising materials and completed nationwide awareness and information campaign advocating the benefits of ESCO approaches.
  • Participate (upon request of PM) in international conferences, workshops, seminars in Ukraine related to energy efficiency in public buildings

The Technical Advisor shall prepare quarterly plans and reports to provide strategic planning input and to summarize work carried out and outputs provided by him/her with suggestions on points to the project management attention and his/her activities for the following month. By the end of the assignment, s/he shall prepare a final report summarizing what has been achieved and what remains to be achieved over the lifetime of the project.

The TA should conduct at least 4 missions (4 missions of minimum 5 working days) to Ukraine that shall have the following focus, noting that this can be modified following discussion and agreement with the Project Manager and UNDP in Ukraine facing the COVID-19 restrictions.

MONITORING/REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

All reports prepared by the Technical Advisor should be submitted to and approved by the UNDP Project Manager and UNDP Ukraine.

Competencias

• 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.

• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS

• University degree in energy, engineering, architecture, economics or other related disciplines relevant to investments in building development, construction, renovations and building EE technologies applications;
• Minimum of 8 years of professional working and consultancy experience on energy-efficiency and sustainable energy;
• At least 5 years’ experience working with ESCO and/or PPP projects in the public and/or residential buildings sector;
• Experience working with public organizations and international organizations (experience with UNDP would be an asset);
• Familiarity with different types of financial, state support mechanisms, financial instruments in EE renovations would be an asset;
• Experience of development or implementation of similar international projects in Europe or CIS;
• Fluency in English is mandatory, working knowledge of Russian/Ukrainian would be strong asset

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).  

Evaluation

UNDP will use a three-stage procedure to assess applications with. First, the Technical proposals will be assessed based on compliance with the Terms of Reference and the interview will be conducted for the most technically qualified Candidates. After that the evaluation of the commercial proposals will take place. The following criteria will be rated as indicated below:

• Educational background – 15 points max; (Bachelors – 10 point, Masters – 12 points, PhD – 15 points);
• Minimum of 8 years of professional working and consultancy experience on energy-efficiency and sustainable energy – 20 points max; (16 points for at least 8 years with +1 points for each additional year);
• At least 5 years’ experience working with ESCO and/or PPP projects in the public and/or residential buildings sector – 30 points max; (23 points for at least 5 years with +1 point for each additional year.);
• Experience of application and introduction of minimum energy performance standards for public buildings in Europe or CIS – 5 points;

Maximum available technical (education, experience and competencies) score – 70 points.

Maximum available financial score – 30 points.

Evaluation method - Cumulative analysis

The Contract shall be awarded to the Applicant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
 

A) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
B) having received the cumulative highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
* Technical Criteria weight: 70%
* Financial Criteria weight: 30%

Only the candidates received minimum 70% of maximum available technical score shall be admitted to the Financial Evaluation.
 

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal and will equal to 30. All other price proposals will be evaluated and assigned points, as per below formula: 30 points [max points available for financial proposal] x [lowest of all evaluated offered prices among responsive offers] / [evaluated price].
The proposal obtaining the overall cumulatively highest score after adding the score of the technical proposal and the financial proposal will be considered as the most compliant offer and will be awarded a contract.

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCORPORATED INTO PROPOSALS SUBMITTED

Applicants shall submit the following documents:

Required

Cover letter and confirmation of interest indicating clearly when, if selected, the consultant would be available to start work and a brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a proposed methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment (maximum 2-3 pages). Supplemented by one- two samples of reports.

Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price and supported by a breakdown of costs, as per Annex I template attached to the Letter of Confirmation of Interest template. Please note that all travel related costs (such as flight ticket, per diem, etc.) will be reimbursed separately as per UNDP rules.

CV/P-11.

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

 Lump Sum contract

The Consultant will be responsible for all personal administrative expenses incurred while implementing this assignment, including office accommodation, printing, stationary, telephone and electronic communications, as well as provision of the report copies.

Payment will be released in quarterly instalments each after presenting a report and a timesheet and approval by Project Manager.