Antecedentes

The objective of the proposed project supported by the Delivery Results Together Fund is to support the development of a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) addressing the development of the SHPP sector at the regional (basin) level in Albania. The project will strengthen the capacity of the Government of Albania to integrate SEAs into energy and environmental decision-making, and it will provide valuable information that is urgently needed by all stakeholders.

The proposed initiative responds to the need of the government of Albania to ensure sustainable development in line with EU accession requirements and multilateral environment agreements. The Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, which was ratified by Albania in 2005, requires all parties to evaluate the consequences of their draft policies and programs.

UNDP is currently supporting the government to enact a legal framework and action plan for renewable energy that is in line with current government goals; i.e., a secure energy supply, sustainability that takes climate change into consideration, increased foreign investment, and new green jobs.   An SEA for the SHPP sector will ensure that these goals are sustainable at the country level and at the local level. The SEA process will also foster broader involvement in energy decision-making by citizens and communities and increase awareness of potential water shortages and other climate impacts.

To implement the project, a MoU is agreed by both, UNDP on behalf of the 2015 One UN Integrated Annual Work plan, Output 4.4 Climate Change, and the Ministry of Energy and Industry in charge for the SHPPs policy, valid until 31st of December, 2016.

Deberes y responsabilidades

The expected tasks will include the following:

• Draft the ToRs for two national consultancies on SHPPs (technical and policy) to help the international with the current assignment;
• Assessment of the institutional and legal framework and administrative capacities (central and local) to allow for applying the EIA and SEA procedures;
• Brief national partners on the SEA development process and requirements;
• Based on the desk review and data collected during the mission to Albania, assess the Albania’s current situation with regard to the current and planned small hydro power plants and the overall potential for further development of this sector;
• Collect the necessary information and make a comparative analysis for the development of the baseline, the scoping and the pilot basin for the SEA, i.e. information on SHPPs, hydro meteorological information, climate change information, government policy and program priorities,  and community needs;
• Consult with the stakeholders and reach consensus on the baseline, scoping and the site, addressing the key issues as follows: a) Power security and generation including local revenues from SHPP, trade and foreign investment; b) Economic impacts and poverty alleviation; c) Ecosystems integrity and diversity – aquatic, terrestrial, hydrological dynamics and sediment/nutrient transport; d) Fisheries and food security (including agriculture); e) Social systems - livelihoods and the living cultures of affected communities, especially gender-differentiated effects; f) Tourism potential; g) Disaster risk reduction; and  h) Climate change impacts and adaptation.
• Develop the Tors for the SEA assessment and the report compilation;
• Draft a simple guideline for the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Hydropower Sector Planning in Albania.

List of deliverables:

• ToRs for two national consultants to work within same team and provide inputs on national circumstances (technical and policy related) – one week after the contract signature;
• Initial data collected – one month after contract signature;
• Stakeholders consultations and consensus reached - two months after the contract signature;
• Tors for the SEA assessment and the report compilation – two and a half months after the contract signature;
• The draft guideline for the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Hydropower Sector Planning in Albania – three and a half months after the contract signature.

Competencias

Corporate Competencies:

• 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 favouritism.

Functional Competencies:

• Strategic vision, strong technical and analytical capabilities;
• Strong reporting and writing abilities;
• Ability to work in a team, develop synergies and establish effective working relations with government counterparts, donors, NGOs and other development partners;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgment, tact, and negotiating skills, and the ability to cope with situations which may pose conflict;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Ability to accommodate additional demands on short notice;
• Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations;
• Ability to manage heavy workload and solve complex problems with minimum supervision.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education/Academic Qualifications:

• Postgraduate degree in hydro power engineering, renewable energy, environmental disciplines, etc. with excellent understanding of issues pertaining to Small Hydropower Plants.

Work experience:

• At least 5 years of experience in environmental impact assessment of energy projects;
• Practical experience in preparing procedures, methodologies and guidelines; excellent knowledge of EU directives of environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental impact assessment;

Language requirement:

• Fluency in spoken and written English.

Evaluation of applicants:

Applicants will be screened against qualifications and the competencies specified above. The inclusion into the International  Expert will be offered to those individual consultants whose offers have been evaluated and determined as (a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and (b) having received high scores specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria – 70% of total evaluation – max. 100 points:

• Relevance of education to the selected thematic area (hereafter ‘area’) – 10 points;
• Relevance of specific professional experience to the area – max. 15 point;
• Familiarity with the UNFCCC National Communication Process – max. 10 points;
• Proven drafting and formulation skills (based on the record of existing publications) – max. 20 points;
• Familiarity with UNDP mandate and/or approach relevant to the area; experience working with other international organizations or in public sector; experience with public policy or capacity development – max. 10 points;
• Fluency in English– max. 5 points;
• Interview – 30 points (Only highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job based on the CV desk review will be invited for an interview).

Financial Criteria – 30% of total evaluation – max. 30 points.

UNDP applies the ‘Best value for money’ approach - the final selection will be based on the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal.

 Contracting Arrangements:

The total duration of the assignment will be up to 30 working days over the period from 15 February 2016 to 30 May 2016. This will include at least two missions in Tirana of approximately 3-5 days.  The international consultant will work in close cooperation with two national consultants and the Project team and will report back to the Project Manager.

Application procedures:

Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain:

• Cover letter, including applicant's qualifications for the advertised position. The letter should be pasted into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.
• Filled P11 form for SC and ICs; (blank form can be downloaded from http://www.al.undp.org/content/albania/en/home/operations/jobs.html  Please upload the P11 instead of your CV;
• Financial Proposal – daily fee in USD

Applications without financial proposal will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all other requested materials.

How to Submit the Application:

To submit your application online, please follow the steps below:

• Download and complete the UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs) - Download here
• Merge your UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs), Financial Proposal and cover letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded;
• Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement);
• Click “Apply Now” button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click “Submit Application;”
• Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above);
• You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system.

Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

UNDP applies a fair and transparent selection process that would take into account both the technical qualification of Individual Consultants as well as their financial proposals. The contract will be awarded to the candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores. UNDP retains the right to contact references directly.  Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.