Background

1. Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), acting as an implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is providing assistance to the Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and Communication (MoPWTC) and in particular to National Directorate of Renewable Energy (NDRR) to implement the Promoting Sustainable Bio-energy Production from Biomass (SBEPB) in Timor-Leste project.

One of the major challenges for Timor-Leste is to pursue economic development without creating additional burdens on natural resources thereby preserving ecosystems that are critical to maintaining the quality of life and providing environmental services to society. The country is rich in diversified natural forests with a forest cover of nearly 58% of total land area (14,900 square km) of the country. According to FAO, Timor-Leste is losing 1.16% of forests annually or 11,200 ha per year during 1990-2010. The area under plantations has remained stable at 43,000 ha during the period from 2000 to 2010. However, the latest forestry survey conducted by Japan’s Aid3 reported that the annual deforestation rate between 2003 and 2010 is estimated at 1.73% that is much higher than the prediction of FAO. Assuming this alarming trend persisted in the following decades, 17.3% of the forests in the country would have disappeared in 2021 and all forests would have disappeared by 2071. Natural resources play a pivotal role in the lives of people in the Timor-Leste with 75% of the population (140,635) living in rural areas and over 70% employed by the agriculture and forestry sector. The Strategic Development Plan 2011–2030 commits to establishing inclusive development, while the Program of the Fifth Constitutional Government (2012-2017) has set a goal of creating opportunities for all in a fair and inclusive manner. As the Timorese government aspires to transform from subsistence agriculture into a productive and market economy, safeguards must be in place to avoid creating ever increasing economic development and demographic pressure on the natural resource base.  

A report on the urban, peri-urban and urban associated rural areas of Timor-Leste is currently on the brink of a large-scale fuel poverty crisis. Internal migration to urban areas (specifically the capital Dili), poor enforcement of legislation and widespread poverty are some of the main contributing factors to fuel poverty and degraded natural resources. These trends are rapidly heading towards a state where over-extraction and insufficient re-planting of trees is threatening both people’s ability to afford fuel wood for cooking and their ability to easily attain it in other ways. Coupled with this humanitarian issue, the deforestation and forest degradation that occur as a symptom of people’s reliance on wood fuel (+90% of the population) is threatening the sustainability of the natural environment and its ability to perform ecological services in and around Dili. 

Project Description

Targeted to address the above mentioned problems, the Sustainable Bioenergy Production from Biomass (SBEPB) Project with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Government of Timor-Leste (GoTL) the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other funding partners focuses on the promotion and use of biomass energy resources for the provision of energy access and services in rural areas. Overall, the Project is expected to result in a reduction of annual biomass/fuel wood consumption in Timor-Leste through the gradual utilization of biomass-based energy systems and efficiency improvements in the rural areas of the country as influenced by the Project. The Project will facilitate the widespread application of biomass-based energy systems, particularly for economic and social uses in the country’s rural areas. The reduction of GHG emissions through the use of more efficient fuel wood technologies and sustainable biomass energy generation in the country will contribute to global GHG emission reductions. 

SBEPB project is a four-year program contributing to the reduction of greenhouse emissions through removal of barriers to sustainable production and utilization of biomass resources in Timor-Leste and application of biomass energy technologies to support local economic, environmental and social development.  The objective of the project is designed to achieved through enhancing the capacity of all relevant public and private stakeholders, developing policy and legal bioenergy frameworks for the promotion of energy efficient and low carbon end-use appliances and scaling up of 20,000 improved cook stoves (ICS) in the country. The project is assisting the Government of Timor-Leste in mainstreaming sustainable biomass energy in policy formulation and consequently helping in mitigating the national emission of greenhouse gases resulting from deforestation and the use of non-renewable biomass. The project is envisioned to increase Timor-Leste’s access to clean bioenergy and also create employment through inclusive businesses.

Based on the above strategic considerations, the Project focuses on three major components:

• Component 1: Policy and Institutional Support for Deployment and Commercialization of Advanced Bio-energy Technologies. 
• Component 2: Bio-energy Investments Promotion - Sustainable Bio-energy Technology Demonstration & Market Development
• Component 3: Capacity Development and Market Transformation

Duties and Responsibilities

2. Description of Responsibilities

A key constraint of promotion of biomass energy solutions in Timor-Leste is lack of adequate technical capacity of the relevant GoTL agencies as well as local businesses and NGOs. Key technologies in practice includes improved cookstoves, briquettes, biogas and biofuel.

The proposed assignment is targeted towards building local capacity on technical aspects of biomass based technologies in Timor-Leste. Key institutions (DNER, CNEFP, DIT and others) and their technical staffs need to be capacitated to promote such biomass solutions at scales throughout Timor-Leste. Trained technical staffs are expected to serve as trainers for local administration at municipal and lower level in future and to provide technical guidance to the municipal administration in coming days.

Specific Tasks:

1. Review of existing capacity of relevant GoTL institutions

• A comprehensive capacity assessment of the relevant GoTL institutions – National Directorate of Renewable Energy (DNER), National Centre for Employment and Vocation Training (CNEFP), Dili Institute of technology (DIT) and relevant businesses and local NGOs for biomass energy technologies.

• This assessment should focus on issues related to biomass project design, feasibility analysis, operationalization and operation and maintenance issues.

1. Design of a comprehensive training module based on the assessment

• Design a 5-day training module in the form of a TOT for targeted local stakeholders. Number of participants is expected to be around 25.

1. Conduct the training module with a pre and post training assessment

• Completion of a 5 day in-house training
• Propose further capacity building needs based on the pre and post capacity assessment.

Competencies

Expected Deliverables:

The key products to be delivered are as follows:

1. Detailed Assignment Workplan (within 22 October 2018)
2. Assessment of existing capacity (within 07 November 2018)
3. Design of the training module (30 November 2018)
4. Completion of the ToT and final report (20 December 2018)

Payment for Services

The Biomass Technology Capacity Building Expert will receive payments in four installments from UNDP as follows:

1. 15%        upon preparation and acceptance of the assignment work plan;
2. 20%        upon completion  of the capacity assessment;
3. 35%        upon completion and approval of the ToT modules;
4. 30%        upon completion of the ToT and final report submission.

Responsibility for Expenses and their Reimbursement

This is a lump sum assignment. The Consultant will be responsible for all personal administrative and travel expenses associated with undertaking this assignment including accommodation, travel, printing, stationary, telephone and electronic communications, and report copies incurred in this assignment. UNDP will provide travel support for out of Dili Missions and the consultant will be accompanied by appropriate UNDP staffs.

Special Note for the Offeror:

Any additional costs for training support including training assistants (their cost, travel etc) needs to be built in into the cost proposal. UNDP TL will be responsible for printing of the training materials, distribution of the materials, organizing the training and relevant logistics cost. If the offeror wants to use his institutional affiliation, a RLA will be used instead of an individual contract.

Responsibility for Managing the People and the Work Plan

The principal responsibility for managing the consultant will lie with the Chief Technical Advisor of the SBEPB project under overall guidance of the Head of Sustainable Development Unit. The consultant will closely work with the SBEPB PMU and National Directorate of Renewable Energy, Ministry of Public Works, Transportation and Communication. The timeframe and duration of activities are estimated to be broken down as follows:

Required Skills and Experience

3. Qualifications

Education

• Advanced University degree in the fields of environmental management, engineering, energy management, renewable energy or a closely relevant field.

Experience

• at least 10 years of relevant professional experience
• Demonstrated experience of working on biomass technology aspects, preferably in Asia Pacific.
• Comprehensive understanding of challenges and issues related to biomass energy technologies and capacity constraints in developing countries;
• Demonstrable experience of designing and conducting trainings preferably ToT on biomass technologies;

Languages

Excellent English writing skills are essential. Knowledge of Tetun/Bahasa would be an asset.

4. Evaluation of Applicants

• Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated;
• Individual consultants will be evaluated based on Combined Scoring method taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications, submitted assignment plan and financial proposal;
• All applicants must submit his/her approach to the assignment as part of the application package;
• Combined weighted scoring: Technical including the assignment plan (70%); Financial (30%).

Detailed Evaluation Criteria

General Conditions of Contract for the ICs:

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf.

UNDP Personal History form (P11):

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.

5. Application procedures

Qualified candidates are requested to apply by 05 October 2018 17:00 (GMT+9) by sending their application packages to procurement.staff.tp@undp.org with the subject line “Biomass Technology Capacity Building”.

The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position and a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work (if applicable). Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees, please upload the P11 instead of your CV. (a template can be downloaded from http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=50019  );
• Financial Proposal* - specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this announcement. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days – in home office and on mission, travel – international and local, per diems and any other possible costs), preferably according to the following template [please note, the below is only a sample template that needs to be followed to prepare the workplan and budget]. (a template can be downloaded from http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=50019?  )

Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. fee, health insurance, vaccination, office costs and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services...). All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel. 

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

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org

General Terms and conditions as well as other related documents can be found under: http://europeandcis.undp.org/home/jobs

Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.

Due to a large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials. Applicants are also strongly advised to make sure that all referees mentioned in the P11 are well aware of the application and can respond back to the reference checks within 3 working days.

Prepared by: ____________________