Consultant: Energy – Millennium Development Goals

UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2008-2011 and the 2008 regionalization paper articulate the corporate requirement to bring timely and effective substantive and technical services to the country offices through strengthened practice architecture at the global regional and country level.  The UNDP Practice Architecture serves as a framework for better organizing UNDP to provide consistent policy advisory services, more relevant and substantive policy knowledge, better linking of policy and programming and capacity development.  The value of the practice architecture lies in its comprehensive structure to solidify UNDP and its staff into a global team that ensures coherence, consistency, alignment and quality assurance in the way UNDP delivers service internally and to development partners and programme countries.

Increase access to reliable and affordable energy resources is a critical factor for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Although there is no specific MDG relating to energy, access to energy services affects all aspects of sustainable development including access to water, agricultural productivity, health care, education, job creation, gender equality and climate change. More than 2 billion people globally suffer from energy constraints that limit their opportunities for economic development and improved standards of living, and 60 million people (10% of the LAC population) has no access to electricity. The poor is often disproportionately affected by lack of access to clean affordable energy services. Therefore, the provision of energy services for the poor is not only a human development imperative, but also will be key in helping them to improve their standard of living, which may increase their capacity to adapt to Climate Change.

 In recent years, there has been concern that higher global oil prices will impair the Caribbean economies, as most of them are highly dependent upon oil for the energy needs. In response, the island nations have been discussing ways to promote the use of renewable energy sources and better integrate their energy sectors. Due to the size of their economies and population, the Islands of the English and Dutch Caribbean had and will have minor contributions to climate change; nevertheless they are at high risk of suffering the negative impacts of such phenomenon.

There is also an increasing concern that climate change, including variability, could undermine the achievement of a number of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), most notably in poverty reduction. These concerns are higher in Small Island Development States (SIDS) which are the states that are facing the most dramatic consequences of Climate Change. Consequently, developing countries are increasingly turning their attention to the formulation of comprehensive approaches to address the impacts of climate change, in particular the human development and economic implications, and the investment decisions that need to be made to implement them. Thus It is critical to  provide policy advice and support on energy and climate change to the Caribbean Governments mainly by: fostering the implementation of the UNDP Energy And Environment (E&E) Climate Change Strategy; ensuring the successful implementation of global and regional initiatives with components in the Caribbean; providing  technical support to UNDP-Country Offices (COs), and national decision makers on climate policies issues related to the post-2012 climate regime in order to strengthen UNDP’s support to national governments in the implementation of global/regional projects and corporate activities related to climate policy.
The key challenge for Caribbean countries is to meet their energy needs in a sustainable way by decreasing fuel dependence, diversifying their energy matrix incorporating renewable energy sources, increasing energy efficiency, and taking advantages of carbon market opportunities. In this sense, UNDP seeks to address three major energy challenges: Accessibility; Security and Sustainability. To address these three challenges, UNDP’s energy activities are focused on three key result areas that reflected in the UNDP’s Strategic Plan for 2008-2011:

• Mainstreaming: Integrating energy considerations into national development strategies, including Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs).
• Catalyzing financing: Increasing access to investment financing for sustainable energy from the public and private sectors through the support for market development for sustainable energy technologies, to reduce impacts on climate change.  

Service delivery: Developing and building institutional capacities for expanding access to modern energy services for the poor.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Working to ensure quality services to UNDP’s clients, the consultant works towards advancing UNDP’s credibility in the Energy and climate change areas, ensuring coherence and quality technical advice in this area with specific emphasis on Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Working under the direct supervision of the Chief of the Regional Centre – Port of Spain Office and the Energy and Environment Practice Team Leader in the LAC RSC in Panama; the incumbent will also work closely with Policy Advisors in the Port of Spain Office and Panama Regional Centre. The consultant will be in charge of

Deliverables:

Provision of advocacy, policy advice, and programming services (60%):

• Support policy dialogue with relevant stakeholders with regard to the catalyzing role of energy services and energy security in development and poverty alleviation and its linkages with Climate Change
• Provide analytical and advisory services support to the design, formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs with focus on energy-climate change poverty; including access to modern energy services, promotion of energy efficiency, renewable energy
• Contribute to developing and strengthening the capacities of regional and national counterparts for the design, implementation of energy policies that incorporate poverty and environmental concerns;
• Contribute to the timely provision of guidance and support to Caribbean COs in their engagement in the climate change policy dialogue at national and regional level, with key partners such as governments, donors, civil society.
• This will include providing, in close coordination with the COs, policy advice to the processes of the National Communications to the UNFCCC;
• Build capacity of the government in programming energy and climate change related resources and provide advice on the effective use and management of different energy - climate financing mechanisms;
• Work with UNDP Country Offices, national and international partners to consolidate project proposals for  resource mobilization in the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean Countries
• Contribute to the sustainability of the energy projects and programs implemented by Country Offices, ensuring linkages with climate Change;
• Provide substantive technical and intellectual inputs to national low carbon development strategies and plans in close cooperation with COs, ensuring energy access is integrated when possible;
• Provide climate change advisory services to colleagues from all practice teams of the sub-regional centre of T&T and develop CC policy advisory capacities of management and officers in UNDP country officers;
• Ensure the successful implementation of projects and programs related to energy access and climate change in the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean Countries by:
• Developing annual work plans and budgets and reporting on their implementation status; 
  Preparing Terms of References (TORs) for inputs (individual and institutional consultancy services, organization of training, workshops, etc.) with expert technical support, as required;
• Supervising contracted consultants and institutions, and evaluating their performance in delivering outputs as described in their ToRs, ensuring inputs are processed in a timely and transparent manner;
• Ensuring technical backstopping to national and regional activities is provided in a timely manner and according to appropriate standard.

Develop Research and Content Development (15%):

• Promote and contribute to the analysis of energy - poverty – environmental linkages in energy policies, programs and projects, the economics of climate change and natural disaster impacts
• Monitor trends, good practices and case evidence the energy and climate change policies, and programs in the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean countries

Support Advocacy (15%)

• Contribute to the development and strengthening of strategic partnerships with governments, other UN agencies and other important actors in Energy Policies and climate change for developing regional analysis of energy policies, and the impacts of climate change in the Caribbean.
• Support the development of a community of practice in Energy and Climate Change ensuring the involvement of private, governmental and academic sector
• Ensure Coordination (10%)
• Work closely with the Environmental-Energy and Poverty Clusters in Panama to develop annual work plans, monitor and report progress in line with strategic goals of the Environmental and Energy Practice.
• Coordinate and manage information flow between COs, RSC & HQ on the regional portfolio and climate change policy related issues;

Corporate

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP´s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP; and
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional

• Minimum 5 years national/international working experience in economic analysis or/and development of energy policies and projects
• A sound understanding of the economic, environmental and development dimensions of climate change and energy use in middle-income countries and SIDS
• Knowledge of broader energy sector issues including drivers and determinants of energy demand and supply from an economic perspective, regulatory
• Proven professional credibility, as well as working experience in a governmental, multilateral or civil society organization, in developing countries
• Ability to work effectively with senior government officials, representatives of international agencies, and the private sector
• Strong team skills, including demonstrated teamwork and experience working with multidisciplinary teams
• Ability to work flexibly on a range of assignments, adjust to and prioritize a variety of complex and evolving tasks and manages complexities

Management and Operational Effectiveness:

• Knowledge and expertise in UNDP´s programming processes
• Demonstrated well developed organizational skills
• Focuses and understand client needs and results
• Promotes knowledge management and learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example
• Provides constructive coaching and feedback

Knowledge Management

• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture

Education:

• Academic qualifications of at least the level of a Master’s Degree, in economics, energy, international development or other related field with training that supports technical and economic skills

Experience:

• Familiarity with the MDGs and the linkages between energy and climate change – MDGs;
• At least 5 years of overall relevant professional experience in the area of economic analysis or energy and climate change;
• Experience in working with national governments and agencies on climate change and or wwork experience from a developing country context. Knowledge and experience in Small Island States will be an assess;
• Demonstrated experience in writing effective reports and communicating in public and in network building;
• Excellent knowledge and relevant work experience in project management related topics;
• Knowledge of all thematic areas of the climate change (i.e., the Bali Road Map building blocks;
• Knowledge of energy-climate change development focus of UNDP, UN agencies, and-or multilateral development financial institution;
• Work experience with UNDP. Knowledge of UNDP policies and procedures is desirable;
• Experience in working and collaborating with high-level government officials on climate change.

Language requirements

• Fluency in English (both written and verbal.). Working knowledge of Spanish will be an asset. Knowledge of other UN official language is desirable

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Reporting and Supervision

The selected vendor will report to UNDP Chief of the Regional Centre – Port of Spain Office and the Energy and Environment Practice Team Leader in the LAC RSC in Panama according to the instructions to be provided.

Regime For Payment of Fees

The professionals who submit an expression of interest for this consultancy should set their expectations in a lump sum in dollars of the United States of America.

• The contract signed as special services agreement does not involve any fees in advance at the beginning of the consultancy.
• Qualified candidates who are interested in the above position are invited to submit their application, in English or Spanish, attaching a UN Personal History Form not later than September 9th 2010.
• To: rc.lac.vacancy@undp.org 
• Subject: CONSULTANT Energy – Millennium Development Goals
• Please note that applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
• Only short-listed qualified candidates will receive an acknowledgement.