Task Leader under UNDP GEF Project

The building sector in Romania is dominated by residential buildings that are generally old and have poor thermal performance, with average annual heating requirements of 137-220 kWh/m2. Pilot projects in Romania have shown that it is possible to reduce cost-effectively heating needs by at least 40-50%. Nevertheless, the rehabilitation of these poorly energy-efficient buildings is taking place at a very slow pace. In addition, new construction in poorer households in rural areas is dominated by the use of energy inefficient materials with “Do-It-Yourself” projects resulting in inefficient, sub-standard dwellings which will not meet standards according to the European Performance in Buildings Directive.

This project will work to dismantle the barriers to the implementation of energy efficiency measures among poorer households and in poorer communities in Romania, working to alleviate fuel poverty. The project will act at a national and local level to address energy efficiency needs, develop appropriate policy measures, stimulate an on-going market for locally-produced, energy efficient building materials, build capacity for implementation of energy efficiency measures in poorer regions, and implement real energy efficiency improvements to improve the lives of 110,620 people and reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by 666,800 tons of CO2eq.

Under the programmatic guidance of the Head of Energy and Environment Section, the Task Leader will liaise with project partners and support the Project Management Unit (PMU) within MDRT in the overall implementation of the project activities. In this respect, the Task Leader will:

• Draft (and update, as the case may be) the Annual Work Plans in close consultations with the project partners, PMU-MDRT,UNDP and the Senior Technical Advisor;
• Supervise/initiate the mobilization of goods and services to initiate activities;
• Based on input from Project team, draft the TORs for national and international consultants, local project staff, for the activities in the project document expected to be delivered at national and local level;
• Coordinate and supervise the team of consultants and project staff through timely follow up and support local ensuring the timely submission of quality key results and implementation of activities;
• In collaboration with the Senior Technical Advisor, manage the implementation of the project tasks through the planned activities and monitor progress against the quality indicators;
• Assist the PMU in monitoring  activities as determined in the Project Monitoring Plan, and updates as required;  
• Initiate and supervise the procurement of goods and services from UNDP side as required;
• Coordinate the set-up of a stakeholders data base under the PMU, closely engage with the relevant stakeholders in the field, primarily with the line ministries and local authorities in the project pilot areas, private sector and NGO community;
• Assists the PMU in  monitoring financial resources, to ensure accuracy and reliability of the financial reports prepared by the PMU;
• Assist the PMU and the Senior Technical Advisor in preparing the Project Progress Report and Financial Reports (progress against planned activities, update on Risks and Issues, expenditures);
• Assist the PMU in preparing the Annual Project Implementation Review Report – PIR;
• Prepare Annual Work Plans jointly with the PMU, the Senior Technical Advisor and UNDP;
• Work with the Communication Officer and other PR/media experts recruited by the project to ensure the timely and relevant development of information material  and wide dissemination and visibility of project achievements at the national and regional level;
• Supervise the organization of training workshops in close collaboration with the relevant project partners;
• Work closely with the project team, PMU, local coordinators, consultants, and contractors to supervise the rehabilitation works in the pilot areas including those aiming at stimulating the local market development for sustainable building materials.

• Profound knowledge of methods to assess, design and implement development projects
• Strong leadership and  ability to manage complex, multi-sector undertakings of this type involving a large multi-disciplinary team
• Familiarity with energy efficiency sector and technologies, international cooperation, training and capacity building needs in Romania.
• Strong analytical, drafting and interpersonal and communication skills
• Excellent networking and negotiation skills
• Willingness to travel outside Bucharest and work with project partners and local authorities
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), experience in handling of web based management systems

Education:

• Masters  or equivalent in  economics, business/ public administration, engineering,  or a project-relevant area (e.g. environment, energy efficiency, GHG mitigation, etc)
• Additional training in the area of energy efficiency with particular focus on building sector, GHG mitigation, project management would be an asset

Work experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience at the national and/or international level in project management in the energy and/or environment field involving a significant element of community engagement and capacity building in the public and private sectors
• Previous experience in development assistance or related work for a donor organization, governmental institutions, NGO or private sector / consulting firm is a strong advantage

Languages:

• The consultant must be fluent in written and oral communication in English and Romanian.