TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)

CHIEF TECHNICAL ADVISOR TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT:

“Low Carbon Development Path (LCDP): Promoting energy efficient applications and solar photovoltaic technologies in streets, outdoor areas and public buildings in island communities nationwide”

Application Type: / External Vacancy
Job Title: / Chief Technical Advisor to support the project: “Low Carbon Development Path (LCDP): Promoting energy efficient applications and solar photovoltaic technologies in streets, outdoor areas and public buildings in island communities nationwide”
Location: / Roseau, Dominica
Category: / Environment and Energy
Additional Category : / Resilience and Climate Change
Application Deadline: / 2ndJanuary 2018
Type of contract: / Individual Contract/ International Consultant
Expected starting date: / September 2017from the date of Cabinet approval
Expected duration of assignment: / 31 December 2019

BACKGROUND

The Commonwealth of Dominica has some of the world’s highest electricity costs due to its dependence on fossil power generation. This jeopardises the country’s potential and image for environmentally sound development that is in line with its reputation as the “nature island”, and is socially inclusive and economically feasible. Past attempts to strengthen low carbon development have not taken root due to aforementioned threats and root causes and barriers. The current development trajectory of Dominica, especially with regards to meeting growing energy demand, is not sustainable with the consequences of increasing poverty in the country.

While Dominica has policies, strategies and plans to encourage low carbon development, there are barriers to its realization including:

  • No detailed action plans for the development of renewable energy (RE) sources and energy efficient (EE) appliances (notwithstanding the action plans in the National Sustainable Energy Plan (NSEP) and the existing detailed plans for geothermal development);
  • Lack of standards for the importation of RE and EE equipment and its installation using best practices;
  • Utility-driven cap on RE development (2.5 MW) that does not address potential for higher intermittent renewable energy (IRE) penetration to the national grid;
  • No policy on feed-in tariff to safeguard cost recovery of IPPs feeding into the national grid.

Under the country’s Low Carbon Climate Resilience Strategy (LCCRS) of 2012 and its NSEP, there is no detailed sustainable energy action plan that would allow policy makers to define the pace of RE development in terms of annual installed capacity. The lack of such a detailed plan is somewhat attributable to the government’s focus on geothermal energy development and associated uncertainties of implementation dates. As a consequence, the government has given insufficient attention to the development of RE and EE installations other than on geothermal developments. The availability of such a plan would assist policymakers and programme implementers in framing supportive government policies to encourage RE and EE development, determine resources and personnel required for implementation, the expected costs of RE-related equipment (i.e. solar-PV equipment, hydropower equipment, etc) required and the potential employment generation for local youth and other local skilled vocational trades.

There are a series of financial barriers that restrain the public sector from making investments in RE and EE including:

  • Investments in RE or EE not being factored into public sector capital expenditure or operating budgets;
  • The high upfront cost of RE and EE investments that do not have immediate or highly visible benefits notwithstanding their benefits of reducing public sector electricity consumption and reducing electricity bills;
  • Renewable energy and energy efficiency are outside of the core expertise area of most public sector entities. EE and RE investments have long-term impacts that require thoughtful evaluation of the financial trade-offs, risks, and opportunities. Time-strapped public servants are often constrained by limited budgets for considering RE and EE investments, and do not make the necessary time investments for evaluation of RE and EE investments;
  • Alternate public sector financing vehicles for RE and EE, such as Energy Performance Contracting and Third Party Ownership models, have been untested in Dominica.

For private consumers, the upfront investment cost of purchasing RE and making EE building retrofits is either prohibitive for many potential customers or requires them to secure debt financing. Since the lending market for RE and EE is relatively young in Dominica, many financial institutions lack a full understanding of the risks, opportunities, and paybacks of investments. This leads to the structuring of lending terms that are not optimally structured for RE and EE investments. This can lead to high interest rates, collateral requirements or short tenors which lead many consumers to decide that a loan is not worthwhile. This situation proves especially challenging for the lowest income groups who lack access to finance and where savings in electricity costs could be especially beneficial.

The objective of the LCDP Project is the removal of the policy, technical and financial barriers to energy-efficient applications and solar photovoltaic technologies in Dominica’s streets, outdoor areas and public buildings nationwide, initially targeting up to five (5) communities, tentatively including (new) Dubique, Boetica, Roseau, Portsmouth and Salybia for further scale up.

To ensure effective and efficient implementation of the project, a Chief Technical Advisor(CTA) for LCDP Project is being recruited to provide advice as stipulated in the specific Terms of Reference outlined below. The CTA will be responsible for providing overall technical backstopping to the Project. He/She will render technical support to the National Project Coordinator (NPC), staff, the Project Board and other government counterparts. The Chief Technical Advisor will be an experienced expatriate. He/She will report directly to the NPC and may consult with the UNDP Resident Representative, and/or National Project Director, in case of conflict or delicate issues.

DUties and responsibilities

With the support of, and under the supervision of the UNDP Programme Manager based in Barbados, the National Project Director and National Project Coordinator based in Dominica, the Chief Technical Adviser (CTA)retained for the LCDP project will provide technical support towards achieving the following outcomes:

  • Component 1: Institutional and technical knowledge, awareness and capacity for EE applications and renewable energy technologies (RETs)
  • Component 2: Policy measures and enforcement of EE applications and RETs
  • Component 3: Financing options and mechanisms for EE applications and RET diffusion

Summary of key functions

The primary role of the CTA is to provide technical support to the Environmental Coordinating Unit (as the implementing entity), Project Steering Committee (PSC) and the National Project Coordinator (NPC), among others, assisting in the implementation of the activities that are to be executed the LCDP project. He/She will also provide guidance on the day-to-day implementation of the Project activities and on parallel co-financing initiatives, as needed.

The CTA will be supported primarily by the Project Management Unit (PMU), which will consist of the Project Coordinator, a Low Carbon Officer and an Administrative Assistant.

specific duties and responsibilities

  • Provide technical and management oversight for project activities as required and recommend actions that focus work plans on achieving key milestones in a timely manner;
  • Recommend special expertise to be deployed on the Project to assist in its achievement of key milestones;
  • Provide the interface between the Project team and key specialist consultants and consulting firms;
  • Ensure that technical contracts meet the highest standards; provide input into development of Terms of Reference for sub-contracts, assist with selection process, recommend best approaches, provide technical peer function to sub-contractors; provide training and backstopping where necessary
  • Assess the baseline conditions for capital financing of RE projects and RET diffusion programs;
  • Closely assess EPC arrangement for financing public capital works for RE and EE projects;
  • Determine details for feasible financial mechanisms for scaling-up RE investments in Dominica in concert with the fund disbursement conditions of the CCTF;
  • In close collaboration with the National Project Director, NPM and the LCO:

Provide a baseline for skills and absorptive capacity within ECU, the Energy Unit and other relevant GoCD agencies to promote and regulate RE development, and with prospective personnel within the proposed Department of Climate Change, Environment and Natural Resource Management (DoCCENRM) and Climate Change Trust Fund (CCTF) Secretariat to manage the CCTF and disbursement of funds for RE and EE scale-up; and

Design and deliver appropriate training materials and workshops on green building codes (based on the CDB regional green building codes), RE and EE planning, design, implementation, operation and maintenance as well as financing of RE/EE projects;

Provide technical assistance in defining the roles and responsibilities of various positions under the proposed Organizational Structure for the of Climate Change, Environment and Natural Resource Management (DoCCENRM), including:

Review of proposed structure

Review of existing roles

Desk Study of best practices in establishing institutional arrangements

Recommendations on most feasible approaches for Dominica

Develop draft responsibilities/ job descriptions for each proposed position (namely Energy Advisor, Legal Policy Advisor, Public Awareness Officer, Environmental Enforcement Officer, Climate Change Trust Fund Officers, EIA Officer)

Recommendations for how each new position will be funded

Recommendations for ensuring financial sustainability of the Department

  • Provide technical assistance in the setup of the operational rules and regulations of the ECU as the DoCCENRM;
  • Provide technical assistance for the design of the Climate Change Trust Fund, charter, rules and implementing regulations, institutional arrangement, policies, and plan for continuity and scaling up financing, using best practices from other countries, including direct access modalities to secure support for RE and EE programs from the Green Climate Funds;
  • Provide technical and strategic assistance to the NPC and other counterparts in areas of project planning, management and implementation, of the technical assistance components of the project, including development of annual and multiyear work plans, terms of reference for consultants, monitoring progress, providing quality assurance for outputs, and ensuring that annual, mid-term and end-of- project targets will be met against indicators;
  • Support the NPC in coordinating the work of all consultants and sub- contractors, ensuring timely and quality delivery of expected outputs, effective synergy among the various sub-contracted activities, and integration of project outputs into Government work;
  • Provide work plan and oversight for local procurement, assembly and commissioning teams to facilitate operation of RE investments.

Project management and monitoring

  • Provide hands-on support to the NPC, project staff and other government counterparts in the areas of project management and planning, management of site activities, impact assessment, monitoring and final evaluation of the project;
  • Assist the NPC in the preparation and revision of the Management Plan as well as Annual Work Plans;
  • Assist the NPC in monitoring the technical quality of project M&E systems (including AWPs, indicators and targets);
  • Assist the NPC in adjusting the project Results Framework, as required and in line with corporate requirements;
  • Coordinate preparation of the periodic Status Report when called for by the NPC;
  • Assist the NPC in the preparation of the Combined Project Implementation Review/Annual Project Report (PIR/APR), inception report, technical reports, quarterly financial reports for submission to UNDP, UNEP, the GEF, other donors and Government Departments, as required;
  • Assist and supervise the project phasing out required activities such as project final evaluation, completion report as required.

OUTPUTS/EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

The consultant will provide the following reports according to UNDP format

  1. Progressive reports after every mission or major activity undertaken by theconsultant.
  2. Final compiled report which incorporates the comments from REMA, UNDP andUNEP focal points. This report should be between 30-50 pages.

Qualifications and experience

Education
  • Advanced university degree (at least M. Sc. or equivalent) in the area of Environmental Law/Policy, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Economics or any other relevant university degree.
Experience
  • At least 10 years of professional experience, of which at least 7 are at international level, and 5 are in the field of environmental law, climate change adaptation and mitigation, environmental management, renewable energy;
  • Demonstrated experience as Team Leader in project development, implementation and management;
  • Strong skills in monitoring and evaluation;
  • Proven experience in environmental capacity building and drafting policy/ standards and procedures;
  • Knowledge and understanding of climate change and energy issues in developing countries, including Dominica;
  • Proven experience of at least 5 years in providing technical and management advice on projects in small island developing states, specifically in Dominica is crucial;
  • Practical experience as Team Leader or Chief Technical Adviser in multilateral projects.
Language
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English;
Corporate Competencies
  • Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards – demonstrated previous work experience with UN agencies;
  • Ability to establish and maintain good working relations with colleagues in multi-cultural environment;
  • Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.
In addition, proven experience of the following is desirable:
  • Previous experience with GEF and GEF Agency projects;
  • Experience of working and collaborating with governments, including the Commonwealth of Dominica;
  • Ability to effectively coordinate a large, multidisciplinary team of experts and consultants;
  • Ability to leverage additional technical support for project implementation as needed;
  • Proven experience of consultancy work in the field of Climate Change, particularly policy development, institutional strengthening, capacity building, and establishment of national financial mechanisms;
  • Demonstrated experience in project development, implementation and management in developing nations.

BREAKDOWN OF COSTS SUPPORTING THE ALL-INCLUSIVE FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

Name of Individual: ______

•Breakdown of Cost by Components

Cost Components / Unit Cost / Quantity / Total Rate for the Contract Duration
•Personnel Costs
Professional Fees
Life Insurance
Medical Insurance
Communications
Land Transportation
Others (pls. specify)
•Duty Travel
Round Trip Airfares
Living Allowance
Travel Insurance
Terminal Expenses
Others (pls. specify)
TOTAL (USD)