Consultancy: International Consultant, Renewable Energy Expert – CERP Section, PD, NYHQ/Home based – Req # 539037

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope.

Consultancy Title: International Consultant – Renewable Energy Expert

Section/Division/Duty Station: Climate, Environment, Resilience and Peacebuilding (CERP) Section, Programme Division, Home Based

Duration: 1 May – 31 Oct 2021(part-time, 100 work days)

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Electricity is an important enabler and dramatically improves the quality, accessibility and reliability of education, healthcare and WASH services for children.  There are positive correlations between electricity access, health and education outcomes. In emergencies such as COVID 19, electricity in healthcare facilities is especially critical to treat patients, operate lifesaving medical devices and to meet cooling needs of the vaccine cold chain.  Similarly, reliance on remote learning and technology-based solutions that support continuous learning also rely on access to electricity, especially in rural areas, to address the risks of growing inequities. Access to modern, reliable energy also supports children and young people with person learning in school by enabling lighting, heating, ventilation, clean water supply, sanitation and hygiene services, cooking school meals, especially in areas that are not connected to reliable electricity grids.

Despite its importance, electricity access is often an overlooked building block of quality health and educational services. Some of the solutions to increase energy access in healthcare and educational facilities include extending the grid network, or connecting to decentralized solutions such as mini-grids or stand-alone solar PV systems, to ensure adequate service delivery. Decentralized solar energy solutions are promising options that can also simultaneously transform the sectors to a low carbon and climate resilient development pathway. This is a powerful benefit to children in the face of a changing climate and degrading environment.  There are limitations, however, in the form of limited data and market information on a granular (national and sub-national) level to understand the access gap, the demand for energy based on type and size of schools, healthcare facility, the cost of providing electricity, willingness to pay, the most appropriate delivery models and best sustainability measures including long term operations and maintenance (O&M) which is a major challenge.

UNICEF’s Section for Climate, Environment, Resilience, and Peace (CERP) contributes to Goal Area 4 “Every child lives in a safe and clean environment” of the Strategic Plan (2017-2021). Within the CERP Section, the Climate, Environment, Energy, and DRR (CEED) team in close collaboration with UNICEF HQ, Regional and Country Offices is committed to scaling up sustainable energy integration into UNICEF programme priority areas (e.g. WASH, Health and Education sectors) with a goal of accomplishing positive social and climate benefits for children.

Objective of the consultancy: The overall objective of the consultancy is to support the development of a standardized energy demand assessment toolkit for UNICEF to provide a comprehensive understanding of energy demand of healthcare facilities and schools in a defined geographic area (e.g. country, province, etc.). The consultant will take stock and consolidate existing data, evidence, identify gaps, and under the supervision of the CEED team support UNICEF regional and country offices in undertaking energy demand assessments and pertinent analysis. The consultant will support the CEED team in delivering on existing and any potential partnerships in a market shaping exercise for the most appropriate and cost-effective energy service delivery models for healthcare and educational facilities. 

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

To deliver on the above objective, the selected Consultant will undertake the following tasks, over a period of 6 months:

1. Stock-take existing data, information and tools to define energy demand of healthcare facilities and schools (20%):

• Desk review and map existing data, data sources relevant to energy demand, energy access of healthcare facilities and schools (regional, national and sub-national levels). Extract socio-economic and other relevant data. Compile and classify data in a database (for select geographies).
• Map ongoing initiatives by other entities (e.g. GAVI, SE4All, UNHCR, UNDP, UN Habitat, WHO, World Bank, UNESCO etc.); review relevant documents, publications, other secondary literature to consolidate relevant data, information as well as methodologies/approaches successfully employed.
• Drawing from the above, consolidate a comprehensive inventory of existing data and information. Conduct a gap analysis to identify the gaps in data/information, and recommend approaches to fill the gaps.

2. Develop Toolkit for Demand Assessment and Identify Typologies for UNICEF Engagement (60%)

• Formulate technical guidance/methodology for country offices on conducting energy demand assessments to ensure harmonized country level assessments. This work should build upon existing approaches including those developed for UNICEF internal operations and country programmes such as Malawi, Zimbabwe, Kenya, etc. consider UNICEF products/markets analysis framework – affordability, willingness to pay for both cost of electricity services as well as long term O&M, availability, product and technology appropriateness, quality, market competition, delivery channels, and funding security) at select regions and geographies.
• Support in the roll out of the toolkit and subsequent refinement eluate health and education benefits in children owing to increase in sustainable energy access, identify indicators and recommend monitoring methodology to track health and education outcomes in children. Evaluate climate benefit (carbon and climate resilience) in public institutions due to increased energy access.
• Under the supervision of the CEED team, support the roll out of the toolkit in select geographies and in subsequent refinement of the toolkit. Where needed, provide technical advice and backstopping support to UNICEF regional and country offices towards country level energy demand assessments of healthcare facilities and schools.
• Develop typologies for UNICEF engagements in promoting sustainable energy access based upon market segments uncovered during the energy demand assessment; e.g. purchaser of power, stakeholder convening for private sector involvement, IFI engagement, policy linkages, etc. 

3. Technical backstopping support to the CEED team in content development, data and analysis, and undertaking related tasks associated with ongoing and prospective collaborations with partners (20%)

• Support content development, formulation of investment cases, flagship case studies, advocacy and policy briefs, etc. on the interlinkages of sustainable energy with UNICEF core sectors including Health, Education, WASH, etc.
• Support tasks associated with ongoing and prospective collaboration with partners.

Qualifications

(1) Education

Advanced university degree in relevant areas such as renewable energy, renewable energy / climate change finance/economics, environmental sciences/management/economics, engineering.

2) Work experience

• A minimum of 10 years professional experience in renewable energy and finance (preferably in off grid energy access, solar sector) at global and regional levels required;
• Specialized working experience in energy demand assessments and developing tools, data analysis, socio-economic analysis, identifying innovative business models to leverage public and private sector engagement is preferred;
• Experience in off grid renewable energy access in UNICEF core priority sectors including Health, Education, WASH, Social Policy is an asset.

3) Competencies

• Ability to coordinate, convene stakeholders and report in a timely manner;
• Excellent organizational skill, service-mind, punctual, self-motivated, proactive, reliable and demonstrated ability to work in harmony with government, private sector and staff members of different national backgrounds;
• Respect for the principles of UNICEF;
• Excellent report writing skills; and Strong communication skills including and presentation skills; and,
• Proven capability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.

Requirements:

• Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.