United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)
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JOB DESCRIPTION
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and the rule of law. Under the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in close coordination with other UN agencies, UNDP supports the Afghan people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, and sustainability. UNDP is currently implementing its flagship crisis response programmed, ABADEI (Area Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives), as part of the ongoing UN-led response to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and the breakdown of Afghanistan’s economy following the August 2021 shift in power and subsequent early recovery and stabilization.
Energy poverty affects the quality of lives of women and men differently in varying degrees and impacts their health, employment, and many basic services. Currently, the demand for energy in the country far exceeds its supply, the transmission and distribution grid are unreliable, and load shedding and outages of electricity supply are common. Many provinces are not connected to the grid and are therefore largely served through local diesel generating units that increase the costs of supply. Thus, lack of access is linked to affordable energy and impedes economic, social, and educational opportunities for the poor and rural residents.
The Federal Republic of Germany has made available funds to the project “Sustainable energy services for education and health in Afghanistan (SESEHA)” of UNDP through KFW, Germany’s State-owned Investment and Development Bank. The key objective of the project SESEHA is adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in public facilities (primarily in health and education sectors) for sustained delivery of essential services for basic human needs in Afghanistan. This proposed project will contribute to better energy access and enables improvements in basic energy supply services in the stated sectors.
The project is aligned with UNDP’s signature solution on Energy and is further conceptualized in the priority area of sustained essential services of the UN’s Strategic Framework for Afghanistan 2023-2025 that directly contributes to the two outcomes: Outcome 1: By the end of 2025, more people in Afghanistan, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized, including women and girls have their basic human needs progressively met through the sustained delivery of essential services. Outcome 2: By the end of 2025, people in Afghanistan, especially women, youth, and other marginalized groups, and those at risk of being left behind benefit from a more equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient employment-rich economy and shared economic opportunities with enhanced productive capacities for improved livelihoods and decent work.
- Assist the Energy Technical Specialist in providing technical support to the project implementation.
- Provide the analysis for the technical inputs of the project annual work plan, procurement plan, and project progress reports including quarterly progress report QPR and annual report.
- Present project in technical working group meetings with different stakeholders including donors and relevant actors working in the energy sector.
- Assist in scoping baselines through desk review, approaches on prioritization, determination of criteria, methodology, technical design, costing, environmental social standard ESS, including strategic environmental assessment SEA, screening, and gender-responsiveness of the facility, for preparing a longlist of facilities;
- Provide the assistance for technical inputs to develop the project annual work plan, procurement plan, and project progress reports including quality progress report QPR and annual report;
- Assist in providing technical support on the methodologies, design, specifications, for evaluation/validation of pre-feasibility findings for the actual selection of the sites for project interventions;
- Support the facilities by applying technical criteria for shortlisting of the facilities and carry out pre- feasibility for the shortlist for final selection including the preparation of recommended specifications.
- Provide the assistant and technical support on the energy audit and assessment using IoT device for energy consumption;
- Work closely with the GIS specialist in local profile and building assessment;
- Provide technical assistance to the consulting firms related to SES/GRM so that they can organize national/regional training workshops, and run other capacity-development-related events;
- Assist in supporting the implementation of M&E framework for the solar energy activities, in close coordination with the UNDP M&E Officer, according to UNDP rules and regulations, and standards for donor reporting;
- Conduct spot checks and field visits to project location sites.
B. Provide technical inputs and analysis to the project annual work plan, procurement plan, and project progress reports including quarterly progress report (QPR) and annual report
- Work closely with procurement specialist on need assessment and procurement strategies, including providing the accurate and detailed technical specification of the solar system;
- Verify the availability of project data and progress for timely reporting;
- Assists, prepares, the substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for joint initiatives, recommend approaches to the management team in terms of recommended activities;
- Prepare reports in English and local language on project activities, for internal and external audiences such as UNDP management and donors;
- Verify the contracting process of implementing partners and contractors, including budget, work plans and capacity assessments, according to UNDP rules and regulations;
- Provide the assistance to support the diversification of renewable energy approaches through innovation model.
- Attend and coordinate with technical working group meetings with different stakeholders including donors and relevant actors working in the energy sector;
- Provide assistance and contribute to the stakeholder engagement plan development and implementation;
- Work closely with the UNDP gender focal point, SES specialist and the IRMU (Integration Risk Management Unit) on environmental and social risk management issues.
The Energy Analyst will work closely with the Energy Technical Specialist, and will report directly to the SESEHA Project Manager, UNDP Afghanistan Country office in Kabul.
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership.
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.
Functional/Technical competencies
Business Management
- Results‐based programmer development: Effectively managing core and non‐core resources to achieve organizational results. Moving from basic research to programme/project management, to programme design and conceptual leadership.
Business Development
- Innovation and marketing new approaches: Enhancing existing processes or products. Developing original and innovative ideas and approaches. Influencing others within UN and outside, to adopt new approaches. Creating a culture of innovation and change.
2030 Agenda: Peace
- Nature, Climate, and Energy: Energy efficiency concepts, renewable energy, access to energy; technologies and practical application.
2030 Agenda: Peace
- Nature, Climate, and Energy: Energy access in crisis settings Knowledge of energy access concepts and/or issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations of climate change.
Business Management
- Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.
Business Development
- Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
Business Management
- Verbal and written communication: Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing to convey key facts and findings.
- Master’s degree in Electrical/Civil engineering, Environmental Management or any other related field.
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
- Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in Renewable Energy, On-grid and Off-grid Solar Energy System, or any other related field, including solid experience in coordinating and implementing PV projects.
Required skills:
- Hand on experience on renewable energy design and implantation;
- Experience in providing technical support in renewable energy-related projects with accountability for project performance;
- Strong knowledge of photovoltaic system design (renewable energy) and optimizing system components for energy production in Off-grid and rooftop Solar energy systems;
- Experience in energy consumption and data collection is required.
Desired skills:
- Practical use of AutoCAD, Pvsys, PVSol, or related software will be an added advantage.
- Good capacity for communicating with people from different backgrounds and positions, as well as with local and national stakeholders and authorities.
Language:
- Proficiency in oral and written English is required.
- Fluency in Pashtu or Dari is required.
Professional Certificates
- Having Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or any other related field will be an asset.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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