Green Energy Technical Engineer

The Office of Information Technology (OIMT) plays an active role in provision of Green Energy services, in conjunction with the Procurement Services Unit there has been an increase in demand for the various services. This follows a commitment by UNDP to minimize “...environmental impact of its operations and to achieving overall climate neutrality”. The green energy services, offered mainly to Country Offices, are provided through corporate Long-Term Agreements (LTAs) with selected vendors. OIMT provides technical oversight, advisory, and coordination services from project definition to project commissioning following a defined process. The end-to-end process entails 7 distinct steps (7-Step Solar Solution Process): 

Step 1: Self-Assessment– covers installation of Power Consumption Monitoring & Measurement (PCMM) equipment, and completing an online self-assessment survey, including uploading pictures. 

Step 2: Business Case – entails analysis of collected data, running simulations to come up with suitable solution for a given site, and, eventually, building a business case based on the recommended solution. The business case entails information on approximate payback time, annual savings, CO2 reduction, and total cost of ownership in general. The business case is then presented for decision making by Country Office management. 

Step 3: Procurement and Cost Proposal – entails conducting secondary bidding through an RfQ to the seven LTA holders, evaluation of quotations, and selection of technically suitable solution for a given site. 

Step 4: Oversee Vendor Site Survey – coordinate the site survey in liaison with focal point on site and review site survey report for possible adjustments/improvements 

Step 5: Oversee Vendor Design – review technical design to ensure compliance with expected standards, as part of quality assurance 

Step 6: Oversee the Installation and Commissioning – continuous remote assessment of progress on the ground and review of documentation that forms part of commissioning 

Step 7: Long term Operation and Maintenance with the Local Partner – monitor the system, follow up on outstanding issues, and provide second tier helpdesk services 

Project scope is envisaged to cover above 80 offices across the organization and a number of other UN agencies, project offices, and host government departments. 

The contractor is required to play a significant role as directed by the supervisor, under the overall guidance of the Global ICT Advisor, in achieving the following tasks: 

• Energy Efficiency Audit: conduct energy efficiency audits in offices of interest and compile reports with recommendations. Travel to UNDP office or project site in remote area may be required. Follow up on implementation of recommendations where a budget has been approved; 

• PCMM Roll-out: lead roll out of PCMM devices in liaison with ICT Managers in respective offices. Provide tier 2 technical support, with possibility of escalating to equipment manufacturer; 

• Promoting Adoption of Green Energy: assist in identifying opportunities for implementation of solar PV system and engaging with Country Offices, including possible expansion to project offices; 

• Solar PV Implementation: assist in provision of technical assistance to UNDP offices undergoing solar PV installation, as elaborated in the steps of the implementation process (see Project Description above). This includes review of proposed designs, keeping track of implementation status of each office, and making necessary follow ups with relevant parties;  

• Green Energy Helpdesk: regular monitoring of existing installations and attending to problems as may be reported by focal points or as may be detected from the monitoring systems. Take leadership in production of bi-annual report for allocated installation(s);  

• Green Energy Information: revamp communication materials and web-based platform to disseminate information more effectively, including conducting webinars in liaison with Regional ICT Coordinators. Contribution to actual content is a significant part of this aspect, targeting both technical and non-technical audiences;  

• Corporate Green Energy Initiatives: actively participate in corporate green energy initiatives and forums as may be requested by the supervisor. 

Importance: General energy/power challenges in developing countries, all of which have UNDP presence, has seen an upsurge in demand for sustainable energy solution for Country Offices. Failure to provide adequate and systematic assistance to COs on green energy adoption will compromise on value for money and consequently impact negatively on programme delivery. Risk for the recipient of our services is high, in case of emergency, crisis, or a prolonged power blackout in a given office location. 

Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor 

• Master’s Degree in Energy Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or related field with at least 3 months’ exposure in a similar capacity/environment; 

• UN work experience will be an added advantage; 

• Proficiency in spoken and written English is required; 

• Knowledge of a second UN language will be an added advantage. 

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer.

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents in their applications to demonstrate their qualifications: 

1. Cover/Motivation Letter, which includes: 

   • Brief description of your approach to the assignment;  

   • UN or NGO experience in a technical area; 

   • Exposure to use of solar PV-related simulation software. 

2. UNDP Personal History Form (P11) signed and/or Curriculum Vitae (CV) 

In addition to minimum requirements, the following criteria will be used to select the best candidate for consultancy: 

• Motivation/Technical Criteria, 70%; 

• Financial Criteria (daily fee), 30%. 

Only candidates meeting the technical requirements will be contacted and considered for the next stage in the recruitment process, which is and Interview and the Financial Evaluation. Contract will be awarded to the technically qualified consultant who obtains the highest combined score (financial and technical).