Solar Systems Technical Evaluation Consultant

The recent crisis in Yemen has reached unprecedented levels of intensity which has exacerbated income losses, rising goods and commodities prices, leading to a significant decrease of households’ purchasing power endangering their abilities to meet basic needs. The average monthly expenditures for each family is spent on basic needs such as staples, water, medicines and gas. Price increases (gas prices increased more than four-fold, and water trucking three-fold) have fueled negative coping mechanisms such as sale of household’s assets (cattle and jewelry) that can trigger dangerous asset depletion and additional descent into poverty. Six months into the crisis, over a quarter of businesses had already closed, and half of businesses managed by women had also closed thereby highlighting an unequal impact of the crisis.

The overall objective of the ERRY project is to enhance the resilience and self-reliance of crisis-affected rural communities through support to livelihoods stabilisation and recovery, local governance and improved access to sustainable energy. ERRY is an ambitious programme which will be articulated through the achievement of two outcomes:

•    Outcome 1: Communities are better able to manage local risks and shocks for increased economic self-reliance and enhanced social cohesion.

•    Outcome 2: Institutions are responsive, accountable and effective to deliver services, build the social contract and meet community identified needs.

ERRY’s target groups is focused on the most vulnerable such as women, the unemployed, youth, the Muhamasheen (a socio-economically marginalized group found in the peripheries of urban centers), internally displaced persons (IDPs) and stressed host communities, using inclusive, participatory and conflict-sensitive tools to mobilise and involve them in the proposed activities.

The solar energy component aims to build community energy resilience in the target areas. Through its interventions it enhances community-based access and application of sustainable solar energy across rural communities in the project targeted areas. Priority has be given to rural basic services such as health, education, communal services, market places and so forth that contribute and build community energy resilience. It also promotes application and spreading of the use of solar water pumps in the agriculture sector within a comprehensive package including use of efficient water irrigation system. Furthermore, it will encourage micro solar-based business development through supporting the UNDP 3x6 beneficiaries of the project in the target areas to venture in solar energy related businesses. As such the solar energy intervention is directly building rural community resilience complementing other areas of works undertaken through the ERRY joint programme.

UNDP seeks to recruit a national consultant to: -

Prepare technical evaluation for the bidder’s proposal against UNDP technical specification.
provide technical inputs to the final evaluation process and submit the final report of the evaluation.
Technically evaluate and analysis the submitted proposals.
Performs other duties as assigned.

To review all the proposals against the ITB document and provide first draft report.

Due date: 4 days.

To review and amend comment from the UNDP project manager and to finalize the report.

Due date: 7 days

To Provide final report

Due date: 10 days

To answer any clarification request from UNDP Procurement and its committee.

Due date: during the contract period.

Payment terms : 100% after delivery of the above mentioned tasks.

 Time and Method of payment:

· Payment shall be provided upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables outlined in the table above. Payment requests submitted by the Consultant must be certified by the supervisor(s) 

· Payments are to be made within 30 days from receipt of invoice.

· a certification of payment needs to be signed and approved by the direct supervisor (ERRY PM) attached to it explaining the accomplishment of the tasks.

Key Performance Indicators during implementation of Services:

Overall, the Consultant’s performance will be evaluated based on the following key criteria:

· Planning and Organizing skill: Identifies priority activities and assignments; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently.

· Communication skill: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

· Client Orientation skill: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Meets time line for delivery of product or services to client.

· Quality of deliveries: Professional skill required for delivering outputs will be assessed.

· Satisfactory and timely completion of tasks and submission of the deliverables within the provision of above explained deliverables and outputs. Upon signing of the contract, a detailed work plan will be prepared by the experts with activities, outputs and performance indicators and to be agreed with the supervisor as implementation follow ups and performance yardsticks.

REMUNERATION

The consultant selected will be hired under a lump-sum contract, where all costs (per diem, communications, taxes etc.) are included.

Institutional Arrangement: The successful consultant(s) will report directly to the ERRY Solar Specialist.
UNDP will supervise, evaluate and manage the work of the service provider and make any necessary contractual decisions, while other authorities and entities identified above will only have a consultative role.
Payment will be release  when reports, documents produced by the implementing partner have been reviewed and endorsed by UNDP Yemen as having met the required standard.

Functional Skills:

• Demonstrated ability of analytical and drafting work.
• Familiarity with computers and word processing (WORD, EXCEL, Power Point)
• Very Good in English.
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.
• Self-reliant and able to work as a part of a multi-cultural team in a stressful situation .

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity 
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
• Self-development, initiative-taking
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others.
• Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Informed and transparent decision making.

Professionalism:

· Shows pride in work and in achievements, is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Remains calm in stressful situations.

 Communication:

· Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Planning and Organizing:

· Identifies priority activities and assignments; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work, Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently.

Client Orientation:

· Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect, Meets time line for delivery of product or services to client.

Teamwork:

· Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals; Builds consensus for task purpose and direction with team members; Supports and acts in accordance with final group decisions, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position.

Facilities:

1. Office Facility:

· UNDP will not provide office facilities during this assignment.

· The consultant is expected to bring his/her laptop with him/her.

· Consultant is expected to come well-equipped with his/her own technological solutions (i.e. roaming mobile, personal email address).

1. Office Supplies and Printing Facilities: UNDP will not provide office supplies or printing facilities during this assignment.
2.  Communication Facilities: UNDP will not provide access to internet during this assignment and missions, except when the consultants is presented inside the UNDP office premises.

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIANCE

• University degree or related to electricity, mechanical and electronics studies.
• At least 2 years of experience relevant to Solar Energy applications, specifically in analyzing and Technical & financial evaluation of bidder's proposals..
• Extensive expertise, knowledge, and experience in the field of Solar system.
• Strong familiarity with solar related projects.
• Knowledge of the general situation and similar working experience in the region.
• Familiarity with the key characteristics of implementing solar PV installations, including grid-connected, off-grid, and hybrid installations with and without battery storage, also have high knowledge of  solar products in the local Market.
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills and the related ability to adaptively manage with prompt action on the conclusions and recommendations coming out of the project’s regular monitoring and self-assessment activities.
• Fluent English and Arabic, both spoken and written and highly developed communication and advocacy skills, including the ability to write concisely and clearly in English.
• Experience in the context of YEMEN.
• Excellent reporting and writing skills.
• Proficiency with MS Office software required ( Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Recommended Presentation of Offer:

Documents to be included when submitting the Proposal: Interested individual consultants must upload the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications and interest.

1. Technical Proposal: (which will include the following):

The candidate should upload all the following document in one file (including CVS, methodology, dully accomplished letter of confirmation of interest and availability/Finacial proposal.

• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP
• methodology for the work
• Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.

1. Financial proposal:

• Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. 

Note: If you are facing any technical issues during the upload or if you have clarification request please contact Waleed Ahmed OR Samira ALfarah at waleed.alkadri@undp.org or Samira.alfarah@undp.org

Evaluation Criteria:

The award will be based on the Combined Scoring method 70% technical evaluation (60 + 10 interview) and 30% financial evaluation (highest ranked candidate).

The technical evaluation process is as follows.

First the technical committee will identify the long listed the candidates according to the TOR requirement then will do the shortlist candidates for most preferable candidates according to the below criteria and the final shortlisted candidates will conduct interview process.

Financial evaluation: 30 %:

To be computed as a ratio of the Proposal’s offer to the lowest price among the proposals received by UNDP. In this methodology, the maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal. All other price proposals receive points in inverse proportion.

A suggested formula is as follows:

p = y (µ/z)

Where:

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated
y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal
µ = price of the lowest priced proposal
z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

The candidate obtaining the overall highest score after adding the score of the technical proposal and the financial proposal should be selected for the award.