Renewable Energy Sector Monitor and Technical Advisor – Jordan

KEY INFORMATION

Job Title: Renewable Energy Sector Monitor and Technical Advisor – Jordan

Position/ Contract Type: Long Term Consultancy

Duration of Initial Contract: 12 months, starting ASAP (up to a total of 40 days)

Position Location: Jordan

Language Required: Arabic, English

SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

Launched in December 2021 and implemented by Cowater International, the Middle East Support Services Project (ME-FSSP) will primarily support the development and humanitarian objectives of Canada’s Middle East Strategy by providing administrative, financial, procurement, and logistical services in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and the region.

BACKGROUND

The Government of Canada released a comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy to respond to the ongoing crises in and Syria and their impact on the region, including on Jordan and Lebanon. Under the strategy for engagement in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria (2016-17 to 2018-19), also known as the Middle East Strategy.

On June 9, 2017, Canada launched its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), which targets gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The Feminist International Assistance Policy recognizes that supporting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is the best way to build a more peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous world. To do this, it supports targeted investments, partnerships, and innovation and advocacy efforts with the greatest potential to close gender gaps and improve everyone’s chance for success. For more information on FIAP, please visit https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/priorities-priorites/policy-politique.aspx?lang=eng.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this consultancy is to provide technical support to Global Affairs Canada (GAC) programs in the energy sector programming, with an emphasis on the Sustainable Energy and Economic Development Projects.

SCOPE OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES

Services Description

The Advisor will provide technical advice and support in the area of renewable energy and energy efficiency, based on an online Tracking Table, which is updated regularly, and any additional services requested by GAC’s Technical Authority (TA) or Program Technical Leads (PTLs). Service Requisitions will outline expected results, timelines, and deliverables related to the services requested by the TA or PTL.

The provision of technical advice and support includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Monitor for Projects’ Results

The Advisor will assist GAC with the monitoring of the implementation, with particular attention to the achievement of expected results. More specifically, the Advisor will:

• Project Understanding: Review project documentation and relevant materials to grasp the operational context and portfolio in the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RE&EE) sector.
• Project Relevance and Implementation: Advise on the ongoing relevance of projects considering technical and institutional factors. Suggest revisions to project implementation when necessary.
• Progress Analysis and Correction: Analyze project progress, identify issues, and recommend corrective actions for effective implementation.
• Field Missions: Conduct periodic field missions to verify progress and performance, with flexibility based on monitoring needs and consultation with relevant stakeholders.
• Review of Frameworks, Plans and Reports: Assess Logic Models, Performance Measurement Frameworks, Annual Work Plans, Baseline Data Quality, Budgets, financial reports, and progress reports. Comment on quality and completeness for decision-making support. Identify proposed variations in project scope and advise on issues requiring action.
• Sustainability Evaluation: Identify and analyze evidence of project result sustainability. Provide recommendations for improvement as necessary.
• Risk Assessment: Review and report on risks to project results, the ongoing applicability of project risks and critical assumptions, and the effectiveness of mitigating strategies proposed by partners.
• Cross-Cutting Themes: Maintain communication with other local advisors in the areas of gender equality and environmental sustainability, and engage them during monitoring missions.
• Stakeholder Participation: Assess the level of stakeholder participation in the project decision-making process.
• Contribution to Economic Growth: Evaluate the impact of Canada’s RE&EE projects on sustainable economic growth in Jordan.
• SDG Contribution: Assess Canada’s contribution to SDG 7. Provide recommendations for future strategies in the RE&EE sector for GAC.

Monitoring Performance of the Canadian implementing partners

The Advisor will assess the performance of GAC-funded implementing partners. More specifically, the Advisor will:

• Internal Monitoring and Evaluation Tools: Ensure implementing partners have effective tools for performance assessment, project result measurement and reporting to GAC.
• Overall Project Management: Evaluate technical and financial management (including sub-contractors) by implementing partners, providing recommendations for improvement if needed.
• Strategic Allocation of Financial Resources: Offer feedback on the efficient allocation of financial resources by implementing partners to achieve project results.
• Addressing Challenges in Project Execution: Identify and address challenges affecting implementing partners’ ability to execute projects, by providing comments and recommendations.
• Strengthening Working Relationships: Review and comment on the working relationship among relevant entities, implementing partners, and project collaborators.
• Ensuring Partner Involvement and Alignment: Verify project partners’ involvement and alignment with defined roles in project implementation agreements.
• Optimizing Performance Measurement Framework: Provide feedback on the projects’ performance measurement framework and offer strategic planning advice.
• Compliance with Policies and Regulations: Ensure project activities adhere to relevant policies, guidelines, rules, and regulations.
• Facilitating Lessons Learned and Collaboration: Monitor self-assessments, suggest lesson incorporation, facilitate lesson exchange, and identify collaboration opportunities.
• Continuous Capacity Building: Develop and implement strategies to ensure the continuous capacity building of implementing partners, including the identification of training needs and the facilitation of relevant workshops or training sessions to enhance their project management and technical capabilities.
• Reporting on Implementation Responses: Report on implementing partners’ responses to previous monitoring recommendations.

Technical Advisory Service

The Advisor will provide technical advisory services to GAC, as requested. More specifically, the Advisor will:

• Strategic Review and Recommendations for Project Documentation: Evaluate various project and program documents in Jordan related to RE&EE for technical soundness, offering recommendations as needed.
• Enhancing Technical Soundness of Projects: Assess the overall technical soundness of projects and provide recommendations for improvement, focusing on the appropriateness of activities and approaches in project work plans and reports.
• Extracting Valuable Lessons for Improved Performance: Identify and highlight lessons learned from projects and other donor-funded initiatives in Jordan to enhance project/program performance and prevent potential pitfalls and duplication of efforts.
• Monitoring and Recommending Adjustments in RE&EE Reform: Periodically survey relevant activities and developments in RE&EE reform in Jordan, making recommendations for adjustments as necessary for the project/program.
• Guidance on Future Project/Program Direction: Assist the Jordan development program in determining future needs and directions for projects/programs, including support in planning formal evaluations (mid-term and end of project) if requested.
• Providing Technical Advice for Effective Project Implementation: Offer technical advice on issues requiring GAC’s attention or potentially hindering project activities, including the preparation of specific analyses on an ad-hoc basis.
• Conducting Sector Analysis and Developing Terms of Reference: Undertake sector analysis and prepare terms of reference for such analyses as requested.
• Evaluating Contributions to Program-Level Results: Assess and elaborate on how RE&EE projects contribute to program-level results in Jordan.

Liaison Support

• As requested by GAC, attend project meetings as an observer or participant on behalf of GAC.

The Advisor will provide project liaison support, as requested by GAC, which may include the following:

• Attend project workshops, training, or any other key activities as requested and report on their results, the level and degree of participation and commitment by the participants.
• Maintain an open working relationship with the Canadian implementing partners and project partners/stakeholders to enable information and ideas to follow freely for the benefit of the projects;
• Liaise and communicate projects with other projects’ stakeholders, GAC advisors/monitors and other donors to ensure more effective coordination and cooperation.

Services Deliverables

The Advisor will produce the following written deliverables first in draft form, and then upon integrating GAC’s feedback and approval, a final version. The final deliverables will be provided in English, in electronic formats (Microsoft Office programs and PDF). The format and substantive content for these deliverables should be easily accessible to GAC for the ongoing management of the renewable energy projects in Jordan:

• Written comments on the projects’ Annual Work Plans and accompanying project documents (i.e. procurement manual/plans, logic model, PMF) and periodic progress/performance reports within five days of receipt;
• Monitoring Mission Terms of Reference (TORs): The Advisor will develop draft TORs for review and approval by GAC. The draft TORs will be submitted to GAC and Me-FSSP at least one month prior to each field mission. The TORs will also include a proposed itinerary, a schedule of meetings and estimated Level of Effort (LOE) with budget.
• Monitoring mission reports – The Advisor will provide monitoring reports within two weeks of the final day of each mission and will include summarized findings and recommendations; outstanding issues for follow up in subsequent monitoring missions (if any), interview minutes, questionnaires, and a complete list of individuals interviewed;
• Verbal debrief no later than five (5) days following each mission with GAC and others, as necessary, on the key findings and issues that need to be addressed immediately.
• On-going and timely feedback to GAC on technical issues related to the project and legal/legislative development in Jordan, as required;
• Special reports/analyses and other written material, as required.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Advisor:

The Advisor is responsible for delivering the services described in the above sectionof this TOR according to the agreed timelines, expected results, and deliverables outlined in the Service Requisitions/ tasking table, and any additional services as requested by the TA/PTLs. The Advisor will provide technical support and advice to GAC’s programming teams in the area of Gender Equality. The Advisor must work in close collaboration with the GAC Jordan staff and assigned HQ Specialists, and whenever necessary with other Advisors (including the experts on environment, gender and education).

The Technical Authority (TA), Program Technical Lead (PTL):

The TA/ PTLs, identified by GAC Jordan, is responsible for:

• The provision of service requisitions to the Advisor, including the approval of the Advisor’s assigned work and deliverables.
• Reporting to GAC and ME-FSSP on the completion of services and deliverables against the approved tasking as set out in the online Tracking Table and Service Requisition forms. A detailed reporting schedule will be agreed upon and attached to the contract.

ME-FSSP team:

• Managing the competitive process of identifying and hiring the Advisor, including signing the contract.
• Communicating/disseminating key documents related to GAC policies, programming approaches and processes, regulatory or reporting requirements
• Delivering initial and periodic information sessions and ‘updates’ on GAC’s policies, programming approaches processes and, regulatory or other reporting requirements for Gender Equality relevant programming.
• Review and approve payments based on the invoices and timesheets submitted by the Advisor.

REPORTING

The Advisor is expected to work in close cooperation with GAC in Jordan to produce the deliverables as follows:

The Advisor reports directly to ME-FSSP (Project Manager) who has full responsibility for the administration of the contract, including the approval of timesheets and invoices. Technical assignments including the Tracking Table, Service Requisitions and deliverables, evaluation of the quality of services and deliverables against the Tracking Table, etc. are approved by GAC’s TA/PTLs in Jordan. Reports include, but are not limited to:

• Financial reporting which consists of a detailed monthly invoice, covering the Advisor’s fees for the services rendered during the previous month indicating the date, the day and the number of hours worked for each day as well as any necessary and reasonable expenses incurred during the previous month, including all original receipts in support of the expenses claimed.
• Research or analytical narrative reports, as requested by GAC.

LOCATION, TIMELINES AND ESTIMATED LEVEL OF EFFORTS

• This contract will be valid for 12 months of signature.
• The advisor should be located in Jordan.
• The Advisor must be ready to travel to different locations in Jordan to support GAC’s development and, to a lesser extent, humanitarian assistance programs’ planning and monitoring activities and to meet with partners.
• The approval of all travel must be obtained from the ME-FSSP Project Manager prior to the commencement of the trip.
• The basis for payment and payment schedule will be based on a fixed-time rate contract.
• The level of effort is estimated at up to 40 days depending on the needs and activities of the program.
• No activities/tasks should be undertaken without GAC Jordan TA/PTL’s approval.

ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS

• The Advisor will be contracted under the ‘Middle East Field Support Services Project’ (ME-FSSP) administered by Cowater International on behalf of Global Affairs Canada.
• The contract will be administered through the ME-FSSP, and the Advisor will be accountable for delivering the agreed-upon services and deliverables to the Global Affairs Canada team at the Embassy of Canada in Jordan.
• The Advisor is expected to use their own workspace, equipment, and materials, as office space will not be provided.
• Payment to the Advisor will be made according to the agreed daily rate, reflecting the level of effort outlined in monthly financial timesheets and reports. All activities and services must align with approvals from the TA/PTLs.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

To qualify for this role, the Advisor must possess a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant field such as renewable energy, environmental science, engineering, or a related discipline, with an extensive experience across the full project cycle and a specific focus on applying Renewable Energy in development projects in Jordan and the MENA region. Additional qualifications include:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience assessing project proposals, with a focus on renewable energy (Experience assessing GAC projects is a plus).
• A minimum of 5 years of experience providing energy projects monitoring and evaluation services.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience offering advice to donors on renewable energy policies.
• Familiarity with conducting environmental impact assessments for renewable energy projects.
• Experience in conducting or drafting analyses of projects or programs.
• Experience or familiarity with renewable energy practices and policies on a global scale.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to convey technical information to various stakeholders.
• Ability to prepare and deliver presentations on renewable energy topics.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTs

Fluency in oral, reading and writing in English, and Arabic languages.