International Consultant – Specialist on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Monitoring for the Project Activities

Background

As problems of water management, energy consumption, land degradation (salinization), and agricultural productivity are all closely intertwined in Turkmenistan, so too are potential solutions. The project will address these problems through integrated activities, with a goal toward achieving multiple benefits in different areas. Thus improved water management will lead not only to greater water availability, but also to significant energy savings, avoided GHG emissions, and reduced salinization. Application of new renewable-energy solutions in water management will lead not only to avoided GHG emissions, but also to greater water availability in remote populated areas. This integrated approach will be practically applied and technically proven first at specific sites in the Akhal velayat, then replicated across the country through region-specific planning and outreach, as well as supporting policies and investment at the national level.

The project’s activities are organized into four components:

• Component 1 will introduce new technologies in irrigated agriculture and pumping for energy efficiency, water conservation, and sustainable land management (SLM);
• Component 2 will scale-up investment in new and expanded efficient water-management infrastructure;
• Component 3 will deliver local and region-specific planning and educational outreach for IWRM and SLM among farmers and water-sector designers and managers;
• Component 4 develops and supports implementation of policy reform for IWRM.

The first two components will constitute the technical foundation of the project. For agriculture and infrastructure, respectively, these components will identify, verify, and document the most promising ways to save water, increase energy efficiency, and reduce water-related root causes of land degradation in Turkmenistan. The components will generate technical and financial performance data and practical experience to be used to plan and provide necessary justification to scale-up public investment and technology deployment nationwide.

While the first two components define the technical opportunity and priorities for replication, the second two components will seek to carry actual replication out on a national scale. The third component supports replication from the bottom up via development of action plans at the regional and district levels across the country, as well as educational outreach and capacity-building among farmers and local water-management personnel. The fourth component will work from the top down, defining and implementing policies, programmes, and investment plans for integrated water management and SLM at the national level.

The project envisages that implementation of the following pilot projects will have a potential for GHG emission reduction:

• Green Polygon pilot project - Technology proving research site and educational platform for water saving irrigation and SLM in agricultural croplands;
• Kaakhka town gravity flow water system pilot project – replacement of 20 km open channel water supply of the town with combined concrete bed channel and pipeline, thereby to safe up 50 percent of water loss during the transportation;
• Pump audit and replacement pilot project – audit of at least hundred existing large capacity pumps used in the water distribution system of the water management sector and replacement of at least ten most outdated and inefficient pumps;
• Solar energy for water pumping pilot project – installation of solar panels for electricity generation and water pumping in remote desert pasture to supply water for livestock herds.

The UNDP plans to recruit an international specialist on GHG emissions to perform the actions outlined below for the EERE Project.

As problems of water management, energy consumption, land degradation (salinization), and agricultural productivity are all closely intertwined in Turkmenistan, so too are potential solutions. The project will address these problems through integrated activities, with a goal toward achieving multiple benefits in different areas. Thus improved water management will lead not only to greater water availability, but also to significant energy savings, avoided GHG emissions, and reduced salinization. Application of new renewable-energy solutions in water management will lead not only to avoided GHG emissions, but also to greater water availability in remote populated areas. This integrated approach will be practically applied and technically proven first at specific sites in the Akhal velayat, then replicated across the country through region-specific planning and outreach, as well as supporting policies and investment at the national level.

The project’s activities are organized into four components:

• Component 1 will introduce new technologies in irrigated agriculture and pumping for energy efficiency, water conservation, and sustainable land management (SLM);
• Component 2 will scale-up investment in new and expanded efficient water-management infrastructure;
• Component 3 will deliver local and region-specific planning and educational outreach for IWRM and SLM among farmers and water-sector designers and managers;
• Component 4 develops and supports implementation of policy reform for IWRM.

The first two components will constitute the technical foundation of the project. For agriculture and infrastructure, respectively, these components will identify, verify, and document the most promising ways to save water, increase energy efficiency, and reduce water-related root causes of land degradation in Turkmenistan. The components will generate technical and financial performance data and practical experience to be used to plan and provide necessary justification to scale-up public investment and technology deployment nationwide.

While the first two components define the technical opportunity and priorities for replication, the second two components will seek to carry actual replication out on a national scale. The third component supports replication from the bottom up via development of action plans at the regional and district levels across the country, as well as educational outreach and capacity-building among farmers and local water-management personnel. The fourth component will work from the top down, defining and implementing policies, programmes, and investment plans for integrated water management and SLM at the national level.

The project envisages that implementation of the following pilot projects will have a potential for GHG emission reduction:

• Green Polygon pilot project - Technology proving research site and educational platform for water saving irrigation and SLM in agricultural croplands;
• Kaakhka town gravity flow water system pilot project – replacement of 20 km open channel water supply of the town with combined concrete bed channel and pipeline, thereby to safe up 50 percent of water loss during the transportation;
• Pump audit and replacement pilot project – audit of at least hundred existing large capacity pumps used in the water distribution system of the water management sector and replacement of at least ten most outdated and inefficient pumps;
• Solar energy for water pumping pilot project – installation of solar panels for electricity generation and water pumping in remote desert pasture to supply water for livestock herds.

The UNDP plans to recruit an international specialist on GHG emissions to perform the actions outlined below for the EERE Project.

Duties and Responsibilities

In accordance with the above-mentioned objectives of the assignment and under the overall supervision of the Programme Specialist on Environment and direct supervision of Project Manager, the International Consultant (IC) will be tasked to perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Action one: Read the relevant sections of the project document related to the pilot projects, including reports by International and National consultants, project targets and indicators in relation to GHG ER as well as other relevant information provided by the project team and identify opportunities for GHG emission reduction as a result of pilot activities;
• Action two: Prepare a detailed list of key information to be collected and/or obtained by the project national experts and specialists in relation to GHG emissions related to project pilot activities as well as a list of data to be collected during the implementation of the pilot projects;
• Action three: Review the list of key input data for each pilot project to identify, in coordination with the project team, effective means of obtaining data for each parameter;
• Action four: Review the data collected/provided by the project team/experts for compliance with the relevant methodological requirements for data quality and propose adjustments/enhancements to data sourcing and collection process as required;
• Action five: Develop weekly/monthly GHG emission monitoring templates to be used by the national experts and project team;
• Action six: Develop a detailed multi-year Monitoring Plan for GHG emission covering all pilot projects with clear actions, monitoring methodology and timeframe;
• Action seven: Identify relevant approaches for determination of investment lifetime on a per-pilot basis;
• Action eight: Estimate direct lifetime GHG impact for each of the 4 pilot projects based on the data provided;
• Action nine: Complete annual monitoring report on direct GHG impact estimation for the project;
• Action ten: Identify the relevant set of data for the grid emission factor estimation and select the appropriate option for calculation of the national grid emission factor based on the relevant guidelines (GEF, CDM “grid emission tool”);
• Action eleven: Identify most feasible options for filling data gaps, review the data provided for quality and calculate national grid emission factor as per CDM tool;
• Action twelve: Review draft regulatory documents including technical guidelines, norms and standards to assess potential scale of indirect GHG savings;
• Action thirteen: Communicate with local experts to identify timeframe for implementation of the proposed technical guidelines and enforcement mechanisms;
• Action fourteen: Clarify scope of replication for pilot project interventions and provide an estimate of consequential GHG impact of the project in line GEF requirements;
• Action fifteen: Mission to Turkmenistan to present the outcome of direct GHG impact estimate to the local stakeholders and support the relevant national stakeholders in integrating GHG monitoring into regular operation of irrigation systems in the country;
• Action sixteen: Provide regular advice and support to the Project National expert on GHG monitoring and the Project Manager on preparation for the PIR reporting in 2018, in particular, GHG ER related indicators and targets;
• Action seventeen: Prepare a detailed final report on the assignment, including challenges, lessons learned and recommendation for the GHG ER as a result of implementation of pilot projects.

Deliverables and timeframe:

Deliverable 1 prepared through actions 1-9 above:

• Data collected by the project team assessed and GHG emissions for each pilot project and overall for the project calculated;
• Weekly/monthly GHG emission monitoring templates to be used by the national experts and project team prepared;
• Detailed multi-year Monitoring Plan for GHG emission covering all pilot projects with clear actions, monitoring methodology and timeframe;
• Consultancy report prepared with estimated direct lifetime GHG impact for each of the 4 pilot projects based on the data provided by national experts;

Location: Home based. Number of days: 16 days.

Deliverable 2 prepared through actions 10 and 11 above:

• Data collected by the project team for the grid emission factor estimation assessed and national grid emission factor based on the relevant guidelines calculated;
• Brief report prepared on GHG indicators and targets related part of the project’s PIR reporting for 2018
• Consultancy report prepared on calculated national grid emission factor.

Location: Home based. Number of days: 7 days.

Deliverable 3 prepared through actions 12, 13 and 14 above:

• National regulatory documents developed by the project analysed and discussed with national experts;
• Potential scale of indirect GHG savings from national technical guidelines assessed;
• Consultancy report including estimated consequential GHG impact of the project prepared.

Location: Home based. Number of days: 6 days.

Deliverable 4 prepared through actions 15, 16 and 17 above:

• Presentation to the local stakeholders on the outcome of direct GHG impact estimates delivered;
• Support provided to the relevant national stakeholders in integrating GHG monitoring into regular operation of irrigation systems in the country;
• Regular email/skype communication with the project team maintained;
• Final consultancy report on overall assignment, including challenges, lessons learned and recommendations for GHG ER as a result of project activities prepared.

Location: Home based and 3-day mission to Turkmenistan. Number of days: 6 days.

Payment conditions:

This is an installment-based contract that should cover the costs of consultancy required to produce the above deliverables. The final schedule of payments will be agreed upon in the beginning of consultancy. Payment will be released in four installments: 1st installment: 40% for Deliverable 1, 2nd installment: 20% for Deliverable 2, 3rd instalment: 20% for Deliverable 3 and 4th installment: 20% for Deliverable 4 – upon timely submission of respective deliverables and their acceptance by UNDP Turkmenistan.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional Competencies:

• Knowledge of and work experience in the energy efficiency related water and agriculture projects, including those funded by the GEF;
• Excellent training, facilitation and communication skills;
• Results driven, ability to work under pressure and to meet required deadlines;
• Good understanding and experience in the field of GHG emissions calculation and monitoring.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• University degree (technical) in the field of economics and/or engineering with a focus on environment and/or climatology; advanced degree in aforementioned field will be considered as an advantage.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of working experience in the design, development and implementation of GHG emission measuring tools and methodologies;
• Good knowledge of GEF policies and requirements on GHG emission reduction and methodologies;
• Previous relevant work experience with the UN or other international organizations is an asset;
• Knowledge and experience of work in the CIS or Central Asia is an advantage.

Language requirements:

• Fluent English and Russian.

Submission of applications:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

All experts applying for this position are required to provide:

• Brief (1-2 pages) methodology for the assignment;
• Financial Proposal with the references to (1) the daily rate for the assignment and within the timing scale indicated in the present TOR, and (2) any other expenses (including transportation costs, accommodation costs, the possibility of vaccination and etc.). Template of the form can be found at: http://www.tm.undp.org/content/turkmenistan/en/home/operations/jobs. The UNDP will enter into an Individual Contract based on a lump sum amounts. The financial proposal shall represent a detailed, justified and “all inclusive” amount. In order to assist UNDP in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount, including: a daily fee for the tasks and an estimated duration as specified in this announcement, travel (to and from the missions), per diems, any other possible costs (including vaccinations, dwelling, communication etc.);
• Cover letter explaining why they are the most suitable candidate for the assignment;
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc.

Evaluation of proposals:

Individual Consultants will be evaluated based on the combined scoring methodology. When using this method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/?compliant and having received the highest score – out of 100 points.

Out of the maximum score, the score for technical criteria equals 70% - maximum 70 points, and for financial criteria 30%.

The technical evaluation will take into account the following as per the scoring provided:

• Education in the area of economics and/or engineering with a focus on environment and/or climatology – 20 pts;
• The experience (5 years) in the design, development and implementation of GHG emission measuring tools and methodologies – 25 pts;
• Methodology – 10 pt;
• Good knowledge of GEF policies and requirements on GHG emission reduction and methodologies – 15 pts;
• Previous relevant work experience with the UN and in the CIS or Central Asia – 10 pts;
• Fluency in English – 10 pts;
• Fluency in Russian – 10 pts.
• Financial proposal – 30% of total evaluation.

Additional requirements for recommended contractor:

Recommended contractors aged 62 and older, and if the travel is required, shall undergo a full medical examination including x-ray, and obtain medical clearance from the UN-approved doctor prior to taking up their assignment. The medical examination is to be cleared by the UN physicians, and shall be paid by the consultant.