Programme Analyst (Technical Assistance & Capacity Building)

The Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP) is a first of its kind in scale and scope in Sierra Leone and regionally in Sub-Saharan Africa, implemented by the Ministry of Energy with support from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and grant funded by DFID. The project will contribute to Sierra Leone’s economic development through increased access to electricity in rural areas while simultaneously reducing Sierra Leone’s future Green House Gas emissions.

This project aims to establish an enabling environment in Sierra Leone for a private sector driven rural mini-grid market and to provide up to 5MW of sustainable renewable power in rural community households, priority institutions, such as Community Health Centers (CHCs), schools, agricultural business centers and other productive uses, as well as chiefdom administrative offices, through solar mini-grids, based on a Public-Private Partnership approach. It is estimated that the RREP will connect approximately 360,000 direct beneficiaries in rural Sierra Leone to electricity, with a further 500,000 indirectly benefitting from access to low carbon electricity.

The implementation of the project is developed around three Work Packages (WP):

Work package 1 / 1+. 6kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) generation plants at 54 Community Health Centres (CHCs) were installed between April and July 2017. These generation plants were then extended into small mini-grids with a capacity between 16kW and 36kW and distribution networks installed which will eventually connect all other public institutions and households in 50 of these communities. All 50 mini-grids are installed and ready for operation as of October 2018.

Work package 2: aims to bring the country’s photovoltaic (PV) power generation capacity up to 5MW by attracting the private sector to invest in the mini-grid market while drawing on the lessons of WP 1/1+. WP2 will install mini-grids in additional 40 communities with >36kW systems (up to max. 200kWp) using sustainable business and delivery models developed by the private sector.

Private sector operators have been selected through a competitive tender process, and will take on operation and maintenance of WP1/1+ mini-grids and co-invest in the development of the WP2 sites. The operators will be responsible for the last mile connection to identified customers and the in-house wiring of customer homes.

Work package 3: provides Technical Assistance (TA) and institutional capacity building to the Ministry of Energy, the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission, other relevant government agencies as necessary, as well as to private sector companies selected to operate WP1 sites and co-invest in and operate WP2 sites.

The Programme Analyst is responsible for supporting the day-to-day operations of Work Package 3 (WP3) – Technical Assistance and Capacity Building.  The Programme Analyst provides support to the Team Leader to ensure all milestones under WP 3 are delivered in a timely manner and within budget.  He/she is expected to work towards and meet the organization and project’s performance and delivery goals.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

The Programme Analyst is expected to develop a thorough understanding of the project and use qualitative methods to provide ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of WP3 activities to ensure the project is capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the client.  Success of the project(s) and hence Programme Analyst will be based on the Success Criteria of UNOPS engagements which are linked to the below responsibilities.

The Work Package relies on a number of external sub-contractors for its successful delivery, monitoring dynamic timelines through multiple work streams.  The Programme Analyst is responsible for supporting the Team Leader in coordinating the deliverables from all work streams under the work package, ensuring the quality of the through all aspects of its life cycle.  S/he must be able to apply, with some degree of autonomy, the below duties and responsibilities of the project success criteria:

Stakeholder Management:

• Establish solid working relationship with the client and key stakeholders;
• Maintain a good working relationship with sub-contractors while ensuring effective contract management and timely delivery of sub-contractors’ milestones;
• Support the effective and timely coordination of communications and ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress as it relates to WP 3;
• Advise the Team Leader on issues that may impact the achievement of WP 3 objectives and project outcomes;
• Support the monitoring of outputs of sub-contractors to ensure effective execution of their workflow 

Delivery and Performance:

• Support the Team Leader to coordinate the delivery and maintenance of Work Package plans;
• Assist with needs and performance assessments ensuring WP3 objectives and deliverables are well documented;
• Monitor delivery of milestones to ensure adherence to project timelines;
• Monitor milestones against finance deliverables to support proper budget delivery
• Support the coordination and implementation of approved Work Package plans (including the establishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the project;
• Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers as required;
• Alert the Team Leader (as required) of any deviations from the plan work plan or finances 
• Support management of risk register for Work Package
• Support the Monitoring and evaluation of service providers’ performance

Procedures:

• Follow the Project Management Cycle Instructions and ensure that all organizational policy is complied with (Organizational Directives and Administrative Instructions);
• Contribute to the monitoring and adaptation of work plans for effective delivery tracking and UNOPS reporting
• In support of the Team Leader, providing inputs on WP 3 progress towards the overall project objectives into the following reports:

-        Highlight Reports

-        End Stage Reports

-       Operational Closure Checklist

-       End Project Report

-       Handover Report

• Actively contribute to the maintenance of the following: i. Project Document Archive; ii. Procurement, HR and Finance files as required;
• Coordinate with the Team Leader to support the Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager and PSO to ensure that all expenditure comply with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRR);
• Support the Team Leader in managing budgets, cash flow and obligations related to the Work Package to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time;

Knowledge Management:

• Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice
• Knowledge of industry best practices
• Support the Team Leader in documenting and maintaining lessons learnt from the delivery of the Work Package for the purposes of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement in the delivery of similar activities
• Strong analytical skills

Personnel Management:

• Establish a thorough understanding of UNOPS personnel contract modalities (including ICA and Staff);
• Support the selection, recruitment and training of the team as required by project plans
• Perform Project Support role, unless appointed to another person or corporate/programme function

Core Values and Principles:

• Understand and respect UNOPS sustainability principles:

1. Look for ways to embed UNOPS sustainability principles in day to day project management
2. Seek opportunities to champion gender equality at work place
3. Champion and communicate project’s sustainability aspects with key stakeholders

• Understand and Respect National ownership and capacity:

1. Understand the principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and mainstream them into the project plans
2. Seek opportunities to support recruitment of qualified local staff
3. Look for ways to build capacity of local counterparts
4. Partnerships and Coordination Understand the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and UNOPS, the project’s place in the UN system:
5. Strive to build strong partnerships and effective coordination among relevant project actors (e.g. United Nations, governments, and non-governmental organizations or other relevant partners)

• Accountability for results and the use of resources:

1. The project management processes are designed to deliver maximum accountability, transparency and results. If a project or processes is not in line with this, it is the responsibility of the TL to raise the issue with a supervisor

• Excellence:

1. Contribute to innovation and the adaptation of best practice standards of sustainability and quality.

Additional Requirements:

The Programme Analyst is required to develop a good understanding of the following areas within the relevant Government institutions such as Ministry of Energy, Electricity Water and Regulatory Commission (EWRC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and support the these activities as necessary:  

• Strengthening of Policy and regulatory frameworks
• Strengthening institutional structures
• Implementation of planned technical assistance to the national stakeholders

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Effective project governance
• Timeliness and accuracy of reporting on Work package performance
• Accuracy of Work package planning and delivery (according to plans
• Identification and implementation of continuous process improvement.

General:

• Provide support to ensure that the project produces the required products within the specified tolerance of time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits.