JOB DESCRIPTION

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

BACKGROUND

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and rule of law. Under the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in close coordination with other UN agencies, UNDP is supporting Afghan people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, and sustainability. UNDP is currently implementing its flagship crisis response programme, ABADEI (Area Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives), as part of the ongoing UN-led response to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and the breakdown of Afghanistan’s economy following the August 2021 shift in power.

UNDP is partnering with Asian Development Bank (ADB) through the recently launched USD 405 million grant for the “Sustaining Essential Services Delivery Project (Support for Afghan People) to alleviate the adverse effect of the crisis. The objective of the intervention is to sustain delivery of essential public services and food security to ease the adverse impact of economic disruptions on the welfare and livelihoods of the most vulnerable population groups in Afghanistan. The ADB grant will be implemented through separate projects delivered by UNDP, UNICEF, WFP, and FAO as executing agencies. The allocation to UNDP will focus on monitoring the overall support for Afghan people and conducting socio-economic assessments and on-demand research to support the possible Phase 2.

Energy Context:

Energy access gap has been significant and widening in Afghanistan for both clean cooking and electricity. Only a third of the population is connected to the grid and more than two -third rely on solid fuels for cooking. Approx. 80% of the current supply to meet the average demand of power at 864 MW is from imports from neighbouring Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. If suppressed demand is included, then the power demand would double. This poses significant energy security as well as risks to the intensification of extreme poverty, migratory crises, and conflict outbreaks.

Closing the gap in supply and demand for Afghan power sector is of utmost significance. However, the sector faces many challenges due to delayed infrastructure development, including major grid rehabilitation and expansion, limited development in new generation projects due to unattractive conditions for private investors, high perceived risk, and limited government resources for investment among many other factors. There is no clear framework for cooking energy sources.

The situation, post 15th August 2021, prima facie, indicates, further deterioration impacting the basic services in health, education, and livelihoods sectors that are better served with energy access and reliability. A more sustainable solution to the above can be found in renewable energy. Afghanistan’s total renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass and geothermal) potential is estimated at 319.5 GW. There is an urgent need to capitalize renewable energy resources with a view to both increasing the delivery of electricity and energy services (including cooking energy source) to the population and developing domestic business opportunities both directly linked to RE technology and linked to improved access to reasonably priced electricity. This would enable effective and efficient humanitarian assistance and support sustainable development. It will further contribute towards achieving SDG7 goal: to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. Achieving other SDGs also hinges on energy.

The proposed study is aligned towards preparation of an energy programme framework for Afghanistan for potential assistance from ADB in subsequent phases in partnership with other donors and stakeholders.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Objective of the assignment

The objective of this assessment is to support efforts in generation of evidence for actions to transform energy sector of Afghanistan for its sustainable development. The study would gain insights into factors influencing energy sector development of Afghanistan, post 15th August 2021 for enabling community resilience with basic needs fuelled by energy access. It will identify appropriate solutions - technologies and delivery modalities to provide and invest in energy services using a community driven area-based development approach.

Key Tasks: (indicative)

Support the international consultant in analysis and review of energizing options as measured against social, environmental, technical, financial, economic, and operational factors. The assessment will derive these insights based on evidence and ongoing efforts by the international community in similar or other contexts and include micro-hydro power (MHP), stand-alone solar, renewable energy mini-grids, and on-grid sub-projects and clean cooking technologies and options. The assessment should also include an analysis of the situation with the generation, transmission and distribution projects, implementation of which has been suspended after 15 August 2021.

In close collaboration with the international consultant, support the development of framework for providing guidance on making energy services delivery choices; a) Economic cost-efficiency in delivering electricity and clean cooking options using various technologies through area based approach; b)Financial viability and long term sustainability; and c) Other attributes that affect sustainability of the energy interventions including, functionality and reliability, effectiveness in providing management and operations and maintenance (O&M), cost recovery, environmental (local and global) impacts, and social acceptance, among others.

Characterize risks based on risk analysis of community-based projects (for example, technical and behavioural aspects affecting load management and cost recovery, etc.); and value chain of manufacturers and businesses in the Afghan market, including fuel supply chains to support energy interventions.

Support the Identification of community modalities necessary for electricity and clean cooking fuel supply, including understanding the effectiveness and sustainability of using a community-led implementation. modality, alternative financing structures, exploring community buy-in for large scale infrastructure investments particularly pertaining to renewable energy options.

Support the international consultant to evolve a programme concept for potential investments for transformation of energy sector of Afghanistan based on barriers analysis to expanding energy access enabling job creation and supporting livelihoods and sustainability and increasing thrust on decentralized and distributed renewable energy solutions.

Support the international consultant in the development of implementation road map for the above programme including financial mechanisms such as guarantees for private sector participation, and approaches to reduce time-to-delivery, to tap potential opportunities for innovations and community engagement and costs with infrastructure investments.

Support the international consultant in developing a roadmap on promoting clean alternatives for cooking in domestic households for enhanced penetration of energy efficient and renewable energy-based applications. The roadmap provides an implementation framework to address both demand and supply side interventions for cooking through an enabling environment for private sector engagement and feasibility.

Effectively support Stakeholder’s conference and finalise resource mobilization for UNDP supported interventions.