Sri Lanka: Project Coordinator

Feb 27, 2016 | UNDP
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The Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority under the Ministry of Power and Energy in collaboration with UNDP will implement the ‘Appropriate Mitigation Actions in the Energy Generation and End-Use Sectors in Sri Lanka’ Project. The project is funded by the Global Environmental Fund and operational from 2015 June to 2018 May.

Sri Lanka is highly dependent on imported oil to meet its energy needs with 49% of the primary energy supply coming from imported fuel, where 12% of the total government budget is used for electricity generation alone. This is leading to a heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels and increased GHG emissions. The National Energy Policy of Sri Lanka seeks to diversify supply mix with renewable energy resources whilst seeking to reduce energy demand through demand side management. The Renewable Energy Resources Development Plan seeks to achieve 20% from renewable energy resources by 2020 and 30% by 2030 as part of the national strategy to reduce GHG emissions through appropriate mitigation actions (NAMA). Energy Management Plan (EnMAP) seeks to achieve energy savings from the promotion of EE measures. Often the GHG savings and the cost-benefits of these low carbon interventions are not systematically quantified and their benefits remain obscure and done on ad-hoc basis. It is difficult for sub-national entities to assess the impact of their NAMA interventions at the sectors and sub-sectors level.

In order to fill these gaps, the development of a robust, transparent and functional NAMA framework along with clear inventory and MRV system with supporting governance and oversight (NAMA Secretariat, NAMA Coordinating Entity, NAMA Implementing Entity, MRV Committee, and NAMA Registry) is needed. Such framework will systematically quantify GHG savings and benefits of the mitigation interventions using a bottom up approach to aggregate from the provincial and sub-sector levels to the national and sectors level. Furthermore, such a transparent framework will open up opportunity to access regional and international climate funding. In order to achieve this, the project will support appropriate climate change mitigation actions in the energy generation and end-use sectors as part of the initiatives to achieve the voluntary GHG mitigation targets of Sri Lanka

To test and verify the framework, this project will seek to overcome the regulatory, institutional, technical, financial and social barriers for the scaling up of RE and EE NAMA through the dissemination of 1,000 bio-digesters, 1,300 high efficiency motors in tea factories, and 205 solar PV net metering systems with battery storage.

Furthermore, the project will:

  • Develop a robust provincial inventory system that could be updated periodically and aggregated at the national level using web-based EnerGIS database management system;
  • Develop a decision making tools such as MACC tools for analyzing and prioritizing a pipeline of bankable NAMA that could be implemented;
  • Leverage public, private and CSOs resources through the NAMA Implementing Entity for the implementation of bankable RE and EE NAMAs based on viable and cost effective business models to incentivize value chain actors to reduce supply risks and create demand; and
  • Develop a robust and transparent MRV system that are accurate, reliable and credible and avoid double accounting.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key functions are:

  • Support National Project Director to implement the project;
  • Provide overall technical guidance to deliver project objectives, outcomes and outputs;
  • Direct supervision and quality assurance of project outputs and activities with key partners;
  • Coordinate between Ministries of Power and Energy; and Environment, SLSEA, project partners, and UNDP. Conduct Project Board Meetings to regularly update the main stakeholders of progress and bottlenecks;
  • Support the recruitment and supervision of national and international experts;
  • Undertake comprehensive results based monitoring and report project progress and results as required;
  • Recruit required project consultants and international technical expertise as required by the project in discussion with NPD/ Project Board;
  • Provide leadership to establish an inter-ministerial coordination and networking platform.

Specific Functions are:

  • Support the  National Project Director (NPD) to implement the project, manage project budgets and experts, manage technical inputs and project risks and monitor project outcomes and results;
  • Overall guidance of the project implementation unit; Support the preparation of annual and quarterly workplans, faceforms, monitoring plans, etc; as well as report against these plans periodically;
  • Schedule quarterly project board meetings, and present progress updates for the meeting against the AWP and the Results Framework, and highlight management related issues and mitigation solutions for decision making;
  • Support NPD to formulate  policies, regulations and guidelines required for the project at national, district, divisional and local levels;
  • Guide and support  the project team and related professionals to develop various  manuals, guidelines, fact sheets, assessment reports under related themes;
  • Coordinate and network with various stakeholders including regional agencies to take forward the project;
  • Coordinating the hiring of local and international technical experts for different outcomes to ensure maximum synergy between consultants working for different components;
  • Ensuring timely reporting by hired expert consultants;
  • Managing the logistics of international consultant missions to Sri Lanka for project purposes, including paperwork for Visas and other government approvals;
  • Effective application of RBM tools, establishment of management targets and monitoring achievement of results;
  • Financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the projects, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions. Participation in audit of NEX projects;
  • Facilitating the project mid-term review and ensuring that recommendations are incorporated to the project budget and work plan;
  • Providing information to UNDP on annual progress reviews that are submitted to GEF;
  • Ensuring effective dissemination of and access to information on project activities and results, (including a regularly updated website);
  • Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to project-specific outcomes;
  • Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects, active contribution to the overall office effort in resource mobilization;
  • Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
  • Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme issues;
  • Coordinate with the Government counterpart and various stakeholders for effective coordination and policy dialogue in the renewable energy sector;
  • Perform any other duties that fall under incumbents’ expertise and as reasonably required by the project.

Impact of Results:

  • The key results have an impact on the successful implementation of the project ‘Appropriate Mitigation Actions in the Energy Generation and End-Use Sectors in Sri Lanka’ and the timely delivery of its key outputs against the agreed work plan; and also effective monitoring of the project outcomes;
  • In particular, the key results have an impact on the operation and programming of activities, effective and time-bound monitoring and reporting as well as building strong partnerships with government, non-government, and private sector agencies.

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.

Functional Competencies:

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

  • Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
  • Ability to lead formulation and monitoring of management projects;
  • Solid knowledge in financial resources and human resources management, contract, asset and procurement, information; and
  • Communication technology, general administration.

Management and Leadership:

  • Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
  • Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
  • Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
  • Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
  • Leads teams effectively and shows mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
  • Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills.

Knowledge Management and Learning:

  • Promotes knowledge management in the Ministry of Power and Energy/ Ministry of Environment and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
  • Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s Degree or equivalent in  Project Managment, Engineering, Applied enviornmental science or related field with Minimum of 2  years work experience  in the developing national plans/programmes with state sector and non-state sector  stakeholder engagement; or
  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Project Managment, Engineering, Applied enviornmental science or related field with Minimum of 5 years work experience  in the developing national plans/programmes with state sector and non-state sector  stakeholder engagement.

Experience:

  • Minimum one year of Project Management experience;
  • Good analytical and problem solving skills and related ability for adaptive management;   
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment, to effectively manage it and to motivate its members and other project counterparts to effectively work towards the project’s objective and expected outcomes;
  • Good communication skills and competence in handling project’s external relations at all levels; and
  • Familiarity and prior experience with the specific UNDP policies and guidelines are considered as an asset.

Language

  • Fluency in written and spoken English, Sinhala and/or Tamil.

Location: Colombo, SRI LANKA

Application Deadline: 01-Mar-16

Additional Category: Management

Type of Contract: Service Contract

Post Level: SB-4

Languages Required: English, Sinhala, Tamil

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.