Project Analyst - FREF Support Project

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. In the Pacific, UNDP provides regional and country support to 10 countries (Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) and regional support to five countries (Cook Islands, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tokelau), together with a total population of 2.4million. There are three focus areas of which gender and human rights are mainstreamed:

1. Effective Governance
2. Inclusive Growth
3. Resilience and Climate Change

The Fiji Rural Electrification Fund (FREF) support project, which is under the ambit of the Inclusive Growth focus area, aims to foster the development of rural mini grids to improve access to clean, affordable, and reliable renewable energy. In doing so, it plans to also diversify Fiji’s energy mix to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the Fijian power sector, contribute to national electricity access objectives and promote gender-balanced economic growth using electricity as an enabler for inclusive sustainable development.

The FREF project will seek to electrify at least 20 rural communities in 4 years to support the expeditious implementation of FREF as well as demonstrate best practices to shore up investments in FREF and its rural electrification objectives while building long term implementation and management capacity within the Department of Energy to continue FREF on a long-term basis. It will benefit at least 6,500 Fijians and avoid over 2,920 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by installing over approximately 2 megawatts of renewable energy.

The provision of electricity is combined with modern auxiliary services such as smart meters, mobile payment, digital connectivity and clean water and sanitation solutions to - among other things – induce productive electricity use cases and lift standards of living in rural communities. The ability to productively harness the provided clean electricity is expected to enable rural Fijians to increase community income through multiple economic activities, reduce social inequality and promote gender inclusivity. All of which also contributes to building more climate informed resilient livelihoods.

The role of the FREF Project Analyst will be to provide embedded support to the FREF Unit that has been established under the Department of Energy of the Government of Fiji. The FREF Project Analyst under this assignment is expected to work closely with the Director of Energy (DOE), FREF Project Associate, FREF Board of Trustees and the UNDP-FREF Support Project Management Unit to manage all tasks and outputs as detailed in the following “Scope of Works” section below. The FREF Project Analyst's primary role is to oversee the daily operations of the FREF Unit, reporting to the Project Manager of the UNDP-FREF Support Project and providing updates to the Director of the Department of Energy as needed. Moreover, the FREF Project Analyst is to ensure that adequate controls are maintained and FREF assets are safeguarded through compliance with the FREF Operations and Financial Procedures, the Government of Fiji’s Financial Management Act together with UNDP Financial Regulation being complied with.

Duties and Responsibilities

The FREF Project Analyst will report to the Project Manager of the UNDP-FREF Support Project and will provide updates to the Director of the Department of Energy as needed. The FREF Project Analyst will supervise the FREF Project Associate.

The FREF Project Analyst will be based with the Department of Energy for four working days of the week while one working day of the week will be spent based with the UNDP-FREF Support Project. The scope of works are as follows: 

Lead Procurement and Contracting: 

• Manage the procurement of contractors and oversee all procurement/contracting activities for projects funded through the FREF Trust Fund, including specialized systems like solar PV mini-grids with battery storage.

Oversee Contract Implementation & Supervision: 

• Manage, supervise, and oversee all goods, works, and turnkey contracts of FREF, including the commissioning of solar mini-grids, ensuring adherence to requirements.

Manage Construction Phase & Site Monitoring: 

• Oversee detailed construction phase management (acceptance/proceed notices, quality/environmental plans, claims, changes, drawings, safeguards) and conduct regular site visits to ensure timely implementation and contract compliance of FREF related work.

Develop Project Schedules & Monitor Progress: 

• Create project implementation schedules based on strategy, monitor progress, and report regularly on necessary actions to mitigate potential delays of FREF Projects.

Engage Stakeholders & Ensure Community Support: 

• Actively communicate with all FREF stakeholders to ensure community support and acceptability throughout project implementation. This includes overseeing the work of the FREF Accounts Officer.

Reporting & Board Support: 

• Prepare comprehensive reports (quarterly progress, semi-annual, completion) and provide secretariat support to the FREF Board and the FREF Advisory Committee.

Coordinate & Manage Training Activities: 

• Coordinate, actively manage, and participate in training activities for assigned FREF counterparts.

The incumbent will perform other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the FREF Unit and the UNDP-FREF Support Project.

Competencies

Core competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making 

People Management 

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Business Direction & Strategy        

• Strategic Thinking
  • Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight
• Futures and Foresight 
  • Ability to look at information from the past and present, identify patterns and trends and use them to inform decision making with a long-term view. Being sensitive and able to scan horizons and pick up weak signals of change, explore their potential implications and assess their impact and urgency. Using creativity and imagination to communicate insights in compelling and engaging ways to challenge current mental models; ability to develop scenarios, speculative designs to present future visions or by making it experiential. Being able to facilitate debate and discussion about possible futures; help people to feel comfortable with the discomfort of uncertainty

Business Management        

• Project Management 
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Risk Management 
  • Identify and organize action around reducing, mitigating and proactively managing risks
• Monitoring & Evaluation
  • Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results.
  • Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns. 

Partnership management   

• Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding
  • Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to Resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms

Procurement 

• Financial analysis
  • Knowledge of evaluating businesses, projects, budgets, and other finance related transactions to determine their  performance and suitability

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Science or any related field is required, OR 
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Science or any related field in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Applicants with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience. Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in renewable energy or relevant related field is required.
• Experience working with donors and development partners for resource mobilization and consistent reporting. 
• Knowledge and experience on how to technically interpret and analyze renewable energy (solar/wind/hydro) proposals, plans and schematics. 
• Experience of managing procurement, logistics, and contractors for off-grid renewable energy solutions. 
• Demonstrated experience or capability in conducting site assessments, load profiling, and utilizing renewable energy sizing and simulation software (e.g., HOMER Pro, PVSyst, Helioscope) for optimal mini-grid system design.
• Experience in conducting community needs assessments, stakeholder engagement, and developing socially inclusive mini-grid operational models.
• Experience in conducting community needs assessments, stakeholder engagement, and developing socially inclusive mini-grid operational models.

Required Languages

• Fluency in English and or Fiji Hindi and/Or Itaukei Language.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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