National Consultant to Conduct a Study on Energy Sector Associations in Somalia, Draft Governance Structure, and Facilitate Consultation Meetings for Operational Guidelines
Job Description
Ministry of Energy and Water Resources
Terms of Reference (ToR)
Title: National Consultant to Conduct a Study on Energy Sector Associations in Somalia, Draft Governance Structure, and Facilitate Consultation Meetings for Operational Guidelines
1. Background:
Somalia’s energy sector is predominantly driven by the private sector, with various stakeholders providing energy services in different regions of the country. However, the sector lacks coordinated representation and governance frameworks, which hinders policy advocacy, collaboration, and the establishment of unified operational guidelines. To enhance the governance and operation of energy service providers in Somalia, a structured energy sector association is needed to represent the interests of energy providers and foster sustainable energy growth.
The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MoEWR) seeks to recruit a National Consultant to conduct a comprehensive study of the energy sector providers’ associations, with a particular focus on mapping private sector stakeholders, drafting a governance structure for a potential national association, and organizing consultation meetings with key stakeholders to develop operational guidelines for the association.
2: PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Africa Minigrids Program (AMP),
The Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) is a country-led regional technical assistance program for minigrids, active in an initial 21 African countries. It is led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funding primarily from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented together with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), linking up with a wide array of Minigrid stakeholders in Africa and beyond.
AMP’s overall objective is to increase access to electricity by improving the financial viability and promoting scaled-up commercial investment in renewable energy minigrids. The program is focused on minigrids cost-reduction, across hardware costs, soft costs, and financing costs, and innovative business models for minigrids. With lower costs, minigrids will be more financially viable, commercial capital flows will increase, and end-users will benefit from lower tariffs and expanded service.
The AMP program has two main elements: a cohort of national projects and a regional project.
1. An initial 21 national projects[1], each with a common architecture consisting of five components: (i) policy and regulations, (ii) business model innovation with private sector, (iii) innovative finance for minigrids scale-up, and (iv) digital, knowledge management, and (v) M&E.
2. A regional project acting as the knowledge, advocacy and coordinating platform for AMP. This will be achieved through a suite of knowledge tools, technical and operational expertise and support, communities of practice, and promoting innovative digital approaches for minigrids cost reduction.
The AMP national project in Somalia;
As part of the UNDP-supported, GEF-financed Africa Mini-grids Program (AMP), the AMP in Somalia seeks to “support access to clean energy by increasing the financial viability, and promoting scaled up commercial investment, in low carbon mini-grids in Somalia, with a focus on cost reduction levers and innovative business models”. The baseline situation is characterized by a low electrification rate (35%), the lack of electricity grid infrastructure, and the predominance of and reliance on diesel mini-grid systems, owned and operated by private Electricity Service Providers (ESPs), charging remarkably high tariffs. The project strategy corresponds to the unique nature of the energy sector in Somalia, and the AMP’s concentration on clean energy, by focusing on digital transformation and institutionalization of ongoing initiatives to expand the adoption of solar PV technologies, and promote hybridization of existing diesel Minigrid systems as a financially viable path to driving down tariffs and reducing GHG emissions in Somalia.
This is achieved through supporting the Government on the national and sub-national levels with: (1) operationalizing existing mini-grid policies and regulations through digital transformation, including performing techno-economic analyses, designing tools for tariff calculation, and supporting the institutional capacity building of the mini-grid public sector; (2) implementing pilot project(s) to showcase the benefits of hybridization and remote telemetry of performance monitoring and consumption tracking, as well as establishing and capacitating mini-grid industry associations to encourage and strengthen private operators and developers, and introducing academic programs to build private sector capacity to design, operate, maintain and manage solar and hybrid mini-grids; (3) assessing previous and ongoing financing schemes to develop operational guidance and offer training support to stakeholders in the domestic financial sector; and (4) running an effective M&E, QA and KM systems to oversee and guide project implementation
3. Objective of the Assignment:
The primary objective of this consultancy is to:
1. Conduct a detailed mapping of energy sector providers in Somalia, with a focus on private sector energy providers.
2. Develop a governance structure for the proposed energy sector association.
3. Facilitate consultation meetings with key stakeholders to gather inputs for the creation of operational guidelines.
4. Scope of Work:
The National Consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks:
1. Energy Sector Mapping:
o Identify and map private sector energy providers operating in Somalia.
o Assess the structure, size, and scope of operations of existing energy providers.
o Analyze the challenges, gaps, and opportunities within the energy provider network.
2. Governance Structure Development:
o Draft a governance structure for a national energy sector association.
o Ensure the structure includes key elements such as roles and responsibilities, membership criteria, decision-making processes, and accountability mechanisms.
3. Consultation Meetings:
o Organize and facilitate consultation meetings with energy providers, government representatives, development partners, and other relevant stakeholders.
o Gather feedback on the proposed governance structure and draft operational guidelines for the association.
o Incorporate stakeholder input into final governance and operational documents.
4. Development of Operational Guidelines:
o Based on consultations, develop operational guidelines for the energy sector association.
o Ensure the guidelines address issues such as membership rules, financial management, dispute resolution, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement.
5. Final Report and Presentation:
o Compile findings from the energy sector mapping, governance structure, and consultation outcomes.
o Submit a comprehensive final report, including recommendations for the formation of the energy sector association and its operational framework.
o Present findings to MoEWR and relevant stakeholders.
5. Deliverables:
The consultant is expected to deliver the following outputs:
1. Inception Report: A detailed work plan outlining the methodology, timeline, and approach.
2. Energy Sector Mapping Report: A comprehensive report on the mapping of private sector energy providers, including key findings, challenges, and opportunities.
3. Draft Governance Structure: A proposed governance structure for the energy sector association.
4. Consultation Meetings Summary: A summary report on the consultation meetings, highlighting stakeholder inputs and recommendations.
5. Operational Guidelines: Draft operational guidelines for the energy sector association based on stakeholder feedback.
6. Final Report: A consolidated final report including the mapping, governance structure, and operational guidelines.
6. Timeline and Duration:
The consultancy is expected to be completed over a period of 8 weeks from the date of signing the contract, with the following milestones:
Week 1-2: Submission of the Inception Report
Week 3-4: Completion of Energy Sector Mapping and submission of report
Week 5: Draft Governance Structure and organization of consultation meetings
Week 6: Facilitation of consultation meetings
Week 7: Drafting of Operational Guidelines
Week 8: Submission of Final Report and Presentation
[1] Participating countries are organized in 3 cohorts: Cohort 1 – Angola, Burkina Faso, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eswatini, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan; Cohort 2 – Benin, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, and Zambia; Cohort 3 – Burundi, DRC, and Liberia.
Skills and Qualifications
Education: Master’s degree in energy studies, economics, public policy, Law, governance, or related fields.
Experience:
Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in the energy sector or governance.
Demonstrated experience in conducting research, mapping, or assessments in the energy sector.
Proven track record of drafting governance structures or policy frameworks.
Familiarity with Somalia’s private sector, particularly the energy sector, is preferred.
Skills:
Strong analytical and report-writing skills.
Proven ability to facilitate stakeholder consultations and meetings.
Excellent communication and presentation skills.
Fluency in English and Somali is required.
8. Supervision and Reporting:
The National Consultant will report to the designated project coordinator at the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MoEWR). The consultant will provide regular progress updates and will submit all deliverables for review and approval by MoEWR.
9. Evaluation Criteria:
Relevant Experience: 30%
Proposed Methodology: 40%
Cost Proposal: 30%
10. Payment Terms:
Payments will be made upon satisfactory completion of the following milestones:
1. 30% upon submission and approval of the Inception Report.
2. 40% upon submission and approval of the Energy Sector Mapping Report and Draft Governance Structure.
30% upon submission and approval of the Final Report, including operational guidelines
How to apply
11. Application Process:
Interested candidates are invited to submit the following:
1. A detailed CV outlining relevant experience and qualifications.
2. A brief proposal (maximum 2 pages) describing the approach and methodology for the assignment.
3. A financial proposal outlining the cost of the consultancy. Applications should be submitted to africanminigridproject@gmail.com cc: dg@moewr.gov.so energy@moewr.gov.so by deadline date of 30th September 2024.
