Programme Coordinator, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Capability for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (REEECH) Initiative

Title: Programme Coordinator, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Capability for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (REEECH) Initiative

Organisation: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)

Programme: Adaptation and Resilience Building

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) seeks to enable sustainable and resilient mountain development for improved and equitable livelihoods through knowledge and regional cooperation. ICIMOD is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Working in partnership with regional and international organizations, ICIMOD aims to influence policy and practices to meet environmental and livelihood challenges emerging in the HKH.

ICIMOD provides a platform for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers from the region and around the globe to generate and share knowledge, support evidence-based decision making, and encourage regional cooperation. ICIMOD delivers impact through its six Regional Programmes: 1) Adaptation and Resilience Building, 2) Transboundary Landscapes, 3) River Basins and Cryosphere, 4) Atmosphere, 5) Mountain Environment Regional Information System, and 6) Mountain Knowledge and Action Networks. These Regional Programmes are supported by four Thematic Areas of Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services, Water and Air, and Geospatial Solutions and underpinned by Knowledge Management and Communication. ICIMOD seeks to contribute to reducing poverty and vulnerability and improve the lives and livelihoods of mountain women and men, now and in the future.

 
The Adaptation and Resilience Building (ARB) Regional Programme contributes to the resilience of mountain communities and economies. Working in collaboration with communities, government agencies, and private and non-governmental organizations at local, regional, and global scales, ARB designs and delivers innovative solutions to climate change by
 

• Generating evidence to enable decision makers to respond to complex risks and opportunities in the region. See for instance the Outlook on climate change adaptation in the HKH and the Himalayan climate and water atlas.
• Designing solutions for inclusive and sustainable investment in climate-resilient development in the HKH region. See for instance our work on climate-resilient value chains in Nepal and in the HKH region.
• Strengthening capabilities of communities and institutions to implement and scale-up resilient mountain solutions. See for instance our work on community-led micro-planning in Bhutan; tourism destination management in Bangladesh; and our contribution to an enabling a conducive policy environment for organic agriculture in Bhutan.

 
The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Capability for Hindu Kush Himalaya (REEECH) Initiative will contribute to the poverty reduction, sustainable resource use, and resilience-building objectives of ICIMOD and the ARB Regional Programme, within which the Initiative is housed. Specifically, REEECH will contribute to improved access to appropriate, modern, affordable, and reliable energy services to meet the energy security needs of mountain populations in the HKH region in the context of climate adaption and mitigation. It will also contribute to the safeguarding of essential mountain ecosystem services. 
 
To contribute to this outcome, REEECH will support
 

• Knowledge management and awareness;
• Capacity development;
• Policy implementation; and
• Innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment to improve the demand for and supply of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the HKH region.

 
Launched in November 2018, REEECH has been established as a centre of Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) excellence by ICIMOD in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). It will operate as part of the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC) and execute its activities through a network of National Focal Institutions and Regional Thematic Hubs across the HKH member countries.
 

Responsibilities and tasks

The Programme Coordinator (PC) will lead and manage this new Initiative under the supervision of the ARB Regional Programme Manager and in coordination with UNIDO. S/he will be responsible for thought leadership and will facilitate knowledge management and awareness raising, capacity development, policy implementation and innovation, and entrepreneurship and investment to improve the demand for and supply of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the HKH region. The PC will also be responsible for programme management and will support future business development in this area.
 
 
Specific responsibilities of the PC include the following:
 
1. Thought leadership

Scaled-up investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency provides exciting new opportunities for inclusive and climate-resilient development in the HKH region – improving energy access; greening mountain value chains; and enabling women, men, and youth in mountain regions to engage with new business and job opportunities. There is a need to ensure that these opportunities respond to the capabilities of poor and vulnerable communities first and foremost. To do so, the PC will work with ICIMOD staff, UNIDO, National Focal Institutions, and Regional Hub members to accomplish the following:

• Generate evidence to provide an outlook of the renewable energy and energy efficiency landscape in the HKH region. This includes a preparing a snapshot of the demand for and supply of renewable energy and energy efficiency; policies and regulatory frameworks; and capabilities to access and use renewable energy and energy efficiency – with a focus on the social inclusiveness of this landscape to ensure that the design and implementation phase of REEECH contributes to improved energy access for women, men, and youth in the HKH region.
• Establish a knowledge management hub to provide timely and targeted evidence products that support regional stakeholders in designing and implementing renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions for inclusive and climate-resilient development in the HKH region. The PC will use ICIMOD’s knowledge management expertise to fulfil this responsibility through web and data management facilities and development of knowledge products.
• Strengthen capabilities of communities, government agencies, academia, and non-governmental and private sector institutions to identify, design, and implement renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions for inclusive and climate-resilient development in the HKH region.
• Facilitate innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment to improve the demand for and supply of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the HKH region.
• Design policy solutions to implement and scale-up renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions for inclusive and climate-resilient development in the HKH region.

 
2. Programme management and coordination

Since REEECH is a new initiative launched in November 2018, the PC will manage its inception and implementation phase, including the following:

• Team management: The PC will work with the ARB Regional Programme Manager and Theme Leaders to establish a multidisciplinary team, drawing on cross-ICIMOD competencies. S/he will co-develop and oversee the work plans of team members to ensure timely and quality delivery of tasks.
• Partnership management: The PC will work with ICIMOD’s Strategic Cooperation Unit to establish and maintain strategic partnerships with National Focal Institutions, Regional Thematic Hub members, and UNIDO. S/he will facilitate meetings and dialogues and/or establish renewable energy and energy efficiency incubators and accelerators to bring together partners in designing and scaling out climate-resilient renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions.
• Planning and reporting: The PC will coordinate annual and longer term planning and budgeting for the Initiative. This includes drafting planning documents like the business plan, capacity development plan, and other operational plans for Steering Group approval. S/he will work with ICIMOD’s Strategic Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation (SPM&E) Unit to track and report progress to the REEECH Steering Group.

3. Business development/fundraising

The PC will work with the ICIMOD Directorate and UNIDO to mobilize additional funds for incubation and acceleration of REEECH. S/he will be responsible for the following:

• Developing a financial landscape for inclusive and sustainable investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency in the HKH region. This will include an assessment of financial flows, intermediaries, and instruments used to support inclusive investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency in the HKH region.
• Identifying viable financial options to finance the incubation and acceleration phase of the Initiative.
• Developing funding pitches for public and private investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

4. Institutional development

The PC will contribute to institutional development and will support and promote the goals of ICIMOD and the ARB Programme. S/he will specifically identify and encourage coordination between different initiatives to ensure that REEECH builds on ongoing resilient mountain solutions – especially in the agriculture, tourism, and water and energy sectors.
 

Minimum Qualifications

• A postgraduate degree in public policy, finance, sustainable business development, social innovation, or energy economics. Professional training in renewable energy and energy efficiency business models/finance is desirable.
• At least 8 years of experience in delivering evidence-based policy and practical solutions for inclusive and climate-resilient development.
• Five years of experience in programme coordination, including managing regional partnerships, interdisciplinary teams, and complex budgets and reporting.
• Experience working with public sector actors, including government agencies and development finance institutions; civil society organisations; and local enterprises to design and implement resilient renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. Experience in developing regional solutions for equitable and resilient development is preferable.
• Excellent understanding of policy responses to equitable and climate-resilient development, including energy transitions.
• Good understanding of investment opportunities in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors, including an understanding of opportunities emerging from climate finance and other funding networks.

Competencies

• Cross-cultural impact: Effectively manages the complexity of working in a multicultural environment by integrating best practices from different cultures in workplace relationships.
• Result orientation: Helps the organization achieve its strategic short- and long-term goals leading to increased outcome and impact.
• Team work and cooperation through leadership: Ability to build cross-functional and cross-cultural project teams to achieve results both within and outside ICIMOD. Optimizes resources to manage and align teams around medium-term plans while providing direction and support.
• Networking, stakeholder management: Ability to identify relevant stakeholders and partners and recognize their needs to build capacity and solve project issues.
• Strategic thinking: Seeks ways to grow REEECH and translate strategy into practical steps.
• Market awareness: Seeks market opportunities for new developments and proactively responds to market challenges.
• Behavioral flexibility and managing change: Adapts to change and adjusts to new circumstances while helping others do the same.

Duty Station

The duty station is Kathmandu; frequent travel in the region may be required.

Duration

• 3 years, with a probation period of 6 months, starting as early as possible; possibility of extension subject to performance and ICIMOD’s future funding levels.
• Remuneration
• Salaries and benefits of ICIMOD are competitive compared to other regional organizations; remuneration is commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• Gender and Equity Policy
• Qualified and eligible women candidates and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply. ICIMOD upholds a gender equity policy and is supportive of women professionals. It operates a day-care centre at the campus and is committed to the integration of gender equity at organizational and programmatic levels.

Method of application

Applicants are requested to apply online before 03 Mar 2019 through ICIMOD's online application system.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.