Vacancy Notice No.: ETH/ME/VN/040/16
Duration:Up to 31st December 2016
Remuneration: On monthly basis
General Background and Context for the Post
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide.
UNHCR recognizes the global need for a broader “cultural shift” from long-term care and maintenance to self-reliance and solutions-oriented planning and programming in its refugee operations.
UNHCR’s operation in Dollo Ado - with the support from the IKEA Foundation since 2012 – serves as one of the key locations for UNHCR to implement a new type of programming which gives priority to activities that increase refugees’ self-reliance in order to decrease dependency on aid. The program is aimed at building refugees resilience in preparation for their eventual return to Somalia.
The national, legal and policy environment in refugee hosting countries places varying degrees of restrictions on refugees' right to work and freedom of movement. In spite of these, refugees use different strategies to generate income, mostly through daily labouring jobs in the informal sector.
The conditions necessary for refugees to earn an income that will make them self- reliant through circulation of capital in Dollo Ado woreda, do not yet exist. However, UNHCR is actively and creatively seeking opportunities for refugees to improve their income while they are in Dollo Ado and to provide them with opportunities to gain and improve skills, which will help with their integration when they return to Somalia. Refugees will be supported to improve their livelihoods through skills training, paid employment, energy and business development.
The Government of Ethiopia and regional/local authorities (in the case of Dollo Ado, the Regional Somali State and the Local Administration of Dollo Ado District) have been extremely generous in welcoming 205,000 Somali refugees. Interventions directly benefiting the local host community help counter the negative impact that the presence of large numbers of refugees has in the refugee-hosting areas.
The refugee camps are in a transition phase from emergency to the recovery stage with a wide variety of income levels and energy needs in the camps. Successful businesses have developed through the sale and distribution of electricity and energy technologies. Small-scale independent energy providers have emerged providing electricity through independent diesel mini grids. The generation and distribution of electricity through these grids is inefficient and often safety is not of the required standard. There is scope for improvement of current systems and development of new electrical generating and distribution to support business and income generating activities. Energy for productive use has been a consistent request from refugees along with access to higher quality lighting and home charging systems.
Purpose
UNHCR wishes to recruit an experienced, motivated and highly-qualified National Electrical Consultant, ideally with specific experience in diesel/PV hybrid mini-grids, generation and distribution network. This role will cover the wide areas of vocational training, electrical safety and capacity building in country. The consultant will provide technical assistance, guidance and a high level of testing commissioning and health and safety best practices to UNHCR’s energy and livelihoods programming team in Dollo Ado, Somali region of Ethiopia.
Scope and focus
The appointment supports UNHCR’s strategy of working towards reducing dependence and increasing the resilience of refugees, through the development and implementation of comprehensive livelihood strategies for increasing the productive involvement of refugees in energy, integrated with host communities; to equip refugees for energy and livelihoods opportunities in the country of origin (following voluntary repatriation); or following re-settlement to a third country.
Systems put in place need to be appropriate and locally sustainable, to support and strengthen cooperation and benefit sharing between refugees and members of the host communities, and to be the result of local and fully-participatory discussions and considerations, involving a multi-disciplinary team including host community, refugee energy groups, Government, the private sector, as well as UNHCR, ARRA and other potential partners.
Responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the UNHCR Energy Expert Melkadida, and UNHCR Livelihoods Coordinator, the National Renewable Energy Consultant will be responsible for providing technical assistance and professional guidance on the design and construction of appropriate energy infrastructure for generation and distribution of electricity in the 5 refugee camps and local host communities. He/she will specifically undertake the following activities:
Activities:The activities would include, but would not be limited to the following:
The following outputs are anticipated:
Minimum Requirements:
Preferred: