Project: Regional Energy Advisory Platform East Africa (REAP EA)

Location: Kampala, Uganda

Application Deadline: August 1^st 2010

Period of Assignment: 15th August 2010 to 31st December 2011

INTRODUCTION

The German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) is a government-owned corporation for international cooperation with worldwide operations. It is present in more than 130 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. GTZ’s corporate objective is to improve people’s living conditions on a sustainable basis. GTZ provides services that support complex development and reform processes and contribute to global sustainable development. GTZ has more than three decades of experience in international cooperation.

Within the framework of technical cooperation with partner countries, GTZ promotes renewable energy and access to modern energy services to foster sustainable economic growth while reducing extreme poverty. To do this, GTZ increasingly draws on renewable energy technologies to ensure that the energy supplied is not only economically viable but also as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. In Eastern Africa, GTZ has put in place the Regional Energy Advisory Platform East Africa to support its energy initiatives in the region. REAP is a service-provider to existing bilateral and sector assignments. Its key objectives are to increase the impact and overall efficiency of these projects and initiatives, to explore and realise synergies, and to provide direct support through targeted services. The expertise of REAP covers a wide range of topics including knowledge and resource management, biomass and bioenergy, energy efficiency, carbon finance, climate change, rural electrification and renewable energy policy advice.

REAP’s funding comes from working contracts with various clients within GTZ. These clients include projects, programmes, Sector Programs and other initiatives like the Sector Network on Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa. To ensure the sustainability of The Platform, the REAP management is active in the conceptualisation of innovative services for existing and new clients. Opportunities for funding for the platform exist both within the East African Region as well as at the GTZ Headquarters in Eschborn.

To this end, GTZ’s Regional Energy Advisory Platform East Africa is seeking to recruit a Technical Officer to provide support in achieving its goals.

A. RESPONSIBILITIES

The Technical Officer is in general responsible for:

The maintenance of an overall good flow of communication and information between the REAP Offices, GTZ in general, and all other involved institutions with respect to her/his technical tasks;

2 Co-ordinating project activities with respect to her/his technical tasks.

The Technical Officer is – either individually or in cooperation with colleagues, clients, partners and stakeholders – responsible for the following thematic areas with the REAP Office in Uganda:

Renewable Energy Technologies: including bioenergy (wood fuels, biofuels, biogas), hydropower, solar energy (PV and thermal), hybrid systems; both grid-connected as well as off-grid, and wind energy.

Energy Policies: including energy sector policies (feed-in tariffs, decentralisation), strategies and frameworks at national and regional level

Climate Change and Carbon finance: this will entail CDM activities, latest information and discussions on climate change, PoA’s, etc.

Within this context, s/he fulfils the following tasks:

B. TASKS

Communication and Networking

§ Develops and maintains contacts with all relevant stakeholders

§ May be requested to represent REAP at the project level and/or act as its speaker

§ Acts as liaison to and cooperates with other GTZ projects in the region

§ Collects and circulates relevant information and disseminates project experiences

§ Further develops a database of consultant firms in conjunction with the REAP Project Officer1 in Nairobi. This database is primarily managed by the REAP Project Officer in Nairobi; however tasks of the Kampala Project Officer are to support. i.e. updating and maintaining the existing database, improve structuring and accessibility, provision of contacts as requested by colleagues, clients, partners and stakeholders

§ Contribute to the Energy Events calendar: This calendar is managed by the REAP Project Officer in Nairobi; however tasks of the Kampala Project Officer are to support. i.e. update and maintain the energy events calendar, including all relevant public events in the region, and compilation into briefs for the newsletter, as well as communication of events to colleagues, clients, partners and stakeholders

§ Write articles for the REAP Newsletter

§ Observes communication and interaction between government institutions, non-government organisations, and the local community through press evaluation, direct dialogs, participation in forums, seminars, etc.

1 The Technical Officer in Uganda is equivalent to the REAP Project Officer position in Nairobi

Development Planning

§ Facilitates the process of investigation of the needs of public and non-public institutions

§ Takes part in the formulation of project action plans and facilitates synchronisation between the planning and budgeting system

§ Actualises and coordinates the planning together with the Regional Advisor

3 § May be requested to prepare, execute and document: trainings, workshops, forums, meetings, and other project activities

§ May be requested to go on field visits / neighbouring countries in accordance with the requirements of the project

Management and Coordination

§ Coordinates, supervises and contributes to the preparation and implementation of project activities and carries out other activities necessary for implementation

§ Assists assigned national and international consultants when requested

General Duties

§ Provides support in organisational and management questions

§ Consults routinely with Regional Advisor regarding project activities assigned

§ Provide advisory and backstopping as requested

§ Prepares and conceptualizes project ideas

§ Develop terms of reference for specific assignments

§ Prepare and conduct tenders for consultancies and manage the consultancies throughout. This includes, amongst other tasks, identification of candidates, evaluation of proposals and outputs and guidance during implementation.

§ Develop technical papers

§ Contribute to the formulation of policies and strategies

§ Represent GTZ and – upon request – clients and partners in workshops, conferences etc., including thematic presentations

§ Support the organisation of events / organise events independently

§ Participate in and / or conduct monitoring and evaluation assignments

C. OTHER DUTIES / ADDITIONAL TASKS

§ Assist in and/or carries out other project activities and any other tasks as assigned

§ Undertakes further job training related to his/her position and duties, if required. Specific training needs shall be identified and appropriate programmes selected jointly with the Regional Advisor / Platform Manager.

D. REQUIRED ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

Formal Education

§ Bachelor or Masters Degree in a relevant field, e.g. agricultural-economics, economics, engineering, forestry, renewable energy.

Professional Experience

§ At least 5 years of professional working experience in a similar position, of these at least 2 years of work experience with assignments in the energy sector

§ Demonstrated and documented expertise on the majority of the above mentioned thematic areas

Further Knowledge

§ High proficiency with standard Microsoft applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

§ Good working knowledge of modern telecommunication systems (telephone, fax, e-mail, internet)

§ Demonstrated ability to communicate in both written and spoken English at high level

Other Qualifications

§ Ability to think outside the box and quickly be familiarized with new issues

§ Good team player

§ Good representation and networking skills

§ Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks and organize workload

§ Creativity and initiative

§ Ability to perform under pressure

D. REPORTING: Contractual Superior: Focal Area Coordinator, Promotion of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme. The disciplinary supervisor is also the responsible officer for REAP. Technical Superior: The Technical Officer will report directly to the REAP Regional Energy Advisor based in Kampala on all tasks mentioned, under the overall responsibility of the REAP Platform Manager.

E. DEPUTY OF POSITION: N/A

F. DEPUTIZED BY: N/A

Interested candidates should send their application to REAP@gtz.de. Only short-listed applications will be acknowledged. No hand deliveries please!

Candidates should attach the following to the application.

1. A cover letter (in no more than two pages elaborate your suitability for the post)
2. Curriculum Vitae (including  3 referees)
3. Copies of academic testimonials / certificates (scan and attach)
4. Any other relevant documents.

Applications should be addressed to:

The Platform Manager
GTZ REAP-EA – Uganda
P. O Box 10346
Kampala

The deadline for the submission of applications is Sunday, 1^st August 2010.

Regional Energy Advisory Platform, East Africa (REAP-EA)

Postal address: c/o GTZ Office, P. O. Box 10346, Kampala, Uganda

Tel: +256-414-347145

Fax: +256-414-347217

Email: REAP@gtz.de

Website: www.regionalenergy-net.com