Consultant: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning expert for Nepal Clean Cooking Project
The Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) works with a global network of partners to build an inclusive industry that makes clean cooking accessible to the three billion people who live each day without it. Established in 2010, CCA is driving consumer demand, mobilizing investment to build a pipeline of scalable businesses, and fostering an enabling environment to allow the sector to thrive. Clean cooking transforms lives by improving health, protecting the climate and the environment, empowering women, and helping families save time and money.
Electric Cooking in Nepal
Electric cooking plays a critical role in meeting the Government of Nepal’s (GoN) ambitious commitments and targets to mitigate climate change and, in parallel, achieve universal energy access. Building on a decade of collaboration with the GoN, CCA is kicking off an innovative project that applies revolutionary electric cookstove (EC) monitoring technology to unlock carbon finance and drive a sustainable EC market in Province 2, Nepal. The new project is informed by CCA’s work in Nepal, including foundational research on electric cooking, the development of a Country Action Plan, national electric cooking standards implementation, and the Energy Access Explorer development.
In Madesh Pradesh, this project will sell 1,000 ECs and implement coordinated initiatives, including conducting awareness and demand creation activities, ensuring ECs and related utensils are readily available in local retail stores, guaranteeing after-sales care for long-term user satisfaction, and ensuring adequate electricity access. Emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technology in EC will enable real-time data collection for accurate monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV). Using additional stove monitors to track stove stacking will also allow measurement of the real use of all household cooking devices and provide more accurate emissions reduction estimates. The project will determine feasibility of establishing a carbon finance program which will decrease the cost of implementation and enhance the affordability of ECs for marginalized consumers. The project’s core market-building activities will be underpinned by improvements to the enabling environment, including coordination with Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to establish reliable infrastructure, breaker upgrades, and wiring upgrades for target households, coordination with local government for demand aggregation, and support for national policies.
This project will gather learnings to support the scaling-up of electric cooking across Nepal and position Nepal to potentially be the first developing country globally to achieve 100% decarbonized cooking through the mass adoption of ECs. Project learnings will also be shared to support the scale up of ECs throughout the region.
Position Overview
CCA is seeking a consultant with experience working in strategic planning, project management, project design, theory of change, monitoring, and evaluation (M&E), including logical frameworks and result-based chains. The consultant will have strong analytical, research, and project management skills with a proven ability to deliver high-quality work. The consultant will design a project performance monitoring system (PPMS) to collect, record, and update disaggregated data and implementation results. The consultant will support the team and prepare the required templates for monitoring and reporting on the project’s activities and outputs. The consultant will conduct research, survey/study and literature review as necessary to support the project. The consultant will be responsible for the data management and analysis and see how the evidence collected will support the project’s progress and policy advocacy. The consultant will work with the team to develop evidence-based knowledge products to capture lessons for EC promotion.
The project is anticipated for a duration of approximately 15 months. The MEL Expert consultant’s support will be needed for approximately 16 weeks part-time basis, and all work will be done in close collaboration and oversight from CCA’s Chief of Staff and CCA’s Nepal Country Representative.
The consultant will be responsible for developing the following Deliverables:
- Deliverable 1: Design a Project and Program Management System (PPMS) to collect, record and update disaggregated data and implementation results.
- Deliverable 2: Prepare the required monitoring and reporting templates for monitoring and reporting on project activities and outputs.
- Deliverable 3: Conduct research, survey/study, and literature review as necessary to support the detailed implementation plan, project oversight and periodic reports to be submitted to ADB.
- Deliverable 4: Oversee data management and analysis and develop evidence-based knowledge products that communicate the project’s progress and support policy advocacy.
Skills Required
- Master’s degree in a relevant social science discipline, data management, statistics or research methods and more than eight years of professional experience, preferably in energy programs and projects.
- Practical experience with the clean cooking sector in Nepal, especially an understanding of how the government and non-government stakeholders operate in the clean cooking sector.
- Experience in annual planning and budgeting, regular periodic monitoring, and reporting , including strategic planning, project management, project design, theory of change, monitoring, and evaluation (M&E) frameworks, such as logical frameworks and result-based chains.
- Familiarity and/or interest in clean cooking projects and enterprises will be strongly considered.
- Preparing monitoring and reporting templates for monitoring the outputs and activities’ progress.
- Demonstrated experience in complex project development, management, and execution.
- Ability to drive multiple aspects of initiatives and projects from inception to implementation within a limited time frame.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to plan and participate in virtual meetings that align with EST working hours.
- Energetic and positive attitude.
- Solutions-oriented and able to manage and advance multiple task and responsibilities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
- Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
- Problem-solver with a proactive, no-task-is-too-small nature who takes initiative.
- Team-oriented, supportive work style, and able to work independently.
- Excellent communicator, able to synthesize and convey complex information clearly.
- Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills, including negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
- High ethical standards and ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion with sensitive information.
- Ability to learn new systems and collaboration platforms efficiently.
Duration & budget
This consultant engagement will last approximately 16 weeks (part-time support), during the 15 – month period. We are seeking consultants with immediate availability. The budget for this contract is not to exceed US $15,000.
Location
Work can be completed remotely.
To Apply
Please email a resume and cover letter to Jillene Connors Belopolsky (jbelopolsky@cleancookingalliance.org) and cc: Karuna Bajracharya (kbajracharya@cleancooking.org) with the subject line “Consultant, MEL expert for Nepal Clean Cooking Project.” Selected consultant must comply with United Nations Foundation and funder compliance requirements.
To download the terms of reference, click here.
