Description
USAID/India has contracted Panagora Group to provide monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) services to generate learning inputs for the implementation of the new Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS). Panagora will conduct a final performance evaluation of the Greening the Grid (GTG) program to be carried out in January-March 2021. GTG is a five-year project to help India meet its ambitious renewable energy (RE) targets. As part of USAID’s Asia EDGE initiative, GTG is assisting the Government of India (GOI) in integrating large-scale, variable renewable energy (VRE) into the existing power grid. Critical to it is rigorous analytical support to identify grid stability issues, options for optimizing dispatch, and sources of potential flexibility. Pilot projects are at the core of the GTG program.
The evaluation will guide USAID/ India in identifying lessons learned from GTG implementation and informing similar mechanisms USAID might design in the future. The evaluation design, planning, and data collection and analysis will be conducted remotely. The evaluation will be carried out by a team of US and Indian evaluation experts in power system planning reforms; integration of large VRE parks into power grids; analysis of grid stability and security; design of technical regulatory frameworks and automatic generation controls (AGC); and forecasting, scheduling, accounting and commercial settlement regulations. The detailed evaluation questions are currently under development.
Responsibilities:
- Support the evaluation team leader in all activity planning, design and review of data collection instruments, conduct data collection, analyze quantitative and qualitative data, and draft work products for integration into a final report.
- Perform desk review of USAID/India and GTG program documents, assessments and evaluations, national and state level GOI policy and planning documents in relation to VRE integration into power grids, and assist the team leader in design of the evaluation work plan with methodology, data collection instruments, list of any additional documents for desk review, stakeholder list for interviews, and schedule of activities.
- Develop a set of structured interview guides (KIIs and FGDs) for primary data collection in aspects pertaining to grid integration of VRE projects.
- Working with the evaluation team leader, conduct KIIs, FGDs, and group interviews with USAID/India staff, implementing partners, national and state level GOI counterparts, private sector firms, and other identified key stakeholders using telephone and internet platforms (Skype, Zoom and similar).
- Working with the evaluation team leader, analyze data collected through the desk review, KIIs, and group interviews to draft sections of the evaluation report findings, conclusions and preliminary recommendations.
- Assist the team leader to present the draft report with preliminary recommendations for discussion with USAID/India, GTG implementing partners and other stakeholders.
- Review USAID comments and draft/edit sections of the final report to incorporate USAID feedback, summarizing data collection, main findings and conclusions, and a set of prioritized recommendations.
Requirements
- Undergraduate and graduate degrees and a minimum of 10 years of experience in Electrical Engineering and/or other STEM subjects related to power grid stability and integration of VRE projects.
- A deep technical understanding of renewable energy deployment, integration, distributed energy resources and storage, power sector resilience, and the data and analytical tools needed to support them.
- Demonstrated high-level skills in the use of advanced data and analytical tools for planning and designing VRE projects, analyzing integration into power grids, grid stability and resilience, and related technical and regulatory issues.
- Proven qualitative and quantitative analysis capability through professional experience in an energy policy setting, consulting for private sector firms in grid design and management, VER project planning and design, and/or academic policy analysis on these and related topics in developing countries.
- Experience working in developing countries, preferably in South Asia.
- Demonstrated ability to work remotely within multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary consulting teams spread across several countries and time zones.
- Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, aural).
- Experience using online platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet for all aspects of remote research.
Salary & Benefits
This is a short-term assignment, from December 2020 through February 2021.
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