Result of Service
30-page policy brief focused on Iraq’s electricity interconnections, covering current status, planned corridors, enabling policies, institutional and regulatory requirements, key hurdles, and practical recommendations.
Duties and Responsibilities
Project background The project entitled “Supporting increased energy security and resilience through energy transition”, aims to support Member States in enhancing energy security and energy system resilience through energy connectivity, including by strengthening cross-regional policy dialogue and producing actionable guidance on cross-border and subregional electricity interconnections. The project foresees the development of focused reports and policy briefs providing guidance on how to identify and develop cross-border or subregional interconnection and scaled renewable energy projects of common interest. Within this framework, ESCWA will commission a consultant to develop a 30-page policy brief focused on Iraq’s electricity interconnections, covering current status, planned corridors, enabling policies, institutional and regulatory requirements, key hurdles, and practical recommendations. Duties and responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the supervision of the Cluster Lead and direct guidance of Chief of the Energy Section and the Project Coordinator, at the Climate Change and Natural Resources Sustainability Cluster, the Expert would be responsible for the following overall duties, namely: 1. Desk research and evidence gathering *Compile and review relevant national strategies, legal/regulatory instruments, interconnection agreements/MoUs (where public), technical reports, and credible secondary sources related to Iraq’s power system and cross-border interconnections. *Map key stakeholders and institutions relevant to interconnection planning, regulation, and implementation. *Consult with government officials to verify information accuracy. 2. Analytical assessment of Iraq interconnections *Describe current interconnections (operational status, capacity where available, operational arrangements, constraints). *Assess planned interconnections and pipeline projects (readiness stage, key dependencies, expected benefits). *Identify hurdles across: Governance and coordination (roles of ministries, regulator, system operator, utilities) Market and commercial arrangements (tariffs, wheeling, settlement, PPAs where relevant) Technical and operational issues (grid stability, standards, codes, dispatch coordination) Security and geopolitical risks Investment and financing constraints Social and environmental considerations (as applicable) 3. Digitalization status and relevance to interconnections *Provide a concise assessment of the status and progress of power-sector digitalization in Iraq as it relates to interconnection readiness and grid resilience, including (as information allows) developments in smart grid initiatives, SCADA and dispatch modernization, advanced metering / data systems, digital governance arrangements, interoperability with legacy systems, and associated risks and safeguards (cybersecurity and data protection). 4. Policy options and recommendations *Develop concise, implementable recommendations for Iraq and relevant regional counterparts, including sequencing (near-term actions vs medium-term reforms) and “no-regrets” measures to improve feasibility and resilience outcomes for interconnection. *Identify how interconnections can support renewable energy integration and system flexibility, consistent with the project’s focus on resilience and energy transition. 5. Validation and coordination *Coordinate with ESCWA for stakeholder outreach and validation (ESCWA will lead formal communications as appropriate). *Revise drafts based on ESCWA technical feedback and clearance requirements. 6. Presentation at IFESD *Prepare and deliver a presentation of the policy brief’s key findings during an ESCWA-supported event in Xi’an China, as part of IFESD
Qualifications/special skills
A Master’s in energy policy, power systems, engineering, economics, public policy, or related field is required. Note: All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in electricity sector policy, power systems planning/operations, regional power trade, or interconnection development, experience in Iraq’s related sector is required. Strong analytical skills in producing policy briefs for governments/international organizations, ability to translate technical power-sector issues into policy-relevant analysis, stakeholder engagement experience and ability to deliver high-quality output under tight timelines is required.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English and Arabic is required. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand).
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.
