Job Summary

Under the direct supervision of the responsible project officer, the international consultant will: 1. Compile an inventory of financing options that can be used for the electric bus pilot projects. This inventory will include detailed information on key donors, their funding timelines and cycles, the desired project selection criteria, and the application process that authorities should prepare for. 2. Recommend from the options compiled in item 1 an appropriate financing mechanism for the pilot projects in each of the target countries. The recommendation should be tailored to the context of each country and the specific needs of the electric bus pilot projects, which would be determined based on the analyses of the feasibility studies. These studies will be provided by ESCAP. 3. Support the competent authorities to develop comprehensive funding proposals for each of the four target countries, based on the recommendations provided in item 2. The objective is to secure the necessary financial resources for implementing the pilot projects, which will involve collaborating with ESCAP and relevant stakeholders to ensure that funding proposals are aligned with overall project objectives and timelines. 4. Support the competent authorities in the design and deployment of pilot e-bus projects. This advisory support should be provided during the application process for financing, but also during the project implementation phase once financing has been allocated. 5. Prepare an annotated outline and produce the final regional roadmap report on best practices for financing electric mobility in public transport, which will compile key learnings and case studies from the project that would provide insights for the region. 6. Condense the findings from the final regional roadmap report (item 5 above) into a policy brief to be published as an ESCAP knowledge product. 7. Produce presentation material based on items 1 and 2 above to be delivered at national workshops in each of the target countries. Additionally, based on item 5 above, be available to present a summary of findings from the best practice report at a regional meeting of the Asia-Pacific Initiative on Electric Mobility to be organized by ESCAP. Period: 15 December 2024 to 14 December 2025 for items 1 – 3 and 5 – 7 above (with individual deliverable dates to be defined). Part-time support (5 working days per month) for item 4 above, from 15 December 2025 to 30 September 2026.

Duties and Responsibilities

ESCAP supports its member States to develop efficient, environmentally sustainable, safe, and inclusive transport networks and services, in line with the Regional Action Programme on Sustainable Transport Development in Asia and the Pacific (2022-2026). As part of this mandate, ESCAP delivers comprehensive capacity development and technical assistance programmes on sustainable urban mobility and low carbon transport, among others. To this end, ESCAP is implementing the project “Accelerating the Transition to Electric Mobility for Public Transport in Asia and the Pacific (Phase II)” over the period 2024-2026. The project comprises focused activities aimed at launching pilot electric bus systems in four target countries: Lao PDR, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan. These activities will deliver tailored support to each country, empowering them to implement low-carbon transport systems while also demonstrating the feasibility of various financing mechanisms for transitioning to electric buses, such as loans, grants, and green funds. These outputs will be disseminated through the Asia-Pacific Initiative on Electric Mobility to support peer learning and good practices for other countries in the region, where limited access to finance often poses difficulties in overcoming the high upfront costs and long-term viability of electric buses. ESCAP Transport Division seeks an international consultant with relevant expertise to support the project’s implementation. ESCAP is conducting technical and infrastructure feasibility studies for the pilot projects in the target countries, which will include relevant analysis of the proposed fleet size and infrastructure needs for the pilot projects. The international consultant will first be expected to compile an inventory of potential funding options and sources for the pilot projects, as well as funding timelines and other criteria that would support decisions about which options are realistic for the national context and within the project timeline. The international consultant will then recommend suitable financing mechanisms that support the deployment of the electric buses and assist the competent authorities of the target countries in developing funding proposals to secure pilot project finance. Additionally, the international consultant will support the design and deployment of the pilot projects and, based on key learnings from the project, prepare a regional roadmap report on best practices in financing electric mobility in public transport, accompanied by a policy brief and presentation materials.

Qualifications/special skills

[Advanced] University degree in finance, economics, public policy, sustainable development, or a related discipline. Required: (i) At least 10 years of experience in developing and evaluating financing mechanisms for large-scale infrastructure or transport projects, preferably in electric mobility. (ii) Demonstrated expertise in successfully securing financing such as grants, loans, and green funds, for infrastructure projects in developing countries. (iii) Experience in implementing transport infrastructure projects, preferably in the Asia-Pacific region. (iv) Experience collaborating with government stakeholders, international organizations, and financial institutions. Desirable: Experience in the Asia-Pacific region.

Languages

Fluency in written and oral English is required.