Presentation of Expertise France 

Expertise France is the French agency for international technical cooperation and part of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group. Expertise France designs and implements projects that sustainably strengthen public policies in developing and emerging countries. It operates in key development areas such as governance, health, education and environment and works alongside its partners to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Expertise France's job is to support, advise and train national and local authorities in the definition and implementation of quality public policies adapted to the needs of the population. Focusing on the transfer of dialogue between peers, our interventions aim to strengthen the capacities of partner countries. We contribute to the emergence of innovative solutions adapted to the local context by bringing together the best know-how.

Expertise France advises and supports partner institutions - central administrations, regional organisations, local authorities, civil society organisations, etc. - from the definition of their needs to the final evaluation of activities carried out. 

     Context

At the 13th EU-India Summit (Brussels, March 2016), leaders agreed to establish an EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership (CECP) and defined its content. As part of an overall EU Energy and Climate strategy towards key global partners, the CECP is intended to be a long term cooperation and coordination platform to facilitate the involvement of the EU and interested Member States, jointly with the relevant Indian authorities, in energy and climate-related activities in India.

The CECP started in 2018 and it is financed by the Partnership Instrument of the European Union and managed by the Delegation of the European Union to India.

Building upon the Phase 2 of the programme ending in September 2024, the EU Delegation to India is launching the Phase 3 of the CECP whose Work Programme 2025-2028 has been agreed on 21 November 2024, during the 10th meeting of the Energy Panel.

The General Objective (GO) of the CECP Phase 3 will be to continue the momentum established under the EU-India Energy Panel and its related working groups and reinforce EU-India cooperation in the renewable energy sector.

The Specific Objectives (SO) of the Work Plan 2025-2028 will focus on cooperation in the following sectors: 1) Renewable Hydrogen; 2) Off-shore; 3) Regional connectivity, electricity market integration and smart grids activities; 4) Energy Efficiency; 5) Energy and Climate diplomacy; and 6) Other enabling priorities.

As a pillar-assessed agency, Expertise France (EF) in collaboration with GIZ and DANIDA, is taking over the Phase 3 of the CECP under a Team Europe Initiative (TEI) approach. Expertise France will strategically focus on regional connectivity, electricity market integration, smart grids activities, energy efficiency, and Energy and Climate diplomacy.

        General objective of the TA 

The International Energy Expert will provide technical support to EF HQ for drafting a Description of Action (DoA) of the CECP Phase 3 to the Delegation of the European Union to India.

     Specific objectives of the TA

•          Review and update national context analysis for identifying and assess possible joint activities.
•          Map national stakeholders and potential partners, strength and weaknesses of projects and initiatives already implemented in the EU-India CECP previous phases.
•          Build on current EU and India best experience and expertise in the field of national and regional energy policy dialogue for the sectors of the Work Plan.
•          Drafting project proposal, providing technical inputs in regard with Specific Objectives of the Work Plan (among others: domestic policies and regulation, market integration analysis for cross-border connectivity, electrification strategy, demand side management and energy efficiency measures).
•          Propose an implementation set-up for CECP Project Management Unit in coordination with GIZ and DANIDA activities.

Activities

The International Consultant will support Expertise France in the conduct of the following activities:

-          Activity 1 - Review and update Project rationale in the Concept Note with key strategic activities and partners for the CECP Phase 3 with regard to the SO 3, 4, and 5 building upon CECP previous phases and work.

·         Context and sector analysis, description of the framework at the national level, organisation of the sector and institutional analysis of stakeholders, actions of donors and main actors.

·         Identify the main issues and development levers of the project and intervention methodology.

-          Activity 2 - Conduct a 5 days’ mission in New Delhi with Expertise France (specific logistical details TBC) with the objectives of:

·         Gathering data and inputs from national stakeholders (administration, umbrella organisations, CSOs, think tanks, academia and other).

·         Mapping stakeholders’ engagement, interests and partnerships with regard to the CN in the framework of the EU-India CECP through a TEI approach.

·         Identifying and consulting with key partners and stakeholders (authorities, civil society private sector, technical and financial partners, etc.) for identifying and analyse past, ongoing and planned initiatives in the area of regional connectivity, energy efficiency, and energy transition dialogue and adapt the CN accordingly.  

-          Activity 3 - Support Expertise France in proposing a technical offer to the EU Delegation to India in partnership with the Project Manager, responsible for the technical support part and advising on team composition and methodology. This work will include:

·         Activity 3.1 - Drafting of the Description of Action (DoA)[1] of the project document as per following guidelines:

o   Part 1 - Presentation of the context, sector analysis, and requirements;

o   Part 2 - Project description (rationale of the project, Theory of change, overall planning, description of activities, detailed budget, inception phase);

Possible activities should be discussed in advance with the EU and beneficiaries. Each activity should be justified in terms of achieving the logical framework, added technical value, feasibility, objectives and results to be achieved, the methods, resources, and expertise required for its implementation and its indicative duration.

o   Part 3 -  Project steering, management and monitoring, institutional and contractual set-up, (calls for tenders, direct subsidies, calls for projects, technical assistance, etc) and project HR;

o   Part 4 - Impact and sustainability (description of operational risks and mitigation measures);

The narrative document includes a chronogram of activities, a logical framework matrix, and a detailed budget.

·         Activity 3.2 - Drafting ToR for Project Management Unit including communication and visibility activities, knowledge management strategy, and reporting mechanism to the DUE.

The expert will ensure cross-cutting attention to:

·         Implementing a Team Europe Initiative (TEI) approach.

·         Incorporating risks related to the institutional context in the development of the technical proposal.

·         Ensuring compliance with Expertise France’s corporate procedures and identity.

·         Ensuring stakeholders’ visions are reflected in the final technical offer.

·         The documents must take into account possible revisions of the stakeholders and donors.