Electricity is an important enabler and dramatically improves the quality, accessibility and reliability of education, healthcare and WASH services for children. There are positive correlations between electricity access, health and education outcomes. In emergencies such as COVID 19, electricity in healthcare facilities is especially critical to treat patients, operate lifesaving medical devices and to meet cooling needs of the vaccine cold chain. Similarly, reliance on remote learning and technology-based solutions that support continuous learning also rely on access to electricity, especially in rural areas, to address the risks of growing inequities. Access to modern, reliable energy also supports children and young people with person learning in school by enabling lighting, heating, ventilation, clean water supply, sanitation and hygiene services, cooking school meals, especially in areas that are not connected to reliable electricity grids.

Despite its importance, electricity access is often an overlooked building block of quality health and educational services. Some of the solutions to increase energy access in healthcare and educational facilities include extending the grid network, or connecting to decentralized solutions such as mini-grids or stand-alone solar PV systems, to ensure adequate service delivery. Decentralized solar energy solutions are promising options that can also simultaneously transform the sectors to a low carbon and climate resilient development pathway. This is a powerful benefit to children in the face of a changing climate and degrading environment. There are limitations, however, in the form of limited data and market information on a granular (national and sub-national) level to understand the access gap, the demand for energy based on type and size of schools, healthcare facility, the cost of providing electricity, willingness to pay, the most appropriate delivery models and best sustainability measures including long term operations and maintenance (O&M) which is a major challenge.

UNICEF’s Section for Climate, Environment, Resilience, and Peace (CERP) contributes to Goal Area 4 ‘Every child lives in a safe and clean environment’ of the Strategic Plan (2017-2021). Within the CERP Section, the Climate, Environment, Energy, and DRR (CEED) team in close collaboration with UNICEF HQ, Regional and Country Offices is committed to scaling up sustainable energy integration into UNICEF programme priority areas (e.g. WASH, Health and Education sectors) with a goal of accomplishing positive social and climate benefits for children.

Objective of the consultancy: The overall objective of the consultancy is to support the development of a standardized energy demand assessment toolkit for UNICEF to provide a comprehensive understanding of energy demand of healthcare facilities and schools in a defined geographic area (e.g. country, province, etc.). The consultant will take stock and consolidate existing data, evidence, identify gaps, and under the supervision of the CEED team support UNICEF regional and country offices in undertaking energy demand assessments and pertinent analysis. The consultant will support the CEED team in delivering on existing and any potential partnerships in a market shaping exercise for the most appropriate and cost-effective energy service delivery models for healthcare and educational facilities.