Local Consultant TOR LASEP

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Required: Local consultant for Laos-Australia Sustainable Energy Partnership (LASEP) 1.4 Component 2 Institutional Preparedness: Support the development of a Continuity of Operation Plan (COOP) for the power sector
Duration: May – September 2025 (15 days)
Location: Lao PDR
Reports to:

• Component 2 Lead

• LASEP Team Lead

Closing Date: 20 May 2025

About P4I
Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) is an Australian Government initiative partnering with Southeast Asia to drive sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth through quality infrastructure. P4I partners with Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
P4I works with partners to strengthen infrastructure decision-making and practice across the transport, energy, utilities and telecommunications sectors. P4I’s focus is on the early stages of the infrastructure lifecycle, including planning and prioritisation, financing strategy, and procurement.
The four main services offered by P4I are:

• Linkages with Australian government agencies and other institutions

• Technical and policy advice

• Infrastructure project advice

• Knowledge-sharing and learning

As the foundation of quality infrastructure, P4I also integrates gender equality, disability, and social inclusion, and disaster risk reduction and climate change considerations into all activities.
Delivered through a single team, P4I is led by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in collaboration with Ernst & Young, Adam Smith International, The Asia Foundation and Ninti One.
P4I has a head office in Bangkok, with other staff located around the region. More information about P4I is available at www.partnershipsforinfrastructure.org

Brief Activity Background
Australia and Lao PDR have initiated the Laos-Australia Sustainable Energy Partnership (LASEP) with the goal of contributing to a more sustainable, reliable, and profitable energy sector. This will be achieved through improved planning and decision-making within the Government of Laos (GoL) by fostering greater evidence-informed policy and planning processes to support the energy transition. The partnership focuses on energy sector planning and the energy transition, underpinned by a better understanding of all options for energy supply.

The LASEP Memorandum of Subsidiary Arrangement (SA) was signed on May 15, 2023, followed by the inaugural Program Steering Committee (PSC) meeting on August 10, 2023, which approved a work plan extending to December 31, 2025.

To support the sustainability, reliability, and profitability of the energy sector in Lao PDR, LASEP activities are incorporating energy resilience, with a focus on disaster and climate change resilience. Key activities include:

• Activity 1.2: Exploring the role of energy regulators in building energy resilience.

• Activity 1.3: Strengthening resilience and integrated energy planning practices.

• Activity 2.2: Building resilience through rooftop solar PV deployment and diversifying energy supply.

Activity 1.4: Supporting GoL to improve energy resilience in Lao PDR complements these initiatives by outlining additional measures for Australia to assist the GoL in developing a more resilient energy sector. Falling under the energy sector planning workstream of LASEP, Activity 1.4 aims to enhance planning and resilience outcomes within Lao PDR's energy sector and foster an enabling policy, regulatory, and market environment to attract increased investment.

The objectives and scope of Activity 1.4 are informed by discussions with the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and Electricite Du Laos (EDL) during the LASEP team's visit to Vientiane from March 25 to 28, 2024. The Department of Energy Policy and Planning (DEPP) will lead this activity, with significant involvement from other departments, particularly EDL.

This activity consists of two components:

• Component 1: Grid Infrastructure Resilience

  • Assess and identify measures to strengthen grid resilience against natural hazards and climate change impacts.

  • Develop a prioritised indicative action plan.

• Component 2: Institutional Preparedness

  • Enhance institutional preparedness for natural hazards and climate change by developing a Continuity of Operation Plan (COOP) for the power sector.

The local consultant’s work will focus exclusively on in-country support for Component 2: Institutional Preparedness, working closely with the LASEP in-country team on supporting the lead on this component, Victoria Bannon, to collectively serve the overall objectives of Activity 1.4.

Task Purpose
The purpose of this task is to support the implementation of Component 2 and perform related tasks in Lao PDR, under the leadership of the Component 2 Lead. The local consultant will work collaboratively with the Activity team (i.e., Component 2 Lead, LASEP in-country team, overall Activity Lead, Activity Manager, consultants leading Component 1, and other P4I panels as needed) to achieve the activity objectives.

This includes ensuring milestone achievements aligned to the agreed timeline, facilitating collaboration with government stakeholders, and delivering high-quality outputs that enhance institutional preparedness.

Scope of Work
Under the direction of the Component 2 Lead, through the LASEP in-country team, the consultant will undertake the following activities under Component 2 of this Activity:

• Engage with government stakeholders (MEM, EDL, and other relevant agencies) to confirm the scope and workplan for Component 2 to ensure alignment with national priorities and capacities.

• Support establishment of a working group involving MEM, EDL, and other stakeholders to oversee and guide the implementation of Component 2 activities and/or participate in the working group established to oversee the project activities of Component 1 and 2 if appropriate.

• Support the Component 2 Lead in conducting a literature review and analysis of:

  • existing practices, agreements, and institutional frameworks related to disaster management and operational continuity in the Lao power sector; and

  • regional and international guidance and best practices on institutional preparedness and continuity planning for the power sector.

• Support the Component 2 Lead in facilitating and delivering the capacity-building workshops to strengthen institutional knowledge and preparedness for energy sector continuity planning.

• Support the preparation and facilitation of knowledge exchange sessions to introduce and discuss global examples of effective energy sector resilience strategies and continuity planning.

• Support the Component 2 Lead in the preparation of a concept note for the COOP which sets out the broad purpose, scope, principles, structure and level of detail, for consultation with the relevant working group(s) and other stakeholders.

• Support the Component 2 Lead in the finalisation of the COOP, including:

  • Facilitating a desktop exercise with relevant stakeholders to test the suitability of the draft COOP based on the most likely disaster scenarios and identify any gaps or challenges to be addressed. Refine the COOP based on feedback and results from this exercise.

  • Facilitating a stakeholder workshop to present the finalised COOP, gather feedback, and provide recommendations for ongoing improvement, including potential areas for future collaboration and capacity building.

Indicative Timeframe
The level of effort for this task is up to 15 days and is expected to span from May – September 2025.

Deliverables

Governance / Contact
Main contacts:

• Component 2 Lead

• LASEP Team Lead

Support:

• Activity Lead and Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change (DRRCC) Portfolio Manager for Lao PDR

• Activity Manager

• LASEP Senior Energy Program Officer

• LASEP Program Officer

• Head of Climate and Inclusion

The local consultant will mainly coordinate with the Component 2 Lead and LASEP in-country team for feedback and updates during the Activity, as well as visibility and to streamline coordination with GoL counterparts. Tasking inputs will be managed on a call-down basis as required for this specific task. Any changes to the estimated input days or timeframe should be communicated to the DRRCC Portfolio Manager, Head of Climate and Inclusion, and LASEP Team Lead.

Check-in Procedure
A check-in will occur between the local consultant and Head of Climate and Inclusion, Activity Lead or LASEP Team Lead upon reaching 50% utilisation of the allocated days to ensure progress is on track and any issues are promptly addressed.

QUALIFICATIONS AND APPLICATION PROCESS

Preferred Qualifications:

• An individual with an extensive track record of energy consulting, policy, planning, financing, project development, and related work.

• Advanced degree in Renewable Energy, Economics, Environmental Science, or related fields.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in energy policy analysis, economic research, or renewable energy projects.

• Proven experience in conducting similar studies, preferably in Mekong countries, Southeast Asia, or similar contexts.

• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills.

• Proficiency in both English and Lao is desirable.

How to Apply

Interested applicants are requested to submit a CV and a short cover note in the application link provided. Applications must be submitted before 11:59 pm (Vientiane time) on Thursday, 20th May 2025.

This position is open to Laotian nationals or individuals with the legal right to work in Laos. The successful candidate must be based in Vientiane to deliver the required work.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.
This position will be hired through Adam Smith International (ASI). ASI is committed to continually improving the diversity of our workforce through the attraction, retention, and development of a diverse range of talented people. We want people to be comfortable bringing their whole self to work and recognise that inclusion brings further opportunities for innovation and creativity.