Gas Release Program Project Management Office Lead

The Energy Security Project (ESP) is a five-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)^[1] and the largest USAID project in Ukraine so far. The ESP is implemented by a USAID Contractor, Tetra Tech ES, Inc., a California-based leading provider of services in the areas of water, environment, infrastructure, resource management, energy, and international development.^[2]

The ESP mission is to enhance Ukraine’s energy security, improve the energy legal and regulatory environment in the country, and increase the resilience of Ukraine’s energy supply. This will help to support country’s economic development and sustain its democracy. ESP is working closely with the Government of Ukraine (GOU) to develop competitive energy markets. By doing so, ESP will facilitate private sector-led energy investments to provide affordable, reliable, resilient, and secure energy for all Ukrainians.

Background:

Considering the need for an active market liberalization, increasing liquidity, competition and price discovery on Ukrainian gas market, USAID ESP has been systematically supporting the concept of Gas Release Program (GRP) to be introduced in Ukraine. In April, 2021, USAID ESP presented the study on introducing GRP in Ukraine, considering the examples of similar programs in other European countries (Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Spain, Great Britain). The study’s findings were widely supported by the expert community, international and Ukrainian stakeholders, including the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine (MoE). On the 28th of August, 2021 the task of introducing GRP was seconded to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine by the Presidential Decree No. 452/2021, enacting the decision of the Council of National Security and Defense of Ukraine from 30th of July, 2021. Eventually, the launch of GRP was included to the scope of further actions under the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies between IMF and the Government of Ukraine of November 8, 2021.

In order to achieve optimal results for introducing a GRP in Ukraine through broad expert and technical support, USAID ESP has agreed with MoE on the need for establishing the Gas Release Program Project Management Office (GRP PMO) embedded at the Ministry. The GRP PMO’s tasks would include developing the necessary model for gas release, legal framework, other instruments and providing a discussion platform for the market participants, governmental agencies, expert community and other stakeholders.

Position Summary:

Tetra Tech ES, Inc., implementing the USAID Energy Security Project (ESP) is looking to hire an experienced individual who will assist the ESP and the Ukrainian stakeholders, primarily the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine (MoE) in coordinating the work, assigning the tasks and tracking the progress. PMO Lead will also be responsible for organizing the work process and providing the GRP PMO experts with all the necessary conditions for efficient work. PMO lead will be responsible for final deliverable and completion of each of the objectives. The GRP PMO Lead is expected to be physically present at the premises of MoE and provided with the necessary minimal working conditions. Technical equipment: personal computers, IT software, necessary connected devices will be provided by USAID ESP. This is a full-time or short-term consultancy position for the period of 1 year with the possibility of extension basing on the actual situation with GRP introduction and gas market needs. The expected period of PMO GRP activity is the end of 2022 (by December 31, 2022).

Objectives/Tasks:

The GRP PMO is a temporary working body embedded at the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, which will act in accordance with the framework agreement between USAID ESP and MoE. The PMO GRP is subordinated and accountable for performance of its main objectives and activities to USAID ESP in line with this framework agreement but coordinates the technical level tasks and provides information on progress to MoE.

The main GRP PMO objectives include:

-        Preparation of the necessary legal framework for GRP;

-        Support in transforming gas market conditions to enable a well-functioning GRP;

-        Identification of the necessary gas volumes for release, stages and timings of GRP;

-        Coordination and communication with the main stakeholders;

-        Ensuring a high level of security of gas supply is maintained when introducing GRP;

-        Assistance in ad hoc tasks relating to GRP.

[Note: Each of these objectives includes some activities to be finally approved by ESP together with MoE]. The preliminary list of such activities include:

a)    In the area of preparation of the necessary legal framework for GRP:

-        Coordination of legal activities and legal support for GRP;

-        Developing draft primary and secondary sectoral legislation to introduce GRP;

-        Support in designing of necessary legal changes in other areas of Ukrainian law related to GRP     

        (e.g.,  necessary amendments to Civil Code and legislation to introduce standardized products et al.).

-        Ensuring compliance with EU acquis in developing legal proposals for GRP;

-        Ensuring non-discrimination of market participants within the course of GRP.

b)    In the area of support in transforming gas market conditions for enabling a well-functioning GRP:

-        Developing the approach to eliminating such market barriers related to GRP;

-        Designing and updating of the gas market model in terms of GRP;

-        Designing the indicators and tracking the impact of GRP on liquidity, competition and other

         important indicators of gas market development.

c)    In the area of identification of the necessary gas volumes for release and stages of GRP:

-        Analysis of present situation in availability of gas resources and obligations of the incumbent

          companies;

-        Developing the step-by-step roadmap for GRP with identification of volumes in terms of different

          stages and their timing;

-        Tracking the progress and adjustment of the roadmap to the actual conditions in different stages of

         GRP.

d)    In the area of coordination and communication with the main stakeholders:

-        Managing working group on GRP with the representation of all the main stakeholders;

-        Consulting with and reviewing feedback on the GRP measures from the market; including review of

          works conducted in a,b,c.

-        Developing proper communication with the market, authorities and citizens regarding GRP.

e)    In the area of ensuring a high level of security of gas supply is maintained when introducing GRP:

-        Estimating GRP impact on the current system of ensuring the security of gas supply and vulnerable

         customers protection;

-        Assessing the general conditions in European and Ukrainian gas markets in terms of their impact on

         GRP;

-        Proposing the alternative options for security of supply measures in the conditions of GRP and

         developing necessary sectoral provisions.

f)      In the areas of assistance in ad hoc tasks relating to GRP:

-        Provision of support to MoE in their other activities, which have a direct connection to introducing

         GRP based on the request from MoE’s top management (hereinafter, - the level of Deputy Minister et

         al.).

PMO GRP coordination of activities 

GRP PMO is to begin performing its approved activities based on the relevant agreement between USAID ESP and MoE.

MoE as the recipient of support from USAID ESP and the authority responsible for GRP in Ukraine, may clarify the technical details of each task and activities performed by GRP PMO at working level. To ensure this, GRP PMO is permitted to be present at MoE’s work planning and express its opinion towards the tasks related to GRP.

MoE top management may also ask GRP PMO to provide information on the ongoing progress with performance of the technical tasks agreed with GRP PMO. Moreover, GRP PMO may also receive some ad hoc requests from MoE’s officials – at the level of the Deputy Minister responsible for GRP – in the areas directly related to GRP in Ukraine. In case GRP PMO does not have enough capacities to process the particular ad hoc request(s) or such a request is not related to GRP, the GRP PMO shall notify about this the relevant Deputy Minister and USAID ESP.

GRP PMO should actively cooperate with MoE Oil & Gas Directorate and other units to the extent necessary to achieve the GRP objectives. The mode for such cooperation is to be agreed at working level when clarifying technical details of performance of the GRP PMO tasks with MoE. MoE units may ask for some additional support from GRP PMO in a form of ad hoc requests to provided through the MoE top management.

Deliverables:

• Drafts of the legal proposals to remove any legislative barriers for the successful GRP (based on the initial gap analysis);
• Presenting the solutions to overcoming market barriers (e.g., improving trading procedures, clearing, standardized products etc.);
• Preparing a set of indicators for tracking GRP impact on the market;
• Design the mechanism for stakeholders communication;
• Develop a set of measures to ensuring a high level of security of gas supply is maintained when introducing GRP;
• Develop the proposals for the volumes to be released in different stages and different segments of the market;
• Provide regular monitoring reports and indicate the issues to be addressed when GRP is launched.
• Degree in a relevant sphere related to energy and gas markets: e.g., engineering (in energy areas), management, finances, economy, public policy, international relations, law or any other areas of technical and/or social sciences relevant for the position’s tasks;
• Overall experience in energy sphere no less than 5 years;
• Acquitted with the approach to GRP developed by USAID ESP, as well as with the general experience of GRPs in EU countries;
• Deep knowledge in Ukrainian gas market functioning, current issues and reforms ongoing on the market, also knowing the roles of different stakeholders in conducting these reforms;
• Knowledge in Ukrainian and EU energy law with a particular focus on the gas market;
• Experience in using project management tools, leading similar workflows resulting in achievement of the expected deliverables;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Negotiation and stakeholder relation management skills and an ability to communicate with senior persons in the gas industry – in particular within Ministry of Energy.
• Disciplined, self-organized, motivated, stress-resistant and able to manage a significant work program under a tight timeframe.

Qualifications:

To apply: Please submit a CV in English and a cover letter with the title of the position in the subject line to [email protected]

Candidates are encouraged to provide also at least one reference.

There is no deadline associated with this position, Tetra Tech may fill the position when a qualified person is found. 

Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted.  No phone calls, please.

To find more about USAID Energy Security Project, follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/usaidesp/.