Assignment Description:
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the EBRD or the Bank) is considering investing in the expansion of the wastewater treatment services in Ulaanbaatar, which is experiencing increasing urbanisation. The City of Ulaanbaatar (the City) intends to implement its Water and Wastewater Master Plan to cover the projected needs of the increasing population. The Master Plan outlines the following critical components to meet the needs of the population and increased economic activity by 2020: (i) modernisation and upgrade of the Central Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP); and (ii) closure of old Soviet-designed small WWTPs to be replaced by modern WWTPs in the new housing developments areas. The City is constructing several new zones in the outskirts to provide modern housing for migrants and to reduce the proportion of inhabitants living in the so called 'Ger area' (small, fenced-in plots of land, isolated from the main commercial activity and public services in the City).
Water supply improvement has been supported by several aid agencies, such as Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in the past, but wastewater infrastructure, particularly wastewater treatment to comply with the Master Plan, has yet to be established. The Project will enable the Ulaanbaatar Water and Wastewater Authority to expand its wastewater treatment services to the new housing development areas. The key benefits of the operation are: improved living conditions, reduced health risks for the City’s population, as well as prevention of environmental pollution.
The specific objectives of the Feasibility Study are to develop an affordable least cost and cost effective bankable Investment Programme to expand the wastewater treatment services to the new housing development area by constructing a new WWTP; and carry out environmental and social due diligence to establish Project's compliance with EBRD's Environmental and Social Policy and Performance Requirements (the Assignment).
The Bank wishes to engage a Consultant (the Consultant) to undertake the following tasks for the Assignment:
Task 1: Baseline Study: Assess current conditions of wastewater management particularly in the area not covered by Central WWTP but by small WWTPs and prepare a detailed technical and environmental audit of the Company’s current sewerage facilities and management operations.
Task 2: Financial analysis and projections: Prepare a financial analysis of the Company and financial projections.
Task 3: Long-term investment programme: Develop a long-term Investment Programme.
Task 4: Priority investment programme: From the long-term Investment Programme, prepare a detailed short-term plan for immediate investments and a procurement plan.
Task 5: Environmental and Social Due Diligence: Carry out an E&S audit/review of the Company's management systems, existing facilities and operations, and an E&S analysis of impacts and benefits of the proposed priority investment programme to ensure project's compliance with EBRD PRs, develop a draft project-specific Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP), a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) and a non-technical summary (NTS) to be disclosed to the public.
In order to meet the above objectives, the Consultant will review existing reports and data, such as but not limited to; Water and Waste Water Master Plan of Ulaanbaatar (2006); and The Study on City Master Plan and Urban Development of Ulaanbaatar City (2011). The Consultant should research these existing documents in line with the requirements for the scope of work mentioned below. Where existing information is incomplete or missing the Consultant shall research and present such information so that all points specified below are covered.
Status of Selection Process: Interested firms are hereby invited to submit Expressions of Interest.
Assignment Start Date and Duration: The Assignment is expected to start in Q1 2015 and has an estimated duration of 6 months.
Cost Estimate for the Assignment: EUR 280,000; exclusive of VAT.
The consultant must determine whether any VAT would be chargeable on the services and the basis for that determination, without taking into consideration the Bank's special status as an IFI and state this to the Bank in their response to the Invitation for Expressions of Interest. To the extent that a consultant incurs input VAT on goods and services purhcased in connection with the provision of services (e.g. VAT on airline ticket) which is not otherwise recoverable by the consultant from the local tax authority, the gross cost to the consultant of such expenses shall be treated as a reimbursable expense.
Funding Source: Japan-EBRD Cooperation Fund
Eligibility: At least 60% of the applicable resources should be used for Japanese citizens as well as employees of firms and/or firms registered in Japan.
Consultant Profile: Corporate services are required. The Consultant should ensure that the appropriately qualified experts are available, as required, for each of the different tasks outlined above. It is expected that the Assignment will be led by an appropriately qualified team leader/water engineer, accompanied by both key and supporting experts. The team must include technical specialists who have worked in Mongolia and also have people with Mongolian language skills.
Based on the fields of expertise and the tasks mentioned above, it is proposed that the team of the Consultant should consist at least of the following expatriate and local experts:
• Project Manager/Team Leader with a university degree or equivalent qualification, preferably with a minimum of 15 years professional experience in the field of sanitation and wastewater treatment, with comprehensive experience of similar assignments in Eastern Europe or the CIS or Mongolia, as well as in institutional and commercial management of water utilities. He/she should demonstrate management and administration experience, including experience with procedures of international financing agencies.
• Technical specialists and water/wastewater engineers with suitable qualifications and experience the solid waste sector;
• Financial analysts with experience of due diligence of Mongolian or CIS companies and municipalities and extensive financial modelling experience; and
• Environmental impact assessment and planning experts with preferably 5 years of experience in water and sanitation sector. Experience in addressing the environmental & social requirements in municipal infrastructure for IFIs and other similar projects would be advantageous.
• Social impact assessment / Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) experts with preferably recent track record in the region, an understanding of the local culture and the UB setting, as well as Mongolian language skills (preferably 3 years of work on similar assignments).
• Expert for stakeholder engagement and public consultation with recent track record in the region.
The Consultant should integrate local professional skills/cooperate with local consulting companies, in order to provide national experience. The Consultant shall engage Mongolian speaking staff on their team or arrange for translation/interpreting when necessary. All experts must be independent and free from conflicts of interest in the responsibilities accorded to them. It is recommended that a part of the consultancy input will be carried out by local sub-consultants.
Submission Requirements: In order to determine the capability and experience of the Consultants seeking to be selected, the information submitted should include the following:
1. Brief overview of the firm/group of firms including company profile, organisation and staffing (max. 2-4 pages);
2. Details of previous project experience or similar assignments undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contract value, contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided (if different from duration), main activities, objectives;
3. CVs of experts who could be available to work on the assignment; and
4. Completed contact sheet, the template for which is available from the following web-link:
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/notices/csu/contact_sheet.doc
The above information should not exceed 30 pages excluding CVs and contact sheet.
Expressions of Interest shall be submitted in English, electronically through e-Selection, to reach the Bank not later than 8 January at 17:00 hrs (London time). Do not send expressions of interest to the EBRD's contact person.
EBRD Contact:
James Yoo
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
Tel: +44 20 7338 6369
e-mail: YooJ@ebrd.com
Note:
1. The selection will normally be made from responses to this notification only. Consultants will not be asked to submit a proposal. The highest-ranked Consultant will be selected from a shortlist and be invited to negotiate the contract, subject to availability of funding.
2. Shortlisting criteria and respective weightings are:
i) Firm's experience in preparing feasibility studies in the water and wastewater sector - 25.0
ii) Firm's relevant experience in Mongolia/CIS countries and in working with IFIs - 20.0
iii) Project Manager/Team Leader with relevant professional experience - 25.0
iv) Experience and expertise of the key experts as detailed in the Consultant Profile (Technical Specialist and Water/Wastewater Engineers; Financial Experts; Environmental Impact Assessment and Planning Experts; Social and RAP Experts; Stakeholder Engagement and Public Consultation Expert, with suitable qualifications, experience in the solid waste sector, seniority specific to the assignment/tasks, language skills and local experience) - 20.0
v) Association with local firms and/or local experts (advantage) - 10.0
