Assignment Description:
The Limited Liabilities Partnership “Kyzylzhar Su” (the “Company”) supported by the Akimat of the Northern Kazakhstan Oblast (the “Oblast Akimat”) approached the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “EBRD” or the “Bank”) with a request to finance the priority investments in the rehabilitation and modernisation of its water supply and wastewater management facilities resulting in enhanced operations efficiency, reduction in losses and improvements in environmental standards. The Company, a water distribution and wastewater treatment company, is 100 per cent owned by the Oblast Akimat.
The Company is the only entity providing potable water supply services to around 205,000 inhabitants, commercial and public sector customers in the city of Petropavlovsk (“Petropavlovsk” or the “City”), which is the capital of the Northern Kazakhstan Oblast.
The Project’s priority investment cost is estimated at up to KZT 2-4 billion (EUR 10-19 million). The final amount of capex will be finalised as a result of the Feasibility Study findings of the Project and the amount of grant from the Government of Kazakhstan, however the preliminary assessment of the Project suggests the following investment components to be part of the Priority Investment Programme (“PIP”): i) reconstruction and modernisation of the water pumping stations via introduction of energy efficient pumping equipment and automated systems for water pressure regulation, ii) reconstruction and modernisation of the filter station and water disinfection system along with replacement of the related water pipes and equipment, iii) development and introduction of hydraulic management system, iv) implementation of metering programme, including individual and bulk meters, (v) refinancing of the existing Company loan in the amount of circa KZT 250 million (EUR 1 million).
The overall objective of the assignment is to prepare a feasibility study for the Company and the City, which the Bank can use to appraise the Project and take a decision on the prospective financing. The feasibility study shall be in line with international requirements for such studies.
On this basis, the Bank is looking to engage a suitably qualified consultant (the “Consultant”) to prepare a feasibility study, which shall include inter alia: a) identification and a detailed assessment of the PIP on the rehabilitation and modernisation of water and wastewater systems in the City, that will cover the period of 13 years, (i.e. the financing period) and evaluate its benefits, including assessing its environmental and social feasibility; b) detailed financial analysis of the Company, as well as; c) preparation of overall procurement and project implementation plans.
Specifically, the Consultant’s tasks under the assignment shall include, inter alia:
Task 1: Baseline study. This task will involve the review of the present management practices of the Company and status of the water and wastewater services in the City to identify and assess any risks that are associated with the Company and their existing operations. This review shall allow the Bank to better understand the present situation in institutional, legal and financial, as well as technical and environmental and social terms. The Study shall also identify respective needs and concerns of different disadvantaged groups and/or those with less voice, such as women, to be addressed in the design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of the project).
Task 2: Technical assessment of the water supply services and water supply system, water treatment, wastewater services and wastewater system, wastewater treatment, sludge management and disposal.
Task 3: Long-term investment strategy. The Consultant will be expected to outline a longer-term investment strategy, which would lead to least cost improvement of water and wastewater services within existing financial constraints, taking into account the anticipated impacts of climate change.
Task 4: Priority investment programme (PIP). The Consultant will outline strategic long-term investment programme identified above and other information available, and present, justify and develop in more technical detail the PIP for the period of 3 years, i.e. the period of 2016-2018).
Task 5: Financial analysis. The Consultant will conduct its ownfinancial analysis to obtain new data or verify the existing data, whenever necessary. This should focus on the recent trends in revenue growth, profitability, working capital, financing and investing activities.
Task 6: Environmental and social assessment . The Consultant will conduct Environmental and Social Assessment and Environmental and Social Audit; develop Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP); prepare Non-Technical Summary (NTS).
Assignment Start Date and Duration: The assignment is expected to start in the second quarter of 2015 and last for 10 weeks.
Maximum Budget available for the Assignment: EUR 295,000; Exclusive of VAT.
The Consultant must determine whether any indirect taxes/VAT are chargeable on the proposed services and state the basis for such. If any indirect taxes/VAT are payable, the EBRD’s client will have to pay indirect taxes/VAT element to the services directly to the Consultant unless otherwise agreed.
Funding Source: EU Investment Facility for Central Asia (IFCA).
Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions.
Consultant Profile: Corporate services are required. The Consultant will provide a team of appropriately qualified experts, as required, for each of the different tasks outlined above. It is expected that the Assignment will be led by a qualified team leader/water engineer, accompanied by both key and supporting experts and consist at least of the following expatriate and local experts:
• Project Manager/Team Leader with a university degree or equivalent qualification with approximately 15 years professional experience in the field of water supply and wastewater management, with comprehensive experience of similar assignments in Eastern Europe or the CIS, as well as in institutional and commercial management of water/wastewater Company. He/she should demonstrate management and administration experience, including experience with procedures of international financing agencies (preferably EBRD procedures). The large number of different tasks and the complexity of administrational procedures require a permanent presence of the Project Manager in the Country during the project period of intensive work on preparation of the Feasibility Study;
• Financial specialists with knowledge of the public financing and modelling;
• Technical specialists and water and wastewater engineers;
• Environmental and Social experts with experience in ESIAs and E&S due diligence, health & safety, stakeholder engagement, public consultation and disclosure in the local context, gender and inclusion expertise, and/or resettlement expertise, in water/wastewater sector with experience of similar assignments and with recent track record in the region (3 years of work on similar assignments);
• Climate Change Expert with extensive experience in evaluation in climate change;
• Institutional expert with experience of similar assignments;
• Legal expert with relevant experience in the areas of natural monopolies regulation and knowledge of Kazakhstan tariff legislation;
• Local experts with good communication skills and evidence technical knowledge of water supply and wastewater.
The Consultant should integrate local professional skills/cooperate with local consulting companies, in order to provide national experience. The Consultant shall engage Russian 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.
Submission Requirements: Interested firms are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.
In order to determine the capability and experience of consulting firms seeking to be shortlisted, the information submitted should include the following:
(a) brief overview of the firm/group of firms including company profile, organisation and staffing;
(b) details of similar experience of firm or group of firms and related 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, assignment budget, percentage carried out by consultant in case of association of firms or subcontracting, main activities, objectives;
(c) CVs of key experts who could carry out the assignment detailing qualifications, experience in similar assignments, particularly assignments undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided, assignment budget, main activities, objectives.
(d) Completed Consultant Declaration and 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 expression of interest shall not exceed 25 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 23 March 2015 at 17:00 hrs. (London time). Do not send expressions of interest to the EBRD's contact person.
EBRD Contact Person:
Marina Matushina
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
United Kingdom
Tel: + 44 20 7338 6577
E-mail: MatushiM@ebrd.com
Important Notes:
1. Selection and contracting will normally be made from responses to this notification. The consultant will be selected from a shortlist, subject to availability of funding
2. The evaluation criteria are as follows:
- Firm’s project experience in preparing Feasibility Studies for IFIs in the water and wastewater sector in previous 5 years – 25.0
- Firm’s relevant project experience in Kazakhstan, and/or CIS countries – 20.0
- Project Manager/Team Leader with relevant professional experience – 25.0
- Experience and expertise of the key experts as detailed in the Consultant Profile – 20.0
- Association with local firms and/or local experts – 10.0
