REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)
The Gambia
Electricity Restoration and Modernization Project (GERMP)
Loan No./Credit No./ Grant No.: IDA-D6530
Assignment Title: Development of One Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for Two 30 kV MV Transmission Lines with Associated MV T-Offs and Distribution Networks for CRR and URR
Reference No : GM-NAWEC-339331-CS-CQS
The Republic of The Gambia together with the support of the International Development Association (IDA), European Investment Bank (EIB), and European Union (EU), collectively the “Lenders”), is implementing an energy project to improve the power generation and transmission capacity in the country. The Gambia Electricity Restoration and Modernization Project (GERMP) will increase the generation capacity through renewable sources, reinforce the transmission infrastructure in the Greater Banjul Area, and in the provinces across the country.
The development objective of the project is to improve the operational performance of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), and its capacity to dispatch variable renewable electricity. The Gambia Electricity Restoration and Modernization Project (GERMP) will improve the power generation capacity and efficiency of NAWEC’s transmission network to increase access to electricity for socio-economic development. This objective is in line with the Gambian National Development Plan (NDP-2018-2021), the Gambia Electricity Sector Roadmap (2017) and the National Energy Policy (2014-2018), among other national policies which promote the extension, reliability, and quality of the Government’s energy supply, as well as diversifying energy sources to include renewables.
To undertake the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the identified sites which will include screening, scoping, defining baseline scenarios, predicting impacts, and developing robust and applicable management and monitoring plans to avoid, mitigate or remedy significant potential and enhance benefits, including addressing impacts/risks and benefits for vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and groups, and undertaking consultations with project affected communities and other stakeholders related to sharing project information regarding design, risks, impacts and benefits and receiving feedback from them and incorporating their views into the ESIA (see Annex B for outline of the ESIA).
The ESIA shall follow the format of World Bank Safeguard Policy 4.01 Environmental Assessment, while also covering the national environmental requirements.
The ESMP shall clearly articulate the procedures for preparing the safeguards aspects of the bidding documents for the Contractors, following World Bank procurement guidelines and Safeguards Policies, which will include provisions to address SEA/SH risks both in the bidding documents and the vendor’s contract. The bidding documents shall be clear that the Contractor must comply with the ESMP, must have their own environmental and social safeguards specialists, and prepare their own Contractor’s ESMP, including a SEA/SH mitigation, or action plan, which will articulate in detail how the Contractor will ensure compliance with the tasks for which they are responsible.
Mitigation and monitoring shall consider the capacity of the PIU, the communities, the Contractor and third parties such as NEA, NGOs and the amount and source of funding required for implementation. Institutional arrangements (who is responsible for what), supervision responsibilities, capacity strengthening (training, recruitment, equipment) and budgets shall be included in the ESMP.
The study will be conducted within a period of ninety working days (90) after signature of the Contract. The consultants shall deliver the following outcomes:
- An Inception Report to be submitted within two (2) weeks of contract signing that includes a Workplan with timelines for completing the assignment.
- Draft Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Proposed Project in CRR and URR 30 kV MV line with their t-offs and distribution network within four weeks after approval of inception report for review to the NAWEC PIU.
- Final Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Reports within four weeks, incorporating suggestions and feedback from the Project core team and World Bank Environmental and Social Safeguards team during the review of the draft, and including an executive summary that highlights the most important findings (maximum 10 pages).
National Water and Electricity Company Limited (NAWEC) now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.
It is brought to the attention of the Consultants in accordance with paragraph 5.9 of the ” Borrowers Procurement Regulations for seeking Investment Project Financing (FPI)” (July 2016), revised in November 2017 and July 2018 and November 2020 (“Regulations “Procurement”): Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers, current edition of the World Bank Conflict of Interest Rules, are applicable.
Evaluation Criteria
The study will be conducted by a firm which must propose four key consultants, each of whom responds to the following profile:
Qualification and Skills
- Must hold a master’s degree or equivalent in Environmental Science or Environmental Engineering.
- Good command of information technology and communication tools.
- Fluent in English with excellent written and spoken skills. Working knowledge of one or more local languages will be an advantage.
- Excellent written, presentation and reporting skills.
Experience
- At least 15 years of working experience in environmental activities particularly in Environmental Impact Evaluation for infrastructure projects.
- Have been involved in at least in two (2) Environmental Impact Evaluation studies on power project specifically in grid extension or reinforcement projects or electrification projects HTA/BTA/BT or Power generation in the last five (5) years.
Qualification and Skills
- Must hold a master’s degree or equivalent in the Social Sciences (i.e., sociology, political science), Human Science or equivalent.
- Good command of information technology and communication tools.
- Proficient in undertaking inclusive and participatory community and stakeholder consultation, especially with vulnerable populations.
- Fluent in English with excellent written and spoken skills. Working knowledge in one or more local languages will be an advantage.
- Excellent written, presentation and reporting skills.
Experience
- At least 10 years of working experience in social activities, including assessment of social risk and impact, particularly in public consultation on infrastructure projects, especially with vulnerable or traditionally marginalized groups.
- Experience with conducting inclusive and participatory stakeholder consultations, gender disaggregated collection, understanding of including vulnerable groups in social assessments is an asset.
- At least one year of experience with gender and/or GBV prevention and response programming as well as with the guiding principles for the ethical collection, management, and sharing of data related to GBV is required.
- Have been involved in at least in two (2) Social Impact Evaluation studies on power project specifically in grid extension or reinforcement projects or electrification projects HV-MV-LV or Power generation in the last five (5) year.
- OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY SPECIALIST
The specialist should possess at least a university degree in fields such as civil engineering, environmental management, public health or environmental health or environmental engineering. He or she must possess post graduate training in occupational health and safety. Experience of five years in conducting ESIA for similar assignment is a pre-requisite.
- 4. ENERGY SPECIALIST
- This expert should possess a bachelor’s degree (Master Level) in Electrical Engineer or equivalent, with at least ten (10) years of experience in the conduct of electrical power distribution works and having participated in at least two (2) medium voltage transmission line projects studies, including 30 kV power lines studies over the last five (5) years.
The firm must possess experience developing and implementing safeguard instruments for project financed by the World Bank or other international financing institutions.
Having experience working in the Gambian context is an asset.
The firm must have worked on similar energy project in The Gambia or in the Sub-Saharan Africa in the last 5 years at least.
The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be obtained at the following link.
ESIA GERMP Two 30kV lines CRR and URR TOR
Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.
A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Consultant’s qualifications-based selection method (CQS) set out in the Procurement Regulations.
Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 08:00 to 16:00.
Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by fax, or by e-mail) by 30th March 2023.
The address above referred is:
Managing Director
Attention: Mrs. Haddy Njie – Project Coordinator
Address: National Water & Electricity Company Limited,
Project Implementation Unit
Emporium III Building, Fajara
114 Kairaba Avenue
Floor/ Room number: Conference Room, 1st Floor
City: Banjul
Country: The Gambia
Telephone: +220 3664125 / 3182113/ 7009342
Electronic mail address: hnjie@nawec.gm, (and copy to mfsanyang@nawec.gm)
