Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
 | 1. In response to the request from the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (the government), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a technical assistance grant for the preparation of the Issyk-Kul Ring Road Improvement Project (the project). The transaction technical assistance (TRTA) will help the government (i) prepare the project to acceptable technical, safeguards, and procurement standards; (ii) design the continuity of the ongoing reform in road asset management and road safety with gender- perspective; and (iii) contribute in transitioning to green economy. 2. The executing agency will be the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) and the implementing agency will be the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of MOTC. The detailed design of the road is being prepared by a national design consultant engaged and financed by MOTC. 3. ADB will engage a consulting firm and individual consultants to assist ADB and MOTC with preparing a project to the standard required for processing ADB financing. The consultants will be recruited in accordance with ADB Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and its associated project administration instructions and/or staff instructions. 4. The consultants are expected to be recruited in phases. Key individual international and national consultants to undertake safeguard due diligences will be recruited and mobilized by November 2022. The international consultants, supported by the national consultants, will be responsible for deliverables in their respective expertise fields, and will report to the ADB Project Officer and to the Team Leader to be separately engaged by ADB (para. 5). 5. A group of international and national consultants, including the Team Leader is expected to be recruited and mobilized by January 2023 to (i) carry out technical, economic, and financial due diligence and (ii) formulate non-investment project components. The Team Leader of the group will be responsible for timely preparation of various reports to be produced under TRTA, including those to be produced by individual international consultants. 6. The consulting services will be provided in Bishkek, and at the project location, as required. MOTC/PIU will provide the consultants all reports, documents, and other information that they have reasonably available. |
Scope of Work
| 7. As part of the due diligence activities under the TRTA, ADB is seeking to engage an individual national consultant—National Water Quality Expert (impact modelling), who will support the Team Leader and other team members in preparing safeguards assessments for environment, and preparing appropriate mitigation plans in accordance with the provisions of ADB’s Safeguards Policy Statement 2009, recommending a categorization for impacts, and estimating budgets needed for implementing the mitigation plans. |
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
| 8. The detailed tasks and/or expected outputs are as follows: • Provide technical support on water quality aspects as required for the EIA Study, due diligence documents, and other documents as may be required by the borrower/client to meet ADB and SPS’ requirements • Conduct literature review, field visit, data analysis, monitoring, and survey • Carry out a wide variety of site assessment of water bodies in the direct and indirect impact zones • Work closely with other members of the EIA Study team, project preparatory team, local planning authorities and statutory nature conservation agencies, to identify at an early stage when surveys or assessments are likely to be needed to satisfy statutory authorities • Undertake water quality management studies, appropriate assessment/habitats appraisal and assessment • Analyze watershed, hydrologic, and water quality data using GIS and statistical techniques • Develop or prepare descriptive charts, figures/maps, and tables/matrices • Develop the water quality monitoring plan and its action plan • Develop the terms of reference for the Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) – Adviser. An ECoW Adviser is essentially the eyes and ears of a project on the ground. They generally work independently and ensure that the construction works on a scheme are undertaken in accordance with legislation and best practice, project plans/assessments, license methodology and mitigation, and stakeholder/regulator requirements. The ECoW will work with the borrower/client or contractor and will provide ongoing advice and support in addition to their compliance monitoring and reporting obligations • Coordinate with members of the project preparatory team and borrower/clients • Provide input to the project’s environmental management plan, including but not limited to mitigation measures, monitoring plan, resources required and costs. • Assist in EIA Study report preparation and relevant submissions. |
Minimum Qualification Requirements
| 9. The minimum qualification requirements are as follows: • Bachelor’s degree or higher in ecology, biology, water resources, related fields or equivalent; • Minimum 5 years’ experience in research and/or environmental consultancy sectors; • Detailed knowledge of conducting water quality, hydrologic, sediment modeling, and computational fluid dynamics studies using public and proprietary domain tools; • Familiarity with water quality and biological monitoring and sampling techniques; and • Knowledgeable of specific methods required for the EIA Study. |
