RFP: Implementation of No-Regret Water Management and Livelihood Interventions in Flood-Affected and Refugee Hosting Areas of South Sudan

THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN

             MINISTRY OF WATER RESROUCES AND IRRIGATION

                  REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

                 (CONSULTING SERVICES-FIRMS SELECTION)

1. This Request for Expression of Interest follows the approval of the procurement plan for this Project.
2. The Government of South Sudan (GoSS), has received a grant from the International Development Association (IDA) to implement the Regional Climate Resilience Program (RCRP). The GoSS intends to utilize part of the proceeds of this financing for implementation of the No-regret Water Management and Livelihood Interventions. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) is the RCRP implementation agency responsible for project execution and results monitoring. This Phase 1 of the RCRP aims to improve the management of water-related climate impacts in Eastern and Southern Africa with South Sudan as one of the focus countries. This an initial project is meant to help South Sudan prepare for the long-term flood and drought protection measures and investments. It focuses on non-structural measures, including climate resilient water resource management planning, early warning, improved monitoring and forecasting capacities, flood risk mapping, and community level interventions, rehabilitation of existing flood protection and water retention and storage infrastructure, including potential support to natural-capital based livelihood activities in flood-prone areas for a period of 5 years (2023 – 2028).

The Project’s development objective (PDO) is to improve the management of water-related climate impacts in South Sudan. The project is structured around four components:

Component 1: Risk Management and Climate Financing

Component 1 will build the capacity for increased regional cooperation on climate and disasters risk management and climate financing.

Component 2: Climate resilient infrastructure and Sustainable Asset Management

Strengthening resilience in AFE requires closing the gap on access to critical water infrastructure for climate resilience and basic service delivery.

Component 3: Adaptive Climate Services for Resilient Communities

This component shall strengthen social and human capital resilience to climate change in South Sudan and will include strengthening social protection policy design, operational and budgetary planning to enhance readiness to respond to extreme climate events and mitigate human capital losses and reduce household and community vulnerability to promote climate-resilient livelihoods.

Component 4: Project Management

This component will finance all aspects of project management under each operation, including equipment and materials, compliance with fiduciary, procurement, and safeguards (environmental and social) requirements, M&E and impact assessment, knowledge management and communication. At the national and regional organizations’ level, the activities will be performed by Project Implementation Units (PIUs), established under relevant Ministries. A Regional Steering Committee will be established to increase coordination across the region.

1. The main objective of the consulting services is to support MWRI in the implementation of the RCRP. More specifically, the consulting services aim to support the implementation of no-regret Water Management and Livelihood Interventions in flood-affected and refugee-hosting areas. The work involves data analysis, stakeholder consultations, surveying, design and construction supervision of selected water resources management and livelihood interventions.
2. The Consulting Services (“the Services”) shall be conducted in two phases: Phase 1– Feasibility studies, review of existing designs and making necessary recommendations, Preparation of detailed designs, preparation of bidding documents based on packaged estimates suitable for international competitive bidding (ICB), preparation of technical specifications to be used in the tender documents; and Phase 2–construction supervision and commissioning.
3. The Consulting Services for Phase I and Phase 2 are further divided into two workstreams. Workstream 1 is for rapid identification and implementation of no-regret and livelihood interventions in project areas (not hosting significant numbers of refugees). Workstream 2 is for rapid identification and implementation of no-regret and livelihood interventions in areas hosting refugees, notably Maban county and potentially Pariang county (Jamjang).
4. The assignment for phase 1 and phase 2 shall be completed within a period of twenty-four (24) calendar months (this includes 6 months’ Defects Liability Period).
5. The detailed detailed Terms of Reference may be obtained from the email address below: crfm.procurement@gmail.com  copied to asyunda@gmail.com.
6. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) 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. The shortlisting criteria are:
7. Number of years in business and core business area in Engineering consulting:

Relevant similar experience, which should specifically include the below:

1. The Consultant should be of demonstrably international standard and have the necessary key personnel required to carry out the services in the amounts and scope mentioned in this ToR or related services with at least 10 years’ experience in developing countries.

1. Experience in similar projects working in areas hosting significant numbers of refugees.
2. Experience in preparation of bidding documents aligning to World Bank (IDA) requirements
3. Technical and Managerial Organization of the Firm

Submit Technical and managerial capability of the firm (Provide only the structure of the organization, general qualifications, and number of key staff to include expertise in Project Management, Networks planning, Contract Management, Procurement Management, GIS Management, Information Technology / Systems Engineering, Environmental and social safeguards and social safeguard Management. Do not provide CV of the staff). Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

1. Experience in similar conditions

Experience in similar projects in Sub-Saharan Africa or other countries in the world at similar level of development as Sub-Saharan Africa and characterized by high levels of insecurity and flooding.

1. The attention of interested consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs 3.14, 3.16 and 3.17 of the World Bank’s ‘Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers’ July 2016 revised November 2017, August 2018 and November 2020 [Procurement in investment Project Financing; Goods, Works, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services], setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
2. 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.
3. A consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the World Bank’s ‘Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers’ July 2016 revised November 2017, August 2018 and November 2020.
4. It is envisaged that there might be follow-up activities based on the results of this assignment. Any follow-on assignment would be based on need, consultant expertise in area of new work, as well as previous consultant performance.
5. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 09:00 to 15:00 hours local (Monday through Friday); and
6. Expressions of Interest shall be submitted in a written form by 17:00 hours Juba time on 12th October, 2023 (in person or by e-mail) to the following address:

Procurement Unit

Ministry of Water and Irrigation

Juba

South Sudan

Email: crfm.procurement@gmail.com copied to asyunda@gmail.com