REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Water and Sanitation Services Modernization Project
Loan No.: 93020-BA
Assignment Title: Improving management and capacity of (i) the water services sector at the level of local self-governments and (ii) LSG’s water utilities
Reference No. (as per Procurement Plan): BA-RSWSS-CS-QCBS-25-2.1.1
The Borrower is Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Republika Srpska, through a subsidiary agreement with the Borrower, has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Water and Sanitation Services Modernization Project, and it intends to apply part of the proceeds to payments for consulting services.
The consulting services (“the Services”) include:
(1) assistance to local self-governments (LSG) in (i) delivering workshops on LSG responsibilities toward the water public utilities for the assembly chairpersons, members of management/supervisory boards of the water utilities, etc., (ii) analyzing an existing public service agreement (PSA) concerning local government responsibilities arising from the signed PSA and suggest improvement; (iii) assessing local government policy implementation progress concerning subsidizing vulnerable categories and suggesting improvements; (iv)recommending procedures and practices for including the water utility’s priority investment and maintenance plans, defined in the water utility’s business plan, into the LSG capital investment plans; (v) drafting projects fiche or sample applications;
(2) assistance to Water Utilities (WU) in: (i) increasing the operational autonomy of WU by presenting the required water tariff level and structure with the multi-year tariff adjustment plans in line with the adopted water tariff methodology and monitoring and evaluating the established organizational structure’s efficiency and providing recommendations based on such evaluation; (ii) improving the organizational structure of WU by (a) recommending optimal efficiency of the utilities by suggesting new systematization of workplaces targeting long-term optimization of employments, considering existing enormous overstaffing and need for gradual decrease of number of employees; (b) establishing a consumer relations department and adopting consumer relations procedures; (c) support the WUs in organizing and implementing network mapping and GIS; (d) support the WUs in establishing effective zoning; (e) recommending all bulk water meters measuring inflows and outflows from individual District Metering Areas (DMAs) and installing and regularly calibrating water meters for all end-consumers; (f) Non-revenue water (NRW) management; (g)Tariff policy. Support to water services tariffs evaluation, individually for different services (water supply, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment). Cost projections for the next period will be based on previously introduced accounting data and adopted tariff methodology;(h) Analyze the accounting procedures and Management Information System and suggest improvements; (j) Analyze budgeting and business planning and suggest improvements. Analyze financial management, collection and revenue administration, and billing cycle. Define cost centers at least three levels deep. Support the implementation of recording of all costs and revenues by decided cost centers to allow for reporting; (k) Review inventory and fixed assets cycle, including infrastructure ownership and depreciation. Analyze the quantity and quality of water in the WU system; (l) Increase energy efficiency in the utilities. Deliver on-site support and tailored guidelines on setting priorities in energy efficiency measures to be applied in the utility, with a draft action plan prepared for advanced energy efficiency for the entire water utility. Analyze the water utility’s potentials for energy production based on water network integrated hydropower installation if the water supply system pressure and water flow allow for that or based on solar or wind power production at own facilities (at water sources, reservoirs or similar), or any other renewable energy source; (m) Support to water balance evaluation for the DMAs where flow and pressure measurements were implemented. Evaluate the consolidated water balance for the entire water utility. Reduce losses in the water supply network for each of the water utilities. Support to sound leak detection in two DMAs. If the water utility does not have the appropriate equipment to implement the task, the Consultant will temporarily provide its equipment as part of the support services; (n) Individually tailor the Guidelines for Operation plan for NRW management and reduce apparent losses in the water supply network for each utility. Support implementation of the recommendations from the Guidelines on reducing apparent losses in the water supply network. Support establishing a basic management information system based on performance indicators and values regularly collected and selected by the utility; (t) Provide on-site and hands-on support to regular preparation and analysis of the business plan and any needed updates, as well as subsequent assessment and report on its implementation. Provide practical one-day training on procedures for implementing the Public Procurement Law at the premises of each WU; (z) Support selecting the locally most appropriate option for the transfer/record of fixed assets from “assisting” to tangible fixed assets. Support completion of the actual fixed assets books with gradual introduction and revalorization of all fixed assets, report progress in their completion and revalorization and calculate the level of depreciation. Recommend allocating part of the revenues, proportionally related to the amortization within the tariff, to the “investment maintenance fund.” (y) Provide specific investment recommendations with estimated investment level and return period; (w) Monitoring and reporting performance indicators of the utilities.
The assignment’s detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) can be found at the official website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska,in the website section:„Jedinica za koordinaciju poljoprivrednih projekata – nabavke” at the following link: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://vladars.rs/sr-SP-Cyrl/Vlada/Ministarstva/mps/Documents/Terms%20of%20reference%20for%20the%20Component%202%20of%20the%20Water%20and%20Sanitation%20Services%20Modern.Project_121883086.pdf
The Agriculture Projects Coordination Unit (APCU), established within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Republika Srpska, now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should send a Letter of Expression of Interest and provide the following information: (i) The Consultant’s name and address, (ii) Contact persons for this project, (iii) Core business and years in business, (iv) Technical and managerial capabilities, (v) Financial and professional capability, (vi) Qualifications in the field of the assignment, (vii) Relevant experience (Experience in similar assignments under similar conditions), (viii) Availability of Key Staff and appropriate skills among staff demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.
The shortlisting criteria are core business and years in business, relevant experience, and technical and managerial capability of the firm. Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.
Qualification requirements
Qualified consulting companies and their staff for this assignment should have extensive experience in the services defined in the scope of services. The required minimum qualification requirements should be demonstrated by:
- At least one (1) assignment that included similar tasks during the last fifteen (15) years, valued at USD 650,000.00 per assignment.
The shortlist will contain five (5) to eight (8) eligible firms. 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 and August 2018) (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications. Still, they should indicate whether the association is 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 Quality and Cost-Based Selection as set out in the Procurement Regulations. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 10.00 to 15.00. Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below by e-mail on or before May 12, 2025 at 14.00hrs.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management
of Republika Srpska / Agriculture Projects Coordination Unit (APCU)
Ms. Darija Kozar
Trg Republike Srpske 1, Building A, 8th floor, office no. 31a
78000 Banja Luka, Republika Srpska
Bosnia and Herzegovina
E-mail: d.kozar@mps.vladars.net
