Environmental and Social Impact Assessment — Electricity Restoration and Modernization Project, The Gambia

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 Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the Distribution backbone phase II

Reference No. (as per Procurement Plan): GM-NAWEC-210615-CS-CQS

The Republic of The Gambia together with the International Development Association (IDA), European Investment Bank (EIB), and European Union (EU), collectively the “Lenders”), is preparing a new 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.

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 negative impacts 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 in an inclusive and participative manner 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 on Niumi – Jokadu, URR north Diabugu Batapa to Passamass and south from Basse Santa Su to Fatoto 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 2 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 August 2018 ("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:

• ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST

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

• SOCIAL SPECIALIST

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.

• 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.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be obtained at the address given below:

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 Consultants Qualifications of (CQS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours:

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 9th March 2021.

The address above referred is:

The Managing Director

National Water and Electricity Company

Attn: Haddy Njie – Project Coordinator

53 Mamadi Maniyang Highway

Kanifing, K.M.C.

P.O. Box 609, Banjul

The Gambia

Tel: +220 4376607 / 4376608

Fax: +220 4375990

E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]