Independent Resettlement Action Plan Implementation Audit for the ECOREAP

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

The Gambia

ECOWAS REGIONAL ELECTRICITIY ACCESS PROJECT (ECOREAP)

Loan No./Credit No./ Grant No.: IDA-D4070

Assignment Title: Independent Resettlement Action Plan Implementation Audit for the ECOREAP

Reference No: GM-NAWEC-467431-CS-CQS

The ECOWAS-Regional Electricity Access Project (REAP) is a part of a Series of Projects (SOPs) being implemented within the ECOWAS region. It is funded by the International Development Association (IDA/World Bank, and it aims to increase the number of people in West Africa with access to reliable and affordable electricity, as articulated in the ECOWAS White Paper of 2006.

The SOP consists of two Phases, which plan to provide 2.5 million people across five countries in West Africa, namely Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Togo, Senegal and The Gambia with electricity. Phase I of the SOP is to provide access to 1.1 million people in Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and The Gambia. It is expected that this will transform the power sectors of these countries and enable them to achieve their common objective of delivering more power to more consumers.

In The Gambia, Phase I will finance the expansion of medium and low-voltage networks from the two high-voltage 225/33 kV substations (in Soma, Lower River Region–LRR, and in Brikama, in West Coast Region–WCR) being built under the OMVG Energy Project.

The Second Phase of the SOP (Phase II) will finance the reinforcement and extension of the distribution network (MV and LV) in Niger, Senegal and Mauritania, and within the context of the ECOWAS White Paper of 2006, additional member countries will be included in future through potential additional financing.

These participating countries will benefit from attracting larger contractors to ensure timely implementation, and furthermore, the regional approach facilitated by ECOWAS will be used to disseminate lessons learned from the World Bank’s global access experiences, which will be shared with participating countries to implement the access agenda.

The objectives of the RAP monitoring and evaluation plan are to:

• Confirm compliance with national legislation regarding aspects of RAP implementation such as payment of statutory compensation.

• Confirm compliance with international requirements for RAP implementation, including OP.4.12.

• Assess whether RAP objectives and commitments have been delivered as per the RAP approved by the World Bank and national Gambian Authorities.

• Monitor delivery of entitlements to PAPs, including all entitlements outlined in the RAP such as: payment of compensation, housing replacement, transitional support, livelihood restoration and vulnerable persons assistance etc...

• Analyze the construction activities that took place after the implementation of the RAP and identify and address any additional land acquisition, crop compensation and construction damage issues that has arisen during construction.

• Monitor and evaluate the treatment of Vulnerable Persons

• Assess the performance of the Grievance Mechanism as per the good practice principles (accessible, transparent, fair etc..). Analyze all closed and open complaints from the RAP and identify what measures need to be put in place to find resolutions to any outstanding or complicated complaints related to the RAP.

• Feed into ongoing management of RAP implementation and identify any corrective actions where necessary to build into the program.

• Undertake stakeholder engagement on the RAP implementation process to support the RAP audit conclusions and recommendations.

Scope:

The focus of the RAP implementation audit will be on areas covered by ECOREAP scope of work with all the MV, LV and substations.

The audit will comprise of an independent evaluation of the overall implementation of RAP, as per commitments stated in the RPF, and RAPs for ECOREAP scope of work with all the MV, LV and substations.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Develop a workplan to undertake a broad audit program.

• Based on clear and agreed criteria, select site-specific activities to be included in the audit.

• Review and assess the adequacy of the project stakeholder identification, analysis and engagement progress and assess current and planned stakeholder engagement activities as outlined in the project’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP).

• Conduct a RAP implementation audit of the components of ECOREAP scope of work with all the MV, LV and substations as per the audit program.

• Assess the PIU capacities and resources to implement the measures recommended to address the gaps identified in the implementation of the RAPs.

• Assess the effectiveness of the project’s Grievance Resolution Mechanism (GRM) in terms of its accessibility, credibility, effectiveness in resolving grievances, resourcing, etc.

• i) Assess the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement activities undertaken for the development and implementation of the RAP.

• Present audit findings and recommend gap-filling and enhancement measures for the overall RAPs implementation of the two components with action plans agreed by the ECOREAP and the World Bank.

• The final deliverable shall include extensive visual and graphic documentation including all the affected plots, photographs of field conditions.

Duration of Assignment

The duration of the assignment is three (3) months.

DELIVERABLES

The consultant shall prepare a separate report assessing the overall management of ESMF/ESIA implementation, and separate reports for the various activities with site-specific findings and recommendations. A synthesis report on gaps, strengths and weaknesses of both overall project and site-specific management of E&S risks, with recommendations for improvement, shall be prepared in the final report.

Key deliverable for RAP Audit Consultant:

• Inception Report

• Desk Review and Data Collection Plan

• Field work and Stakeholder Engagement

• Compliance Assessment Report

• Impact and Livelihood Restoration Analysis

• Audit Findings and Recommendations Report

• Final Report and Presentation

• Follow-up and Monitoring Plan (optional)

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 audit team is expected to be a firm with appropriate and sufficient capabilities, resources, and experience to execute the full extent of the scope of services to a very high quality. The team will mainly comprise of relevant experts in resettlement, RAP implementation and auditing, economic displacement, both temporary and permanent, and other experts in specific topics such as socio-economic, GIS expert, land valuation specialist, a lawyer or legal expert, Gender, SEA/SH. The team must have experience in social risk management, resettlement, and compensation. All team members should demonstrate the following skills and experience:

• Strong and demonstrated interpersonal skills, and experience communicating with senior government officials, communities and large groups of people, ability to organize and conduct technical workshops related to audit findings

• Excellent working knowledge experience on Gambian legislation and regulations related to social risk management, land valuation, resettlement and economic displacement as outlined in the project RPF/RAPs, is required for all specialists. Also, knowledge of the local culture, language(s), and social dynamics of the affected region and understanding of the unique socio-political and economic context that may impact resettlement outcomes.

• Field experience and good knowledge of the implementation of World Bank’s safeguards policies (or that of other international financial institutions), including the Operational Policies, and the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) is desirable

• Proven writing and analytical skills, ability to initiate innovative approaches

• Proven ability to work as a team-player with multi-tasking skills, experience in facilitation, presentation, communication and computational skills, attention to details and client orientation

• Competency in the use of standard desktop publishing applications (e.g., Microsoft Office); and

• Knowledge of ethical standards for audits, including transparency, confidentiality, and impartiality

• Demonstrated commitment to upholding high ethical standards, with a track record of unbiased and accurate reporting

• Understanding of grievance redress mechanisms and experience in assessing their functionality and fairness

• A proven track record of delivering quality outputs on time and within budget.

• Positive references from past RAP audits or similar consultancy projects, preferably from reputable clients or organizations

• Willingness to provide samples of previous audit reports (if confidentiality allows) or client testimonials.

• Ability to communicate and write effectively in English

• Proven experience conducting RAP audits, social impact assessments, or similar projects, especially in sectors like infrastructure, mining, or energy, where resettlements are common.

• Specific experience with resettlement issues, livelihood restoration, social safeguards, and stakeholder engagement.

• Familiarity with international standards and guidel