Hiring a consultant to prepare of a Local Development Grants subprojects’ Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Manual

Project Fiduciary Management Unit –PFMU

13 Howe Street

Freetown

Sierra Leone

Tel: (+232-76-672-186)

Email: [email protected]

GOVERNMENT OF SIERRA LEONE

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES)

Country: Sierra Leone

Name of Project: Accountable Governance for Basic Service Delivery Project

Grant No.: D8380-SL

Project ID: P172492

Issue date: 2nd March 2026

Assignment Title: Hiring an individual consultant to support the preparation of a Local Developments Grants sub-projects’ Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Manual

Reference No: SL-MOF-534182-CS-INDV

• Background

1.1 About the AGBSD Project

The Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Finance received grant financing from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank for the implementation of an AGBSDP (P172492). The estimated cost of the project is US$40.0 Million and will be implemented within six (6) year’s period. Its Development Objective (PDO) is: “to improve resource management, transparency and accountability of government systems for enabling the delivery of local development projects and basic services”. The Project has three broader components, most of which have other sub-components.

Component 1: Systems and skills for local services delivery (central and local levels) and Social Accountability.

Component 2: Local Development Financing; and

Component 3: Project Management and Implementation Support.

•

• About the Local Development Grant

A key sub-component of the AGBSDP is component 2.1, the Local Development Grant which is managed by a dedicated Grant Management Team under the leadership of the Fiscal Decentralization Division in the Ministry of Finance. Through a four LDG round framework, funds are directly made available to District Councils as development grants to help them successfully undertake small-scale capital investment projects and poverty reduction, particularly related to infrastructure improvements in accordance with their development plans. Through the LDG, 29 subprojects (mainly schools, health and public service facilities) were implemented in Round one, while implementation of 33 similar subprojects in Round 2 near completion.

•

• About the Assignment

At the completion of the LDG round one implementation, a joint field support mission comprising GMT/PMU/FDD & World Bank was conducted in January/February 2024 where implementation status of R1 LDG subprojects were discussed including planning for subsequent LDG rounds. While there was remarkable progress in the implementation of subprojects, a foreseeable risk noted by the team anchors on the useful lives of the LDG sub-projects owing to fears that they may be stunted by inadequate or lack of Operations and Maintenance (O&M). Standardized O&M plans are yet to be in place and knowledge based on the principles and practice of O&M remains low among LC staff. Consequently, the need to practicalize the concept and uphold the practice of O&M into the LDG framework consistent with the GIM was reiterated and later reflected in the June 3-14th 2024 Aide Memoir Agreed Actions.

In a bid to ameliorate the envisaged risk factor on the sustainability of LDG subprojects, the need to underscore the development of a user-friendly operation and maintenance manual including its roll out was articulated by the GMT in its approved AWP 2025 activities.

Based on this foundation, the Grants Management Team-AGBSDP is submitting these Terms of Reference for the recruitment of an individual consultant (National) to prepare a comprehensive Local Development Grants subprojects’ Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Manual that will serve as a useful tool in fostering effective management and upkeep of LDG facilities. The activity will also require printing and rolling-out of the O&M Manual to 15 District Councils across Sierra Leone. The O&M Manual is expected to serve as a guiding document for local councils, facility managers, and community representatives to ensure that the LDG supported facilities remain functional, well-maintained, and beneficial to the communities over time.

• Expected task and Objective

The overarching objective of this activity is to recruit a consultant that will develop a comprehensive Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Manual satisfactory to the Association and FDD/GMT that will guide stakeholders in the effective management and up keeping of LDG completed subprojects- comprising schools, health and other public service facilities, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, furniture and solar energy systems for lighting and water pumping. The O&M manual should align with relevant national policies on public assets, as well as the recently established guidelines for local council operations supported by JICA. Specifically, the consultant is required to perform the following tasks:

• Inception and Scoping

• Review the national policy and institutional framework for decentralization, local governance, and public asset management (e.g., Local Government Act, Education Act, Health Service Delivery Guidelines, Market Management By-laws, Energy Sector O&M standards).

• Map roles and responsibilities of key actors (Local Councils, sector MDAs, SMCs, HMCs, Facility Managers, community groups, etc.).

• Conduct an inception meeting with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), Ministry of Health (MoH), and other stakeholders to validate scope and expectations.

• Prepare an Inception Report detailing the methodology, work plan, and outline of the guidelines.

• Situational Assessment

• Conduct desk review, if there are any, of existing policies or guidelines concerning the maintenance of public facilities at the local level in the relevant sectors

• Conduct a field assessment across selected districts and local councils to understand:

• Current O&M practices for schools, health centers, markets, and energy stations.

• Existing funding mechanisms (local council budgets, user fees, community contributions).

• Maintenance scheduling and responsiveness.

• Gaps in accountability, technical capacity, and coordination.

• Review past or ongoing projects (e.g., education infrastructure, Basic Service Delivery Project, local council grants, or donor-funded programs with O&M components).

• Identify challenges (e.g., unclear ownership, insufficient budget lines, weak enforcement, lack of preventive maintenance planning).

•

•

• Stakeholder Consultations

• Facilitate targeted consultations and focus groups with:

• At least 8 District Local Councils and their Works/Engineering and Finance Departments.

• At least 30% of Round 1 and 30% of Round 2 School Management Committees (SMCs), At least 30% of Round 1 and 30% of Round 2 Health Facility Management Committees (HFMCs).

• LDG round 1 and 2 Market managers,

• LDG Subprojects solar energy station operators

• Community users of the selected facilities.

• Work with stakeholders like MoPED to ensure that climate related considerations form part of the O&M Manual and that the recommendation and guideline is aligned on relevant issues.

• Hold validation workshops at district and regional levels to gather practical inputs and lessons from the field.

•

•

• Policy and Institutional Framework Design

• Define clear roles, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms between:

• Local Councils, sector MDAs, and community management structures.

• Propose an institutional structure for O&M planning, budgeting, execution, and monitoring at the local level.

• Integrate O&M into the Local Council Development and Service Delivery Planning Framework.

• Development of the O&M Guidelines

• Draft comprehensive guidelines are structured around:

• Asset registration and inventory management

• Preventive and corrective maintenance schedules

• Budgeting and financing arrangements (e.g., earmarked O&M funds, user fees, grants)

• Procurement and contracting of maintenance services

• Roles and accountability of SMCs, HFMCs, and market/energy facility managers

• Reporting, monitoring, and performance indicators

• Gender, inclusion, and community engagement aspects

• Include templates for maintenance checklists, reporting formats, and inspection logs.

• Financial and Sustainability Framework

• Develop costing and financing models for routine and periodic maintenance.

• Identify potential funding sources (local grants, central transfers, user fees, PPP arrangements).

• Propose a financial management and transparency mechanism for O&M funds

• Capacity Building and Implementation Planning

• Design a training and capacity development plan for:

• Local council engineers, finance officers, and facility managers.

• School and health facility committees.

• Develop training materials and manuals tailored to each type of facility.

• Outline an implementation road map and a monitoring & evaluation framework.

• Validation and Finalization

• Present the draft guidelines at two regional-level validation workshops for feedback to stakeholders and end users of the Manual

• Revise and finalize the policy/guidelines incorporating stakeholder input.

• Prepare a rollout and dissemination plan (including simplified versions for local councils and communities).

• Required Qualification and Professional Experience

The Individual consultant must be a Sierra Leonean National with the following academic and related professional experience requirements specific to the assignment:

3.1. Academic Qualification

The consultant Must have a Minimum Postgraduate degree in the Social Sciences or Development related field from a recognized university. A postgraduate degree in Facility Management will be an added advantage

3.2 Professional Experience

• Minimum 10 – 15 years of professional experience in local governance, pub