West African Power Pool (WAPP) Recruitment for Consultant - Line Route and ESIA

The West African Power Pool (WAPP) is a Specialized Agency of the Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS), based in Cotonou in the Republic of Benin, established by the Authority of Head of States and Governments of ECOWAS Member States to ensure the integration of the national power system operations into a unified regional electricity market in order to provide the citizens of ECOWAS Member States with a regular, stable and reliable electricity supply at affordable costs, over the medium to long term. This aims to encourage industrialisation, improve Health and Education, Reduce Poverty, Create Employment Opportunities, etc

We invite applications from suitably qualified candidates for the position below:

Job Title: Consultant - Line Route and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Study (ESIA)

Project Identification Number: P162933
Location: Cotonou, Republic of Benin
Project: WAPP Nigeria-Benin-Togo-Ghana-Cote D'ivoire Media Project 330 KV Medieval Interconnection Project
Country: Multinational-West African Power Exchange System (WAPP)

Description

• The General Secretariat of the West African Power Exchange System ("WAPP") has requested a grant from the World Bank and intends to use some of this funding to make payments for Consulting Services for Line Route and Environmental Impact and Assessment (ESIA) for the WAPP 330 kV Double circuit Nigeria-Benin-Togo-Ghana-Côte d'Ivoire Interconnection Project
• The services also include the identification of localities / communities along the proposed route, eligible for electrification.

Scope of Services
The Consultant will realize among others:

Line Drawing Study:

• Proposal of a layout for the passage of the line;
• Detailed survey and profile of the route;
• Proposal of postal sites;
• Detailed survey of postal sites;
• Preparation of maps and drawings;

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Transmission Line:

• Study of the existing environment;
• Establishment of an environmental and socio-economic benchmark;
• Identification and assessment of affected biological resources, sensitive receptors such as natural habitat and critical habitat and affected communities;
• Census, socio-economic and asset inventory surveys for resettlement impacts and RAP development;
• Identification and evaluation of potential environmental and social impacts;
• Preparation of GIS maps and coordinates of environmental markers, sensitive ecosystems and affected communities along the route of the line;
• Social Analysis and Conflict Analysis;
• Public consultations and stakeholder engagement;
• Preparation and implementation of a Stakeholder Engagement Plan (PEPP);
• Identification of all mitigation measures, including all aspects mentioned in the new Environmental and Social Framework of the World Bank and its ten (10) Environmental and Social Norms;
• Preparation of a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) to mitigate the impacts of land acquisitions and displacement;
• Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EID);
• Preparation of an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) including influx management, site life management plan, gender, gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, work management plan, code of conduct, impact on natural habitat and critical habitat, estimate of the space to be deforested in ha and vegetation types affected, impacts on wildlife, health and safety at work, the emergency response plan and how to implement the ESMP;
• Preparations of illustration media.

Identification of Communities Eligible for Electrification:

• Identification of localities and communities along the proposed route and around the substations, eligible for electrification

Training:

• Transfer evening-make technology through the training of counterpart staff.
• The level of effort to be provided is estimated at 70 to 80 man-months. The total duration of the study is estimated at 82 weeks. The expected date of commencement of the mission is March-April 2020.

Qualifications and Screening Criteria
The WAPP General Secretariat invites eligible consulting firms ("Consultants") to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants must provide information indicating that they possess the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The screening criteria are:

• Experience and relevant skills in the preparation of electricity projects
• Experience and relevant skills in high voltage line design (at least 220 kV) of cross-border interconnection covering at minus two countries,
• Experience and relevant skills in preparation of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), preparation of Resettlement Action Plan and Environmental and Social Management Plan for interconnection line projects cross-border concerning a group of countries;
• Knowledge of the electricity sector in West Africa and related environmental and social issues at the national and regional levels.
• Key personnel will not be evaluated at this screening stage.

Additional Information

• The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs 3.14, 3.16 and 3.17 of the "World Bank IPF Borrower Procurement Regulations", July 2016 Edition revised in November 2017 and August 2018. ("Procurement Regulations"), setting out the World Bank's Conflict of Interest Policy.
• Consultants can partner with other firms to form an association (joint venture) to increase their chances of qualifying but must clearly indicate whether the association is a joint venture and / or subcontracting. In the case of a joint venture, all partners of the association are jointly and severally liable for the full execution of the contract if they are retained.
• Consultants will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection Method ("QBS") set out in the "Procurement Regulations".

Application Closing Date
9th September, 2019 (10:00 local time in Benin).

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates (Consultants) should submit their Expressions of Interest in writing in French and English, providing 1 original + 4 copies + 1 electronic copy on USB key in French and 2 copies + 1 electronic copy of the expression of interest translated into English.

The expressions of interest must be filed in a sealed envelope bearing "Expression of interest for the completion of a Line Route and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Study (ESIA) for the Median Interconnection 330 KV WAPP Project" and sent to:
Attn: M. Siengui Apollinaire KI, Secretary General,
West African Power Pool (WAPP),
Zone des Ambassades, PK6, Akpakpa,
06 BP 2907 Cotonou,
Republic of Bénin.

Click here to Download the detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) (PDF)

Click here for more Information

Note

• These ToRs are indicative and may change prior to the publication of the Request for Proposals
• Interested Consultants should note that a separate Notice of Expressions of Interest for conducting a Feasibility Study and the preparation of the Tender File has also been launched. Consultants are advised that only one of the two contracts may be awarded at a time.
• Close collaboration with the Consultant in charge of the Feasibility Study is necessary.
• Further information can be obtained from email: procurement@ecowapp.org and copied to: bhessou@ecowapp.org ; andorere@ecowapp.org ; and nisoumana@ecowapp.org
• Tel.: +229 21374195 / 71 44,  Fax. +229 21374197.