THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI
NORTHERN REGION WATER BOARD
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT)
ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL COMPLIANCE AUDIT FOR NKHATA BAY TOWN WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION PROJECT
Date of Issue : 13th August 2021
BACKGROUND INFORMATION :
The Northern Region Water Board (herewith referred to as the Client) was established under the Waterworks Act No. 17 of 1995 as a parastatal organization responsible for provision of water supply and waterborne sanitation services in the urban centres of the Northern Region of Malawi.
Nkhata Bay Water Supply system is one of the schemes which are within the mandate of the Northern Region Water Board.
After noting that the capacity of Nkhata Bay Water Supply system could not match the water demand at Nkhata Bay Town, the Northern Region Water Board is implementing Nkhata Bay Water Supply and Sanitation Project (i.e. the Implementing Agency). The project development objective is to increase access to reliable and sustainable potable water supply and improved sanitation services for the socio-economic growth and development of Nkhata Bay Town and the country. Nkhata Bay Town Water and Sanitation Project is financed by the African Development Fund (ADF), OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and Government of Malawi (GoM). The Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) is the Implementing Agency (IA).
The Project has 3 main components, namely :
- Water Infrastructure Development: This component is focussing on rehabilitation and expansion of water treatment plant, transmission pipelines and distribution pipe network and construction of storage tanks and pump stations. The component also involves catchment protection of Nkhata River and management activities ;
- Sanitation and Hygiene: This component focusses on sanitation and hygiene promotion among communities including capacity building of masons and other artisans in construction of improved sanitation facilities. In addition, a Sanitation and Hygiene Investment Plan for Nkhata Bay Town hasbeen prepared. Further, the project involves construction of demonstration sanitation facilities in schools, health centres and market places. The project will also construct a solid waste management site, liquid waste treatment plant and sanitation centre ;
- Project Management: The component covers project management activities, monitoring and evaluation and auditing services.
The Nkhata Bay Town Water Supply and Sanitation Project was approved on 22nd October 2018 and was declared effective on 14th March 2019. The project is scheduled to close in June 2023.
The main environmental and social obligation in the financing agreement is to ensure that that development options under consideration are environmentally and socially sound and sustainable.
The project was validated as Category 2 in line with the African Development Bank’s Bank’s Integrated Safeguards System (ISS); mainly because most impacts were site specific and have no significant and irreversible detrimental effect. The proposed project interventions would ensure safe water supply and sanitation to the population and possible environmental impacts were envisaged to be minimal and localised. An Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) was prepared in accordance with Malawi Government’s Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines and the Bank’s Environmental and Social Assessment Procedures (ESAP).
The Project engaged Metaferia Consulting Engineers to carry out detailed design and construction supervision of Nkhata Bay Town Water Supply and Sanitation Project. The Project further engaged China Civil Engineering Corporation to undertake the water supply works. Mangalasi Construction Company Ltd was contracted to undertake construction of Solid Waste Disposal site at Nkhafu while Primo Construction is constructing improved pit latrines at public places as well as the liquid waste stabilization ponds near the district hospital. and solid waste dump site.
These Terms of Reference have been developed for an Individual Consultant to provide Environmental & Social Compliance Audit for the Project.
OBJECTIVES :
The objective of the Environmental and Social compliance audit is to assess the level of compliance of the project with the applicable E&S requirements. The audit will focus specifically on assessing the extent of compliance by the Project and All Contractors under the project with the financial agreements, including national legislations, regulations and procedures, the Bank’s Integrated Safeguards System’s operational safeguard(OS) requirements and international industrial best practices (IIBP) of the project’s sector. The audit will identify non-compliances, good practices and deficiencies, and come up with a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) for all identified non-compliances.
AUDIT REQUIREMENTS/CRITERIA :
The key criteria, but not exhaustive list, to consider in conducting the audit, are :
- The E&S requirements of the loan/grant agreements ;
- The applicable national E&S legislations, regulations, norms, standards, and procedures ;
- The Bank’s Integrated Safeguards System’s Operational Safeguards (OS) requirements ;
- The approved and disclosed Project’s Environmental and Social documents’ adequacy in mitigating the actual environmental and social impacts/risks being faced by the project during implementation including assessment on whether there is adequate capacity and preventative and response measures to prevent, mitigate and respond to Gender Based Violence, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse at PIU and Contractor Level ;
- The International Industrial Best Practices (IIBP) of the Project’s sector, if any.
TASKS :
The Consultants would be expected to carry out, among others, the following tasks :
- Review the Bank’s environmental and social policies’ requirements, including climate change and gender ;
- Review the applicable national legislations, regulations, norms, standards and procedures, including national legal Authorization, Permits and Certificates required prior to actions ;
- Review available reports on the project including the project appraisal report, the Loan/grant agreements, the project periodic implementation reports, any relevant documentation and records available and necessary for the assessment of the project E&S performance ;
- Organize an opening meeting with the auditee’s management, i.e. the Implementing Agency ;
- Determine and agree on the scope, methodology and specific set of criteria for the compliance audit with the Implementation Agency ;
- Evaluate the actual capacity for managing and monitoring implementation of agreed mitigation measures and related E&S documents applicable to the project and identify gaps and provide strengthening measures in terms of human, technical and financial resources required to manage risks/impacts ;
- Hold consultation(s) with the relevant regulatory agencies and stakeholders (including but not limited to local beneficiaries/local leaders, project affected persons, civil society, the Executing Agency, government ministries, and contractors), on the status of the project with respect to identified E&S risks and impacts as well as planned and implemented mitigation measures and legal permits ;
- Carry out project site inspections to assess project and each Contractor’ implementation of ESMP/RAP and compliance with all applicable requirements to prevent, mitigate and manage the environmental and social risks/impacts including stakeholder engagement plans, functionality of the project GRM; Labour Conditions; Health and Safety and Emergency Response Plans; GBV/SEA/SH risk assessment and Preventative and Response Plans ;
- Prepare a comprehensive report. The report should present a cogent analysis on findings and causes as related to the predetermined compliance audit scope and criteria. It should present a logical (qualitative and quantitative) examination of the effectiveness of mitigation measures, residual risks, environment-health and safety (EHS) issues, GBV/SEA/SH issues. The report will also include a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) summarizing the concrete recommendations for follow-up actions on findings and remedial measures including clearly estimated costs, specific roles and responsibilities ;
- Organize a closing meeting with the management of the IA and those responsible for the functions audited. The purpose of this meeting is to present audit findings to ensure that they are clearly understood and acknowledged by the auditee. Any outstanding diverging opinions between the audit team and the auditee should be discussed and recorded.
- REQUIRED INPUT AND TIME FRAME :
The indicative number of the required staff-days for the assignment is 30 days. The completion period for the assignment is 100 calendar days.
- DELIVERABLES :
The Consultant shall be required to submit the following deliverables as ten (10) hard (printed) copies and one (1) electronic copy on a memory stick.
Inception Report : The Consultant shall submit the inception report within 7 days from commencement day of the assignment. The Inception Report shall be reviewed by the Client. The Consultant shall submit the finalised Inception Report incorporating comments from the Client within 21 days from commencement of the assignment.
Zero Draft E&S Compliance Audit Report and Corrective Action Plan : The Consultant shall submit the Zero Draft E&S Compliance Audit Report including a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) within 56 days from commencement of the assignment. The Client shall review the report and give the Consultant a set of comments. The Consultant would be required to incorporate the comments within 7 days of receipt of comments from the Client.
Draft E&S Compliance Audit Report and Corrective Action Plan : The Consultant shall submit the Draft E&S Compliance Audit Report including a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) within 70 days from commencement of the assignment for further review. The Draft report shall incorporate comments made on the zero draft report.
Finalised E&S compliance audit report and Corrective Action Plan : The finalised E&S compliance audit report, including the Corrective Action Plan (CAP) incorporating comments from the IA shall be submitted within 100 days from commencement of the assignment. The audit report should provide information that will enable the Borrower (Government) Bank and clients to identify, evaluate and manage environmental and social risks relating to the project. Recommendations should be made on how to prioritise and develop action plans and implement the management measures that best avoid and/or mitigate project risks and impacts.
- REPORTING :
The Consultant will be responsible to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Northern Region Water Board for the successful execution of the assignment. However, for carrying out day-to-day operational activities s/he shall interact with the Director of Infrastructure Development or the Project Coordinator.
The following meetings shall be convened with the Consultant to facilitate implementation of the assignment; (i) kick off meeting to be held on commencement of the assignment, (ii) progress review meeting to be held in the 7th week on the assignment leading to submission of the zero draft E&S compliance audit report and Corrective Action Plan and (iii) Discussion of comments on the Draft E&S Compliance Audit Report and Corrective Action Plan.
- PAYMENT SCHEDULE :
The payment schedule of the assignment will be as follows :
- Finalised Inception Report – 20% shall be paid after submission and acceptance of the report by the Client ;
- Draft E&S compliance audit report and Corrective Action Plan – 40% shall be paid after submission and acknowledgement of receipt of the report by the Client ;
- Finalised E&S compliance audit report and Corrective Action Plan – 40% shall be paid after submission and acceptance of the report by the Client.
- ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA :
The Consultant will be an Individual Consultant.
The selected Consultant should meet the following minimum requirements :
- At least a master’s degree in Environmental and Social Development related disciplines ;
- A minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience in environment and social auditing. Experience in the broad areas of environmental and social assessment and, in environment management and monitoring, is an advantage ;
- Experience in developing, implementation, monitoring and auditing the implementation of ESIAs, ESMPs, RAPs GBV/SEA/SH Preventative and Response Plans in AfDB and other DFI financed projects ;
- Experience in the project host country would be an added advantage.
Eligibility criteria and the selection procedure shall be in accordance with the African Development Fund’s “Procurement Policy for Bank Group-Funded Operations, dated October 2015, which is available on the Fund’s website at http://www.afdb.org.
The selected Consultant shall be requested to submit a methodology, workplan and financial proposal which shall form basis for contract negotiations.
- SUBMISSION OF EXPRESSION OF INTEREST :
The Northern Region Water Board now invites eligible interested Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in providing these services. Interested consultants must submit detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) that provide information that they are qualified to perform the services and a letter expressing their interest.
Interested consultants may obtain further information during office hours [07:30 to 16:30 hours (Malawi time)] from:
The IPDC Chairperson
| Attention: | Eng. Catherine Mwafulirwa | ||
| Telephone: | +265 994 060 591 | ||
| E mail address: | mbewe08@yahoo.com | ||
Expressions of interest must be delivered by mail or electronically or hand delivered in sealed envelopes clearly marked “NWSSP EOI FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT” to the address indicated below by 14:00 hours (Malawi time) by 30th August 2021.
The Chairperson
Internal Procurement and Disposal Committee
Northern Region Water Board
Bloemwater Street
Kawiluwilu House
Room No. 6 (Chief Executive Officer’s Secretary)
Private Bag 94
Mzuzu
MALAWI
E mail address : mbewe08@yahoo.com