International
Technical and Environmental and Social Consultant
Costanera Green Field Road Project Western
Panama Area
Assignment
Description
Background
The
International Finance Corporation (“IFC”), a member of the World Bank Group,
has been engaged by the Ministry of Public Works (“MOP” or the “Client”) of the
Government of Panama (“GoP”) as the lead advisor to develop a program of 1,428
km of intercity roads throughout the country (the “Program”). This PPP program
covers several portions of Panama’s primary road network, the Costanera Road
Project (the “Project” or “Transaction”), that consists of a new toll highway
of 51 kilometers long, from the new Howard Interchange, in Panama Pacifico, to
Sajalices. This highway is proposed as a dual carriageway, with two lanes in
each direction and with three sections, which are described below:
•
Section 1: Howard Interchange – Vía a Vacamonte,
13 kilometers long.
•
Section 2: Road to Vacamonte – Road to Playa
Leona / La Mitra, 14 kilometers long.
•
Section 3: Road to Playa Leona / La Mitra –
Sajalices, 24 kilometers long.
IFCs Scope
of Work:
After the
signing of the mandate with the GoP, the IFCs advisory mandate will be
implemented into two phases:
- Phase 1 -
Transaction Structuring: IFC and its consultants will analyze all aspects of
the Project, including capital investment program, financial viability,
technical, legal and E&S due diligence, regulatory framework and environmental
and social scoping. IFC will then recommend to the GoP the optimal scope and
structure for the Transaction that would require government approval before
proceeding to Phase 2.
- Phase 2 -
Transaction Implementation: IFC, with the support of its consultants, will
implement the approved transaction structure, including the promotion of the
Transaction to potential investors, the prequalification of investors, the
design of bid criteria, the preparation of legal documents for a competitive
international tender, active role during Q&A sessions with potential
investors, the oversight of the tender process, and assistance to the GoP
during the evaluation of the bids and the closing of the Transaction.
In this
context, IFC is seeking the support of technical and E&S consultant firms,
which shall form a joint venture or consortium (the Firm). The Firm shall
include an international engineering company and an international environmental
& social consulting company that will carry out the scope of work outlined
in this Request for Expression of Interest (REOI). The Firm will be evaluated
on the merits of its global presence and relevant experience, combined with
strong local presence in Panama through partnerships with local firms or
subcontractors who will have a significant role in the Project implementation.
As part of the
team mobilization work, IFC will hire, through separate processes, a legal
consultant firm that will assist IFC, together with the Firm through Phase 1
and 2, described above.
Scope of
Work of the Technical and E&S Consultant:
- IFC is now
seeking expressions of interest from the Firm. Key tasks to be performed are
outlined below:
- Due diligence review of the existing information
and studies provided by the Client, including a technical opinion on the
quality and level of completeness of the studies.
- Diagnosis and development of a strategy and plan
for managing environmental and social aspects of the project.
- Carry out the feasibility studies and include
suggestions and recommendations to optimize or complement the current road design.
- Definition of the levels of service and minimum
technical standards for the project in the context of a PPP contract.
- Review of all E&S project information
available and produce gap analysis between national/local legislation and IFC
Performance Standards
- Execute an E&S Scoping Study to identify key
risks and potential impacts associated with the project.
- Perform biodiversity screening and surveys in
accordance with the IFC PS, define habitat types and identify priority
biodiversity values.
- Preliminarily identify measures to avoid,
minimize and mitigate potential impacts of the project and liaise with the
Technical Consultants to build the mitigation strategy into the preliminary
design of the Project.
- Preparation of a project risk matrix that
identifies technical, E&S risks, their probability and impact, including
the analysis of the potential contingent liabilities and cost benefit analysis
of the project.
- Assessment and update of all the existing
capital and operational expenditures of the project, as outlined in the
previous studies, and confirmation that the estimates are in line with
international prices for this type of project.
- Perform a cost-benefit analysis following local
legislation.
- Assistance to IFC with technical inputs and
clarifications during the preparation of the Transaction Structure Report.
- Participation in the drafting of the legal
document providing technical and E&S inputs to prequalification documents,
Request for proposal and bidding documents. This activity addressing comments
from government entities and potential investors.
- Subject to IFC’s signing of an advisory mandate
with the GoP for the structuring and implementation of the Transaction, the
team will confirm any additional support that could be needed by the Firm’s specialist
through the duration of the project. This is an indicative list of tasks and is
subject to change based on the implementation of the project.
Firm
requirements
IFC now invites
eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing their services by
submitting a response to this REOI.
Please note that consulting firms may associate with other interested firms or
individuals to enhance their qualifications. Firms or consortia of firms that
have been determined to be qualified through the evaluated results of this
first stage may be invited to submit proposals for the Request for Proposals
(RFP) that will be issued at a later date.
The responses
presented by the firms will be reviewed and those consultants deemed best
qualified in IFCs judgment will be short-listed according to the following
criteria:
Qualification
Criteria for members of the Technical and E&S Consultant team:
- Experience in
working with government clients and their advisors in conjunction with the
design of PPP transactions in the road sector;
- Experience in
preparing technical / engineering, E&S studies on road projects;
- Experience in
working in the road sector in Latin America;
- Team
composition: years of experience of E&S team members, engineers;
- Spanish
language skills by key staff.
Responses shall
not exceed 25 pages. If the submitted response exceeds 25 pages, IFC reserves
the right to read only the first 25.
The Consultant
shall demonstrate a capability to meet the World Bank Groups Vendor Eligibility
Criteria as found on www.worldbank.org/corporateprocurement.
By responding
to this REOI, you are confirming compliance with the World Bank Group
Procurement Policy.
Firms shall not
receive, offer or solicit anything of value to influence the outcome of the
procurement process. Firms shall not misrepresent facts in order to influence
the procurement process. Collusive practices among firms or individuals to
establish artificial non-competitive levels shall not be tolerated and may
result in rejection of rejection of responses.
Qualification
Criteria
1. Provide
information showing that they are qualified in the field of the assignment:
Experience in working in the road sector in Latin America
2. Provide
information on the technical and managerial capabilities of the firm.:
Experience in preparing technical / engineering, E&S studies on road
projects
3. Experience
in working with government clients and their advisors in conjunction with the
design of PPP transactions in the road sector
4. Provide
information on the qualifications of key staff.