REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTANT SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

Nigeria

Reinforcement of the High Voltage Transmission Ring around Abuja Project

Credit No: CNG-1021

Assignment Title: Audit of the TCN AFD-financed High-Voltage Transmission Ring around Abuja & Nasarawa Involuntary Resettlement Process and enforcement of TCN’s internal E&S management system as per applicable regulation and World Bank ESS

Reference No.: CS- AFS 03

DATE: 3^rd June, 2021

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

The Federal Government of Nigeria obtained a loan from the French Development Agency (AgenceFrançaise de Développement– AFD), on behalf of  the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), towards the implementation of the Transmission Ring Project around Abuja in the FCT and Nasarawa State. TCN now intends to apply parts of this credit to payments under the Contract for the Appointment of a Consultant (Individual or Firm) for the Audit of the Involuntary Resettlement Process.

Given the high environmental and social (E&S) risks of such a Project, and based on its E&S risks management policy, AFD required the Project to meet the National legislation (including all International conventions ratified by the Country) as well as the World bank E&S Framework. Based on the progress of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) to date, TCN requires a Consultant to perform an audit of the Involuntary Resettlement process, to provide remediation measures to fill the potential gaps between the activities led and the E&S framework of the Project.Moreover, the services include an overall critical analysis of TCN Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), focused on Involuntary Resettlement management, in order to fill potential existing gaps towards national regulation or World Bank E&S standard n°5, and prepare TOR for an overall ESMS audit and upgrade.

The total duration of the consultancy shall be sixteen (16) weeks.

Specific tasks to be carried out by the Consultant include:

Task 1: The consultant firm will develop a social safeguard-screening checklist to guide the audit. The checklist should be informed by the World Bank Operational Safeguard Policies, in particular OP 4.12 and should cover, and facilitate the assessment of, all pertinent and social safeguards issues including but not limited to:

1. The project’s social impacts and the way those impacts have been addressed so far. This will include, if and when relevant, the land acquired, the process for land acquisition, the effect of land acquisition (e.g. relocation, loss of shelter/housing, loss of assets, loss of livelihood, etc.).

2. The distribution of the impacts related to land acquisition and resettlement. Specific attention and reference will be made to the impact on vulnerable groups (including women, poorest people, etc.)

3. The extent, quality and documentation of community consultation, including with regards to the categories of stakeholders represented, the quantitative aspect of the consultations (frequency of consultations, number of participants, etc.), and the information made available to communities and the compliance of this consultation process with the OP 4.12.

4. The extent of the Involuntary Resettlement process led so far, including eligibility, compensation for economical and physical displacement as well as the potential mitigation measures actually taken.

5. Assess the extent to which resettlement plans have been conceived and executed as development programs with regard to the following:

• Provision of in kind and/or cash compensation for loss of assets in line with the WB E&S principles.
• Assisting with move and support displaced persons during the transition period in the resettlement site.
• Assistance to displaced persons in their efforts to improve their former living standards, income earning capacity, and production levels, or at least to restore them. Particular attention should be paid to the needs of the vulnerable groups resettled.

6. The extent  to  which  various  categories  of  people  affected  by  the resettlement were identified along with all livelihoods that were adversely impacted.

7. The complaint and redress mechanisms implementation, and community members’ free and equal access to such mechanisms.

8. The extent of delivery of appropriate compensation and resettlement entitlements to PAPs – whether entitlements have been delivered per RAP commitments.

9. Assess the level of achievement of the desired livelihood outcomes in terms of quantitative livelihood outcomes, qualitative resettlement indicators, priority development needs of PAPs as indicated in the socio-economic baseline survey, and compliance to OP 4.12 (i.e. replacement of assets, informed participation, improved living conditions/security of tenure).

10. The extent to which entitlements and benefit programs delivered to PAPs have contributed to the achievement of sustainable livelihoods.

11. The level of social and economic integration of resettlers into host communities and the extent to which adverse impacts on host communities have been minimized.

12. The dynamism and effectiveness of TCN results and impact monitoring effort in tracking impact mitigation and livelihood re-establishment.

Task 2: The Consultant firm will lead a review of all documentation elaborated for the Involuntary Resettlement Process for the Transmission Ring project, including the sub-stations.

Task 3: Conduct interviews or focus group discussions with a wide range of potential actors, including;

• Government, including:

–       Key officials involved in the project

–       Key officials responsible for the sector

–       Managers in the regulatory agency for the sector (if any)

–       Etc.

• Civil society groups
• A representative sample of Project Beneficiaries and Affected Persons
• Consultants in charge of the RAPs implementation, stakeholder engagement and RAP monitoring

Task 4: Based on the findings of the audit, identify and analyse remaining social risks and specifically the ones that can no longer be mitigated by any appropriate measure, given the status of the project implementation.

Task 5:  Based on the findings of the audit, this section will set out a mitigation action plan that includes the suggested measures to address suchfindings:

• specific actions required to meet the requirements of the OP 4.12
• corrective measures and actions to mitigate potentially significant environmental and/or social risks and impacts associated with the existing project oractivities
• measures to avoid or mitigate any potential additional adverse environmental and social risks or impacts associated with the proposedproject

Task 6:  Provide concrete steps to reinforce the TCN E&S Management System (ESMS) on Involuntary Resettlement and guidelines to allow upcoming RAPs to comply with the World Bank’s ESS 5 – Land Acquisition, Restrictions on Land Use and Involuntary Resettlement and ESS 10 – Stakeholder Engagement, grievance management and Information Disclosure. Those steps have to be included in a specific action plan that provide at least the activities by categories, responsible actors, budget and achievements indicators to be implemented.

Moreover, this task will aim at providing tools to enforce TCN’s internal process concerning Involuntary Resettlements.

The following deliverables will be produced:

• Action plan;
• Internal note summarizing TCN’s approach and methodology to deal with Involuntary resettlements throughout project’s life: preliminary design and RPF, detailed design and RAP studies, RAP implementation, monitoring and reporting, RAP achievement auditing…
• Template of ToR for RPF, for RAP, for RAP monitoring reports;
• Generic documents applicable to all TCN projects: eligibility and compensation matrix; Generic Stakeholder engagement plan; Generic grievance management system…

Task 7: Prepare the ToR for the audit of TCN E&S management system (ESMS) in place

• The TOR should identify the different steps of TCN due diligences and E&S management process, policies, organization, roles and responsibilities from the initial phases (identification, feasibility, design, construction), and operation phase (and eventually dismantling phase).
• The draft ToR for an in-depth audit and upgrade of TCN ESMS to match both Nigerian E&S regulations and World Bank ESSs.

The Project Implementation Unit for the Reinforcement of the High Voltage Transmission Ring around Abuja Project now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Consultancy Services. The Consultancy will be managed by the Project Implementation Unit.

Interested Consultants (firms may associate) should provide information demonstrating that they have the requisite qualifications and cognate experience to perform the services. The criteria for short listing shall include:

• The Firm’s general experience and overall competence, including relevance of the applicant firm’s area of core business to the assignment envisaged
• Firm’s good reputation, strong institutional capacity and capability in terms of technical, managerial, expertise, quality management system, number of technical staff and financial soundness etc.
• The extent of specific experience in assignments of similar nature and complexity(relevant completion certificates and/or letters of recommendations from former clients to be provided if available). The firm must show record of past experiences/ references where similar assignments have been implemented successfully in the past and demonstrate the ability to carry out this project with proven capability of producing consistent high quality reports and also ensure that all specific task will be adequately addressed in the report. The firm shall also attach a list of its key experts with relevant qualifications and experiences
• The extent of specific experience in assignments of similar nature and complexity; in management and supervision of similar assignments in sub-Africa region would be a plus
• Evidence of Certifications with relevant bodies to be attached

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.3.3 of the AFD’s Guidelines(https://www.afd.fr/en/ressources/procurement-guidelines-afd-financed-contracts-foreign-countries – October 2019), setting forth the AFD’s policy on conflict of interest. 

Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a consortium to enhance their qualifications.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality & Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours i.e. 0800 to 1700 hours.

Transmission Company of Nigeria – Project Implementation Unit (TCN-PIU), Plot 1226 Ocean House, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2Abuja, FCT.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by 1^st July, 2021.

Transmission Company of Nigeria – Project Implementation Unit (TCN-PIU)

AFD –PIU Conference Room,

Attention: Engr. J.N. Okemini – Project Manager (AFD Project)

Plot 1226 Ocean House, Aminu Kano crescent, Wuse 2 Abuja, FCT. 900288,

NIGERIA

Tel: 08033375852

E-mail: jane.okemini@gmail.com&jciroma@gmail.com

Website:www.tcn.org.ng