OREANDA-NEWS. October 21, 2014. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the "EBRD" or the "Bank") is committed to improving municipal and environmental services in its countries of operations, in line with its mandate to promote environmentally sound projects.
 
The Banks emerging countries of operations, in particular Moldova, Belarus and those in the Caucasus and Central Asia, face immense challenges in rebuilding and maintaining the basic infrastructure of their urban areas. Since the collapse of the former Soviet Union, there has been a rapid deterioration in the availability and quality of public infrastructure and basic services. Essential services such as drinking water, sewerage and wastewater treatment, solid waste collection, public transport . are now often only intermittently available if at all and the steady decline in the quality of these services has created serious risks to public health. The capacity of local governments to deliver these services and provide the necessary infrastructure, is severely limited by lack of available fiscal resources, as well as the managerial weaknesses of their utilities.

The limited institutional capacity at city and municipal company level at project start up combined with the logistical spread of the municipalities where the Bank is investing poses a formidable challenge with regards to efficient monitoring of financial and operational performance of the relevant utilities. Therefore, in order to support implementation and monitor progress of the overall programme of Municipal and Environmental Infrastructure (MEI) projects (the "Projects") in Kyrgyz Republic, the Bank is seeking the support of a full-time project monitor (the "Project Monitor") to provide continuous information on the performance of the participating municipal companies and other counterparts, and help address the implementation challenges (the "Assignment"). He/she will focus on achieving the Banks set objectives, priorities and conditionalities for the respective projects. The Project Monitor will be based in Bishkek.
 
The overall objective of the Assignment is to support and facilitate the implementation of the Banks portfolio of municipal infrastructure investments in Kyrgyz Republic.
 
The tasks will include, but will not be limited to the following:
 
Facilitate all necessary actions and collect documentation required to declare the individual Projects effective based on the terms and conditions of the signed legal documents, such as Loan Agreement, Grant Agreement, and other legally binding documents.

Support implementation monitoring including physical implementation as well as the institutional reform and development components by ensuring that arrangements are in place to ensure efficient and successful project implementation by observing, assessing and reporting on:

the overall performance of the Project Implementation Units (PIUs) and site staff, including consultants, contractors, suppliers and other parties involved in the implementation of the investments and comment on compliance with their respective obligations and duties; and

the implementation arrangements including the PIU organisation, staffing, project management systems, arrangements for construction, and contract management.

Support monitoring of the financial and operational performance of the participating Municipal Companies as well as their owners (relevant participating City authorities).

Coordinate the activities of all the international and local consulting firms involved in the Projects namely those carrying out the Project Implementation Support and the Corporate Development and Stakeholder Participation programmes. The Project Monitor will maintain continuous dialogue with these consultants and will, inter alia:

Ensure that all consultants are provided with necessary documentation and other assistance, in order that they may meet the objectives of their assignments;

Ensure appropriate timings for the components of the TC assignments in relation to each other to support effect implementation of the Projects;

Support PIUs in the participating Municipal Companies to review and respond to any recommendations, and where necessary support preparation of requests for amendment of the Priority Investment Programme.

Facilitate the timely submission of various reports and data from all the Municipal Companies to meet the Banks reporting covenants in the loan documentation.

Ensure that all applicable environmental and social procedures required by the Bank and donors are being adhered to and that the PIUs are duly informed about the procedures.

Be alert to any emerging problems, including those of a contractual, technical, or financial nature, which have the potential to jeopardise the achievement of the project objectives and advise on timely appropriate corrective action. In particular, advise on any proposed waivers or amendments to legal agreements and interpret any other matters of material interest to the EBRD. If necessary, assist in negotiations to achieve the required corrective action.

Participate in the preparation of MEI projects in country and contribute to development of MEI's portfolio.

Be actively involved in the MEI sector policy dialogue in country. Represent the Bank in all urban infrastructure development related donor and working groups, as well as project related steering committee meetings.
 
The Project Monitors will undertake regular monitoring visits throughout project implementation periods to all participating cities/municipal Companies as necessary and participate in key meetings. The scope of these monitoring visits will cover the actions listed above and such other actions as the Bank may require.
 
The Project Monitor will work full time within the Banks Infrastructure Business Group, being located in the respective EBRD Resident Office and will work on a daily basis with the Operation Leader for the respective Projects and Head of Office on all aspects of the Assignment.

Assignment Start Date and Duration: The Assignment is expected to start in January 2015 and last for 2 years.

The Project Monitor will be based in the EBRD office in Bishkek. Suitable working space, including computer, printing facilities and a telephone connection will be provided by the Bank. Any business telephone calls will be paid for by the Bank.

The Project Monitor should be available to work exclusively for the Bank during the term of the Assignment.
 
Cost estimate for the Assignment: EUR 60,000 (fees only, exclusive of VAT). Approved travel and other expenses related to the Assignment will be paid by the Bank.

The consultant must determine whether any VAT would be chargeable on the services and the basis for that determination, without taking into consideration the Bank's special status as an IFI and state this to the Bank in their response to the Invitation for Expressions of Interest.

Funding Source: It is expected that the Assignment, in whole or in part, would be funded from the EBRDs donor funded technical cooperation programme. Selection and contracting of the Project Monitor will be subject to availability of resources.
 
Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions.

Consultant Profile: Individual services are required. The Project Manager should correspond to the following profile:

Sector specific requirements:
Experience related to infrastructure and environmental investments, project finance and investment project implementation in emerging markets, preferably in Central Asia;

Good knowledge of municipal and environmental infrastructure market in Central Asia;

Professional and personal capacity to deal with entities and local authorities in emerging markets where legal and regulatory framework are often weak and financial information scarce;

Previous credit and financial analysis experience in the context of municipal and environmental infrastructure projects;

Understanding of environmental and social components of investment projects;

Thorough understanding of the policy frameworks of the international and bilateral funding agencies active in the concerned region, related to poverty reduction, environmental sustainability and gender equality.
 
General requirements:
 
Fluency in local language and Russian is essential;
Very good written and oral communication skills in English are essential;
Degree from a leading university;
Relevant work experience in a merchant/investment, commercial, public institution or development bank or in a corporation closely associated with and/or exposed to the operations of the EBRD;
Computer literacy.
 
Submission requirements: Interested individual are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest. In order to determine the qualifications and competence of experts seeking to be appointed as the Project Manager, individuals must provide an expression of interest containing the following information:
 
a) Cover letter (maximum 2 pages) summarising why the individual believes to satisfy the requirements as defined in the section Consultant Profile above;
(b) CV detailing qualifications, experience in similar assignments, including their locations/regional scope;
(c) Completed Consultant Declaration and Contact Sheet, the template for which is available from the following web-link:
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/notices/csu/contact_sheet.doc
 
Failure to provide the duly completed and signed Consultant Declaration may result in the applicant being disqualified from the selection process.
 
The above information must not exceed 10 pages, including the CV.
 
Expressions of interest must be submitted in English, electronically through e-Selection, not later than 3 November 2014 at 23:59 hrs. (London time).
 
The complete expression of interest (including cover letter, CV, Consultant Declaration and Contact Sheet) must be submitted in one file (pdf or Word). The EBRD reserves the right to reject the applications of experts submitting more than one file. Only if the permissible size is exceeded, the applicant may split the expression of interest into further files.
 
Please do not send expressions of interest to the EBRD's contact person.
 
EBRD Contact:
Marina Matushina
Advisor, Technical Cooperation
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 2JN
Tel: + 44 20 7338 6577
e-mail: MatushiM@ebrd.com