Request for Expression of Interest (REoI) - Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Consolidated Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) of 148.6km Rural Road Upgrading at the Ebonyi State Project Implementation Unit (EB-SPIU)

Title: Request for Expression of Interest (REoI) - Consultancy Services for the Preparation of Consolidated Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) of 148.6km Rural Road Upgrading in Ebonyi State Under Phase 2 Intervention

• The Federal Republic of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has received financing from the World Bank and on-lent the financing to Nineteen (19) participating States (namely Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Ekiti, Niger, Osun, Kaduna, Gombe and Ebonyi State) toward the cost of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
  
• It is intended that part of the proceeds of the financing will be applied to eligible payments under the contract for Consulting Services for the engagement of consultant for the Preparation of Consolidated Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the Construction of 148.6km Rural Road Upgrading in Ebonyi state under the Phase 2 intervention.
  
• This contract will be financed by the International Development Association (IDA) and the procurement process will be governed by the World Bank's procurement regulations.
  
• The consulting services ("the services") included; Preparation of site-specific Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the construction of 148.6km rural road upgrading (phase 2) that should consist of a well-documented set of mitigation measures, monitoring. institutional actions to be taken before and during implementation to eliminate adverse environmental and social impacts; offset or reduce them to acceptable levels and should also include the measures required to implement these actions, costing and responsibility. addressing the adequacy of the monitoring and institutional arrangements in the intervention sites.
  
• The consultancy firm will work in close collaboration with the engineering design consultants and Ebonyi RAAMP State Project Implementation Unit's (SPIU) safeguard team, and with other actors as directed by the SPIU. In that respect, the sequencing of the technical/feasibility studies and the ESMP and RAP will all be critical.
  
• The consultancy firm will have to consider the technical variants of the proposed activities and also in return inform the technical design consultants of any major constraint that may arise due to the social and environmental situation on the ground. The technical variants of the consultancy include:
  
  • Carry out consultations with primary and secondary stakeholders in order to obtain their views about the project. These consultations shall occur during the preparation of the ESMP and RAP to identify key environmental and social issues and impacts, and after completion of the draft ESMP and RAP to obtain comments from stakeholders on the proposed mitigation/enhancement measures.
    
  • Develop a Labor Influx Plan; the consultant shall also document how to manage risks related to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) including sexual exploitation and abuse, and sexual harassment taking cognizance of (i) Developing a labor influx, (ii) Security issues, (ii) Project GBV accountability and response framework. In doing these, the firm shall develop a labor influx, SEA&SH and occupational health and safety response plan.
    
  • Develop a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) which will be applied on the project. A GBV-specific grievance mechanism will also be developed to address complaints related to forms of GBV on the project.
    
  • Describe the existing Nigerian legal and policy framework for land acquisition; as well as review the laws and regulations that apply to reclaiming informally settled public land and involuntary eviction and resettlement.
    
  • The review will, among other laws, cover laws and/or administrative guidelines and regulations that deal with the right-of-way of proposed road corridors, taking note of roads with established gazette ROW and those without established ROW to ensure appropriate action for both scenarios are properly addressed in the RAP
    
  • Reviewing the World Bank Operational Policy (OP 4.12) related to settlement in order to ensure that the RAP is developed in full compliance with these policies and the RPF.
    
  • Identify the key social impacts that will associate with the involuntary resettlement process and the main categories to encounter these impacts, prepare a 100% census of Project Affected Persons (PAPs) including households affected (while differentiating between affected households and PAPs), a 100% inventory of assets, access to assets and land affected.
  • Prepare a socio-economic baseline survey of the affected area with the involvement of the potentially affected people. Against this backdrop, Ebonyi RAAMP is desirous to engage the service of a consultancy firm to Prepare an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the 148.6KM and RAP for 6.0KM of civil works Upgrading in Ebonyi. T
    
  • he detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for this assignment will be made available on request at the address given below.

• The ESMP and RAP will be prepared by a consultancy firm.
• The consultancy firm must have a working knowledge of Work Bank operational safeguards policies gained through hands-on experience in the preparation and implementation of Environmental and Social Management Plans and Resettlement Action Plan in an urban/rural area.
  
• The Lead Consultant Personnel must have at least a Master's Degree in Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences, Environmental Management, Social Sciences or similar field.
  
• The firm must have a minimum of 6 years work experience in Civil Works contracts requiring environmental management procedures including mitigation measures.
  
• Proven skill in World Bank (WB) environmental and social safeguard policy implementation including addressing cross-cutting issues in development project and must have prepared at least three (3) ESMPS and RAPs for three different World Bank funded projects
  
• Qualified staff with experience in social safeguards/socioeconomics, occupational health, SEA/GBV and safety/HSE and relevant certification.
  
• Excellent communication and report-writing skills.

• Evidence of Company's registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
  
• Evidence of the company's current Tax Clearance Certificate for the last three (3) years (2021,2022 and 2023)
  
• Company's audited account for the last three years (2021, 2022 and 2023) duly stamped
  
• Well detailed company profile with managerial and technical structure, office address and functional contact details.
  
• For joint ventures, a memorandum of understanding must be attached.
  
• Verifiable records establishing evidence of experience in consultancy services for preparation of ESMP and RAP for rural road upgrading up to 10 references or more similar assignments.
  
• Evidence of similar experience supported under multilateral donor agencies like the World Bank, AFD, AFDB, etc, in the previous 10years.
  
• Evidence of firm's/consortium regional work experience in a similar field within Nigeria and or sub-Saharan Africa region.
  
• The attention of interested consultant(s) is drawn to section III, paragraphs; 3,14,3,16 and 3,17 of the world bank's procurement regulation for IPF Borrowers September 2023 (Fifth Edition Procurement Regulations), setting forth the world bank's policy on conflict of interest
  
• The services are expected to be carried out for a period of 2 Weeks
  
• Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy in the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.
• A consultant will be selected in accordance with the Consultant Qualification Selection (CQS) method set out in the procurement regulations.
  
• Interested eligible consulting firms may obtain further information from the State Project Coordinator (SPC) Ebonyi State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) during office working days/hours from 0900 to 1600 at the address stated below.