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STATEMENT OF WORK

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE OVERSIGHT AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE – SENEGAL II AND BURKINA FASO II COMPACTS

A. Background The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. Government corporation with a mission to provide assistance supporting economic growth and poverty reduction in carefully selected countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizenry. For more information on the MCC, please visit www.mcc.gov.

Background- MCC Senegal II and Burkina Faso II Compacts

Senegal 2 Compact

The five-year MCC Senegal Power Compact, comprised of a $550 million grant investment between the Government of the United States and Senegal, along with a $50 million supplemental investment from the Senegalese government for a total $600 million program, will work in partnership to address the country's greatest constraints to economic growth: the high cost of electricity, the low access to electricity outside of Dakar, and the unreliability of electricity to consumers.

The Senegal II Compact will focus on the following 3 projects:

· The Transmission Project will support ongoing efforts by the utility, Senelec, to reduce high production costs and facilitate private sector investment in electricity generation by providing a reliable high-voltage transmission network in and around greater Dakar. The Project includes the construction of nearly 30km of underground 225 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines, a 16km 225kV undersea cable, the expansion of four major substations, and an automated load-shedding system.

· The Access Project aims to extend the electrical grid in selected rural and peri-urban areas in Senegal’s south and center regions which have high economic potential but a low number of household connections. The Access Project is expected to benefit approximately 181,000 Senegalese and increase access to power for approximately 12,700 households and 300 villages.

· The Reform Project will support ongoing efforts by the Senegalese Government to improve the overall governance and financial viability of the power sector and create a sustainable environment to meet the growing demands of businesses and consumers and promote private sector investment.

Burkina Faso II Compact

On August 13, 2020, MCC and the Government of Burkina Faso signed the Compact, which includes a $450 million investment from MCC and an additional $50.11 million contribution from the Government. The Compact supports the rehabilitation and construction of electricity transmission loops around Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso; the construction of a new electricity dispatch center; institutional capacity building; and legal and regulatory reforms.

The Burkina Faso II Compact will focus on the following three (3) projects:

· Strengthening Electricity Sector Effectiveness Project (the “Reform Project”): The project is expected to address the high cost of electricity and the low access to electricity. By strengthening the power sector laws, regulations, and institutions, as well as improving the capacity of key actors in the power sector, the Reform Project aims to reduce the cost of service and improve the performance of all sector actors. It also includes the development of standards and regulations to make Burkina Faso compliant with the West Africa Power Pool (WAPP), allowing it to be part of a more efficient and sustainable regional electricity market.

· Cost-Effective and Reliable Energy Supply Project: The project is expected to address the quality of electricity and its high cost. Through the construction of an electricity control center, the updating of the dispatch center, the provision of synchronous reserve batteries, and technical assistance and transaction advisory support for a new IPP transaction, the project will reduce load shedding and non-distributed energy as well as reduce generation costs while increasing the total supply of cheaper solar energy and reducing the proportion of costly thermal energy in the country’s energy mix.

· Grid Development and Access Project: The project is expected to address the low quality of electricity through the construction, rehabilitation, and extension of transmission and distribution lines in the country’s two largest cities (Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso). The project will aim to address low access to electricity by (i) conducting an analytical study to identify major constraints to connections; (ii) funding a results-based connection fund to enhance the utility’s ability to provide affordable connections to its lowest income clients; and (iii) providing funding for the electrification of select social institutions. The project will also aim to increase the electricity consumption rates of households and firms.

Environmental and Social Performance Requirements

In accordance with their commitments, MCA Senegal and MCA Burkina Faso must both ensure a high level of control of environmental and social risks, as well as those related to health and safety that may be associated with Compact projects and the various related activities (activities office, land studies and construction and operation work on transport and access project sites, work camps and site installations, etc.).

To this end, MCA Senegal and MCA Burkina Faso are setting up their respective Environmental and Social Management Systems, (hereinafter referred to as ESMS) to identify, assess and manage all environmental and social risks in a proactive and effective manner.

These ESMS are developed and implemented in accordance with:

• national legal and regulatory frameworks;

• The Performance Standards (PS) of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), in particular PS1 relating to the assessment and management of environmental and social risks and impacts, adopted by the MCC as part of its Environmental Guidelines in 2012.

Both Compacts also call for the establishment of ESMS for the utilities in both countries (Senelec and Sonabel) as a conditions precedent for project disbursement. In addition, sub-projects under the various projects will be the subject of environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) and other relevant evaluations according to their categorization under IFC PS and prescriptions of the national Senegalese and Burkinabe environmental regulators, DEEC and ANEVE, respectively. Policy or sector reform activities may also be subjected to strategic environmental assessments (SEA). Robust Stakeholder Engagement Plans, including grievance mechanisms and capacity strengthening on best practices related to environment and social performance are critical elements to ensure the sustainability of MCC’s investments in the power sector in both countries.

B. Scope of Work

MCC seeks an environmental and social performance (ESP) oversight and technical assistance advisor (Advisor) to advise the MCC Senegal and Burkina Faso country teams, and potentially other MCC country teams, on a range of environmental and social issues. The Consultant will primarily be working with the Senegal and Burkina Faso MCC Contract Officer’s Representative (COR)/Project Managers (PM) and Resident Country Missions (RCM), with the support of technical leads including infrastructure, economic, M&E, gender, and other relevant specialists.

The purpose of this consultancy is to advise MCC Environmental and Social Performance (ESP) staff and other members of the country teams on key environmental and social risks, management, mitigation, and planning. This work is primarily foreseen to take place in conjunction with the Senegal II and Burkina Faso II Compacts, but could potentially be carried out in other MCC countries as well. The advisor shall be to provide a range of technical advisory services related to environmental planning and management such as Environmental and Social Management Systems, health and safety planning; resettlement action planning, implementation and follow up; environment management; hazardous materials handling and disposal; water and air quality assessments; and biodiversity conservation. The advisor shall be required to draw from and apply international best practice and knowledge of MCC policy and procedures to the various phases of the MCC Compact life cycle. The Advisor shall provide services to MCC on an as needed basis.

C. Country

Senegal, Burkina Faso, and any other eligible MCC countries

D. Tasks and Deliverables

Tasks:

The advisor’s assignments may include the following:

· Provision of technical assistance to MCC in the areas defined by the IFC Performance Standards including environmental, social, health, and safety risks;

· Assisting MCC in reviewing and providing inputs into terms of reference and deliverables for Environmental and Social Management Systems (ESMS), Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs); other environmental analyses; Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) in accordance with MCC Environmental Guidelines, IFC performance Standards and international best practices;

· In collaboration with MCC and the MCA-Senegal and Burkina Faso ESP teams, assessing the adequacy of strategic and activity planning, human resources, budgeting and current workload and resource requirements related to implementation and resettlement planning and management activities;

· Coordination with consultants engaged for preparation, implementation, and monitoring of RAPs to ensure consistency in approaches and quality of documentation, and make recommendations to MCC ESP on follow-up actions as required;

· Participation in meetings, field visits, and general mission activities; prepare concise mission documentation reporting recommendation, key issues and findings;

· Identification of opportunities to enhance project designs so they are more environmentally and socially sustainable including developing investment strategies, sectoral roadmaps, and proposed activities;

· Assessing the consistency and effectiveness of local environmental laws and regulations as compared to MCC Environmental Guidance and international best practices;

· Analyzing the completeness and quality of existing ESP-related analysis against MCC Environmental Guidelines, IFC performance standards and international best practices, and requirements imposed by the DEEC and BUNEE, identify potential alternatives and viable mitigation measures;

· Assessing implementation strategies to include project timeliness and phasing, capacity, policies, and effectiveness;

· Assisting in the review of draft tender documents, contracts, and modifications for consistency with MCC Environmental Guidelines, IFC Performance Standards, and international best practices;

· Following up, as needed, on issues raised during previous missions and identifying next steps, reviews and preparing Action Matrices as required;

· Assessing the extent and quality of consultation with environmental and social stakeholders;

· Undertaking any other tasks that may be assigned by the MCC-ESP Lead.

Deliverables:

The Advisor shall provide services to MCC on an as needed basis. To support MCC in the flexible and timely manner needed to meet the evolving needs of Compact development and implementation, technical directives under this statement of work will be issued and the Advisor deployed each time the Advisor’s services are needed over the course of this contract. No additional tasks shall imply any additional costs to the Government beyond the amount allowed for in the initial call order; however, this call order may be amended to reflect additional costs associated with implementation planning and oversight requirements in additional countries. In terms of written deliverables, the following are required:

Deliverable 1: Trip reports, ad hoc reports or information as may be requested by the COR/PM.

Deliverable 2: Final report, including comments by MCC, due as per agreement.

E. Place and Period of Performance

All work under this contract will be completed between effective date of the contract award through a one-year base period. The estimated level of effort is up to 1,300 hours per year with an estimated 8 trips per year. MCC anticipates this level of effort but does not guarantee this level of effort as it may increase or decrease.

The Advisor can be based internationally and will perform the tasks under this contract primarily in Senegal and Burkina Faso, though some work may be required in other MCC-eligible countries, and in MCC offices in Washington DC.

F. Subcontracting

Experts are authorized to subcontract data collection, data preparation, data or economic analysis, and related services as needed. The overall costs for subcontracting shall not exceed 25% of the expert’s total negotiated unloaded direct labor cost.

G. Conflict of Interest

The expert will be precluded from bidding on work and services (design, assessment, construction, and supervision) to be procured by the local accountable entity or using funds advanced under MCC work in the relevant country.

H. Timing and Reporting

All formal communication with MCC, including reports, will be submitted to the COR/PM. The COR/PM for this requirement will be identified via separate correspondence.

The COR/PM will have technical responsibility for monitoring the contractor’s performance. The COR/PM will review and evaluate the contractor’s performance, and also will coordinate any communications with relevant counterparts and other donor agencies and organizations.

Any changes in the terms of the Call Order will be made in writing and approved by the Contracting Officer. No representation of the COR/PM shall serve as a basis for an alteration in the general scope of this Call Order or of the terms and conditions of the Call Order unless confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. The contractor must communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters that pertain to the Contract terms. Proceeding with the work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment for that work.

The designated Expert would be expected to coordinate with local authorities responsible for MCC Compact implementation as well as other donors, where relevant. However, designated Expert would report directly to the designated COR/PM.

I. Qualifications

Mandatory:

· An advanced degree in environmental engineering, natural sciences, planning or a related field;

· Proven ability to work as part of multi-disciplinary project teams involving environmental, social, legal and construction activities typically associated with the sectors noted above;

· Full French language proficiency (ability to read, write and communicate verbally at a professional level);

· Minimum 15 [fifteen] years of experience providing technical support on the assessment of environmental and social risks/impacts and/or promoting sound environmental and social performance of development projects;

· Oral and written communication skills in English;

· Detailed knowledge of and demonstrated experience with application of the IFC Performance Standards.

Desired:

· Previous experience working with MCC and MCC country partners.