Sources_Sought_Notice-MESC_II_-_amended_2.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

Management Engineering Services Contract (MESC) - Phase II

BACKGROUND

The National Water Strategy 2016 - 2025 prepared by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) states that Non Revenue Water (NRW) is one of the major issues that impact the water supply availability in Jordan. The Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) placed NRW reduction as one of their highest priorities to sustain the water sector in the medium to long-term and maintain adequate resources to meet future demands. Reduction of NRW is also important at the utility level. Reducing NRW will not only generate extra income to the water utilities, it will significantly reduce the operational costs to treat and pump the lost water. Reducing NRW means that water utilities will collect more revenue from the same amount of water treated and distributed, which will provide additional funds for reinvesting in the maintenance of local water networks and ensuring its sustainability: a “virtuous cycle”.

USAID is supporting NRW reduction across the country to complement other projects such as supply expansion and network restructuring. USAID and GoJ have signed two Umbrella Fixed Amount Reimbursement Agreements (FARAs) for NRW Project Phase I and II with total estimated cost of $212.1 million. The NRW Phase I started in January 1, 2015, and ends on September 30, 2019. The NRW Phase II Umbrella FARA started on August 5, 2018, and ends on December 30, 2023. The NRW Phase II includes more procurement of NRW-reduction equipment, restructuring and isolation of new District Metering Areas (DMAs), pressure management, replacement of old pipes, leak detection and repair, and installation/replacement of water meters, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems and other equipment, as necessary.

USAID/Jordan is considering a project to provide technical assistance to the NRW program, and improve water utilities’ self-reliance by improving their capacities to plan, design, procure, and manage infrastructure upgrades so that future upgrades can be completed autonomously.

EXPECTED CONTRACT OUTPUTS

The Contractor must provide technical assistance and capacity building for MWI including water utilities, Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ), and Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) through reviewing the planning and design of physical infrastructure for NRW reduction activities, including specifications and tender documents, and monitoring water utilities construction contractors implementing infrastructure upgrades. Additionally, the Contractor must provide administrative and management capacity strengthening to water utilities. The Contractor must collaborate with water utilities senior management and report directly to USAID, thus improving USAID’s insight into water utilities progress. The Contractor must provide the following services:

Component 1. Technical Assistance for NRW Construction Works

The Contractor will improve capacities of MWI entities including water utilities, WAJ, and JVA to autonomously manage infrastructure upgrades related to NRW project activities. The capacities developed within water utilities under this task must directly inform the preparation of FARAs between USAID and GOJ to be implemented under the NRW Project. Activities to be conducted under this component include:

• Monitor the NRW project scope, timeline, and cost. Ensure that water utilities are implementing the NRW project in accordance with the Umbrella FARA, Implementation Letters, Associated FARAs, and USAID conditions and regulations.

● Build water utilities’ capacities to prepare a complete package of project tender documents to be implemented under NRW program. Tender documents developed must be used by water utilities to solicit infrastructure contracts in the selected District Zones (DZ).

• Build water utilities, WAJ and JVA capacities to conduct complete tendering process, such as preparation of invitations and advertisements for local construction contractors; responding to questions and inquires about the tender document; arranging site visits and pre-bid meetings for construction contractors; preparation of cost estimates and evaluation of cost proposals; and provide assistance to water utilities for responding to any change in conditions during the bidding stage.

• Undertake processes and prepare necessary documents required for environmental compliance in accordance with the relevant U.S. Federal Regulations (22 CFR 216) and USAID Policies on Environmental Compliance (ADS

204) and Climate Risk Management (CRM) (ADS 201mal) in coordination with the USAID Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), Mission Environmental Officer (MEO) and Climate Integration Lead (CIL).

• Build water utilities’ capacities to prepare environmental compliance documents for submission to the MEO. The Contractor must monitor the construction contractor implementation of mitigation measures cited in the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP), as applicable, and include this in quarterly reports to USAID.

• Conduct Environmental, and Health and Safety trainings in cooperation with the MEO for construction contractors and construction supervision firms hired by water utilities.

• Participate as a non-voting member on the technical evaluation committees to select contractors to implement NRW activities, review the final bid selection documents before contract signing, and prepare a report for USAID, containing only non-procurement sensitive information, on the evaluation process and selection results.

• Build water utilities capacities to procure goods and services consistent with international norms and standards for construction contract management.

• Build water utilities staff capacity for construction supervision, progress monitoring and reporting. Further, the Contractor must bring to water utilities’ attention any deficiencies in the construction contractors’ performance.

• Monitor water utilities’ construction contractors implementing infrastructure upgrades, verify work completion and issue completion certificates for each milestone.

• Assist water utilities in conducting the Public Private Partnership (PPP) programs or Performance Based Contracts for sustainable long-term NRW reduction. The Contractor must build water utilities capacities for the preparation of model tender documents for a PPP. The model will be implemented by Miyahuna, assisted by the Contractor, for identified feasible zones.

• Monitor water utilities Performance Based Contractors works and provide recommendations for improvement of results as necessary.

• Conduct design reviews and oversight for the selected Distribution Areas.

• Conduct hydraulic modeling as necessary (taking into consideration climate prognoses and risks, as applicable), and assist water utilities in the hydraulic modeling, pressure management, isolation of areas, and transferring areas into continuous supply. MESC to develop water utilities capacities in the above mentioned areas.

• Assist water utilities to prepare and document procedures for reducing NRW, particularly for leak detection. Such procedures must be fine-tuned as experience is gained from implementing NRW activities.

• Collaborate with utilities and USAID to monitor the actual costs of infrastructure upgrades to inform the ongoing fine-tuning of the NRW reduction project.

● Monitor NRW infrastructure activities and certify that construction was completed in accordance with the design and specifications. USAID anticipates that each NRW reduction construction activity must be implemented through a FARA with defined milestones and payment schedule.

● The Contractor must review design and tender documents prepared and submitted by water utilities on behalf of USAID. The Contractor must work with water utilities, WAJ and JVA, to finalize the documents before including them in the respective Associate FARAs.

● The Contractor to issue completion certificates for each milestone to assist approving invoices submitted by water utilities in accordance with the Payment Schedule.

Component 1 Outputs: Ministry of Water and Irrigation including water utilities, WAJ, and JVA, independent of the

Contractor, implements the NRW action plan, prepares NRW construction tender packages, completes environmental compliance documentation requirements, procures construction contractor services, and supervises execution. The Contractor must prepare reports to USAID, on achievements of the identified activities and other potential activities that are identified and mutually agreed upon during the implementation stage.

Component 2. Water Utilities Administration Assistance

Activities under this component must support the Ministry of Water and Irrigation including water utilities, WAJ, and JVA to understand the performance of their system, to quantify the magnitude of NRW losses, better manage their resources, and to prioritize infrastructure repair and upgrade efforts. Capacity building activities to be conducted include, but are not limited to, on-job-training, formal training, review and comments on materials prepared, and other capacity building tools identified and agreed to by Water Utilities and USAID. The Contractor must build the Ministry of Water and Irrigation including water utilities, WAJ, and JVA capacity to:

● Support water utilities to implement the NRW master plan, and achieve their NRW reduction targets.

● Investigate, quantify, and report on NRW losses within routine operations and maintenance procedures. Early focus will be the zones of the NRW Project to establish baseline conditions.

● Manage data, i.e. collect, store, analyze, and report on findings derived from data on the NRW reduction effort, to develop information to help with decision-making.

● Determine the financial requirements for a long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) program for district zones in which non-revenue water reduction upgrades have been completed.

● Follow international norms and standard procedures to document NRW data and assist in the institutionalization of these procedures. Report on the NRW reduction relevant indicators, specify data required to measure success, and prepare reporting formats suitable for decision makers and communications.

● Develop a reporting method that tracks the water balance across the system, including bulk water transfers, cross-boundary water flows, and monitoring local reservoir levels.

● Develop permanent, regular, and standard reporting templates for operational data and information; such as bulk water transfers, cross-boundary water flow, and monitoring of local reservoir levels.

● Make evidence-based decisions for NRW reduction activities.

● Update the Geographic Information System (GIS), customer information system, and financial systems, and implement permanent procedures to ensure the accuracy of these systems is maintained, including using Global Positioning System (GPS) systems to record in real-time changes to the network. This capacity building effort starts at the very beginning of the program and water utilities’ performance is periodically monitored by the Contractor throughout the Project.

● Record the as-built drawings in the water utilities GIS in order to ensure updated and accurate information for all new construction completed.

● Assist water utilities to operationalize activities under Partner Government System (PGS)and assist in developing FARA agreements between USAID and the Ministry of Water and Irrigation including water utilities, WAJ, and JVA for implementing NRW reduction activities. The Contractor must assist MWI in the preparation of the necessary supporting documents (Annexes) to the respective associate FARAs such as, the Schedule of payment that is based on completion of milestones and prepared based on cost estimates derived from the design and tender documents that will be prepared by water utilities or design consultant contracted by water utilities.

● Compile a list of NRW-related functions retained by Miyahuna, periodically audit these functions, and submit reports on the finding to USAID. Some NRW-related functions retained by Miyahuna include discounting bills based on customer objections, taking final meter readings and ensuring any difference from previous estimated bills is billed to the customer, and accounting for customer meter movements from place to place and in/out of Miyahuna’s custody.

● Monitor and report to USAID deficiencies in water utilities’ performance with regards to NRW reduction measures.

● Update MESC Phase I gender analysis report and gender action plan identifying the Project-relevant gender challenges and opportunities, describing the recommended approach for addressing gender issues, and providing relevant performance indicators to measure achievements. Report on the gender indicators, as agreed with USAID, which will be tracked throughout the life of the program.

● Monitor project activities and report to USAID any actions that discriminate against, or disproportionately benefit, either gender. Provide assistance to water utilities in developing and mainstreaming participatory, gender sensitive models of NRW management.

● Support water utilities in implementing their Risk Mitigation Plan in accordance with the Public Financial Management Risk Assessment Framework (PFMRAF) requirements.

● Support water utilities in documenting NRW reduction activities success stories, technical abstracts, and scientific papers, and provide support for the NRW public awareness and outreach activities conducted by the water utilities.

Component 2 Outputs: MWI including water utilities, JVA and WAJ, independent of the Contractor, collects, stores, analyzes, and prepares information and reports for decision makers on NRW reduction efforts, lessons learned and successes. The Contractor must prepare reports to USAID, on achievements of the identified activities and other potential activities that are identified and mutually agreed upon during the implementation stage.

CAPABILITY STATEMENT REQUIREMENTS

This call is for US and Non-US organizations capable of performing the project described above on a national scale in Jordan.

The items below must be addressed in the response:

1. A two to three page statement describing the firm’s experience in relation to the services being required, and its capability to execute the services and tasks described in this notice, with specific emphasis on implementing activities supporting and building the capacity of water entities.

2. A one-page table (Sample Table A below) of this notice with a list of between three and seven past or current projects demonstrating relevant work experience in providing the services and tasks described in this notice, at the prime or subcontractor/awardee level.

Project Overview Country Year

(From –

To)

Point of Contact Phone Email

3. In light of the new Acquisition and Assistance Strategy that was published on February 4, 2019, a one page statement describing the organization’s plan to strengthen and monitor performance, and what measures can USAID take to incentivise performance.

Responses must not exceed five (5) pages, including Table A. Any organization responding to this Sources Sought Notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the government to determine the organization's qualifications to perform this work.

Written capability statements must be received no later than March 13, 2019, at 4 pm, Jordan Time. These submissions must be sent via email ONLY to the following addresses: contracting1@usaid.gov and ristanbuli@usaid.gov. In the subject line of the email write: Management Engineering Services Contract (MESC) Phase II - Sources Sought Notice.

Fax and hand carried submissions will not be accepted. Phone inquiries will not be entertained.

This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) and is not to be construed as a commitment by the U.S. Government to issue any RFP or NFO, or ultimately award a contract or assistance agreement on the basis of this notice, or to pay for any information voluntarily submitted as a result of this notice.

Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the U.S. Government to form a binding contract.

Responses to this notice are strictly voluntary and the U.S. Government will not pay respondents for information provided. Responses to this notice will not be returned and respondents will not be notified of the result of this review.

If a Solicitation is issued, it will be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that Solicitation announcement separately from any response to this notice. This notice does not restrict the Government's acquisition approach on a future Solicitation.

TABLE A

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