SoW_(A-E_SBEP).docx

STATEMENT OF WORK

1. TITLE OF ACTIVITY

Architect-Engineer (A-E) Services for the Construction of Schools under Sindh Basic Education Program (SBEP), Stage III.

2. OBJECTIVE

The objective of this Task Order is to provide A-E services required for quality assurance and construction supervision support to Government of Sindh (GoS) for the construction of schools under SBEP in Sindh.

3. BACKGROUND

In September 2011, USAID and the GoS signed an Activity Agreement for SBEP. Under the Agreement, USAID is providing US$85.2 million directly to the GoS for the construction of up to 112 new schools (See Annex 1) in five (05) selected towns of Karachi (Gadap, Lyari, Orangi, Kemari, and Bin Qasim) and eight (08) focus districts of Northern Sindh (Shikarpur, Sukkur, Khairpur, Jacobabad, Larkana, Kashmore, Qamber-Shahdadkot, and Dadu). Reciprocally, the GoS has agreed to construct six (06) schools in Ghotki district with its own funds of US$4.2 million. In total, the geographical focus of the SBEP include nine (09) districts of Northern Sindh and five (05) towns of Karachi with a total number of approximately 118 schools.

The goal of the SBEP is to increase and sustain student enrollment in primary, middle, and secondary schools in targeted geographic locations by developing a school environment conducive to teaching and learning. This transformation is to be achieved through the following components: (I) reconstruction of schools affected by the 2010 floods, (II) support for GoS policy reforms to merge, consolidate, and upgrade schools through construction of new schools, (III) improvement in early grade reading in primary schools, (IV) community mobilization, with a focus on increasing girls’ enrollment and improving the nutritional status of children, and (V) technical assistance to the GoS Department of Education.

In order to improve access to and quality of education in flood-affected districts (Component I of SBEP) and to restore public confidence in the public education system, USAID is supporting the GoS in the construction of new facilities to replace fully damaged schools in the affected districts. The USAID-supported construction ensures that all newly constructed facilities replacing flood affected schools are child friendly and provide an environment conducive to both learning and teaching. USAID funding also allows the GoS to provide temporary learning space for children in schools that will be reconstructed through USAID funds.

USAID assistance is also supporting the GoS Policy reforms to merge, consolidate, and upgrade schools (Component I of SBEP) by constructing, furnishing, and equipping schools in five (05) towns of Karachi and the nine (09) focus districts of Northern Sindh as mentioned above. This is accomplished in concert with the Department of Education through a process that identifies two or more existing schools to be replaced by a single, larger facility that encompasses a broader catchment area, administratively merges “schools” operating in a single location, and includes facilities for Grades 1 through 10.

For the purposes of implementing the SBEP, the GoS has established a Project Management and Implementation Unit (PMIU). The PMIU is headed by a Program Director who reports directly to the Secretary of Education. PMIU has an established office in Karachi and is accountable to a governing body called the Program Steering Committee (PSC) chaired by the Secretary Education. PMIU also has an in-house engineering team lead by a Senior Engineering Advisor (SEA) to manage construction contracts and monitor schools construction.

Under the terms of the Activity Agreement with GoS, the procurement of all construction services is the responsibility of the PMIU. USAID will reimburse the GoS through a Fixed Amount Reimbursement Agreement (FARA) for school construction based upon completion of construction milestones established under different Project Implementation Letters (PILs) signed between USAID and GoS. There are nine (09) payment milestones established for each school. The table of typical construction milestones for a school is included in Annex 2.

3.1 Structure of USAID A-E Support for Construction of Schools under SBEP

USAID currently has two A-E services contracts that are supporting the implementation of construction of schools under the SBEP. These contracts were awarded to perform the below work:

1. A-E Services for the Construction of Schools in Sindh, Stage II: This task order covers all architect-engineer services required for the planning, design and construction supervision of the new school facilities under SBEP. USAID is providing these services through an existing A-E contractor, Halcrow, whose contract is expiring on September 30, 2019. USAID, therefore, intends to award a follow on task order to continue providing A-E support to PMIU through this solicitation.

2. 3rd Party Milestone Monitoring Services for the Construction of Schools in Sindh: This is a contract awarded to a local A-E firm which covers services associated with 3rd party monitoring and certification of achievement of payment milestones identified in FARAs between USAID and the GoS. The contract is valid through July 31, 2020 with an optional period of fourteen (14) months till September 30, 2021. This solicitation does not cover services for 3rd party monitoring.

3.2 Current Status of Design and Construction

The designs of 118 schools in nine (09) districts (Sukkur, Khairpur, Jacobabad, Larkana, Kashmore, Qamber-Shahdadkot and Dadu) and five (05) towns of Karachi are complete and construction contracts have been awarded by the PMIU for 118 schools through different packages. Thus far 15 construction packages (See Annex 1) have been awarded for the 106 schools. . Award of construction contracts for the remaining 12 schools is expected to be executed by PMIU by July/August 2019 which will be followed by construction phase.

Each district typically has two construction packages, except Qambar–Shahdadkot which has three. There are three standard types of schools being constructed: 14 classrooms, 12 classroom and eight (08) classroom’ schools.

Of 118, a total of 47 schools in different districts are complete and will not be covered under this task order. The remaining 71 schools are at different stages of construction and will be covered under this Task Order. The details of district wise packages and status of construction, as of February 28, 2019, are provided in Annex 1.

The construction sites are mostly in remote areas of northern Sindh making construction challenging owing to transportation of materials, availability of skilled labor, land issues and, at times, capacity of construction contractors.

4. STATEMENT OF WORK

4.1 General:

The Contractor shall provide all A-E services required for the Quality Assurance (QA), and Construction Management and Supervision of 71 new schools which are under construction in the selected five towns of Karachi (Gadap, Lyari, Orangi, Kemari, and Bin Qasim) and five (05) districts of Northern Sindh (Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Qamber-Shahdadkot and Ghotki) under SBEP.

The Program Steering Committee (PSC) has approved seven different types of schools for construction to accommodate students of different grades, i.e. Grade 1 to 10, Grade 1 to 8, and Grade 6 to 10. The list of proposed facilities that is provided in each of these schools has also been approved by PSC and is given in Section 5 below. USAID, in consultation with the PMIU, has completed Architectural, Structural, and Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) designs, drawings and other details for all the seven types of schools as explained later in this section. The architectural layouts are given in Annex 3 for all seven types of schools.

Before construction commences, PMIU provides a No Objection Certificate (NOC) confirming that the land is free from all encumbrances and securely in the Government of Sindh’s possession. It is expected that the PMIU will resolve all the land issues related to construction, however, the contractor will be required to assist the PMIU with residual field work to have the required NOC issued in time. Such support may require coordination with revenue office, district administration, and land owners who have shown willingness to donate land for construction.

The Contract will fund all costs associated with the general management and administrative support, design, tendering and bids evaluation, construction supervision, furnishing and equipping of the schools, and shall include, but not be limited to, the functions indicated below.

4.2 Specific Activities and Responsibilities of Contractor

Specific activities and responsibilities of the Contractor under this task order include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

4.2.1. General Management and Administrative Support: Activities and responsibilities of the Contractor under this element includes, but are not limited to, the following:

1. General Advice and Support: Provide general advice and support to USAID, the PMIU, and other entities authorized by USAID in the implementation of USAID’s SBEP, including the identification of required new activities.

2. Overall Management and Administrative Support: Provide overall management and administration of the Task Order, including the provision of staff for the Karachi (or other approved location) project office.

3. Management Systems: Provide and ensure the proper, efficient and uniform use of modern management and administration, accounting practices, information technology, communications, reporting, human resource management, property control, security, records, and other systems required to comply with the terms and conditions of the Contract and this Task Order.

4. Utilization of Staff and Facilities: Provide and ensure the effective, efficient, safe, and proper use of staff, office space, and other facilities required to implement this Task Order.

5. Security: Provide a reasonable level of security for all contract and subcontract personnel, facilities, and equipment. The Contractor shall prepare a security plan covering all activities under this Task Order.

6. Gender Considerations: In accordance with the USAID Gender Equality and Female Empowerment (GEFE) Policy and ADS 205 and 201, each activity undertaken by USAID must address gender gaps and strive for gender equality and female empowerment. Gender considerations specifically identified for SBEP are attached as Annex 4 (see Annex 4 for an extract from Activity Approval Document (AAD) covering “Gender Considerations”) and have been fully incorporated in the selection of candidate schools and in the design of new school facilities by Halcrow. The Contractor shall ensure that construction is carried out in accordance with the design features provided specifically keeping in view the gender considerations.

7. Property Control: Procure, assign, and ensure the proper and efficient control and use of USAID-funded expendable and non-expendable property.

8. Database Development and Management: Undertake database development. During the term of the Contract, the Contractor may be required to establish and manage databases, which could support various activities and analyses for SBEP.

9. Branding and Marking: Consistent with the requirements of the Branding Strategy for this activity and the approved Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan, the Contractor shall promote the provision of services being provided under this Task Order as being provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and “made possible by the American people.”

10. Support for Conferences, Workshops, and Seminars: Provide technical and administrative support for conferences, workshops, seminars, groundbreakings, dedications, Very Important Person (VIP) visits, and other public events related to SBEP. The Contractor shall provide technical and administrative support for such functions by organizing the program, assisting in the identification and commitment of speakers, selecting or recommending the venue, monitoring and reporting (including evaluation of) the proceedings, and other support functions normally associated with conferences, workshops, seminars, and other public events.

11. Reports Required Under This Task Order: Prepare and submit all reports, as mentioned in Section F of this task order, required under this Task Order. This function relates to the preparation and submission to USAID of all reports and other deliverables specified in Section F.5.1 of this Task Order.

12. Chief of Party Communications with the USAID TOCOR: The Contractor’s Chief of Party (COP) shall provide weekly email updates to the Task Order Contracting Officer’s Representative (TOCOR) and hold regular coordination meetings with the TOCOR and the PMIU in the duration of this Task Order. The Contractor shall promptly notify the USAID Task Order Contracting Officer (TOCO) and the USAID TOCOR of any problems, delays, or adverse conditions, which materially impair the Contractor’s ability to meet the requirements of the Contract.

13. Liaison with the existing A-E contractor: The Contractor must do all the necessary coordination with the existing A-E contractor Halcrow, for transfer of all the site assessment and design data and construction sites related records for all the construction packages. It will be the Contractor’s responsibility to secure all the data from Halcrow and USAID will provide facilitation wherever required.

4.2.2. Quality Assurance and Construction Supervision: This is the major task under this task order. As stated earlier, construction is already underway in three (03) SBEP districts (Jacobabad, Kashmore and Qambar-Shahdadkot) and five (05) towns in Karachi and is expected to commence in Shikarpur and Ghotki districts in July or August 2019. All the construction contracts awarded by the PMIU are based on International Federation of Consulting Engineers commonly know as Fédération Internationale Des Ingénieurs-Conseils (FIDIC). Acting as “The Engineer” on behalf of the PMIU, the Contractor shall perform all procedures necessary to ensure that all construction projects are completed successfully and in accordance with the approved design, drawings and technical specifications. The Contractor shall put in place all systems required to effectively monitor the progress of the works including monitoring of environmental compliance. Activities and responsibilities of the Contractor under this element includes, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Field Offices: The Contractor shall establish field offices in the project area as needed. The program management functions and responsibilities include establishing project management controls; budget and cost reporting; liaising with the PMIU, other GoS agencies, USAID; securing approvals; reporting progress; personnel management; and monitoring performance.

2. Record Keeping: The Contractor shall be responsible for maintaining records of all of the following:

3. Inspections: The Contractor will perform all inspections required to ensure that project requirements are met. Inspection requirements include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

a. Regular Inspections: The Contractor will conduct routine on-site inspections of all building construction under SBEP. During these inspections, the Contractor will:

1) Verify and ensure that the quality of materials used meet contract specifications;

2) Verify the correctness of the quantities used;

3) Monitor sampling and testing procedures, including testing frequency, and report failed tests to concerned parties for corrective action;

4) Verify the quality of construction and installation work and ensure conformity to contract design drawings, technical specifications, and requirements;

5) Monitor progress of work against the approved construction schedule, report deviations and their causes, and recommend corrective actions;

6) Report on the safety conditions at construction sites, contractors’ facilities, and identify violations of safety regulations;

7) Monitor safety violations and follow up on corrective actions;

8) Monitor environmental compliance in accordance with the approved Environmental Documentation Form (EDF) and Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) for each school;

9) Verify security incidents, weather problems, and any other events that could potentially affect the approved construction schedule; and

10) Coloured photographs showing the progression of construction at each site.

b. Substantial Completion Inspections: Upon substantial completion of construction and installation activities, the Contractor with representatives from the PMIU and USAID shall inspect the project and develop a punch list of items requiring remedial work before final inspection and acceptance.

c. Punch List Verification Inspection: When a construction contractor informs the Contractor that the punch list activities have been completed, the Contractor shall conduct an inspection and verify that the construction contractor has indeed addressed all items specified on the punch list. If additional work is still required, the Contractor shall so inform the construction contractor.

d. Final Inspection and Acceptance: After the satisfactory completion of all punch list activities, the Contractor together with representatives from the PMIU and USAID shall conduct a final inspection of all facilities constructed under the relevant contract. If all parties are satisfied that the punch list items have been satisfactorily completed, the PMIU will sign the handover certificate.

e. Final Warranty Inspection: The final warranty inspection shall be solely the responsibility of the PMIU and shall not be undertaken by the Contractor as an activity under this Task Order.

4. Quality Assurance Plan (QAP): The Contractor’s Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) shall be a critical component of all construction activities. The Contractor shall develop and submit a project specific QAP to the PMIU and the USAID TOCOR for approval. Implementation of the quality control programs is the responsibility of the individual construction contractors working for the PMIU. However, the Contractor shall monitor each construction contractors adherence to its approved quality control program. The Contractor will monitor the progress and verify the levels of workmanship and quality of materials as defined in the drawings and technical specifications.

5. Coordination with 3rd Party Milestone Monitoring Contractor: USAID already has a separate contract in place to verify the completion of construction milestones established for payment under Third Party Milestone Monitoring Services for SPEP. The Contractor will closely coordinate with this 3rd Party Milestone Monitoring Contractor for carrying out milestone monitoring and certification service and will inform him in writing when a milestone is complete and ready for certification. USAID will make payments to PMIU based on the certification of the milestones by this 3rd party monitoring contractor. The contractor will copy the TOCOR in all his correspondences with the 3rd party monitoring contractor.

6. Environmental Compliance: The Contractor shall ensure compliance with USAID and Government of Pakistan (GoP) environmental procedures. USAID approved the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) for SBEP is given in Annex 7. The Contractor will monitor all construction activities regularly and will report environmental compliance status for each school site in accordance with the approved Environmental Documentation Form (EDF) and Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) on monthly basis. The EDF and EMMP for each school site is already in place and will be shared with the Contractor.

7. Acceptable Sources of Materials for Concrete and Mortar: The quality of concrete and mortar used in the works is of particular concern in the project area. The Contractor will work with the construction contractor for each package of schools to ensure that cement, sand, aggregate, and water for all concrete and mortar mixes used in the works are procured from the pre-approved sources. If required, the Contractor will review and update the identified pre-approved sources for these materials.

8. Pre-Approved Sources of Critical Construction Materials: A list of critical construction materials and identified pre-approved sources will be provided to the Contractor. The Contractor shall review the list and update, if required, the sources of critical construction materials (e.g., steel reinforcement bars, rebar spacers, masonry bricks, doors, and windows) to be incorporated into the works. Construction contractors are required to procure materials from pre-approved sources.

9. Work Plans Specific to Construction Contracts: The work plan (construction schedule) prepared by each construction contractor working for the PMIU will be reviewed and approved by the Contractor, and incorporated into the Contractor’s Annual Project Work Plan. The Contractor will guide and assist the construction contractors to sequence the activities and develop a schedule based on the pre-defined payment milestones for each school given in the PILs. Unknowns such as potential delays in securing approved building sites or construction designs; unfavorable weather conditions; restricted road access; labor or commodity shortages; and uncertain security requirements all impact time, cost, schedule and performance. These factors shall be taken into consideration when reviewing the construction and delivery schedules. Work progress shall be reviewed by the Contractor against the approved construction schedules on monthly basis, or more frequently if required. Necessary instructions will be given to the construction contractors to revise their work plans in case of significant delays.

10. Notice to Proceed: After the PMIU has issued the Letter of Award for the construction contract and nominated the Contractor as “The Engineer” the Contractor will issue Notice to Proceed to the construction contractors in accordance with the Conditions of Contract (CoC) between PMIU and construction contractor.

11. Certification of Progress and Final Payments to Construction Contractors: The Contractor shall assist the PMIU in processing progress payments (IPCs) and final payments to construction contractors by verifying that the measurements against the bill of quantities are accurate and are consistent with the timeframes specified in the payment request. Similarly, the Contractor shall certify that the work included in each progress payment request has been performed in accordance with the approved design, drawings and technical specifications.

12. Reports Required Under This Element: Prepare and submit all reports required under this element of the Task Order. This function relates to the preparation and submission to USAID of all reports and other deliverables specifically specified in Section F.5.5 of this Task Order.

4.2.3. Procurement of Commodities and Equipment: As part of the overall project and based on work plans, the Contractor will be required to assist the PMIU in identifying and developing procurement documents for SBEP project commodities and equipment. USAID and PMIU will provide detailed technical specifications for commodities, equipment, furniture, and other specialty items. The Contractor’s activities and responsibilities under this element include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Furniture and Equipment for Schools: Assessing, analyzing, and updating specifications and tender documents for furnishings and equipment required for schools under this project. Project furnishings and equipment include computer and office equipment, energy efficiency equipment, field and training tools, educational kits and other commodities, supplies, and other equipment as per the requirements of the project.

Furnishings may include, but are not necessarily limited to: desks, chairs, chalk boards, bookshelves, and cabinets. USAID and PMIU will provide a list of inventory, cost estimates, technical specifications, and other information for such equipment. The Contractor shall review these details and update from time to time the cost estimates, specifications and tender documents for furniture and equipment specific to the requirements of this project. The actual tendering for furnishing and equipment will be done by the PMIU. The Contractor will assist PMIU throughout all stages of the procurement including developing of tender documents, visits to the suppliers manufacturing facilities, evaluation of proposals and producing bid evaluation reports. The Contractor will also provide contractual management services on behalf of PMIU to monitor and supervise the production of furniture and equipment to ensure that they comply with technical specifications. Based on discussions with the relevant authorities and progress of construction the Contractor shall develop a procurement and installation plan for the PMIU and USAID approval.

2. Specialty Construction Items: Identifying specialty construction items such as rebar spacers, windows and doors, solar power systems, electrical and plumbing fixtures, epoxy finishes, and other items for incorporation into the works by the construction contractors in order to ensure the commonality of such items and for quality control purposes. If a reasonable number of alternate sources for a particular commodity cannot be identified, the PMIU may wish to give consideration to procuring these items separately from the construction contractors; if the PMIU chooses to pursue separate procurements for these specialty items, the Contractor shall assist with the preparation of specifications and tender documents.

4.2.3. Design and Other Changes: Detail design of all the 71 under construction schools have been completed by USAID through the existing A-E contractor Halcrow. ll the data related to site assessments and designs for all the schools is available with Halcrow. The data includes site assessment reports, topographic survey of the proposed school sites, geotechnical and water sample reports, complete sets of design and technical specifications along with general, architectural, structural, and MEP standards, Bills of Quantities (BoQs) in relation to the construction drawings for each school. No major design changes are expected but there can be minor adjustments due to varying site conditions for which the contractor must be able to respond.

As part of detailed design, Halcrow has prepared a Design Basis Report (DBR) to develop the approach and philosophy for constructing child friendly facilities. The DBR sets down the technical guidelines and standards that have been utilized for construction of integrated facilities to engender conducive environment for education. The DBR is given in Annex 5.

According to the technical standards and parameters given in the DBR, a site specific detailed design for each school site is developed based on the following seven design modules:

Please refer to Annex 6 for the drawings, specifications, and BOQ for a typical school.

Specific activities and responsibilities of the Contractor under design and other changes include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Design Changes: If required, the Contractor must be able to amend the design and drawings, due to the changing site conditions and adaptation or relocation of site for any reason.

2. Technical Specifications: Based on the amendments in the design (if applicable), the Contractor must be able to review and provide technical specifications complying with the proposed change in design.

3. Cost Estimates for Construction: If required, the Contractor must be able to review and revise the existing cost estimates for schools subject to design changes. Revised estimates will be based on the prevailing market rate analysis, locality and inflation factors.

4. Tender Documents: All the construction packages in the three (03) districts of Sindh (Jacobabad, Kashmore and Qambar-Shahdadkot) and five towns of Karachi have been awarded by PMIU. The packages for Shikarpur and Ghotki districts are expected to be awarded by June - July 2019. In case of a delay in tendering of the packages in these two districts or termination of an existing contract for any reason, the Contractor must be able to prepare a complete package of tender documents for construction contracts including construction drawings, Bill of Quantities (BOQs) and engineer’s cost estimate, rate analysis report, technical specifications, and bidding documents. The package will be submitted to USAID and PMIU for approval. The package shall also include an illustrative construction schedule which shall take into account site accessibility, weather, and security conditions.

5. Procurement of Construction Firms: If required, the Contractor will provide complete support to the PMIU for the competitive procurement of construction firms including pre-qualification and post-qualification, tendering, bid evaluations, preparation of bid evaluation reports, arranging site visits, pre-bid meetings, etc. Note that all these activities will be carried out strictly in accordance with Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA). The award of the construction contract will be the responsibility of the PMIU.

6. Pre-Construction Conferences: : If required, the Contractor will conduct pre-construction conferences with construction contractor(s) to acquaint key personnel, local authorities and inspectors and other involved parties such as School Management Committees (SMCs) and District and Province based education staff, and the PMIU staff with the procedures, lines of authority, and the interrelationship with the monitoring activities of the Contractor, USAID, the PMIU, and others. These conferences will take place shortly after each contract is executed.

5. STANDARD SCHOOL FACILITIES

As standard, following facilities are provided in different types of school;

(Grade 6 to 10) Secondary School (Grade 1 to 10)

No. of Classrooms: 12 School Type-3 No. of Classrooms: 8 School Type-1 No. of Classrooms: 14

(1 computer lab + 1 science lab) Library + 2 Labs (1 computer lab + 1 science lab)

(separate for boys & girls) Toilets Blocks (separate for boys & girls) Toilets Blocks (separate for boys & girls)

(subject to approval) Solar Power (Optional) (subject to approval) Solar Power (Optional) (subject to approval)

(subjected to availability of land) Playground (subjected to availability of land) Playground (subjected to availability of land)