Terms of Reference

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

The PROSPECTS partnership for “Inclusive Jobs and Education for Forcibly Displaced Persons and Host communities in Sudan” is funded by the Government of the Netherlands in partnership with the IFC, ILO, UNHCR, UNICEF and the World Bank. The Programme supports host communities and forcibly displaced persons through interventions that promote protection and inclusion, learning, skills development, as well as access to livelihoods and economic opportunities. The Partnership aims to help transform the way governments and other stakeholders, including the private sector, respond to forced displacement crises – and in particular: (1) to enhance the enabling environment for the socio-economic inclusion of forcibly displaced persons; (2) to enhance access to education and child protection for vulnerable children on the move; and (3) to strengthen the resilience of host communities through inclusive socio-economic development that also benefits forcibly displaced persons.

Under Pillars 1, 2 and 4, the ILOs Employment Intensive civil works programme will play a central role in employment creation, public asset creation, and value chain upgrading in the targeted locations. The Partnership identified critical public assets, including health care facilities, water access points, schools/training centers, and selected value chain upgrading initiatives for restoration, revitalization, and/or rehabilitation in targeted areas of White Nile state.

From 15 April 2023, armed clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in multiple cities across Sudan. Clashes initially took place in cities across Northern states and Khartoum, later spreading across the Darfur and Kordofan regions. The most severe clashes took place in the capital city of Khartoum and Ag Geneina Town in West Darfur. The food security situation of IDPs and some vulnerable host community members was greatly affected by the continuous displacement to the White Nile State from Khartoum, Kordofan and Darfur. Besides, the on-going economic crisis.

White Nile State is situated in the southern part of Sudan. It borders South Kordofan, North Kordofan, Khartoum, Al Gezira, and Sennar states and shares an international border with South Sudan. Its state capital is Rabak town and there are nine localities in the state including, Ad Diwaim, Al Gutaina, Kosti, Rabak, Al Jabalien Tendulti, Um Remta, Alsalaam, Guli. Flooding and protracted displacement are the main drivers of humanitarian needs in White Nile State and the state hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the country.

By 18 July 2023 around 267,899 displaced persons arrived at White Nile state from Khartoum. The displaced caseload is located across Ad Diwaim, Aj Jabalain, Al Gitaina, As Salam/Ar Rawat, Guli, Kosti, Rabak, Tendalti, and Um Rimta localities. According to a recent household survey conducted in the state, most displaced households are currently seeking shelter with relatives in the host community (52%), while others are seeking shelter in camp-like settlements (30%), rented accommodation (9 %), in schools or other public buildings (5%), in open area gathering sites (3%), and in improvised or critical shelters.

EIIP Methods

The EIIP works entail employment-intensive and local resource-based approaches to produce public assets in a range of sectors such as road construction and maintenance, water and drainage, irrigation infrastructure, and soil conservation. The EIIP approach offers a cost-effective solution to deliver to rural community’s access to water and health facilities while generating a high demand for labour during implementation. It is of paramount importance therefore to demonstrate the viability of the approach through actual implementation and delivery of the priority infrastructure assets identified by the ILO in consultation with the national stakeholders. The ILO’s interventions thus aim to maximize labour intensity (i.e. the ratio of labour inputs in comparison to capital inputs) of the infrastructure rehabilitation works without compromising technical standards. Through the approach, the intervention can equally generate much needed income, job, and skills development opportunities to as many project beneficiaries as possible.

OVERALL OBJECTIVES

The main objective of this TOR is to contract an implementing partner to monitor and supervise the EIIP projects/contracts to be undertaken by local contractors in Al Salam and Aljabalain localities in White Nile State. The bidding for these projects will be open for contractors who have successfully completed the Employment Intensive Investment Program (EIIP) training provided by the ILO.

The ILO PROSPECTS Sudan has identified and selected the projects that will be executed in White Nile state. The selected projects are: construction/rehabilitation works in two secondary schools, and the construction of a durable housing/shelter units in As Salam and Aljabalain localities.

The implementing partner is entrusted with the responsibility for the overall management of the contracts, including worksite visits for monitoring, site supervision, reporting, payment transactions, insurance, test of materials, coordination of the LEDC activities, and all that is necessary for successful completion of the assignment. The bidder shall prepare its detailed budget for provision of the described services as part of the financial proposal.

The Implementation Partnership Agreement (IPA) pertains to the site supervision and contracts management support for all EIIP worksites. Under this IPA, the implementation partner will be expected to be substantively engaged with the local Economic Development Committee (LEDC). The LEDC is comprised of technical representatives from the key institutions at state level (locality administrations, line ministries, Commission of refugees-COR, UNICEF, UNHCR, and the ILO) to steer and advise on the implementation of the various EIIP contracts being undertaken by the local contractors.

Specific tasks will include the following:

1. Prepare the contract documents for the EIIP worksites in liaison with the ILO, ensuring that relevant clauses on decent work requirements are adequately captured.
2. Assign contract packages to the contractors in a transparent manner and sub-contract the EIIP contractors that will execute works within the stipulated scope of work and budget presented in the BOQs and hand over the sites to the contractors.
3. Support the selected contractors in drafting and executing any sub-contract works that they may need to enter into for effective delivery of the project.
4. Developing work plans with the selected EIIP contractors in line with activities specified in each BOQ.
5. Monitoring of the selected EIIP contractors (and their sub-contractors) on site in their application of the EIIP theoretical training as per the contract documents, including that of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) standards in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, as well as other social and environmental safeguards as specified in the contract template (to be agreed between the ILO and the implementation partner).
6. Collect data in formats agreed with ILO related to the works in each of the EIIP worksites including the following:

I) Number of workers recruited, disaggregated by the ratio between host communities and forcibly displaced persons (FDPs), occupation, age, and gender.  

II) Number of total workdays generated through the work, disaggregated by the ratio between host communities and FDPs, occupation, age, and gender.

III) Total wages paid to workers, disaggregated by the ratio between host communities and FDPs, occupation, age, and gender.

IV) Workers’ selection modalities, including the number of applicants.

7. Approve works done to specifications and process payment to the contractors and ensuring timely payment to workers contracted through the contractors.
8. Prepare and submit in a timely manner physical progress and financial expenditure reports according to the specified schedules. The physical progress report shall include information on the data sets and disaggregated as stated above.

KEY DELIVERABLES

Key deliverables are detailed below:

REPORTING LINES

The implementing partner will be under the general supervision of the PROSPECTS Sudan Programme Manager and under the direct supervision of the EIIP Specialist based in Mogadishu, Somalia. The implementing partner will get technical guidance and work in close consultation with the PROSPECTS’ national EIIP Engineer.

The ILO will provide support in the design of the work plans with provision of work standards, contract templates, work plan templates, and testing of materials if needed.

Qualifications and Competencies:

The bidders shall meet the following minimum requirements (compliance to be clearly captured in the proposal):

• International NGO (INGO) or national NGO registered in White Nile State (please provide proof of registration).
• Has been operating in the White Nile State for at least three years.
• A minimum of three years’ experience in WASH and buildings rehabilitation/construction works.
• Able to successfully implement contracts of at least USD 500,000 each annually (please attach at least two project completion certificates in the last five years).
• Management and technical capacity to implement such infrastructure works (please attach CVs of four key staff for the project:

• 2 key technical expert (civil engineer/Architect) at field level.
• 2 home officer (State and HQ) supervisors.
• Staff costs for the personnel other than the proposed four key staff should be limited to essential technical and administrative support staff costs quoted in percentage. Please note however that an important element of the assessment is competitiveness of the financial offer.
• Technical experts should demonstrate a minimum of four years of experience in managing infrastructure projects in the construction and WASH sectors.
• Home office (HQ) supervisor should demonstrate a minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in the implementation of infrastructure projects in the construction and WASH sectors.

• Experience working with government departments, UN agencies and other international organizations.
• Experience working in humanitarian/refugee settings will be an added advantage.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The selection of the bidder shall consider the bidder’s: (i) technical expertise; (ii) financial capacity to carry out the programme/project activities and/or produce the outputs, and manage the funds entrusted to them; and (iii) the financial proposal.

Only technically compliant bidders (minimum score 60 points) are allowed to proceed to the final stage of financial comparison. At the final stage, the most cost-effective submission shall be selected.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

This assignment will be implemented within a period of up to 9 months, ending no later than 31^st December 2024. The bidder in its technical proposal shall include a detailed work plan for the overall management of the tasks outlined in the TOR.

Payment and financial resources will be released upon submission of the below reports:

• (15%) as a first payment after submission of Deliverable-1 (Inception report).
• (20%) as a second payment upon timely submission and approval of Deliverable-2.
• (55%) as a third payment upon timely submission and approval of Deliverable-3.
• (5%) as a fourth payment upon timely submission and approval of Deliverable-4.
• (5%) as a fifth payment upon timely submission and approval of Deliverable-5 and final handover of the project sites to be inspected by the ILO.

Instructions to BIDDERS

Interested bidders shall submit a technical and financial proposal. The technical proposal shall demonstrate the bidder’s capacity to successfully carry out the assignment, including its previous experience in similar works as well as management and technical ability. The technical proposal should also indicate how the bidder intends to undertake the activities, summary of similar projects and work done in the past, and the proposed workplan. Certificates of registration, CVs of the proposed staff, completion reports of previously executed projects should be included in the technical proposal.

The financial proposal should cover the cost elements to be incurred in order to carry out the activities/tasks outlined in the TOR.

Submission of Proposals

Interested bidders should send their technical proposal and financial proposal to addis_procurement@ilo.org no later than 29 February 2024. Requests for documents as well as questions related to the assignment can be submitted to addis_procurement@ilo.org by 15 February 2024. All candidates will receive a response latest by 19 February 2024.