81311009-Advisory services to Water and Wastewater Utilities and to the Water Sector Regulator

Kurze Beschreibung

GIZ has been commissioned to implement the project "Strengthening Institutions for Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation in Zambia (SIWaS)" on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The EU Action "Nexus Energy and Water Program for Zambia (NEWZA)" is part of the Joint European Strategy for Zambia and is flag shipped under the Global Gateway strategy. NEWZA"s objective is a decisive improvement of the energy-water supply situation in Zambia by increasing the operational and financial
performance of five water utilities and strengthening the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation and the regulator, the National Water Supply and Sanitation Council. The project"s 5 target utilities are Southern, Eastern, Nkana, Chambeshi, and Lukanga Water Supply and Sanitation Company.
NEWZA is jointly co-financed by the European Union, the BMZ and UNICEF, and is implemented by KfW, UNICEF, and GIZ. The GIZ SIWaS Project is contributing to the NEWZA"s Output 4 which has the specific objective of enhancing organizational, networking and financial capacities of water utilities and national institutions to ensure urban, peri-urban and rural water and sanitation services are supplied in a cost-effective and cost-coverage principles, transparent, and inclusive manner. (CU and National level Capacity Building, Knowledge Exchange and Operational Efficiency)
The updating of the regulatory procedures in line with sector policy requirements (Output 2) and by introducing clean energy alternatives, audits for energy saving, long-term financial planning, reducing commercial water losses, and improving the operational and financial performance of the 5 utilities, the project addresses climate-induced and supply-related challenges as well as technical capacity deficiencies (Outputs 3 and 4). In addition, support for the development and implementation of business plans to include analysis, cost projections, capital investment programming (to be provided in Output 3), and having a strategy in place for ring-fencing surpluses of the utility income for investments at the national level (output 2) will support closing the growing investment gap and loan repayment. Furthermore, this will contribute to the sector's progress towards achieving the policy objective of self-financing and sustainable operation and maintenance.
By implementing these measures, the utilities will move towards financial self-sufficiency and improved performance. Furthermore, the measures will boost and contribute to increased access to green energy and water supply for all. This ultimately contributes to the sustainable provision of water supply for all (Impact)
The project serves as a hub for the exchange of information amongst the 11 utilities in Zambia through the Water Utility Platform and will particularly support the 5 utilities in strengthening their operational, technical and financial capacities in close collaboration and engagement with the national water regulator, the Ministry of Water, and the Local Authorities.
GIZ intends to contract out services related to Output 2 at the national level and Output 3 and 4 at the district level.

Beschreibung der Beschaffung

Interventions of the project "Strengthening Institutions for Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation in Zambia (SIWaS)" target to strengthen the capacities of the national water regulator, NWASCO, which is detrimental in guiding the sector to the policy goals (Outputs 2) and supporting the 5 Commercial Utilities (CUs) in enhancing their organizational, networking and financial capacities to ensure water supply and sanitation services are supplied in a cost-effective, transparent and inclusive manner (Output 3, indicator 4). The services of the Contractor shall focus on Output 2 at national level and (Output 3, indicator 4).
The Contractor shall be responsible for the implementation of the following work packages (WP):
WP 1: Reorienting existing urban regulatory system, enlarge it to rural WSS and strengthening consumer voice
WP 2: Improve performance, including access for the poor, and cooperation in the sector through regulation
WP 3: Support 5 CUs to improve the piloting of their enterprise and infrastructure development
WP 4: Improve CUs operations and cooperation amongst CUs / LAs, NWASCO, and MWDS
Key tasks under WP 1 (Reorienting existing urban regulatory system, enlarging it to rural WSS, and strengthening consumer voice)
- Review orientation and propose principles (best practice) for regulation to detail the boundaries of regulation and secure harmonisation with sector policies and legislation in line with good international practices.
- Propose a strategy for ring-fencing surpluses of CU income for investments in infrastructure, repayment of loans, and financing with donor funds.
- Review regulatory framework for rural WSS.
- Elaborate draft guidelines for rural WSS service provision.
- Update the concept of consumer representation to ensure sustainability in consumer participation.
- Key tasks under WP 2 (Improve performance, including access for the poor, and cooperation in the sector through regulation)
- Propose adjusted KPIs for improved performance monitoring.
- Review and update guidelines on energy audit & efficiency
- Elaborate draft guidelines on long-term financial planning Document experiences and lessons learned.
- Review and update existing guidelines on NRW
- Support the assessment of the existing Enterprise Resource Planning/ billing system and development of a recommendation for a unified ERP system.
- Propose a sustainable financing concept for NWASCO and an action plan to collect arrears of fee payment.
Key tasks under WP 3 (Support 5 CUs to improve the operations of their enterprise and infrastructure development)
- Propose a concept for the development of 5-years business planning for CUs
- Install a controlling system (for steering) supported by the necessary performance indicators for all departments at the 5 CUs.
- Support the 5 CUs in the strengthening of leadership and organizational skills among middle management.
- Propose and support the implementation of a digitalization concept.
- Action Plan for improving planning and supervision of infrastructure development projects for each supported CU adopted
Key tasks under WP 4 (Improved CUs operation and cooperation among CUs / LAs, NWASCO and MWDS)
- Analyse the status in the key areas of corporate management.
- Analyse the status in the other areas of interventions (digitalization, energy, WASH, drinking water quality / effluent management) and propose improvements concept in each of the areas.
- Propose a long-term financial planning system to be introduced at the CUs and support its introduction.
- Propose and support the implementation of a hands-on concept on NRW management (commercial water losses).
- Carry out audits for energy savings and propose an action plan for each of the 5 CUs.
- Carry out audits on drinking water and effluent quality improvements and propose an action plan for it.
A team of experts shall be provided by the Contractor for this purpose. This shall include (1) team leader and with international profile, (2) Water sector regulation expert with an international profile, (3) deputy team leader/ water utility management expert with a national profile based at Southern Water and Sanitation Company, (4) water utility management expert with national profile based Lukanga Water and Sanitation Company and Nkana Water and Sanitation Company, (5) water utility management expert with national profile based in Chambeshi Water and Sanitation Company and Eastern Water and Sanitation Company (6) pool of short-term experts with international profiles and (7) pool of short-term experts with national profiles. Close coordination with the GIZ project team will be required.
The Contractor may be a single firm or a consortium of various consulting firms. The involvement of consulting firms from Zambia within subcontracting or joint venture arrangements will be permitted.

Beschreibung der Optionen

GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.

Liste und kurze Beschreibung der Auswahlkriterien

Wirtschaftliche und finanzielle Leistungsfähigkeit: 1. Average annual turnover for the last three years (last-but-four financial year can be included in case of tenders held within 6 months of end of last financial year), at least: 3,500,000.00 EUR

2. Average number of employees and managers in the last three calendar years, at least 20 persons

Liste und kurze Beschreibung der Bedingungen

Eignung zur Berufsausübung: 1. Self-declaration: name of company and address, tax ID, registration and commercial register number or equivalent register in accordance with the legal provisions of the country of origin.
2. No grounds for exclusion pursuant to § 123, § 124 GWB, § 22 LkSG
3. Declaration of bidding consortium and/or declaration of subcontractors (if applicable)

Liste und kurze Beschreibung der Auswahlkriterien

Technische und berufliche Leistungsfähigkeit: 1. The technical assessment is only based on reference projects with a minimum commission value of 750,000.00 EUR.

2. At least 3 reference projects in the technical field "Capacity development of water and wastwater utilities" thereof at least 2 reference projects in Southern and Eastern Africa, with at least one of them in Zambia in the last 3 years

Genaue Informationen über Fristen für Überprüfungsverfahren

According to Article 160, Section 3 of the German Act Against Restraint of Competition (GWB), application for review is not permissible insofar as
1. the applicant has identified the claimed infringement of the procurement rules before submitting the application for review and has not submitted a complaint to the contracting authority within a period of 10 calendar days; the expiry of the period pursuant to Article 134, Section 2 remains unaffected,
2. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that are evident in the tender notice are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for the application or by the deadline for the submission of bids, specified in the tender notice.
3. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that first become evident in the tender documents are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for application or by the deadline for the submission of bids,
4. more than 15 calendar days have expired since receipt of notification from the contracting authority that it is unwilling to redress the complaint.
Sentence 1 does not apply in the case of an application to determine the invalidity of the contract in accordance with Article 135, Section 1 (2). Article 134, Section 1, Sentence 2 remains unaffected.