REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTANT SERVICES – SELECTION OF FIRMS)

 

Country: Azerbaijan

Name of Project: “Reconstruction of the Garabagh Irrigation Canal.”

Name of the Company: Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency, Administration of Facilities under Construction PLE

The Consultant's obligation: Procurement Support, Design Review and Construction Supervision Consulting services

Mode of Financing: Installment Sale and IsDB Grant

Financing No. AZE 1028

 

The Government of Azerbaijan represented by the Ministry of Finance for the benefit of the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency, Administration of Facilities under Construction PLE has received financing from the Islamic Development Bank toward the cost of the “Reconstruction of the Garabagh Irrigation Canal Project” and intends to apply part of the proceeds for Consultant Services.

 

The services include

 

1. Objective

The main objective of Consulting Services is to help the Client to design (update if needed), manage, and implement the project to fulfil the overall requirements of the project as approved and agreed between IsDB and the Government of Azerbaijan. The Consultant will assist the Client overall project implementation, including design review, procurement documents preparation, construction supervision, safeguards (environmental and social) management, and monitoring and reporting. The Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Guidelines for the Procurement of Consultant Services under Islamic Development Bank Project Financing (April 2019 edition, revised in February 2023).

Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency will recruit a consulting company/firm as the Consultant for “Reconstruction of the Garabagh Irrigation Canal Project”.

2. Scope

The consultant's services shall comprise a total duration of 58 months. This includes mobilization, design review (revision if needed), and preparation of tender documents, followed by a 52-month construction and author’s supervision period. To optimize the project timeline, the pre-construction phase (mobilization, design review/revision, and preparation of procurement documentation) for all project sections shall be completed within a maximum of 9 months on a rolling (staggered) basis. The consultant shall prioritize the first section to ensure its procurement commences within the first 6 months, with subsequent sections following sequentially. The remaining pre-construction activities for the latter sections will run in parallel with the initial stages of the 52-month construction phase, ensuring no impact on the overall project completion. There will be a defect liability period of 12 months for the contracts under the project. 

The Consultant will ensure achieving the project intended results within the approved implementation period and cost through supporting the Client in (i) conduct design review in compliance with (but not limited to) the guidelines for amelioration systems and structures, which should be technically viable, economically feasible, environmentally and operationally sustainable, and socially acceptable. The Consultant also should review detailed engineering studies investigations, designs, drawings, specifications, cost estimates, economic and financial analyses, social and environmental safeguards assessments, and should prepare bidding documents; and (ii) construction supervision and matters assigned to consultants related to implementation of the works to ensure construction quality. Key aspects of the Consultant's work will include (but not limited to) assisting the Client in the following:

 

• Carry out the author's supervision during construction in accordance with the local legislation.
• Finalize a work plan in consultation with the Client for various tasks after the commencement of the assignments;
• Review the hydraulic, structural, electro-mechanical, geological, and geotechnical design; and site investigation reports (including basic information and infrastructure inventory), survey reports (including environmental, social impact, and land acquisition and resettlement assessments ) and site investigation reports (including basic information and infrastructure inventory), assessment of the technical condition of the existing channel to confirm whether the proposed design is fit for purpose and meets operational, environmental, and safety standards. The review may confirm the adequacy of the available designs and/or propose or make any modification (revision) to them. Therefore, the design review report needs to have a section that will present all modification made to the existing design;
• Identify and bridge any data gaps that may be require for the design review consultant to make an informed decision of the integrity and robustness of the original project design.
• After the design is reviewed, ensure that the final version is approved by the relevant authorities.
• Review the engineering geological conditions of the project area; compilation of geological maps and sites based on the available data, maps, and aerial surveys such as regional geological maps, regional geological cross sections and seismic-tectonic maps;
• Prepare bidding documents for contracts to be awarded during project implementation using IsDB’s Standards.
• Perform the role of engineer for construction supervision of contractors’ works for compliance with specifications, drawings, and bill of quantities.
• Review all contract documents arising from the contract and project including plans/drawings, BOQ, variation order,  and Technical Specifications, to identify potential conflicts in the provisions, details, as well as lack of or insufficient information for the contractors to perform its contractual obligations;
• Elimination of deficiencies encountered during the Design review of project estimate documents and approval of projects by relevant government agencies.
• Review each of the contractors’ work schedule and method statement; equipment and plant schedule; site organization and personnel deployment plan; plan for establishment of construction camp; and any other plan or schedule that may be required in the execution of the work and ensure conformity with specifications, Contractual obligations as well as applicable norms and regulations;
• Review any subsequent modification or update to the contractors’ work plans and schedules that may be required in the execution of the work to ensure conformity with specifications, contractual obligations and applicable norms and regulations;
• Review the contractors’ method statement and work program to ensure conformity with the Environmental Management Plan (EMP), and other safeguard regulations (Including resettlement, gender, and other social safeguard issues);
• Monitor and supervise the execution of field tests and sampling, including soil compaction, concrete sampling, and others and maintain quality control records of all field tests and sampling;
• Supervise the works of the contractors and report to the client on progress of work and any deficiencies noted during construction and recommend remedial action;
• To ensure oversight of the implementation of smart monitoring and control systems, including SCADA.
• Inspect and evaluate the contractors’ used materials installations, plant and equipment including type, origin and specifications, etc. for conformity with contractual obligations, specifications and applicable norms and regulations;
• Review site management and site safety plans for conformity with contractual obligations and applicable regulations and laws, including disposal of used materials;
• Assist the EA in the assessment of claims and disputes from the contractors;
• Review and recommend approval of the contractors’ working drawings and as-built drawings and quality control records;
• Hold weekly and monthly field and office meetings with the contractors to review progress of work against plans and schedules; identify problems areas; review field test and sample schedules; and make projections of work for the following period; Review and endorse contractors’ progress interim and final payment certificates, requests for contract variations, and other technical solutions as needed; 
• Review and confirm final delivery-acceptance act referred to the construction process accomplishment;
• Review and approve contractors’ quality assurance mechanism and safety procedures;
• Carry out measurement of works and agreement of quantities with contractors, and deal with any claims of the contractors as per procedures described in the conditions of contracts;
• Ensure that the project is constructed, operated and maintained in strict conformity with the technical specifications and rules governing technical operation and requirements of alienation lines, and all applicable laws and regulations, including Environmental and social development regulations;
• Prepare Final Payment Certificates, Taking Over Certificates, and Performance Certificates, to the timing of, and as required by, the contracts, and advising the Employer on the release of all contractors' securities and retentions; and monitor performance of the Contractors during the Defects Notification Period.
• Supervise the implementation of and monitoring compliance with IEEs (Initial Environmental Examination) and LARPs (Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plan).
• Assist the Client in preparing and/or updating project implementation schedule and advising critical activities and the critical path of activities in the schedule; 
• Assist the Client in conducting project performance monitoring and evaluation in terms of achievement of outcome and outputs target indicators;
• Assist the Client to develop a contract management system to ensure that records and data are stored systematically and cross-referenced with the financial accounts of the project. The system must allow safekeeping of procurement documentation for easy retrieval and referencing, with adequate paper trails in accordance with generally accepted standards. The contract management system must also be designed to support loan disbursement, reporting, and accounting requirements of the project; 
• Prepare operational and maintenance (O&M) manual for the irrigation networks to be constructed under the project, including the methodology principles for calculation of the materials, technical and human resources required for operation and maintenance separately, taking into account the list of the measures to be implemented and their periodicity;
• Assist the client in selecting and supervising various consultants for the organization of technical training for technical personnel, demonstration and training of innovative, climate-resilient agricultural and irrigation technologies, and implementation. Supervise, monitor and report on the implementation of demonstrations and training of farmers and stakeholders on innovative and climate-resilient agricultural production technologies.
• Conducting training sessions to demonstrate the construction of innovative, modern irrigation technologies to the client and exchange knowledge.

 

 

 

 

 

3. ASSIGNMENT TASKS

The implementation of the assignment can be divided into two distinct phases:

• Phase 1: Design review, revisions if necessary, and preparation of tender documents, procurement assistance, and author supervision.
• Phase 2: Contract Management and Construction Supervision, supervision services during the Defect Liability Period.

 

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment is attached to this request for expressions of interest (ANNEX 1).

 

The Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency, Administration of Facilities under Construction PLE now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested Consultants must provide specific information which demonstrates that they are fully qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.).

 

The shortlisting criteria are:

• Company information: name, status, address, telephone number, facsimile number, year of establishment, contact person for the project, turnover for the previous 3 (three) years (2023-2024-2025) with an average of USD 16.0 million, number of permanent staff and part-timers, fields of expertise;
• Consulting firm is expected to have extensive experience in design and construction of irrigation systems/water structures and appurtenant structures, hydraulic structures, irrigation systems, provided that;

• One specific experience in design/design review and construction supervision of irrigation systems, canal & water structure with at least USD 10.0 million consultancy contract amount (in case of a JV formation, the Lead Member shall provide) for the last 5 (five) years

• Consulting firm should have experience in similar type and size of the projects financed by the ISDB or other IFIs, with proven knowledge of FIDIC basis contracts and / or MDB procurement process.
• Letters of Recommendation for all submitted previous experiences from previous Employers shall be attached.
• A list of ongoing assignments including the start and end dates and the personnel involved.
• The Consultant Company or its technical staffs must have right for performance of technical supervision according to Rules of technical supervision works in Republic of Azerbaijan (Agency for construction affairs) Law of Azerbaijan. This means that the Consultant company can employ or commit to employ engineers with license for construction supervision of category or obtain or commit to obtain license for own company.
• Form of association (sub-contractor/joint venture) for the execution of the contract(s), if the case may be, and identification of the leading company. Same information shall be submitted for the leading company and the associate companies.

* Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Paragraphs, 1.23, and 1.24 of the Guidelines for Procurement of Consultant Services under Islamic Development Bank Project Financing (the “Procurement Guidelines”), setting forth IsDB’s policy on conflict of interest. 

 

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

 

A consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality- and Cost-Based Selection Limited to Member Countries (QCBS-MC) method set out in the Procurement Guidelines.

 

Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours 09:00 to 17:00 (local time).

 

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a writing form to the address below (in person, by mail, by fax, or by e-mail) no later than 30 July 2026 at 17:00 (local time).

 

Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency, Administration of Facilities under Construction PLE

Attention: Mr. Fuad Abishev, Deputy Chairman of the Board                                                                                                                                        

69 A Moscow Ave, Baku, Azerbaijan, AZ1012, 5th floor

Fax: +994 12 4935165

E-mail: fuad.abishev@toom.gov.az

 

See the attachment section for more details (ToR)