Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) Vacancy for Team Leader

Location: Kathmandu

Background:

Terms of Reference Consulting Services for MCA-Nepal Project Management Office Support Services (PMOSS) Introduction The Millennium Challenge Corporation (“MCC”) and the Government of Nepal (the “Government” or “GoN”) have entered into a Millennium Challenge Compact for Millennium Challenge Account assistance to help facilitate poverty reduction through economic growth in Nepal (the “Compact”) in the amount of USD 697 million. The program is co-funded by the US Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact grant of USD 500 million and the GoN’s contribution of USD 197 million. The GoN is acting through the Millennium Challenge Account Nepal (the “MCA-Nepal”) for the implementation of the projects funded under the Compact. The goal of the Compact is to reduce poverty through economic growth.

The Compact program includes two projects: (i) Electricity Transmission Project (“ETP”): The objective of the ETP is to increase electricity consumption by improving the availability and reliability of electricity supply in Nepal’s electricity grid and by facilitating power trade. The ETP portfolio focuses on three major activities, which involve the construction of 315 km of double-circuit 400kV high voltage transmission lines (“TL”). The TL project is now divided into two separate contracts, (i) 18 km TL from Butwal Substation (“SS”) to India/Nepal border for a cross-border TL to facilitate greater electricity trade with India, and (ii) 297 km TL to expand the high voltage transmission backbone inside Nepal; the construction of three substations to increase or decrease transmitted voltages for further transmission or distribution to consumers; and, technical assistance to support the Electricity Regulatory Commission (“ERC”), an independent electricity sector regulator, in core regulatory skills and principles, and to support Nepal Electricity Authority (“NEA”), the electricity generation, transmission, and distribution company of Nepal and a key project partner, in capacitybuilding to enhance managerial and technical capabilities. In addition to the construction of the transmission lines, the Transmission Lines Activity includes the MCA Partnership Program (“MPP”) sub-activity. The goal of this sub-activity is to build relationships within affected communities by delivering direct benefits that complement the improvements in electricity supply. (ii) Road Maintenance Project (“RMP”): The objective of the RMP is to maintain road quality across Nepal’s strategic road network (“SRN”)/national road, by addressing the root causes of Nepal’s road sector problems that have contributed to high cost of transport. The RMP portfolio focuses on two major activities, which involves: (i) technical assistance to the Department of Roads (“DoR”) and Roads Board Nepal (“RBN”), key project partners, related to road maintenance planning, assessment, and implementation to strengthen their capacity to plan and execute periodic maintenance; and, (ii) strategic/national road maintenance works up to 130 km of the SRN (national road) using pavement recycling and through the establishment of a matching fund.

The program includes procuring contractors and consultants for design, construction and supervision of high voltage transmission lines and substations, road maintenance works, including various technical services, equipment and construction works in different geographic locations within Nepal. The Compact document can be accessed at: https://mcanp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Millennium_Challenge_Compact.pdf. The works contracts have been/shall be procured using MCC Standard Bidding Documents with Conditions of Contract based on the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (“FIDIC”) Yellow Book for ETP construction works and Red Book for RMP maintenance works. For ETP transmission line and substation works, MCA-Nepal has already hired a Supervision Engineer to provide construction supervision services during construction, Defects Notification Period (“DNP”) and post-DNP. Similarly, under ETP, a Supervision Engineer for the MPP activity is also underway. For the RMP road maintenance and rehabilitation works, MCA-Nepal will also hire a Supervision Engineer to provide engineering design, preparation of a Resettlement Action Plan (“RAP”), RAP implementation supervision services, and construction supervision services for road segments under the pilot sub-activity, with the option for supervision services for additional segments. The Supervision Engineers will be MCA-Nepal’s single point of responsibility for all ETP and RMP supervision services provided under the respective works contracts.

To support MCA-Nepal in managing the multiple contracts, follow up and tracking implementation and prevent potential issues, MCA-Nepal needs to hire a Consultant to provide Project Management Office Support services (“PMOSS”). The Project Management Office Support Services (PMOSS) Consultant, acting on behalf of MCA Nepal, will interface and liaise with the Supervision Engineers for project-related information required to provide services to MCA-Nepal as outlined hereunder for effective management of the works contracts, and with the Technical Assistance (“TA”) consultants and other consultants for non-works contracts. The Consultant shall not interface directly with the Contractors and will do so only through the Supervision Engineers. Additionally, the Consultant will not have any decision-m

Summary of Scope of Work

MCA-Nepal seeks the services of a firm (hereafter “Consultant”) as a PMOSS Consultant, with expertise in managing the delivery of projects utilizing FIDIC Yellow Book and Red Book Conditions of Contract. Additionally, the Consultant will support specific areas of ETP and RMP technical assistance. The works and maintenance activities will be supervised by the Supervision Engineers as per FIDIC rules, and the technical assistance activities to support project partners like DoR, RBN, NEA and ERC will be provided by consultants and embedded advisors, as relevant. The role of the PMOSS Consultant will be complementary to the roles of these consultants and focused primarily on collating and analyzing information at the program and project portfolio levels, generating high-level actionable information for the MCA-Nepal Executive Team, Project Managers and supporting MCA-Nepal’s internal processes. In addition to generating information, one of the key roles will be to advise MCA-Nepal on issues regarding Project Management for the efficient management, and timely effective implementation of the program. Section V Terms of Reference 65 The Consultant selected to provide the services is expected to establish and implement an effective program and project management system to properly oversee, coordinate, and track the program and project portfolios. The overall purpose of the services is to support MCA-Nepal to deliver the activities under the Compact according to the specified quality, time, and cost, by providing a program and project portfolio level support, and focusing on those areas, which are beyond the scope of the Supervision Engineers and other consultants hired to support the technical assistance contracts. In order to accomplish this goal, the Consultant shall provide suitably qualified experts competent to carry out the duties described below. The Consultant shall tap into its main office and established systems for support, based on international standards of project management and contract administration, to perform the required services. The Consultant is expected to assist MCA-Nepal under the following seven main areas: 1. Service Initiation 2. Program and Project Management 3. Schedule Management 4. Risk Management 5. Change Management 6. Project Monitoring, Reporting and Coordination 7. Program Closeout (option period) The expected outcome of this effort is that MCA-Nepal’s Executive Team, which comprises of the Executive Director (“ED”) and three Deputy Executive Directors (“DED”), have access to a regularly updated and current high-level project portfolio level and program level master schedule, and MCA-Nepal Project Teams have access to a high-level project portfolio-level schedule that is updated monthly. Additionally, it is expected that there will be a risk register in which description of risk, probability of occurrence, etc. and risk mitigation efforts are documented and that expert advice from the Consultant assists MCA-Nepal’s leaders to address the portfolio risks. A further outcome is that MCA-Nepal’s internal processes are effectively supported to manage, track, and implement contractual changes, for all major contracts related to ETP and RMP. It is expected that the Consultant will be well-versed with and utilize the Project Management Institute (“PMI”)’s terminology and resources as applicable for this contract for all activities defined in the scope of work. MCA-Nepal shall have the executing responsibility of program implementation and will make decisions on all program objectives, activities and investments. The Consultant will serve in advisory capacity to MCA-Nepal and support the effective management of the ETP and RMP projects.

PROFILES OF THE KEY PERSONNEL

Team Leader:

• A Bachelor´s degree in business administration, engineering, management or related field;
• Professional certification in the project management discipline.
• Demonstrated familiarity with Project Management Institute (PMI)’s terminology and resources is an advantage.;
• 12+ or more years of relevant working experience in project management leadership role in large infrastructure construction projects based on FIDIC conditions of contract.
• 5+ years’ experience in a project management leadership role in a developing country.
• International donor related experience in infrastructure projects is a plus

Indicative start date of the project: Q2 2025

Period of performance: 40 months

Deadline for submission of the 1st round of applications: 8th January 2025

To Apply Visit: phf.tbe.taleo.net