Advance Action on Recruitment of Consultants

Invitation of Expressions of Interest (EOI) for Investment Program Support Consultant

Country/Borrower: India

Title of Proposed Project: Jammu and Kashmir Urban Sector Development Investment Program

1. India has applied for a Multi-tranche Financing Facility (the Facility) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), for financing the Jammu and Kashmir Urban Sector Development Investment Program ("the Program"). The estimated cost of the investment Program is US$485 million.

2. The objective of the Program is to ensure that the quality of urban infrastructure and municipal service delivery are improved in a sustainable manner to enhance economic growth of main urban areas of J&K with emphasis on promoting commerce and improvement of livelihoods of the poor. The Program will finance urban infrastructure development in the sectors of water supply, sewerage and drainage, solid waste management, city roads and transport and other infrastructure in the cities of Jammu, Srinagar and in other regional towns of Jammu and Kashmir State.

3. The J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency (herein referred to as the "Employer") will be assisted by Program Support Consultants (PSC) and Design Supervision Consultants (DSCs) in implementation of the program. Expression of Interest (EOI) for DSCs has already been invited and is due for receiving up to 22 May 2007.

4. Employer now intends to engage consultant for the PSC who will assist ERA in Project Management and Capacity Building with about 60 International and 290 national person-months input. Consultancy contract will initially be awarded for first two projects of the program, with option for the extending their services for subsequent projects, based on successful performance of the consultants and mutual agreement.

5. The scope of PSC will be to
  1. identify subprojects and prepare pre-feasibility reports;
  2. prepare subproject appraisal reports;
  3. review the design and outputs of DSCs;
  4. assist in procurement and project management;
  5. provide institutional development;
  6. conduct capacity building and training;
  7. assist the Employer to prepare progress reports and
  8. establish Investment Program Performance Monitoring System etc.

6. The Chief Executive Officer, on behalf of the J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency, invites EOIs from International/National Consulting Firms having prior experience on similar projects. The consulting firms who have submitted EOI for DSCs also may submit EOI for PSC. Based on the experience and capability, the firm can be shortlisted for PSC and DSCs but will finally be selected for one (either PSC or DSCs, not for both). Firm(s) selected for PSC will not be considered for DSC or vise-versa also.

7. The firm(s) must include in their EOI proposal,
  1. summary details of the similar projects carried out by the firms;
  2. experience of working in similar geographical situations
  3. experience on working with World Bank, ADB and/ or other multi-lateral financed projects in India
  4. annual turnover for the last three years;
  5. details of works in hand;
  6. experience in required area of expertise;
  7. one page summary of each project executed in the past five years showing nature of projects, extent of responsibility and name of employer, etc; and
  8. willingness to work in the areas of Jammu and Kashmir state.

8. The Consultants shall be selected and engaged in accordance with the Guidelines on the Use of Consultants by ADB and its Borrowers (April 2006). The Employer shall be using the Quality Based Selection (QBS) method.

9. The Employer reserves the right to shortlist or not to shortlist any or all of the applicant(s) or to cancel the entire process without assigning any reason. No liability will be accepted for loss or late submission.

10. Interested and eligible National Consulting Firms are invited to submit their EOI in hard copy not later than 5 June 2007 to the address shown below:

Chief Executive Officer, J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency,
13 C/C, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir State, India
Tel: 91-191-2458736-2458832, Fax: 91-191-2455153 website: www.jkera.org