Advance Action on Recruitment of Consultants

Invitation for Submission of Expression of Interest (EOI)

Consulting Services for Project Implementation (Detailed Design and Construction Supervision)

Country/Borrower: Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

Project: VIE: Greater Mekong Subregion Southern Coastal Corridor Project - Viet Nam Component

1. The Government of Viet Nam has applied for a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and a grant from the Government of Australia (AusAID) toward the cost of part of the GMS-Southern Coastal Corridor Project - Vietnam Component (The Project). The work to be funded by ADB and AusAID is hereinafter referred to as the ADB/AusAID sub-component. Part of these funds will be applied for payment for Consulting Services for which this Invitation for Expressions of Interest is issued.

2. The Executing Agency for the Project will be the Viet Nam Road Administration (VRA) (under the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Project Implementing Unit (PIU) will be the My Thuan Projects Management Unit (PMU-My Thuan). Under the ADB/AusAID sub-component of the Project VRA intends to rehabilitate and improve about 60.1 km of the Southern Coastal Corridor that will include:
  1. Xa Xia-Ha Tien bypass and border facilities (about 4.3km),
  2. An Minh bypass-Nga Bac canal (about 14.3km), and
  3. Nga Bac canal-Ca Mau (about 41.5km).
The rehabilitation and improvement works will include widening of the existing roads and bridges; construction of the new road, bridges and bypasses; completion of the border facilities; and other associated structure works.

3. In order to implement the Project, the VRA will engage a qualified international consulting firm supported by national consultants to carry out consulting services that will include:
  1. assisting PMU-MT to confirm the scope of improvements;
  2. to prepare detailed engineering designs, cost estimates and bid documents suitable for international competitive bidding (ICB), (for the cross border facilities at Xa Xia this work will include architectural designs, as appropriate, and bid documents will be prepared using National Competitive Bidding (NCB) procedures);
  3. to assist PMU-MT in the finalization of Resettlement Plans of all road sections in the Project;
  4. to carry out feasibility studies of constructing a new road parallel to QL63 between Minh Luong and Thu Bay and parallel TL7 between Thu Bay and the Nga Bac Canal instead of widening these roads;
  5. to assist PMU-MT in the prequalification and bidding process and bid evaluations of the civil works contracts;
  6. to function as 'the Engineer' in administering all civil works contracts in ADB/AusAID sub-component and ensuring completion of construction in accordance with the contract provisions;
  7. to assist PMU-MT and Kien Giang and Ca Mau provinces in the implementation of resettlement plans for all contracts,
  8. to assist PMU-MT in the implementation of an HIV/AIDS/STDs Awareness and Prevention Program and a Human Trafficking Prevention Program;
  9. to assist PMU-MT in ensuring compliance with the ADB Environmental Guidelines and environmental mitigation plans in contracts in the ADB/AusAID sub-component; and
  10. to provide on-job-training training to PMU-MT staff in civil works construction administration, implementation of resettlement plans and monitoring of environmental management plans.
The consulting services contract is expected to commence in early 2008 and will continue about 74 months (from about April 2008 to about June 2014).

4. On behalf of VRA, PMU-My Thuan now invites eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing these consulting services. The consultants will be expected to demonstrate expertise in project management, procurement, construction supervision, surveying, quantity surveying, materials, transport planning and economics, and project management systems; highway, bridge (including hydrology and drainage engineering), and pavement design; environmental impact management, social impact (including social development, gender, HIV/AIDS and human trafficking) and resettlement planning; architecture and electrical and mechanical engineering; maintenance planning and economics; road safety awareness and audits; and project monitoring and evaluation. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc). Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications.

5. The Consultant will be selected in accordance with quality- and cost-based selection procedures set out in the Guidelines on the Use of Consultants by Asian Development Bank and Its Borrowers (2007). Full technical proposals will be required.

6. The deadline for the submission of Expressions of Interest (EOI) is at 3:00 pm on 02 November 2007 to the address below. Late submissions will not be accepted. All firms will be advised of the results of their expression of interest. Only consulting firms those have been short listed will be invited to submit a proposal for the Project's consulting services.

7. The names and addresses of shot-listed firms will be published in ADB's website. Further information from background documents can be obtained from the PMU-My Thuan at the address below.
The PMU- My Thuan
127 B Dinh Tien Hoang Str.
Ward 3
Binh Thanh District
Ho Chi Minh City
Viet Nam

Attn: Mr. Duong Tuan Minh,
General Director of PMU-My Thuan Telephone: + 08 841 0088
Facsimile: + 08 841 1872
E-mail: qldaxa@vnn.vn