Terms of Reference Technical Assistance For Implementation of Small-scale Construction Activities In Hariyo Ban Program The Hariyo Ban Program, funded by USAID and implemented by a consortium of WWF, CARE, NTNC and FECOFUN with WWF as the lead, aims to reduce adverse impacts of climate change and threats to biodiversity in Nepal. It works on three core interwoven components –biodiversity conservation, sustainable landscapes and climate change adaptation – with livelihoods, gender and social inclusion being important cross cutting themes. Hariyo Ban Program is being implemented in two biodiverse priority landscapes of Nepal – Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) and Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape (CHAL), complemented by enabling policy support at the national level. Hariyo Ban Program supports implementation of small-scale construction activities (infrastructures) in the two landscapes in order to realize its project objectives. These activities span the three thematic components as well as the cross-cutting livelihoods component (Annex-1: list of small-scale construction activities in Year 3). These infrastructures are wide ranging and are being developed to address specific project- related needs. For example, in biodiversity conservation, electric fencing and dykes are used to reduce human-wildlife conflict, enabling increased crop and livestock production and reducing human casualties, which in turn reduces retaliatory killing of large mammals such as elephant and tiger. Similarly, check dams are used to restore wetlands and grasslands in areas where drier conditions are resulting in loss of wetlands to grassland, and grassland to forest. Improved water supplies for wildlife help reduce human-wildlife conflict, and are also an adaptation to climate change in areas where natural water sources are drying up because of changing rainfall patterns. Under the climate adaptation component, improved water supplies for people and livestock help improve livelihoods and human wellbeing, and enable people to adapt to climate change. Repairing or opening new small-scale irrigation systems improve livelihoods through increased agricultural production and can build resilience to climate change. Repair/upgrading of foot trails improves access by foot for ecotourism and access to markets, both of which improve local livelihoods. Other measures to adapt to climate change include building small-scale dykes to reduce flooding, and check dams to reduce landslides, flooding and siltation. In the sustainable landscapes component, repair/upgrading of fire-line roads helps to combat uncontrolled fires which are a major driver of deforestation/forest degradation. Biogas helps to reduce several drivers, including overharvesting of firewood, overgrazing, and overuse of other forest products through development of vegetable farming as an alternative livelihood. Additionally, though a relatively infrequent activity, a few buildings are needed to strengthen community organizational capacity and in one case, co-funding of an interpretive center for biodiversity outreach and tourism promotion in the new World Peace Botanical Garden near Pokhara. In the above context, it is essential that Hariyo Ban follows a set of provisions (construction guidelines) reflecting revised USAID procedures for all construction activities, including small scale and largely community managed infrastructures (Annex-2: guidelines for small- scale construction activities). As committed in the guideline, two consortium partners, WWF and CARE, are commissioning consultancy work for certified engineering consulting firms (consultant) to provide technical assistance for the implementation of small-scale construction activities. WWF and CARE may commission one single consultancy, or may divide the work geographically into more than one consultancy by large groups of districts. 1. Objective The objective of the consultancy is: To provide consulting engineering technical assistance for the largely community managed, small-scale construction activities in Hariyo Ban Program, from feasibility assessment to planning and design, implementation and preparation of work completion reports, in order to ensure effective and high quality construction based on set norms and specifications. 2. Supervision and Coordination For WWF, the consultant will be supervised by Anjana Shrestha, Program Associate Hariyo Ban Program WWF. The consultant will collaborate closely with Abdul Ansari and Tilak Dhakal Co-Managers and Purna Kunwar, CHAL Field Coordinator in WWF Nepal, including relevant members of Hariyo Ban core team, and Hariyo Ban consortium partners in the field. For CARE, the consultant will be supervised by Umesh Shrestha, Governance Specialist, Hariyo Ban Program for CARE. The consultant will collaborate closely with Pratima Shrestha and Man Bahadur BK, Climate Change Adaptation Specialists in CARE Nepal, including relevant members of Hariyo Ban core team, and Hariyo Ban consortium partners in the field. 3. Activities/Methodology The consultant will undertake the following tasks for each construction project: • Feasibility study • Detailed engineering survey • Design, quantity and cost estimation • Material quality assessment • Construction supervision and quality assurance of the work along with users committee • Work measurement, and • Training or capacity building in developing skills for management or maintenance of the scheme. 4. Deliverables and Timeline The consultant will prepare a timeline for deliverables (Table 1) for each of the small-scale community managed infrastructure at the time of its design/planning. This timeline will have to be agreed by community user groups and the Hariyo Ban consortium partner responsible for that particular construction activity. Table 1 Deliverable Due date Monthly report of construction activity progress, End of each month, April to June 2014 including any quality issues Letter of certification for each activity that is Multiple dates, to September 2014 completed satisfactorily, with copies given to WWF/CARE and the local organization involved Final financial report 31 October 2014 5. Duration and Time Frame This consultancy will cover an initial period of six months, April – September 2014, which may be extended up to 2016 to cover additional construction activities in subsequent years of the Hariyo Ban Program. 6. Location Identified project sites of TAL and CHAL landscapes. The consultant will have to provide direct assistance to the community groups and consortium partner staff at construction sites, and must be prepared to travel extensively. In addition, some support may be needed for small-scale construction activities that will be undertaken by the Government of Nepal (these are also included in Annex 1). Not all sites are accessible by road; some will involve walking to the site from the road head. 7. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DETAILS A hard copy of the technical proposal should be submitted in a sealed envelope, along with an application letter. A hard copy of the financial proposal should be submitted in a separate sealed envelope. Both envelopes should indicate the consultancy applied for, and be submitted together to the following address: Hariyo Ban Program – WWF Nepal PO Box: 7660 Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Nepal Attention: Ms Anjana Shrestha Technical proposal: The technical proposal should outline the proposed approach including methodology and tools for the consultancy; timeline to accomplish proposed consultancy; the applicant team’s expertise and experience to implement it; and the proposed role(s) of each team member. The proposal should include curriculum vitaes of all proposed personnel for the consultancy. The proposal should include information on the technical and organizational competency of the applicant to undertake the consultancy successfully, including the applicant’s profile and current portfolio, relevant experience, and list of clients specifying the work done for them. In addition the following organizational information should be provided: 1 Organization Registration and latest renewal, if applicable 2 Registration with Social Welfare Council (for I/NGO) 3 PAN/VAT registration certificate 4 Tax Exemption Certificate, if applicable 5 Latest tax clearance certificate (for company) Financial proposal: The financial cost proposal should include a detailed breakdown of the total budget proposal including: unit rate for the complete package (feasibility assessment to work completion report) for each type of infrastructure activity based on the district location (refer to Annex 1) and typical design mentioned in the guideline (Annex 2 – Annex 2 is posted as a separate document on WWF Nepal’s website). Such rates should be inclusive all of the personnel cost, transportation, accommodation, communication, cost of renting equipment, stationeries and other associated costs as deemed necessary. The budget in NRs should be prepared for each district (refer to Table 1) including a summary (refer to Table 2). The payment is subject to tax deduction as per prevailing government rules. Please refer to summary budget format for preparing the financial proposal. Table 1: Cost Proposal Format (district wise) District Name: No of S.N Description Unit Units Rate Amount Consultant Fee based on deliverable 1 and timeframe 1.1 Type of infrastructure 1.2 1.3 1.4 2. Travel costs 2.1 Air fare 2.2 Transportation in field 2.3 Accommodation 2.4 Local transportation Kathmandu (if applicable) 3. Field interaction costs 3.1 3.2 4. Communication cost 4.1 4.2 5. Reports/documents