Public procurement in the context of natural disasters

Original blog published by Felipe Goya on the World Bank website.

Nepal is coping with the consequences of a disastrous earthquake. During the next months the government will be under a lot of pressure to respond quickly to the needs of the population.

Public procurement units across the Volunteers unload relief materials in Nepalcountry will also feel this pressure. They will be deciding over the purchase of goods and services with taxpayer money. On the one hand, the purchases are urgently needed. On the other, there is a risk that taxpayer money can be wasted if decisions are taken too hastily.

One instrument that can be helpful in this kind of situation is a framework agreement. This should be part of any country’s Disaster Risk Management plan. Its aim is to have a procurement system ready that responds quickly to an emergency. But this quick response should not increase risks beyond what policymakers have defined as acceptable. Special procurement procedures for emergencies should be part of disaster management systems and should especially include tailored framework agreements.

Specific considerations:

  • Delivery capacity
  • Price speculation

Read the full article at http://blogs.worldbank.org/endpovertyinsouthasia/shaping-procurement-plan-emergencies?CID=EXT_TWBN_D_EXT.

 

World Bank project pipeline for major sectors

Curious about future World Bank projects in your field of expertise? Interested in knowing how much will be invested by the World Bank in a particular country? Want to know the pipeline of projects, with information on the project amount, the main sectors and themes, and the link to the project website?

Search no more! We have collated the information regarding pipeline projects for the main sectors. Simply click on the sector below. Please note that projects may appear in multiple lists as projects may address issues in multiple sectors.

The information is currect per June 22, 2015. Not all projects may ultimately be approved by the Board of Directors.

Pipeline Agriculture (total pipeline: $6.794 billion)

Pipeline Energy (total pipeline: $9.744 billion)

Pipeline Health (total pipeline: $7.266 billion)

Pipeline Transport (total pipeline: $28.833 billion)

Pipeline Water (total pipeline: $9.208 billion)

Sahel Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases

On June 11, the Board of Directors of the World Bank approved the Sahel Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, involving a total of $121 million. These funds are split between Burkina Faso ($37 million), Mali ($37 million), Niger ($37 million), and ECOWAS ($10 million).

The goal of the project is to increase access to and use of harmonized community-level services for the prevention and treatment of malaria and selected neglected tropical diseases in targeted cross-borders areas in participating countries in the Sahel region.

These goals are to be achieved through the following three components:

Continue reading

Lao PDR Health Governance and Nutrition Development Project

Lao PDR has made steady and significant progress on key population health outcomes over the past few decades. Life expectancy has increased to almost 68 years in 2012, up from 49 years in 1980. The mortality rate for children under the age of five has also declined significantly over the same period: from 201 per 1,000 live births in 1980 to 71 in 2013. Notable progress has been made in improving maternal health, with maternal mortality decreasing from 1,600 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 220 in 2013. The total fertility rate has also declined steadily from an estimated 6.0 births per woman in 1990 to 3.2 in 2013.
The gains in nutrition have been smaller. In Lao PDR, 44 per cent of children under five years of age (around 417,000) are stunted (low height for age), 27 per cent are underweight and 6 per cent are wasted (low weight for height).
Given this background, on Tuesday June 23, the World Bank Board of Directors is considering the Lao PDR Health Governance and Nutrition Development Project. The project involves a total World Bank grant and credit of $26.4 million.

Continue reading

eConsultant2: Jordan Energy Sector Assessment

The objective of this Technical Assistance is centered on developing a strategy to transform the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) into a real transmission company and an electricity market operator at international standards, and hence increasing the sector efficiency by strengthening management and regulatory capacities of NEPCO, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MoEMR), and the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC).

See full tender here: #1189496 Jordan Energy Sector Assessment

Funding source: ESMAP (Dutch-contributed Trust Fund)

Continue reading

World Bank Urban and Energy Departments Terms of Reference Resource (Energy & Water) Efficiency & Rooftop Solar PV for Schools in Rio de Janeiro

Most comprehensive e-consultant tender to date: includes scope of work and activities.

See full tender here: #1189177 World Bank Urban and Energy Departments Terms of Reference Resource (Energy & Water) Efficiency & Rooftop Solar PV for Schools in Rio de Janeiro

Expression of Interest Deadline: 30-Jun-2015 at 11:59:59 PM (EST)

eConsultant2 website: https://wbgeconsult2.worldbank.org

Tender notification: # 1189177

Assignment Countries:

  • Brazil

 

Albania – Developing a Sector Financing Strategy for the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector

See full tender here: #1188265 Albania – Developing a Sector Financing Strategy for the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector

Expression of Interest Deadline: 28-Jun-2015 at 11:59:59 PM (EST)

eConsultant2 website: https://wbgeconsult2.worldbank.org

Tender notification: # 1188265

Assignment Countries:

  • Albania

Pakistan Sindh Barrages Improvement Project

The World Bank Board of Directors will discuss the Sindh Barrages Improvement Project in Pakistan on Friday, June 19. Upon approval, this project will receive a total of $188 million from the World Bank for a grand total of $208 million.

The Project Development Outcome is to improve the reliability and safety of the Guddu barrage and strengthen the Sindh Irrigation Department’s capacity to operate and manage the barrage. The project consists of three different components:

  • Rehabilitation of the Guddu Barrage
  • Improved Barrage Operation
  • Project Management, Monitoring, and Evaluation

Renewed support for infrastructure in developing countries

The Netherlands has renewed its system of financial support for major infrastructure projects in developing countries. “The building and construction of, for example, ports, irrigation systems and coastal protection are crucial to economic development and improve the lives of the population. The new DRIVE program plays an important and innovative way in this,” says Minister Ploumen for Foreign Trade and Development.

It is expected that over the coming years investments in infrastructure will increase enormously in Africa. Reports speak of a ‘boom’ more than $ 100 billion in investments annually over a long period. DRIVE stands for Development and Related Infrastructure Investment Vehicle, and is the successor of the Program for Development-related Infrastructure in Developing Countries (ORIO).

Continue reading the press release (in Dutch).

More information in English at the RVO Website.

World Bank wants to stop anonymous firms winning contracts

Original article posted by Reuters.

WASHINGTON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The World Bank wants all corporate bidders on bank-funded projects to publicly reveal their true owners as a way of tackling fraud and cronyism in government contracts, a senior official said.

The proposal is part of sweeping reforms to modernize contracting at World Bank for the first time in roughly 50 years, which are due for board consideration next month, Chris Browne, chief procurement officer at the bank, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview on Monday.

“We are very committed to transparency and integrity. We are very keen to take this to the next level,” Browne said.

Continue reading