Inland Water Terminals – Technical Consultant, India

As a part of its overall objective of developing the inland water transport sector in India, IWAI intends to develop terminals located across all the waterways of the country. IWAI has also adopted a policy of developing these terminals, to the extent possible, on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis. In this regard, IFC is seeking to hire a Technical Consultant for screening the terminals and help in understanding the business case for each of these terminals. This would entail a broad assessment of the cargo potential, type of cargo and identification of potential cargo owners for each terminal. The consultant will be expected to take into consideration the work of an ongoing World Bank funded study which is similar.

See full tender here: Inland Water Terminals – Technical Consultant, India

Expression of Interest Deadline: 09 March 2015

Lighting Africa, Kenya – Consumer Education

Lighting Kenya II is targeting deeper penetration in the remote, last mile market segment by engaging MFIs among other partners as a channel to reach unelectrified communities. Consumer education and specifically, below-the-line engagements such as consumer activations, stakeholder events and forums etc, designed to reach rural consumers and create behavioral change is a critical component for the program to achieve its objectives.

The scope of work will include to:

– Develop a clear BTL strategy and implementation plan for Lighting Africas experiential-driven consumer education campaign in Kenya;
– Provide recommendations for specific activities;
– Execute the plan and undertake regular reviews to align the plan with the dynamic environment.

See full tender here: Lighting Africa, Kenya – Consumer Education.

Expression of Interest Deadline: 12 March 2015.

Climate Risk Management: Ports and Water Transport

IFCs Climate Business Department would like to invite interested Consultant firms to indicate their interest to carry out an assignment that will produce methodological approaches and quantitative tools for assessment of financial, environmental and social risks and opportunities resulting from the impacts of climate change (climate risks) that may affect private sector investments and companies in sectors defined below, and to evaluate appropriate adaptation responses.

This assignment will consider the following sectors: Ports and harbors, and water transport.

See full tender here: Climate Risk Management; Ports and Water Transport.

Expression of Interest Deadline: 19 March 2015

Households Begin Returning To Work in Liberia as Ebola Crisis Wanes

Press release published on the World Bank website.

WASHINGTON, February 24, 2015— Nearly 20 percent of the Liberians who had stopped working since the Ebola crisis have returned to work in the last month, according to the World Bank Group’s most recent round of cell-phone surveys, signaling both important progress and the magnitude of the challenge ahead.

This improvement, an encouraging sign of a shift toward economic normalization, was mainly driven by a large increase in wage work in urban areas. A substantial percentage of those working pre-crisis remain out of work, however; those in self-employment continue to be the hardest hit by the Ebola crisis, pointing to a lack of working capital and a lack of customers as the main barriers to their operation.

Continue reading

Baseline Data Collection for Cereals Projects

IFC is conducting an evaluation of two projects supporting smallholder cereals farmers in Rwanda. IFC would like to collect baseline data about the farmers who will benefit from the planned projects, as well as similar famers who are outside of the current scope of the projects. IFC plans to track changes over time between the two groups of farmers (expected beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries).

The assignment is to help IFC staff finalize the baseline survey instrument and other data collection tools, collect baseline data, complete data entry, and provide baseline cleaned data files.

Ideally, the selected firm should have expertise/experience in: quantative and qualitative data collection methods for agriculture, rural development, and agribusiness supply chains; administering surveys, interviews and Focus Group Discussions in rural communities; and, East Africa and particularly Rwanda.
See full tender here: Baseline Data Collection for Cereals Projects – Rwanda

Expression of Interest Deadline: 04 March 2015

Guinea PPP support tender

The Government of Guinea (GoG) has expressed interest that the International Finance Corporation (IFC) support the development of an enabling environment for PPPs and to assist in strengthening GoGs capacity to identify and implement PPPs. Initial efforts in this area would be geared to, with assistance of the IFC PPP Advisory services, in: 1) identifying and assessing a pipeline of infrastructure projects to determine which projects can potentially be developed into PPPs, 2) supporting the Direction Nationale du Patrimoine de l’Etat et des Investissements (DNPEIP) before a new PPP Unit is in place and the new PPP law passed, 3) advising and supporting the new PPP Unit to carry out its mandate, and 4) organising a Stakeholder consultation workshop to present the findings from the Study.

For the purposes of this assignment, IFC will be requiring the services of a qualified Consultant (technical, financial, legal expertise) and invites consultancy firms to indicate their interest.

See full tender here: Guinea PPP support

Expression of Interest Deadline: 09 March 2015

Framework Agreements for WBG Management Consulting Services

The World Bank Group intends to identify a group of qualified management consulting firms to deliver specific assignments over the course of a three year period under Framework Agreements. These specific assignments will be defined as the need arises. Following this invitation for Expression of Interest, a shortlist of qualified firms will be formally invited to submit proposals at which stage the comprehensive Terms of References (TOR) will be distributed.

The World Bank Group is likely to require the support of management consulting firms in the following broad areas:
– Business process improvement,
– Strategy development and implementation,
– Change management and organizational transformation,
– Knowledge assessment and management.
See full tender here: Framework Agreements for World Bank Group Management Consulting Services

Expression of Interest Deadline: 04 March 2015

Lighting Kenya – Market Research on the off-grid lighting market in Kenya

In Kenya, it is estimated that 15% of the rural population is now connected to the grid. The off-grid sector has also registered impressive growth with market penetration of 10-12% achieved through a sustainable, commercial private-sector model.

The program is undertaking market research to assess the development of the off-grid lighting market in Kenya. The scope of work will include but not be limited to:
– the supply chain in terms of retailers carrying the products;
– the extent to which they have penetrated the rural market;
– the estimated market share of products that have passed LA standards vs the rest;
– and an overview of the after sales service structure.

See full tender here: Market Research on the off-grid lighting market – Kenya

Expression of Interest Deadline: 05 March 2015

Strengthening smallholder supply chains for soy and poultry in Zimbabwe

Over the medium term, IFC may seek investment opportunities in the animal protein sector in Zimbabwe.

This program will lay the groundwork for investment by strengthening soy and poultry supply chains in three ways: 1) increasing productivity through training; 2) increasing access to inputs and 3) farmer aggregation.

Cost effective training methodologies utilizing ICTs are encouraged. Access to inputs could be increased through outgrower programs linked to private sector companies or linkages to financial services (the program cannot purchase inputs, beyond those required for demonstration).

See full tender here: smallholder supply chains soy and poultry – zimbabwe

Espression of Interest Deadline: 09 March 2015

World Bank Group Furthers Strategic Engagement with the Netherlands

February 17, 2015 — IFC and the World Bank held a series of policy meetings last week with the Dutch where they agreed on strengthening their partnership by wbengaging in strategic priorities, finding new ways of working together, and exploring the implications of our partnership in light of the recent organizational changes within the World Bank Group.
The meetings, which followed high-level strategic consultations held in September 2013, explored further engagement in four key mutual strategic priorities: agriculture and food security; fragility, conflict and violence; water; and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Continue reading