Consulting Services for Accompanying Measures, Rehabilitation and Extension of Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal Systems

Brief description of the Contract:

The Project concerns the rehabilitation and extension of water supply and wastewater disposal systems in the region of Himara and Orikum in the south west of Albania, about 200 km by road from Tirana, at the coast of the Ionian Sea, which shall be implemented under the Rural Water Supply Program IV (RWSP IV).

The purpose of the Project is to provide environmentally sound and hygienically safe water supply and wastewater disposal at cost covering and socially acceptable tariffs in parts of the Municipality of Himara and in the town of Orikum (Municipality of Vlora) while covering peak demands resulting from tourism in the summer months. This is to contribute to the reduction of health risks and environmental pollution.

The overall investment volume under the Project is approx. EUR 40 million (including consulting services and contingencies).

The Implementation Consultant for the Project is already in place and commenced his services beginning of 2020.

Requested Consultant Services:

The PEA is seeking to engage a qualified Institutional Consultant for the Accompanying Measures, which shall be conducted in parallel to project Implementation. The duties of the Institutional Consultant comprise consulting services for the improvement of the UKs' organization and performance with a particular focus on the UK Himare and potentially UK VIora, including:

• Assistance in the development and implementation of a cost covering and socially acceptable tariff strategy (e.g. development/update of (long-term) tariff adjustment plans, preparation of tariff applications and submission to ERRU)
• Identification and implementation of measures to increase revenues in order to improve the overall economic performance (e.g. reduction of administrative losses by supporting increased billing and collection efficiency, the update/extension of customer databases and the collection of past due bills; development of strategies to enforce the legal obligation to connect to the public water supply and wastewater system particularly with respect to commercial entities)
• Improvement of O&M procedures (e.g. introduction of O&M manuals and standard operating procedures)
• Strengthening of staff capacities (e.g. development of a staff development concept, iterative trainings for O&M as well as commercial staff, possibly support in recruiting additional qualified staff)
• Elaboration of a sustainable sludge concept (including sludge disposal)
• Planning and implementation of awareness campaigns and trainings in customer relationship management and public relations