State of Palestine

Professional training system in Water and Sanitation sector –
Feasibility Study - CONSULTING SERVICES
Expressions of Interest
Invitation No: PWA/AFD/2021/034EOI-CTD

The Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) has received a financing from Agence Française de Développement ("AFD"), and intends to use part of the funds thereof for payments under the following project: Professional training system in Water and Sanitation sector for West Bank and Gaza Strip – Feasibility Study.
The Services of the consultant shall consist of, but not limited to, the following:
i. Phase 1 – Opportunity and needs analysis
Main objective: carry out an analysis of the current structure of the sector and its dynamics in terms of skills and jobs and assess the opportunity and the conditions for the establishment of a professional training reference responsible entity within the water and sanitation trades in Palestine
ii. Phase 2 - feasibility analysis:
Objective: analyze the feasibility of the training System according to the finding of the Phase 1 and the chosen scenario validated by the main stakeholders. The Consultant will realize a detailed feasibility study for the project. In general, the Consultant shall be able to propose:
a. An intervention rationale that has been agreed upon, shared and validated by all stakeholders: general objective, specific objectives, expected results, activities, risks and assumptions;
b. A description of the tangible and intangible investments to be made;
c. A synthetic logical framework;
d. A detailed budget;
e. The economic and financial model of the financed system in order to ensure its sustainability;
f. An implementation schedule;
The Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) hereby invites Applicants to show their interest in delivering the Services described above.
This Request for Expressions of Interest is open to: Consulting firms.
Eligibility criteria to AFD financing are specified in sub-clause 1.3 of the "Procurement Guidelines for AFD Financed Contracts in Foreign Countries", available online on AFD’s website: http://www.afd.fr.
The Applicant shall submit only one application, either in its own name or as a member of a Joint Venture (JV). If an Applicant (including any JV member) submits or participates in more than one application, those applications shall be all rejected. However, the same Subconsultant may participate in several applications.
If the Applicant is a JV, the expression of interest shall include:
- a copy of the JV Agreement entered into by all members,
Or
- a letter of intent to execute a JV Agreement, signed by all members together with a copy of the Agreement proposal,
In the absence of this document, the other members will be considered as Subconsultants.
Experiences and qualifications of Subconsultants are not taken into account in the evaluation of the applications.
Interested Applicants must provide information evidencing that they are qualified and experienced to perform those Services. For that purpose, documented evidence of recent and similar services shall be submitted. The number of similar experiences presented in the expression of interest is strictly limited to 10, (for single consultant or joint venture). Beyond 10, additional experiences presented will not be analyzed. The “Statement of Integrity, Eligibility and Environmental and Social Responsibility” needs to be completed, signed and submitted.
Determination of the similarity of the experiences will be based on:
- The financial value of the contracts.
- The nature of the services “feasibility study for professional training in water sector and sanitation", “Training and vocational education studies".
- The technical area and expertise “Water and Sanitation”, “Continuing education”, “Vocational Training”.
- Previous experience "in the region", mediteranian area and in Palestine is an advantage.
The Client will also take into account for the evaluation of the applications the following items:
- Skills and availability of in-house technical back-up experts provided to the on-site experts; No CVs are requested or to be presented.
- Local representatives/partners. No CVs to be presented.
- Quality assurance procedures and certifications of the Applicant: ISO 9001 or environmental and social certification relevant to project nature.

Expression of interest should not exceed 80 pages maximum.
Among the submitted applications, The Palestinian Water Authority will shortlist a maximum of six (6) Applicants, to whom the Request for Proposals to carry out the Services shall be sent.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address (2) below in person, or by e-mail on or before 09 of september 2021 no later than 12:00 noon local time

Address 1: For Information
Palestinian Water Authority
Kamal Nasir Street, Al Masayef, Ramallah, West Bank, State of Palestine
Attention: Mr. :Raed Sawaftah
Head of procurement unit
Tel: +972 2 2987665
Fax: +972 2 2987336
Mobile: + 970 599814065
Email: Raed _Sf@yahoo.com
Web site: www.pwa.ps
Address 2: For Submission
Ministry of Public Works and Housing
Central Tendering Department
Al Baloua’ Street,
Beitunia, West Bank, Palestine
Attn: Eng. Saeed Abu Zaid
Acting Director General
Fax: + 970 2 290 9092
Mobile: + 970 5929 79098
E-mail: abuzaidsaeed@yahoo.com
ctd@mpwh.pna.ps









 
Appendix to The Request for Expressions of Interest
(To be submitted with the application, signed and unaltered)
Statement of Integrity, Eligibility and Environmental and Social Responsibility

Reference of the bid or proposal (the "Contract")
To: (the "Contracting Authority")

1. We recognize and accept that Agence Française de Développement ("AFD") only finances projects of the Contracting Authority subject to its own conditions which are set out in the Financing Agreement which benefits directly or indirectly to the Contracting Authority. As a matter of consequence, no legal relationship exists between AFD and our company, our joint venture or our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or subconsultants. The Contracting Authority retains exclusive responsibility for the preparation and implementation of the procurement process and performance of the contract. The Contracting Authority means the Purchaser, the Employer, the Client, as the case may be, for the procurement of goods, works, plants, consulting services or non-consulting services.
2. We hereby certify that neither we nor any other member of our joint venture or any of our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or subconsultants are in any of the following situations:
2.1 Being bankrupt, wound up or ceasing our activities, having our activities administered by the courts, having entered into receivership, reorganisation or being in any analogous situation arising from any similar procedure;
2.2 Having been:
a) convicted, within the past five years by a court decision, which has the force of res judicata in the country where the Contract is implemented, of fraud, corruption or of any other offense committed during a procurement process or performance of a contract (in the event of such conviction, you may attach to this Statement of Integrity supporting information showing that this conviction is not relevant in the context of this Contract);
b) subject to an administrative sanction within the past five years by the European Union or by the competent authorities of the country where we are constituted, for fraud, corruption or for any other offense committed during a procurement process or performance of a contract (in the event of such sanction, you may attach to this Statement of Integrity supporting information showing that this sanction is not relevant in the context of this Contract);
c) convicted, within the past five years by a court decision, which has the force of res judicata, of fraud, corruption or of any other offense committed during the procurement process or performance of an AFD-financed contract;
2.3 Being listed for financial sanctions by the United Nations, the European Union and/or France for the purposes of fight-against-terrorist financing or threat to international peace and security;
2.4 Having been subject within the past five years to a contract termination fully settled against us for significant or persistent failure to comply with our contractual obligations during contract performance, unless this termination was challenged and dispute resolution is still pending or has not confirmed a full settlement against us;
2.5 Not having fulfilled our fiscal obligations regarding payments of taxes in accordance with the legal provisions of either the country where we are constituted or the Contracting Authority's country;
2.6 Being subject to an exclusion decision of the World Bank and being listed on the website http://www.worldbank.org/debarr (in the event of such exclusion, you may attach to this Statement of Integrity supporting information showing that this exclusion is not relevant in the context of this Contract);
2.7 Having created false documents or committed misrepresentation in documentation requested by the Contracting Authority as part of the procurement process of this Contract.
3. We hereby certify that neither we, nor any of the members of our joint venture or any of our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or subconsultants are in any of the following situations of conflict of interest:
3.1 Being an affiliate controlled by the Contracting Authority or a shareholder controlling the Contracting Authority, unless the stemming conflict of interest has been brought to the attention of AFD and resolved to its satisfaction;
3.2 Having a business or family relationship with a Contracting Authority's staff involved in the procurement process or the supervision of the resulting Contract, unless the stemming conflict of interest has been brought to the attention of AFD and resolved to its satisfaction;
3.3 Being controlled by or controlling another bidder or consultant, or being under common control with another bidder or consultant, or receiving from or granting subsidies directly or indirectly to another bidder or consultant, having the same legal representative as another bidder or consultant, maintaining direct or indirect contacts with another bidder or consultant which allows us to have or give access to information contained in the respective applications, bids or proposals, influencing them or influencing decisions of the Contracting Authority;
3.4 Being engaged in a consulting services activity, which, by its nature, may be in conflict with the assignments that we would carry out for the Contracting Authority;
3.5 In the case of procurement of goods, works or plants:
a) Having prepared or having been associated with a consultant who prepared specifications, drawings, calculations and other documentation to be used in the procurement process of this Contract;
b) Having been recruited (or being proposed to be recruited) ourselves or any of our affiliates, to carry out works supervision or inspection for this Contract.
4. If we are a state-owned entity, and to compete in a procurement process, we certify that we have legal and financial autonomy and that we operate under commercial laws and regulations.
5. We undertake to bring to the attention of the Contracting Authority, which will inform AFD, any change in situation with regard to points 2 to 4 here above.
6. In the context of the procurement process and performance of the corresponding contract:
6.1 We have not and we will not engage in any dishonest conduct (act or omission) deliberately indented to deceive others, to intentionally conceal items, to violate or vitiate someone's consent, to make them circumvent legal or regulatory requirements and/or to violate their internal rules in order to obtain illegitimate profit;
6.2 We have not and we will not engage in any dishonest conduct (act or omission) contrary to our legal or regulatory obligations or our internal rules in order to obtain illegitimate profit;
6.3 We have not promised, offered or given and we will not promise, offer or give, directly or indirectly to (i) any Person who holds a legislative, executive, administrative or judicial mandate within the State of the Contracting Authority regardless of whether that Person was nominated or elected, regardless of the permanent or temporary, paid or unpaid nature of the position and regardless of the hierarchical level the Person occupies, (ii) any other Person who performs a public function, including for a State institution or a State owned company, or who provides a public service, or (iii) any other person defined as a Public Officer by the national laws of the Contracting Authority’s country, an undue advantage of any kind, for himself or for another Person or entity, for such Public Officer to act or refrain from acting in his official capacity;
6.4 We have not promised, offered or given and we will not promise, offer or give, directly or indirectly to any Person who occupies an executive position in a private sector entity or works for such an entity, regardless of the nature of his/her capacity, any undue advantage of any kind, for himself or another Person or entity for such Person to perform or refrain from performing any act in breach of its legal, contractual or professional obligations;
6.5 We have not and we will not engage in any practice likely to influence the contract award process to the detriment of the Contracting Authority and, in particular, in any anti competitive practice having for object or for effect to prevent, restrict or distort competition, namely by limiting access to the market or the free exercise of competition by other undertakings;
6.6 Neither we nor any of the members of our joint venture or any of our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or subconsultants shall acquire or supply any equipment nor operate in any sectors under an embargo of the United Nations, the European Union or France;
6.7 We commit ourselves to comply with and ensure that all of our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or subconsultants comply with international environmental and labour standards, consistent with laws and regulations applicable in the country of implementation of the Contract, including the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and international environmental treaties. Moreover, we shall implement environmental and social risks mitigation measures when specified in the environmental and social commitment plan (ESCP) provided by the Contracting Authority.
7. We, as well as members of our joint venture and our suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, consultants or subconsultants authorise AFD to inspect accounts, records and other documents relating to the procurement process and performance of the contract and to have them audited by auditors appointed by AFD.

Name: In the capacity of:
Duly empowered to sign in the name and on behalf of :
Signature:
Dated: