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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (CONSULTING SERVICES -FIRM SELECTION)
ASSIGNMENT TITLE: CONSULTANCY FOR TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR MWANA WA NJOBVU IRRIGATION SCHEME
REFERENCE NO.: GBA/IPDC/PDU/CS/FEASIBILITY /2024-25
1. Background
The Government of Malawi recognizes the critical role which irrigation plays in the agriculture sector and thus established the Greenbelt Authority (GBA) to champion sustainable large-scale commercial irrigation farming in Malawi through the sustainable use of available land and water resources. The Greenbelt Authority’s overall objective is to exploit Malawi’s high irrigation potential to increase agricultural production and farm-based income, ensuring food security and reduced poverty through accelerated economic empowerment.
In line with all the three pillars of MW2063 that target Agricultural Productivity and Commercialization, Industrialization and Urbanization, the Greenbelt Authority intends to develop an irrigation scheme at Mwana wa Njobvu in Chikwawa District.
2. Objectives
To carry out a detailed technical feasibility study for the Mwana wa Njobvu Irrigation Scheme.
3. Scope of Work
The feasibility study shall be conducted on 3,000 hectares. The selected Consultant firm shall ensure that the feasibility shall comply with relevant policy and legal framework as outlined in the Terms of Reference of this assignment.
The following are the core tasks of the assignment:
3.1 Socio-Economic Study
The Consultant shall undertake the following but not limited to the following tasks during the studying of socio-economic status: review gender and youth strategy; provide recommendations on communication strategy; develop grievance redress mechanism; review Land Tenure Diagnostic, Allocation and Consolidation Strategy (LTDACS) and; review resettlement policy framework.
3.2 Agricultural Production
The Consultant shall review key Agriculture Policies and good Agricultural Practices and identify high-value crops suitable for the target project area. Further, the Consultant will determine (a) potential high-value crops, cropping patterns and crop rotations; (b) corresponding appropriate field-level irrigation technologies; (c) optimum crop-specific husbandry and management practices including agrochemical and other input quantity; and (d) corresponding yield, cost of production and financial return expectations (crop budgets); all based on agro-climatic conditions, soil and land suitability evaluations, agricultural statistics and research findings, farmer preferences and capabilities, and market and other considerations.
3.3 Public-Private Partnerships
The Consultant shall review the Public Private Partnership policy, Act and regulations and provide a recommendation on the feasible way of implementing the project. Further, the Consultant shall provide a Public Private Partnership financial model and structure options.
3.4 Environmental and Socio-Impact Assessment
The Consultant shall prepare an Environmental and Socio Impact Assessment as guided by the Environmental Management Act. The Consultant shall also prepare an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) in tabular form specifying the predicted impacts, mitigation measures/ enhancement measures, schedule of the measures and responsible persons and institutions. Lastly, the Consultant shall also propose an Environmental Monitoring Plan by which all mitigation measures recommended in ESMP will be monitored.
3.5 Hydraulic Modelling of Water Intake
The Consultant shall review the Preliminary Design Report; identify the location of the main canal to be constructed under the Shire Valley Transformation Project; identify possible water intake locations and provide any possible technical, socio, legal and cost implications
3.6 Field Survey
The Consultant shall prepare study topographic maps, satellite imagery maps, other ground surveys and cadastral maps to articulate and delineate preliminary proposals/scenarios for the irrigation system layout showing major canals, natural drainage ways, drainage canals and potential irrigation blocks to be used as the starting point for a participatory process for detailed irrigation system layout design.
The Consultant shall also carry out the geotechnical investigations required to undertake the detailed design, in particular (i) at the proposed site for the irrigation intake, adequate to understand foundation conditions and for detailed engineering designs of the intake structures, (ii) at the site of the main structures of the scheme, and i) along the dikes and secondary canals;
3.7 Assessment of Technical Options
The consultant shall critically review previous studies, undertake field visits, and interview main stakeholders in order to list the options that require a decision making before preparing the feasibility study. Additionally, the Consultant shall study and comprehend recommendations and related assumptions of Shire Valley Transformation Project studies.
3.8 Water Requirements and Water Availability for the Project
The Consultant shall collect all existing available agro-meteorological data (temperature, evapotranspiration, rainfall, etc.) required for estimation of crop water requirements and irrigation water requirements of the scheme, verify the reliability and accuracy of data, and make corrections as necessary before use. In that context, quality analysis of collected data and filling in of all missing data using appropriate standard approaches and techniques is necessary.
3.9 Adaptation of the scheme to the socioeconomic and environmental constraints
The Consultant shall propose and study detailed adaptations of the scheme (layout, alignment, profile, etc.) to specific challenges linked to environmental and sociologic issues. These adaptations will in particular encompass mitigation measures linked to Elephant Marsh
3.10 Carbon finance potential
The Consultant will assess the project’s potential in terms of Carbon Finance, and propose adaptation of the project technologies or layout aimed at mobilizing Carbone Finance.
3.11 Financial and Economic Analysis
The Consultant will cost the project and assess its economic and financial profitability. Economic prices of the project inputs and outputs shall be determined to perform the economic assessment according to the standards. The financial analysis shall be undertaken for each project implementation model option.
3.12 Institutional Framework
The Consultant shall propose a comprehensive institutional set-up for the project, addressing water management, agricultural production, agro-processing and marketing and detailing for each organization: (i) responsibilities, (ii) principles, (iii) financial resources governance and flows, (iv) modalities of representation in “upstream” organization. This framework shall be consistent with the PPP option recommended by the Consultant above.
4. Selection Method
The methodology for evaluating proposals will be Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS).
5. Terms of Reference
Interested Consultants should request the Terms of Reference of the assignment by sending an email to: mkamowa@gba.gov.mw
6. Proposal Submission
The proposal shall be submitted in two parts in separate sealed envelopes indicating TECHNICAL and FINANCIAL
Proposals marked with “CONSULTANCY FOR TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR MWANA WA NJOBVU IRRIGATION SCHEME” be deposited in the tender box on or before Wednesday, 24th July 2024 at 14:00 hours local time.
(a) Address where bids/proposals will be deposited:
The Chairperson
Internal Procurement and Disposal Committee
Greenbelt Authority
Mwai House
(Opposite TAMA House)
Floor #2 – Conference Room
Convention Drive
P.O. Box 30776
Lilongwe 3
(b) Address where the Technical Proposal opening will take place:
GBA Boardroom
Mwai House (Opposite TAMA House)
Floor # 2 – Conference Room
Convention Drive
P.O. Box 30776
Lilongwe 3
(c) Address where the Request for Proposal document will be inspected and collected:
Greenbelt Authority
Procurement and Disposal Unit Office
Mwai House (Opposite TAMA House)
Floor # 2-Conference Room
Convention Drive
P.O. Box 30776
Lilongwe 3
E-mail: mkamowa@gba.gov.mw
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