This request for Expressions of Interest follows the General Procurement Notice for this Project that appeared in UN Development Business No. 662 of September 16, 2005. The World Bank is assisting the Government of Albania (GoA) with the financing of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Clean-up Project (ICZMCP) with an objective to support Albania to develop on a sustainable basis, tourism in the South Coast. The project will support investments in (i) critical public environmental infrastructure and municipal services (ii) remediation and containment of pollution hazards from a former chemical plant in Porto Romano, and (ii) community infrastructure improvements and revitalization and enhancement of architectural and cultural resources. The ICZMCP is implementing by the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Under Component B, the Project includes Sub-component B.1 Solid Waste Management, which will support the development of modern waste management facilities and services in Southern Albania, to improve environmental conditions and to allow for the closure of the existing dump site in Saranda. Specifically, this project will support the construction of a modern, technically-engineered, Regional sanitary Landfill (disposal facility for non-hazardous Solid Waste) in Bajkaj (near Saranda) together with the provision of appropriate access to the facility. In addition, the project will include the construction of a Transfer Station close to the Municipality of Himara. Due to the limited quantities of waste generated by local communities and improved road infrastructure in the area, the construction of a Transfer Station to service the Himare area was deemed technically and financially feasible. Main Goal of this Assignment The objective of the assignment is to assist the Government of Albania (GoA) represented by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Project Coordination Unit) to define the performance standards for commercial operation of the Landfill, to advise on the options for operation and the management of the Landfill including appropriate contractual arrangements, to conclude the service level agreements between the participating municipalities and communes, to advise on the tariff setting and the collection of gate fees for the operations, as well as on ownership arrangements and/or transfer of assets. Specific tasks The main aspects of Landfill and Transfer Station operation which will be defined under this assignment are: 1. Stakeholders and their respective roles and obligations (e.g., participating Municipalities and Commune, Vlora Region, Ministry of Public Works and Transport and its solid waste department, qualifying criteria for waste collection companies operating in the area and the Transfer Station operator, the Landfill operator, other possible operators etc.,); 2. Performance standards for high operating efficiency and maintenance of the SWM infrastructure which includes Landfill, Transfer Station and transportation vehicles (trucks); 3. Options for involvement of private operators and/or the establishment of an (inter)municipal company or management entity under alternative authority (state or qark); related to that the identifications/description of application risks and risk mitigation provisions for the operational alternatives considered; 4. Ownership arrangements and # if applicable# arrangements for transfer of equity/assets and the option where the public sector would retain ownership of assets but would be compensated for investments. Description of details (e.g. technical, managerial, financial and contractual, and risks etc.) of the option when investments in the waste disposal and transfer facilities will be made by the public sector and the use and management of the facilities will rest with the local stakeholders; 5. Financial management, including recurring payments of services (transport, disposal) to be implemented and system(s) for collection of these payments from waste generators: local tax, tariff or other means to collect the "gate fee" from citizens and business customers; and 6. The corresponding legal and contractual agreements for the establishment of an entity or entities to own and/or manage the facilities and service level agreements between the facility operators and the clients and underlying commitments, incentives and penalties for the entering parties. Key Qualifications and Skills The Consultant should have experience in solid waste management projects and in particular proven experience in setting up and facilitating operational, organizational, financial and legal arrangements and agreements for sustainable operation and management of solid waste entities for the collection, transport and disposal, including regional solid waste landfill infrastructure where more than one municipality is involved. The consulting services for the waste transaction advisory services will be executed by a Consultant Company, which is proposed to be comprised of the key staff as follows: Solid Waste Management Specialist, with 15 years of international experience in solid waste management and the operation of landfill infrastructure, specifically with proven experience in setting up/facilitating organizational, financial and legal arrangements and agreements for sustainable operation and management of solid waste entities for collection, transport and regional solid waste landfills; Corporate Lawyer with 5 years of experience in Albania in the establishment of publicly owned entities and in contract management; and A liaison officer/facilitator with 5 years of experience in Albania in facilitating meetings and discussions and preferably experience in the Southern Coast of Albania. Timing The duration of the assignment is 6 months. The assignment is anticipated to begin on November, 2010 until May, 2011. Interested consultant companies must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (Summary of relevant experience of the consultant, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, CV of key staff, letters of recommendation, etc.). The work of the Consultant Company will be supervised by the Project Coordination Unit within the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. A Consulting Firm will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in the World Bank's Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers issued on May 2004, revised October 2006 and May 2010, based on Consultant's qualifications selection method (CQS). Interested consultant may obtain further information at the address below from 08 00 to 1630 hours, Monday through Thursday and 08.00- 14.00 on Fridays. Expressions of interest must be delivered to the address below electronically or hard copy by October 25, 2010. Contact: Attention to: Mrs. Majlinda HOXHA, Project Coordinator. Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Project Coordination Unit (PCU)/ (3-rd floor, room no. 306). Address: Sheshi Skenderbej No. 5. Tirana, Albania. Tel / Fax: 00 355 4 22 73 738. E-mail: [email protected]