Environmental Services Project: Supporting Development of Local Action Groups in Albania (LEADER Approach)

Project ID: P130492
Borrower/Bid No: ESP-CS-QCBS-9

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
ALBANIA
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES PROJECT
P150450
STF 18238
Assignment Title: Supporting Development of Local Action Groups in Albania (LEADER Approach)

Reference No.: ESP-CS-QCBS-9

The Republic of Albania has received financing in the amount of US$ 23 million equivalent from the World Bank toward the cost of the Environmental Services Project, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. The project is jointly financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Swedish Government and it includes the following components:
Component 1- Strengthening Institutional Capacity to improve environmental services from integrated landscape management. The component aims to build a stable institutional environment that facilitates sustainable upland management, thereby improving environmental service provision.
Component 2- Planning and Provision of IPARD like Grants to improve land management
The component aims to increase the provision of environment services to downstream beneficiaries and society as a whole, whilst increasing the return and livelihood opportunities to the owners/users/managers of the land through improving forest, pasture and micro-catchment management.
Component 3- Introducing Payments for Environmental Services
The component will help establish financing mechanisms to reduce land degradation and support sustainable livelihoods through provision of and compensation for environmental services.
Component 4-Supporting Project Implementation
The objective of the component is to support the MOE to carry out mainstreamed project implementation and overall coordination according to agreed arrangements.

Albania has been making a real progress in social, economic and environment development over the last 20 years; however the rural areas are facing with the acute social, economic and environmental issues affecting quality of life of rural population. Decreasing and ageing population, low incomes of rural families depending on small-scale farming and forestry, unsustainable management of natural resource, lacking of diversification of rural economy, and underdeveloped infrastructure deepen the problems of the rural areas and increase the poverty and social exclusion.
As the national, regional and local government policies are not often capable to tackle with these problems, the involvement of the local community into the decision-making can assist in changing the situation. The EU member states apply LEADER approach for tackling the similar rural problems and increasing the quality of life in rural areas and diversification of rural economy. The LEADER is an instrument where three key sectors – public, private and NGO – work in a partnership for increasing the quality of life and rural livelihoods through involvement of local community into the all stages of the area development - from the needs analysis and decision making to the action implementation.
Although some LEADER type initiatives in Albania have been experienced already; the complete approach was never implemented.
The Environmental Services Project (ESP) will support the development of Local Action Groups in three selected areas. Preferably the LAGs could be formed at municipality level with the population of 10-50 thousands. It is not necessary to follow the administrational borders but their territory cannot overlap. In order to save the time and use the experience and skills built by other donor projects, the pilot LAGs can be formed on the bases of the LAG type organizations established by SNV, MADA and Oxfam or at least some persons from those LAG type organizations could be involved into the pilot LAGs in order to use the capacities build and experience gained through the previous LEADER type initiatives in Albania. Training is an integral part of the consultancy.
The main objective of this assignment is to establish and make operational a prototype LAGs for ensuring sustainable management of natural resources and development of rural areas.

To achieve this objective, the project will commission an international consulting company to support the MoE to develop three pilot LAGs.
The specific objectives of this consulting service are:

(i) Provision of support to rural communities in increasing their quality of life and improving sustainability of natural resources through local initiatives supported by the local development strategies;
(ii) Building of community and rural development capacities;
(iii) Building of policy dialogue for preserving natural resources, provision of environmental services;
(iv) Ensuring sustainable development of rural areas in Albania and integrated multi-sectorial approach to regional development;
(v) Contributing to poverty reduction;

The assignment will be implemented over 24 month period and the estimated cost amounts at Euro 300,000.

The Ministry of Environment now invites eligible consulting firms ("Consultants") to indicate their interest in providing the Services.
Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience in carrying out forests inventory assignments. They should provide information demonstrating that they are qualified for the assignment as follows:

*Description of the profile of the company; background and personnel, (30 points);
*Description of most relevant and similar work/assignments (max. up to 10), demonstrating appropriate skills in rural development, community development, preferably with LEADER programs. (Provide information related to completed and/or on-going assignments: name of the assignment/project, source of funding, cost, duration, role as sole partner and/or member of JV) (50 points);
*Experience in the country and/or similar countries in similar assignments (20 points).

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank's Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers (January 2011 edition) ("Consultant Guidelines"), setting forth the World Bank's policy on conflict of interest.
Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub-consultancy to enhance their qualifications.
A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.
Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours: 09:00 to 16:00 hour.
Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below in person, or by mail, or by e-mail by September 23, 2016.

Ardiana Sokoli
Director of European Integration and Projects
Ministry of Environment
Address: Blvd. Zhan D'Ark, No. 23, Tirana, Albania
Tel: +355 4 2259900
Email: ardiana.sokoli@moe.gov.al;
Cc: Erion Istrefi, Project Coordinator
Email: erion.istrefi@yahoo.com