Senior Road Engineer Consultant
Antananarivo
- Organization: AIIB - Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
- Location: Antananarivo
- Grade: Mid level - Mid level
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Occupational Groups:
- Engineering
- Infrastructure and Urban-Rural development
- Closing Date: 2025-02-14
Application close date
02/14/2025
1. Project Background
Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, is located off the southeastern coast of Africa and is home to over 28 million people. Despite its significant agricultural and tourism potential, the lack of road infrastructure to facilitate trade and connectivity, the vulnerability to natural disasters (droughts, floods, and cyclones) and climate change, as well as the absence of economic opportunities, has led to high levels of poverty (82.1% poverty rate, one of the highest in the country), food vulnerability and recurrent violence. Its underdeveloped infrastructure hinders trade, and connectivity hinders Madagascar’s potential in agriculture, fishing, and extractive industries. Poor road networks, low electrification rates, and inadequate transport links isolate rural communities, limiting market access and stifling economic opportunities and livelihoods. In 2023, the Government of Madagascar (GoM) requested financing support from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB or “the Ban”) for the development and rehabilitation of a road section in the Southwest of Madagascar (the Project), under the umbrella of Madagascar-Beira Corridor Development and Trade Facilitation Program Phase 2 (PACFC-II) led by the African Development Bank. This program aims to enhance the connectivity of the country’s southern region through roads and port facilities, creating a logistics hub integrated into the regional and global network. The proposed Project would finance the road works for 92 km of National Road RN9, between Mandabe and Dabara. The proposed Project’s objective is to provide an efficient interconnection in Southwestern Madagascar to improve rural communities' access to social and economic opportunities while enabling regional trade and integration. The proposed Project will finance the following components: 1. Development and rehabilitation works. This component will invest in (i) the development and pavement of Mandabe – Dabara (89 km), including 5 bridges, (i) the development and renovation of associated facilities along the project road section (lighting, markets, water drilling, etc.), and (iii) the construction of unpaved access road, connecting the project road section to existing social infrastructure (schools, hospitals, etc.). 2. Project Monitoring and Supervision Support. This component is to support the monitoring and supervision activities, including works monitoring and supervision consultancy services, and audit activities. 3. Project Management. This component is to support the Project Implementing Unit (PIU) with additional individual consultants for the project implementation and management activities. The support will furnish the project implementation entities with the needed capacities, functions, and skills to perform effective and efficient management of the Project. The GoM requested AIIB’s Project Preparation Special Fund (PPSF) to support the preparation activities of the proposed Project. The implementing agency of the proposed project is the Road Agency under the Ministry of Public Works of Madagascar (MPW). The PPSF grant will finance detailed engineering design studies, environmental and social assessments, procurement advisory services, and capacity building. Under PPSF, AIIB is recruiting an individual Senior Road Engineer Consultant (“the Consultant”) to assist with the project preparation activities and during the early implementation of the proposed project, with extension possible depending on needs. The Consultant will primarily support the Bank's Project Team by providing technical expertise and ensuring quality in the design studies, the procurement process for civil works and consultancy services for works supervision, and the implementation of the works related to the development and rehabilitation of the RN9 road section Mandabe – Dabara.
2. Objectives of the Assignment
The Consultant will act as a representative of the AIIB’s Project Team on site. Their role will include reviewing detailed engineering designs, ensuring compliance with international standards, and offering guidance to enhance road safety, climate resilience, and the overall quality of the infrastructure. The Consultant will provide capacity building to the implementing agency, Road Agency under the MPW, and other entities involved in the proposed Project, ensuring they are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively manage and implement the Project's technical components. This consultant will be critical in supporting the successful execution of the Project's technical aspects and its long-term sustainability.
3. Scope of Services
The assignment will include the following activities: 1) Conduct the project scoping and support in the proposed project preparation (to be conducted through the assignment). The aim is to conduct the scoping of the proposed project and develop its implementation strategy, closely working with the Road Agency. - Collect and review relevant data and literature to justify the alignment of the proposed project with the priorities of GoM and PACFC Phase II. - Conduct an initial assessment of the different elements proposed under the project to define their main features and rationale to be included. - Undertake site visits; review the field conditions from a technical perspective, including, among others, forecasted demand, technical viability, environmental and social (E&S) aspects, climate change, and road safety. - Map the relevant stakeholders of this project and conduct meetings with them. - Prepare a detailed project scope (based on outputs of Detailed Engineering Design (DEDs)). Recommend adjustments, as/if needed, to the proposed scope. - Review the proposed Project investment cost. - Support the PIU in defining the procurement plan strategy for the proposed Project (civil works, social infrastructure facilities works, monitoring consultant, etc.). - Review the proposed project indicative financing plan. - Prepare a potential timeline for the implementation of the project. - Identify potential risks, challenge, or constraints that may impact the proposed project and develop a risk mitigation strategy. - Provide support to the AIIB’s Project Team in the due diligence and project preparation based on the requirements and procedures of the Bank. - Participate in meetings with the Road Agency and Bank project team and present the interim and final proposed project scoping. 2) Preparing Terms of Reference (TORs) and contributing to drafting the bidding documents to hire firm(s) and/or individual consultants to review and update DEDs and other technical documents. - Review (in close cooperation with the PIU, Road Agency, and AIIB) TOR(s) outlining the detailed activities, requirements of the experts and staff, estimated budget, outputs/deliverables, and implementation timeline for conducting the update of the DED and other technical documents aligned with the Project’s scope. - Contribute to drafting the TOR of other activities to be supported by the PPSF grant. 3) Reviewing and enhancing technical outputs/deliverables. - Review the DEDs, and other technical documents prepared by firms and/or other individual consultants to assist the PIU-Road Agency in delivering safe, cost-effective, climate-resilient, and gender-inclusive infrastructure, conducive to social development. - Identify design deficiencies and/or nonconformities as per relevant design specifications/standards and AIIB’s requirements; propose adequate corrective measures. - Provide support to the Bank project team on the review of the Project Implementation Manual. 4) Providing preparation support during the procurement and early project implementation. - Review the draft bidding documents for works and support the PIU in the kick-off of the procurement. - Contribute to drafting the bidding documents for the social infrastructure facilities, and for the supervision monitoring consultant. - Assist the PIU in procuring the activities under the proposed Project. - Provide support to the PIU on monitoring of works’ contractor(s). - Provide support to the PIU in the management, supervision, and coordination with the monitoring and supervision consultancy firm. 5) Other activities related to the assignment. - Capacity-building support on road design, road safety, and climate resilience road measures to the PIU under the Road Agency. - Design and provide training on road contract management and road works supervision to the PIU under the Road Agency. - Any other activity related to the assignment.
4. Consultancy Output / Deliverables
The outputs of this activity will include, among others, (i) a report and other supplementary documents (e.g., PowerPoint presentations) capturing the finalized project scope (including a project background and rational description, a stakeholder mapping, a risk assessment and mitigation measures, etc.) (ii) comments on the TOR(s) to hire consultants (firms/individuals) to prepare the DEDs, and to support the PIU on the project preparation activities, (iii) recommendations on the Procurement Plan for the proposed Project and the indicative Project investment cost and financing plan, (iv) revisions on the deliverables of the DEDs, particularly on the bidding document for the civil works and other investment activities, (v) recommendations, oral and written advice to MPWT and AIIB, as necessary, (vi) training and capacity-building support to Road Agency, and (vii) any additional report/note to achieve the proposed objective.
5. Implementation Arrangement
The Consultant will report to the Project Team Leader, under the Public Sector Client Department Region 1 (PSC1) of AIIB. This assignment is for 140 days from the contract’s signing day until January 31, 2027. If the performance of the Consultant is satisfactory, follow-up activities may be envisaged. The Consultant will carry out this assignment in Antananarivo (Madagascar) and will conduct field visits as/if needed.
6. Support to the Consultant by the Bank
The RD will make all documents and data available to the Consultant if such document and data are essential for carrying out the Assignment. The RD will also provide necessary assistance in making arrangement for the Consultant to work with other governmental agencies.
7. Knowledge Transfer and Training
N/A
Qualification Requirement
• A master’s degree or higher in civil/transport engineering or other area relevant to the assignment. • Minimum ten (10) years of professional experience in road projects/assignments. • Relevant experience in (i) the preparation of TORs/technical documents, particularly related to FS/DEDs and bidding documents to hire firms and contractors; (ii) the preparation and/or review of FS, DEDs, and other technical documents; and (iii) conducting capacity building and institutional development. • Good knowledge of road safety, and climate change aspects is required. Experience working in road/transport connectivity projects is preferred. • Experience working in the supervision of road works is preferred. • Experience in social infrastructure development and enhancement is preferable. • Experience working in projects funded by multilateral development banks, bilateral agencies, or international organizations, with good knowledge of operational procedures and compliances, is a plus. • High degree to work with minimal supervision. Has the capacity to diagnose, analyze, and develop reliable solutions on his/her own. • Strong client and communication skills, with proven experience in providing quality advice to national and sub-national government agencies, and in transferring knowledge. • Proven ability to function effectively and to resolve conflicts constructively. • Excellent communication and written skills in French. Good communication skills in English and ability to work in multicultural teams. Knowledge of local languages, including Malagasy, is a plus. • Previous experience in Madagascar or regional African economies is a plus. • Preferably located in Madagascar.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.