Improving management and capacity of (i) the water services sector at the level of local self-governments and (ii) LSG’s water utilities

Project: P168943 - BiH Water and Sanitation Services Modernization Project Reference: BA-RSWSS-CS-QCBS-25.2.1.1- Procurement method: Quality And Cost-Based Selection Financing: World Bank REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES - FIRMS SELECTION) REVISED - an extension of deadline for submission of Expressions of interest Bosnia and Herzegovina Water and Sanitation Services Modernization Project Loan No.: 93020-BA Assignment Title: Improving management and capacity of (i) the water services sector at the level of local self-governments and (ii) LSG's water utilities Reference No . (as per Procurement Plan): BA-RSWSS-CS-QCBS-25-2.1.1 The Borrower is Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Republika Srpska, through a subsidiary agreement with the Borrower, has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Water and Sanitation Services Modernization Project , and it intends to apply part of the proceeds to payments for consulting services. The consulting services ("the Services") include: ( 1 ) assistance to local self-governments (LSG) in (i) delivering workshops on LSG responsibilities toward the water public utilities for the assembly chairpersons, members of management/supervisory boards of the water utilities, etc., (ii) analyzing an existing public service agreement (PSA) concerning local government responsibilities arising from the signed PSA and suggest improvement; (iii) assessing local government policy implementation progress concerning subsidizing vulnerable categories and suggesting improvements; (iv)recommending procedures and practices for including the water utility's priority investment and maintenance plans, defined in the water utility's business plan, into the LSG capital investment plans; (v) drafting projects fiche or sample applications; ( 2 ) assistance to Water Utilities (WU) in: (i) increasing the operational autonomy of WU by presenting the required water tariff level and structure with the multi-year tariff adjustment plans in line with the adopted water tariff methodology and monitoring and evaluating the established organizational structure's efficiency and providing recommendations based on such evaluation; (ii) improving the organizational structure of WU by (a) recommending optimal efficiency of the utilities by suggesting new systematization of workplaces targeting long-term optimization of employments, considering existing enormous overstaffing and need for gradual decrease of number of employees; (b) establishing a consumer relations department and adopting consumer relations procedures; (c) support the WUs in organizing and implementing network mapping and GIS; (d) support the WUs in establishing effective zoning; (e) recommending all bulk water meters measuring inflows and outflows from individual District Metering Areas (DMAs) and installing and regularly calibrating water meters for all end-consumers; (f) Non-revenue water (NRW) management; (g)Tariff policy. Support to water services tariffs evaluation, individually for different services (water supply, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment). Cost projections for the next period will be based on previously introduced accounting data and adopted tariff methodology;(h) Analyze the accounting procedures and Management Information System and suggest improvements; (j) Analyze budgeting and business planning and suggest improvements. Analyze financial management, collection and revenue administration, and billing cycle. Define cost centers at least three levels deep. Support the implementation of recording of all costs and revenues by decided cost centers to allow for reporting; (k) Review inventory and fixed assets cycle, including infrastructure ownership and depreciation. Analyze the quantity and quality of water in the WU system; (l) Increase energy efficiency in the utilities. Deliver on-site support and tailored guidelines on setting priorities in energy efficiency measures to be applied in the utility, with a draft action plan prepared for advanced energy efficiency for the entire water utility. Analyze the water utility's potentials for energy production based on water network integrated hydropower installation if the water supply system pressure and water flow allow for that or based on solar or wind power production at own facilities (at water sources, reservoirs or similar), or any other renewable energy source; (m) Support to water balance evaluation for the DMAs where flow and pressure measurements were implemented. Evaluate the consolidated water balance for the entire water utility. Reduce losses in the water supply network for each of the water utilities. Support to sound leak detection in two DMAs. If the water utility does not have the appropriate equipment to implement the task, the Consultant will temporarily provide its equipment as part of the support services; (n) Individually tailor the Guidelines for Operation plan for NRW management and reduce apparent losses in the water su