Background

The ‘Municipal Empowerment and Resilience Project’ (MERP) is a joint initiative by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat). The project is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MoIM) and is funded by the European Union (EU) through EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, the ‘Madad Fund’.

The project aims to strengthen the long-term resilience of subnational authorities in Lebanon as well as host communities, refugees and displaced persons affected by the Syrian Crisis. To achieve this, the Project engages in a three-pronged approach: MERP aims to 1. strengthen processes, procedures and practices to enable municipalities and Union of Municipalities (UoMs) to deliver effective and efficient services in a transparent and accountable manner; 2.  empower municipalities and UoMs to facilitate local economic development (LED) and to deliver basic services that address the needs of both host and refugee populations, and; 3. support communities to engage in municipal processes and procedures to ensure that municipalities UoMs are responsive to their needs. These objectives include efforts to support the government of Lebanon at national level to strengthen the enabling environment for local governments i.e., municipalities and UoMs, and to better respond to the needs of communities.

The project’s geographic areas of intervention are the Urban Community Al Fayhaa (UCF), the Federation of Municipalities of the Northern and Coastal Matn, and the UoM of Tyre with a total of ninety-two (92) partner municipalities.

Municipalities and UoMs play a crucial role in the delivery of services and local economic development activities for their residents. However, the refugee crisis, the global pandemic and the economic crisis have put tremendous pressure on subnational authorities in Lebanon to effectively respond to the needs of their communities.  In response to the current situation, MERP is supporting basic service/LED projects at municipal/UoM level that aim to address the immediate needs of host, displaced, and refugee communities. The focus of the projects will be on basic services and LED interventions under the mandate of municipalities in line with municipal legislation (article 49, 50 and 51 of Legislative Decree 118/1977). Eligible municipalities and UoMs were invited to submit proposals in December 2020.  

As part of this process, UCF submitted a proposal for a project that aims to improve the role and performance of its Fire Brigade Department. In specific, the project seeks to (1) Equip the Fire Brigade Department with the needed vehicles and equipment to improve the response to fires in the four (4) cities members of the Union (Tripoli, Al Mina, Al Beddawi, Qalamoun); (2) Improve the working conditions in the fire brigade building by rehabilitating it; (3) Empower the fire brigade staff with appropriate and advanced skills and capabilities that enable them to perform their tasks in a better and effective manner in terms of first aid and advanced skills in response to fires; and (4) Improve public safety measures through inspection of buildings in the area.  

Concerning the first objective, UCF senior management team together with the head of the Fire Brigade, prepared a preliminary list of needed vehicles and equipment as well as their specifications. In addition to the fire trucks, the list includes items such as escape ladders, portable road safety barriers, fire extinguishers, uniforms, etc. The selected vehicles, equipment, and safety materials have been purchased from as specialized supplier under a Long-Term Agreement with the United Nations and are expected to be delivered to the UCF by mid-2023.

When it comes to rehabilitating the two-floor building of the Fire Brigade under objective 2, a design company has been contracted to develop the design, including civil and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) engineering works. The design includes, in addition to the rehabilitation works to be undertaken, the equipment of the different sections of the building (the fire brigade staffs dormitories, conference/meeting rooms, the kitchen, toilets, and the fire burning treatment room). Moreover, one of the rooms was designed to serve as a gym for firefighters to train in and maintain physical fitness and readiness.  The gym will also be equipped with sport machines once the building is rehabilitated.

As part of the support provided to the Union and the Fire Brigade Department through the different activities above-mentioned, MERP is planning to further support them through the development of a “business plan” that aims to help the senior leadership and management of UCF operate and properly maintain the fire brigade building, the existing and newly purchased fleet, and the firefighting equipment, on the short and medium-term. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Considering the above, UNDP is seeking an expert (National Individual Consultant) to support the development of the business development plan structured around the following components and associated tasks:

(1) The development of a rapid economic and social appraisal for the project to assess the benefits of the project versus its costs;

(2) The elaboration of detailed operation and maintenance financial plan for the renovated fire brigade building, old fleet, new fire trucks and equipment aiming to help the UCF senior management actively plan and budget for the Fire Brigade Department operation and maintenance costs in the coming five (5) to ten (10) years;

(3) The development of an asset management plan to complement the operation and maintenance financial plan, to help preserve the life of the concerned fire assets; and  

(4) The identification and design of needed solutions that will support the financial planning for the O&M and the implementation of the asset management plan.

The consultant is expected to closely work with the MERP field coordinator in the North and project manager for Al-Fayha'a, the MERP technical team, and the Chief Technical Adviser to agree on the methodology to be followed throughout the assignment of developing the “business plan”. Additionally, the consultant will have to coordinate, with the support of the field coordinator in the area, with the beneficiaries of the project, which is in this case UCF and the Fire Brigade, and when applicable conduct consultations with the various additional stakeholders as identified by UCF and MERP.

Nothing in this TOR should be interpreted as requiring the development of SOPs or plans for the usage of firefighting assets and equipment within the context of firefighting missions.

The main tasks expected from the consultant are as follows:

Task 1: Inception Phase of the Business Plan

1. Undertake a general desk review of existing documents related to the UCF Fire Brigade Department project (e.g., assessments, project reports, design, drawings, bill of quantities, trucks, and equipment O&M manuals if available, official firefighting SOPs (including legislation) if available etc.), the annual budgets and annual financial statements of the Union, and other key sources of information such as relevant academic and professional literature.
2. Organize and carry out initial round of interviews and meetings with key stakeholders to introduce the objective of the assignment, build contacts, and gather preliminary data and information.
3. Design the conceptual frameworks that will be followed for each component of the Business Plan including the rapid Economic and Social Appraisal, the detailed financial plan for O&M, the asset management plan, and the identification and design of the model(s) to provide the basis for O&M financial planning and asset management solutions.
4. Develop the methodology and the associated tools that will be deployed during the assignment: Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, Surveys, Needs Assessments etc. The methodology must include the type of needed data to be collected and details about the steps to be undertaken to gather the necessary information. Beneficiaries and stakeholders to be interviewed will be clearly identified in close coordination with MERP.
5. The consultant will develop a risk analysis and design the mitigation measures to be undertaken in case of gaps in the data or scarcity of information.
6. Based on the above, the consultant will develop and present the inception report including the detailed outline for the Business Plan and all the methodological tools to be deployed.

Task 2: The Development of the First Version of the Business Plan and Implementation of the Plan’s Associated Activities

Task 2.1 The Rapid Economic and Social Appraisal

2.1.1 Refine the conceptual framework whereby all the relevant indicators that will be used to appraise the public safety “not for profit” Fire Brigade project have been selected and approved.

2.1.2 Collect the remaining information and data needed through the deployment of methodological tools presented in the inception phase (KIIs, FGDs, surveys etc.)

2.1.3 Conduct sensitivity analysis based on different scopes of intervention. For example, “exclusively within UCF” versus “within and outside UCF”.   

2.1.4 Assess the extent to which the Fire Brigade project as designed will indeed benefit all socio-demographic groups within the UCF and make recommendations regarding how inclusivity could be improved going forward (if any).

Task 2.2 The Detailed Financial Plan for Operation and Maintenance

2.2.1 Develop the costing structure relevant to the O&M plan for the Fire Brigade project covering the following components: Fire Brigade Department facilities, existing fleet and equipment, and new fire trucks, equipment, and safety materials.

2.2.2 Develop a detailed assumption table identifying all the factors impacting the operations and maintenance cost (e.g., price of oil, inflation, public sector salaries and wages and related indemnities and allowances etc.) and provide justifications for the choice of assumptions made.

2.2.3 Develop a range of estimates over a five-year period and ten-year period for each component of the project based on the assumptions made as per 2.2.2 and the recommended maintenance strategy for each asset type (corrective or preventive).

2.2.4 Assess the net impact over Union Finances.

Task 2.3 The Asset Management Plan

2.3.1 Prepare the Asset inventory.

2.3.2 Calculate life cycle of each asset.

2.3.3 Identify feasible options for pro-active asset management in the UCF context. This would include among other things:

i. Developing a plan and schedule for main maintenance tasks to be undertaken in the facility on a regular basis.

ii. Developing a plan and schedule for main maintenance tasks to be undertaken for the existing and new fleet and specify responsibilities on a regular basis.

iii.  Identify all parties and staff responsible for and skills set needed and linked to the O&M and asset management.

2.3.4 Identify and customize to UCF context any additional asset management measures to be implemented based on relevant literature.

Task 2.4: The identification and design of solution(s) allowing UCF senior management better financial planning for O&M and Asset Management

In close coordination with the Director of the Union and the Head of the Fire Brigade Department, the consultant is expected to identify and design solution(s) that can facilitate better financial planning for the O&M and asset management. This shall be an opportunity to explore eventual user-friendly management tool(s) that will help collect and monitor information and data systematically and calculate indicators facilitating the processes of operation and maintenance financial planning and asset management.  

2.4.1 Review the management modalities relevant to the Fire Brigade Department and available capacities and tools within the UCF. This would include institutional capacity, human resources, as well as available IT/MIS’S infrastructure and capacity.

2.4.2 Based on the capacity assessment of the Union, including IT/MIS’S infrastructure and human capacity, come up with recommendations to the O&M financial planning as well as the asset management needs of the Fire Brigade Department in terms of potential tool(s)/automated solution(s).

2.4.3 Design and build the financial model for the Fire Brigade operation and maintenance as well as the asset management model that will be at the heart of the proposed tool(s)/automated solutions.

2.4.4 Identify the optimal type of software and operating system in which the proposed solutions should be embedded considering the existing IT/MIS and explore and advice whether the two could be eventually linked.

Task 2 will conclude with the submission of the first version of the “business plan”.

Task 3: The Development of the Second Version of the Business Plan

3.1 First version of the Business Plan to be presented to UCF and partners (UN-Habitat, UNDP etc.) for validation. A power-point presentation is required.

3.2 Gaps and additional data/information and research still needed to be identified.

3.3 Refinement to the economic and social appraisal and additional sensitivity analysis conducted based on second round of consultations.

3.4 Refinement of the detailed O&M financial plan and additional sensitivity analysis conducted based on second- round of consultations.

3.5 Refinement of the asset management plan based on additional round of consultations.

3.6 Refinement of the model(s) proposed to serve as the basis for O&M financial planning and asset management solutions.

Task 3 will conclude with the submission of the second version of the “business plan”.

Task 4: Finalization of the Business Plan

4.1 Final validation process of the second version of the “business plan” in all its four (4) components and presentations to UCF. Given that the business plan is made up of four components, up to four (4) presentations might be required.

4.2 Update of all data and information as needed to feed into economic and social appraisal, financial plan for O&M, and the asset management plan.

4.3 Finalize the business plan.

Competencies

• Good analytical and report-writing skills.
• Commitment to team and cross-disciplinary work.
• Emphasis on delivery of results and reacts well to constructive criticism.
• Proficiency in English and Arabic is a must.
• Nationals are only eligible to apply.

Required Skills and Experience

I. Academic Qualifications:

• Master ’s degree in Economics, Engineering, or a related discipline with strong quantitative content.
• Phd ’s degree in Transport Engineering or Transportation Economics is highly desired.

II. Experience:

• Overall relevant experience in public transportation sector or public sector projects involving significant use of public vehicles for the provision of basic services of not less than five (5) years.
• Proven experience in developing business development plans for the public transportation sector or public sector projects involving significant use of public vehicles for the provision of basic services.
• Experience in conducting financial feasibility studies.
• Experience in asset management planning.
• Experience in public policy advocacy with the public sector.

Note :

The application must include all of the following Mandatory documents:- Please refer to the link : https://procurement-notices.undp.org/  to reach the above documents

1. P11,
2. Technical Proposal,
3. Annex 3 (Offerors Letter) and
4. Financial proposa