Project Title Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Project Executing Agency Local Government and Community Development (LG&CD) Department, Government of Punjab Package PICIIP-Cons_01A (Individual Consultants) Expertise Urban Economist Source National
Background
In September 2017 the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved the Punjab Intermediate Cities Improvement Investment Project (PICIIP, the Project) to support key urban sectors including water, sanitation, solid waste management, and urban transport and spaces (e.g. parks, riverbanks) in the cities of Sahiwal and Sialkot in Punjab, Pakistan. Under the Project, the Government will procure goods and works contracts also recruit consulting firms and individual consultants for project details design, construction supervision, operational design, business modeling, due diligence and capacity building. These Terms of Reference (ToRs) are prepared for the recruitment of Urban Economist (the Consultant) under the consultant recruitment package PICIIP-Cons-01.
The LG&CD Department has established a Project Management Unit (PMU) and two City Implementation Units (CIUs) in Sahiwal and Sialkot to support the Project implementation activities. The PMU and CIUs are resourced with technical and administrative personnel for planning, executing and monitoring of Project activities covering all the key aspects such as engineering, urban planning, procurement, M&E, financial management, administration etc. However, it is recognized that the existing HR/business processes in place in PMU are required to be supported and augmented with a strong technical input, advise, and implementation support from professional consultants with requisite skill set and expertise in their respective areas of specialization. The Consultant is expected to fill the gaps between existing and expected performance levels, and will support the PMU/CIUs to comply with ADB guidelines and Government’s regulations to achieve Project objectives and targets in the timely and effective manner.
Purpose
The purpose of this position is to support the development and implementation a
transformative model(s) for urban economic growth and development that will feed into various infrastructure level interventions for urban development in the target cities. Page 2 of 4
Scope of Work
The Consultant’s tasks and responsibilities include, but may not be limited to, the following:
Review primary and secondary data sets of urban and municipal services to (i) monitor trends and emerging issues related to urban economy (ii) identify the key factors / drivers of the urban economy, and (iii) perform analysis of key issues and gaps related to urban economy. Analyze urban and regional areas by drawing together local economic, demographic and property information with broader macroeconomic and demographic trends which can encompass economic development strategies, economic analyses and projections, cost- benefit/economic impact analysis, cluster analysis and strategic land use and transport planning. Design and conduct studies/analysis/research on urban economy and its performance to leverage the comparative advantages into development models for selected interventions in infrastructure development, technology acquisition, skills development and other key inputs to strengthen the design and implementation of urban economy and finance interventions under PICIIP. Develop models to frame and analyse urban and regional economies and urban development financing approaches, and propose policies and strategies for urban and municipal development. Provide recommendations on enhancing the competitiveness of the target cities through improving urban/municipal services that are integrated with infrastructure and policy interventions for the urban areas. Engage in dialogue with the Metropolitan/ Municipal Corporations (MCs) Sahiwal and Sialkot concerning urban development issues including urban planning, urban and municipal management, urban environmental management, and private sector participation in provision of municipal services. Facilitate and engage with the Engineering Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) Consultant, Urban Mobility Design and Supervision Consultant, Operational Design and Business Model (ODBM) Consultants, and Smart City Consultants to provide technical advise and all the relevant information/data and knowledge of the field to help them produce deliverables for their relevant consultancy assignments. Identify opportunities, and develop and implement partnership arrangements with other donor organizations, development banks, regional economic commissions, economic research institutions, private sector and other relevant players with a purpose to promote urban/municipal development initiatives in Punjab. Liaise with the key project stakeholders for planning, design, reviews, deliberations, presentations, approvals, and implementation. Any other business as and when required by the Project Director, PICIIP. Page 3 of 4
Expected Qualifications and Skill Requirements
A university degree in Economics, Urban Planning or a relevant discipline.
A minimum of 10 years of work experience in matters related to urban or municipal finance, urban economic research and analysis, sustainability planning & urban development (analytical and quantitative approaches), policy formulation, application of economic principles in development programmes/projects etc. Preferably 5 years of work experience in similar projects particularly related to public sector reforms. Knowledge of best practices, laws and policies related with urban development is essential for this position Experience of working in development sector and with international donor organizations would be preferred. Excellent communication skills (written and oral) and strong inter-personal skills would be considered an advantage.
Deliverables
Inception Report/Work Plan: After the mobilization, the Consultant will prepare a comprehensive Inception Report and Work Plan along with detailed tasks and activities, list of deliverable and the timelines under the agreed and approved scope of work for the consultancy assignment. This report will be submitted to and approved by PMU and ADB before commencing the work. Key Reports: The Consultant will submit the key reports/deliverables to PMU as per the agreed tasks, activities and timelines. The ADB/PMU will review and approve the reports/deliverables and the Consultant will be paid accordingly. The indicative list of deliverables is as under:
1. A comprehensive review report on analysis of key issues and gaps related to urban economy. 2. Research report(s) on urban economy and its performance and other key inputs to strengthen the design and implementation of urban economy and finance interventions under PICIIP. 3. Recommendation report(s) with suggested models, policies and strategies for economic development in the target cities. 4. Economic profiling of PICIIP cities. 5. Impact analysis of PICIIP investments. 6. Any other report/deliverable as per the requirements of the consultancy assignment.
Institutional Arrangements
Under the supervision of Project team leaders, the Consultant will support PMU for 110 Page 4 of 4
working days (5 months) with intermittent inputs spanning over the period from the signing of the contract till the estimated completion of tasks within 24 months. The consultant will work closely with PMU/CIUs, LG&CD Department, ADB, and other relevant individual consultants and consulting firms as per the requirements of the consulting assignment.
He/she will report to the Project Director (PD) for all his tasks and responsibilities as per the agreed scope of work. However, PMU’s concerned staff members and ADB team will jointly provide the technical oversight. Management and support on contractual and administrative matters rests with procurement and admin team of PMU.
The consultant will spend his time in PMU’s office in Lahore, visits to the relevant government organizations to meet the key stakeholders, and making field visits to the target districts. The Consultant is expected to set up conducive working environment from home with good and stable access to internet, personal computer/laptop, and other IT equipment as feasible.
