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Vacancy Announcement Terms of Reference: Water Expert

1.        BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1.1.          Partner country

Albania is a country in South-eastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Sea within the Mediterranean Sea and shares land borders with Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, North Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south.

Albania applied for EU membership in April 2009 and since then the EU approximation is a high priority for the Government. Considering progress achieved and following recommendation of the European Commission, Albania is a candidate country and is in the process of opening the EU negotiation process.Albania open EU negotiations in June 2022 and the process of screening has started.

1.2.          Contracting Authority

Brooks Hannas & Partners d.o.o. on behalf of the Brooks Hannas and MP Dooel Consortium.

1.3.          Background

The EU integration is the strategic objective and priority for Albania, underpinning its national and foreign policies. Albania signed and ratified the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union and its Member States and in April 2009 the country applied for candidate country status.

During the period April 2018 to April 2021 Albania and Sweden have been cooperating in implementing the program “Support to Accession Negotiations in Environment Chapter 27”- SANE27. The purpose of the program was to support the Ministry of Tourism and Environment (MTE) as a coordinator of Chapter 27 and the other Albanian institutions and stakeholders to prepare for the EU-negotiations process for Chapter 27 – Environment and Climate change. The program has been funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). SANE27 Phase II is a continuation of this Swedish contribution, with the Albanian authorities to strengthen capacity of the national institutions to prepare for EU negotiations and accession.

Water sector is considered a priority for the Government of Albania and, as such, for the Ministry of Tourism and Environment (MTE) as well being the leading institution in relation to the Chapter 27 and in coordinating the institutions that are related to the management and implementation of the policies in the Water sector. There are several initiatives ongoing both on the legislation part related to the transposition of the EU acquis and the completion of water legislation with bylaws and also practical interventions related to the improvement of the integrated water management in Albania.

2.        OBJECTIVE, PURPOSE & EXPECTED RESULTS

This contract will support implementation of SANE27 phase II Component. 2 – activity 1.3. Support during Bilateral Screening and negotiation process and activity 2.1 Supporting in identification of strategic planning needs

2.1.          Overall objective

This contract will be a part of the following SANE27 phase II objectives:

  • To strengthen the understanding of the Albanian institutions of the EU negotiations process and the overall EU approximation process for Ch.27.
  • To improve the strategic planning capability and to align the relevant planning documents to the EU negotiations process and priorities.

2.2.          Purpose

The purpose of this contract is as follows:

  • Update of the Table of Concordance (ToC) for the water subsector for the Directives that have not been updated in 2021.
  • Update the Screening Preparatory Assessment report and Action Plan for the water sub-chapter.
  • Support during Bilateral Screening process and activity for the water management sub-chapter.
  • Supporting in identification of strategic planning needs for the Water Management sub-chapter.

3.        ASSUMPTIONS & RISKS

3.1.          Assumptions

This contract assumes that the

  • The MTE provides continuous support to the implementation of the program activities.
  • With the support from the MTE, a clear mechanism of coordination with other agencies that are part of the water sector is established.
  • MTE, AMBU, AKUM and other relevant institutions are involved in submitting the required documents and in the required consultation process.
  • Programme implementation team will be able to handle the possible occurrence of corruption.

3.2.          Risks

Lack of coordination of ministries/agencies involved in the water subsector Mitigating actions: organising high level meetings with staff of MTE, AMBU and AKUM, coordination within IIWG27 will be part of the activities and in close contact to ensure that all stakeholders are involved and responding

4.        SCOPE OF THE WORK

4.1.          General

4.1.1. Description

Water sector as part of the Chapter 27 – Environment and Climate Change thatis considered to be one of the most challenging as it requires significant financial resources for water management infrastructure to meet EU requirements that is managed by several authorities, including the local ones. Furthermore, the sector has incomplete and partially obsolete water and wastewater infrastructure, inefficient costs recovery policies for water related services, insufficient financial means for infrastructure development and operation and maintenance. Inadequate management and water services tariffs are in general excessively influenced by political considerations. Furthermore, there is limited integrated monitoring, enforcement and coordination of planning and budgeting of investments are insuficient.

An Integrated Policy and Management Group (IPMG), chaired by the National Water Council (NWC), guides the policy development, implementation, and evaluation of Integrated Water Management (IPMG-IWM). To steer the water sector approach, the National Water Resource Management Agency (WRMA – AMBU in Albanian) was established in 2018, also fulfilling the role of secretariat of the NWC. The IPMG-IWM has two thematic working groups: one on water reform (Water supply and sewerage, led by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy (MIE)) and the other one on water resource management (led by AMBU). There are several projects supported by different donors that tackle both the integrated water management system and investment for the water supply and waste water treatment.

Water management competencies are shared among several institutions with insufficient capacities and coordination. As such there is a need for an expert that should support with the preparation of the document that are needed for the upcoming negotiation process, updated the existing ones and also provide support to the IIWG27, especially to the water subgroup in dealing with the process of screening that will start in early 2023.

4.1.2. Geographical area to be covered

Tirana, Albania

4.1.3. Target groups

The primary target group:

  • Ministry of Tourism and Environment of Albania (MTE), Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy (MIE),Water Resource Management Agency (AMBU), Agency for Water Sewerage and Waste Infrastructure (AKUM)and relevant Institutions.

Secondary target groups:

  • Inter Institutional Working Group Chapter 27
  • Sub-Working group for water

4.2.          Specific work

Specific works shall be related to three areas:

  1. Support with revision of ToC, SPA and AP:
  1. Updated/developed ToC for Water Management directives/regulations
  2. Revised Screening Preparatory Assessment (SPA) report for Water Management sub-chapter;
  3. Develop Action Plan for missing directives/regulations under Water Management sub-chapter;
  4. Update the Action plans for the Water Management sub-chapter;
  1. Support with planning:
  2. Develop a table of identified Implementing Measures from the Water Management strategy and from other planning documents, responsible persons and timeframe and their actual status of implementation;
  3. Develop a list of proposal for the actions to be taken for the implementation of the Water Management strategy and of the other planning documents measures with identified responsible institution ;
  4. Develop Matrix for tracking implementation of the Water Management strategy and other planning documents;
  5. Presentations, within the outputs of this ToR;
  • Support with Bilateral Screening Questions:
  1. Providing support in preparing/finalising the answers to the Bilateral Screening Question (BSQ) and submission SANE27 for the identified directive/regulations under water sub-chapter:
  2. Providing support in preparing/finalising the Presentations for the Bilateral Screening Meeting (BSM);

And

  1. Short memos of the main meetings held with the responsible persons;
  2. Report regarding undertaken activities.

For each of the area specific Working Packages shall be developed describing in detail the activities and the corresponding deadlines.

The activities to delivery this work will include, but not be limited to:

  1. Develop/Update the Table of Concordance for the Water subsector so that transposition level with EU water acquis is identified;
  2. Update Screening Preparatory Assessment Report for the analysis the overall actual context of the Water Management sector in Albania as well as any other planning document for Water Management relevant for national level;
  3. Identify all Implementing Measures contained in the Water Management strategy and in the other planning documents, allocated deadline for implementation of each measure and responsible authority, and report their actual status of implementation;
  4. Identify all Implementing Measures contained in the Water Management strategy and in the other planning documents, allocated deadline for implementation of each measure and responsible authority, and report their actual status of implementation;
  5. Developing matrix for tracking the implementation of the measures within the Water Management strategy;
  6. Provide proposals for implementation for each measure;
  7. Organize and conduct meetings (in person, video or e-meetings) with the responsible person for the Water Management strategy and other planning documents implementation from the relevant administrations;
  8. Participate at meetings/workshop and prepare and deliver presentations on the findings, if required, answer questions if any, contribute to the discussion sector in Albania as well as any other planning document for Water Management relevant for national level;
  9. Update the Action plans for the Water Management sub-chapter with latest development and improve actions as needed;
  10. Participate and Provide presentations of directives/regulations implementation and participate at discussions for the draft action plans during meetings/workshops as requested by SANE27 phase II.
  11. Analysing the Official Bilateral Screening Questions (BSC) for the following identified directives/regulations:
  12. Providing support for answering the BSQ for the identified directives/regulations to responsible persons from MTE and/or relevant institutions (hereinafter: responsible persons);
  13. Establish communication, online and through email with responsible persons and international experts, for providing support for answering the BSQ for the identified directives/regulations under water-subchapter;
  14. Providing support in finalising the answers to BSQ;
  15. Providing support to the responsible persons for preparation of presentations for the Bilateral Screening Meeting (BSM);
  16. Attend the Role-playing training – practice session –for presenting at BSM organized by SANE27;
  17. Providing support in answering additional questions raised by the European Commission (EC) on the delivered BSQ answers, in cooperation with international expert.

4.3.          Management structure

An individual expert will be chosen for such activity, and he/she will report to the contracting authority and SANE 27 TL.

5.        LOGISTICS AND TIMING

5.1.          Location

The expert is expected is required to work at her/his own location to work. Meetings with relevant Albanian institutions and SANE27 ph.II and other if required will be held in Tirana or online as agreed.

5.2.          Start date & period of implementation

The indicative start date is 20January 2023 until 15thMarch 2024

6.        Requirements of the Expert

The expert must be one of the following types of entity: natural persons, or physical person with VAT.

6.1.          Qualification and skills:

Water National Expert: 75 days for the whole period of implementation

  • At least 10 years of experience in the Water Management Sector;
  • Previous experience with the EU legislation in the field of Water Management;
  • Previous experience with analysing and/or drafting and/or implementing strategic and planning documents related to water;
  • Good knowledge of English;
  • Previous experience working in Albanian administration on water issues shall be considered as an asset.

Education: Minimum bachelor’s degree.

6.2.          Facilities to be provided by the Contractor

The Contractor shall provide any materials or facilities required for their work that is not otherwise specified here within.

6.3.          Acceptance of deliverables and payments

Payments to be made on acceptance by the Program Director based on the signed TS by the Team leader and delivered outputs set out in article 4.2.

7.        MONITORING AND EVALUATION

7.1.          Performance Review

The SANE27 Phase II core team will review the outputs as part of the delivery process.

8.        Application

Applicants should send their application in English, no later than 16.01.203 (17:00 o’clock), to E-mail: ermira.bashllari.Sane27@brookshannas.com using the EU pass CV form.

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