REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Georgia

Forth East-West Highway Improvement Project

Credit/Loan No. IDA5245-GE; IBRD 8263-GE 

Project No. P130413

Assignment Title: Development of a Communication Strategy under Forth East-West Highway Improvement Project (EWHIP-4)

Contract/RFP No: EWHIP-4/CS/ICS-02

Reference No. EWHIP-4/CS/ICS-02

Georgia has received financing from the World Bank towards the cost of the Forth East-West Highway Improvement Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, works, and related services and consulting services to be procured under this project which will be jointly financed by the Government of Georgia. 

The Roads Department of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia (RDMRDI) now invites eligible individual consultants to express their interest in providing the following services: “Development of a Communication Strategy under Forth East-West Highway Improvement Project (EWHIP-4)”.

To achieve the objective of this assignment, the Consultant is expected to:

• Evaluate current information sharing practices, existing communication policies and programs related to the road sector;
• Assess the existing organizational capacity to carry out communication activities and prepare, pretest, produce the communications materials at central and local levels;
• Work closely with the RD and MRDI to define, in light of the previous assessment, the gaps in internal and external communication and identify the communication requirements that must be met at the national and local levels:
  • to support continuing information on road projects’ progress and new developments;
  • to support awareness-raising activities;
  • to create a feedback mechanism, receiving and answering public comments; and
  • to develop emergency communication protocols.
• Identify and detail approaches for fulfilling these communication requirements in a comprehensive and coordinated strategy.
• Share with RD/MRDI examples of international good practices as implemented in advanced countries;
• Propose the use of various types of media and media products (in print/electronic/web, audio/video) relevant to the assignment;
• Define the resources needed (human and financial) and estimated implementation budget; and
• Prepare a detailed implementation plan for the approved communication strategy

The selection criteria are:

• General experience;
• Similar experience.

The estimated duration of assignment is 3 months.

The Consulting Services are for an international Individual Consultant (Communication Specialist). The Consultant shall have a minimum of 10 years of professional experience, of which proven experience in full range of communications approaches, tools and methodologies essential to planning, executing, and monitoring communications strategies, preferably with similar experience in designing a communication strategy for a road agency. Knowledge and familiarity with the European context are required. The candidate should be highly proficient in English.

Note: The Road Department reserves it’s right to verify submitted references and use obtained information for evaluation purposes.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants [under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants] by World Bank Borrowers, January 2011 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.  In addition, please refer to the following specific information on conflict of interest related to this assignment: The consultant shall not receive any remuneration in connection with the assignment except as provided in the contract. The consultant and its affiliates shall not engage in consulting or other activities that conflict with the interest of the client under the contract. The contract shall include provisions limiting future engagement of the consultant for other services resulting from or directly related to the firm’s consulting services in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs 1.9 and 1.10 of the Guidelines.

An individual consultant will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in Section V: “Selection of Individual Consultants” of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers (May 2004 edition, revised January 2011).

Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours 10:00 to 18:00 hours.

Expressions of Interest accompanied by CVs and other relevant information electronically or in printed materials must be delivered to the address below not later than August 13, 2014, 17:00 hours.

Name: Vakhtang Razmadze  

Position: Head of Foreign Projects Unit of Roads Department of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia

Address: 12 Al. Kazbegi Avenue, Tbilisi, 0160, Georgia

Tel: +995-322-37-05-08, ext. 348

Fax: +995-322-31-30-34

Email: info@georoad.ge

Web-Site: www.georoad.ge