MOD | R | Morocco: Water Resources and Wastewater Treatment

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF DECEMBER 17, 2004 FBO #1117
MODIFICATION

R -- Morocco: Water Resources and Wastewater Treatment

Notice Date: 12/15/2004
Notice Type: Modification
NAICS: 541611 — Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
Contracting Office: United States Trade and Development Agency, TDA Contracts Office, USTDA, 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1600, Arlington, VA, 22209-3901
ZIP Code: 22209-3901
Solicitation Number: USTDA-05-Q-21-070
Response Due: 1/6/2005
Archive Date: 1/21/2005
Point of Contact: Della Glenn, Contracts Officer, Phone 703-875-4357, Fax 703-875-4009, - Walter Knott, Contracts, Phone 703-875-4357, Fax 703-875-4009,
E-Mail Address: contract@tda.gov, wknott@ustda.gov
Small Business Set-Aside: Total Small Business
Description: WORK STATEMENT “Definitional Mission” for Advisory and Assistance Services by Non-Governmental Sources for Morocco.” Project Title: Morocco: Water Resource and Wastewater Treatment Definitional Mission 1 Scope of Work The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (“USTDA”) requires services under this non-personal services Contract to support or improve its decision-making relative to the funding of projects and activities in developing and middle income countries. The Contractor shall provide a report to USTDA, which will: 1.2 assess and justify whether or not USTDA should provide funding for the proposed feasibility studies or other activities; 1.3 assess any alternative studies or activities which the Contractor sees as viable options for USTDA consideration; and 1.4 provide supporting analysis and recommendations on the above information in a final report that analyzes all the relevant issues, as called for in Section C. 2 Delivery & Performance Requirements 2.1 Kick-Off Meeting with the USTDA Program Office Upon award, the Contractor shall contact USTDA’s Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) as to schedule a meeting to discuss details of the Contract assignment. The designated COTR for this project is Leila Afas. Unless otherwise advised by the COTR, this meeting will be held at USTDA’s office in Arlington, Virginia. The COTR shall provide the Contractor with names and addresses of the project sponsor(s), other pertinent entities to contact in the United States and overseas, and any other relevant details that may impact upon the design and/or evaluation of the proposed project(s). 2.2 Pre-Visit Report Prior to departure to the host countries, the Contractor shall provide the COTR a pre-visit written report of 3-5 pages containing the proposed schedule or itinerary, preliminary strategies or findings on project viability, financing options, U.S. company interest in the project, a list of contacts to be made during the visit and a pre-visit checklist of issues, information and questions to be utilized during the visit. 2.3 USTDA Responsibility USTDA will advise the U.S. Embassies in the host countries of the Contractor’s proposed travel itinerary prior to departure and request that the Commercial Section of each Embassy provide the Contractor with names and addresses of appropriate host country officials with whom to meet. 2.4 Contractor’s Host Country Travel The Contractor shall travel to various locations within Morocco to meet with relevant project officials and with the U.S. Embassy personnel. The Contractor shall contact the Commercial Section at the U.S. Embassy upon arrival and prior to departure for briefing and debriefing meetings. While the Embassy may be able to assist the Contractor in arranging some initial meetings with host country officials, the Contractor is responsible for arranging the meetings as well as logistics for the visit, i.e., hotel accommodations, transportation, and interpretation services. In some cases, the Contractor may need to Contract with a local entity to assist with these logistics. Local entities may not provide the technical work of substance for the creation of the DM report. 2.5 Contractor Meaningful Discussions The Contractor shall hold meaningful discussions with appropriate contacts to determine and gauge the interest of potential project financiers and potential U.S. suppliers and assess whether the proposed project(s) is economically, financially, and technically viable. The Contractor shall analyze the potential procurement of U.S. goods and services for project implementation by categories and dollar values. The analysis shall include an assessment of the project risks and its financial viability, the priority of the project and political/social/organizational support it has, potential sources of financing, and the capability and experience of the project sponsor. The analysis shall also include an assessment of the social and economic development impacts of the proposed project. 2.6 USTDA Report Objectives If the Contractor recommends that USTDA fund the study (ies) in a phased approach, and/or if any outstanding issues should be resolved or conditions met before funding is approved, those phases, issues and/or conditions should be clearly explained in the recommendation. 2.6.2 The Contractor shall provide a final report to the USTDA, which will: 2.6.2.1 assess and justify whether or not USTDA should provide funding for a feasibility study of the proposed project(s); 2.6.2.2 assess any alternative or other activities which the Contractor sees as viable options for USTDA consideration; and 2.6.2.3 provide recommendations on the above information in a final report that analyzes all relevant issues, as cited in Sections C.3.1 through C.3.15. 2.6.3 Contractor recommendations shall be based upon USTDA funding criteria, which are that the project must: 2.6.3.1 be likely to receive implementation financing, and in addition, have a procurement process that provides “equal access” to U.S. firms; 2.6.3.2 represent an opportunity for sales of U.S. goods and services that is many times greater than the initial investment of USTDA assistance; 2.6.3.3 be a development priority of the project sponsor and country where the project is located and have the endorsement of the U.S. Embassy in that nation; and 2.6.3.4 involve U.S. companies that are facing strong competition from foreign companies receiving subsidies and other support from their governments. 3 Definitional Mission Final Report 3.1 Executive Summary (1-2 Pages) The Contractor shall submit an executive summary of the report’s findings and recommendations. 3.2 Project Description (3-5 Pages) The Contractor shall submit a description and history of the project, including, among other things, host country and/or other project sponsors, sector, project location, source of raw materials, infrastructure requirements, proposed technological approach, legal and regulatory framework (licenses, permits, etc.), implementation schedule, economic fundamentals (estimated capital cost, operating costs, expected revenues, etc), and any other key variables or issues that the Contractor deems critical as part of a thorough activity/project evaluation. 3.3 Developmental Impact (2-3 Pages) The Contractor shall submit an assessment of the development impact of the project on the host country. In this section, the Contractor shall discuss two aspects of “developmental impact”. 3.3.1 Primary Developmental Benefits - The Contractor will discuss the most important benefits that the project will provide to the host country. Items of interest to USTDA include, but are not restricted, to the following: number of new jobs created by the project; technology transfers; and new service etc. 3.3.2 Alternatives – Are there competing ways to achieve host country objectives? At the Definitional Mission stage, it will not be possible to address these questions definitively, but the Contractor, at a minimum, is expected to define and comment on the broad alternatives available to the host country project sponsor. 3.4 Project Sponsor’s Commitment (1-2 Pages) The Contractor shall submit a description of the host country project sponsor(s) business/government operations or authority and an assessment of the project sponsor’s ability to implement the project. 3.5 Implementation Financing (2-4 Pages) The Contractor shall submit a review of the financing options for project implementation, including an assessment of the overall cost estimate of the project and, for projects involving potential U.S. equity investment, the project’s proposed debt-equity structure to ensure that it corresponds to the requirements of the prospective lenders (this aspect is critical to USTDA’s decision making). As part of this review, the Contractor is required to contact officials from the potential financing institutions, including, where appropriate, multilateral lending institutions, Ex-Im Bank, OPIC, and private/commercial sources, to assure that the project sponsors have adequately explored their financing options. The Contractor shall provide names and phone numbers of contacts at the potential lending institutions and summarize their comments. The Contractor must determine the most likely source(s) of implementation financing and ensure that the terms of reference for any proposed feasibility study fulfill the requirements of the most likely source(s). 3.6 U.S. Export Potential (1-2 Pages) The Contractor shall submit a best estimate of potential procurement of U.S. goods and services for project implementation. This estimate should be supported by a breakdown by category and dollar value of goods and services likely to be imported for the project and an illustrative list of potential U.S. suppliers of the goods and services for those goods and services listed as likely U.S. exports. A report of discussions with a reasonable number of U.S. companies that could be exporters, and their level of interest in the project, should also be included. 3.7 Foreign Competition (1-2 Pages) The Contractor shall discuss the foreign competition for goods and services likely to be procured for project implementation by category, including a discussion of U.S. industry competitiveness in each category, taking into account geographic factors, local industry capabilities, technology and licensee issues, past procurement tendencies of the project sponsor, and how the procurement is likely to be conducted. 3.8 Impact on the Environment (1-2 Pages) The Contractor shall submit a statement regarding the likely consequences the proposed project may have on the environment and ensure that the terms of reference for the feasibility study include, at a minimum, a preliminary review of the project’s impact on the environment, with reference to local environmental requirements and those areas requiring evaluation by the potential lending agencies. The feasibility study should identify potential negative impacts and discuss the extent to which they can be minimized. 3.9 Impact on U.S. Labor (1-2 Pages) The Contractor shall submit an assessment of the impact of the project on U.S. labor. 3.10 Qualifications (1-2 Pages) The Contractor shall submit the feasibility team qualifications required to conduct the study and the evaluation criteria to be used by the Project Sponsor in cases of completed studies. 3.11 Justification (1-2 Pages) The Contractor shall provide an explanation of why USTDA’s grant funding is needed. 3.12 Terms of Reference (1-5 Pages) The Contractor shall provide Terms of Reference (TOR) for the feasibility study. The TOR which must be endorsed by the Project Sponsor, shall include, at a minimum, the following: 3.12.1 Purpose and objective of the study and; a technical analysis of the project; 3.12.2 An economic analysis of the project (This section will usually include attention to competing alternative methods of achieving the same or similar host country objectives); 3.12.3 A financial analysis of the project; 3.12.4 An appropriate environmental analysis of the project; 3.12.5 A review of regulatory issues related to the project; 3.12.6 A summary of key host country economic development benefits expected from projects (e.g., job creation, new technologies introduced, productivity enhancements, new production/transport/communications capacities that will result from the project). 3.12.7 A list of proposed equipment and services for project implementation, including a list of potential U.S. sources of supply (company names and contact information); 3.12.8 An implementation plan (anticipated next steps necessary to implement the project); and 3.12.9 A Final Report that summarizes the findings of the study and/or other appropriate deliverables. The TOR must be designed to meet the requirements of the most likely source(s) of implementation financing. The requirements of some of the potential financing sources may be found at the following web sites: www.opic.govfinance/home.htm www.exim.gov/tools/index.html www.ifc.org/proserv/ www.adb.org/privatesector/finance/default.asp www.ebrd.com/apply/index.html www.iadb.org/iic/english/pdf.htm www.afdb.org/opportunities/business_general_proc_notices_country.htm 3.13 Feasibility Study Budget (2-3 Pages) The Contractor shall provide a budget a detailed budget and task breakdown for the feasibility study prepared in accordance with the Feasibility Study Budget Format and Budgeted Labor Requirements, which can be found at Attachment 3. Section J.3. The budget should be supported with sufficient detail to enable USTDA staff or others reviewing the material to understand completely, not only the budgeted amounts, but also the methodology that justifies the budget amounts. The budget should include: 1. Labor, budgeted by position title and task for each of the positions on the feasibility study team. Positions should be identifiable, with descriptions of the positions and proposed team members included in the proposal. Person-Days should reflect the proposed number of days of work effort proposed for each position for each task. The unit cost should be the actual loaded daily rate for each position. The proposed budget may not include fee or profit. 2. Itemization should be prepared for per diem, transportation, communications, subcontracts, translation of Final Report, and other direct costs. Per Diem must be based on U.S. Government rates, which are available on the State Department web site (http://www.state.gov/www/perdiems/index.html). The budget should support the feasibility study terms of reference. 3.14 Recommendations (1-2 Pages) The Contractor shall provide recommendations as to: 3.14.1 whether or not the project meets USTDA’s basic funding criteria; 3.14.2 the appropriate TOR for the proposed study; and 3.14.3 the appropriate budget for the proposed study. 3.15 Contacts The Contractor shall submit a list of individuals contacted during the DM, with their addresses, phone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. 4 Contractor Interim Status Reporting and Deliverables The Contractor shall provide verbal updates to the COTR when necessary. The deliverables may also take the form of information, advice, opinions, alternatives, analyses, evaluations, recommendations, interim and final reports, or other oral or written work products needed for successful performance. 5 Contractor -- Definitional Mission Reports The Contractor shall prepare a report to USTDA that addresses all the issues in the Definitional Mission requirements as outlined in Section C.3.1 through C.3.15. Since this report will be available for public distribution, any sensitive or business proprietary information shall be included in a separate confidential attachment to the report. 5.1 Report Draft -- COTR Approval The Contractor shall provide the report in draft form to USTDA for COTR review within ten (10) working days after completion of the overseas visit. The report should be clearly marked “Draft” on the cover. 5.2 Revised Report Draft – COTR Approval Within five (5) working days after receiving the COTR’s comments on the draft report, the Contractor shall submit a revised copy for COTR review. The Contractor shall revise the report as necessary until securing final COTR approval. 5.3 Final Report – COTR Approval The final report shall incorporate all mutually agreed upon material and revisions. The report shall include any supporting documentation. It shall be grammatically and factually correct in all respects, internally consistent, and all statements and tables shall be clear and easily understood by a competent reader, and contain no typographical errors. Upon notification from the COTR that the report is considered acceptable, the Contractor shall submit twenty (20) copies, and one (1) unbound original to USTDA. All reports must be paginated and submitted in Microsoft Word on a 3.5-inch disk or on a CD-Rom. The Contractor shall also submit the report to the COTR as an e-mail attachment, and also in Microsoft Word format. 6. Project Descriptions and Profile Morocco is an emerging market economy at the crossroads of Europe, Africa and the Middle East that imports $11 billion worth of goods each year. Currently, U.S. exports comprise only one percent of Morocco’s imports, while European goods comprise more than fifty percent of the country’s imports. Morocco has begun implementing an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU), which provides preferential tariff treatment for most EU industrial exports to Morocco, putting the American companies at a disadvantage. However, the recently signed United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will improve U.S. exporters’ goods and services competitiveness in this market. Under the FTA, which goes into effect on January 1, 2005, U.S. exports will receive more favorable tariff treatment. In fact, USTR indicates that the U.S.-Morocco FTA includes the best market access package of any U.S. FTA with a developing country. Morocco is a semi-arid country where water resources are limited. The country's congested urban centers and population growth have continued to contribute to the deterioration of the environment. To meet the challenges of globalization and industrial competitiveness, Morocco continues to upgrade product standards. Rapid urbanization of recent years continues to increase the problems of potable and agricultural water supply and wastewater treatment. Morocco is much in need of education and models for recycling, conservation and efficiency to encourage the population to be more environmentally responsible. Industrial controls, waste treatment and efficient equipment can actually decrease production costs while reducing environmental emissions. As a developing country with a high birth rate, Morocco must decrease water residues in order to find alternative solutions to protect the environment and to improve quality of life. With Morocco's long coastline, desalination research is a primary focus to increase potable and agricultural water supply. Faced with the fact that 57% of the rural population does not have access to safe/clean drinking water, increasing the supply of safe drinking water to the countryside is also a priority for ONEP. For the rural areas, the goal is to satisfy at least 80% of the rural population’s need by 2010, both for water distribution and sewage services. Plans for increasing water supply capacity in Morocco to meet increased rural population and the agricultural sector demand offer a growing market to U.S. suppliers of water and wastewater equipment. Morocco is looking for state-of-the-art water purification and wastewater treatment equipment for the current needs of the country. ONEP produces about 80% of the potable water for the entire country. The utilities companies, called "Regies," provide 12%; the private sector provides 6% and the Communes 2%. The sewage services are actually provided by the "Regies" for large cities, except for Casablanca and Rabat, where concessions have been let to Lydec (France) and Redal (Portugal), respectively. ONEP is now investing in the sewage sector and several communes have decided to sign a co-share management convention with ONEP for sewage services. From 2003 through 2006, the government plans an annual investment of about $250 million for potable water improvement. This investment program aims at expanding the access to potable water in all cities by increasing the rate of connections to the existing network to reach 96% by 2010. This plan will include a program to improve sewage in 24 large cities, 50 medium cities and 85 small centers. It also envisages the creation of autonomous sewage systems in both urban and rural areas and will consist of collecting the urban effluents in the areas not connected to the existing sewage network. Treatment plants and water purification equipment will be needed to process the urban effluents for cities located along the coast. For sewage, the demand in investment is estimated at $6.5 billion by the year 2015. The Moroccan Government is fully committed to the improvement of the country’s environment. Since Regional Director Steingass’s visit to Morocco in February 2004, and the signing of the FTA in June, USTDA has received letters of interest from the Government of Morocco for assistance with a variety of environment projects in the potable and agricultural water supply and wastewater treatment sectors. NOTE: THIS NOTICE WAS NOT POSTED TO WWW.FEDBIZOPPS.GOV ON THE DATE INDICATED IN THE NOTICE ITSELF (15-DEC-2004); HOWEVER, IT DID APPEAR IN THE FEDBIZOPPS FTP FEED ON THIS DATE. 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Place of Performance: Address: Headquarters, USTDA 1000 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1600 Arlington, VA.; Zip Code: 22209-3901; Country: USA
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R -- Morocco: Water Resources and Wastewater Treatment