Consultant - Project Communication Plan at the ECOWAS Commission

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

The ECOWAS Commission invites Consultants (firms specializing in preparation and implementation of Communication plans for large-scale infrastructure projects) to apply in order to provide the services described below:

Job Title: Consultant - Preparation and Implementation of the Project Communication Plan

Locations: Benin, Cote D'ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas)

Overview

• The ECOWAS Commission has received Grants from the African Development Fund (ADF) and the European Development Fund (through the African Investment Facility AfIF) to cover the cost of studies on the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project, and intends to use part of Grant amount to finance the service contracts of consultants responsible for the preparation and implementation of a Corridor Communication Plan in order to ensure the visibility of the Corridor project among stakeholders and potential sponsors to facilitate access to knowledge and to elicit their interest for the smooth implementation of the project.

Main Components
The main components of the Abidjan Lagos Corridor Highway project are:

• Feasibility, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, and Engineering Design Studies, as well as prepare bidding documents for construction works of the highway,
• PPP (Public-private partnership) transaction advisory and structuring service,
• Study of Spatial Development Initiatives
• Trade and transport facilitation
• Establishing and Operating of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Management Authority (ALCoMA).

Description

• Communication and visibility are an integral part of the project components of the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development project.
• This Consultancy Service is expected to prepare a detailed Communication Plan for the Abidjan Lagos Corridor Development Project as well as develop and implement communication tools in line with the visibility requirements of the European Union and African Development Bank as per their respective guidelines.
• The communication plan will cover the five above-mentioned components and will spread over a 5 years period. It is expected to start in the first quarter of 2020.

Duration:

• The duration of the Consultancy Services for the preparation and implementation of Corridor Communication Plan will be for thirty-six (36) months.

Criteria
Interested, eligible and qualified consultants shall provide information on their ability and experience, showing their qualifications for services of similar nature. The short-listing criteria are;

• General experience in communication during the last ten (10) years;
• Specific experience in preparation and implementation of communication plans / strategies of major development projects conducted over the past ten (10) years
• Specific experience in preparation and implementation of communication plans or massive advocacy drives, country-wide but preferably for cross-border or multinational development projects over the last ten (10) years;
• Ability to provide communications-related services in all the 5 Corridor Member States (Cote d’lvoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria);
• Availability of key personnel (list, qualification, experiences);
• Logistical and material means.

Eligibility Criteria

• The eligibility criteria, the preparation of shortlist, and the selection procedure shall comply with the African Development Bank’s Rules and Procedures for the Use of Consultants” (May 2008 edition revised in July 2012), available on the Bank’s website: http://www.afdb.org.
• The selection procedure will be based on Quality and Cost Based Selection Method (QCBS), and a shortlist of six (6) firms which present the best profiles shall be drawn up after the expression of interest.
• Also, the firms that are international network are to expression of interest.

Interested consultants can obtain further information at the e-mail addresses mentioned below during working hours: 8:00 am. to 12:00 noon (local time) on working days:
procurement@ecowas.int with copy to pgueye@ecowas.int ;
vtulay@ecowas.int ; cappiah@ecowas.int ; deklu@ecowas.int ;
sbangoura@ecowas.int ; ing.mohamed.selmene@gmail.com ; ikkamara@ecowas.int

Application Closing Date
Thursday; 30th January, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. Nigeria Time.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates / consultants should send their Expressions of interest in a written form (one (1) signed original plus three (3) copies in (person, or by registered mail) to the address below and must be clearly marked: "Studies on the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor Highway Development Project / Expression of Interest in consulting services for preparation of corridor communication plan":
Office of the Commissioner,
General Administration & Conference,
Fifth (5th) Floor of the ECOWAS,
Commission Headquarters,
Plot 101, Yakubu Gowon Crescent,
Asokoro District, Abuja,
Nigeria.

Important Information / Notice

• Each reference will be summarized on a project sheet, and will be considered only if the candidate attaches supporting documents indicating the contact information of the contracting authorities so as to facilitate verification of the information provided: Excerpts of contract (inner cover page and page with the signatures) or Attestation of good performance.
• Consultants may form groups to increase their chances of qualification.
• The working languages shall be English and French. The Expression of Interest will be submitted in English.

Requests for further information or clarification could be sent by e-mail:
Attention: Commissioner General Administration & Conference
Email: vtulay@ecowas.int ; with copies to: procurement@ecowas.int;
sbangoura@ecowas.int ; deklu@ecowas.int ;
cappiah@ecowas.int ; ikkamara@ecowas.int ;  pgueye@ecowas.int ;
ing.mohamed.selmene@gmail.com