Projects

The Assignment consists of three main Parts:

Part I: Corporate Development Programme for the Company

The Consultant shall assist the Company to improve its commercial standing, service and environmental/Social  performance by supporting the identification and implementation where necessary establishment of the corporate, financial, operational and environmental/social  management required to meet the related covenants included in the EBRD financing documents. The Consultant shall also assist the Company to develop a medium-term focused corporate development plan and to improve the corporate planning capacity to assist ongoing transition towards becoming a self-sustaining entity with commercially sustainable operations, as well as implementing the Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) developed for the Company.

Part II: Social Support Programme

The second objective is to develop a mechanism to provide support for the low income customers so as to enable them to afford a basic service.. The Kyrgyz Republic has a welfare system with subsidies to vulnerable groups, including subsidised utility services, which will bridge the affordability gap. The City has not provided direct subsidies to the low income families instead it has provided subsidies to the Company to keep the tariff level low. A detailed mechanism needs be developed and agreed between the City and the Company and reflected in the Public Service Agreement to be signed between the City and the Company. The counterparts of Part II are the Company and the City.

Part III: Stakeholder Participation Programme

The third objective is to implement the Stakeholders Participation Programme (“SPP”), aimed at enhancing public ownership by encouraging water conservation, increasing public participation in the provision of water services (service quality, rehabilitation activities, tariffs integrating poverty and social issues) and raising public awareness on issues related to the project implementation and water use through establishment of the Water Users Committees (“WUC”). Furthermore, the SPP will integrate poverty and social issues into the proposed tariff reforms and social support programme and thereby assist the Company to improve their corporate governance. The counterparts of Part II are the Company and the City.

• Providing the Bank with environmental/social reports as required under the project agreements.
• Review the environmental management system currently in place, and recommend short and medium term improvements to bring the system towards (or in line with, if possible) the principles of ISO 14000 standards, and compliance with local and European Union environmental standards and assist the Company in implementation.
• Applying a holistic utility perspective to review the current environmental and health impacts of the operation of all the activities of the water company.
• Assist the Company in implementing the ESAP.
• Identify no-/low-cost improvement measures, including good housekeeping as well as enhanced service, maintenance and operation of the facilities.
• Assist the Company in implementing the action plan to improve operational efficiency, including the water management and leakage reduction programme as well as wastewater operations. This task shall be subject to an agreement after the recommendation of the operational expert.
• Support the financial expert to realize the revenue improvement measure by providing the social data that will be collected for the SSP part
• Assist the Company in implementing the Environmental and Social Action Plan.
• Assist the Company in implementing the customer relations’ programme.
• Review of the affordability constraints in the City
• Recommend the social support programme for the low income customers which would include;
• Raise customer awareness and maintain a constructive relationship with stakeholders through education campaigns
• Identification of information needs
• Information campaign
• Facilitation of dialogue between clients and the Company
• Creation of and support to Water User Committees (“WUCs”)
• Creation of an Advisory Committee comprising all major stakeholders