Consulting Services for Owner's Engineer Support for the Caribbean Efficient and Green-Energy Buildings (CEGEB) Project at the OECS Commission.

Project: Caribbean Efficient and Green-Energy Buildings Project (CEGEB)

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States Commission (OECSC)

Caribbean Efficient and Green-Energy Buildings Project

Grant No.: IDA-E4140

Assignment Title: Consulting Services for Owner's Engineer Support for the Caribbean Efficient and Green-Energy Buildings (CEGEB) Project at the OECS Commission.

Reference No.: LC-OECS COMMISSION-532177-CS-QCBS

Participating Countries: Grenada, Saint Lucia and Guyana

The Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States Commission (OECSC) has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Caribbean Efficient and Green-Energy Buildings Project. The OECSC intends to apply part of the proceeds for Consulting Services for Owner's Engineer Support for the Caribbean Efficient and Green-Energy Buildings (CEGEB) Project at the OECS Commission.

The Owner’s Engineer shall provide independent end-to-end technical, procurement, supervision support and advisory services throughout the design, contracting, construction and commissioning phases to ensure that the Project is implemented to a high standard of quality, on schedule, within the budget and meets the environmental and social standards and in accordance with the OECS Commission’s and World Bank’s requirements. The Owner’s Engineer will review the outputs and activities of the Investment Grade Audits (IGAs) and Design, Supply and Install (DSI) consultants and advise the OECS Commission accordingly. The Owner’s Engineer (OE) shall provide professional engineering, contract administration, and supervision services for multiple subprojects implemented across Grenada, Guyana, and Saint Lucia under pooled procurement arrangements for the Investment Grade Audits (IGAs) activities and Design, Supply and Installation (DSI) activities covering EEMs and DPV solutions jn public buildings and facilities, These DSI contracts to be delivered by EEM and DPV equipment suppliers and service providers will be competitively selected for the three countries under framework agreements.

The implementation period will be two (2) years in the first instance, i.e., from August 2024 to January 2025.

The OECS Commission now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. In the assessment of submissions, consideration will be given to technical competence, qualifications and experience, and local and regional experience on similar assignments.

Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

The shortlisting criteria are:

1. Proven experience as Owner’s Engineer or Engineer’s Representative carrying out inter alia, construction supervision, contract administration and similar activities for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy projects in buildings for at least 7 years
2. Valid registration and establishment for not less than 10 years
3. Experience in public buildings retrofitting for energy efficiency solar PV systems installation on at least 10 buildings (at least 3 in each area).
4. Experience with World Bank or other multilateral development bank–financed projects working with at least 2 similar projects in this capacity.
5. At least 2 years of experience working in Caribbean or Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

To obtain the maximum degree of comparison among Expressions of Interests (EOIs) and facilitate the evaluation process, the EOI should be a MAXIMUM of Thirty (30) pages and include the following information mentioned below:

• Title page with name of firm submitting the EOI: should contain name of firm (or joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy, if applicable), address, email, telephone, name of contact person and date of submission.

• Expression of Interest: including the firm’s general and specific experience.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.15, 3.16, and 3.17 of The World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers : Procurement in Investment Project Financing - Goods, Works, Non-Consulting and Consulting Services - Sixth Edition (English), February 2025 (‘Procurement Regulations’) setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

Consulting Firms wishing to signify their interest in undertaking the prescribed services are to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) providing information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services.

Consultants must clearly indicate whether they intend to associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub-consultancy to enhance their qualifications. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

Expressions of interest can be submitted via email to the first address and copied to the second address by May 18, 2026, at 16:00 hours Eastern Caribbean Time (EST). Email submissions should include the name and address of the Consultant and shall be clearly marked in the subject line as “Expression of Interest- Consulting Services for Owner's Engineer Support for the Caribbean Efficient and Green-Energy Buildings (CEGEB) Project at the OECS Commission.”

Further information can be obtained at the address below between 09:00 and 16:00 hours (Atlantic Standard Time) Monday to Friday.

Tehillah Bannis

Procurement Officer

Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States Commission

P.O. Box 179

Morne Fortune

Castries

St. Lucia

Tel: 1-758-455-6418

E-mail: procurementbids@oecs.int Copied to: judith.ephraim@oecs.int

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) based selection method set out in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, Sixth Edition, February 2025.

The Terms of Reference (TOR) for this consultancy is provided below.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consulting Services for Owner's Engineer Support for the Caribbean Efficient and Green-Energy Buildings (CEGEB) Project at the OECS Commission.

1.0 Background

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance among independent and non-independent countries in the Eastern Caribbean. Under the Treaty of Basseterre (RTB, 1981) and now The Revised RTB (2010), Member States agree to cooperate with each other and promote unity and solidarity, including participation by Protocol Members in an Economic Union.

The OECS Commission is implementing the Caribbean Efficient and Green-Energy in Buildings (CEGEB) Project, financed by the World Bank, to support Grenada, Guyana, and Saint Lucia in reducing energy consumption, increasing Renewable Energy (RE) generation, and strengthening the enabling environment for Energy Efficiency (EE) and Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) investments in public buildings and facilities. The total cost of project is approximately 131 million US dollars and will be executed from 2025 to 2031.

The Project includes EE retrofitting works and installation of Distributed PhotoVoltaic (DPV) and Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) in approximately 500 public buildings and facilities such as administrative buildings, schools, hospitals, airports, water and wastewater utilities, and other eligible infrastructure. To achieve economies of scale, the Project adopts a pooled procurement approach coordinated by the OECS Commission through a Regional Project Implementation Unit (RPIU), that works closely with the National PIUs of the CEGEB Project in the three participating countries and in collaboration with and guidance from the CEGEB Steering Committee and the CEGEB Technical Advisory Committee. The contracts under the pooled procurement will utilize a framework agreement approach.

To ensure technical quality, contractual compliance, environmental and social (E&S) management , and timely delivery, the OECS Commission seeks to engage a Consulting Firm to act as Owner’s Engineer (OE).

2.0 Objective of Services

The Owner’s Engineer shall provide independent end-to-end technical, procurement, supervision support and advisory services throughout the design, contracting, construction and commissioning phases to ensure that the Project is implemented to a high standard of quality, on schedule, within the budget and meets the environmental and social standards and in accordance with the OECS Commission’s and World Bank’s requirements. The Owner’s Engineer will review the outputs and activities of the Investment Grade Audits (IGAs) and Design, Supply and Install (DSI) consultants and advise the OECS Commission accordingly. The implementation period will be two (2) years in the first instance.

3.0 Scope of Services

The Owner’s Engineer (OE) shall provide professional engineering, contract administration, and supervision services for multiple subprojects implemented across Grenada, Guyana, and Saint Lucia under pooled procurement arrangements for the Investment Grade Audits (IGAs) activities and Design, Supply and Installation (DSI) activities covering EEMs and DPV solutions jn public buildings and facilities, These DSI contracts to be delivered by EEM and DPV equipment suppliers and service providers will be competitively selected for the three countries under framework agreements.

Essentially, the OE shall act as an extension of the owner's (OECS Commission’s CEGEB RPIU) staff, bringing specialized technical expertise to bridge gaps and ensure project success. The OE’s core roles and responsibilities will include:

Project Planning & Design: Review feasibility studies, reviewing layouts, etc.

Engineering & Design Review: Review detailed engineering designs, drawings, and calculations to ensure technical integrity, regulatory and E&S compliance.

Procurement Support: Provide support for the preparation of bid packages, evaluation of IGA and DSI contractors, and review of bids.

Implementation Oversight: Providing on-site inspection, monitoring contractor performance, managing schedules, and controlling budgets to prevent cost overruns.

Risk Management: Identifying project risks (e.g., E&S, schedule, budget) and developing mitigation strategies.

Commissioning & Startup: Assisting with testing and commissioning to ensure the facility meets performance requirements.

Documentation & Reporting: Managing project documentation, providing regular progress reports, and ensuring quality assurance/control.

The anticipated duration of services during the implementation phase is approximately 24 months providing support to the IGA and DSI activities in all three countries.

More specifically the Owner’s Engineer shall do the following:

1. Pre-Procurement / Project Preparation Phase

a) Review and analyse the investment grade energy audit (IGA) reports produced under the different batches of the project sequentially for all three participating countries to confirm the proposed EE Measures and DPV solutions on the façade and building envelope, giving consideration to the best practices, technical and economic data, energy savings, solar electricity produced, investment costs, payback times periods and profitability, environmental benefits, implementation plan, operation and maintenance, and energy monitoring.

b) Provide support to national PIUs in the three countries to review and compare structural designs & calculations, structural drawings, specifications, costs and quantity surveying for renovation, strengthening and reconstruction works of public buildings within the scope of the project.

c) Prepare a detailed appropriate Project Control Program (e.g using MS Project, Primavera P6 or equivalent software) to provide charts, curves and detailed reports of critical activities, percentage completion, interface points, etc. for design, procurement, installation, and commissioning.

d) Continually assess the project experiences and norms to develop/ propose technical standards, norms, templates and Energy Savings Measurement and Verification (M&V) Protocols to ensure a high and consistent quality.

2. Procurement Preparation Phase (Bidding Documents & ToRs)

a) Provide technical support for the project’s procurement activities including drafting of the bidding documents for the DSI using the IGA reports, Terms of References (ToRs), Request for Proposals, and bid evaluation reports by the RPIU at the OECS Commission, following the World Bank’s procurement guidelines.( Financial and commercial evaluation of bids is not required except for consistency)

b) Ensure that all bidding documents and Terms of References prepared for the pooled procurement include clear and appropriate environmental and social considerations for risk management based on the Environmental and Social Management Plans prepared during the IGAs with particular consideration for waste management.

3. Bidding & Evaluation and Contract Negotiations Phase

a) Review and assess technical proposals of the Investment Grade Audits (IGA) and the Design, Supply and Install (DSI) consulting contractors and service provider firms and provide inputs to the technical evaluation reports and support the OECS RPIU in contract negotiations.

b) Support the RPIU at the OECS Commission during technical clarifications and design-related contract amendments.

4. Design Review & Pre-Construction Phase

a) Review detailed technical designs and specifications including E&S measures, bill of quantities, construction supervision reporting protocols and monitoring and verification measures for energy savings.

b) Review and consider the E&S risks and impacts of any design change proposals and advise if there are implications for compliance with the ESMP, consent/permits and other relevant project requirements.

c) Review commissioning plan and program for the project.

d) Support OECS Commission RPIU in ensuring that the equipment to be supplied to the project (including but not limited to PV modules, inverters, transformers, control systems, racking, cables, HVAC system and lighting) meets the requirements, specifications and acceptance tests under the contract.

5. Construction / Implementation Phase

Technical Supervision & Monitoring

a) Visit project sites for periodic audits to supervise the work of the technical consultants and monitor compliance with relevant contracts, project technical specifications, local building codes, material standards, safety, workmanship and engineering norms in participating countries promptly reporting any issues identified and providing recommendations for addressing them.

b) Provide support to national PIUs in the three countries to supervise the interconnection and commissioning of the DPV systems under the project.

Environmental & Social (E&S) Compliance

a) Supervise the implementation of the Contractors’ environmental and Social Management Plan (C-ESMP), related management plans as required in the bidding documents, ESMPs, World Bank Environmental and Social Framework , and national regulations and issue instructions to the IGA and DSI Contractors to address any E&S non-compliance concerns including matters concerning occupational health, safety (OHS) and care of the workers and the community.

b) Ensure all E&S mitigation measures are being implemented and include in all reports the level of E&S compliance and follow up as needed from the actions required in the E&S documents.

c) Provide guidance to the Contractor on implementation of Environmental and Social Health and Safety (ESHS) aspects and provide training to the DSI Contractor’s staff as necessary

d) Ensure waste management is being undertaken as specified in the bidding documents and required permits are in place

e) Inform the OECS Commission RPIU of any incidents and accidents immediately upon learning of such incidents.

f) Support with the investigation and reporting of all incidents related to environmental, social and health aspects.

g) Coordinate with national PIUs for E&S management

Contract, Financial & Schedule Management

a) Control project implementation schedules (supply, installation and budgeting schedule) prepared and submitted by the IGA and DSI Contractors.

b) Review and advice on remedy action that should be taken by the IGA and DSI Contractors, estimate the delays required to make up, and resolve schedule constraints during execution period.

c) Review invoices submitted by the IGA and DSI Contractor and advise RPIU at the OECS Commission on approval of those invoices.

d) Rate extra/additional work to be carried out by the DSI Contractor and recommend rates for such work to RPIU at the OECS Commission.

e) Describe any variation of project cost and implementation time from the originals and explain causes, effects and countermeasures to RPIU at the OECS Commission.

f) Review contract change-order procedures for design, supply and installation contracts, and identify any potential flaws and suggest changes.

g) Manage and control all variation order and contract amendment procedures.

h) Assist the OECS Commission RPIU in resolving disputes and claims raised by the IGA and DSI Contractor.

i) Evaluate variations, claims, and change orders, including time and cost impacts and advise on dispute avoidance and resolution.

j) Control payment schedule and progress payments including reviewing and confirming quantity and quality of works completed, which would serve as a basis for payment to the contractor according to the IGA and DSI Contract terms.

Coordination, Meetings & Reporting

a) Hold regular planning and progress review meetings to monitor the IGA and DSI Contractors’ work progress and inform the OECS Commission of any delays or problems are observed.

b) Participate in the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and provide updates to the National PIUs and TAC members on the progress of the work being carried out.

c) Prepare monthly progress report and comprehensive quarterly progress report and send them to RPIU at the OECS Commission no later than 10 days after completion of each quarter.

d) Prepare monthly progress reports with ESHS performance and monitoring components included, to submit to the OECS Commission RPIU;

e) Provide technical inputs into project’s reporting activities including project reports and project supervision and acceptance/commissioning reports.

________________________________________

6. Testing, Commissioning & Acceptance Phase

a) Witness and assist the OECS Commission RPIU during acceptance testing and commissioning.

b) Prepare the Certificate of Operational Acceptance (COA).

c) Supervision of resolution of possible defects found during acceptance tests.

7. Post-Construction / Defects Liability Period

a) Prepare list of items of outstanding work to be completed by the DSI Contractors during the Maintenance/Defects Liability Period.

b) Review and compile as-supplied documents and review the operation and maintenance manual provided by the DSI Contractor for accuracy and adequacy.

8. Project Close-Out & Performance Monitoring

a) Work closely with the OECS Commission RPIU to monitor the results indicators of the retrofits including the achieved energy savings using the agreed Energy Savings Measurement and Verification (M&V) Protocol.

b) Support training to relevant project stakeholders to improve their technical capacity in efficient energy use in buildings

9. Cross-Cutting (All Phases)

• Undertake any other related assignments as requested by the OECS Commission RPIU.

4.0 Deliverables

Key deliverables shall include, but not be limited to:

Deliverable	Frequency/Timing
Inception Report	Four weeks after signing of contract
Progress and supervision reports	Monthly
Environmental and Social Compliance Monitoring reports	Monthly
Design Review Reports	2 weeks after Submission by DSI contractor
Commissioning and Test	2 weeks after Commissioning of DPV systems
Final project completion reports	1 month after contract end date
Quarterly Reports	Every 3 months

For each project Activity, the detailed contents of the reports on the status of project implementation will be discussed and agreed with the RPIU. It is proposed that monthly reports cover the following.

Monthly Reports:

• Description of works performed during the reporting period (contractors’ monthly progress reports).
• Activities planned for the next month (contractors’ monthly progress reports).
• Regularity of meetings between Consultant, contractor and the RPIU key staff to discuss pending issues; the report shall include a copy of Minutes of Progress Meetings.
• Actual status of deliveries/works in percentages.
• Actual status of implementation of the OECS’s ESMP and C-ESMP.
• Status of compliance with the Code of Conduct and the Labor Management Procedure.
• Status of Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) implementation.
• Record of onsite occupational accidents and near-miss incidents.
• Records of grievances from workers and communities.
• Identification of problematic areas.
• Any deviations from required and referenced plans and procedures, as well as respective remedial actions recommended by the Consultant and the OECS; description of application of previously recommended remedial actions by the Contractor (how they were applied, what results they had).

Quarterly Reports:

• Summary of main issues and obstacles, including recommended corrective action.
• Project Description including time schedule and project value.
• Progress and activities of the Contractor.
• Progress of manufacturing.
• Progress of deliveries.
• Progress of construction versus original schedule.
• Actual status of deliveries/works in percentages.
• Planned activities for the next reporting period.
• Changes in the scope of the Project and scope of services, including the list of issued change orders, if any.
• Contractor’s site office activities and works accomplished.
• List of invoices issued by the Contractor and their status.
• Progress of contractors' design, preparation of drawings, calculations and documents received by the Consultant and their status of approval.
• Actual status of implementation of the Client’s ESMP and C-ESMP.
• In quarterly perspective: status of grievance resolution (as per agreed grievance log).
• In quarterly perspective: status of compliance with the Code of Conduct and the Labor Management Procedure.
• Record of onsite occupational accidents and near-miss incidents.
• Record of stakeholder engagement activities, grievances from workers and communities.
• Status of physical disbursements of payment to the Contractor.
• Annexes (plans, schedules, progress photographs).

All quarterly reports shall include the status of Project performance against the results indicators to be specified by the OECS.

Final Project Reports:

• Executive Summary
• Project description comprising:

Objectives

Activities of Project and scope with the name and address of individual contractor/sub-contractor

Implementation method

Project history

Changes in scope-change orders issues

• Project execution comprising:

Comparison of planned and actual time-schedules

Comparison of planned and actual costs

Discrepancies in procurement of material and equipment

Findings during construction

Justification and explanation of changes in time-schedule

Justification and explanation of changes in Project costs

Performance of Contractors, including environmental, social, health & safety compliance

Additional works performed

Experience with shut-down procedures

Test protocols/test results

Taking over certificates

Overall environmental and social performance of the Project: assessment of adherence of Contractor(s) to the ESMP, LMP, SEP, C-ESMP and the Code of Conduct, main challenges faced, main types of remedial actions undertaken, analysis of residual environmental and social factors and respective aspects to be monitored during commissioning of the facilities, post construction activities, and contractor demobilization E&S activities.

Record of occurrences of occupational health and safety accidents/incidents

Record of stakeholder engagement activities, grievances from workers and communities.

Experience gained during project implementation

Illustrations with photographs

Final Training Report.

The Final Project Report shall include the Project performance against the parameters as set out in the Results Framework to be specified by the OECS, including baseline data and benchmarks, to monitor progress. The final content will be defined in agreement with the OECS.

5.0 Reporting

The Owner’s Engineer shall report to the OECS Commission, through the Regional Project Implementation Unit (RPIU), and shall coordinate closely with national implementing agencies in Grenada, Guyana, and Saint Lucia and the CEGEB Project Technical Advisory Committee (TAC).

6.0 Applicable Standards and Guidelines

Services shall be carried out in accordance with:

• World Bank Environmental and Social Framework (ESF)
• World Bank Procurement Regulations
• Applicable national laws and regulations
• International engineering best practices
• The CARICOM Regional Energy Efficiency Buildings Codes (2018/2024) and local codes and regulations

7.0 Qualifications of the Owner’s Engineer Consulting Firm

The Consulting Firm shall demonstrate:

• Proven experience as Owner’s Engineer or Engineer’s Representative carrying out inter alia, construction supervision, contract administration and similar activities for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy projects in buildings for at least 7 years
• Valid registration and establishment for not less than 10 years
• Experience in public buildings retrofitting for energy efficiency solar PV systems installation on at least 10 buildings (at least 3 in each area).
• Experience with World Bank or other multilateral development bank–financed projects working with at least 2 similar projects in this capacity.
• At least 2 years of experience working in Caribbean or Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

8.0 Key Experts and Qualifications Required

The Consultant will assign adequately qualified key personnel to carry out the Consulting Services. The following key expertise and specialists are expected to be included in the team (to be evaluated as part of the technical proposal):

Key Expert 1: Energy Efficiency and Buildings Specialist/Project Manager

The expert should have the following:

• Specific experience of at least 8 years in energy efficiency retrofits in buildings involving Energy Efficiency assessments, investment grade energy audits, assessing Energy Efficiency Measures in buildings and installing energy efficiency measures and any other energy efficiency related projects .
• At least 5 years demonstrated experience with public buildings (administrative buildings, schools, hospitals, etc)
• At least 2-years experience working as an owner’s engineer on energy efficiency in buildings projects working on at least 2 projects in this capacity.
• An undergraduate degree in energy engineering, energy management, mechanical engineering or similar field.
• Certified Energy Manager (CEM) qualification or equivalent is desirable.
• • At least 2 years experience working in Caribbean or Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
• Strong World Bank, MDB or any similar funding experience.
• Fluency in English required.

Key Expert 2: Electrical Engineer /Solar PV and power systems specialist

The expert should have the following:

• An undergraduate degree in electrical engineering, renewable energy technologies or similar field.
• Specific experience of at least 8 years in Solar PV in buildings with experience in preparation of design, construction and bidding documents.
• At least 5 years experience with grid-connected solar systems.
• At least 2 years experience working with Caribbean or similar grid codes .
• The expert should have at least 3 years acting as an owner’s engineer of PV projects supervising projects
• Fluency in English required.

Key Expert 3: Civil/Structural Engineer

The expert should have the following:

• At least an undergraduate degree in Civil or structural engineering
• Professional Engineer registration
• At least 10 years of professional experience
• At least 5 years experience with retrofitting and strengthening of existing buildings
• At least 2 years experience working in Caribbean or Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

Key Expert 4 Quantity Surveyor/Cost Engineer

The expert should have the following:

• At least an undergraduate degree/diploma in Quantity surveying or Cost Engineering
• At least 7 years experience in providing and validating bills of quantities and cost estimates
• Experience in contract administration under MDB funded projects is desirable

Non-Key Experts (For guidance and informational purposes. Non-Key Experts will not be evaluated during the Technical Evaluation stage.)

Non key expert 1 Contract Administration and Claims Specialist

The expert should have the following:

• An undergraduate degree in Engineering, Construction Management or Law
• At least 8 years experience in FIDIC or MDB -type contracts
• At least 5 years working experience applying procurement regulations in international development contexts, with strong familiarity with MDB/IFI rules (including CDB and/or WB, IDB, etc. would be an asset.

Non-Key Expert 2 Environmental and Social Specialist

The expert should have the following:

• Undergraduate degree in Environmental Science, Social Sciences, Engineering or a related field.
• At least 8 years experience in environmental and social impacts management
• At least 3 years working experience on projects applying procurement regulations in international development contexts, with strong familiarity with MDB/IFI rules (including CDB and/or WB, IDB, etc Experience with buildings retrofit desirable) would be an asset.