Ethiopia

Client: Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE); – formerly Ministry of Water Resources.

NVE Mandate: Advisory services to executing agency MoWE on: i) Implementation of two feasibility studies, and; ii) Preparation of project document for Capacity Building in collaboration with MoWE.

Contract Value/ Duration: MNOK 4.500 from Norad; started (formally) November 2009 and lasting until 2010/11

Type of Activities: Workshops, seminars, site visits, preparation of documents, procurement, advisory services, sub-consultant to Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO).

Work Completed 2010: Procurement of technical consultants; procurement of environmental consultants; Preparation of project document and contract for institutional cooperation between MoWE and NVE.

Work in Progress 2010: Assistance to MoWE in procurement of panels of experts for dam safety and environment and social aspects for the feasibility studies.

Activities and Outputs:
In the short time since the project became fully active, the efforts have mostly entailed different preparatory tasks. The tender process for the feasibility studies for the Mandaya and Beko Abo projects was initiated in autumn 2009. The current status is::

• Project preparation and procurement of services were substantially completed during 2010 and has encompassed, i.a.: Soliciting Proposals for Technical Consultants for the Feasibility Studies of the Mandaya and Beko-Abo Multipurpose Projects, Pre-proposal Conference, Evaluation of Proposals with the elaboration of a Proposal Evaluation Report and participation in MoWE negotiations with consultants, both technical consultants for the feasibility studies and environmental consultants for the Environmental and social impact analyses for the two projects.
• Other specific assistance to MoWE has dealt with the preparation of: Terms of Reference for and procurement of panels of experts for dam safety and environmental/social issues, and the Project Document for the institutional cooperation between MoWE and NVE.

Results/Outcome:
Several positive results/outcomes have materialized during 2010. The most important ones are:

• Procurement of technical consultants’ services and environmental/social studies consultants’ services is completed and both groups of consultants are actively working with the studies.
• The procurement of Panels of Experts for Dam Safety and Environmental/Social aspects has advanced and is expected to be completed in early 2011.