Cold Storage Proposal Evaluation - Technical and Cost Consultant

Job Description

Brief Description of the Opportunity: This consultancy is expected to be, approximately, 20 days level of effort in Afghanistan. Travel is expected to occur in late May, early June.

The Afghanistan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) is in the process of procuring a variety of cold storage facilities (buildings and equipment) for regional and district sites throughout Afghanistan. The facilities are to range in size from 1,000 to 2,000 Metric Tonnes (MT), of storage space, and will be overseen by the Ministry’s Agriculture Infrastructure Directorate. The facilities will be procured by this Directorate, mostly from Afghan firms and using funding from the Government of Afghanistan. This consultancy is to advise MAIL during the procurement process, especially with regards to the building designs and the equipment to be placed within the buildings and their associated costs.

For additional information on this assignment please consult the Scope of Work, attached below.

Assignment:

This consultancy will advise MAIL during the evaluation of technical and cost proposals from Afghan firms for cold storage facilities (i.e., both buildings and equipment). Depending on the needs expressed by MAIL and our project team, the consultant may also advise on the procurement process to best serve MAIL’s needs.

Specifically, the consultant will:

• Work with MAIL procurement and other relevant MAIL officers to review bids received for construction of cold storage facilities;
• Assist MAIL to prepare specific feedback and instructions to Afghan cold storage equipment vendors;
• Meet with vendors to provide specific feedback on building and equipment design and installation.

Outputs and Deliverables:

• Final trip report with recommendations to the Agriculture Infrastructure Directorate on cold storage building and equipment procurement design and proposal assessment.

Consultant Profile:

• Expertise in the technical design of cold storage facilities for a variety of agricultural products, especially fruits and vegetables;
• Experience with cost evaluation of the construction or rehabilitation of cold storage building facilities;
• Management and oversight of cold storage facility(ies) equipment installation;
• Experience in the design of procurement processes for large projects involving site preparation, construction, and equipment installation;
• Ability to work in a developing country setting with counterparts of diverse skill levels and with cultural understanding of diverse work styles;
• Experience in working in Afghanistan and/or Central Asian countries is desired;
• Flexibility to assess and meet client needs in-country.

How to Apply:

Qualified applicants are requested to submit CVs as soon as possible. You will be contacted if considered for this assignment and/or if additional information is needed. Thank you for your interest.

Security considerations for Afghanistan:

Land O’Lakes takes the security of its consultants and volunteers seriously. Land O’Lakes partner the International Executive Service Corps (IESC) maintains a permanent presence in Kabul with full logistical and security support. This in-country structure provides the logistical and security services to Land O’Lakes’ consultants and volunteers. The consultant will be hosted by IESC and all lodging and transportation arrangements in Afghanistan will be provided. The place of work will be the IESC office and Ministry technical unit offices within the main Ministry (MAIL) offices in Kabul. Land O’Lakes will facilitate international travel and visa arrangements for the selected consultant. All consultants for this project must obtain IESC and USDA prior-approval to be facilitated by Land O’Lakes working with the Chief of Party.

The project will provide all logistical and security support to the consultant, including but limited to an interpreter/translator for meetings when needed, a car and driver to go to and from outside meetings, access to the internet.

More information