BCP Renovation and Reconstruction

USAID ERA supplies ICT equipment to rail border crossing points in Volyn, Lviv, Zakarpattia, and Chernivtsi Oblasts 

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
15 March 2024

USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (USAID ERA) has provided 103 pieces of ICT equipment to four rail border crossing points (BCPs) located in Volyn, Lviv, Zakarpattia, and Chernivtsi Oblasts, operated by JSC Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ). The ICT equipment and supplies, which have all since been put into operation, include printers, laptops, monobloc computers, and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). 

They will increase the BCPs’ capacity for processing cargo movement, and will greatly enhance the day-to-day operations of the BCP and the positive experience of its users. To ensure cargo movement continues during power shutdowns, ERA also provided these BCPs with 50kw generators. This assistance is aimed at increasing the efficiency and accessibility of logistics routes for the export of Ukrainian goods. Improving logistics processes not only optimizes the rail’s operations, but also facilitates more efficient exports of Ukrainian goods, including grain, which is vital for boosting Ukraine’s economy and global food security. 

Background: Between 2023-2026, USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services, to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes.  

USAID ERA supported pavement repair and other improvements begin at priority road border crossing points 

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
11 March 2024

Subcontractors for USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) have begun pavement repair and miscellaneous improvement work at a key road border crossing point (BCP) in Volyn Oblast on Ukraine’s border with Poland. Later in March, work will also begin at two BCPs in Zakarpattia Oblast and one BCP in Chernivtsi Oblast on Ukraine’s borders with Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. The work involves repairing damaged pavements, stormwater slotted drains, and canopy cover over the checkpoints, and painting the barriers and metal fence, placement of traffic lane lines and markings, and replacing security fences. 

Earlier this year, the USAID ERA partially replaced old modular buildings at four priority BCPs, some of which will be used as offices for employees of the State Customs and Border Guard Services of Ukraine. Road signs have been replaced, water barricades and waste sorting bins and commercial scales have been installed at some of the BCPs to speed up customs procedures. 

The USAID ERA support is aimed at improving the infrastructure of the BCPs to ensure their stable and efficient operations. Improved border conditions and functionality will positively impact the experience at the BCPs, including improving the border crossing experience of drivers and companies engaged in international trade.

Background: Between 2023-2026, USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services, to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes. 

USAID supplies bogie exchange lifts to improve the efficiency of rail cargo operations 

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
23 February 2024

The USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (USAID ERA) has installed the first set of four bogie exchange lifts for Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) at a railroad border crossing point (BCP) on the Romanian border. The remaining two sets from the USAID ERA total order of three sets are to be installed in March. Each set, which comprises four bogie lifts, can lift cargo weighing more than 100 tons.   

The lifts are an efficient way to change wheel bogies to move trains and wagons from the wider gauges to standard gaugesand vice versa, thereby eliminating the idle time associated with the replacement of bogies, enabling faster cargo movement between Ukraine and the EU. The installation of the 12 lifts will allow handling an additional 24 cargo per day, which will increase the capacity and efficiency of UZ’s cargo operations. For more than 15 years, this regional branch of UZ has not purchased any new lifts for any of its railway stations.  

The lifts are supplied by “TRADING HOUSE” MASHSERVIS” LTD (the actual manufacturer of the lifts is a subsidiary of Plasma Company LLC), a leading Ukrainian company based in Kharkiv that manufactures and supplies equipment for Ukraine and Europe, which won the USAID ERA competitive tender. Since 2006, the company has grown from a small commodity trading company to a manufacturer of industrial equipment, gradually developing and expanding into new areas of production. 

At the beginning of the war in Ukraine unleashed by Russia, the company’s operations were suspended, and they had to abandon many areas of development and some services. Four months later, they gradually began to resume production. At present, the company has identified the main areas of work that it plans to develop in the future – the manufacture of railcar jacks, shunting devices for moving railcars, grab bars, winches, gearboxes, thermal equipment, and mining equipment.  

Today, the company produces almost all the parts needed to manufacture the equipment on its own. The trading house buys all the material for the manufacture of equipment from reliable suppliers from Ukraine and European countries, which ensures stable production. The main customers of “TRADING HOUSE” MASHSERVIS” LTD, are large metallurgical enterprises, ports, enterprises with railway infrastructure, mines, elevators, quarries, and mining and processing plants.    

Prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the company sold 50% of its equipment on the domestic market and 50% was exported. For now, “TRADING HOUSE” MASHSERVIS” LTD, sells 80% of its products on the domestic market and 20% are exported. 

The company approaches each order individually. For example, as per ERA’s request, a 3D model of the equipment to be manufactured was developed, load calculations were performed, and only then was the production launched. It was hanks to the ERA order, that the company was able to set up a line for bogie exchange lift production, which created new jobs. 

The company has a large fleet of machine tools, so it manufactures almost all parts on its own. This makes it possible to control production at every stage. The manufactured equipment is checked for quality by the technical control department. In some cases, the company orders the services of a third-party expert to check the equipment.    

“TRADING HOUSE” MASHSERVIS” LTD ensures high quality standards through the ISO 9001 quality management system and complies with international safety and sustainability standards. The company’s products also comply with such standards as technical specifications and the State standards of Ukraine. 

As a reminder, ERA is modernizing Ukraine’s key rail and road border crossings with Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Poland. This initiative aims to increase efficiency, improve accessibility, and increase the logistics capacity of key border crossings for Ukrainian exports. Grain, whose exports are important not only for Ukraine’s economy but also for global food security. 

Background: Between 2023-2026, USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services, to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes.  

 

USAID ERA delivers modular buildings for installation at key road border crossing points in Zakarpattia Oblast

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
22 February 2024

Under the USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), ArtMetal Ukraine, a Dnipro-based company, has delivered 21 prefabricated buildings (prefabs) for installation at two key road border crossing points (BCPs) in Zakarpattia Oblast on Ukraine border. The commissioning of the prefabs is scheduled for February and early March. The modular buildings, or prefabs, are to be equipped with the necessary functional equipment. They will improve border control processes and speed up customs procedures, and potentially reduce waiting times at the borders between Ukraine, Hungary, and Slovakia. 

 

At the same time, the sanitary modules previously delivered to the BCP on the border with Romania are successfully connected and ready for use. One of the modules is inclusive, with a ramp providing unimpeded access for people with disabilities. Each sanitary module is equipped with the necessary set of sanitary equipment. 

The modernization of BCPs contributes to creating a more accessible and comfortable environment for all categories of people crossing the border and enhances Ukraine’s ability to operate its border crossings effectively, which stimulates the local economy by ensuring the export of Ukrainian goods to international markets. 

Background: Between 2023-2026, USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services, to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes. 

Border Crossing Point (BCP) Deputy Director

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
19 February 2024

Lviv

Position Overview

The Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) is focused on facilitating the increased flow of commodities from Ukraine through its EU borders to prepare for better integration with the European Union. Between 2023-2026, USAID is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes, transportation routes, and passenger traffic. ERA is upgrading border crossing points (BCPs) and adjacent cargo processing infrastructure to increase trade and integration capacity through both short-term rapid upgrades and longer-term improvements.

ERA is looking for an energetic and highly organized candidate to work alongside the BCP Director to oversee construction management, personnel management and training, and quality assurance to support Ukrainian border crossing point upgrades. Candidates must be willing to relocate to Lviv, Ukraine (a maximum of 25 percent remote work may be approved) for the life of the project, which is set to conclude in August 2026.

Expected key functions:

The BCP Deputy Director will provide senior technical leadership and management for the ERA BCP Team to enable it to

  1. Assisting the BCP Director in providing quality review, training, mentoring, and follow-up with the BCP staff to ensure the quality of products, reports, trackers, projections, etc. Provide management, technical, and organizational skills to improve the quality of internal and external deliverables to USAID and counterparts.
  2. Developing and updating progress monitoring control schedules and Gantt charts, including awards/delivery, completion, and financial projection management. Ensure BCP workplan targets are met.
  3. Developing analysis and monitoring progress as far as financial projection, budget, LOE, etc.
  4. Updating BCP-related sections of the work plan and BCP progress tracking and adherence to the work plan and performance targets. Conduct regular follow-ups on team members to ensure successful completion, submission, and documentation of all components.
  5. Collaborating with the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) and cross-functional teams as needed on routine technical updates, monitoring and evaluation, environmental compliance, communications, client reporting, procurement, and budget projections.
  6. Performing other functions assigned by the BCP Director on a BCP component needs and assessment.

Required qualifications:

  • 5-7 years of mid-to senior-level experience in overseeing engineering design and construction program management and quality assurance (QA)/quality control (QC), or related field, equivalent to a Deputy Chief of Party, component lead or senior management position;
  • Strong personnel and project management skills;
  • Strong technical, financial, analytical, quantitative, critical thinking, and conceptual skills to analyze issues and develop monitoring and control tools and recommend and present solutions and/or options;
  • Excellent computer skills, especially in computer-assisted design software, Microsoft Project, and Excel; able to develop Microsoft Project Gantt charts to monitor engineering level of effort (LOE), schedules, and cost for several projects.
  • Experience in monitoring, updating, tracking, and following up on the project workplan and progress schedule related BCPs and any related AMELP indicators
  • Significant experience in field assessment, design, and construction of small- and medium-scale infrastructure;
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills in English are required; verbal skills in Ukrainian and/or Russian are advantageous.
  • Highly energetic and skilled in developing and tracking tool(s) to monitor the Level of Efforts and budgets, schedules for accomplishing activities, and financial projections and produce a high level of oversight and visibility for all the elements of the BCP programs.

Preferred qualifications:

  • A university-level degree in civil engineering or a related field, such as industrial engineering, engineering management, or architecture. Experience in relative fields will be considered in lieu of a degree in these areas.
  • Mid-level experience in managing construction projects funded by USAID; knowledge of USAID rules and regulations on procurement and construction, highly desired.
  • Experience in construction activities, quality assurances, and control is preferable.
  • Familiarity with Ukrainian construction and engineering regulations is preferable;
  • Experience in mentoring and training staff across relevant functions.

WE OFFER

Contract length: 12-month employment agreement with a possibility of extension.

Benefits: all benefits envisaged by the Labor Code of Ukraine, corporate medical insurance for employees and immediate family members.

Start date: March 2024

Application process

All applicants must send a cover letter and updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English to ukraine@dai.com

Closing date for applications: March 5, 2024.

For further information about DAI GLOBAL LLC, please consult our website dai.com.

USAID supplies five commodity scales toUkraine’s road border crossing points  

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
13 February 2024

USAID Economic Resilience Activity (USAID ERA) has supplied five one-ton commodity scales to three of Ukraine’s priority road border crossing points (BCPs). The Starokozache/Tudora BCP received one scale, while two scales each were delivered to the Rava-Ruska/Hrebenne, and Chop – Zahony BCPs. The scales, produced by a Ukrainian manufacturer, feature the full range of functionalities required by the State Customs Service of Ukraine. This include  capacity for the required tonnage, number of weighings per day, photo quality, and data storage, which are all crucial for fast and efficient customs declaration at the border crossings.  

This assistance is part of USAID ERA’s ongoing support to modernize priority BCPs between Ukraine and Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Poland. This initiative aims to increase efficiency, improve accessibility, and enhance the logistical potential of key BCPs for the export of Ukrainian goods, especially grain, whose export is vital for Ukraine’s economy and global food security. 

Background: Between 2023-2026, USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services, to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes.