Consultancy Assignment
ERA BACKGROUND
AGRI-UKRAINE GRAIN EXPORT LOGISTICS
USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) is one of USAID’s core partners implementing the $350 million Agriculture Resilience Initiative – Ukraine (AGRI-Ukraine) that was established in 2022 to bolster Ukrainian agricultural exports and alleviate the global food security crisis exacerbated by the war. Under AGRI-Ukraine, ERA partners with public and private companies to complement and leverage urgently-needed grain transportation and transshipment investments.
INFRASTRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS
ERA also directly supports the Government of Ukraine, including the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), the State Customs Service and Ukrainian Railways, to upgrade 42 of Ukraine’s border crossing points (BCPs). Modern and more efficient border infrastructure and customs procedures will reduce export costs and increase export capacity, enabling Ukraine to scale trade and advance its path to EU integration.
ENERGY AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUPPORT
As one of USAID’s most flexible activities that responds to emerging and/or emergency needs, ERA is expanding its interventions that assist Ukraine businesses, communities or individuals in the fall and winter (September 2024-December 2025). The goal is to minimize the impact on the Ukrainian people and economy given recent power deficits. This is an adaptive component and ERA may also need to respond to other emergency needs in the face of ongoing Russian aggression and attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.
CONSULTANCY OVERVIEW
The main objective of the consultancy is to provide available resources in support of tasks associated with the provision of design documentation review for the project’s biddability, constructability, and maintainability before advertising project tenders on a periodic and as-needed basis to ensure a cost-effective design that is biddable, buildable, and maintainable with reduced overruns and delays.
PERFORMANCE TASKS AND REQUIREMENTS
The Consultant will support and assist the Ukraine ERA Infrastructure Component in engineering and technical issues based on need. The role is designed to remain flexible to the incoming challenges that will accompany the growth of the BCP construction component throughout the assignment. The Design Review Expert should apply his/her specialized experience in construction procedures, design regulations, procurement of construction services practices in Ukraine, USAID’s regulations, and DAI’s policies to the position. The consultant expert should know Ukrainian engineering and construction rules, regulations, practices, techniques, and estimates of construction costs.
The consultant shall complete the tasks as follows:
- Conduct engineering Design Review (Design Documentation Review (DRE)). Almost all the Design Documentation will be in the Ukrainian language. The DRE consultant is expected to provide comprehensive inputs into providing feedback on design documentation (DD) packages (volumes) submitted to DAI by its subcontractors during the design phase of the project, within the following aspects:
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- Review of completeness of DD in terms of its biddability for construction tendering;
- Review particular sets of drawings (volumes), as indicated in an ad hoc DAI’s requests – for their comprehensiveness and alignment with Ukrainian standards, regulations, construction norms, techniques, and practices;
- Review DD in terms of their adequacy and alignment with USAID’s policies and regulations (ad hoc requests for particular volumes);
- Review DD in terms of its adequacy for construction (ad hoc requests for particular volumes);
- BOQs review in terms of their adherence to market rates in Ukraine (ad hoc requests for particular line items, features of work, materials)
The deliverable will be checklists of specific items checked, comments, suggestions for improvements with evidence-based justification, DD with comments indicated, and a summary report.
- Assist through the procurement of Construction Services and Bills of Quantities (BOQ) Review. Almost all documents will be in the Ukrainian language. The DRE consultant is expected to provide the following services/feedback, as needed, within the construction services procurement and initial phases of the construction of the project:
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- Review of construction services tender packages in terms of their completeness and adherence to tendering procedures of the project
- Review of the construction contractors’ mobilization process, scheduling, sequencing, and staging and BoQ, QA/QC plans and its adherence to the project’s timelines and Ukrainian legislation, including, but not limited to, legal framework, completeness of insurance documentation, and completeness of certification documentation—allowing for the successful and timely mobilization of construction contractors to their designated site.
Deliverables will be reviewed, and comment on documents with recommendations and alternatives along with a summary report.
- Support the BCP team in engineering and construction administration processes, as needed. The services needed could be to review claims, change orders, and disputes between A/E and construction subcontractor to check cost, delivery time and mechanism, and the liable party for the change orders.
Deliverables will be reviewed, a short report on the issues and analysis and recommendations on each issue.
Services are anticipated to be remote, although onsite services may be required if necessary. The consultant’s deliverables are expected to facilitate successful BCP infrastructure planning, design, and procurement of construction services and ensure the project’s compliance, efficiency, and value engineering.
QUALIFICATIONS
- MA/BA in Civil or Infrastructure Engineering or a related field.
- A category certification as “architect/engineer” and/or “expert” level CC2 or higher.
- Technical supervision certification (Technahlyad) is also acceptable if supported by professional experience consistent with design review, construction supervision, and compliance verification experience.
- A minimum of 10 years of specific experience in design and construction supervision.
- Mid-level English is required. Verbal English skills will be tested during the interview process.
- Experience with international donor-funded projects is preferred.
- Based in Ukraine and ready for site visits along the western border of Ukraine.
JOB EXPECTATIONS:
In this position, you are expected to share the DAI four core values:
- Integrity: commit to civil and ethical behavior, play by the rules, and do the right thing;
- Responsibility: be accountable to clients, partners, grant recipients, beneficiaries, colleagues, and communities where we work. If you fall short, you own up, fix the problem, and get it right the next time;
- Excellence: adhere to the highest technical and professional standards in innovation, learning, and service;
- Global Citizenship: respect the cultural diversity and treat everyone everywhere with professionalism and dignity to make the world a better place.
WE OFFER
Contract terms:
- 12-month independent consultancy agreement.
- Level of Effort – up to 230 working days.
- Reimbursement of travel expenses.
Start date: September 2024
Application process
All applicants must send a cover letter and updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English to ukraine@dai.com
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran.
Closing date for applications: September 17, 2024.
For further information about DAI GLOBAL LLC, please consult our website era-ukraine.org.ua.