Tender Description

Terms of Reference (TOR)
Consultancy Title
Preparation of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
(ESIA) and Environmental and Social Management Plan
(ESMP) for the AMP Mini-Grid Pilot Locations.
Project Name: Africa Mini-Grid Project-Child Project
Type of Contract Consultancy Firm

TOR Background
An Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) was developed for the AMP National
Project in Somalia to ensure compliance with relevant policies, including UNDP’s Social and
Environmental Standards (SES)1
. That ESMF is a management tool to assist in managing potential adverse
social and environmental impacts associated with activities of the AMP National Project in Somalia, in line
with the requirements of UNDP’s SES.
In particular, the ESMF identifies the steps for detailed screening and assessment of the project’s potential
social and environmental risks, and for preparing and approving the required management plans for
avoiding, and where avoidance is not possible, reducing, mitigating, and managing these adverse impacts.
Its scope covers all project activities, which include co-financing in terms of in-kind contributions, grants
and equity investment by various government agencies and the private sector needed to implement the
project.
The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MOEWR) is seeking a qualified consulting firm/company
(hereinafter referred to as ‘the Firm’) to prepare an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
and its respective Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for a minigrid pilot investment in
three districts in Somalia : Lot 1: Dhobley, Lot 2: Buhoodle, Lot 3: Guriceel.
The pilots will be implemented in a challenging environmental and social context characterized by poverty,
displacement, institutional-capacity constraints, recurrent droughts and floods, land degradation, weak
waste-management systems and potential conflict over land and natural resources. Particular attention is
therefore required to community health and safety, labour and working conditions, land access, gender
equality, inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups, climate and disaster risks, biodiversity, cultural
heritage, and the management of batteries, fuels and electronic waste.
During project preparation, UNDP conducted stakeholder consultations and prepared a Social and
Environmental Screening Procedure, Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Environmental and Social
Management Framework. The project was classified as Substantial Risk, requiring site-specific
environmental and social assessment and management instruments before physical works commence. The
ESIA and ESMP shall comply with applicable federal, Federal Member State and local environmental,
energy, labour, land, health and safety requirements, as well as UNDP’s Social and Environmental
Standards. Where national requirements differ from UNDP standards, the more stringent requirement shall
apply. The consulting firm shall verify the current regulatory and permitting requirements for each selected
pilot site and build on the consultations and preliminary assessments already undertaken.
3 Project Description and Components
The assignment covers three pilot investments under the Somalia National Project of the Africa Mini-grids
Program. The pilots will primarily involve the hybridization and expansion of existing privately operated
diesel mini-grids through the installation of solar photovoltaic generation, battery energy storage and
1 The ESMF was annexed to the AMP national project documents. It was further refined during implementation phase and the
latest version is available upon request at amp@undp.org.
associated distribution infrastructure. The pilots are intended to increase renewable-energy penetration,
reduce dependence on diesel, extend electricity services to underserved areas and improve the affordability
and reliability of supply. The three mini-grid pilots will be implemented in in three districts in Somalia.
Lot 1: Dhobley, Lot 2: Buhoodle, Lot 3: Guriceel.
The main pilot components are expected to include solar PV arrays (with combine capacity of 2.116MW),
battery energy storage systems (with total capacity of 3.300MWh), integration with existing diesel
generators, transformers and protection equipment, rehabilitation or extension of distribution networks, new
household, business and public-institution connections, and prepaid or smart meters capable of integration
with the AMP digital monitoring platform. Where appropriate, the pilots may also support productive uses
of energy, such as water pumping, milling, welding, refrigeration, cold storage and other locally viable
economic activities. The project aims to serve 66,670 people in the three target districts (65,570 residential,
210 social and 710 commercial/PUE).
Each pilot will be implemented and operated by a competitively selected ESP or ESP-led consortium under
a Performance-Based Payment arrangement with UNDP. The project will cover will cover no more than
70 percent of eligible capital costs, while the selected ESP will mobilize at least 30 percent co-financing.
Payments will be released following independent verification of agreed infrastructure, connections, servicequality and environmental and social performance milestones.
The pilots will be implemented in rural and peri-urban settings characterized by limited electricity access,
high energy costs, livelihood vulnerability, weak waste-management services and exposure to droughts,
floods and other climate-related hazards. The ESIA shall therefore define the area of influence of each pilot
and assess the environmental and socioeconomic conditions of the selected communities, including land
use, natural habitats, climate and disaster risks, livelihoods, vulnerable groups, community safety and
management of batteries and electronic waste.
The pilots form part of the wider Somalia AMP programme, which supports energy-sector policy and
regulatory reform, institutional capacity development, private-sector business models, innovative
financing, digitalization, productive use of energy and knowledge management. Their implementation is
intended to demonstrate a commercially viable and environmentally sustainable model that can be
replicated to expand renewable-energy access across Somalia.
4 Objectives of the Assignment
The general objective of the assignment is to ensure compliance with national environmental and social
legislation, as well as with the UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES) in the context of the
project. Further, it serves to identify social and environmental impacts (positive and negative) and risks and
to design respective measures to prevent, reduce, mitigate and/or offset/compensate (for) them.
The Firm shall mobilize a suitably qualified multidisciplinary team to prepare an Environmental and Social
Impact Assessment (ESIA) and its respective Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for the
planned minigrid pilot(s) to ensure the socio-environmental sustainability of their different components.
More specifically, the Firm shall:
• Analyze relevant, national and international environmental and social requirements to ensure the
highest standard is applied in the context of the AMP project.
• Analyze and evaluate potential environmental and social impacts that may be associated with
construction and operation of the pilot minigrid(s), taking into consideration the risks identified in
the SESP/ESMF.
• Propose measures to prevent, control, mitigate, restore and/or compensate the potential
environmental and social impacts of the pilot investments so that the project complies with National
Standards, UNDP’s SES requirements.
• Develop management plans and other instruments detailing environmental and social requirements,
in particular to guide the final design of the minigrid pilots and their components, including
recommendations for changes to the pilot design as well as specific actions to be taken by
contractors and subcontractors.
• Develop a consultation/stakeholder engagement plan, including an analysis of interested and
affected parties, detailing documentation requirements, and dissemination of information about the
pilots.
• Support the implementing partner (and responsible party) in carrying out meaningful consultations.

Skills Required

Attachment

Follow us on social media