BACKGROUND

The Sustainable Transport Infrastructure Improvement Program (STIIP - the program) was approved in 2016 
to improve Solomon Islands transport infrastructure financed by the National Transport Fund (NTF). The 
executing agency for the program is the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MOFT), and the implementing 
agency is the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) through the Central Project Implementation 
Unit (CPIU).

The MID and its development partners agreed that it is both timely and beneficial to conduct a review of 
the current approach to infrastructure maintenance, rehabilitation and construction subprojects being 
executed under the Sustainable Transport Infrastructure Improvement Program using NTF mechanism. The NTF 
has been established by pooling funds from Solomon Islands Government, ADB and Government of Australia’s 
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to support transport projects identified under National 
Transport Plan (NTP) for the period 2017-36. NTF serves as a sustainable mechanism to fund the 
development and maintenance of transport infrastructure and transport services. Of the 1502 km of sealed 
and unsealed roads, 377 bridges and 81 wharves, NTP targets to rehabilitate these infrastructure assets 
to maintainable conditions and 100% of these to be annually maintained by 2030. 

The projects for STIIP are selected from the Medium Term Transport Action Plan (MTTAP) 2019-23, which 
addresses priority investment in the short to medium term for projects from NTP.STIIP is being 
implemented to support the nationwide transport infrastructure program from 2015 to 2022for the various 
outcomes of the program are (i) transport infrastructure rehabilitated and maintained to be safe, gender 
responsive, and climate- and disaster resilient for all users, (ii) country systems strengthened, and 
competency and capacity of government agencies improved to finance and implement national transport 
plans, and (iii) Ministry of Infrastructure Development's (MID's) supervision and management of work 
program strengthened. The program will benefit populations in rural and urban areas by strengthening 
country systems for achieving better transport infrastructure system and intermodal connectivity of 
national transport infrastructure using the existing mechanisms established. The results based lending 
(RBL) modality is proposed for STIIP. The STIIP provides sector-wide financing of government's transport 
sector program upon achievement of a set of pre-agreed Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs).

The Review will assess the extent to which STIIP has achieved its program outcomes, and document lessons 
learnt in detailing which aspects of MID’s transport infrastructure management system have been improved 
since the National Transport Fund was established in 2011, and the constraints that remain. It will be 
important for the review to have a framework to work towards – the STIIP M&E framework, linking the 
findings to outcomes.

CONSULTANCY SERVICES

Input Requirement 

The MID with the assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) (using TA9119 SOL) will now recruit 
the following individual consultants for the review and evaluation of the performance of NTF and STIIP:

a)	International Team Leader / International Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Specialist (Indicative 
duration(days)= 44.0)
b)	International Infrastructure Policy Specialist	(Indicative duration(days)=33.0)
c)	International Financial Management Specialist  (Indicative duration(days)=44.0)
d)	International Social Safeguards Specialist (Indicative duration(days)=22.0)
e)	International Environmental Safeguards Specialist	(Indicative duration(days)=22.0)
f)	National Team Coordinator (Indicative duration(days)=44.0)

The above consultants will be selected though Individual Consultant Selection (ICS) using ADB’s 
Consultant Management System (CMS). Though the consultants will be selected individually, they will work 
together to conduct the review and evaluation of the performance of the NTF and STIIP, and recommend a 
sustainable funding mechanism for future NTF implementation.

OBJECTIVE AND PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY SERVICES
The objective of the consultancy services through individual Consultants is to:
i.	Provide technical leadership to develop the program framework, plans and indicators to capture 
project performance results and provide effective, accurate and timely monitoring, evaluation and 
reporting of all NTF and STIIP activities.
ii.	Assess whether the Solomon Islands Government’s multimodal transport system efficiency and 
sustainability improved as a result of STIIP (overall outcome) and to what extent outputs were achieved.
iii.	Review the supervision carried out by CPIU, or CPIU contracted supervision personnel/firms, giving 
due consideration to the number of maintenance and construction contracts (roads and wharves) including 
administration procedures.
iv.	Review MID’s current transport infrastructure management system from identification of the need 
through to successfully completing a management response.
v.	Review of contract management and contract performance, in terms of maintenance of physical 
conditions, meeting the safeguards requirements including promoting participation of women and 
vulnerable groups;
vi.	Review the existing working mechanisms of STIIP including the assistance from the TA to CPIU in the 
management and operation of all the activities. It will include the review the performance of the TA to 
fill gaps in capacity of MID and also review the extent to which TA has influenced sustainable capacity 
development;
vii.	Review the TA9119 consultants’ performance in terms of contract supervision and management and 
comparison of CPIU’s capacity in terms of without support; and propose required man-power, restructuring 
and capacity building of CPIU for self-sustaining operation and maintenance;
viii.	Assess if the Government’s safeguards requirements have been complied with in each contract and 
recommend steps for improvements for future contracting and supervision and responsibilities; 
ix.	Assess whether funds being disbursed (payments) from NTF including the financial closure of the 
subprojects is achieved in a timely manner as per contract requirements;
x.	Assess whether funds are made available to the NTF by the Government and the development partners as 
committed and whether the subprojects’ performance has been impacted due to lack of funds; 
xi.	Assess the management, technical and financial performance of CPIU and MID in meeting the 
indicators/targets for accessing/receiving funds through NTF;
xii.	Assess the appropriateness, functionalities and legal aspects of the financing agreements between 
the Government and development partners; and
xiii.	Assess the appropriateness of NTF funds allocation to provide logistics support to CPIU to monitor 
and supervise maintenance activities.

Scope of the Consulting Services

The successful Consultants shall conduct a review of the current performance of STIIP under NTF funding 
and recommend to establish best practice for infrastructure maintenance and construction supervision 
activities, including aspects of labour-based equipment-supported and machine based contracts of roads, 
bridges and wharves for future implementation through NTF current mechanism or any modified or different 
approach. Taking into consideration the different capacity and resources between the provinces, this 
review needs to determine how current supervisory and maintenance works contracts can be strengthened to 
ensure that the approach adopted with future contracting will lead to the efficient delivery of 
infrastructure maintenance services that is both effective and sustainable. The Consultants’ scope of 
work shall include but not limited to all necessary activities to conduct all the review and evaluation 
mentioned in the section above.  

Coordination Arrangements 

All individual consultants shall coordinate with CPIU through Director CPIU, MID, NTF Board, NTF 
Secretariat, MOFT, ADB, DFAT and other stakeholder. As physical presence is not possible due COVID 19 
travel restriction, National Team Coordinator shall maintain all necessary physical coordination. Team 
Leader shall be responsible for leading the consultant team and for the delivery of the output. He/she 
shall maintain the coordination through videoconference or other suitable means of communication based 
on the situation.  He/she will be responsible for effectively communicating the technical inputs to a 
broader audience. All other individual consultant shall report to Team Leader and provide his/her 
delivery though Team Leader. Team Leader shall report to ADB for the delivery and output of the 
assignment. 

In conducting this review, the individual consultants should undertake the following consultations and 
documentation review:

i.	Consult with MID/CPIU personnel for assessment of management and supervision arrangements for 
infrastructure construction/improvement and maintenance works, including the implementation of LBES 
contracting;
ii.	Develop a schedule to visit project sites located in various provinces of Solomon Islands. Such 
visits should include discussions with personnel from MID, Provincial Government and where possible 
supervisory, contractor and adjacent community groups. The work will be conducted by the National Team 
Coordinator as per the direction and consultations with international consultants to collect all 
necessary data and information. Any other additional requirement of survey/technical input can be 
outsourced; 
iii.	Review all associated reports and documentation available, such as: -
o	2010 Report for the “Review of Labour-Based Road Maintenance and Contracting Activities in Solomon 
Islands”;
o	2014 PRIF Report – “Infrastructure Maintenance: Review of Labour-Based Approaches”.
o	NTF Act, Regulations, and Procedural Guidelines, NTF Board Agendas and Minutes: Project Steering 
Committee (PSC) Agendas and Minutes, including associated reports and other documents submitted to the 
Board and PSC
o	National Transport Plan (NTP) and associated Draft 2011-2013 Transport Sector Action Plan (3YAP).
o	Government of Australia/SIG Direct Funding Agreement (DFA) and associated DFAT documents including No 
Objection Letters and requests
o	SIG Development and Recurrent Budgets, NTF Audits, SIG Financial Instructions and related documents.
o	Medium Term Transport Action Plan (MTTAP) 2019-23.
o	Joint Report of Solomon Island’s National Transport Fund: Final Report, 2014
o	STIIP preliminary and subsequent relevant reports and documentation;
o	Aide memoire and other relevant documents from project review mission
o	Annual work plans 
o	Tracking register prepared for the subprojects monitoring
o	Ongoing supervisory performance reporting
o	Independent technical and procurement audit reports
o	Quarterly progress reports 
o	Safeguards monitoring reports
o	Detailed design reports, contract agreement, design and documents of works contracts
o	Any other relevant documents
During the mobilization stage, latest/revised documents will be provided to the Consultants. 

MID / CPIU COUNTERPART SUPPORT AND RESOURCES

MID / CPIU and NTF Secretariat will provide counterpart support through the Director CPIU, MID.  MID 
will provide office space sufficient for the team to work whilst in Solomon Islands.

The review team will have full access, at all reasonable times, to CPIU’s regional managers, job 
managers, works supervisors, specialists and advisers, and any other relevant personnel.

The review team will have full and complete access, at all reasonable times, to all records and 
documents including copies of previous reports, contract documents, and other available relevant 
documentation.

Duties and Responsibilities. 

International Social Safeguard Specialist shall report to the Team Leader. In consultation with Team 
Leader, he/she will liaise with CPIU,MID, NTF and ADB on a regular basis. He/she will perform the 
following duties and responsibilities:
•	Assist Team Leader and coordinate with other individual consultants to perform the assignment and 
ensure submission of the reports as per schedule described under deliverable items;
•	In consultation with Team Leader, coordinate with CPIU, MID, MOFT, NTF Board, NTF Secretariat, ADB, 
DFAT and other stakeholder to conduct the review and assessment;
•	Prepare a methodology and detailed work plan in consultation with all individual consultants for 
conducting the review and assessment considering the COVID-19 impact;
•	Coordinate with all individual consultants through coordination meetings (video conference, online 
meeting, etc.), consultations and or any other means of communication; 
•	Assist Team Leader and coordinate other consultants in preparing the draft and final report for the 
said review and assessment. The draft and final report shall be providing clear recommendations for 
sustainable NTF funding mechanism with the improved implementation of infrastructure maintenance 
supervision and works contracts especially in terms of social safeguard issue. The Consultant’s report 
shall be supported by the following review and analysis from safeguards perspective: 
o	Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of existing governance, management including social safeguard 
and operational arrangements after the implementation of STIIP through NTF and, make recommendations to 
SIG on any identified weaknesses or areas for strengthening to ensure the provision of adequate support 
for future operations.
o	Review of existing MID/CPIU processes, both supervisory and works execution, employed in the 
implementation of infrastructure maintenance, including the effectiveness supervision and execution of 
LBES contracting focusing on the safeguard issues;
o	Review effectiveness of the approach of the restructuring of the MID and creation of CPIU in the MID 
Transport Infrastructure Management Services Department (TIMS), which is supported by the Project 
Management and Implementation (PMI) Consultant, and the technical assistance (TA) activities of the ADB. 
Provide recommendation for the improvement of this mechanism in terms of safeguard issues. 
o	Conduct the assessment and evaluation of capacity gaps of MID in terms of social safeguards to run 
transport sector related projects like STIIP and other activities and provide recommendations on 
organizational changes (if necessary) and capacity building for future sustainability;
o	Review and assess the methods and criteria adopted for identifying projects that comply with national, 
provincial and stakeholder priorities in terms of safeguards requirements;
o	Review and assessment of the existing delivery and effectiveness of contracted machine based and 
labour based projects, including the approach to contracting and engagement of community labour and 
other social impacts, transparency of tendering process, contract management processes, contract 
administration, reporting and accountability for expenditure;
o	An assessment of work methods currently applied in project in relation to the targeted implementers, i.
e. national contractors, small-scale contractors and community groups.
o	Taking into consideration varying capacity and resource constraints between provinces, the overall aim 
is to establish a viable, cost-efficient and effective method of management and execution of 
infrastructure maintenance that is beneficial to the local economy and impacts on poverty reduction. 
Based on the Consultant’s review and assessment of the existing approach, output expectations for this 
assignment include: 
•	Recommendations for necessary training needs for supervisory staff to enhance their capacity in 
monitoring of safeguards requirements; 
•	Recommendations for the future methods/mechanism, number, sizing and duration of maintenance contracts 
taking cognisance of the number of maintenance contracts being implemented throughout the provinces 
considering the social safeguards issues;
•	Recommendation for inclusion of opportunities for community labour organisations from adjacent 
communities, including female participation, as well as aspects of social safeguards issues to be 
incorporated within supervisory and maintenance contracts; and
o	Carry out any other tasks necessary to conduct the assignment

 Bachelor degree in social science or related fields, postgraduate degree preferred. Minimum 5 years of 
experience in social development and gender, preferably for road/infrastructure projects. Experience in 
donor-funded projects is essential. The Consultant must have a solid record in the review and assessment 
of similar activities.