Hiring of a Water Technical Director for EMAE — Access to Clean Resilient Electricity under the ASCENT Regional Program - Multi Programmatic Approac

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES) Country : São Tomé and Principe Project : ACCESS TO CLEAN RESILIENT ELECTRICITY PROJECT (ACRE) Loan No./Credit No./ Grant No. : E259-ST Assignment Title: Hiring of a Water Technical Director for EMAE REFERENCE NO .: 58/C/ACRE/2026 The Government of the Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe has received a grant from the International Development Association (IDA) toward the cost of the Access to Clean and Resilient Electricity Project (ACRE) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. The consulting services ("the Services") include lead the implementation of measures aimed at improving the operational performance of the water utility, including reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW), strengthening preventive and corrective maintenance, improving water quality and service reliability, enhancing asset management, and supporting improvements in commercial performance through better operational efficiency. The assignment is expected to run until December 2028, with an initial contract duration of 12 months, renewable based on satisfactory performance and project needs. The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be obtained at the address given below. The Project Administration and Fiduciary Agency (AFAP) now invites eligible individuals ("Consultants") to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services (attach curriculum vitae with description of experience in similar assignments and similar conditions). Candidates must hold 1) a Master's degree in a relevant field (Master’s Degree in Engineering (preferably Civil or Environmental) and; 2) must demonstrate fluency Fluency in Portuguese, English. Candidates who do not meet both requirements will not be considered. The criteria for selecting the Consultant are: (i) Specific experience relevant to the assignment — 40 points At least 10 years of proven experience in Management Roles/Position in Water Utilities/Firms — 6.50 points Experience in Organizational Transformation Processes and Management of Public Companies — 6.50 points Experience in Utility Operations — 3.00 points Experience in Water Tariff Analysis and experience in NRW management — 3.00 points Leadership Experience — 4.00 points Proven Experience in managing Public Utilities/Services characterized by high technical and commercial losses, weak collection, poor quality of service and institutional inefficiencies — 4.00 points Experience and Capacity to Implement a KPI based Management approach — 3.00 points Experience in the recovery/enhancement of operational efficiency, quality of service and financial performance—4.00 points Experience in leading/managing technical teams through organizational and operational restructuring/reforms— 3.00 points Experience working in África — 3.00 points (ii) Qualifications and competence for the assignment — 25 points MBA or other Engineering/Management Post-Graduation — 5.00 points Advanced Knowledge of the Water Sector (from an operations and technical efficiency perspective) — 4.00 points Knowledge and Experience with Loss Reduction Measures — 2.00 points Experience in Managing and Operating Water Treatment and Distribution Systems — 2.00 points KPI-based Project Management and Monitoring — 2.00 points Previous positions with oversight and responsibility over Sectorial P&L — 2.00 points Experience in Operations Planning and Control (experience in operational enhancement will be valuable)— 2.00 points Previous experience in budgeting and financial control of utility/electricity operations— 2.00 points Previous experience in managing multi-disciplinary teams— 2.00 points Experience with IWA (International Water Association) performance indicators, ISO standards and utility benchmarking methodologies— 1.00 points Demonstrate capacity to present, discuss and coordinate activities at a multi-disciplinary level, including with Public Institutions (ex. Commercial Directorate, AGER, DGAAC, TIU, etc.)— 1.00 points Experience with private sector participation, PPPs, or performance-based contracts in the water sector will be considered an advantage. iii) Language — 5 points Fluency in English — 5 points Total: 70 points Following evaluation of the CVs ,of individual consultants will be subject to a competency assessment and interview, after which the best qualified candidate will be invited to contract negotiations and signing. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank's Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers ("the Regulations"), setting forth the World Bank's policy on conflict of interest. Consultants are advised to limit their Expression of Interest to 10 pages. Expressions of interest must be delivered in written form to the address below (in person or by e-mail) by 12 August 2026 at 23:45 (local time), referencing: "Expression of Interest – Hiring of a Water Technical Director for EMAE – Ref. 58/C/ACRE/2026". Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours, from 08:00 to 16:00. Agência Fiduciária de Administração de Projectos (AFAP) Attn: Hélio Silva Almeida, General Director Avenida Kwame N'Krumah, Edifício Afriland First Bank STP, 2.º Andar São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe Tel: +239 222 52 05 E-mail: rh.executive@afap.st | dg.procurement@afap.st