Public Space Implementation project: Responding to the Beirut Port explosion and COVID-19

Deadline

2 April 2021

The purpose of the Call for Proposal (CFP) is to solicit interest from existing or prospective Implementing Partners that wish to participate in UN-Habitat operation and contribute complementary resources (human resources, knowledge, funds, in-kind contributions, supplies and/or equipment) to achieving common objectives as outlined below and subsequently agreed in an Agreement of Cooperation

Size of grant: US$ 45,000

Purpose of CFP

UN-Habitat Lebanon is launching a call for proposal (CfP) to seek partnership in the implementation of an innovative public space project in Karantina, Beirut – responding to the redesigned public space needs of COVID-19.

Non-profit organizations (referred below as implementing partner) are invited to submit proposals that should contribute to the achievement of the overall goal of the “Public Space Implementation” project: “Rethinking the safety, inclusivity, mobility, and accessibility of spaces, walkways and sidewalks surrounding the two health facilities in Karantina, in a time of COVID-19”.

Submission Deadline Date and time: 2 April 2021 12:00 Beirut noon time

Proposals to be submitted in soft copy stamped and signed before deadline via email to unhabitat-lebanon@un.org

Project Key Information

UN-Habitat project title: Public Space Implementation project: Responding to the Beirut Port explosion and COVID-19
Locations:
- Town/City: Karantina, Beirut
- Country: Lebanon
Anticipated start date: 15 April 2021
Estimated duration of project in calendar months: 15 April 2021 – 30 June 2021 (2.5 months)
Maximum proposed value in US$: 45,000
Lead Organization Unit: UN-Habitat Lebanon Country Programme

Brief Background of the Project

On 4 August 2020, a massive explosion rocked the port of Beirut. The impact of the explosion on the built environment extended 6km from its epicentre causing severe damages at the level housing, public spaces and municipal services. It is estimated that more than 300,000 people were directly impacted by the blast, including 60,000 families who have their homes damaged, with many thousands displaced due to being evacuated following severe structural damages within their homes.

The impact of the explosions adds to the already critical economic and financial situation in the country due to the longstanding political divide and to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The explosions had also a significant impact on numerous public spaces in the affected neighbourhoods, rendering them inactive, deserted, and inaccessible. In addition to the damages in thousands residential buildings, sever damages occurred in public buildings such as schools, hospitals, health centres, public and private administration, etc.

Fully aligned with UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan 2020-2021, particularly under Domain of Change 1 on spatial inequality and Domain of Change 4 on urban crisis response, and as part of the wider response to the Beirut Port explosion and COVID-19, the Lebanon country Programme is working on rehabilitating the national HIV and TB centre in Karantina located in close proximity to Beirut Public Hospital in Karantina – from a build back better approach, taking into consideration a neighbourhood approach.

Both, the centre and the hospital used to receive on a daily basis, hundreds of patients, often accompanied by relatives and friends. The spaces, sidewalks and walkways are currently not designed or maintained to respect COVID-19 preventative measures, nor connected and safe, missing an opportunity to enhance the overall walkability and safety of the connected areas.

In this call for proposal, UN-Habitat is looking for implementing partners who can demonstrate that multifunctional public spaces can contribute to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG11.7: “by 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, particularly for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities” and align to UN-Habitat’s global guidance and messages on COVID-19 and public spaces.

Moreover, interested applicants should demonstrate the importance of stakeholder engagement, citizen participation, assessments, quality design, for the development of multifunctional public space that demonstrate how smaller and lighter public space interventions can have a larger impact on the targeted neighbourhood, including on COVID-19.

Also, all projects proposed must show how direct users of the targeted spaces especially the vulnerable groups will be fully included in site selection, design, construction, and management of the public space(s).

For maximum positive effect on the targeted neighbourhood, the implementing partner must show that the proposed intervention is not a site-specific intervention, but it has a wider impact on urban life in the neighourhood by linking it to the ongoing projects or initiatives taking place. Also, it must demonstrate that the proposed interventions will address COVID-19 concerns from a public space angle.

The outcome of the project: Improving spaces, walkways and sidewalks surrounding two health facilities in Karantina (HIV/TB centre and hospital), through enhancing the amenity, connectivity, accessibility, inclusivity, cleanliness, vitality, and safety conditions of patients and their families attending both health facilities, in a time of COVID-19.

Main activities and outputs

The Implementing Partner will be undertaking main activities as follows (but not limited to):

Site specific research to identify the key issues of the pedestrian and vehicular activities surrounding the two health facilities;
Conducting at least three participatory workshops that address the design, development, and maintenance of targeted public spaces applying various tools of community engagement, including mainstreaming COVID-19 awareness and response;
Close coordination with the Municipality of Beirut and other potential public stakeholders;
Implementation of smart and sustainable innovative interventions that can improve the use of walkways and sidewalks and the overall quality of users’ life, taking into consideration the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. These interventions can be, but not limited to, pedestrian crossings, speed bumps, distant seating areas, shading structures, signs, water sanitation and hygiene facilities, planters, etc.;
Supervision of public space construction works;
Development and documentation of adopted tools and methodologies;
Provision of in-kind contribution to this implementing partnership.

Risk Analysis

(State the risks associated with this project and the mitigation factors)

Risks	Mitigation factors
Unstable situation and fast changing context in Lebanon, with continued risk of road blockages, increase of COVID-19 cases and lockdown, protests and political tensions.	Security contingency plans for the project personnel. Contingency plans allowing for delay of certain activities
Interest and level of engagement of the municipality and the Governor of Beirut.	Continuous and close coordination with the municipality and governorate of Beirut.
Local community does not show enough commitment throughout implementation process.	Already established solid partnership with the local community in addition to the close work and active commitment of the municipality will ensure proper engagement of targeted groups throughout the implementation process.
Misuse and lack of interest of local stakeholders and residents with the interventions.	Raising the awareness among the local stakeholders about the importance and benefit of the interventions.
Delays in the implementation process	Continuous sharing of information with the implementing partner and key stakeholders, and specific attention to be paid to complete and accurate plans responding to all the project objectives and requirements.
Lack of local workers commitment.	Availability of pending list for additional workers.

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria	Submission Details/ Documents Required
Legal Status	Certificate of registration/incorporation i.e., Proof of registration in Country of Origin. Proof of registration of Country of operation Proof of country operational presence
Organization profile and details	Clear organization profile and structure of the organization indicating: Organization’s vision, mission and objectives Management structure Members of the Governing Board and their Designations duly certified by the Corporate Secretary, or its equivalent document Proof of membership to professional associations if any.
Financial Capacity	Audited company financial statements (balance sheet and income statement) and auditors report for the last two years
Exclusive bank account	Is the organization willing and able to have a separate bank account for the funds provided by UN-Habitat?
Integrity and Governance	The organization should complete and submit a signed Partner Declaration Form Provide the profiles of the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Head of the Organization and Chief of Finance

Selection Criteria

Criteria	Submission Details/ Documents Required	Weighting
1. Technical capacity		25%
1.1 Does the organization have the relevant experience and proven track record in implementing activities in the areas of the project? Has it managed in the past projects of similar technical complexities and financial size? Is the project linked with the core business of the IP?	List of projects executed in the last 2 years (value, location, donors, nature of projects, execution stage – completed or ongoing). Demonstrate how the experiences in past projects are relevant in the execution of the current proposal References from past donors
1.2 Does the organization have qualified technical staff with the experience and the technical skills required by the project? What is the staff size, type, qualification and education background?	CVs of key management staff, technical and non-technical staff that will be involved on the project How many technical staff do you have in the concerned Country for implementing the project? Is there reasonable assurance that such technical staff required by the project will continue to be available as needed in the Project?
1.3 Does the organization have a clear and strong link with an identifiable constituency relevant to the targeted population of the project? Does it have the ability to impact on the targeted population and on the issues? Does it have strong presence in the field and for how long? Does it have adequate capacity to work in key areas/regions where the proposed field activities will be implemented?	Demonstrate, describe and provide proof of local operational presence, including link and ability to impact the targeted population.
1.4 Does the organization possess adequate physical facilities, office equipment, transport, etc. to implement the activities?	Provide location and list of office facilities, vehicles and office equipment locally available to implement the project.
1.5 Does the organization have formal procedures to monitor project execution (e.g. milestones, outputs, expenditures…)	Provide formal project monitoring policies and procedures
2. Financial and administrative capacity		15%
2.1 Has the organization been in operation over a period of at least 2 years to demonstrate its financial sustainability and relevance?	State the years of operation Financial statements for the last 2 years
2.2 Does the organization have qualified staff in Finance? Is the current accounting system computerized and does have the capacity to collect and provide separate financial reports on the activities executed under the Agreement of Cooperation? Does it have systems and practices to monitor and report whether the project deliverables and expenditures are within agreed time and budget? Does it have minimum segregation of duties in place (separation between project management, finance/accounting and executive office)	CVs of key finance and accounting staff Description and key features and controls of the accounting system used Organization structure/ Organogram
2.3 Does the organization have the capacity to procure goods and services on a transparent and competitive basis? (if applicable) check for procurement unit with experienced staff	Copies of procurement policies and procedures. The procedures should show how you procure locally and internationally.
2.4 Does the organization have formal procedures and controls to mitigate fraud such as multiple signature signatories on bank accounts, reporting and prosecution of incidences of fraud?	Describe anti-fraud controls and provide formal procedures
2.5 Does the organization have capacity to provide in-kind, financial, personnel contribution as UN-Habitat Implementing Partner in this present project? Please give details of contribution nature and size.	Describe nature and value of contribution (in-kind or cash)
3. Financial Proposal		30%
3.1 Is the budget for each component of the activity to be performed by the Implementing Partner (i) cost-effective (i.e. the cost should be economical and prudently estimated to avoid any under/over estimation) (ii) justifiable/well supported and (iii) accurate and complete	Budget Proposal (see attached template) BOQ (if applicable) Other supporting documents
4. Technical Proposal		30%
4.1 The technical proposal is sound and responds adequately to the specifications and requirements?	Technical Proposal document (see attached template)
Cumulative score for ratios		100%

Notes:

Interested organizations must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochure, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.).
The CFP and accompanying documents must be received in accordance with instructions provided. CFP submitted to a different email address other than the specified one will not be considered.
CFP from applicants failing to provide the complete information to fulfill the basic eligibility criteria will be considered non-responsive.
CFP received after the above deadline will not be considered
Organizations will be selected in accordance with the procedure set out in the UN-Habitat IP Management policy and Standard Operating Procedures.
CFP from applicants failing to provide the requested information will be disregarded.
This CFP does not entail any commitment on the part of UN-Habitat, either financial or otherwise. UN-Habitat reserves the right to accept or reject any or all Proposals without incurring any obligation to inform the affected applicant(s) of the grounds.
All prices must be in USD.

Public Space Implementation project: Responding to the Beirut Port explosion and COVID-19: