2023-12-06

Funding Agency: Millennium Challenge Account Nepal
Client: Millennium Challenge Account Nepal
Date: September 2022 – December 2025

The objective of the ETP is to increase electricity consumption by improving the availability and reliability of electricity supply in Nepal’s electricity grid and by facilitating cross-border power trade. To achieve the ETP Objective, Compact funding will support the following components: Transmission Line Activity: A total length of 314 km 400 kv double–circuit transmission lines will provide a vital missing link to the existing high voltage grid in Nepal.

Transmission Line segments are divided into the following three Lots:

1.  New Damauli to New Butwal 89.5KM -  New Butwal to Nepal/India Border, 18.2 Km - 107.7 Km

2.  Ratmate to New Damauli, 89.7 Km - 89.7 Km

3.  Lapsiphedi to Ratmate, 59 KM -  Ratmate to New Hetauda 57.5 km - 116.5 Km

Overall Services provided:

The scope of work for this consultancy service comprises the following 5 tasks:

 1.       Preparatory Planning - A Resettlement Manual including

• Roles, Responsibilities, and Quality Assurance/ Control
• Update the Stakeholder Engagement Plan
• Update the Communication and Outreach Plan
• Approaches to Gender, Social Inclusion, Vulnerability, and Counter-Trafficking in Persons
• Training
• Planning and budgeting for all RAP and LRP Planning and Implementation Activities Data management and Confidentiality
• Data management and Confidentiality
• Resettlement Surveys
• Assessment of Losses and Entitlement
• Entitlements, Compensation payments, Relocation
• Livelihood Restoration
• Project Reporting and Monitoring

2.       Conduct at least three rounds of consultations with all the affected PAP including forest users’ groups and other key stakeholders during the RAP and LRP preparation process; prior to the start of the RAP/LRP process; during the RAP/LRP preparation process, and after the draft RAP/LRP is prepared. The tentative estimated number of consultation meetings and workshops is 400 involving a group of 25 or more participants in each meeting.

3.       Develop a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) and integrate within this Plan, a Livelihoods Restoration Plan (LRP) for each of the three segments of the transmission Line length.

• Update and implement the Stakeholder Engagement Plan according to the processes described in the Resettlement Manual. This involves examination and expansion of the Stakeholder Engagement matrix and procedures for reporting.
• Establish and Manage a Resettlement Grievance Redress Mechanism: MCA-Nepal has established a grievance redress mechanism during the preparation of EIA, SEP, and RAP for the Ratmate sub-station Implement the Communication Plan:
• The Consultant shall develop and implement a Communication Plan whereby the affected communities and the people are informed through this plan on the activities to be performed under RAP and LRP prior to the resettlement process starting and ongoing throughout.
• Plot the Corridor of Impact (COI): The Consultant shall, using the CoI identified during the Feasibility study and provided to the then Consultant (Stantec), plot the COI on the cadastral maps that will be used in the RAP.
• Demarcate COI and Affected Plots: The Consultant shall plot the corridor of impact on the cadastral maps, including areas for land acquisition, right-of-way compensation, and easement or temporary impacts. Information and consultation meetings with Stakeholders shall take place to explain the demarcation and resettlement process prior to any physical demarcation.
• Training: The Consultant shall provide necessary orientation and/or training to all teams of staff who will interact with PAP for census or asset inventory activities as defined in the Resettlement Manual.
• GIS Linked Database and COI Photography/Videography: The Consultant shall design, develop and enter data into a GIS-linked database (e.g. ArcGIS Online or similar) that shall serve as a formal record of information and shall be quality assured to ISO 9001 or higher standard.
• Surveys (Census including Socio-economic Surveys, Inventory of Assets, and Asset Valuations): The Consultant shall conduct the following surveys necessary to complete the RAP.
• Eligibility Table, Resettlement Compensation Entitlement Matrix: The Consultant shall describe the entire range of compensation packages as applicable to all categories of assets and losses and summarize these in an entitlement matrix to be approved by MCA
• Livelihood Restoration: The Consultant shall develop a Livelihood Restoration Plan (LRP) comprising livelihood restoration programs in the eligibility table and entitlement matrix. Livelihood restoration opportunities are considered an integral part of the entitlement matrix. The Consultant shall design

4.       Implement the RAPs and,

• Implement the activities of the RAP in accordance with this Scope of Work (SoW). Additional information about these activities is referenced in the Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) and respective TL RAPs.
• Coordinate with MCA–Nepal and its Design and Build Contractor thereafter (“D&B Contractor”) and any other entities designated by MCA-Nepal with regard to resettlement-related activities.
• RAP implementation is understood to encompass the following activities.

5.       Supervise the LRPs Implementation

The Consultant shall supervise the detailed planning and implementation of the Livelihood Restoration Program(s) for approx. 1412 numbers of land parcels in tower locations and 5985 numbers of land parcels under RoW in the TL alignments that would be affected by the ETP works construction. The Consultant shall prepare Terms of Reference based on the RAP/LRP report for the engagement of LRP Implementation Service Providers for LRP Implementation.

The detailed LRP design shall be based on the parameters set out in the RAP/LRP prepared for TL alignment, which includes information on program areas, program themes, eligibility, participant numbers, and budget estimation.

The Consultant (s) shall work in close collaboration with the LRP Implementation Service Providers and MCA-Nepal. Please note that the LRP Implementation Service Providers shall undertake the following activities based on the LRP.