The Ministry of European Integration (MEI) had obtained funding for 23 projects for various local authorities under the PHARE 2005 – 2006 Economic and Social Cohesion provided by the European Union; it now required a team to organise the preparation of the corresponding tender packages according to the funding criteria, in tendering the works, and in selecting the engineering teams that would supervise the works. These included six road projects, 12 projects related to tourism infrastructure and five projects related to business infrastructure.
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Twelve projects were Tourism related infrastructure with the purpose to improve the local infrastructures to attract a larger number of Romanian and foreign tourists. Majority of these projects were related to the rehabilitation and consolidation of the actual historic monuments or spa locations including improvement of local networks.
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Six projects were related to Regional transport infrastructure with the objective to improve or build anew roads at regional level including bridges, junction, drainage and the related infrastructure for safer traffic and improved road accesses.
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Five projects were Business related infrastructure with the purpose to build multifunctional exhibition centres or business incubators including appropriate facilities to provide support to the local entrepreneurs and attract foreign ones.
Arup were contracted via the Ministry of Finance as leader of the joint-venture for the above works, which were carried out in three main phases. In the first phase the team prepared tender dossiers for the projects, verifying and amending the feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments and design briefs prepared by the previous technical assistance consultant, further preparing the technical designs and tender dossiers for all 23 projects according to EC requirements and Romanian Procurement Law and liaising with local authorities to obtain the necessary permits.
In the second phase the joint-venture team supported the MEI in the launch and tender of the corresponding works contracts, which consisted of floating the tenders, answering the tenderers’ questions and participating in the Tender Evaluation Committee sessions as a voting member. All tenders were floated and processed in time to receive the corresponding funding.
In the third phase the team assisted the Ministry in drafting Terms of Reference for selection of the Supervision Consultants 'engineers', who would be responsible for supervision of the construction works according to the funding criteria.
An additional component of the commission was to organise and deliver 15 three-day training sessions for representatives of the local public authorities - potential and current beneficiaries of infrastructure projects financed under EU programmes (PHARE and / or Structural Funds) - in project/contract management according to internationally accepted standards. The sessions were successfully implemented and received consistently high scores in the post-course evaluations from the attendees.
After the completion of the works the team received high commendations by the client’s team, and was since – in different joint-venture set-ups – contracted for further work for the Ministries.
