Iraq Railways Extension and Modernization Project (Ирак - Тендер #65643164)

• Project ID

P507282

• Project Title

Iraq Railways Extension and Modernization Project

• Country

Iraq

• Notice No

OP00369259

• Notice Type

Request for Expression of Interest

• Notice Status

Published

• Borrower Bid Reference

I REM-MOT-MA-CS01

• Procurement Method

Quality And Cost-Based Selection

• Language of Notice

English

• Submission Deadline Date/Time

Aug 25, 2025 14:00

• Published Date

Jul 21, 2025

• CONTACT INFORMATION
• Organization/Department

Ministry of Transport- Iraqi Republic Railways

• Name

Wajdi Salih

• Address

Baghdad Railway Central Station Building, Damascus Square, 1st floor, Project Management Team (PMT)

• City

• Province/State

Iraq

• Postal Code

• Country

Iraq

• Phone

+964(0)7730 135 309

• Email

world-bank@scr.gov.iq

• Website

Request for Expressions of Interest
(Consulting Services Firms selection)

Consultancy Services of Management Agent CAPEX
Country Republic of Iraq
Project Iraq Railways Extension and Modernization Project (P507282)
Assignment Title Consultancy Services of Management Agent CAPEX
Reference No. IREM-MOT-MA-CS01

The Republic of Iraq has applied for financing from The World Bank toward the cost of the Iraq Railways Extension and Modernization Project (P507282 and intends to apply part of the proceeds toward Consulting Services.
The consulting services (“the Services”) include management support to IRR to carry out the Project, including:
• Establish effective Project management and control procedures by establishing the cost and schedule baseline and the reporting pro-form as for all components under the IREM Project.
• Review and comment with dedicated project teams and submit to IRR management for approval of projects’ documentation at every stage in each project delivery value chain—procurement, construction, and commissioning.
• Collect progress-related data and report projects’ progress to IRR Management.
• Develop, monitor, and manage IRR’s overall risk profile arising from the implementation of concurrent projects under the IREM Project.
• Coordinate management of concurrent projects and resolve any resourcing conflict between different project teams.
• Understand and interpret projects’ status and implications to determine whether the IRR Board requires authorization for any deviations from the agreed-upon project targets.
• Support for the reviewing the outputs of component 2 of IREM Project (studies, transaction advisory for mobilizing private sector resources) and manage E&S risks in all phases of their implementation (elaboration of ToRs, procurement procedures, contracting, evaluation of interim and final reports of the various consultants, etc.).
• Develop a training and development program for the IRR Projects’ staff in management of CAPEX projects.
• It is foreseen that the duration of the overall service will last for 5 years.

The expected date for starting the assignment is January 2026.

The Terms of Reference (TOR) for the primary procurement stage for the assignment are attached to this request for expressions of interest.
The Iraq Republic Railway Company (IRR) now invites eligible consulting firms (“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. The shortlisting criteria are:
1. General qualifications: Details of the company’s organization, core business, and years in business, relevant experience in railway infrastructure development, management of CAPEX projects, and technical and managerial capability of the firm to deliver the assignment.

2. Experience in similar assignments: having substantially completed in the last 10 years at least one similar large assignment of value not less than US$7.5 million. The similarity of the assignment shall be based on the following criteria:
i. Establishment and operation of a traditional Project Management Office in support of railway infrastructure development, such as railway signaling modernization, track construction, and upgrades, or similar railway infrastructure development work, and
ii. Engineering, procurement, supervision of construction, and commissioning of railway infrastructure development, such as railway signaling modernization, track construction, and upgrades, or similar railway infrastructure development work
3. Experience in The World Bank Procurement Procedures in at least one project in railway infrastructure or in another infrastructure development project.
4. Experience in implementing or supporting the implementation of Environmental and Social action plans
5. A completed on-the-job training and capacity development program for client staff in the same project or in any other infrastructure development project.
6. Financial soundness: To demonstrate its financial soundness, the firm is required to submit audited financial statements for at least three years (2022-24).
7. Joint Venture Requirements:
i. The number of members in a Joint Venture should not exceed three
ii. In the case of a Joint Venture, their combined capacity to demonstrate the requirements for Project Management of railway infrastructure development will be considered.
iii. Each member of Joint Venture should demonstrate its experience in the project management function of an infrastructure project
iv. In the case of a Joint Venture, each member of the Joint Venture is required to provide its financial statements.

Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

The shortlist will contain 5 to 8 firms.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs,3.13, 3.15, 3.16 and 3.17 of “The World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers,” 6th edition, dated February 2025 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth The World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. In addition, please refer to the following specific information on conflict of interest related to this assignment: the selection process requires that Consultants or their affiliates, competing for a Consulting assignment do not derive a competitive advantage from having provided Consulting Services related to this assignment.
Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.
A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations and to be specifically set out in the Request for Proposals.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 09:00 to 14:00 Baghdad time.
Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form in person, or by e-mail to the address below by Monday, August 25, 2025.
Attention: Mr. Wajdi Salih
Position: Procurement manager
Address: Baghdad Railway Central Station Building, Damascus Square, 1st floor, Project Management Team (PMT) office
City: Baghdad
Country: Republic of Iraq
Mobile: +964(0)7730 135 309
e-mail: world-bank@scr.gov.iq

Terms of Reference (ToR) – IRR Management Agent

1. Background

1.1 Railway sector in Iraq

The performance of Iraq’s transport sector is essential for the efficient movement of goods and people. However, faced with almost four decades of conflict, neglect, and underinvestment, the sector is unable to provide valuable services to the industry and the residents of Iraq.
Even though the transport sector contributes 9% to Iraq"s GDP, the sector suffers from inadequate maintenance and the government"s inability to fund and operate aging infrastructure, leading to widespread deterioration. This has negatively impacted national and regional connectivity, economic growth, and traffic safety, while limiting private financing opportunities. Inefficiencies in public sector governance and SOE performance, as well as SOE indebtedness, have led to a weak transport and logistics performance, high private sector costs, and barriers to entry. In addition, weak sector governance and chronic underfunding impede the sector"s growth and improvement. The Government of Iraq is fully committed to enhancing the efficiency of the railway transport sector and to increasing the transport market share of railways.
In May 2023, Iraq launched the Iraq Development Road Initiative, which aims to leverage its strategic geographical location for regional trade connectivity. This road and rail corridor is an integral part of Iraq’s development strategy, and it will connect Al Faw Grand Port on the Gulf to Europe via Iraq and Türkiye. GoI plans to develop the initiative in two stages: the first stage involves extending and modernizing the existing railway network and creating new connections from Al-Faw Seaport to the Türkiye border. The second stage will develop a 1,200 km greenfield railway link from Al-Faw Grand Port to the Türkiye border at an estimated cost of US$ 17 billion.
Institutionally, the current allocation of roles shows a number of stakeholders with an interest in the railway sector:
• The Ministry of Planning (MoP) oversees investment policy.
• The Ministry of Transportation (MoT) regulates transport policy.
• The Ministry of Finance (MoF) regulates budgeting an fiscal policy.
• Operational control of railways, ports, and airports falls under state-owned enterprises (SOEs) reporting to the MoT. Accordingly, the Iraqi Republic Railways (IRR) Company, an SOE under the MoT, is responsible for railway operations.

1.2 Iraqi Railways
Iraq’s railway network, 2,272 kilometers of standard gauge track and 115 stations, is currently in disrepair and offers limited transport connectivity. The network includes two main lines: one running north-south from Basra to the Syrian border at Rabiya, and another east-west from Baghdad to near the Syrian border at Akashat. Additionally, there is a transverse line from Kirkuk to Haqliaba and several short branch lines. Services are limited to a few freight lines, such as oil and grain transport, and passenger trains, including an overnight service from Baghdad to Basra and a weekly train to Sammara. Over the past year, Iraq has reactivated eight dormant rail lines, including the Baghdad to Al-Musayyib line and the Baiji field line. However, much of the track, including the lines that are BS90, is in poor condition, and the rail network"s overall value to transport connectivity remains limited.
IRR is experiencing a considerable reduction in its transport volumes, and 2023 traffic data supports this trend:
• 2023 passenger volumes at 249,000 passengers represent a 53% drop against the passenger volume in 2018, when IRR recorded the highest passenger volumes, estimated at 529,000 passengers.
• Freight volumes of 66,000 tons represent a drop of 89% against the freight volume in 2021 when IRR recorded the highest freight volumes, estimated at 93,000 tons.
Overall, the infrastructure and rolling stock are in poor condition, with only 10-20% of the fleet available for use, and the signaling system has been destroyed. Operational safety is a growing concern due to reliance on voice messages, uncontrolled at-grade crossings, numerous encroachments to the right-of-way, and disrepair of the superstructure.
Financially, IRR depends heavily on the GoI"s support for both operations and capital investment. Data for the period 2016 – 2020 shows that Government support was insufficient to cover IRR labour costs, which ranged between 67% and 82% of the company’s current expenses for the period. The workforce is aging and lacks modern railway operation skills. Despite these challenges, the railway system is beginning to transform, focusing on rehabilitating key links.

1.3 Railway modernization
With the support of The World Bank (WB), the GoI is starting to rebuild the sector, including a US$ 68 million investment from the Emergency Operation for Development (EODP) (P155732) International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) 87930, closing on 30-Jun-2026, to rehabilitate the 194-kilometer Baghdad-Baiji railway, which currently operates at very low speeds due to poor condition and lack of signaling. This hands-on learning will build on the EODP experience, which is currently building client capacity to upgrade and manage the railway sector.
The Government of Iraq has requested IBRD financing, including the assignment stipulated in this TOR, in order to improve the service quality and lower the carbon footprint of transport services between Umm Qasr Port in South Iraq and Mosul in North Iraq, and enhance regional connectivity. This Project is linked to the GoI’s plans for Stage 1 of the Development Road initiative. Stage 1 of this initiative comprises upgrading and modernizing the existing railway line Umm Qasr – Basra – Baghdad - Mosul (1,047 km) and constructing a new railway line from Shuaiba (Basra) to Al-Faw Grand Port in the south and from Mosul to the Türkiye border in the north. Annex 1 includes a location map. While the Development Road initiative is a long-term investment, the Project will enable Iraq to reap many of its benefits much sooner by carrying out rehabilitation and signal upgrades along the existing line.
The Project will enhance railway connectivity between the North and South of Iraq, thereby improving national connectivity. By upgrading and modernizing the existing railway infrastructure, the project will also facilitate the movement of goods and people, reduce transport costs, and improve travel times. This initiative is expected to position Iraq as a pivotal transit hub between East and West. Additionally, the project will create economic opportunities for youth and women, promote private sector participation (leading to a sustained growth in private sector jobs), and contribute to poverty reduction. The modernization efforts will also include the development of safety management systems and key performance indicators for the IRR, further strengthening institutional capacity and promoting sustainable economic growth.
The focus on upgrading the existing network, which will enable Iraq to maintain operations in the short term (for domestic and regional use). In the long term, the planned investments in the Development Road can continue as planned. The Project will enhance the performance of the existing brownfield North-South railway line (including enhancing safety at grade crossings). . As the market demand for larger volumes of transport increases, it will necessitate the dualization of specific railway segments, which will be addressed at a later stage (along with the greenfield railway link to Al-Faw Grand Port and to Türkiye).
The GoI and IRR are embarking on a major infrastructure modernization drive. The scale of the planned effort and the introduction of modern technology in the construction and operation of railway infrastructure make it the largest investment plan to be implemented in Iraq in the last 30-35 years. Neither the GoI nor IRR has suitable in-house or in-country experience that is required to deliver the planned investment scale and complexity. As a result, The World Bank offered to provide specialist external support.

2. Project description
The existing north-south railway line (built to a standard gauge of 1,435 mm) faces significant challenges in providing an adequate level of service. The overall track condition is poor, with a hardened track bed and the absence of a dedicated communication network and signal control system. IRR operations are further hampered by the very low availability of its ageing locomotive fleet. The average age of IR’s locomotive fleet is 42 years, and 68% of locomotives are older than 44 years. The average availability of IRR’s locomotives in 2020 was only 11%. Given the chronic shortage of maintenance funding in IRR, it is unlikely that the situation has improved since. These issues are compounded by constrained conditions in urban areas and numerous level crossings, further limiting the line"s capacity. Notably:
• The southern section of the railway, linking Baghdad to the port of Umm Qasr (624 km), was partially rehabilitated in 2014. This included the installation of UIC-60 rail and the addition of a second track along a total of 50 km stretches, which modestly increased capacity. Despite these upgrades, passenger and freight trains currently operate at speeds of 80-100 km/h with an axle load limit of 25 tons. Certain segments of this rehabilitated section are experiencing accelerated deterioration, bringing the speeds down to 60km/h, the causes of which remain uninvestigated. The line’s overall transport capacity remains low, with minimal train services.
• The northern section of the railway extends about 520 km from Baghdad to Rabiaa, connecting to Syria, but lacking a direct link to Türkiye. Severely impacted by conflicts, the northern section operates at reduced speeds of 40-60 km/h, with some segments operating as low as 10 km/h. Axle load limits vary from 18 tons on the Mosul-Rabiaa section (using BS-75 rails) to 20 tons on the Baghdad-Mosul section (using BS-90A rails). Freight traffic on this line is limited, with irregular services arranged through ad-hoc contracting with commercial entities.
The recently signed Iraq Railway Extension and Modernisation Project (IREM) project will directly support Iraq"s achievement of key development priorities set out in the country’s National Development Plan (NDP) 2024-2028. For the transport sector, the first objective of the NDP under railway is modernizing and developing the railway system and raising its operational capabilities to match those of Al-Faw Grand Port and the Development Road Project.
The IREM Project includes the following:

1. Component 1: Rehabilitation and Modernization of the Railway Infrastructure and Rolling Stock Maintenance Carrying out the restoration and rehabilitation of the single-track railway line from Umm Qasr Port to Mosul, through:
a. Sub-Component 1.1: Renewal of railway tracks of the north-south railway line from: (i) Al Yussifiya (Baghdad) to Baghdad; (ii) from Baghdad to Taji; and from (iii) Baiji to Mosul;
b. Sub-Component 1.2: Spot rehabilitation of the railway line from: (i) Umm Qasr Port to Basra; and (ii) from Basra to Al Yussifiya (Baghdad);
c. Sub-Component 1.3:
i. Installation of railway signaling and ducts for optical fiber cables along the north-south railway line Umm Qasr – Basra – Baghdad – Mosul, including a safety level-crossing protection system for all official crossings along the alignment; and (ii) modernization of selected train stations;
ii. Rehabilitation of the maintenance workshop at Baiji and Samawa, including provision of rolling stock maintenance equipment; and
d. Sub-component 1.4: Provision of spare parts for the maintenance, operation, and safety of rolling stock.

2. Component 2: Railway Sector Institutional Reform
a. Sub-Component 2.1: Provision of technical support to the IRR to improve its institutional, operational, and financial performance, as well as its staffing plan, through, inter alia, (i) the identification and benchmarking of the IRR’s costs and revenue, (ii) the identification of the IRR’s assets and liabilities, (iii) the preparation of rolling business plans and provision of support to enable public service obligations contracts for delivery of passenger services, (iv) the preparation of an infrastructure contract between the IRR and the Borrower, and (v) the design of the infrastructure access charging regime for the operators’ use of the IRR’s railway infrastructure, all in accordance with the Railway Sector Reform Action Plan.
b. Sub-Component 2.2: Provision of technical support to the railway asset and safety management system of the IRR, through inter alia:
i. the development of a railway infrastructure asset management system (RIAMS) to enhance the IRR’s infrastructure management capabilities by: (A) identifying the infrastructure maintenance equipment needs and scope of modernization for the facilities that will house the new maintenance equipment; (B) identifying the infrastructure condition monitoring equipment needs; (C) recommending sustainable organizational arrangements for the maintenance function for infrastructure and rolling stock and managing identified climate risks; (D) preparing specifications for the RIAMS, including software development, (E) implementing the RIAMS, and (F) providing infrastructure condition monitoring of vehicles and equipment;
ii. the development of a rolling-stock asset management system, including the carrying out of a root cause analysis for rolling-stock deterioration and planning of rolling stock maintenance depots and facilities; and
iii. the development of a safety management system based on the implementation of the activities (i) and (ii) above. Special focus will be given to railway operational safety considerations, community and occupational health and safety, root cause analysis of traffic-related incidents, and incentives for staff to suggest system improvements.
c. Sub-component 2.3: Provision of support to enable private capital participation in the transport, railway and logistics sectors, including through the identification of opportunities to attract private sector resources in the railway sector, logistics hubs, dry ports; and
d. Sub-Component 2.4: Provision of support to enhance the railway integration and social cohesion from Mosul Al-Faw Port to the Iraq-Türkiye border, including facilitating cross-border trade.

3. Component 3: Management Support for the IRR
a. Sub-Component 3.1: Provision of implementation support to the IRR to carry out the Project, through, inter alia,
i. provision of support with respect to, inter alia, procurement, oversight of rehabilitation works, environmental and social risk management and commissioning of railway tracks and signaling; and
ii. provision of Training to the MoT and the IRR staff and development of an internship program for university students.
b. Sub-Component 3.2: Provision of technical assistance to support the IRR’s management in improving railway operations management systems; and
c. Sub-Component 3.3: Provision of engineering supervision for the carrying of construction works under Component 1 of the Project.

4. Component 4: Contingent Emergency Response: Provision of immediate response to an Eligible Crisis or Emergency, as needed.

3. Objectives of the assignment:
There are two key objectives of this assignment aim to address:
• Support IRR PMT in delivering all IREM Project components in accordance with the contractually agreed-upon cost, schedule, and quality targets.
• Deliver on-the-job training and capacity development of IRR staff on the topic of management of capital expenditure projects.

4. Scope of Work
These Terms of Assignment summarize the scope, responsibilities, and reporting interfaces of the management agent for IRR. For these ToR, the support is labelled as “Management Agent” (MA). The role is an essential component of the setup and is dedicated to the project scope of work. The specific features of the MA role are described below and are based on a series of assumptions.
The MA role is designed to act as an in-house resource for the IRR while it develops its organizational capability to manage complex projects, especially the infrastructure investment components. Throughout the 5-year period of MA service delivery to the IRR, the IRR retains the full power of decision-making regarding its investment projects.
The required MA support is designed to address the following requirements:
• Establish effective project management and control procedures by establishing the cost and schedule baseline and the reporting pro-formas for all components under the IREM Project. The terms “IREM Project” and “Project” are used interchangeably in the document.
• Review and comment with dedicated project teams and submit to IRR management for approval of projects’ documentation at every stage in each project delivery value chain—procurement, construction, and commissioning. For clarity, each contract within component 1 of IREM Project will have its own implementation support in the form of project supervision technical assistance and IRR staff dedicated to that specific contract, apart from the PMT staff. The MA will collect data from the project supervisors.
• Collect progress-related data and report projects’ progress to IRR Management.
• Develop, monitor, and manage IRR’s overall risk profile arising from the implementation of concurrent projects under the IREM Project.
• Coordinate management of concurrent projects and resolve any resourcing conflict between different project teams.
• Understand and interpret projects’ status and implications to determine whether the IRR Board requires authorization for any deviations from the agreed-upon project targets.
• Support for the reviewing the outputs of component 2 of IREM Project (studies, transaction advisory for mobilizing private sector resources) and manage E&S risks in all phases of their implementation (elaboration of ToRs, procurement procedures, contracting, evaluation of interim and final reports of the various consultants, etc.).
• Develop a training and development program for the IRR Projects’ staff in management of CAPEX projects.
It is noted that a separate Consultant has been engaged by the IRR to prepare the project, including the elaboration of feasibility studies, technical deliverables, and environmental and social instruments required for implementation. The Project Management Consultant will cooperate closely with this Consultant and support the IRR in reviewing and providing advice on the Consultant’s deliverables.
For ease of resource planning and proposal evaluation, the required support is broken down into 8 separate tasks. The scope of required support is listed for each task.

4.1 Task 1: Planning, management and coordination of the IREM Project
The MA will establish and support operation of a Project Management Team (PMT) in support of the IRR modernization at IRR headquarters offices in Baghdad (refer to 6.3 for details). This will involve the following activities:
• Establishment of PMT management and project control procedures and processes.
• Establishment of comprehensive project baseline, timescales, milestones, and interim and final outputs.
• Understand and interpret projects’ status and implications in order to determine whether authorization of any deviations from the agreed project targets for IRR Board approval is required.
• Coordination with IRR-internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment of project goals and objectives.
• Review and support with development, adaptation, and implementation of Project Operations Manual (POM).
• Management of compliance with the project’s goals, GoI’s goals, and The World Bank guidelines for project implementation.
• Coordination with the GoI agencies, stakeholders, and The World Bank.
• Ad-hoc support to the project teams with implementation.

4.2 Task 2: Support with project’s procurement and delivery
The MA will provide procurement support to the PMT on an ongoing basis. The support will involve the following:
• Working closely with IRR PMT to facilitate all procurement activities of the IREM Project.
• Review, update, and support with the execution and management of Project Procurement Strategy for Development (PPSD), and Procurement Plans in full compliance with The World Bank’s regulations. Procurement activities will be carried out in accordance with the “World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers,” 6th edition, dated February 2025 and as revised from time to time. The Project will be subject to the World Bank’s ’Guidelines on Preventing and Combating Fraud and Corruption in Projects Financed by IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants,’ dated October 15, 2006, revised in January 2011, and as of July , 2011 (Anti‐Corruption Guidelines).
• Assist with Market Engagement, including Early Market Engagement when needed, in a timely manner to prevent delays in implementation of the Project.
• Review and submit to IRR management for approval projects’ documentation at every stage in the project delivery value chain—procurement, construction, commissioning, study execution, and acceptance of intermediary and final reports.
• Support in managing the procurement process, including bidding, evaluation, contracting. The support will involve providing technical-specific advice on all project aspects, including but not limited to infrastructure, systems, and operations, as well as/commercial advice.
• Assist IRR in defining the mechanism of application of value engineering in the RFB/RFP documents.
• Support preparation of the terms of reference, technical, functional, or other specifications, and other procurement documents for the procurement of all works, goods and services that IRR may need during the project"s implementation.
• Assist project-specific procurement specialists within IRR in their activities for the procurement of various components of each project.
• Overall review of the ongoing bidding processes under the IREM Project and support with the administration and management of all works and service contracts signed under the Project.
• Training of IRR staff in procurement management

4.3 Task 3: Support with financial management of the IREM Project
The MA will provide support to the project’s financial management. The support will involve the following:
• Setting up robust financial management systems.
• Compliance with the WB’s financial management requirements.
• Support to the management of projects’ budgets, accounting, and financial reporting.
• Facilitation of periodic audits as required by the GoI or by the WB.
• Assistance to the Financial Management Specialists of the IRR in their activities for the execution of the projects.

4.4 Task 4: Monitoring and evaluation of contracts under the IREM Project
The MA will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of IREM Project. The support will involve the following:
• Contract management support with component administration. Full compliance with the project"s established Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework.
• Tracking of progress against the Results Framework and indicators.
• Support in the preparation of reports and assessments of the individual components of the project impact and effectiveness.
• Support the project"s staff in all activities related to the monitoring and evaluation of the projects.
• Submission of progress and completion reports.

4.5 Task 5: Support with management of environmental and social safeguards
The Project Manager will provide support with the management of Environmental and Social Standards. The support will involve, as a minimum, the following:
• Environmental, Social, and Health & Safety (ESHS) Planning and Coordination of Roles and Responsibilities
• Develop the ESHS work plan in accordance with the overall project schedule to ensure the smooth and timely implementation of all ESHS requirements as stipulated in the Project Environmental and Social Commitment Plan (ESCP).
• Determine the milestones where specific ESHS deliverables should be ready, in accordance with the Project ESCP.
• Ensure the application of the ESHS risk mitigation hierarchy to the technical designs and specifications and incorporation into the relevant bidding documents and bills of quantities.
• Support the PMT in reviewing and commenting on the environmental and social instruments, as required in the ESCP, to ensure they meet the relevant World Bank ESF standards and address all necessary aspects.
• Assess the overall ESHS performance of the Contractors (including detailed occupational and community health and safety management systems) based on quantitative and qualitative assessment. The criteria for assessing the ESHS performance should be prepared as part of the inception report and fully developed in the final report.
• Review the existing ESHS institutional setup and ESHS management systems at the Ministry of Transport and IRR and propose specific measures to strengthen their capacities to manage ESHS risks during project implementation and overall IRR operations thereafter.
• Conduct ESHS capacity-building training workshops for the Ministry of Transport (MoT) and IRR staff at different management levels as part of the ESHS institutional strengthening.
• Provide on-the-job ESHS training to MoT and IRR staff to strengthen their ESHS monitoring capacity.
• Support the PMT to ensure that contractors follow relevant national regulations, applicable World Bank ESSs, and other requirements as determined in the relevant E&S instruments.
• Support the PMT in identifying and reporting any issues of ESHS non-compliances.
• Support the PMT in suggesting remedies/mechanisms to link contractor ESHS performance with contractual conditions regarding applying specific disciplinary measures (e.g., stoppage of work, withholding claims, liquidation of ESHS performance bonds, etc).
• Support the PMT in interacting with different key stakeholders (as identified in the Project Stakeholders Plan) to address their concerns about the construction activities within the project life cycle.
• Provide deep-dive ESHS training and capacity building to the PMT ESHS staff, IRR field engineers, and ESHS officers in specific fields (e.g., ESHS monitoring and reporting).
• Grievance Redress Mechanism: Support the PMT in establishing and managing a grievance redress mechanism to address complaints and ensure their resolution.
• Support building a robust ESHS monitoring system to ensure ESHS compliance in the field.
• Support the PMT in thoroughly reviewing and providing comprehensive comments on the ESHS progress reports submitted by the contractors to (i) ensure that all ESHS requirements are rigorously implemented and (ii) recommend robust corrective actions in cases of noncompliance.
• Support the PMT in preparing the regular ESHS progress reports and other reporting requirements for The World Bank in accordance with the ESCP.

4.6 Task 6: Risk management of the IREM Project
The MA will support the PMT in managing the risk of the project"s IRR modernization components. The support will involve the following:
• Develop, monitor, and manage the IRR’s overall risk profile arising from the implementation of concurrent projects.
• Deployment of risk-based project management. Annex 2 includes detailed mandatory requirements for Task 6.
• Coordinate and manage concurrent projects and resolve any resourcing conflict between different project teams.
• Identification of project risks.
• Development and implementation of risk mitigation strategies and plans.
• Monitoring compliance with project risk management plans.
• Monitoring and interpretation of project status based on the status of individual projects and authorization of any deviations for approval by the IRR Board.
• Update of risk management plans.

4.7 Task 7: Reporting on the Progress of the IREM Project
The MA will support the PMT for all reporting on the status of the implementation of the Project. The support will involve the following:
• Collecting progress-related data and reporting projects’ progress in the form of executive reports and presentations to IRR officials, which will be presented to the Project Steering Committee. The Consultant is expected to participate in these meetings upon invitation from the IRR Director General.
• Submission of periodic implementation progress reports.
• Participation in structured WB supervision missions and other ad/hoc meetings.
• Maintaining transparent communication with stakeholders and beneficiaries.

4.8 Task 8: Capacity-building program in IRR
The MA will be responsible for capacity-building programs in IRR. The support will involve, as a minimum, the following:
• Support with identification and in-house recruitment of 10 IRR staff for the PMT.
• Guidance and on-the-job training of IRR staff.
• Develop training and development scope and implement training activities for the IRR Projects’ staff.
• Organization of training sessions for staff, stakeholders, and community members as required.
• Strengthening of institutional capacity for project implementation and sustainability

4.9 Additional support
As is the situation with any major investment of such magnitude, the Consultant may be asked to provide ad-hoc and additional task-related support as would be reasonably required by IRR. Depending on the number of project components being implemented concurrently at any point in time, one or more such tasks may be executed in parallel.

5. Required expertise
The Consultant will need to demonstrate adequate corporate qualifications, skills, and experience to fulfill the requirements of the ToR effectively. There should be a direct match between the qualifications of each proposed team member"s ToR and the concrete task(s) that the expert will be responsible for.
The technical evaluation of the submitted proposals will be based on the assessment of the situation, the methodology proposed for the assignment, and the corporate and individual expertise and years of relevant experience in similar efforts available within the team proposed for the assignment.
The technical proposal must provide evidence in support of the requirements described in sections 6.1 and 6.2 below.

5.1 Corporate expertise:
In order to demonstrate corporate capability, Consultants are obliged to provide the following information:
1. General qualifications: Details of the company’s organization, core business, and years in business, relevant experience in railway infrastructure development, management of CAPEX projects, and technical and managerial capability of the firm to deliver the assignment.
2. Experience in similar assignments: having substantially completed in the last 10 years at least one similar large assignment of value not less than US$7.5 million. The similarity of the assignment shall be based on the following criteria:
(i) Establishment and operation of a traditional Project Management Office in support of railway infrastructure development, such as railway signaling modernization, track construction, and upgrades, or similar railway infrastructure development work, and
(ii) Engineering, procurement, supervision of construction, and commissioning of railway infrastructure development, such as railway signaling modernization, track construction, and upgrades, or similar railway infrastructure development work
3. Experience in The World Bank Procurement Procedures in at least one project in railway infrastructure or in another infrastructure development project.
4. Experience in implementing or supporting the implementation of Environmental and Social action plans
5. A completed on-the-job training and capacity development program for client staff in the same project or in any other infrastructure development project.
6. Financial soundness: To demonstrate its financial soundness, the firm is required to submit audited financial statements for at least three years (2022-24).
7. Joint Venture Requirements:
(i) The number of members in a Joint Venture should not exceed three
(ii) In the case of a Joint Venture, their combined capacity to demonstrate the requirements for Project Management of railway infrastructure development will be considered.
(iii) Each member of Joint Venture should demonstrate its experience in the project management function of an infrastructure project
(iv) In the case of a Joint Venture, each member of the Joint Venture is required to provide its financial statements.
8. For each submitted example of completed work, the Consultants shall, in their proposals, provide a suitable project reference with the minimum detail as follows:
• Name of the assignment.
• Client for the assignment and country of implementation.
• Value of the assignment contract.
• Funding source for the assignment.
• Period of implementation.
• Specific scope of services completed.
• List of assignment deliverables submitted and approved by the Client.
• Consultant’s role on the assignment.
• Partnering entities on the assignment and their roles.
• List of functional experts (roles) provided for the assignment.
• Number of person-months provided by the Consultant.
• A signed letter by the Client, confirming the above information and providing the Client’s reference on the quality of the Consultant’s completed work during the assignment.
• In case of capacity building and on-the-job training, the number of trained personnel per each subject shall also be provided.

5.2 Individual expertise (staffing):
The scope of work requires the involvement of the following 4 experts:
• Full Time Experts:
o Project Management (Team Leader);
o Project Planner / Scheduler
o Project Controls and IFI Financial Management
o Procurement Specialist & Contract Management
• Part-time experts, nominated in the Technical Proposal, whom the consultant will deploy as and when required:
o Permanent way
o Signaling systems
o Telecommunication systems
o Power supply systems
o Railway operations
o Railway operational safety
o Occupational Health and Safety
o Environmental Specialist
o Social and labor management specialist
o Legal specialist
In addition to the full-time and part-time experts identified above, the MA will be free to add any other functional expertise deemed required to ensure successful delivery of the scope of service described in these ToR. In support, the MA will also need to secure adequate administrative, interpretation, and logistics resources for an uninterrupted delivery of services.

5.3 Professional and Academic Requirements:
All Experts mentioned above must prove that they are compliant with the following requirements:
• Language Skills: Fluency in English language speaking and writing (required) and Arabic language (preferred).
• Interpersonal Skills: Strong communication, collaboration, and capacity-building abilities, ability to work in cross-functional and multicultural teams, problem-solving, and critical thinking abilities
• Experience with International Standards: In-depth knowledge of World Bank procedures, international standards, and best practices in their respective fields.
5.3.1. Team Leader:
• Academic Requirements: Advanced degree in project management, engineering, transportation, or related fields (master’s or equivalent preferred).
• Professional Experience:
o Minimum of 20 years in project management, including large-scale railway projects, of which 5 years in a similar position as Team Leader.
o Proven experience in leading multidisciplinary teams and coordinating with international organizations.
o Sound understanding of WB-funded or similar development projects.

5.3.2. Project Planner / Scheduler:
• Academic Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields: Civil Engineering, Project Management, Construction Management, or similar
• Professional Experience:
o A minimum of 15 years of experience in project planning and scheduling for infrastructure projects, preferably in the railway or transportation sector.
o Proven experience with complex, large-scale projects involving multidisciplinary teams.
• Skills:
o Proficiency in project scheduling tools, such as Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, or similar software.
o Strong knowledge of scheduling techniques, such as critical path method (CPM), resource leveling, and progress tracking.
o Familiarity with earned value management (EVM) and other performance metrics.
o Ability to coordinate with engineering, procurement, and construction teams to develop and maintain schedules.

5.3.3. Project Controls
• Academic Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields: Civil Engineering, Project Management, Construction Management, Finance or Business Administration, or similar
• Professional Experience:
o A minimum of 15 years of experience in project controls for large-scale infrastructure projects, with at least 3 years in railway or transport sector projects.
o Proven track record of managing cost, schedule, and risk integration for projects exceeding 200 million USD in budget.
• Skills:
o Expertise in cost control systems and tools like Primavera P6, Oracle Primavera Unifier, or Aconex.
o Proficiency in financial software and reporting systems, such as SAP, CostX, or Excel-based dashboards.
o Strong analytical skills for interpreting schedule data, cost trends, and risk assessments.
o Familiarity with earned value management (EVM), cost variance analysis, and forecasting techniques.
o Experience in risk management, including risk identification, mitigation planning, and contingency analysis.

5.3.4. IFI Financial management
• Academic Requirements: Degree in finance, accounting, economics, or related fields (CPA or equivalent certification preferred).
• Professional Experience:
o A minimum of 10 years in financial management, budgeting, and reporting for large projects.
o Experience with international financial systems and audits.
o Experience with World Bank financial management procedures.

5.3.5. Procurement Specialist and Contract Management
• Academic Requirements: Degree in procurement, engineering, business administration, supply chain management, or related fields.
• Professional Experience:
o A minimum of 15 years in procurement planning, tendering, and contract management.
o A minimum of 7 years with procurement under international donor financed projects (experience with World Bank -financed contracts using FIDIC conditions and WB’s Standard Procurement Documents for Plant Design, Supply, and Installation are added advantage).

5.3.6. Part-time Experts
• Deployment of experts: For preparing a financial proposal, the Proposers should assume that part-time level of efforts refers to 30% of full-time.
• Academic Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in the specialist field for which the expert is nominated.
• Professional Experience:
o A minimum of 10 years of working in the domain in which they will provide services.
o Knowledge of state-of-the-art solutions in their domain of activity

6. Logistics arrangements

6.1 Project management
The assignment"s contracting party will be IRR, with whom the Consultant will liaise on all technical and implementation matters. As such, IRR is the party responsible for reviewing and approving all MA’s deliverables. The IRR will form a Project Management Team (PMT) tasked with planning, coordinating, and overseeing all project activities to ensure timely delivery, budget compliance, and achievement of defined objectives.
In recognition of both the pioneering and strategic nature of the assignment for the IRR and the national economy, a Steering Committee (SC) will be established. The SC will be chaired by the Ministry of Transport (MoT). Other SC members are the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Ministry of Planning (MoP), as well as the IRR, which will be the SC’s secretariat. One member from each institution will be nominated for the SC. Other representatives, such as the key current and future freight customers of IRR, may be specifically invited to attend the SC meetings, on a one-off basis, when required.
The SC will provide strategic guidance to the MA on all matters and review and comment on all the MA"s deliverables. IRR will compile these comments, add them to its own feedback, and submit them to the consultant. The final approval authority remains solely with the IRR.
Unless otherwise required, the SC will meet monthly.
The assignment will require the Consultant to liaise extensively with various stakeholders in Iraq and have its experts present on-site. It is essential that, throughout the assignment, the MA maintains a close working relationship with the IRR, as the principal beneficiary. The IRR will assist the MA with all existing data, documents, and information and will provide all assistance that the MA may reasonably request while performing the duties specified above.
For clarity, at the operational level, both IRR and the MoT will provide the MA with the following:
• all relevant documentation and data which may assist in meeting the requirements defined in these ToR;
• time and access to meet with relevant stakeholders.
• contacts and introductions to Governmental agencies, Governorates, other municipal agencies, and major industry players, such as shippers, freight forwarders, logistics companies, port operators, and others, in addition to the Consultant’s own investigations.
• Translation of documents as necessary—the Consultant, the IRR, and the MOT will cooperate and, in advance, agree on the translation scope required and the allocation of the cost of this translation scope. The working assumption is that the assignment budget will cover all translation and interpretation expenditure.

6.2 Working arrangements
The scope of work requires an on-site presence in Iraq for the MA. Each full-time expert will spend at least 70% of their committed time on the ground in Iraq. In working with IRR Projects, the MA team will relocate to the IRR Head Office and report to the Head of IRR Projects.
In recognition of the nature of work and the requirement that some work be undertaken remotely, the Consultants must also indicate the city and office location from which their team will work remotely in their technical proposal. The consultants will need to describe how the remote team will work together and communicate with the site-based team and stakeholders in Iraq. The Consultants are encouraged to outline these aspects in their proposal for the methodology so as to ensure quality control in the workflow processes.

6.3 Facilities and backstopping
The MA will be provided by IRR with suitably furnished office accommodation with heating, lighting, electricity, telecommunications, including Wi-Fi access, and access to potable water and sanitary toilet facilities within the IRR Headquarters in Baghdad.
The MA will be responsible for the cost of telecommunication services at the prevailing rate of the telephone utility and for the cost of local transport and stationery.
The MA will also ensure that all of its personnel working on the assignment are adequately supported and equipped. In particular, the MA will ensure that there is sufficient accommodation, administrative, secretarial, and interpreting provision to enable experts to concentrate on their primary responsibilities. Where the MA has engaged external resources to help with the delivery of the assignment, it will ensure transfer of funds as necessary to support the external resources’ work under the contract. Engagement with external resources for the assignment would need IRR prior approval.

6.4 Language
The working language for the assignment is English.
For the development of all reports, the MA will require local experts who are familiar with the accounting, financial, and other railway operational systems used by the IRR and/or required by the Iraqi legislation, as well as fluent in Arabic and English. Examples where this capability would need to be deployed include the following:
• the local legal/financial/accounting frameworks must be translated from Arabic to English by professionals who understand the legislative areas and are able to make a correct interpretation of the provisions of the local frameworks;
• any financial and accounting rulebooks and or statements of the IRR must be read in Arabic by skilled local experts who will (1) interpret the numbers and any related provisions, (2) translate the statements in English, and (3) work with the international experts in the Consultant’s team to incorporate the local needs, or their adjustments, in the proposed approach;
• The railway operational procedures (‘Rule Book’) must be read in Arabic by local experts able to interpret the procedures and translate the necessary text for the international experts in the Consultant’s team so as to ensure a seamless cooperation for the implementation of all aspects of the work under the ToR.
The MA is the single responsible party for the provision of all Arabic-to-English and English-to-Arabic translation and interpretation resources.
All MA’s reports shall be developed in English and will also need to be accurately translated into Arabic so that the intended messages and tones are accurately and precisely translated. Submission of the reports in Arabic is an essential element in the successful delivery of the MA function, considering the pioneering and strategic nature of the work and the need to disseminate the reports for review and guidance to senior decision makers within the GoI.
The MA will be in sole charge of allocating resources for interpreting and understanding data relevant to the study that is available in Arabic only. The MA is also the single party responsible for providing all formal deliverables in both English and Arabic.

7. Reporting arrangements and deliverables
The assignment will last 60 months. During this period, the MA is required to deliver 81 content-rich deliverables.

Table 7. a – Overview of submission deadlines

Each Monthly Report, Quarterly Report and Final Report will be formally submitted in hard copy (4 copies in English Language, four copies in Arabic language) and in electronic form to the PMT. For clarity, the Inception Report is a form of Monthly Report.
In addition to the standard distribution requirement, each Quarterly Report and Final Report shall also be submitted in electronic form to the SC. Where required, the MA shall arrange topic-specific meetings with SC and/or specifically identified stakeholders to address any emerging issues.
Each set of pre-workshop materials shall be submitted in electronic form to the PMT at least two weeks before the scheduled workshop. The PMT will be responsible for distributing the materials to invited workshop participants. A summary of the workshop discussion will be submitted to the PMT, who will be responsible for dissemination to workshop participants.
The MA shall prepare and submit written reports demonstrating complete execution of the responsibilities described in these ToRs. No payments for services based on the timesheets of the MA staff will be made unless they are supported by a specific report demonstrating the involvement of the experts in the services formulated in these ToRs.
Each deliverable that will be assembled for the project will be approved by the IRR. The IRR, as well as SC in case of Quarterly Reports and Final Report, shall deliver their comments and advice to the MC within two weeks from submission, upon which the MC will have an additional two weeks for submission of the final version. In case the MC does not receive any comments within two weeks from the submission of the draft, it will be deemed that the report is satisfactory, and the MC will move to completion and submission of its final version.
Sections 8.1 to 8.4 below describe each deliverable in terms of its content.

7.1 Inception Report
The Inception Report shall include the following:
• Description of all diagnostic findings, progress in collecting data, and establishing interfaces with the functional disciplines in IRR.
• Summary of any difficulties encountered or expected to be encountered in relation to discharging the MA services.
• Based on any new and relevant information obtained during the inception stage, the Consultant shall explicitly confirm the validity of the approach, methodology, work plan, and r

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