REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REOI)

11 AUGUST / 2026 / 16:17

 

AIIB Loan No. L0969A

Baku Metro Expansion Project

TERMS OF REFERENCE

REF: BMEP/P1/CS-03/08

1. Assignment Title: Project Delivery Manager
2. Location: Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Baku Metropolitan CJSC, Baku, Azerbaijan. The Project Delivery Manager will be mainly based in Baku with frequent field visits to the Project Site.
3. Background

Baku Metro Expansion Project (BMEP, and the "Project") is a multi-phase programme (MPP) aimed at enhancing the sustainability, efficiency, and accessibility of urban mobility in Baku. The Project includes expanding the metro system’s capacity by extending the Green and Purple lines, constructing new stations and depots, and addressing operational bottlenecks. Financing is planned to be provided by AIIB, ADB, national funds, and potentially other Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).

The Project is implemented by Baku Metropolitan Closed Joint Stock Company (the Executing Agency) through a dedicated Project Implementation Unit (PIU). To strengthen the management and delivery capacity of the PIU, the Executing Agency seeks to engage a qualified Project Delivery Manager. This assignment is financed under the AIIB loan and shall be carried out in accordance with the AIIB Procurement Policy (2016, as revised through 26 June 2024) and its Directive on Procurement Instructions for Recipients (2024). As the Project is co-financed, the Project Delivery Manager shall also have due regard to the requirements of co-financiers where activities interface with their financed packages.

4. Objective of the Assignment

The objective of the assignment is to support the PIU Director in the overall management, coordination, supervision and successful implementation of the Baku Metro Expansion Project, and to ensure that all Project activities are implemented efficiently, effectively and in full compliance with the Financing Agreements, AIIB Procurement Policy, applicable co-financiers’ requirements, Government of Azerbaijan regulations, and international best practices.

The Project Delivery Manager’s role is one of overall project management and coordination across all Project components. It is complementary to, and shall not duplicate, the roles of the PIU’s specialist staff and consultants, including the Senior Contract and Procurement Specialist and the Local Procurement and Contract Administration Specialist, who retain primary responsibility for procurement and contract-administration matters within their respective mandates. The Project Delivery Manager provides management oversight, cross-component coordination, and quality assurance of deliverables prior to submission to the PIU Director. Task allocation among these roles shall be determined by the PIU Director.

5. Scope of Services

The Project Delivery Manager shall be responsible for assisting the PIU Director in the overall management and delivery of the Project and shall perform the following duties and responsibilities, which are indicative and not exhaustive:

• Support the PIU Director in the overall planning, implementation, coordination and monitoring of the Project and ensure efficient day-to-day operation of the PIU;
• Coordinate the implementation of Project activities across all components, ensuring alignment with approved implementation plans, procurement plans, budgets and project schedules;
• Monitor Project implementation, identify risks, delays and implementation bottlenecks, recommend corrective measures, and follow up on their timely resolution;
• Review, comment on and/or revise, and coordinate key project deliverables, including procurement plans, procurement documents, implementation schedules, contract management actions, budgets, progress reports and other project documentation prior to submission to the PIU Director;
• Monitor the performance of consultants, contractors and suppliers, facilitate resolution of contractual and implementation issues, and provide recommendations to the PIU Director on matters requiring management decisions;
• Ensure compliance with the Financing Agreements, AIIB Procurement Policy, Environmental and Social Framework, contractual obligations, and other applicable legal and regulatory requirements;
• Coordinate and maintain effective working relationships with AIIB, co-financiers, government authorities, municipal entities, utility service providers and other stakeholders, to facilitate effective Project implementation and the timely resolution of cross-institutional issues;
• Provide strategic advice and operational recommendations to PIU staff on project implementation, resource planning, risk management and performance improvement;
• Support institutional strengthening and capacity building of the PIU and the Executing Agency through knowledge transfer, mentoring of PIU staff, and promotion of good international project management practices;
• Promote sound project governance, transparency, accountability and effective internal coordination within the PIU, while fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement of project management practices;
• Perform any other Project-related duties assigned by the PIU Director.

6. Deliverables and Reporting

The Project Delivery Manager shall prepare and submit the following deliverables to the PIU Director. All reports and documents shall be in English and submitted in electronic format; key management reports shall additionally be provided in Azerbaijani where required by the Executing Agency.

#	Deliverable	Indicative Timing
	Inception note — assessment of implementation status and work plan	Within 2 weeks of commencement
	Consolidated project implementation plan and master schedule, maintained and updated	Established within 4 weeks of commencement; updated quarterly
	Project risk register and issues log, maintained and updated	Established within 4 weeks of commencement; updated monthly thereafter
	Monthly project progress reports	Monthly
	Consolidated progress reports for AIIB, co-financiers and the Executing Agency	Quarterly, or as required
	Inputs to project progress reports and to AIIB/co-financier review missions	As required
	Final assignment report	At the end of the assignment

7. Reporting and Coordination Arrangements

The Project Delivery Manager will report directly to the PIU Director and will work closely with the PIU’s technical, procurement, financial, legal, safeguards and engineering specialists, as well as with the design and supervision consultants engaged under the Project. The Project Delivery Manager will also coordinate with AIIB and co-financier project teams during implementation, as requested by the PIU Director.

8. Duration, Level of Effort, and Duty Station

• Duration: 12 months from the date of contract signing, including a one-month probation period, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and project needs.
• Level of Effort: full-time engagement, estimated at a total of two hundred and sixty (260) working days over 12 months. The Contract to be signed is a time-based contract with a monthly payment schedule.
• Duty Station: Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Baku Metropolitan CJSC, Baku, Azerbaijan. The Project Delivery Manager will be mainly based in Baku, with frequent field visits to the Project Site and occasional travel as required and coordinated with the PIU Director.

9. Facilities and Support Provided by the Client

The Executing Agency and the PIU will provide the Project Delivery Manager with office accommodation, timely access to relevant project documentation, data, and counterpart staff, and the logistical support necessary to carry out the assignment, including transport for field visits to the Project Site.

10. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest

The Project Delivery Manager shall maintain strict confidentiality of all project information and documentation, and shall avoid any actual, potential, or perceived conflict of interest throughout the assignment, in line with AIIB and co-financier requirements.

11. Code of Conduct, Integrity, and Anti-Corruption

The Project Delivery Manager shall perform the assignment with integrity, impartiality, and professionalism, and shall comply with the anti-corruption, fraud-prevention, and ethics requirements of the Financing Agreements, the AIIB and co-financier policies, and the Executing Agency’s policies.

12. Evaluation Criteria and Methodology

Expressions of interest will be evaluated on the basis of the qualifications and experience of the individual consultant, in accordance with Section 2.20.2 (Open Competitive Selection of Individual Consultants) of the AIIB Directive on Procurement Instructions for Recipients (2024).

Evaluation is conducted in two stages.

Stage 1 — Eligibility (pass/fail)

Candidates must satisfy each of the following minimum requirements. A candidate failing any requirement will not proceed to Stage 2:

1. a Master’s degree in Engineering, Project Management, Construction Management, Economics, Sustainable Development, Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, or another relevant discipline; a Bachelor’s degree with at least ten (10) years of additional relevant professional experience may be considered acceptable;
2. a minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible professional experience in the management and implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects, of which at least ten (10) years on projects financed by MDBs or DFIs;
3. experience in a project management, project director, deputy project director, or equivalent management role on at least one (1) infrastructure project comprising multiple components or disciplines;
4. demonstrated experience in the administration of civil works contracts under FIDIC Conditions of Contract on at least one (1) contract; and;
5. fluency in English and Azerbaijani (written and spoken).

Professional certification in Project Management (e.g. PMP, GPM, IPMA, PRINCE2, or equivalent), knowledge of Russian and/or Turkish, and experience in coordinating with government authorities and international financial institutions shall be considered advantages and are assessed under the rated criteria below. Leadership, analytical, negotiation, communication, reporting and interpersonal skills, and proficiency in project management software, will be assessed during contract negotiations and through reference checks, as applicable.

Stage 2 — Rated criteria (100 points)

Candidates meeting all eligibility requirements will be scored against the following criteria:

No.	Criterion	Maximum points
	General experience in the management and implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects	25
	Experience on projects financed by Multilateral Development Banks or Development Finance Institutions	25
	Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and coordinating complex, multi-component infrastructure projects	20
	Sector relevance — metro, underground, urban rail, railway or comparable large transport projects	15
	Experience in the administration of civil works contracts under FIDIC Conditions of Contract	10
	Professional project management certification and additional language capability	5
	Total	100

The highest-ranked candidate will be invited to negotiate the contract. Interested individual consultants shall submit a curriculum vitae demonstrating their qualifications and experience against these criteria.

Scoring method

The rating for each criterion is determined by reference to objective, verifiable evidence in the curriculum vitae, applying the following benchmarks:

• Criterion 1 (General experience in large-scale infrastructure management): 4 = 20 or more years; 3 = 15–19 years; 2 = 10–14 years; 0 = fewer than 10 years.
• Criterion 2 (MDB / DFI-financed project experience): 4 = 20 or more years, or experience with three (3) or more different MDBs/DFIs; 3 = 15–19 years, or experience with two (2) MDBs/DFIs; 2 = 10–14 years with one (1) MDB/DFI; 0 = fewer than 10 years.
• Criterion 3 (Leadership of multidisciplinary teams and complex project coordination): 4 = led project management or PIU teams on three (3) or more multi-component infrastructure projects; 3 = two (2) such projects; 2 = one (1) such project; 1 = team coordination role without overall management responsibility; 0 = none.
• Criterion 4 (Sector relevance): 4 = metro or underground/tunnelling; 3 = urban rail or railway; 2 = other comparable large transport (road, airport, port); 1 = large non-transport infrastructure; 0 = none relevant.
• Criterion 5 (FIDIC contract administration): 4 = three (3) or more civil works contracts administered under FIDIC conditions, evidencing claims, variations and extensions of time; 3 = two (2) such contracts; 2 = one (1) such contract; 0 = none.
• Criterion 6 (Certification and languages): 4 = valid project management certification (PMP, GPM, IPMA, PRINCE2 or equivalent) together with knowledge of Russian and/or Turkish; 3 = valid project management certification only; 2 = knowledge of Russian and/or Turkish only; 0 = neither.

Each rating shall be supported by a written justification referencing the relevant items in the candidate’s curriculum vitae. The evaluation shall be recorded in an evaluation report signed by all members of the evaluation panel and retained in the procurement file.

 

 

 

Link: REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REOI)