ACCELERATING TRANSPORT AND TRADE CONNECTIVITY IN EASTERN SOUTH ASIA (ACCESS) – BHUTAN PROJECT
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (REoI) for Hiring Individual Bridge and Structural Specialist
- Royal Government of Bhutan has secured the financing from the World Bank towards the cost of the proposed Accelerating Transport and Trade Connectivity in Eastern South Asia (ACCESS)-Bhutan Project, to be implemented partly the Department of Surface Transport (DoST), Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT) and Government Technology (GovTech) Agency and intends to apply a part of the proceeds of this financing for the services of hiring of Individual International Procurement Expert to be engaged with Project Management Unit, Department of Surface Transport.
- Scope of Services
The Individual Bridge and Structural Specialist carry out the following activities as per the Terms of Reference, but not limited to:
- Act as the Employer’s independent technical expert to review, challenge (if necessary), and advise on complex bridge designs prepared by the Design Consultant, with particular emphasis on safety, structural integrity, constructability, durability, and long‑term performance;
- Ensure that bridge and retaining structure designs adequately address Bhutan‑specific risks and constraints, including seismicity, hydrology, flood and scour hazards, climate change impacts, geotechnical conditions, and environmental considerations, and are consistent with applicable national and international standards;
- Support informed and timely Employer decision‑making on design acceptance, optimization, and risk mitigation, including through value engineering and life‑cycle cost considerations; and
- Strengthen DoST’s institutional capacity for bridge design review, acceptance, and construction‑phase technical oversight through close engagement, knowledge transfer, and hands‑on technical mentoring.
- Certify the adequacy and safety of the bridge designs before construction.
- The Specialist’s inputs will directly inform the Employer’s technical approvals, risk management decisions, and quality assurance processes for major bridge works implemented under the ACCESS Bhutan Project.
- Duration of services and Reporting
The consultant will be selected for 3 years on a retainer basis with the contract for intermittent input of 40-person days per year and to be renewed for each year based on the need of the Project and performance of the Consultant.
- Selection Procedures
Selection of the consultant will be carried out in accordance with the approved selection methods for Individual Consultants as stated in the “World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, September 2023.
The selection criteria are:
Education
- Graduate degree in Civil Engineering;
- Postgraduate qualification (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Bridge Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a closely related field.
Experience
- Minimum 15 years of professional experience in bridge and structural engineering, with substantial involvement in the design of major bridge structures;
- Demonstrated hands‑on experience in the design of major bridges of similar scale and complexity, including long‑span bridges and bridges in challenging hydraulic, geotechnical, and environmental conditions;
- Proven experience with long‑span bridges, including individual bridges longer than 500 m or cumulative bridge experience exceeding 1,500 m, as a lead designer;
- Experience with prestressed concrete, box girder, balanced cantilever, or similar bridge systems;
- Experience in bridge projects located in seismic and/or monsoon‑affected regions, including incorporation or review of seismic detailing, scour protection, and climate‑resilience measures;
- Experience of long-span (over 1000 meters) bridge design and construction of similar hilly terrain comparable to Bhutan.
- Experience providing technical support during construction or construction supervision.
- Proven ability to review and interpret advanced structural analysis and design models prepared using industry-standard bridge and finite element analysis software;
- Proven ability to use structural analysis and design models, including finite‑element models, prepared using industry‑standard bridge and structural engineering software (such as MIDAS Civil, CSI Bridge, RM Bridge, SAP2000, STAAD Pro, ANSYS, or equivalent).
- Strong understanding of bridge life-cycle performance, durability, and maintenance considerations.
Applicants are required to submit their Expressions of Interest (EOI), comprising of a CV (including employment history with duties and responsibilities) and a forwarding letter describing briefly the reasons that the applicant considers him/her-self best suited to perform the assignment.
- The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraphs 3.13, 3.15, and 3.16 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, September 2023” (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
- Detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) and other information will be available upon request from the address provided below either through email or in person. TOR is also available in www. moit.gov.bt.
- The consultant will be selected following the Selection of Individual Consultant method of the World Bank Procurement Regulations.
- Expression of Interest needs to be submitted (either through e-mail or in person or by mail) to the following address by 1400 hours (Bhutan Time, GMT +06 hours) on or before April 28, 2026. Please clearly mention “Expression of Interest (EOI) for Selection of Individual Bridge and Structural Specialist in the e-mail’s subject line or on the top of the envelope.
- The authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all EOIs without assigning any reason, whatsoever.
- For any clarifications contact following during office hours;
Dechen Norbu, Procurement Specialist at dechennorbu@moit.gov.bt
download the documents from the links below:
REoI_Individual Bridge & Structural Specialist
ToR_Individual International Bridge and Structural Specialist
