Advisor for the Development of a Telecommunications Sector Reform Road Map and Implementation Strategy

Country:

Fiji

Publication Date:

Apr 15, 2005

Deadline:

Apr 29, 2005

Buyer:

World Bank Trust Funds

Eligibility of Bidders:

The consultant should have at least 7 years of demonstrable international experience in telecommunications policy and be particular familiar with international best practices in telecommunications privatization, competition policy, and regulatory issues. The consultant should also have experience of organizing training courses on theory and practice for staff of regulatory agencies. Experience of small island economies and/or the Pacific region is an advantage

Original Language:

English

Address:

Natasha Beschorner
Senior ICT Policy Specialist
World Bank Trust Funds (AusAID Pacific Facility TF052906)
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Mail-Stop F5K-508
Your city , Washington, DC 20433
United States

Telephone:

202-473-2598

Fax:

202-522-3001

Email:

Click here

Web Site:

http://www.worldbank.org/ict

71316000 - Telecommunication consultancy services

The World Bank, Global Information and Communications Technologies Department - Policy Division, intends to finance the assignment/services described below under a Trust fund from AusAID Pacific Facility TF052906.

The overall objective of this activity is to review the current status of the telecommunications sector in Fiji (institutional environment, market structure, access, opportunities, constraints etc), and on that basis, formulate sector growth expectations, propose realistic goals and actions including key recommendations and measures for sector growth; (b) prepare an action plan under the selected scenario and recommend service by service the sector structure most appropriate for the government’s policy objectives and (c) advise on the development of an organizational and regulatory agenda for the Ministry of Information, Communications and Media Relations and prepare a training program.

This is a small assignment to be completed during the period June to October 2005.

The World Bank now invites eligible individual consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested individual consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services and submit their CVs. Detailed Terms of Reference are provided below.

Consultants will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in the World Bank's Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers, May 2004.

Interested individual consultants may obtain further information at the address below from 10:00am – 5:00pm US Eastern Standard Time.

Expressions of interest must be delivered to the address below by April 29, 2005. Electronic submission of the EOI is preferred.

To:
Natasha Beschorner
Mail Stop: F5K-508
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20433
FAX: (1) 202 522-3001
Email: nbeschorner@worldbank.org

Copied to:
Andrea Ruiz-Esparza
Mail Stop: F5K-509
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20433
FAX: (1) 202 522-3001
Email: aruizesparza@worldbank.org
*************************************************
Terms of Reference for Development of a Telecommunications Sector Reform Road Map and Implementation Strategy

A. Background
1. The government of Fiji recognizes that a well-functioning telecommunications sector, offering high quality and diversity of services--appropriately-priced--can contribute substantially to enhancing the country’s competitiveness and growth prospects. However, Fiji’s telecommunications sector faces a number of challenges: (a) high prices, particularly for non-local and mobile telephone and data services; (b) limited coverage, particularly in rural areas; (c) limited range of products and services especially for data; (d) a monopolistic market structure, under licenses that do not reflect changes in the information/communications sector; and (e) weak regulatory capacity. These issues have been extensively diagnosed .

2. Fiji’s telecommunications services are offered by five companies, four of which enjoy a monopoly in their respective market. Telecom Fiji Ltd, Vodafone Fiji, Connect and Fiji Directories are controlled by a holding company, Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (ATH). ATH has also management rights over the government-held shares in FINTEL, the international service provider.

• Telecom Fiji is the exclusive provider of local and long distance telephone, telegraph, telex, and data transmission services.
• Vodafone Fiji exists under the license awarded to Telecom Fiji, and is the only provider of global system for mobile communications (GSM) cellular services.
• Connect is the only commercially active Internet service provider (ISP). The University of the South Pacific (USP) has obtained an ISP license to operate its distance learning network. Other ISPs have been licensed, but are unable to operate as interconnection issues have not been resolved.
• FINTEL is the exclusive provider of international telephone, telegraph, telex, and data transmission services.
• Fiji Directories is a nonexclusive provider of directory services.

3. The government has stated its intention to undertake telecommunications sector reform. Its Strategic Development Plan calls, among other things, for “universal access to internationally competitive information and communication services” and the move to a competitive market structure. The plan emphasizes the importance of liberalization of the telecommunications sector and promotion of the ICT industry and ICT-enabled services. Specific objectives include:

 Reducing tariffs (the Commerce Commission is currently undertaking a tariff review);
 Increasing coverage of telecommunications services especially to rural areas: the stated target is provision of access to at least 400 more unconnected villages by 2005;
 In the medium-term, liberalizing the telecommunications sector through more competition and the removal of exclusive licenses: establishment of a telecommunications and regulatory body by 2005; removal of exclusive telecommunications licenses by 2007 and increased competition with more Internet Service Providers;
 Ensuring that the regulatory and legal framework promotes ICT development: review of all ICT legislation by 2005
 Aligning Fiji’s ICT training to developments in the employment market by providing computers and Internet access to an additional 10 schools per year, and encouraging IT training providers to adopt ICT employment skills training modules; and
 Introducing e-government by making suitable government services available through the Internet by 2005.

4. Policy implementation is progressing slowly. The new Telecommunications bill, to supersede the 1989 Telecommunications and Post Decree, has been under development for some time but not yet enacted. The Commerce Commission expects to issue an interim pricing decision in the second quarter of 2005; thereafter, prices are to be reviewed periodically, thought the schedule has yet to be determined. The mission was advised that the issue of ISP interconnection charges—the principal bottleneck to licensed ISPs launching operations—remains unresolved. The Ministry of Commerce has started to develop e-commerce legislation, but this is still in the early stages.

5. In the interim, the government has launched other initiatives in ICT sector promotion and e-government. These include: (a) E-Fiji: a new ICT development promotion agency. A new ICT department is also being established in the Ministry for Information, Communications and Media Relations; (b) and E-Government program, involving the ITC department, to include: national information infrastructure (Internet Protocol or IP-based networks) for government departments; a government Internet project including the establishment of an additional international gateway; and rollout of e-applications or selected online government services. ITC also has plans to extend internet access to libraries and rural telecentres; and (c) a Technology Park—a partnership between ATH and United Telecoms of India.

6. The government is concerned about the need to achieve some coherence among these various initiatives, and develop a robust sector policy including options for reform and market structure, road map and action plan, as well as to strengthen the institutional capacity for regulation. The government has therefore requested the World Bank to support the services of a Senior Telecommunications/ICT Policy Advisor to help design an appropriate framework and institutional setting for reform.

B. Objectives of the Assignment
7. The overall objective of the assignment is to assist with the design of a telecommunications/ICT sector reform road map that will include detailed goals for the telecommunications/ICT sector (market structure and its evolution) and means (action plan) to achieve these goals. The consultant selected will be responsible for providing the Minister with independent advice on telecommunications sector policy, based on: relevant international experience; and up to date knowledge of best practices in sector policy, including regulatory methodologies and tools. A further objective is to advise the government on the appropriate regulatory structure and capacity (skills, training) for telecommunications/ICT sector oversight. The advisor will work directly with the Minister of Information, Communications and Media Relations and his staff. In addition, the advisor will consult and coordinate with key stakeholders, including in the Ministry for Finance and Planning, Ministry of Commerce, Government IT Services Department and other organizations as appropriate.

C. Scope of Work.
8. The scope of work includes three main elements: (a) sector policy/road map; (b) action plan; and (c) regulatory capacity assessment and training program.

(a) Sector Policy/Road Map
The consultant will review the current status of the telecommunications sector in Fiji (institutional environment, market structure, access, opportunities, constraints etc), and on that basis, formulate sector growth expectations, propose realistic goals and actions including key recommendations and measures for sector growth. On this basis, the consultant will work with the government to formulate a road map to improve the competitiveness of the sector and level of competition in the provision of communication services. The policy should identify a target market structure and mechanisms for its evolution in the long term. It should also include a universal access strategy to increase the penetration of services in underserved areas. The strategy should include a detailed action plan for implementation, with monitorable indicators and benchmarks. .

The road map will discuss options for improving access to telecommunications: specify further the service roll-out objective for Fiji, in terms of targeted network size, coverage, rural telephony penetration, for the next ten years; mobilize relevant analysis and high-level professional judgment to assist the government in testing this objective against relevant international benchmarks, implementation feasibility, technical and financial requirements of service providers, and demand estimates.

After identifying key policy options, the consultant will conduct a detailed exercise in sector modeling to analyze and quantify the expected impact of each option at minimum on the following dimensions: (a) sector growth; (b) financial health of the incumbent; (c) consumer welfare; (d) fiscal impact. Test the sensitivity of the impact assessment to key assumptions and risks. Based on this analysis, recommend a concrete policy scenario defining in very specific terms the main decisions involved and their implementation timetable

(b) Action Plan.
Under the selected scenario, the consultant will recommend service by service the sector structure most appropriate for the government’s policy objectives. For each service, the consultant will recommend the sequencing, timing, extent and modalities of liberalization and regulation to be implemented. Also identify, define and justify all accompanying actions that are required for successful implementation of the reform (e.g. legal and regulatory framework changes, tariff rebalancing, interconnection). These recommendations should be detailed enough to lead to the following key outputs:
i) timetable for reform implementation;
ii) sequencing, speed and scope of entry decisions in basic service;
iii) detailed recommendations for the modification of incumbent operators’ licenses on all key dimensions (tariffs, roll-out obligations, interconnection, public service obligations, quality of service obligations, penalties for non-compliance).

The consultant will pay particular attention to the issue of rural communications: defining universal access and service goals for Fiji and recommendations for the amendment/modernization of existing licenses. In this regard, the consultant will:

i) Undertake a comprehensive assessment on the telecommunications needs for rural/remote areas, including: demographic, income and other market profiles of potential customers; assessment of demand for different types of services (including data); identification of specific locations for placement of new services
ii) Identify, describe and assess options for provision and financing of rural telecommunications services. If private investment is unlikely to serve all areas, consider scenarios for targeted interventions, e.g. financed through a universal access fund.
iii) Develop a preliminary strategy for expansion of telecommunications to rural areas, including a financial analysis.

Prior to finalization of the telecommunications policy statement and road map, the consultant will be required to lead a workshop to actively debate the proposal with government officials and stakeholders in the sector.

Based on the above analysis, and consultations with stakeholders, the consultant will estimate implementation requirements of the selected scenario, in terms of time, level of effort, human resources, institutional capability, required procedures and processes, etc. This assignment will not include actual assistance with implementation but should identify in detail the main implementation issues, challenges, and requirements.

(c) Strengthening Regulatory Capacity
The consultant will advise on the development of an organizational and regulatory agenda for the Ministry of Information, Communications and Media Relations, including:

i) Assessing and recommending an appropriate and practical organizational structure for the Ministry, division of roles and responsibilities, preparing job descriptions and a practical staffing plan
ii) Developing written descriptions of how the Ministry will carry out its responsibilities. This will involve developing, discussing and writing up concepts of how the Ministry will function in all key areas of its responsibilities.
iii) Reviewing business processes and procedures for the Ministry to carry out its responsibilities, either in-house or by contracting out, in all functional areas
iv) Proposing a regulatory agenda, including a prioritized business plan
v) Facilitating transparency of regulatory oversight by proposing an appropriate public information dissemination plan.

The consultant will advise on capacity-building for Ministry staff. This task will involve:

(i) Developing a training plan
(ii) Assisting the ministry to identify appropriate training courses/seminars to train key staff in those regulatory areas where skills are lacking.
(iii) Identifying potential partnership modalities with other regulators, operators and other relevant bodies.
(iv) Organizing and delivering internal seminars, workshops and training for Ministry staff as needed.
(v) Providing hands-on training to staff, thereby ensuring a sustainable transfer of skills and knowledge to the client, throughout the assignment.

4. Deliverables, Timing and Level of Effort
(a) Key deliverables for the assignment are:
Sector Policy and Road Map document
Action Plan document
Capacity/Training plan
Workshops (2)

(b) Timing and Level of Effort
The expected level of effort for this assignment is five person-months, including at least three extended periods in-country (of 3 weeks’ duration) in the interests of knowledge transfer. The timing of deliverables is as follows:
Month 1: Inception Report
Month 2: Draft Road Map/Policy
Month 3: Draft Action Plan and Training Needs Assessment.
Month 4: Capacity-building program
Month 5: Final report

5. Qualifications: The consultant should have at least 7 years of demonstrable international experience in telecommunications policy and be particular familiar with international best practices in telecommunications privatization, competition policy, and regulatory issues. The consultant should also have experience of organizing training courses on theory and practice for staff of regulatory agencies. Experience of small island economies and/or the Pacific region is an advantage

Advisor for the Development of a Telecommunications Sector Reform Road Map and Implementation Strategy

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