Engineer consultant: Seismic risk assessment of public school infrastructure

BACKGROUND AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Today, the Metropolitan Area of Lima and Callao in Peru has a population of over 9.5 million –almost 1 out of 3 Peruvians live in this area, which is the country’s political center and one of the most important economic hubs. Approximately 6.5% of the population in this area attends a public school.

Given the seismicity of the Metropolitan Area, a concern emerged to further examine the structural failure risk of the public school infrastructure to earthquakes. In response to this concern, The World Bank’s Probabilistic Risk Assessment (CAPRA) Program delivered a Technical Assistance Project (TAP) in partnership with researchers and students of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP). The mission of the CAPRA Program is to strengthen the regional capacity of institutions to understand and assess disaster risk, and integrate generated disaster risk information into development policies and programs. This TAP, in particular, sought to support the seismic risk assessment of more than 1500 schools (representing almost 5500 school buildings) located in all 48 districts of the area. The assessment determined that only 8% of the school buildings meet the current seismic-resistant design standard. All other modules are likely to fail in the event of an earthquake. The results of the study demonstrate the need for an urgent intervention to establish an integral risk reduction program for the education sector.

With the recent completion of the first nationwide School Infrastructure Census (CIE)—designed to quantify the magnitude of known infrastructure issues and unveil new challenges, the Ministry of Education (MINEDU) faces the need to define an intervention strategy that addresses both the short-term needs of urban, suburban and rural infrastructure, as well as the medium and long term measures that contribute to a better planning, efficiency and sustainability of the development of such  infrastructure. In addition to not complying with the current seismic-resistant design standard, many public schools lack services such as water, sanitation and electricity, and experience severe deteriorating conditions. To address these challenges, the MINEDU has prioritized the development of the first National Plan for School Infrastructure (NPSI) using the results from the CIE and other relevant sector information, leveraging the results and experience obtained from the seismic risk assessment for the Metropolitan Area of Lima and Callao. The NPSI will integrate innovations in the areas of planning, design, construction, maintenance and integral management of school infrastructure. Furthermore, a Seismic Retrofitting Program for School Infrastructure (SRP) will be designed and implemented in parallel to guide investments needed for seismic vulnerability reduction in school infrastructure.

In this context, the MINEDU has requested The World Bank’s technical assistance to advise them on the definition of priority actions for the improvement of Peru’s school infrastructure to be included in the NPSI and SRP. The World Bank is looking for a civil engineer consultant with broad technical and management experience to support the design, implementation and management of technical activities for this one-year engagement (with the possibility of extension) in Peru’s infrastructure sector.

EXPECTED TASKS

-Provide technical support on engineering and other technical areas during the design, implementation and management phases of the infrastructure project, working alongside staff, firms and consultants expert in infrastructure management (e.g., planning, design, construction, maintenance);
-Draft specific technical deliverables for government officials, and comment on engineering/planning reports issued by the MINEDU, partnering engineering firms and consultants;
-Liaise with government officials and implementation team to guarantee the continuity of activities, participating in meetings with government institutions and  facilitating technical discussions;
-Support the monitoring and evaluation of activities, translating this information into internal and/or external reports if necessary; and
-Provide other technical and management support to senior staff, as requested.

QUALIFICATIONS

-Advanced university degree in civil engineering, architectural engineering, construction engineering and management, earthquake engineering, structural  engineering, or other technical disciplines focused on architecture, civil infrastructure, land development, or urban planning;
-More than 5 years of technical and project management experience relevant to the project scope, with a preference for experience in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region;
-Full professional proficiency (speaking, reading and writing) in English and Spanish;
-Demonstrated strong technical writing, effective communication, and interpersonal skills, with ability to perform research, deliver presentations to Government officials, and write under pressure and to a professional standard;
-Proven track record of critical thinking, problem solving and working independently, requiring only general guidance on complex issues; and
-Capacity to work in multi-cultural and matrix environments and demonstrated ability to manage and mentor engineering and technical staff.