Increasing performance and efficiency of municipal services and developing infrastructure solutions to improve access

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Most municipalities and service delivery entities are underfunded and cannot generate revenues from services and sales to pay for upgrading and expanding systems. This can hamper economic growth, negatively impact communities’ resilience, and exert pressures on natural resources, and increase pollution risks. To mitigate these issues, ECO Consult implemented development programs to support water and sanitation services in Jordan, Lebanon, West Bank, Yemen, and other countries in the Middle East. Our work includes:

  • Improve utility performance.
  • Design analytical and policy tools for municipal tariffs.
  • Cultivate private sector partnerships.
  • Develop strategic and operational plans for senior management and key staff.
Infrastructure Development & Planning

Development programs place a strong emphasis on improving infrastructure systems and management. During the planning and implementation phases, ECO Consult collaborates with planners and engineering team to ensure that measures, specifications, and scoping of alternatives to achieve sustainable development are incorporated into development plans and designs. We assess sustainability alternatives and evaluate financial and governance aspects of building and operating infrastructure projects. Examples of our work in this domain include:

  • Participating in the Strategic Master Plan for Aqaba Special Economic Zone.
  • Providing guidance and requirements for engineering and planning team for Jabal Ajloun Development Plans for residential, commercial, tourism and development areas.
  • Participating in the analysis of industrial estates in the West Bank and Gaza. 
Municipal Utilities Operational Improvements

ECO Consult has a longstanding record in utilities support with different development programs that aim to improve financial sustainability, cost recovery and ways to effectively engage residents. ECO Consult has collaborated with partners in utility reform in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and the West Bank for nearly two decades. Our work has encompassed developing policy and analysis tools and systems to examine and inform policy, and support institutions going through transformation across multi-levels, and build automation tools and intelligence systems. 

ECO Consult has supported water and sanitation tariff reform for various utilities, brought together leadership and technical management from eight countries in the region to develop water utilities reform and management guidelines, and established regulatory frameworks and key performance indicators of utility operations in Jordan.

Construction Supervision

ECO Consult supports clients and developers to ensure sound project implementation in accordance with the contracts, agreements, and permits. We provide supervisory functions in different engineering disciplines including:

  • Planning and allocating work.
  • Decision-making.
  • Monitoring performance and compliance.
  • Providing leadership and building teamwork.
  • Ensuring workforce involvement.
  • Effectively managing health and safety.

ECO Consult partnered with Fichtner group to serve as the authorized engineer on As-Samra Wastewater Plant’s second expansion. We formed engineering and environmental teams to oversee the work of renewable wind and solar projects in South Jordan.

Municipal Solid Waste Systems

ECO Consult has supported municipalities, utilities, investors, and financing institutions by provide guidance and technical assistance to identify and implement best practice for waste management. Improved waste management helps municipalities minimize any potential environmental damage and mitigate sanitary and hygiene risks.

We developed opportunities for recycling and reuse for different waste streams and improved resource efficiency and recovery through a variety of projects. On the regulatory and institutional front, ECO Consult delivers policy analysis, tariff assessment and restructuring studies, governance and institutional support, and compliance implementation and supervision.

In addition, we work on livelihood restoration and protection, create partnerships with private sector for service delivery, and increase job creation and potential. Our work with the Jordan Development Zones Co. (JDZ) and Greater Irbid Municipality (GIM) resulted in designing an integrated Solid Waste Management (SWM) framework that contributes to socioeconomic development in both areas. This assistance involved the preparation of detailed roadmaps, technical, financial and institutional specifications, and scenarios for SWM.

Over the past four years, our support to the Greater Amman Municipality has resulted in remarkable and visible improvements in their waste transfer station and municipal waste disposal landfill.   

Public Private Partnership (PPP) Due Diligence and Transaction Advisory

Public private partnerships (PPPs) are an important means for delivering long-term sustainable infrastructure assets and related services as well as building capacities and quality service. Our PPP due diligence services include concept analysis and review of business models in terms of implementability and marketability, value for money analysis. Our work ensures that the project is in principle ready for a PPP arrangement.  

Our PPP services include transaction design and implementation, financial modeling, feasibility studies, and risk assessment and management. We also work with our partner legal advisors on regulatory assessments and reviews. As such, we have the experience to develop the full suite of transaction documents including TORs, agreements and annexes, announcements, data rooms and information memoranda.

The IFC have been supporting the Jordan’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Unit at the Prime Ministry to attract more private sector participation to invest in and finance infrastructure development and foster Jordan’s competitiveness and resilience. During the past two years, we have worked as part of the PPP Transaction Advisory Team assigned by IFC to assess PPP potential for schools and broadband networks in Jordan. 

Our Projects

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The team led by COWI together with ECO Consult was selected as Owners Engineer for the 90 MW Wind Farm project at Fujeij in Jordan. The wind farm consists of 27 wind turbines each...