Reflections from a World Bank Consultant Ing. Dirk Ossen 29 November 2010

 Brief CV  First mission in 1978  Work in Africa  Work in Eastern-Europe and Central Asia  Today’s work  World Bank Guidelines  Images  Recommendations

 Brief CV  HTS Utrecht- Weg & Waterbouwkunde (1963)  8 years Switzerland- wastewater treatment, sewerage projects  2 years Middle-East - operation WWTP Kuwait City  8 years Germany – water projects all over the world  14 years own company (until 1995)  More than 30 years experience as an Individual Consultant for the World Bank

 First mission in 1978  Why me?  Work, duration and composition of World Bank mission members  Preparation of urban projects (‘sites & services’, slum upgrading)  Personal contacts  Follow-up missions

 Work in Africa  80-ies of last century  Black Africa: Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali Djibouti and Liberia  Duration: at least 14 days  Preparation of projects in water sector and road (re)construction  3-4 missions in a year

 Eastern-Europe and Central Asia  90-ies last century  Project Identification Mission to Baltic States  War Damage Assessment Mission to Kosovo  Introduction of PSP- Private Sector Participation  Numerous (short) missions to Turkey, Macedonia

 Today’s work  Preparation and Supervision of Projects  Review of Technical Specifications and Bidding Documents  Drafting or Review of Terms of Reference  5-6 (short) missions per year

 World Bank Guidelines  Procurement of Goods, Works and Services  Standard Bidding Documents for ICB, NCB. Shopping, Direct Contracting, etc.  Guidelines for employment of consultants  Download from World Bank web site

 Images

Illegal private connections to public water main in Albania (2010)

Working with the World Bank Wastewater treatment plant pumping station in Bosnia before…….

Working with the World Bank ……and after reconstruction with World Bank support

Working with the World Bank Looted control room on Bosnian WWTP site before……

Working with the World Bank ……and after reconstruction with World Bank support

Working with the World Bank Unfinished manhole of abandoned Deep Sewer System in Odessa

Working with the World Bank Illegal solid waste disposal somewhere in Bosnia

Working with the World Bank Installed water meters (under a water project) in the old part of Mostar (Bosnia)

Working with the World Bank  Why do you still work for the Bank?  Hard to find greater challenges  Great satisfaction in improving living conditions  Working in (generally) competent teams (economists, financial, procurement and environmental experts

Working with the World Bank  Give us a good advice  You like to work in a bureaucratic environment  You like to travel frequently and for longer periods  You’re not getting frustrated (too) easily  You have confidence in your counterparts  You preach least cost solutions  You like to manage rather than ‘calculate’  You like to solve problems

 Finally, is the Bank successful?  I leave the answer to others Working with the World Bank