ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION
Transportation Working Group
Road Transport Harmonisation Project – Phase V Stage 2
Request for Proposal

Summary

This Request for Proposal (RFP) seeks to continue the Road Transport Harmonisation Project (RTHP) into Phase V Stage 2. The project will be conducted under the guidance and oversight of the APEC Transportation Working Group and the Project Steering Committee.

The purpose of Phase V Stage 2 of the project is to extend the study of the two pilot economies involved in Stage 1 to the remaining APEC members. The consultants will identify common problems among member economies and assist to implement efficient certification systems and internationally harmonised regulations that meet their needs for vehicle safety and environmental protection. The consultants will be required to conduct a multilateral workshop in conjunction with the 18^th TPT-WG meeting to be held in the 4^th quarter of 2000. The work under this consultancy is to be completed by February 2001.

Objective

The consultants will extend with work undertaken during Phase V Stage 1 of the project to all APEC member economies.

The specific objectives of the Stage 2 consultancy are to:

• Extend the work done in the Stage 1 pilot study to all APEC member economies utilising information already collected on regulatory arrangements in selected European countries, the United States of America, Australia and Thailand. This information is provided in the Phase V Stage 1 Progress Reports No. 1 and 2.

• Working with all APEC member economies, provide advice and develop steps to achieve effective certification systems and harmonised vehicle regulations to enable free trade for automotive product in the region.

• Hold a multilateral workshop in conjunction with the 18^th TPT-WG meeting to discuss common problems and possible solutions for APEC member economies. Representatives from both the private and public sector will be encouraged to participate in the workshop via the Automotive Dialogue.

Background

Road transport efficiency is important to all 21 APEC member economies (Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; Peoples Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; The Philippines; Russian Federation; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; Vietnam and United States of America).

Currently, APEC member economies adopt different vehicle technical regulations and conformity assessment requirements that should be harmonised. The APEC Transportation Working Group has encouraged member economies to participate in UN/ECE WP.29 as a forum for the development of internationally harmonised vehicle regulations. The Road Transport Harmonisation Project is attempting to promote effective certification systems and internationally harmonised vehicle regulations within APEC. The project will provide guidance to member economies to develop more efficient vehicle regulatory systems.

The project is being undertaken with the support of member economies.

Project Context

Phase I of the project sought input from APEC economies to identify vehicle design features subject to regulation across all vehicle categories. Some 270 vehicle design features were identified in the responses from the 14 APEC economies that responded to the survey.

Phase II conducted a pilot study on a total of 9 design features which were analysed by 9 economies respectively.

Phase III analysed, as a first step, 51 significant vehicle design features in 1996. An additional 20 design features were analysed in 1997. A paper was also prepared in 1997 that examined the concept of Functional Equivalence.

Phase IV analysed the certification, conformity assessment and recall arrangements applied by APEC member economies in 1998.

Project Outline

The project is working to the following plan and is about to enter

Phase V Stage 2.

Phase I Circulation of a questionnaire to identify road vehicle design features subject to regulation in the APEC region.

Report presented to Bali TPT-WG meeting in September 1994 that identified approximately 270 design features subject to regulation.

Phase II Conduct a pilot study on a selected number of passenger car design feature regulations. A total of 9 design features were analysed, each participating economy conducting one analysis.

The pilot project provided the basis for developing the methodology for use with the remaining regulated design features.

Partial report presented to the Sydney TPT-WG meeting in September 1995.

Six analyses were completed however all nine analyses were included in Phase III to ensure consistency.

Phase III Consultant commissioned to conduct an analysis of significant vehicle design features subject to regulation in the APEC region

(TPT 01/96).

Progress reports provided to Transportation Working Group meetings in April and November 1996. Final report completed February 1997. Results to be made available to member economies via internet.

Consultant commissioned to conduct analysis of further identified vehicle design features deemed necessary for APEC trade and develop guidelines for understanding the concept of functional equivalence (TPT 01/97).

Phase IV Consultant commissioned to examine conformity assessment and certification requirements used by the APEC economies.

Progress reports provided to TPT-WG in April and October 1998.

Final report submitted in December 1998

Phase V Identify strategies to provide effective certification systems and internationally harmonised regulations over a five-year period.

Phase III, IV and V Stage 1 reports can be found on the Transportation Working Group website www.apectptwg.org.au.

1 Provide advice on procedures to develop action plans through the provision of tools such as charts and checklists.

2 Utilising the Agreements administered by WP.29, provide guidelines to all APEC member economies for implementation of regulatory requirements for vehicle safety and environmental protection that will allow the Bogor Declaration goals of free and open trade to be realised. The guidelines developed during Stage 1 take account of:

• Implementation of Safety/Environmental protection technical regulations;
  
• Implementation of a certification system; and
  
• System to check the vehicle compliance with the technical regulations (Random testing/Audit/Vehicle Inspection/etc)

Where appropriate, consideration should be given to the use of the APEC model MRA for Automotive Product.

3 Obtain the information necessary to develop guidelines for APEC member economies to achieve effective certification systems and internationally harmonised regulations for the automotive sector.

This stage is intended to develop guidelines for APEC member economies to achieve effective certification systems and internationally harmonised regulations for the automotive sector. The general guidelines for obtaining information will incorporate information from the Stage 1 pilot study.

4 Conduct a multilateral workshop in conjunction with 18^th TPT-WG meeting to discuss common problems and propose solutions.

5 Provide a final report.

1. Using the methodology developed in Phase V Stage 1 circulate forms to APEC member economies to obtain the information necessary to develop action plans.
   
2. Analyse the information provided and develop guidelines for all APEC member economies to achieve effective certifications systems and internationally harmonised regulations for the automotive sector. The consultant should engage in detailed discussions with relevant government officials.
   
3. Identify the common problems among APEC member economies in developing their action plans
   
4. Hold a workshop including visual presentations during the 18^th TPT-WG meeting to discuss the common problems and possible solutions.
   
   Consultant to provide opportunities for individual consultation to APEC member economies who so wish after the workshop.
   
   Consultant will be responsible for the cost of venue hire, visual aid hire and translation services if the latter is considered necessary.
   
5. Provide and distribute a copy of the progress reports, draft final and final report by the prescribed due dates to the APEC Secretariat and members of the Steering Committee. This amounts to approximately 6 copies of the report. The consultant will be supplied with a complete mailing list.
   
6. Provide the APEC Secretariat with a copy of all submissions forwarded to the Steering Committee.
   
7. Provide each member economy with a computer disk version of the final report.
   
8. All documents provided under (5) to (7) are to be in the English language.
   

Steering Committee

The project will be overseen by a working group of participants involved in the Road Transport Harmonisation Project. Representatives of .……………………… ………………………………. have agreed to participate in the Steering Committee.

Timing

The consultant is required to adhere to the following timetable:

• Consultant able to commence work on Stage 2 project by January 2000.

• Consultant to supply progress report by March 2000 for consideration at TPT-WG in April 2000.

• Consultant to supply progress report by August 2000 for consideration at TPT-WG in September 2000.

• Consultant to supply draft report by November 2000.

• Feedback on draft report from Steering Committee by December 2000.

• Consultant to provide final report by February 2001.

Proposals

Bidders should demonstrate their ability to meet the project requirements in a formal Proposal incorporating the following components:

- outline of methodology
- qualifications and experience of project team
- previous experience on tasks of this nature
- timeline
- itemised budget

Lodgement of Proposals

Proposals must be lodged in accordance with the guidelines set out in Annex A and Annex B.

Selection Process

Applicants will be selected on the basis of:

- soundness of methodology
- suitability of consultant personnel
- attention to detail
- demonstrated technical expertise in the automotive
        industry ie. experience in the motor vehicle regulations
        and certification areas.
- awareness of the objectives of the APEC region and the
        goals of the Road Transport Harmonisation Project
- value for money

Budget

The maximum budget allocated for this project is US$76,200.

Project Management

All inquiries on the project should be directed to the project overseer

Mr Mike Kimberlee
Director Approvals & International Policy
Department of Transport and Regional Services
GPO Box 594
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone +61 2 6274 7434
Fax +61 2 6274 7714
e-Mail: michael.kimberlee@.dotrs.gov.au

This page was last updated on 1 Feb, 2008