{"rows":20,"os":"0","page":"1","total":"10","procnotices":[{"id":"OP00432358","notice_type":"Request for Expression of Interest","noticedate":"12-Mar-2026","notice_lang_name":"English","notice_status":"Published","submission_deadline_date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z","submission_deadline_time":"17:00","project_ctry_name":"Liberia","project_id":"P171997","project_name":"Liberia Investment, Finance and Trade Project","bid_reference_no":"LR-MOCI-538872-CS-QCBS","bid_description":"Firm to Automate the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Process of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia.","procurement_group":"CS","procurement_method_code":"QCBS","procurement_method_name":"Quality And Cost-Based Selection","contact_address":"Ministerial Complex\nCongo Town\nTubman Blvd, Monrovia,","contact_ctry_name":"Liberia","contact_email":"edwingbaie1978@gmail.com","contact_name":"Edwin J. Gbaie, Sr.","contact_organization":"Ministry of Commerce and Industry","contact_phone_no":"0886462576","submission_date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00Z","notice_text":"

                                                   REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
\n                         MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (MoCI)
\n                             Liberia Investment, Finance & Trade Project (LIFT-P)
\n          INSURANCE BUILDING, 5TH STREET-SINKOR, OPPOSITE CONEX GAS STATIO
\n                                                      MONROVIA, LIBERIA
\n                                          P.O. Box 9041, 1000 Monrovia, 10 Liberia
\n                                        Email: info-lift@moci.gov.lr /www.moci.gov.lr

\n\n

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (REOI)
\n(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRM SELECTION)

\n\n

Liberia Investment, Finance and Trade Project (LIFT-P)
\nProject ID: P171997
\nCredit Number 7037-LR
\nGrant Number D9690-LR

\n\n

                                                                                                                         March 13, 2026

\n\n

Firm to Automate the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Process of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia, LR-MOCI-538872-CS-QCBS

\n\n

The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) is implementing the Liberia Investment, Finance and Trade (LIFT) Project (P171997) with financing from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group ($40 million). This project was developed to support the government’s strategic objectives to promote private sector development. Accordingly, the project development objective is to improve the investment climate, expand sustainable access to finance, and increase the efficiency of trade in Liberia. Achieving this objective requires support for improving SME’s capabilities for accessing finance and new market opportunities, to contribute to economic growth, competitiveness, and job creation. The project implementation is being coordinated by the Project Implementation Unit, under a Project Steering Committee chaired by the Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Liberia, and co-chaired by the Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL).

\n\n

Key Objectives of the Assignment  

\n\n

The objective of this consultancy is to design, develop, and deploy a secured, integrated, scalable, and user-friendly digital ESIA platform within six months. This platform is intended to enable the EPA to manage all stages of its ESIA permitting and other internal licensing processes, from licensing application and document submissions to evaluation, approval, and license issuance. The platform design shall aid monitoring and compliance tracking, ensuring alignment with legal obligations and user accessibility. The platform shall enable SMEs and the general investment community to register and manage profiles, seamlessly obtain ESIA documents and information, connect with the EPA, and promote transparency, effectiveness, and data security.

\n\n

Scope of the Assignment

\n\n

The firm will be responsible for developing a centralized, user-friendly platform as described in the objective above. To ensure responsiveness to user needs and alignment with project objectives, the firm will apply an agile development approach, incorporating iterative testing and stakeholder feedback at every stage of the development cycle.

\n\n

The scope of the consultancy includes:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Reviewing of the EPA’s existing ESIA procedural guideline and processes, the recent consultancy report commissioned under the project to assess the ESIA licensing framework of the EPA, and any other related EPA regulatory documents.
    2. \n\t
  2. Conducting best practice research, including stakeholder consultations, and design or engineer a system to align with objectives focused on seamless process flow and minimizing the time needed for obtaining ESIA permits and licenses.
    3. \n\t
  3. Developing a contemporary, functional hybrid (online and offline) platform that showcases an understanding of the ESIA requirements and processes, enables seamless communication and linkages between the EPA and project proponents, and facilitating the management of ESIA permitting and licensing processes. The system should facilitate future integration with other government departments and enable the integration of other useful and relevant government institutions.
    4. \n\t
  4. Installing the prerequisite hardware and software, which includes servers, storage systems, backup and recovery systems, and firewall systems, to secure the system and its environment.
    5. \n\t
  5. Completing technical and end-user documentation for system use and maintenance. All source code and configuration files must be handed over to EPA’s IT Unit upon completion of the consultancy.
    6. \n\t
  6. Providing training to all user groups, including system administrators, EPA's ESIA and ICT Units, ESIA-licensed consultants, and project proponents, including SMEs.
    7. \n\t
  7. Undertaking post-launch support and maintenance for a minimum of six months.
    8. \n
\n\n

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can found at the link below: hppt //: www.moci.gov.lr  / www.emansion.gov.lr 

\n\n

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry now invites eligible Consulting Firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Individual Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting criteria are listed as per the Terms of Reference provided below. The Consultant should have minimum qualifications and experience as follows:

\n\n

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry now invites eligible Consulting Firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting criteria are listed as per the Terms of Reference provided below.

\n\n

The Consulting Firm should have minimum qualifications and experience as follows:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Demonstrable experience designing and implementing online web applications for clients in the public or private sector, including government agencies, MSMEs, or development projects, and partners
    2. \n\t
  2. Demonstrable experience using Agile or Scrum methodologies in web application development will be considered an asset.
    3. \n\t
  3. Demonstrate compliance with ISO 27001(mandatory) and ISO 20000 standards. If the firm does not have an ISO 20000, then reference letters from at least two government clients or international institutions, or Third-party audit reports or independent assessments, or system performance and service delivery reports confirming successful delivery and operational support of national-scale digital systems, such as an ESIA system, must be submitted.
    4. \n
\n\n

         Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

\n\n

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers dated July 2016, Revised November 2017, August 2018, November 2020, September 2023, February 2025 and September 2025  (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.    

\n\n

The Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers (July 2016 as Revised in November 2017, August 2018, November 2020, September 2023, February 2025 and September 2025).

\n\n

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours, i.e., 0900 to 1600 hours GMT, Monday to Friday.

\n\n

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (only by email) on or before Friday March 27, 2026, with subject: “ Firm to Automate the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Process of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia, LR-MOCI-538872-CS-QCBS”.

\n\n

Liberia Investment, Finance and Trade Project (LIFT-P)
\nAttn: Julius Y. Saye Keh-nel  
\nActing Project Coordinator
\nInsurance Building, 5th Street, Sinkor  
\nMonrovia, Liberia
\nTel: +231 88 682 2025 /776 654 713
\nEmail: jsayekehnel-lift@moci.gov.lr
\nCc: /vanyanbah.julius@yahoo.com /fahnco76@yahoo.com 

\n\n

Terms of Reference

\n\n

Hiring of a Firm to Automate the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Process of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Post Title:

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Consultancy to Automate the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Process of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Location of Post:

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Headquarters of the Environmental Protection Agency, Sekou Touré Avenue, Monrovia, Liberia

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Contract Duration:

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Reporting Line:

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Executive Director of the EPA

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Recruitment Type:

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Open International

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Type of Contract

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Firm Selection

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

Background and General Description

\n\n

The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) is implementing the Liberia Investment, Finance and Trade (LIFT) Project (P171997) with financing from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group ($40 million). This project was developed to support the government’s strategic objectives to promote private sector development. Accordingly, the project development objective is to improve the investment climate, expand sustainable access to finance, and increase the efficiency of trade in Liberia. Achieving this objective requires support for improving SME’s capabilities for accessing finance and new market opportunities, to contribute to economic growth, competitiveness, and job creation. The project implementation is being coordinated by the Project Implementation Unit, under a Project Steering Committee chaired by the Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Liberia, and co-chaired by the Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL).

\n\n

Component one of this project supports improvements in Liberia’s business environment by strengthening critical Government to Business (G2B) services covering international trade, business licensing, and private investment. This component builds on and complements the extensive advisory work that has been carried out in recent years by IFC and others, and which will continue through the initial implementation stages of the project.

\n\n

Accordingly, Sub-component 1.1 seeks to provide Technical Assistance to selected government Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions (MACs), including the EPA, to enable Liberia to attract and retain large private sector investments and ensure its impact. Resources are focused on technical assistance needed to prepare large investments and institutional or regulatory support that will be geared towards consolidating and reinforcing what is today a weak and fragmented institutional setup in support of private sector investment.

\n\n

Through the Project, the EPA is implementing transformative and innovative initiatives to fulfill its mandate and respond to the growing demands of the public. One of the critical reform areas is the modernization of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) licensing regime, particularly to improve access and service delivery to all sectors. A recent consultancy report commissioned under the project assessed the ESIA licensing framework of the EPA and identified major procedural bottlenecks, a lack of digital infrastructure, and limited SME access to permitting services. Among the key recommendations was the need to automate and digitalize the ESIA licensing system to reduce delays, increase accountability, and improve service delivery.

\n\n

In line with this recommendation, and in accordance with the project’s PDOs and the EPA’s strategic plan, the EPA aims to recruit a qualified consulting firm or consortium through the LIFT project to develop the digital infrastructure for the ESIA process automation in Liberia.

\n\n

Objective of the Assignment

\n\n

The objective of this consultancy is to design, develop, and deploy a secured, integrated, scalable, and user-friendly digital ESIA platform within six months. This platform is intended to enable the EPA to manage all stages of its ESIA permitting and other internal licensing processes, from licensing application and document submissions to evaluation, approval, and license issuance. The platform design shall aid monitoring and compliance tracking, ensuring alignment with legal obligations and user accessibility. The platform shall enable SMEs and the general investment community to register and manage profiles, seamlessly obtain ESIA documents and information, connect with the EPA, and promote transparency, effectiveness, and data security.

\n\n

Scope of the consultancy

\n\n

The firm will be responsible for developing a centralized, user-friendly platform as described in the objective above. To ensure responsiveness to user needs and alignment with project objectives, the firm will apply an agile development approach, incorporating iterative testing and stakeholder feedback at every stage of the development cycle.

\n\n

The scope of the consultancy includes:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Reviewing of the EPA’s existing ESIA procedural guideline and processes, the recent consultancy report commissioned under the project to assess the ESIA licensing framework of the EPA, and any other related EPA regulatory documents.
    2. \n\t
  2. Conducting best practice research, including stakeholder consultations, and design or engineer a system to align with objectives focused on seamless process flow and minimizing the time needed for obtaining ESIA permits and licenses.
    3. \n\t
  3. Developing a contemporary, functional hybrid (online and offline) platform that showcases an understanding of the ESIA requirements and processes, enables seamless communication and linkages between the EPA and project proponents, and facilitating the management of ESIA permitting and licensing processes. The system should facilitate future integration with other government departments and enable the integration of other useful and relevant government institutions.
    4. \n\t
  4. Installing the prerequisite hardware and software, which includes servers, storage systems, backup and recovery systems, and firewall systems, to secure the system and its environment.
    5. \n\t
  5. Completing technical and end-user documentation for system use and maintenance. All source code and configuration files must be handed over to EPA’s IT Unit upon completion of the consultancy.
    6. \n\t
  6. Providing training to all user groups, including system administrators, EPA's ESIA and ICT Units, ESIA-licensed consultants, and project proponents, including SMEs.
    7. \n\t
  7. Undertaking post-launch support and maintenance for a minimum of six months.
    8. \n
\n\n

Functional Requirement

\n\n

Below are some of the recommended functional requirements for the platform, but are not limited to and would be updated with additional functionality or features based on the firm’s research and stakeholder consultation.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. \n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. Public Interface and features:
      2. \n\t
    \n\t
    2. \n\t
  2. Information relating to the EPA, the ESIA licensing process, including requirements, procedures/steps, and processes
    3. \n\t
  3. Statistical summary (number of licensed proponents, licensed consultants, etc)
    4. \n\t
  4. List of licensed local and international consultants and their profiles, list of sectors and activities requiring permits, categories of permits and proponents, etc (Searching and Filtering list)
    5. \n\t
  5. Registration (Proponents and consultants)
    6. \n\t
  6. Complaint box or contact
    7. \n\t
  7. Testimonial
    8. \n\t
  8. Email and phone validation and verification, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and options for future integration with Liberia’s digital ID system.  
    9. \n\t
  9. Account creation
    10. \n\t
  10. Online submissions and uploading of supporting documents. The preferred format for supporting documents is PDF.
    11. \n\t
  11. Acceptable attachment size requirement of supporting documents.
    12. \n\t
  12. Categories of activities or undertakings
    13. \n\t
  13. Types or description of undertaking
    14. \n\t
  14. Automatic application number
    15. \n\t
  15. Automatic permit number generation
    16. \n\t
  16. Data security, including minimum security protocols (TLS 1.2+, OWASP Top 10), data encryption, a granular access control mechanism, and vulnerability management processes. The system should provide an avenue for penetration testing and other security assessments.
    17. \n\t
  17. Support virus scanning for uploaded documents, and be able to set a maximum file size and allow chunked upload for large documents.
    18. \n\t
  18. Electronic signing of documents
    19. \n\t
  19. Alert notification
    20. \n\t
  20. Advanced search and filter
    21. \n\t
  21. Online application and registration form
    22. \n\t
  22. Audit log for changes and modifications
    23. \n\t
  23. Applicant’s capacity to save draft filings and resume or continue based on previously saved drafts
    24. \n\t
  24. Standard field checks
    25. \n\t
  25. User Consent and Acknowledgement of Terms and Conditions
    26. \n\t
  26. The platform must be used and accessible with or without internet access.
    27. \n
\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Portals:
    2. \n\t
  2. Administrator login
    3. \n\t
  3. Proponent login
    4. \n\t
  4. FirmLogin
    5. \n\t
  5. Back-office portal for EPA Staff
    6. \n
\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Administrator & Back Office Accounts
    2. \n
\n\n

The features may be updated based on the firm’s research and stakeholder consultation.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Account holder information (name, position, etc)
    2. \n\t
  2. Receive, review, and process applications
    3. \n\t
  3. Account levels or rights (processor, reviewer, approval, etc). This should be fully configurable and support granular permissions and least-privileged access to minimize risk.
    4. \n\t
  4. User satisfaction survey request and access to results
    5. \n\t
  5. User account & permission management (creation and approval of new accounts)
    6. \n\t
  6. M&E tool for tracking application, selection, evaluations, and issuance
    7. \n\t
  7. Statistical report generation. Dashboard and downloadable reports in CSV/Excel with role-based visibility.  
    8. \n\t
  8. Monitoring linkages of proponents to one or more consultants
    9. \n\t
  9. Notifications (progress, license expiration, etc)
    10. \n\t
  10. Generates an automatic application number
    11. \n\t
  11. Information update with versioning inclusion to track data changes over time.
    12. \n
\n\n

Consultants Account

\n\n

The features may be updated based on the consultant’s research and stakeholder consultation.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Profile management
    2. \n\t
  2. Link with proponents
    3. \n\t
  3. Make application
    4. \n\t
  4. Submit ESIA documents
    5. \n\t
  5. Monitor and track the application  
    6. \n\t
  6. Information update
    7. \n
\n\n

Proponents Account

\n\n

The features may be updated based on the consultant’s research and stakeholder consultation.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Profile management
    2. \n\t
  2. Link with proponents
    3. \n\t
  3. Make application
    4. \n\t
  4. Monitor application  
    5. \n\t
  5. Make payment
    6. \n\t
  6. Received downloadable permits
    7. \n\t
  7. Track application
    8. \n\t
  8. Information update
    9. \n
\n\n

Product Environment and Hosting

\n\n

The firm will provide a list of the best tools, language(s), frameworks, technologies, and configurations to develop, test, and deploy the platform. The hosting, domain name, and SSL certification will be provided. The firm shall be responsible for configuring and deploying a testing environment at the commencement of the consultancy, as well as a production environment, before the launch date.

\n\n

Deliverables and Timetable

\n\n

The firm will be responsible for submitting the following deliverables:

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Task

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Deliverables

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Time(duration)

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Payment

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1.  
    2. \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Inception report highlighting the firm understanding of the consultancy along with updated action plan that outlines the main deliverables, methodologies, activities, timetable, workflow and proposed system detail and development lifecycle (SDLC).

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Week 2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Report of need assessment and stakeholder consultation conducted to understand tools requirements, database design, define data collection and entry elements, define data protection elements, test and validate the tool, and propose key factors and framework for to monitoring and evaluation of the tool.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Week 6

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Installed prerequisite hardware and software, which includes servers, storage systems, backup and recovery systems, and firewall systems, to secure the system and its environment based on specifications agreed upon.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Week 10

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Developed a fully functional online platform based on international best practices and meets the requirements and expectations of both the EPA, end users and the stakeholders. Also, launch the online tool, and define mechanisms to monitor and evaluate its usage. Ensure all testing (unit, integration, system, User Acceptance, etc) are fully performed and Quality Assurance, focused on preventing defects, are in place prior to official launch of the system to the public.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Week 14

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

End-user documentation detailing the functionality and features available. Also provide training, showcasing the functionality and features of the platform to EPA Staff, proponents and consultants.

\n\n\t\t\t

Provide technical documentation and transfer all source code and configuration files to EPA’s IT Unit. Additionally, deliver training to IT Unit to ensure familiarity with the system infrastructure and maintenance requirements. The end- user documentation should also include a detailed QA documentation including test plans, test cases, and test scripts for Unit, Integration, and System Testing, maintaining environment, running tests, logging and tracking defects and their resolution, and retesting fixes.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Week 15

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Six months of maintenance to address any issues or bugs following the platform’s launch; no new feature development is required during this period. Post support will include hypercare and stabilization with focus on intensive, high-touch support, rapid response to all queries and issues, and standard support mode focusing on resolving logged tickets, minor enhancements, and knowledge transfer.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Week 22

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

Approach and Implementation Arrangements

\n\n

The assignment will be executed by the selected firm, which will coordinate all the activities relating to the deliverables of the contract.  The Project Implementation Unit, as the implementing body for the Liberia Investment, Finance and Trade Project, will play a key coordinating and leadership role in ensuring that the contractor delivers on the contract in a timely manner. The assignment will be delivered through an inclusive stakeholders’ participation and stakeholder-driven approach. The contractor will work closely with the PIU and the EPA.

\n\n

Qualification and Experience

\n\n

The consultancy firm bidding for the service must possess the following experience and competencies:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Demonstrable experience designing and implementing online web applications for clients in the public or private sector, including government agencies, MSMEs, or development projects, and partners
    2. \n\t
  2. Demonstrable experience using Agile or Scrum methodologies in web application development will be considered an asset.
    3. \n\t
  3. Demonstrate compliance with ISO 27001(mandatory) and ISO 20000 standards. If the firm does not have an ISO 20000, then reference letters from at least two government clients or international institutions, or Third-party audit reports or independent assessments, or system performance and service delivery reports confirming successful delivery and operational support of national-scale digital systems, such as an ESIA system, must be submitted.
    4. \n\t
  4. The firm must have suitable qualified personnel (defined below) to fill the following minimum positions.
    5. \n
\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

S/N

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Personnel

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

#

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Qualification

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

System Engineer (Team Lead)

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1. Bachelor’s Degree in Software Development, Software Engineering, Information Technology or related field to Web Application Development is required.
    2. \n\t\t\t\t
  2. Master’s Degree in Software Development, Software Engineering, Information Technology or related field to Web Application Development will be considered an asset.
    3. \n\t\t\t\t
  3. Relevant professional certifications related to online tool development (E.g. Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP), Certified Scrum Developer (CSD), Salesforce Certified Developer, SAP Certified Development Associate, Power Platform & Power BI Certifications) is desirable.
    4. \n\t\t\t\t
  4. Minimum of five (5) years General Professional Experience in a field related to the consultancy
    5. \n\t\t\t\t
  5. At least six (6) years of experience in full-cycle web application development. This may include experience in one or more of the following areas: system analysis, backend development, and database design.
    6. \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Environmental and Social Specialist

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1. Advanced degree in Environmental Science, Sociology, Social Science, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Policy, Law, or a related field.
    2. \n\t\t\t\t
  2. Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement
    3. \n\t\t\t\t
  3. Must have a minimum of five (5) years of work experience in policy review, stakeholder engagement, and drafting and development of environmental regulations, guidelines, and standards;
    4. \n\t\t\t\t
  4. Must be knowledgeable of the ESIA process of Liberia;
    5. \n\t\t\t\t
  5. Excellent facilitation, writing, and communication skills.
    6. \n\t\t\t\t
  6. Excellent and practical research skills, communication (verbal and written) skills, including the ability to prepare reports and conduct presentations by clearly formulating positions on issues, articulating options concisely, conveying maximum necessary information, making and defending recommendations;
    7. \n\t\t\t\t
  7. Excellent computer skills, particularly with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint or related packages;
    8. \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Quality Assurance Engineer/ Solution Architect

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1. Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology or related field is required.
    2. \n\t\t\t\t
  2. Master’s Degree in Information Technology or related field will be considered an asset.
    3. \n\t\t\t\t
  3. Minimum of three (3) years General Professional Experience in a field related to the consultancy
    4. \n\t\t\t\t
  4. At least three (3) years of experience in multitier web application development with hands-on experience of Java, Python, dot net, CS, HTML/CSS, etc
    5. \n\t\t\t\t
  5. Strong organizational and quality assurance skills in system development
    6. \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Support Staff

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1. Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management, change management or related field is required.
    2. \n\t\t\t\t
  2. Minimum of three (3) years General Professional Experience in a field related to the consultancy
    3. \n\t\t\t\t
  3. At least three (3) years of experience in full-cycle web system change management and training.  
    4. \n\t\t\t\t
  4. Good knowledge of database management 
    5. \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\n

Attach CVs of all proposed personnel, together with relevant certificates for all positions, is mandatory.

\n\n

Duration of Consultancy

\n\n

The consultancy duration is 6 months.

\n\n

Reporting Arrangements

\n\n

The successful firm will sign a contract with the Government of Liberia through the Project Implementation Unit at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The firm shall be supervised by the EPA’s ESIA and ICT Unit. The Administrative focal point for this consultancy is the LIFT project’s Acting Coordinator. The EPA will lead the technical supervision of this project, while the LIFT project PIU will oversee the project management aspect.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

"},{"id":"OP00367768","notice_type":"Request for Expression of Interest","noticedate":"11-Jul-2025","notice_lang_name":"English","notice_status":"Published","submission_deadline_date":"2025-07-25T00:00:00Z","submission_deadline_time":"14:00","project_ctry_name":"India","project_id":"P506976","project_name":"West Bengal Health System Reform Program, Operation","bid_reference_no":"IN-DOHFW, WB-485595-CS-QCBS","bid_description":"WHO STEP-wise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (STEPS) Survey for NCD (round 1)","procurement_group":"CS","procurement_method_code":"QCBS","procurement_method_name":"Quality And Cost-Based Selection","contact_address":"Government of West Bengal\nSwasthya Bhawan\nGN-29, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700 091","contact_ctry_name":"India","contact_email":"splsecretary.healthwb@gmail.com","contact_name":"Vivek Kumar","contact_organization":"Department of Health and Family Welfare, West Bengal","contact_phone_no":"9899068712","submission_date":"2025-07-11T00:00:00Z","notice_text":"

 

\n\n

Government of West Bengal

\n\n

Department of Health & Family Welfare

\n\n

Swasthya Bhawan, Sector – V, Salt Lake

\n\n

Kolkata – 700 091

\n\n

 

\n\n

No. HF/SPSRC/21/2025/ 263                                                                                              Dated:  10 /07/2025

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

E-Procurement Notice

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

INDIA - Proposed West Bengal Health System Reform Program Operation [WBHSRP] – Technical Assistance [TA] Component

\n\n

 

\n\n

CONSULTANCY SERVICES - FIRM SELECTION

\n\n

 

\n\n

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST [EOI] for STEP wise approach to Non Communicable Diseases [NCD] risk factor surveillance’ - [STEPS] Survey in West Bengal under Technical Assistance Component of the Proposed West Bengal Health System Reform Program [WBHSRP] Operation

\n\n

 

\n\n

Project ID Number: P506976

\n\n

 

\n\n

Loan Number: TBD

\n\n

 

\n\n

Procurement Plan Reference Number: IN-DOHFW, WB-485595-CS-QCBS

\n\n

NIT no: NIT/161/2025

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The Government of West Bengal, [hereinafter called the “Client”] through the Government of India [hereinafter called “Borrower”] has applied for financing from the World Bank in the form of a loan toward the cost of the Proposed West Bengal Health System Reform Program Operation [WBHSRP] and intends to apply part of the proceeds under the Technical Assistance Component of the above Operation toward eligible payments under the contract for the consulting services detailed below.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The overall objective of the consulting services is to conduct a comprehensive Non Communicable Diseases [NCD] risk factor survey in West Bengal based on the WHO STEPS methodology targeting adult population [18-69 years], so as to generate population level estimates on key NCD risk factors [behavioral, physical and biochemical] disaggregated by age, gender and geography, in order to ultimately formulate a baseline for the Program to support design of preventive, diagnostic, and treatment strategies.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The detailed indicative Terms of Reference [TOR] for the consulting services [“the Services”] incorporated are attached to this REOI and are also available on the link referred to in Paragraphs 9 and 10 below. The likely duration of the assignment is 1 year from contract signature.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal, an implementing agency of the Client now invites eligible consulting firms [“Consultants”] to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The short listing criteria are:
    2. \n
\n\n

[a] General Experience: Firms are requested to provide a brief profile and general experience of the Firm along with organizational structure. Documentary Evidence: Registration certificate of the firm [s]; Power of attorney/Board resolution of authorized representative to sign the EOI proposal; Firm’s brochure

\n\n

 

\n\n

[b] Specific Experience: The firm should have successfully completed at least Two [2] similar assignments in health sector within the past ten [10] years in Government or PSU or Multilateral, or Bilateral projects. Documentary evidence: Completion certificate/work order [including project title, duration, nature, total contract value and tenure, total input in terms of staff month, Client with contact details, location of service, and scope of services, etc.]/ Satisfactory work continuation certificate. The experience of a parent company, subsidiary company, group company or associates [whatever the names] of the Applicant shall not be considered in short listing.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 [c] Financial capacity of the firm including average annual turnover from survey assignments for the last three financial years [2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25] which should not be less than INR 4 Crores. Documentary evidence: Audited financial reports for last three financial years.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 [d] Manpower with qualifications and relevant technical and professional competence necessary for implementation of the assignment. Kindly do not provide CVs as these will not be evaluated at short listing stage

\n\n

 

\n\n

While indicating information relating to [b] , it shall be made clear whether the responsibility of the firm was in the capacity of a principal firm [lead partner] or as an associated firm [sub-consultant/JV partner] with detail scope of the service. A short note on similar projects implemented by the firm should be provided.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to the paragraphs 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16 and 3.17 of World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” Sixth Edition, Issued February 2025” [“Procurement Regulations”], setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture to enhance their qualifications. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. Documentary evidence: In case of joint venture, agreement copy should be provided if joint venture is already formed or letter of intent for Joint venture should be provided if joint venture yet to be formed.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based [QCBS] selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The Client shall use the following electronic-procurement system to manage this Request for Expression of Interest [REOI] process: e-procurement system of Government of West Bengal : https://wbtenders.gov.in. The electronic-procurement system will be used to manage REOI process such as issuing REOI, submissions of EOI, opening of EOIs, etc.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Interested Consultants may upload Expressions of Interest along with the aforesaid supporting documents online at the e-procurement portal of Government of West Bengal viz. https://wbtenders.gov.in as per the dates mentioned below. No other mode of submission shall be entertained.
    2. \n
\n\n

Key Dates

\n\n

REOI publication date and time: July 11, 2025 from 10:00 Hours

\n\n

REOI download start date and time: July 11, 2025 from 10:00 Hours

\n\n

REOI download end date and time July 25, 2025 from 14:00 Hours

\n\n

EOI online opening date and time: July 25, 2025 from 14:30 Hours

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours:
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

Strategic Planning and State Reform Cell [SPSRC]

\n\n

Department of Health and Family Welfare

\n\n

Government of West Bengal

\n\n

Shri.Vivek Kumar, Special Secretary and Director SPSRC

\n\n

Swasthya Bhawan, GN 29, Salt Lake

\n\n

Kolkata

\n\n

West Bengal 700091

\n\n

Telephone number: +91 33 23577921 / +91 33 233330609/11

\n\n

E-mail: wb.healthcare.reforms@gmail.com

\n\n

 

\n\n

Attachment: Terms of Reference

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

                                                                                                                Sd/-

\n\n

                                                                                           Spl. Secretary & Director SPSRC

\n\n

                                                                                                              GoWB

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Indicative Terms of Reference

\n\n

 

\n\n

Hiring of Consultancy Services [Firm] to Conduct ‘STEPwise approach to Non Communicable Diseases [NCD] risk factor surveillance’ - [STEPS] Survey in West Bengal under Technical Assistance Component of the proposed West Bengal Health System Reform Program (WBHSRP) Operation

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Background:
    2. \n
\n\n

The proposed West Bengal Health System Reform Program (WBHSRP) Operation (Unnata Susathya West Bengal) is a health systems reforms program of the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoH&FW), Govt. of West Bengal (GoWB). The WBHSRP is proposed to be implemented during 2025-2031, with US$290 million loan from the World Bank and would use a Program for Results (PforR) lending instrument that focuses on result-based outcomes, with a Technical Assistance [TA]/IPF component to ensure focus on results-based outcomes for achieving the Program Development Objectives (PDO). This assignment is under the Technical Assistance component of the WBHSRP.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The Program Development Objective (PDO) of the Proposed WBHSRP is “to improve utilization of health services, enhance quality of care and reduce inequities in maternal and adolescent health in West Bengal”. The program activities are organized around the four Result Areas (RAs) which contribute to the PDO. The activities of the WBHSRP under the four result areas (RAs) principally are such that they either expedite, augment or enhance the existing government program.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Results Area 1: Strengthened integrated care model for CPHC services
    2. \n\t
  2. Results Area 2: Reduced health inequalities in maternal and adolescent health
    3. \n\t
  3. Results Area 3: Enhanced Governance, Accountability and Resilience
    4. \n\t
  4. Results Area 4: Alignment of behaviors between people and Providers
    5. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

RA-1: Strengthened integrated care model for CPHC services: The key focus of this RA is to strengthen the policies and service delivery framework to address the NCD related risk factors, improve input and process quality of the primary healthcare system, strengthen the continuum of care, and streamline protocols for frontline workers and service providers for the provision of quality personalized care. Global evidence suggests that addressing risk factors early on leads to a reduction in the disease burden for NCD and facilitating processes and protocols for the providers has a positive impact on care-seeking among NCD patients, ultimately leads to control of NCD conditions.[1]  While the focus of the RA is on hypertension and diabetes, strengthened systems are expected to improve access and quality of services for other NCDs.

\n\n

 

\n\n

RA#2: Reduced health inequalities in maternal and adolescent health: RA#2 will strengthen the delivery of health services to address the challenges of adolescent girls and boys. While several interventions targeting adolescents are operational in the state, gaps remain in their coverage and quality, coordination, and monitoring mechanisms. Addressing the GBV also requires streamlining key interventions within the health system. Thus, the design of RA#2 seeks to (a) strengthen convergence among DoHFW, School Education Department and Women and Child Development Department and track key indicators and progress at the state, district and sub-district levels; (b) expand coverage and quality of RKSK program; and (c) develop and roll out survivor-centric GBV services

\n\n

 

\n\n

RA #3 – Enhanced Governance, Accountability and Resilience: This RA focuses on critical QoC interventions, which are recognized through global evidence to be the ‘best buys’ on governance, accountability and resilience.[2] These include developing a facility- and administrative-level performance measurement framework (PMF) to track progress of health system performance and public reporting and facility accreditation for comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care (CEmONC) centers.[3] Additionally, this result would focus on strengthening public financial management (PFM) and procurement-related challenges, which are critical to improve governance. Finally, the RA would also focus on extreme weather events and health-related interventions and strengthening the climate resilience of the health system.

\n\n

 

\n\n

RA#4: Alignment of behaviors between people and Providers: RA#4 would strengthen the system to address people and provider behaviors. It will support development and implementation of social and behavior change communication (SBCC) strategies to improve maternal and adolescent health and GBV-related outcomes, especially in priority districts lagging the state averages. The interventions are expected to empower communities with knowledge and awareness about health risks and available services. RA#4 will also support activities to bridge providers’ know-do gap for better clinical effectiveness. These interventions are well defined under several global frameworks[4], and proven to improve quality of services and increase demand.

\n\n

 

\n\n

A key element under Results Area 1 is the control and prevention of NCDs, notably hypertension and diabetes, which account for a growing burden of morbidity and mortality in the state. The Global status report on Non-Communicable Diseases by World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that every year, nearly 28 million people lose their lives to NCDs. In India, NCDs account for 60% of the total deaths. The burden of NCDs and associated risk factors is evident worldwide. This is especially true among those living in poverty. NCDs are increasingly affecting developing countries at a faster rate than in developed nations. NCDs are lifestyle diseases, as the behavioural risk factors like smoking, alcohol consumption, inadequate fruit and vegetables intake and physical inactivity pose an individual at increased risk of developing NCD. Although many lifestyle factors are considered to be modifiable, all individuals, across all strata of society should have sufficient and equal access and support to make healthy lifestyle choices. The WHO global status report on non-communicable diseases 2010 ranked the monitoring and surveillance of risk factors as a top priority to tackle growing NCD epidemics in low resource settings.  India, as part of Integrated Disease Surveillance Project, conducted a NCD risk factor surveillance using WHO STEPS questionnaire in the year 2007 to provide data on risk factors, which in turn was expecting to help the state health administrators to plan strategies for the control of non-communicable diseases by modifying the risk factors. Though it was planned to include all Indian states in a phased manner, the project ended with the first phase which included seven states namely Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand.

\n\n

 

\n\n

West Bengal has not conducted this survey in the past and having combated the major communicable diseases in West Bengal, it is high time that the resources are invested on fighting non- communicable diseases.  To address this, the Department of Health & Family Welfare (DoHFW), Government of West Bengal (GoWB) plans to undertake a state-wide STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (STEPS)[5] aligned with the WHO’s standardized approach for surveillance of NCD risk factors. This will provide critical baseline data to inform policy, measure program performance, and strengthen the quality of primary care service delivery under WBHSRP.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Objective of the Assignment
    2. \n
\n\n

The overall objective of the assignment is to conduct a comprehensive NCD risk factor survey in West Bengal based on the WHO STEPS methodology targeting adult population (18-69 years), so as to generate population level estimates on key NCD risk factors (behaviorial, physical and biochemical) disaggregated by age, gender and geography, in order to ultimately formulate a baseline for the Program to support design of preventive, diagnostic, and treatment strategies.

\n\n

 

\n\n

Specific tasks under this objective include but may not be limited to the following :

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Assess the prevalence of key NCD behavioural risk factors (tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy dietary habits, physical inactivity and oral health)
    2. \n\t
  2. Assess the prevalence of key NCD biological risk factors (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, obesity, high total cholesterol, high LDL, HDL level and thyroid profile)
    3. \n\t
  3. Assess the knowledge and practice on selected tobacco control policies, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, etc.
    4. \n\t
  4. Assess the health seeking behaviour related to NCDs.
    5. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Scope of Assignment
    2. \n
\n\n

The scope of the assignment includes inception, tool development, fieldwork, data cleaning, analysis, ascertaining the baseline and dissemination of results to key stakeholders of the DoHFW, encompassing the following activities, structured across three main phases of the survey:

\n\n

 

\n\n

A. Preparatory Phase:

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n

B. Data Collection Phase:

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n

C. Analysis and Reporting Phase:

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Duration of the Assignment
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

The duration of the assignment would be twelve (12) months from contract signature.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Team Composition and Qualification Requirements for the Key Experts (and any other requirements which will be used for evaluating the Key Experts)
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

The selected consultant/firm shall be expected to report and deploy sufficient amount of human resource required to successfully deliver the tasks in the defined timelines. The human resource requirement for the project must include key experts of suitable qualifications and experience for the key positions tabulated below:

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

S.

\n\n\t\t\t

No.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Key Position

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Nos.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Minimum Qualification and Professional Experience

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Estimated Person Months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Team Leader/Principal Investigator (PI)

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • \n\t\t\t\t
      \n\t\t\t\t\t
    • Lead the Team and provide team management and quality oversight over the assignment and deliverables
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t
    • Plan, supervise and manage timely deliverables of the assignment
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t
    • Point of Contact [POC] for the firm [all communications routed through the Team Leader]
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t
    • represent the firm in meetings with the GoWB
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t
    • Ensure that all documents and reports are reviewed and assessed in a timely manner with a high level of quality
      • \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 15 years’ of demonstrated experience in managing health and nutrition sector projects (with focus on NCDs) with strong background in analytics, surveys, monitoring, and evaluation in the health sector.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: Working as technical expert or Team Leader in at least 2 projects having similar objectives involving quantitative and qualitative data collection, questionnaire design and large-scale surveys and their analysis. Prior experience in similar surveys that includes a module on biomarkers (such as WHO STEPS, National Family Health Survey (NFHS) or UNICEF Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) would be an advantage.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications post-graduate or higher degree in biostatistics/epidemiology/public health/nutrition/ health administration from a recognized University.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

12

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Public Health Specialist (with Specialization in Epidemiology)/ Epidemiologist

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

- Design survey methodology (sampling techniques, data collection methods)

\n\n\t\t\t

-Create questionnaires or interview guides

\n\n\t\t\t

-Oversee the pilot test and conduct of the survey

\n\n\t\t\t

-Collaborate with stakeholders, government agencies, and NGOs as necessary

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience:  At least 10+ years of demonstrated experience in NCD-focused surveys. Must have led sampling design and survey instruments aligned with WHO STEPS. The specialist should also have experience in working with the government health systems, in handling or managing analytical studies on health including experience in assessment and/or evaluation of public health programs

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: Working as technical expert in at least 2 Public Health/Nutrition/Epidemiology projects having similar objectives involving quantitative data collection, questionnaire design and large-scale surveys and their analysis.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: Post-graduate or higher degree in public health/nutrition/ health administration from a recognized University.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

24 months cumulative for K2

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Survey Expert

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

- Ensure the quality of technical and operational aspects of the survey, including sampling, sample size calculations and designing of appropriate weights

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience:

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: At least 7 years of professional experience in household surveys. Ensures technical quality, sample design, and weight calculations. Demonstrated experience in use of statistical/analysis software such as STATA/Epi/SPSS/SAS.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: Postgraduate degree in biostatistics, epidemiology or economics.

\n\n\t\t\t

               

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

9

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Lab Coordinator/Biochemical Specialist

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

-Oversee all aspects of STEP 3 biochemical sample collection, including planning, cold chain logistics, and compliance with WHO STEPS and NABL protocols.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Coordinate with district laboratory partners to ensure timely and quality-controlled processing of blood samples (e.g., glucose, lipids, thyroid profile).

\n\n\t\t\t

-Ensure availability and calibration of lab equipment, sample transport materials, and lab kits across all districts.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Monitor adherence to pre-analytical protocols, including fasting requirements, informed consent, and proper labeling and tracking of specimens.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Facilitate quality assurance processes, including use of control strips, double-blind sample re-testing, and sample integrity tracking.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Provide technical orientation to field phlebotomists/lab technicians and troubleshoot issues during sample collection.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 5 years of relevant experience in laboratory diagnostics, public health surveillance, or managing field-based biomedical sample collection, including logistics and cold chain maintenance.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: Experience in venous blood collection protocols, biochemical analysis, and working with NABL-accredited or equivalent lab settings. Familiarity with WHO STEP 3 protocols or equivalent biomarker surveys preferred.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Technology.

\n\n\t\t\t

Certification in laboratory quality management or biosafety will be an advantage.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

8 months cumulative for K4

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Data and IT expert

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

 -Develop the CAPI-based field data entry formats and data management strategy, ensure the quality of data entry, and coordinate data entry

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 3 years of professional experience in managing large household datasets

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: Experience in developing digital data entry system for health sector survey.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: B.Tech/BCA/BSc-IT degree from a recognized University; 3+ years building and managing mobile-based tools (ODK/Kobo).

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

12 months cumulative for K5

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K6

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Specialist

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

- Work with the K2 and K3 in (a) Designing survey methodology (sampling techniques, data collection methods); (b) creating questionnaires or interview guides; and (c) overseeing the pilot test and conduct of the survey

\n\n\t\t\t

- Ensure data integrity through proper data handling, validation, and error-checking procedures.

\n\n\t\t\t

- Use advanced analytics to analyze survey data, identifying trends and correlations.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 7 years of relevant experience in health systems and M&E with focus on qualitative and quantitative data collection

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: experience in monitoring & evaluation of development programs in areas of health systems strengthening, NCDs, etc. Proficiency in using statistical analysis software, such as SPSS, STATA, and Excel. Qualitative data analysis software (such as QSR) will be preferred.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: Masters in Economics or Statistics, Epidemiology or Public Health from a recognized University.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

18 months cumulative for K6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K7

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Report Writer/Communications Specialist

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

- Compile and analyze survey findings into clear, concise, and actionable reports.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Translate complex data into accessible insights for diverse audiences, including policymakers, researchers, and the general public.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Prepare reports, presentations and other communication materials as per the required template.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Ensure that the reports are professionally formatted and edited as per the GoWB requirements.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Ensure reports and communication materials adhere to public health standards, ethical guidelines, and data privacy laws.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in report writing and documentation.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: Worked as Report Writer/Communications Specialist and has drafted Project reports for at least 3 Public Health projects having similar objectives involving quantitative data collection, questionnaire design and large-scale surveys and their analysis.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: Master’s degree in English, Journalism, or Mass Communication/MSW/ Public Health/rural management from a recognized University.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

TOTAL

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

87

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n

Table 3: Essential Qualification and experience of Non-Key [NK] Experts

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Sl.No.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Position

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Nos.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Essential Qualification/ Experience

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Estimated Person Months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

NK1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Field Surveyors

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

35

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1. Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Rural Management, or other relevant discipline and more than 3 years’ experience of conducting surveys.
    2. \n\t\t\t\t
  2. Assist in collecting required field data
    3. \n\t\t\t\t
  3. Prior knowledge of surveying and collecting data in skill eco-system will be preferable
    4. \n\t\t\t\t
  4. Proficiency in the local language of the study area is essential
    5. \n\t\t\t\t
  5. Preference will be given to candidates residing in or familiar with the local context
    6. \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

140 person months cumulative for NK1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

NK2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Phlebotomist

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

35

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1. Diploma or certificate course in Phlebotomy or Medical Laboratory Technology.
    2. \n\t\t\t\t
  2. More than 3 years of experience in drawing blood, handling specimens, and working in clinical or diagnostic or field settings.
    3. \n\t\t\t\t
  3. Proficiency in the local language of the study area is essential
    4. \n\t\t\t\t
  4. Preference will be given to candidates residing in or familiar with the local context
    5. \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

140 person months cumulative for NK2

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

NK3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Field Supervisors

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

10

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1. Graduate with 3+ years of field team leadership; trained in STEPS methodology, QA, and digital data collection.
    2. \n\t\t\t\t
  2. Proficiency in the local language of the study area is essential
    3. \n\t\t\t\t
  3. Preference will be given to candidates residing in or familiar with the local context
    4. \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

40 person months cumulative for NK3

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Reporting Requirements and Time Schedule for Deliverables
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

The consultant/firm shall carry out the assignment under the overall supervision of the DoHFW. However, day-to-day activities shall be coordinated by the nodal for RA#1 under the PMU, WBHSRP and nodal for NCD program in DoHFW.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The PMU shall provide the consultant/firm with relevant documents, data and permissions necessary to complete deliverables under the assignment and shall ensure that the firm has access to all Program sites and locations.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The consultant/firm shall timely submit the following reports to the PMU (the inception and assignment completion reports would be in Word, PDF and printed formats):

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Expected Deliverables:
    2. \n
\n\n

Table 4: List of Deliverables

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

#

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Deliverables/Outputs

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Tentative Deadline

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Inception report with proposed survey tools, sampling methodology, indicative questionnaire (s), workplan with key milestones and timelines, deployment of resources, and STEPS plan

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 1 month

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Pilot testing of the STEPS tools, incorporating the suggested changes and submission of final assessment tools

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 3 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Final tools and questionnaire and commencement of STEPS

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 4 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Midline Progress Report

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 7 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Draft report with detailed analysis of the findings

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 9 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

5.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Final assessment report with detailed analysis of the findings

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 10 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

6.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Dissemination to the stakeholders and creation of knowledge products

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 11 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

7.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Assignment Completion Report

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 12 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n

It may be noted that payments shall be made upon acceptance of the deliverables by the Client.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Client’s Input and facilities to be made available to the consultant by the client:
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

Give access to all the required documents, correspondence and any other information associated with the project as felt necessary by Client in discussion with the consultant. Facilitate consultation with relevant stakeholders (Departments, Implementation Entities and other institutions), as appropriate.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Copyright
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

The consultant firm will protect the confidentiality of those participating in the survey at all stages. All data/material/information collected shall be confidential and the property of the DoHFW, GoWB. No data or other information from this survey will be released to third parties without the written approval of the DoHFW, GoWB The consultant firm will turn over all data and questionnaires to the DoHFW, GoWB and will not destroy information and material at the end of the project and after all data and original documentation has been delivered to the DoHFW, GoWB.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Annexure I: STEPS survey study Protocol– West Bengal

\n\n

Methods :

\n\n

 1.1 Study design

\n\n

A state wide cross-sectional survey will be conducted using the WHO STEP wise survey protocol to obtain representative estimates from the adult population, aged 18 to 69 years, in West Bengal.  The age will be grouped into 18-29 years, 30-44 years, 45-59 years, 60-69 years. All groups will be measured in both genders.

\n\n

1.2 Study population

\n\n

 The target population of the study will be adults aged 18 to 69 years old residing in West Bengal.

\n\n

1.3 Inclusion criteria

\n\n

All individuals aged 18 to 69 years of age and residing in the address for more than 12 months will be included.

\n\n

1.4 Exclusion criteria

\n\n

Individuals who fall into following categories will be excluded from the survey.

\n\n\n\n

1.5 Sample Size:

\n\n\n\n

N = Zα2pqd2

\n\n

Wherein,

\n\n\n\n

No of household calculation= (no of houeholds in the area) * sample size / total no of households

\n\n

1.6 Sampling Method

\n\n

A multi stage cluster sampling method will be used to select a state wide representative sample from the total population. A uniform sample design with population proportionate to size allocation in urban and rural area will be adopted in all the districts. In each district, the rural sample will be selected in from each Blocks. In the first stage, a village will be randomly selected followed by the random selection of equal number of households within each selected village. In urban areas of each district, a two-stage procedure will be followed from all the wards. In the first stage, one Census Enumeration Block (CEB) from each ward followed by random selection of equal number of households within each CEB using the systematic random sampling procedure.

\n\n

The number of population to be covered in each district will be sampled based on the population proportion to sample size with equal allocation in urban and rural areas.

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Sl. No.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Name of District

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Total Projected Pop 23-24

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

% of Total Population

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

District wise sample size

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Sample size for rural

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

No. of Blocks

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Sample size for urban

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

No. of ULBs

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Alipurduar

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1699916

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1.6%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

126

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

91

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

35

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Bankura

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2774381

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2.7%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

206

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

150

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

16

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

56

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Basirhat HD

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2594447

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2.5%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

192

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

139

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

10

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

53

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Birbhum

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2288764

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2.2%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

170

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

123

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

11

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

47

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Bishnupur HD

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1241547

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1.2%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

92

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

67

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

25

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Cooch Behar

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3181753

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3.1%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

236

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

171

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

12

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

65

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

7

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Dakhhin Dinajpur

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1845920

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1.8%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

137

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

99

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

8

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

38

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

8

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Darjiling

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2194684

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2.1%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

163

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

118

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

9

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

45

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

9

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Diamond Harbour

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3602696

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3.5%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

267

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

194

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

13

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

73

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

10

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Hooghly

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6022761

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5.8%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

447

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

325

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

18

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

122

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

12

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

11

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Howrah

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5434838

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5.2%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

403

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

293

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

14

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

110

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

12

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Jalpaiguri

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2214940

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2.1%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

164

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

119

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

7

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

45

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

13

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Jhargram

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1278356

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1.2%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

95

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

69

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

8

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

26

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

14

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Kalimpong

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

338893

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

0.3%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

25

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

18

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

7

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

15

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Kolkata

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

4771755

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

4.6%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

354

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

0

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

0

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

354

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

16

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Maldah

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

4769390

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

4.6%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

354

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

257

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

15

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

97

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

17

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Murshidabad

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

8445705

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

8.2%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

626

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

454

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

26

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

172

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

7

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

18

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Nadia

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5755841

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5.6%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

427

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

310

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

18

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

117

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

8

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

19

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Nandigram HD

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2147696

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2.1%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

159

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

115

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

11

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

44

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

20

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

North 24 PGS

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

8685891

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

8.4%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

644

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

468

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

12

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

176

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

24

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

21

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Paschim Bardhaman

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3177023

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3.1%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

236

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

171

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

8

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

65

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

22

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Paschim Medinipur

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5449747

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5.3%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

404

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

293

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

21

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

111

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

23

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Purba Bardhaman

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5409339

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5.2%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

401

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

291

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

23

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

110

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

24

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Purba Medinipur

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3656985

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3.5%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

271

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

197

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

14

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

74

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

25

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Purulia

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3339169

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3.2%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

248

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

180

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

20

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

68

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

26

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Rampurhat HD

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1726650

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1.7%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

128

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

93

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

8

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

35

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

27

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

South 24 PGS

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5877888

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5.7%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

436

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

317

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

16

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

119

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

28

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Uttar Dinajpur

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3616885

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3.5%

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

269

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

195

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

9

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

74

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t
 \n\t\t\t

Total

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

103543860

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

7680

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5317

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

342

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2363

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

97

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n

From each selected PSU (District), the SSU (Block in rural area and ULB in urban area) will be selected proportionately by systematic random sampling (every fifth) starting from a landmark (BDO/ Panchayet samity office area) until the required sample size is achieved. From each selected household, one individual will be selected from those who fall in the 18-69 age range by using KISH method.

\n\n

Selection of eligible participants at household level:

\n\n

One eligible participant (aged between 18 and 69 years) in the selected households will be recruited for the survey using the KISH method.

\n\n

The Kish sampling method will be used to randomly select one eligible member of the household. Using the Kish Method, eligible participants (adults aged 18 to 69 years) in each household will be ranked in order of decreasing age, starting with males then females, then randomly selected.

\n\n

STEPS INSTRUMENT:

\n\n

Preparation of STEPS instrument:

\n\n

All necessary STEPS approved questionnaire and tools of WHO may be re-created in Google Form/ ODK toolkit app for mobile based data collection. Data analysis tools can also be created with the help of department / 3rd party Statistician and I.T team (to be decided by higher authorities).

\n\n

Community information

\n\n

Necessary community information for the survey and data collection is an essential step before survey and may be appraised by MPW and ASHA after getting policy approval from the Department.

\n\n

Data Collection

\n\n

Data collection will be done by 28 different teams, one team for each district. The data and blood sample collector will be selected & engaged by firm which will be selected by tender selection committee.

\n\n

Data collection will be done after necessary training by selected firm. Each team required be  provided with a field kit containing: a carrier bag, letters to the relevant authorities, feedback forms for participants, consent forms, checklist, list of the selected wards and villages and households and village maps, interview tracking forms, operational manual, pens, pencils, clipboards, notebooks, Seca digital weighing Machine, Seca Portable Stadiometer, Seca measuring tape, OMRON digital BP Apparatus, Batteries, Show Cards, Measuring Cups, feedback forms, Clinic Cards).  The team will also be supported by the local Sr. PHN/ PHN/ANM/ ASHA to identify the household and elaborating the procedure.

\n\n

The flow of events will be as follows: STEP 1 and 2 will be conducted at the survey participant's household and STEP 3 will be conducted on the morning of 2nd day of contact by the Laboratory partner.

\n\n

Data collection will be spread over two phases, namely, initial contact with the participant, completing the questionnaire and taking physical measurements, and collecting blood samples for biochemical measurement. The participants will be requested to give 45–60 minutes of their time for completion of STEPS I and STEP II and an additional 5 minutes for collecting the blood sample.

\n\n

Data collection from a selected participant will be completed in 2–3 days. On the first day, all eligible participants in the selected household will be listed and one participant will be selected using the Kish method. An interview tracking form will be completed to record brief information about the respondent. If a selected participant is present on that visit, s/he will be requested to participate in the study and asked for consent. Once the consent is obtained, the STEP I and II questionnaire will be completed by the enumerator team. If s/he is not at home, a second visit will be made. After completing STEPS I and II, participants will be given a feedback form. This form will include information on their height, weight, hip and waist circumferences, blood pressure (third reading) and heart rate (third reading). A clinic card will also be given to every participant for biochemical measurement containing fasting instruction. This card will also contain the appointment date, time and place for blood sample collection. Blood sample will be collected by the lab technician at the doorstep. The participants will be called through telephone the previous day evening and oral consent will be obtained to give fasting blood sampling the next day early morning. The lab technician will go to the household the next day early morning to collect the blood sample after obtaining written informed consent. The reports of the biochemical markers will be later communicated to the study participants.

\n\n

Physical Measurements

\n\n

Body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences, blood pressure and heart rate will be measured using Seca Digital Floor Scale with High Capacity (Model 813), Seca 217 portable stadiometer, Seca 201 measuring tape and OMRON automatic digital blood pressure monitor respectively.

\n\n

Height will be measured with a portable Seca stadiometer. For the height measurement, respondents will be asked to remove footwear (shoes, slippers, sandals) and any hat or hair ties. Respondents should stand on a flat surface facing the interviewer with their feet together and heels against the backboard with knees straight. They will be asked to look straight ahead and not tilt their head up, making sure that their eyes were at the same level as their ears. Height measurements will be taken to the nearest 0.1 cm.

\n\n

Weight will be measured with a pre-calibrated portable digital weighing scale (Seca). The instrument will be placed on a firm, flat surface. Participants will be requested to remove their footwear and socks, wear light clothes, stand on the scale with one foot on each side of the scale, face forward, place arms at their side and wait until asked to step off. Measurements will be taken to the nearest 0.1 kg.

\n\n

Waist and hip circumference will be measured using a Seca measuring tape. A private area, such as a separate room within the house, will be used and these measurements will be taken over light clothing. The waist circumference measurement will be made at the midpoint between the last palpable rib and the top of the iliac crest. Measurements will be made to the nearest 0.1 cm. Hip measurement will also be made using a Seca measuring tape placed horizontally at the point of maximum circumference over the buttocks. Measurements will be taken to the nearest 0.1 cm.

\n\n

Blood pressure measurements will be taken using automatic digital blood pressure monitor (OMRON) with universal cuff size. Before taking the measurements, participants will be asked to sit quietly and rest for 15 minutes with legs uncrossed. The sphygmomanometer cuff will be placed on the left arm while the participant rested their forearm on a table with the palm facing upward. Two readings will be taken 10 minutes apart. During the analysis the average of the two readings will be taken. The batteries will be replaced after every 100 measurements.

\n\n

Biomarker Data Collection Plan

\n\n

Biochemical measurements will be done in the selected NABL accredited/ Govt. hospital laboratories in each district. On, the day of the survey when STEP 1 and STEP 2 have been finished, participants will be asked to fast overnight i.e. people will be asked not to consume any food or drinks after 10 p.m. at night, except water, until the morning of the following day. Those participants who comply with the fasting advice will be eligible for blood sample collection. Blood glucose, Lipid profile and Thyroid function test will be performed using locally available Semi/ full auto analyser. Venous Blood will be taken. Blood volume required for the test will be 5 cc. Respondent’s blood will be placed in specimen tube which will be labelled with respondent’s identification number. All the blood specimens will be analysed at the same day.

\n\n

Timeline for data collection

\n\n

Each enumerator team shall collect samples from a minimum of at least 10 households per day. The biochemical parameters will be collected in the working days of the consecutive week. At this rate, the data from the required sample size will be completed in a period of 8 weeks. (Samples covered by a field team per week will be minimum 18 accounting to 144 in a period of 8 weeks).

\n\n

Training of data collectors

\n\n

A 2-day ToT will be organized for the District Nodal and Team Supervisors by selected firm. The training workshop will include sessions on the overview of STEP wise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance, how to approach selected households and individuals including use of Kish method, orientation to m-STEPS app, interview skills, informed consent, detailed discussion on the survey instrument and how to use show cards, mock interviews, demonstration and practice on physical measurements.  On the 2nd day of the training, workshop will be organised by the laboratory partner to orient the lab Supervisors on collecting blood samples for blood glucose, lipids and thyroid profile, emergency management and referral of critically high biochemical markers level for medical doctors in the data collection teams and quality control of all field processes. 

\n\n

One day training of the data collectors will be given at each district level by the above master trainers in cascade mode.

\n\n

Ethical considerations 

\n\n

The survey proposal will be reviewed, and approval will be obtained by the departmental ethics committee of Health & FW Dept, Govt. of West Bengal. 

\n\n

The survey team member will obtain the informed consent from each participant who agreed to participate in all steps of study after they were clearly and completely informed about the study nature.  Interviews will be conducted in a manner that ensure confidentiality and privacy of the survey respondents.

\n\n

Quality control

\n\n

Data Quality Management

\n\n

The Quality Control of the study will be decided later by the Department.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

[1] WHO (World Health Organization). 2009. 2008–2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases

\n\n

[2] Such as the WHO’s national quality policy and strategy (NQPS) and Lancet’s ‘High Quality Health Systems’ framework

\n\n

[3] CEmONCs would offer quality obstetric care, including C-sections, newborn and emergency childcare, blood storage, and referral transport

\n\n

[4] Key frameworks include the WHO’s Quality of Care Framework for Maternal and Newborn Health, Adolescent-Friendly Health Services Guidelines, and RESPECT Women for GBV response. The United Nations Population Fund’s GBV guidelines support multi-sectoral approaches. For SBCC, UNICEF’s C4D and Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs emphasize research, community engagement, and strategic messaging.

\n\n

[5] https://www.who.int/teams/noncommunicable-diseases/surveillance/systems-tools/steps

"},{"id":"OP00367794","notice_type":"Request for Expression of Interest","noticedate":"11-Jul-2025","notice_lang_name":"English","notice_status":"Published","submission_deadline_date":"2025-07-25T00:00:00Z","submission_deadline_time":"14:00","project_ctry_name":"India","project_id":"P506976","project_name":"West Bengal Health System Reform Program, Operation","bid_reference_no":"IN-DOHFW, WB-485598-CS-QCBS","bid_description":"Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) Assessment – linked to Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC)","procurement_group":"CS","procurement_method_code":"QCBS","procurement_method_name":"Quality And Cost-Based Selection","contact_address":"Government of West Bengal\nSwasthya Bhawan\nGN-29, Sector-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata - 700 091","contact_ctry_name":"India","contact_email":"splsecretary.healthwb@gmail.com","contact_name":"Vivek Kumar","contact_organization":"Department of Health and Family Welfare, West Bengal","contact_phone_no":"9899068712","submission_date":"2025-07-11T00:00:00Z","notice_text":"

Government of West Bengal

\n\n

Department of Health & Family Welfare

\n\n

Swasthya Bhawan, Sector – V, Salt Lake

\n\n

Kolkata – 700 091

\n\n

 

\n\n

No. HF/SPSRC/21/2025/265                                                                                               Dated:  10 /07/2025

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

E-Procurement Notice

\n\n

 

\n\n

INDIA - Proposed West Bengal Health System Reform Program Operation [WBHSRP] – Technical Assistance [TA] Component

\n\n

 

\n\n

CONSULTANCY SERVICES - FIRM SELECTION

\n\n

 

\n\n

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST [EOI] to Conduct a Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Study (KAPS) to Understand and Elicit Behavioral Nudges in the Areas of Reproductive Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent health (RMNCHA), Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Climate resilience under Technical Assistance Component of the Proposed West Bengal Health System Reform Program [WBHSRP] Operation

\n\n

 

\n\n

Project ID Number: P506976

\n\n

 

\n\n

Loan Number: TBD

\n\n

 

\n\n

Procurement Plan Reference Number: IN-DOHFW, WB-485598-CS-QCBS

\n\n

NIT no: NIT/162/2025      

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The Government of West Bengal, [hereinafter called the “Client”] through the Government of India [hereinafter called “Borrower”] has applied for financing from the World Bank in the form of a loan toward the cost of the Proposed West Bengal Health System Reform Program Operation [WBHSRP] and intends to apply part of the proceeds under the Technical Assistance Component of the above Operation toward eligible payments under the contract for the consulting services detailed below.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The overall objective of the consulting services is to conduct a comprehensive Non Communicable Diseases [NCD] risk factor survey in West Bengal based on the WHO STEPS methodology targeting adult population [18-69 years], so as to generate population level estimates on key NCD risk factors [behavioral, physical and biochemical] disaggregated by age, gender and geography, in order to ultimately formulate a baseline for the Program to support design of preventive, diagnostic, and treatment strategies.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The detailed indicative Terms of Reference [TOR] for the consulting services [“the Services”] incorporated are attached to this REOI and are also available on the link referred to in Paragraphs 9 and 10 below. The likely duration of the assignment is 1 year from contract signature.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of West Bengal, an implementing agency of the Client now invites eligible consulting firms [“Consultants”] to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The short listing criteria are:
    2. \n
\n\n

[a] General Experience: Firms are requested to provide a brief profile and general experience of the Firm (s) along with organizational structure. Documentary Evidence: Registration certificate of the firm (s); Power of attorney/Board resolution of authorized representative to sign the EOI proposal; Firm’s brochure.

\n\n

 

\n\n

[b] Specific Experience: The firm should have successfully completed at least Two [2] similar assignments in health sector within the past ten [10] years in Government or Semi-Government or Multilateral, or Bilateral projects. Documentary evidence: Completion certificate/work order [including project title, duration, nature, total contract value and tenure, total input in terms of staff month, Client with contact details, location of service, and scope of services, etc.]/Satisfactory work continuation certificate. The experience of a parent company, subsidiary company, group company or associates [whatever the names] of the Applicant shall not be considered in short listing.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 [c] Financial capacity of the firm including average annual turnover from survey assignments for the last three financial years [2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25] which should not be less than INR 5 Crores. Documentary evidence: Audited financial reports for last three financial years.

\n\n

[d] Manpower with qualifications and relevant technical and professional competence necessary for implementation of the assignment. Kindly do not provide CVs as these will not be evaluated at short listing stage.

\n\n

 

\n\n

While indicating information relating to [b], it shall be made clear whether the responsibility of the firm was in the capacity of a principal firm [lead partner] or as an associated firm [sub-consultant/JV partner] with detail scope of the service. A short note on similar projects implemented by the firm should be provided.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to the paragraphs 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16 and 3.17 of World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” Sixth Edition, Issued February 2025” [“Procurement Regulations”], setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture to enhance their qualifications. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. Documentary evidence: In case of joint venture, agreement copy should be provided if joint venture is already formed or letter of intent for Joint venture should be provided if joint venture yet to be formed.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based [QCBS] selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The Client shall use the following electronic-procurement system to manage this Request for Expression of Interest [REOI] process: e-procurement system of Government of West Bengal : https://wbtenders.gov.in. The electronic-procurement system will be used to manage REOI process such as issuing REOI, submissions of EOI, opening of EOIs, etc.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Interested Consultants may upload Expressions of Interest along with the aforesaid supporting documents online at the e-procurement portal of Government of West Bengal viz. https://wbtenders.gov.in as per the dates mentioned below. No other mode of submission shall be entertained.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

Key Dates

\n\n

REOI publication date and time: July 11, 2025 from 10:00 Hours

\n\n

REOI download start date and time: July 11, 2025 from 10:00 Hours

\n\n

REOI download end date and time July 25, 2025 from 14:00 Hours

\n\n

EOI online opening date and time: July 25, 2025 from 14:30 Hours

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours:
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

Strategic Planning and State Reform Cell [SPSRC]

\n\n

Department of Health and Family Welfare

\n\n

Government of West Bengal

\n\n

Shri.Vivek Kumar, Special Secretary and Director SPSRC

\n\n

Swasthya Bhawan, GN 29, Salt Lake

\n\n

Kolkata

\n\n

West Bengal 700091

\n\n

Telephone number: +91 33 23577921 / +91 33 233330609/11

\n\n

E-mail: wb.healthcare.reforms@gmail.com

\n\n

 

\n\n

Attachment: Terms of Reference

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

                                                                                                                Sd/-

\n\n

                                                                                           Spl. Secretary & Director SPSRC

\n\n

                                                                                                             GoWB

\n\n

 

\n\n

Indicative Terms of Reference

\n\n

Hiring Consultancy Services [Firm] to Conduct a Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Study (KAPS) to Understand and Elicit Behavioral Nudges in the Areas of Reproductive Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent health (RMNCHA), Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Climate resilience under Technical Assistance Component of the proposed West Bengal Health System Reform Program (WBHSRP) Operation

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Background:
    2. \n
\n\n

The proposed West Bengal Health System Reform Program (WBHSRP) Operation (Unnata Susathya West Bengal) is a health systems reforms program of the Department of Health and Family Welfare (DoH&FW), Govt. of West Bengal (GoWB). The WBHSRP is proposed to be implemented during 2025-2031, with US$290 million loan from the World Bank and would use a Program for Results (PforR) lending instrument that focuses on result-based outcomes, with a Technical Assistance [TA]/IPF component to ensure focus on results-based outcomes for achieving the Program Development Objectives (PDO).This assignment is under the TA component of the WBHSRP.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The Program Development Objective (PDO) of the Proposed WBHSRP is “to improve utilization of health services, enhance quality of care and reduce inequities in maternal and adolescent health in West Bengal”. The program activities are organized around the four result areas (RAs) which contribute to the PDO. The activities of the WBHSRP under the four RAs principally are such that they either expedite, augment or enhance the existing government program.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Results Area 1: Strengthened integrated care model for CPHC services
    2. \n\t
  2. Results Area 2: Reduced health inequalities in maternal and adolescent health
    3. \n\t
  3. Results Area 3: Enhanced Governance, Accountability and Resilience
    4. \n\t
  4. Results Area 4: Alignment of behaviors between people and Providers
    5. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

RA-1: Strengthened integrated care model for CPHC services: The key focus of this RA is to strengthen the policies and service delivery framework to address the NCD related risk factors, improve input and process quality of the primary healthcare system, strengthen the continuum of care, and streamline protocols for frontline workers and service providers for the provision of quality personalized care. Global evidence suggests that addressing risk factors early on leads to a reduction in the disease burden for NCD and facilitating processes and protocols for the providers has a positive impact on care-seeking among NCD patients, ultimately leads to control of NCD conditions.[1]  While the focus of the RA is on hypertension and diabetes, strengthened systems are expected to improve access and quality of services for other NCDs.

\n\n

 

\n\n

RA#2: Reduced health inequalities in maternal and adolescent health:RA#2 will strengthen the delivery of health services to address the challenges of adolescent girls and boys. While several interventions targeting adolescents are operational in the state, gaps remain in their coverage and quality, coordination, and monitoring mechanisms. Addressing the GBV also requires streamlining key interventions within the health system. Thus, the design of RA#2 seeks to (a) strengthen convergence among DoHFW, School Education Department and Women and Child Development Department and track key indicators and progress at the state, district and sub-district levels; (b) expand coverage and quality of Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK)[2] program; and (c) develop and roll out survivor-centric GBV services

\n\n

 

\n\n

RA #3 – Enhanced Governance, Accountability and Resilience:This RA focuses on critical QoC interventions, which are recognized through global evidence to be the ‘best buys’ on governance, accountability and resilience.[3] These include developing a facility- and administrative-level performance measurement framework (PMF) to track progress of health system performance and public reporting and facility accreditation for comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care (CEmONC) centers.[4] Additionally, this result would focus on strengthening public financial management (PFM) and procurement-related challenges, which are critical to improve governance. Finally, the RA would also focus on extreme weather events and health-related interventions and strengthening the climate resilience of the health system.

\n\n

 

\n\n

RA#4: Alignment of behaviors between people and Providers: RA#4 would strengthen the system to address people and provider behaviors. It will support development and implementation of social and behavior change communication (SBCC) strategies to improve maternal and adolescent health and GBV-related outcomes, especially in priority districts lagging the state averages. The interventions are expected to empower communities with knowledge and awareness about health risks and available services. RA#4 will also support activities to bridge providers’ know-do gap for better clinical effectiveness. These interventions are well defined under several global frameworks[5], and proven to improve quality of services and increase demand.

\n\n

 

\n\n

A key element of the Program, under RA#4 is about focus on “Improved delivery of SBCC services for health, nutrition, education, life skills services for adolescents”, which also a disbursement linked indicator (DLI 9). It is proposed that, following the global frameworks mentioned earlier, the GoWB will identify key behaviors and small doable actions to address behavioral aspects around maternal and child health, adolescent health and GBV, including impact of extreme weather events on these population groups; and subsequently develop a comprehensive SBCC strategy. Specific SBCC interventions targeting boys and married adolescents would also be included. The interventions would also focus on health worker awareness on the patient’s safety and rights and safety and protection of health workers themselves. The SBCC strategy would define the type of content (mass and mid media and inter-personal communication [IPC]) to be developed and rolled out in the identified districts along with a capacity-building and monitoring framework.

\n\n

 

\n\n

Global frameworks suggest that, to develop a comprehensive SBCC strategy and a mix media content framework, it’s important to conduct an assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) issues for the identified population groups. Therefore, it is important that prior to developing the comprehensive SBCC strategy for the program, a KAP assessment is completed to provide directions to the SBCC component of the program.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The overall purpose of the KAP study is to generate baseline evidence that will inform development of comprehensive SBCC framework and provide tracer indicators to track progress of the SBCC component of the UNNATA SUSWASTHYA West Bengal providing benchmark information and defining targets for measuring program progress, achievements, effectiveness, and impact with respect to program objectives and expected outputs.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The DoHFW, GoWB aims to hire a consultant/firm to design and conduct a KAPS around maternal and child health, adolescent health and GBV, including impact of extreme weather events on these population groups to better understand the community’s and providers’ knowledge, perception and practices to focus demand side improvement, not just for adolescent Girls and boys, but also their families and key community-level stakeholders.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Objective of the Assignment:
    2. \n
\n\n

The primary objective of the assignment is to conduct a KAPS around improved uptake of maternal and child health, adolescent health and GBV, including impact of extreme weather events on these population groups. The following needs to be part of the assessment:

\n\n\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n

The following table provides details on key population groups and behaviors to focus including geographic representation of the KAPS. The firm should also appropriately assess the relevant service providers and frontline workers for each target group to be included as part of KAPS. This would be helpful in deciding appropriate sample size for the assignment:

\n\n

 

\n\n

Table 1: Thematic Areas, Target Groups, Issues to Focus and Geographic Coverage

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Sn.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Thematic areas

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Target group

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Key areas to focus

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Geographic coverage of the KAPS

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Maternal health

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

15-49 years females and their spouses, family and community and healthcare providers

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Areas focusing on improving maternal health such as access to quality healthcare, emergency obstetric services, community engagement, social determinants, etc.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Entire state of West Bengal with an emphasis on lagging districts [Murshidabad,

\n\n\t\t\t

Jhargram, Jalpaiguri,

\n\n\t\t\t

Howrah, Uttar Dinajpur]

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Child Health

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Under 5 children

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Nutrition

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Entire state of West Bengal with an emphasis underprivileged areas

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Adolescent Health

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

10-19 years boys and girls, family and community, and providers from health education and WCD

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Early age at marriage, teen age pregnancy, health, nutrition, SRH and education etc.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Tribal areas, tea gardens, urban slums, RKSK districts Three RKSK ( Murshidabad

\n\n\t\t\t

Uttar Dinajpur, Ccoochbehar)

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

GBV

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

10-19 years adolescent girls

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Sexual offenses against girls, teenage marriage especially forceful marriage, Physical and mental harm and deprivation of educational, social, or career opportunities, etc.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Entire state of West Bengal

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Climate health

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Local administration, Policy makers, Civil society organizations in coastal areas, drought, landslide and flood-prone areas, heat wave prone districts and Community

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Health/Hospital administrators view about climate resilience.

\n\n\t\t\t

Assessing the need for behavioral changes among the community, etc.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Coastal areas, drought-prone areas, flood-prone areas, cyclone-prone areas, hilly areas and heat wave prone districts

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Scope of the Assignment:
    2. \n
\n\n

For the consultant/firm would undertake the following tasks for the identified thematic areas:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Undertake desk review and analysis of secondary data and submit inception KAP assessment report: As a first step, the firm will undertake a detailed assessment of existing secondary literature analysis and desk review of relevant Government policies, guidelines, and SBCC/IEC materials pertaining to identified thematic areas. The firm will also assess the current capacity of program implementation of the GoWB in these areas. This will also include interactions with primary stakeholders including Government officials from the Departments of Health, Women and Child Development, and Education. Based on this assessment, the firm will develop an inception report including:
    2. \n
\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Literature and Desk Review:
    2. \n
\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Outline of Study Design: The study will adopt a mixed-methods, cross-sectional KAP (Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices) approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. It will be implemented across multiple sites and stakeholder groups, with a climate-responsive lens that assesses the impact of extreme weather events. The target population will include but not limited to females of 15-49 years age group and their spouses, adolescent boys and girls (10–19 years), parents/caregivers of children under five, and key stakeholders such as teachers, frontline health workers, healthcare providers, health managers, peer educators, community leaders, representatives from the local clubs, policy makers, representatives from local administration and civil society organizations as applicable to the particular thematic area. The study will ensure representation from diverse geographic contexts, mandatorily covering tribal/hilly/hard to reach areas, tea garden communities, underprivileged population and urban slums, while also recommending inclusion of climate-vulnerable zones such as coastal, drought-prone, flood-affected regions, and others. Quantitative data will be collected using multi-stage stratified cluster sampling, with defined sample sizes for each respondent group which will be a representative sample for the state. The qualitative component will include focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and case studies. Specifics of the study design, final sample allocation and design effect will be determined by the selected firm in consultation with DoHFW.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Sampling Methodology: Propose data collection sites and sampling in consultation with the government, using MIS or other secondary data and reports, expert input, etc. to support decision-making such that the selection of administrative units (districts or sub-districts) capture variation in socioeconomic, demographic and geographical aspects; at a minimum, include tribal areas, lagging districts, tea gardens, urban slums and climate vulnerable districts.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Action Plan with an Agreed Timeline to be used in the KAP study in consultation with the Government. The data collection plan should be designed with a feasible fieldwork plan which is correctly sequenced and efficient in terms of travel and logistics within West Bengal state. The plan includes briefings for local leaders in research communities and allows sufficient time for field worker training, piloting of data collection tools, continuous quality assurance, and review of implementation for course correction. The firm will also recruit and train the field researchers involved in the KAP study.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Develop KAPS questionnaires: The firm will develop KAPS questionnaires in consultation with the GoWB prior to initiating data collection. At this stage, the firm shall also undertake the questionnaire pre-test and make necessary changes incorporated and approved for the remaining priority locations.
    2. \n\t
  2. Implement the assessments with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, necessary ethical clearances, quality checks and supervision activities in place and regular feedback to the GoWB. Implementation is done in a way that ensures synergies in data collection, compilation, and analysis are realized throughout the duration of the UNNATA SUSWASTHYA -WB. All the analysis outcomes and observations are dully vetted and approved by the concern Program Divisions before finalization of the report.
    3. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Conduct KAPs: Under this, the firm will undertake the KAPS in consultation with the GoWB team in districts as identified including the representation from all key stakeholders.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Develop the KAPs report and related knowledge products: Under this the firm will present key findings of the KAPs including analytical tables and graphs. A comprehensive report with results and recommendations includes: (i) a detailed study results outlining information on the KAP on maternal and child health, adolescent health and GBV, including impact of extreme weather events on these population groups among individuals, parents /caretakers, and other key community and service provider stakeholders, (ii) challenges, negative social norms and expectations as well as opportunities, and (iii) recommendations to address and mitigate identified challenges and negative social norms including those coming from the stakeholders themselves. Opportunities to overcome challenges and negative social norms through SBCC strategy. All relevant annexes will be included in the detailed report submitted to GoWB. The firm may be required to develop other related knowledge products like briefs and slide decks for workshops or infographics that present sharp analysis, interpretation, and evidence-based tailored recommendations. Additionally, the firm may identify the good & replicable practices and behaviors adopted by the community and suggest ways to promote and reinforce them.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Duration of the Assignment
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

The duration of the assignment would be twelve (12) months from contract signature.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Team Composition and Qualification Requirements for the Key Experts (and any other requirements which will be used for evaluating the Key Experts)
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

The selected consultant/firm shall be expected to report and deploy sufficient amount of human resource required to successfully deliver the tasks in the defined timelines. The human resource requirement for the project must include key experts of suitable qualifications and experience for the key positions tabulated below:

\n\n

Table 2: Minimum Qualification and experience of Key Experts

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

S.

\n\n\t\t\t

No.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Key Position

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Nos.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Minimum Professional Qualification and Professional Experience

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Estimated Person Months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Team Leader

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • \n\t\t\t\t
      \n\t\t\t\t\t
    • Lead the Team and provide team management and quality oversight over the assignment and deliverables
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t
    • Plan, supervise and manage timely deliverables of the assignment
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t
    • Point of Contact [POC] for the firm [all communications routed through the Team Leader]
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t
    • represent the firm in meetings with the GoWB
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t
    • Ensure that all documents and reports are reviewed and assessed in a timely manner with a high level of quality
      • \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 15 years’ of demonstrated experience in managing health sector projects with strong background in analytics, surveys, monitoring, and evaluation in the health sector.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: Working as technical expert or Team Leader in at least 4 projects having similar objectives involving quantitative and qualitative data collection, questionnaire design and large-scale surveys and their analysis.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications post-graduate or higher degree in public health/ health administration from a recognized University.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

12

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Public Health Specialist (Reproductive and Maternal Health)

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

- Design survey methodology (sampling techniques, data collection methods)

\n\n\t\t\t

-Create questionnaires or interview guides

\n\n\t\t\t

-Oversee the pilot test and conduct of the survey

\n\n\t\t\t

-Collaborate with stakeholders, government agencies, and NGOs as necessary

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 10 years of experience in working on and/or managing large public health projects with focus on Reproductive and Maternal Health. The specialist should also have experience in working with the government health systems, in handling or managing analytical studies on health including experience in assessment and/or evaluation of public health programs

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: Working as technical expert in at least 2 Public Health/Nutrition projects having similar objectives involving quantitative data collection, questionnaire design and large-scale surveys and their analysis.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: Post-graduate or higher degree in public health / health administration from a recognized University.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Public Health Specialist (Adolescent health, Child health and Gender)

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

- Design survey methodology (sampling techniques, data collection methods)

\n\n\t\t\t

-Create questionnaires or interview guides

\n\n\t\t\t

-Oversee the pilot test and conduct of the survey

\n\n\t\t\t

-Collaborate with stakeholders, government agencies, and NGOs as necessary

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 10 years of experience in working on and/or managing large public health projects with focus on Adolescent health, Child health and Gender. The specialist should also have experience in working with the government health systems, in handling or managing analytical studies on health including experience in assessment and/or evaluation of public health programs.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: Working as technical expert in at least 2 Public Health/Nutrition projects having similar objectives involving quantitative data collection, questionnaire design and large-scale surveys and their analysis.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: Post-graduate or higher degree in public health / Nutrition/health administration (or a similar qualification) from a recognized University.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Social and Behavior Change Specialist

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

- Provide inputs to design tools to focus on behavioral aspects.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Provide guidance and input on design and report writing including recommendations for SBCC strategy.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 8 years of experience in working on and/or managing social and behavior change related project in the health sector with a focus on RMNCHA and gender. The specialist should also have experience in working with the government health systems, on such programs

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: Working as technical expert in at least 2 social and behavior change related projects focusing on RMNCHA and gender issues (Desirable). Experience in government related projects on SBCC framework in India is essential.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: Post-graduate or higher degree in public health/Social Work/nutrition/ health administration/ mass communication from a recognized University.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Social and Behavior Change Specialist

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

- Provide inputs to design tools to focus on behavioral aspects.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Provide guidance and input on design and report writing including recommendations for SBCC strategy with a climate-responsive lens.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 8 years of experience in working on and/or managing social and behavior change related project in the health sector with a focus on RMNCHA and gender. The specialist should also have experience in working with the government health systems, on such programs. Experience in projects focused on climate-related health impacts will be considered an added advantage.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: Working as technical expert in at least 2 social and behavior change related projects focusing on RMNCHA and gender issues (Desirable). Experience in government related projects on SBCC framework in India is essential.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: Post-graduate or higher degree in public health/Social Work/nutrition/ health administration/ mass communication/Environmental sciences/Sustainable development from a recognized University.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K6

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Specialist

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

- Work with the K2 and K3 in (a) Designing survey methodology (sampling techniques, data collection methods); (b) creating questionnaires or interview guides; and (c) overseeing the pilot test and conduct of the survey

\n\n\t\t\t

- Ensure data integrity through proper data handling, validation, and error-checking procedures.

\n\n\t\t\t

- Use advanced analytics to analyze survey data, identifying trends and correlations.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 7 years of relevant experience in health systems and M&E with focus on qualitative and quantitative data collection

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: experience in monitoring & evaluation of development programs in areas of health systems strengthening, RMNCHA, gender issues etc. Proficiency in using statistical analysis software, such as SPSS, STATA, and Excel. Qualitative data analysis software (such as QSR) will be preferred.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: Masters in Economics or Statistics, Epidemiology or Public Health from a recognized University.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

18 person months cumulative for K6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

K7

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Report Writer/Communications Specialist

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

- Compile and analyze survey findings into clear, concise, and actionable reports.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Translate complex data into accessible insights for diverse audiences, including policymakers, researchers, and the general public.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Prepare reports, presentations and other communication materials as per the required template.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Ensure that the reports are professionally formatted and edited as per the GoWB requirements.

\n\n\t\t\t

-Ensure reports and communication materials adhere to public health standards, ethical guidelines, and data privacy laws.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Professional Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in report writing and documentation.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Specific Experience: Worked as Report Writer/Communications Specialist and has drafted Project reports for at least 3 Public Health projects having similar objectives involving quantitative data collection, questionnaire design and large-scale surveys and their analysis.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Qualifications: Master’s degree in English, Journalism, or Mass Communication/MSW/ Public Health/rural management from a recognized University.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

12

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

TOTAL

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

66

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n

Table3: Essential Qualification and experience of Non-Key [NK] Experts

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Sl.No.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Position

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Nos.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Essential Qualification/ Experience

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Estimated Man Months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

NK1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Field Surveyors

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

40

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1. Preferably with a degree in Social Work, Rural Management, or other relevant discipline and more than 3 years’ experience of conducting surveys.
    2. \n\t\t\t\t
  2. Assist in collecting required field data
    3. \n\t\t\t\t
  3. Prior knowledge of surveying and collecting data in skill eco-system will be preferable
    4. \n\t\t\t\t
  4. Proficiency in the local language of the study area is essential
    5. \n\t\t\t\t
  5. Preference will be given to candidates residing in or familiar with the local context
    6. \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

160 person months cumulative for NK1

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Reporting Requirements and Time Schedule for Deliverables
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

The consultant/firm shall carry out the assignment under the overall supervision of the DoHFW. However, day-to-day activities shall be coordinated by the nodal for RA#2 under the PMU, WBHSRP and nodal for Family Welfare program in DoHFW.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The PMU shall provide the consultant/firm with relevant documents, data and permissions necessary to complete deliverables under the assignment and shall ensure that the firm has access to all Program sites and locations.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The consultant/firm shall timely submit the following reports to the PMU (the verification reports would be in Word and PDF formats both, shared electronically with the PMU and inception and assignment completion reports would be in Word, PDF and printed formats):

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Expected Deliverables:
    2. \n
\n\n

Table 4: List of Deliverables

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

#

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Deliverables/Outputs

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Tentative Deadline

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Inception report with proposed survey tools, sampling methodology, indicative questionnaire (s), workplan with key milestones and timelines, deployment of resources and KAPS plan

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 1month

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Pilot testing of the draft KAPS tools, incorporating the suggested changes and submission of final assessment tools

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 3 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Final tools and questionnaire and commencement of KAPS

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 4 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Draft KAPS report with detailed analysis of the findings

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 10 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

5.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Final KAP assessment report with detailed analysis of the findings

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 11 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

6.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Dissemination to the stakeholders and creation of knowledge products

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 12 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

7.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Assignment Completion Report

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

T0 + 12 months

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n

It may be noted that payments shall be made upon acceptance of the deliverables by the Client.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Client’s Input and facilities to be made available to the consultant by the client:
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

Give access to all the required documents, correspondence and any other information associated with the project as felt necessary by Client in discussion with the consultant.

\n\n

 

\n\n

Facilitate consultation with relevant stakeholders (Departments, Implementation Entities and other institutions), as appropriate.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Copyright
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

The consultant firm will protect the confidentiality of those participating in the survey at all stages. All data/material/information collected shall be confidential and the property of the DoHFW, GoWB. No data or other information from this survey will be released to third parties without the written approval of the DoHFW, GoWB The consultant firm will turn over all data and questionnaires to the DoHFW, GoWB and will not destroy information and material at the end of the project and after all data and original documentation has been delivered to the DoHFW, GoWB.

\n\n

 

\n\n

[1]WHO (World Health Organization). 2009. 2008–2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases

\n\n

[2]https://rksk.in/

\n\n

[3]Such as the WHO’s national quality policy and strategy (NQPS) and Lancet’s ‘High Quality Health Systems’ framework

\n\n

[4]CEmONCs would offer quality obstetric care, including C-sections, newborn and emergency childcare, blood storage, and referral transport

\n\n

[5] Key frameworks include the WHO’s Quality of Care Framework for Maternal and Newborn Health, Adolescent-Friendly Health Services Guidelines, and RESPECT Women for GBV response. The United Nations Population Fund’s GBV guidelines support multi-sectoral approaches. For SBCC, UNICEF’s C4D and Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs emphasize research, community engagement, and strategic messaging.

"},{"id":"OP00353289","notice_type":"Request for Expression of Interest","noticedate":"22-Apr-2025","notice_lang_name":"English","notice_status":"Published","submission_deadline_date":"2025-05-13T00:00:00Z","submission_deadline_time":"17:00","project_ctry_name":"Suriname","project_id":"P166187","project_name":"Competitiveness and Sector Diversification","bid_reference_no":"SR-MNR-487781-CS-CQS","bid_description":"EITI Reporting 2023-2024","procurement_group":"CS","procurement_method_code":"CQS","procurement_method_name":"Consultant Qualification Selection","contact_address":"Mr. Dr. J.C. de Mirandastraat 11 – 15, Republic of Suriname","contact_ctry_name":"Suriname","contact_email":"clydegriffith1977@gmail.com","contact_name":"Clyde Griffith","contact_organization":"Ministry of Natural Resources","contact_phone_no":"(+597) 474666","submission_date":"2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","notice_text":"

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

REPUBLIC OF SURINAME

\n\n

MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES

\n\n

Suriname Competitiveness and Sector Diversification Project

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

\n\n

CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Country:                    Republic of Suriname

\n\n

Name of Project:      Suriname Competitiveness and Sector Diversification Project

\n\n

Project No.:               P166187

\n\n

Loan No.:                   IBRD Loan 8985 -SR

\n\n

Assignment Title:      EITI Reporting 2023-2024

\n\n

Reference No.:          SR-MNR-487781-CS-CQS

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

The Republic of Suriname has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Suriname Competitiveness and Sector Diversification (SCSD)Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The SCSD Project seeks to hire Consulting Services for an Independent Administrator(IA) to develop the 2023-2024 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Report for the Republic of Suriname. The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a global standard for improving transparency and accountability in the oil, gas and mining sectors. Detailed information about EITI can be found on https://eiti.org/

\n\n

 

\n\n

The Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment are attached to this request for expressions of interest.

\n\n

 

\n\n

A Consultingfirm will be selected in accordance with the Regulations for Consultant’s qualifications-based selection(CQS) described in the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, dated July 2016, revised November 2017 and August 2018.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The Project Implementation Unit (PIU) within MNR now invites eligible consulting firms(“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The qualification criteria are:

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Sector expertise: Expertise and experience in the oil, gas and mining sectors, preferably in Suriname.
    2. \n\t
  2. Accounting and auditing skills: Expertise in accounting, auditing and financial analysis.
    3. \n\t
  3. A track record in similar work. Previous experience in EITI reporting is not required but would be advantageous.
    4. \n\t
  4. Working knowledge of legal, regulatory and fiscal legislation applicable to the extractive industries.
    5. \n\t
  5. Affiliation with an internationally recognized audit firm that has experience in preparing EITI or similar reports in extractive and financial sectors.
    6. \n\t
  6. At the minimum, the firm must be able to provide a support staff of certified public accountants in good standing with above-listed qualifications.
    7. \n\t
  7. The firm must have a senior writer and editor who will make sure that the Report is well written, comprehensible, coherent, and that there are no conflicting data in the entire document.
    8. \n\t
  8. Submission must include proof of relevant qualifications for key staffs.
    9. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the Procurement for IPF Borrowers, issued July 2016, as revised November 2017 and August 2018setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. In addition, please refer to the following specific information on conflict of interest related to this assignment:

\n\n

Bank policy requires that consultants provide professional, objective, and impartial advice and at all times hold the client’s interests paramount, without any consideration for future work, and that in providing advice they avoid conflicts with other assignments and their own corporate interests. Consultants shall not be hired for any assignment that would be in conflict with their prior or current obligations to other clients, or that may place them in a position of being unable to carry out the assignment in the best interest of the Borrower. Without limitation on the generality of the foregoing, consultants shall not be hired under the circumstances set forth below:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Conflict between consulting activities and procurement of goods, works, or nonconsulting services (i.e., services other than consulting services covered by these Guidelines8 ): A firm that has been engaged by the Borrower to provide goods, works, or non-consulting services for a project, or any affiliate that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with that firm, shall be disqualified from providing consulting services resulting from or directly related to those goods, works, or non-consulting services. Conversely, a firm hired to provide. consulting services for the preparation (before Loan effectiveness) or implementation of a project, or any affiliate that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with that firm, shall be disqualified from subsequently providing goods, works, or services (other than consulting services covered by these Guidelines) resulting from or directly related to the consulting services for such preparation or implementation. This provision does not apply to the various firms (consultants, contractors, or suppliers) which together are performing the Contractor’s obligations under a turnkey or design and build contract.
    2. \n\t
  2. Conflict among consulting assignments: Neither consultants (including their personnel and sub-consultants), nor any affiliate that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with that firm, shall be hired for any assignment that, by its nature, may be in conflict with another assignment of the consultants. As an example, consultants assisting a client in the privatization of public assets shall neither purchase, nor advise purchasers of, such assets. Similarly, consultants hired to prepare Terms of Reference (TOR) for an assignment shall not be hired for the assignment in question.
    3. \n\t
  3. Relationship with Borrower’s staff: Consultants (including their experts and other personnel, and sub-consultants) that have a close business or family relationship with a professional staff of the Borrower (or of the project implementing agency, or of a recipient of a part of the loan) who are directly or indirectly involved in any part of: (i) the preparation of the TOR for the assignment, (ii) the selection process for the contract, or (iii) the supervision of such contract may not be awarded a contract, unless the conflict stemming from this relationship has been resolved in a manner acceptable to the Bank throughout the selection process and the execution of the contract.
    4. \n\t
  4. A consultant shall submit only one proposal, either individually or as a joint venture partner in another proposal. If a consultant, including a joint venture partner, submits or participates in more than one proposal, all such proposals shall be disqualified. This does not, however, preclude a consulting firm to participate as a sub-consultant, or an individual to participate as a team member, in more than one proposal when circumstances justify and if permitted by the RFP.
    5. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint-venture and/or asub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

\n\n

 

\n\n

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 09:00 to 14:00 Suriname time (UTC – 3 hours)

\n\n

 

\n\n

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by fax, or by e-mail) by close of business on Tuesday 13 May 2025.

\n\n

 

\n\n

Ministry of Natural Resources

\n\n

Attn: Mr. Clyde Griffith, Component Coordinator SCSD C1

\n\n

Mr. Dr. J.C. de Mirandastraat 11 -15, Paramaribo, Republic of Suriname

\n\n

Tel: (+597) 474666 (PIU Office) or (+597)8532104 (Component Coordinator)

\n\n

Fax: (+597) 475752

\n\n

E-mail:clydegriffith1977@gmail.com

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Terms of Reference

\n\n

REPUBLIC OF SURINAME

\n\n

MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES

\n\n

Suriname Competitiveness and Sector Diversification Project

\n\n

SR-MNR-487781-CS-CQS EITI REPORTING 2023-2024

\n\n

 

\n\n

Terms of Reference for Independent Administrator

\n\n

April 2025

\n\n

This terms of Reference (TOR) sets out the work to be undertaken by the Independent Administrator hired to produce the 5th Suriname EITI Report covering the year 2023/2024 and it is an integral part of the contract between the Independent Administrator and the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Republic of Suriname.

\n\n

This TOR has two parts, the first part summarizing the specific Suriname context and related service requirements and deliverables; and the second part being the EITI Independent Administrator 2023/2024 TOR as were developed by the EITI International Secretariat.

\n\n

Important preliminary remarks:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The current status of this TOR is ‘advanced’ and ‘draft final’ but not yet ‘final’. Publication of the final version is expected within the coming weeks and in any case ahead of the signature of the contract with the EITI Independent Administrator. Limited release of this TOR is required in order to not delay the selection process to procure the services of the EITI Independent Administrator for the years 2023 and 2024.
    2. \n\t
  2. For the final version of the TOR, the current PART 1 and PART 2 will be integrated to one single TOR. As is clearly indicated throughout the text of PART 2, the final version depends on remaining decisions to be taken by the MSG and subsequent approval thereof by the EITI Secretariat. Reading the current TOR correctly in order to respond to the REOI, means candidates should indicate relevant experience and expertise in both the services described in PART 1 and in PART 2.
    3. \n\t
  3. Although more than just considerable effort was invested in terms of delivery of EITI Reports for the previous years, Suriname delivered the last consolidated reports beyond the ultimate deadline date and was therefore suspended. The reason for not awaiting the final version of this TOR prior to limited release to launch the selection process is directly linked to the ambition to deliver the EITI 2023/2024 Report timely in order to allow the EITI to reconsider Suriname’s suspension.
    4. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Table of Content

\n\n

PART 1: The Suriname Context, service requirements and deliverables

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Background
    2. \n\t
  2. Objective of the assignment and additional scope for 5thEITI Suriname report
    3. \n\t
  3. Scope of services, tasks and expected deliverables
    4. \n\t
  4. Qualification requirements for the Independent Administrator (IA)
    5. \n\t
  5. Reporting requirements and time schedule for deliverables
    6. \n\t
  6. Client’s input and counterpart personnel
    7. \n
\n\n

PART 2: The EITI Independent Administrator TOR 2023/2024

\n\n

PART 1: The Suriname Context, service requirements and deliverables

\n\n

Table of Content

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Background
    2. \n\t
  2. Objective of the assignment and additional scope for 5th EITISR report
    3. \n\t
  3. Scope of services, tasks and expected deliverables
    4. \n\t
  4. Qualification requirements for the Independent Administrator (IA)
    5. \n\t
  5. Reporting requirements and time schedule for deliverables
    6. \n\t
  6. Client’s input and counterpart personnel
    7. \n
\n\n

Annex 1 – Statement of Materiality, to be decided in collaboration with the Multi Stakeholders Group or suggested the Independent Administrator.

\n\n

Annex 2 – Supporting documents, to be decided in collaboration with the Multi Stakeholders Group or can be requested by the Independent Administrator.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Background
    2. \n
\n\n

The Republic of Suriname has received a loan from the World Bank for a Suriname Competitiveness and Sector Diversification (SCSD) project, which supports private sector-led investment and competitiveness in targeted industries including mining, agribusiness, and tourism. For the mining sector, the project will be implemented by a Project Implementation Units (PIU) at the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) under the guidance of a Project Coordination Committee (PCC). The project seeks to hireConsultingServices for an Independent Administrator(IA) to develop the 2023/2024Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Report for the Republic of Suriname.

\n\n

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a global standard for improving transparency and accountability in the oil, gas and mining sectors.

\n\n

EITI implementation has two core components:

\n\n\n\n

The EITI Standard encourages MSGs to explore innovative approaches to extending EITI implementation to increase the comprehensiveness of EITI reporting and public understanding of revenues and encourage high standards of transparency and accountability in public life, government operations and in business. The requirements for implementing countries are set out in the EITI Standard[1]. Additional information is available via www.eiti.org.

\n\n

 

\n\n

It is a requirement that the MSG approves the terms of reference for the Independent Administrator (requirement 4.9.iii), drawing on the objectives and agreed scope of the EITI as set out in the MSG’s work plan. The MSG’s deliberations on these matters should be in accordance with the MSG’s internal governance rules and procedures (see requirement 1.4.b). The EITI requires an inclusive decision-making process throughout implementation, with each constituency being treated as a partner.  This TOR was approved by the EITI Suriname MSG on February 14th, 2025.

\n\n

It is a requirement that the Independent Administrator be perceived by the MSG to be credible, trustworthy and technically competent (Requirement 4.9.b.ii). The MSG and Independent Administrator should address any concerns regarding conflicts of interest. The EITI Reports prepared by the Independent Administrator will be submitted to the MSG for approval and made publicly available in accordance with Requirement 7.1.

\n\n

These terms of reference include “agreed-upon procedures” for EITI reporting (see section 4) in accordance with EITI Requirement 4.9.b.iii. The international EITI Board has developed these procedures to promote greater consistency and reliability in EITI reporting. The EITI process should be used to complement, assess, and improve existing reporting and auditing systems.

\n\n

Suriname published its first EITI report regarding the year 2016on May 23, 2019. This report has been validated in 2021 by the international board of the EITI. The second EITI Suriname report regarding the year 2017 was published on December 31, 2019and also validated in 2021, thanks to the concerted efforts of the Independent Administrator, the Surinamese government and the Suriname MSG. The third and consolidated report covering the years 2018-2019-2020 was published in January 2023 and was presented to the wider Surinamese community in June 2023.Currently, an IA is working on the consolidated reports for the years 2021 and 2022. This report should be finalized mid-2025.

\n\n

The Surinamese government has taken concrete steps towards enhancing transparency in the extractives sector, including regular publication of mining sector income data on the Ministry of Finance and Planning’s website. These steps are seen as a clear indication of the Government of Suriname’s commitment to transparency in the mining sector and to the 2023 EITI standard.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Objectives of the assignment and additional scope for 5th EITI Report
    2. \n
\n\n

On behalf of the government of Suriname and the EITISR -MSG, the Ministry of Natural Resources seeks a competent and credible firm, free from conflict of interest, to provide Independent Administrator services in accordance with the EITI Standard.

\n\n

The objective of the assignment is to prepare the 5thEITISR and consolidated report covering the years 2023 and 2024 in similar fashion as was done for the previous EITISR reports.  Specific activities are noted below:

\n\n\n\n

Issues requiring specific attention. Additional scope of work for the IA to be included in the 5thEITI report is listed below:

\n\n\n\n

Report in accordance with the 2023 EITI standard: https://eiti.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/2023%20EITI%20Standard_Parts1-2-3.pdf

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Scope of services, tasks and expected deliverables
    2. \n
\n\n

The work of the Independent Administrator has five conceptual phases (see figure 1). These phases may overlap and there may be some iteration between the phases.

\n\n

The Independent Administrator’s responsibilities in each phase are elaborated below. 

\n\n

Figure 1 – Overview of the EITI Reporting process and deliverables

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

0.

\n\n\t\t\t

Scoping Analysis

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Scoping Study

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Phase 0 - Scoping and scoping study

\n\n

Objective: Scoping work aims to identify what the EITI Report should cover to meet the requirements of the EITI Standard. Scoping sets the basis for producing a timely, comprehensive, reliable and comprehensible EITI Report. It commonly involves looking at issues such as the fiscal period to be reported, the contextual information that should be part of the EITI Report, reviewing the types of assurances that are needed for ensuring that the data submitted by reporting entities is credible. It is also an opportunity for MSG to consider the feasibility of extending the scope of EITI reporting beyond the minimum requirements in order to address the objectives outlined in the EITI work plan. Scoping may also investigate likely gaps or issues that may be particularly challenging to include in the EITI Report with a view to identify options, solutions, and recommendations for an appropriate reporting methodology for consideration by the MSG.

\n\n

It is to be expected that for the fifth report the scope will increase in the sense of number of reporting companies and sectors to be included, such as gold export and buying companies, small-medium scale mining and oil and gas companies.

\n\n

The independent Administrator shall pay special attention to data collection and validation in the informal mining sector given its significant economic impact and representation challenges in the reporting. The independent Administrator shall develop methodologies to ensure comprehensive and accurate data collection from this sector in the consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

\n\n

Given recent land-use conflicts on indigenous lands and the significance of social and environmental impacts of sand and quarry mining, the relevance of including this sector is becoming more evident than ever before. Including Oil & Gas companies is important since there are offshore investments taking place with regard to oil and gas.

\n\n

The independent Administrator shall develop a risk management plan that proactively addresses potential challenges such as limited access to data, political interference, or incomplete cooperation from stakeholders. The plan should also include measures for a relatively consistent execution of the reporting process.

\n\n

The purpose of this statement of materiality is for the Independent Administrator to understand the scoping work and associated decisions that have already been carried out by the multi-stakeholder group or by other consultants. The Independent Administrator confirms the joint understanding of the scope of the services in the inception report. The Independent Administrator will be responsible for defining government to government transfers/payments, which should be included in the EITI Report.

\n\n

The Independent Administrator is expected to undertake the following tasks during the scoping phase.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. With regard to timeliness of data:
    2. \n
\n\n\n\n

Based on the above, present a recommendation on how the information should be captured in the EITI report and outline a credible approach to disclosure of the financial information required by the EITI Standard: whether it is sufficient to include a link to existing information in the EITI Report or whether the EITI Report should include a partial or full description of the information, what information the Independent Administrator should collect and what can be directly drawn from the source and what weaknesses and challenges should be addressed in the EITI Report;

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. With regard to legal framework, licensing, production and revenue allocations:
    2. \n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \n\t
  1. With regard to revenue allocations:
    2. \n
\n\n\n\n

      d.  With regard to disclosure of revenues:

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

Address the transactions between government entities (and other entities that collect revenues on behalf of the government) and state-owned companies (requirement 4.5). Including subsidiaries; the exact definition of what constitutes a subsidiary is to be included in the materiality note.

\n\n

Note: As part of the scoping study, the materiality willbe defined by the MSG taking into consideration the recommendationsof the Independent Administrator. One ofthe lessons from the first reporting cycle inthisregard isthatmoredetailedinformationonrevenuestreamsisrequiredtodetermine a materialitythreshold that may enable inclusion of new sectors.

\n\n

e. With regard to data quality:

\n\n\n\n
    \n\t
  1. With regard to EITI reporting:
    2. \n
\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Phase 1 – Preliminary analysis and inception report

\n\n

Objective: The purpose of the inception phase is to confirm that the scope of the EITI reporting process has been clearly defined, including identifying necessary updates to the reporting templates, data collection procedures, and the schedule for publishing the EITI Report. From the first reporting cycle, there is a need to update the reporting templates. This is strongly suggested for the fifth report.

\n\n

The Independent Administrator is expected to undertake the following tasks during this phase:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. \n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. Review the relevant background information, including the governance arrangements and tax policies in the extractive industries, the findings from any preliminary scoping workand aspects of the EITI standard such as requirement 4.10.c on project costs. (A list of relevant documentation is provided as Annex 2).
      2. \n\t\t
    2. The Independent Administrator should review the scope proposed by the MSG in Annex 1 with a particular focus on the following:\n\t\t
        \n\t\t\t
      1. Reviewing the comprehensiveness of the payments and revenues to be covered in the EITI Report as proposed by the MSG in Annex 1 and in accordance with EITI Requirement 4;
        2. \n\t\t\t
      2. Reviewing the comprehensiveness of the companies and government entities that are required to report as defined by the MSG in Annex 1 and in accordance with EITI Requirement 4.1;
        3. \n\t\t\t
      3. Supporting the MSG with examining the audit and assurance procedures in companies and government entities participating in the EITI reporting process. This includes examining the relevant laws and regulations, any reforms that are planned or underway, and whether these procedures are in line with international standards. It is recommended that the EITI Report includes a summary of the findings, otherwise the MSG should make the results of the review of audit and assurance practices publicly available elsewhere;
        4. \n\t\t\t
      4. Providing advice to the MSG on the reporting templates based on the agreed revenue   streams to be reported and the reporting entities (1.2.1– 1.2.2 above). In the templates a provision requiring companies to report “any other material payments to government entities” above an agreed threshold, has been included;
        5. \n\t\t\t
      5. Submit for the MSG’s approval a work plan indicating its approach and methodology in producing the following outputs:
        6. \n\t\t
      \n\t\t
      3. \n\t
    \n\t
    2. \n\t
  2. Fully accomplished reporting templates with complete and accurate data;
    3. \n\t
  3. Reconciliation report and EITI report;
    4. \n\t
  4. Complete summary data templates.\n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. On the basis of 1.1 and 1.2 as applicable, produce an inception report that:\n\t\t
        \n\t\t\t
      1. Includes a statement of materiality (Annex 1) confirming the MSG’s decisions on the payments and revenues to be covered in the EITI Report, including:
        2. \n\t\t
      \n\t\t
      2. \n\t
    \n\t
    5. \n
\n\n\n\n
    \n\t
  1. \n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. \n\t\t
        \n\t\t\t
      1. Includes a statement of materiality (Annex 1) confirming the MSG’s decisions on the companies and government entities that are required to report, including:
        2. \n\t\t
      \n\t\t
      2. \n\t
    \n\t
    2. \n
\n\n\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. \n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. \n\t\t
        \n\t\t\t
      1. Based on the examination of the audit and assurance procedures in companies and government entities participating in the EITI reporting process (1.2.3 above), confirms what information participating companies and government entities are required to provide to the Independent Administrator in order to assure the credibility of the data in accordance with Requirement 4.9.
        2. \n\t\t
      \n\t\t
      2. \n\t
    \n\t
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

The Independent Administrator should exercise judgement and apply appropriate international professional standards[2] in developing a procedure that provide a sufficient basis for a comprehensive and reliable EITI Report.

\n\n

The independent Administrator shall ensure an inclusive approach by engaging government institutions, civil society organizations and local communities throughout the reporting process. This includes regular consultations, feedback sessions and opportunities for stakeholders to contribute to the writing of the report.

\n\n

The Independent Administrator should employ its professional judgement to determine the extent to which reliance can be placed on the existing controls and audit frameworks of the companies and governments.

\n\n

 

\n\n

Where deemed necessary by the Independent Administrator and the MSG, assurances may include:

\n\n\n\n

The inception report should document the options considered and the rationale for the assurances to be provided.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. \n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. \n\t\t
        \n\t\t\t
      1. Confirms the procedures for integrating and analyzing non-revenue information in the EITI Report. The inception report should incorporate Table 1 below, confirming the division of labor between the Independent Administrator, the MSG or other actors in compiling this data, and how the information should be sourced and attributed.
        2. \n\t\t
      \n\t\t
      2. \n\t
    \n\t
    2. \n
\n\n

Table 1 – Non-revenue information to be provided in the EITI Report

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Non-revenue information to be provided in the EITI Report

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Work to be undertaken by the Independent Administrator

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Work completed/to be undertaken by the MSG/others

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Legal framework and fiscal regime in accordance with EITI Requirement 2.1.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Review the legal framework and fiscal regime governing the extractive industries.

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

An overview of the extractive industries, including any significant exploration activities in accordance with EITI Requirement 3.1.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Identify and list the companies in the extractive industries, including any significant exploration companies

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Information about the contribution of the extractive industries to the economy in accordance with EITI Requirement 6.3.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Identify sources and gather information available about the contribution of the extractive industries to the economy.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Production and export data in accordance with EITI Requirement 3.2 and 3.3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Identify sources and gather production and export data

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Information regarding state participation in the extractive industries in accordance with EITI Requirement 2.6 and 6.2.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Investigate the role of any state-owned enterprises in the extractive sector, including the financial relationship with the government, quasi-fiscal expenditures, and government ownership in oil, gas and mining companies.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Information about the distribution of revenues from the extractive industries in accordance with EITI Requirement 5.1.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Consider how extractive industry revenues, whether cash or in-kind, are recorded in the national budget.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Any further information further information requested by the MSG on revenue management and expenditures in accordance with EITI Requirement 5.3.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Consider opportunities for reporting on expenditures and revenue management.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Information about license holders in accordance with EITI Requirement 2.3, and the allocation of licenses in accordance with EITI Requirement 2.2.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Investigate the timeliness and comprehensiveness of the available information about license holders and license allocations in the sub-sector Small Scale Mining.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Any information requested by the MSG on beneficial ownership in accordance with EITI Requirement 2.5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Design and publish a roadmap including milestones and deadlines, for disclosing beneficial ownership information in accordance with clauses (c) – (f) of EITI requirement 2.5.

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Any information requested by the MSG on contracts in accordance with EITI Requirement 2.4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

[Add any other contextual information that the MSG has agreed to include in the EITI Report]

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Based on findings from information above, advice the MSG on what information should be collected and what can be drawn directly from source.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Based on the output of the IA, determine what information should be collected and what can be drawn directly from source and agree on who should compile the information to be included in the EITI Report.

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

[Add any other contextual information that the MSG has agreed to include in the EITI Report]

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Explore to what extent the information listed above is already publicly available and whether the EITI Report could include links to the existing information.

\n\n\t\t\t

Based on the findings from information above, advice how each of the above points will be addressed in the EITI Report.  The EITI Report should include full disclosure of the information and identify challenges and weaknesses.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\n
    \n\t
  1. \n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. \n\t\t
        \n\t\t\t
      1. Highlights any unresolved issues of potential barriers to effective implementation, and possible remedies for consideration by the MSG.
        2. \n\t\t
      \n\t\t
      2. \n\t
    \n\t
    2. \n
\n\n

1.4         Confirm the reporting templates, as well as any procedures or provisions relating to safeguarding confidential information. The Independent Administrator shall assist the MSG in giving trainings to reporting government agencies, extractive companies and CSOs in connection with the reconciliation process. The Independent Administrator shall where possible conduct training sessions and workshops for the National EITI Secretariat staff and stakeholders (incl. the MSG) to build knowledge and skills related to EITI reporting. These sessions should mainly focus on data collection, reconciliation processes and the use of reporting templates to guarantee sustainable reporting practices.

\n\n

 

\n\n

Phase 2 – Data collection

\n\n

Objective: The purpose of the second phase of work is to collect the data for the EITI Report in accordance with the scope confirmed in the Inception Report. The MSG and national secretariat will provide contact details for the reporting entities and assist the Independent Administrator in ensuring that all reporting entities participate fully.

\n\n

The Independent Administrator is expected to undertake the following tasks during this phase:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. \n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. Distribute the reporting templates, collect the completed forms, and associated supporting documentation directly from the participating reporting entities, as well as any contextual or other information that the MSG has tasked the Independent Administrator to collect in accordance with 1.3.4above.
      2. \n\t\t
    2. The Independent Administrator shall ensure that the request for data includes appropriate guidance to the reporting entities, and on where to seek additional information and support, as well as a request for written explanation should any entity refuse to disclose any or all requested data or information.
      3. \n\t\t
    3. Investigate any potential gaps or issues that may hinder comprehensive EITI disclosures, offering potential solutions and recommendations for an appropriate reporting methodology. Contact the reporting entities directly to clarify any information gaps or discrepancies.
      4. \n\t\t
    4. Obtain any additional information from the extractive companies and government agencies necessary to carry out the reconciliation, including requesting any other data not included in the reporting template and documents in support of the information provided in the template.
      5. \n\t\t
    5. Demonstrate to the reporting entities how to properly fill in reporting templates.
      6. \n\t\t
    6. Request that templates are completely filled in by reporting entities and employ all measures to encourage that each entity submits complete information.
      7. \n\t\t
    7. Examine the comprehensiveness of data collected to ensure it covers all disclosure requirements of the EITI Standard in sufficient detail. This may also include disclosure gaps identified during Validation.
      8. \n\t
    \n\t
    2. \n
\n\n

Phase 3 – Initial reconciliation and data quality assurance

\n\n

Objective: The purpose of this phase is to complete an initial compilation and reconciliation of the contextual information and revenue data with a view to identify any gaps or discrepancies to be further investigated.

\n\n

The Independent Administrator should undertake the following tasks during this phase:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. \n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. Compile a database with the payment and revenue data provided by the reporting entities and ensure access by the MSG to such database.
      2. \n\t\t
    2. Comprehensively reconcile the information disclosed by the reporting entities, i.e. compare payments reported by companies and government receipts identifying any discrepancies (including offsetting discrepancies) in accordance with the agreed scope and any other gaps in the information provided (e.g. assurances). The Independent Administrator shall discuss with the MSG further actions it should take in explaining the discrepancies.
      3. \n\t\t
    3. Prepare an initial reconciliation report based on the reported (unadjusted) data for consideration by the MSG in accordance with the agreed scope. The said report shall be submitted to the MSG one week before the presentation of findings to the MSG.
      4. \n\t\t
    4. Recommend, should the MSG wish, an acceptable margin of error in determining which discrepancies should be further investigated. Where this has been agreed, the preliminary margin of error established at 5% of total revenues.
      5. \n\t
    \n\t
    2. \n
\n\n

Phase 4 – MSG gap analysis , investigation of discrepancies and draft EITI Report

\n\n

Objective: The purpose of this phase is to ensure that the MSG analyses the data to address key governance questions established for the reporting cycle. The MSG plays a critical role in ensuring that EITI implementation tackles the most important governance challenges in the country’s extractive sector.

\n\n

The Independent Administrator should undertake the following tasks during this phase:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. \n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. Present initial findings on data disclosures: Based on the EITI standard and the MSG’s priorities., present key findings and legal or practical barriers preventing comprehensive disclosure, including government plans to address these barriers  and the extractive sector.
      2. \n\t\t
    2. Contact the reporting entities to clarify the causes of any significant discrepancies or other gaps in the reported data, and to collect additional data from the reporting entities concerned.
      3. \n\t\t
    3. Submit a draft EITI Report to the MSG for comment that comprehensively reconciles the information disclosed by the reporting entities, identifying any discrepancies, and reports on contextual and other information requested by the MSG. The financial data should be disaggregated to the level of detail agreed by the MSG and in accordance with requirement 4.7.
      4. \n\t
    \n\t
    2. \n
\n\n

The draft EITI Report should:

\n\n\n\n

Phase 5 – Final EITI Report

\n\n

Objective: The purpose of this phase is to ensure that any comments by the MSG on the draft report have been considered and incorporated in the final EITI Report.  EITI reporting should be presented in a clear, accessible manner that takes into account key audiences, information access challenges and information needs of different groups. Considerations should be made with respect to the length and language of reports, which should include a summary of key findings.

\n\n

The Independent Administrator should undertake the following tasks during this phase:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The Independent Administrator will submit the EITI Report upon approval to the MSG. The MSG will endorse the report prior to its publication and will oversee its publication. Where members of the MSG decide to include additional comments in or opinions on the EITI Report, the authorship should be clearly indicated.
    2. \n\t
  2. The final EITI Report (the popular and official version) must be in English and translated to Dutch.
    3. \n
\n\n

The EITI report could be structured as follows:

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The Independent Administrator should produce electronic data files[3] that can be published together with the final Report. For this purpose, the Independent Administrator should encode the data from the templates and the companies’ financial statements into the dataset that can be analyzed using statistical software. A codebook should accompany such dataset.\n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. Following approval by the MSG, the Independent Administrator is mandated to submit summary data from the EITI Report electronically to the International Secretariat according to the standardized reporting format available from the International Secretariat[4].
      2. \n\t\t
    2. The Independent Administrator shall ensure that the final Report contains all the comments of the MSG on the draft report, making sure that all concerns raised by the reporting entities have been sufficiently addressed before the final Report is submitted.
      3. \n\t\t
    3. The Independent Administrator shall propose a scope for the next EITI Report.
      4. \n\t\t
    4. The Independent Administrator shall submit its final Report to the MSG 2 weeks before the findings are presented to the MSG
      5. \n\t\t
    5. The Independent Administrator shall conduct a report analysis workshop with the MSG members and key stakeholders immediately after publication of the Report.
      6. \n\t\t
    6. The Independent Administrator shall take appropriate measures to ensure that the report is comprehensible. This includes ensuring that the report has high levels of readability, legibility and usability. The report must be edited by a professional copy-editor and/or be designed by a professional graphical designer.
      7. \n\t\t
    7. The Independent Administrator shall submit to the SEITI Secretariat all documents and data gathered during reconciliation available, including the contact information of all institutions contacted during the reporting process.
      8. \n\t
    \n\t
    2. \n
\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Qualification requirements for Independent Administrators
    2. \n
\n\n

The reconciliation of company payments and government revenues must be undertaken by an Independent Administrator applying international professional standards (requirement 4.9). It is a requirement that the Independent Administrator is perceived by the MSG to be credible, trustworthy and technically competent (ibid). Bidders must follow (and show how they will apply) the appropriate professional standards for the reconciliation / agreed-upon-procedures work in preparing their report.

\n\n

The Independent Administrator will need to demonstrate:

\n\n\n\n\n\n

Other Responsibilities:

\n\n\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Reporting requirements and time schedule for deliverables
    2. \n
\n\n

The assignment is expected to commence in, culminating in the finalization of the EITI Report byOctober 31, 2025. The proposed schedule is set out below:

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Indicative activities

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Indicative time schedule

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Signing of contract

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

June2nd  , 2025

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Phase 0: Scoping studies

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

June2nd   –June15th

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

=> Submission of scoping Study report to MSG

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

June23rd

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

 Phase 1: Preliminary analysis

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

June23th – July9th

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

=> Submission inception report to MSG

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

July 10th

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

=> Organizing training for reporting entities

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

July 16th – July 20th

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Phase 2: Data collection

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

July 23rd – August14th

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Phase 3: Initial reconciliation

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

August 15th – September20th

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Phase 4: Investigation of discrepancies

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

September20th – October8th

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

=>Submission of draft report to MSG and draft narrative of all findings

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

November1st

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

=> Presentation to MSG on findings   ( see art. 4.6)

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

November6th

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

MSG to review and provide input/feedback 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

November13th

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Phase 5: Submission final report incl. summary

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

November22nd

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

=> Presentation to MSG ( see art 5.7)

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

November29th

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

=>Final report incl. Dutch translation

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

November 30th, 2025

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

The indicative schedule of payments shall be as follows:

\n\n\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Client’s input and counterpart personnel
    2. \n
\n\n

The EITISR Secretariat will support the work of the Independent Administrator by facilitating meetings, trainings and workshops with reporting entities. The MSG will provide, where needed and required, overall oversight and direction to the Independent Administrator in the preparation of the 2023/2024Report.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The characteristics of the consultancy and application for the assignment adjust dates. 6 months is more realistic
    2. \n
\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

[1]http://eiti.org/document/standard

\n\n

[2] For example, ISA 505 relative to external confirmations; ISA 530 relative to audit sampling; ISA 500 relative to audit evidence; ISRS 4400 relative to the engagement to perform agreed-upon procedures regarding financial information and ISRS 4410 relative to compilation engagements.

\n\n

[3] The files can be in CSV or Excel format and should contain the tables and figures from the print report. In accordance with requirement 7.1.c, the multi-stakeholder group is required to make the EITI Report available in an open data format (xlsx or csv) online.

\n\n

[4] The latest version of the summary data template can be found at: https://eiti.org/document/eiti-summary-data-template

"},{"id":"OP00280715","notice_type":"Request for Expression of Interest","noticedate":"21-Mar-2024","notice_lang_name":"English","notice_status":"Published","submission_deadline_date":"2024-04-19T00:00:00Z","submission_deadline_time":"10:00","project_ctry_name":"Eastern and Southern Africa","project_id":"P171967","project_name":"Regional Infrastructure Finance Facility (RIFF) Project","bid_reference_no":"ZM-COMESA -394071-CS-LCS","bid_description":"Planning and Budgeting System","procurement_group":"CS","procurement_method_code":"LCS","procurement_method_name":"Least Cost Selection","contact_address":"Ben Bella Road, P. O. Box 30051, Lusaka","contact_ctry_name":"Zambia","contact_email":"jmutale@comesa.int","contact_name":"Mohamed Kheir Elginaid","contact_organization":"COMESA SECRETARIAT","contact_phone_no":"+260979413591","submission_date":"2024-03-21T00:00:00Z","notice_text":"

COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND

\n\n

SOUTHERN AFRICA

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

السوق المشتركة للشرق والجنوب الأفريقى

\n\t\t\t
\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

MARCHE COMMUN

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

\n\n

                            (FIRM SELECTION)

\n\n

NAME OF PROJECT: REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCE FACILITY   

\n\n

                                  (RIFF) PROJECT

\n\n

GRANT NO: D6780-3A

\n\n

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: PROCUREMENT OF A PLANNING & BUDGETING SYSTEM

\n\n

ISD No.  REFERENCE No. ZM-COMESA -394071-CS-LCS

\n\n

ISSUED ON : 21  MARCH 2024

\n\n

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) received a grant from the World Bank towards the implementation of the Regional Infrastructure Finance Facility project and intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this grant to eligible payments under the contract  for the procurement of  a planning  and budgeting system.

\n\n

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is a regional grouping of 21 African States which have agreed to promote regional integration through trade development and transport facilitation. COMESA's objectives include sustainable economic development through economic and social progress in all Member States through increased co-operation and integration in all fields of development particularly in Trade, Customs and Monetary Affairs, Transport, Communication and Information Technology, Industry and Agriculture, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources including Gender and Social Development. The Secretariat is based in Lusaka, Zambia.

\n\n

COMESA Secretariat prepares and submits an annual work programme and budget for         consideration and approval of the COMESA Council of Ministers. The annual budget incorporates the approved Member States contributions and grants for implementation of the annual work programme and is analyzed based on various cost centers. The work programme incorporates the activities, budget, expected results and timeline for a particular focus area. Each division and unit are required to prepare and submit a costed work programme in line with its mandate, following which the work programmes and budget proposals are consolidated.

\n\n

The current Planning and Budgeting process at COMESA is manual. Ms-Excel templates are provided to programme and budget holders to capture planning and budgeting information, which are then submitted to Budget and Finance Division for rationalization and consolidation.

\n\n

The COMESA wish to procure a digital Planning and Budgeting system to digitize the current      manual preparation and consolidation of the work programme and budget by various Units and Divisions of the Secretariat

\n\n

It is expected that a digital Planning and Budgeting system at COMESA  Secretariat  will resolve the following:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Processes: Manual processes should be automated to achieve effectiveness and efficiency
    2. \n\t
  2. Accessibility: Staff should be able to access the planning and budgeting system anytime and from anywhere.
    3. \n\t
  3. Integration: The application should be able to fully integrate with current and future relevant application systems.
    4. \n\t
  4. Data Integrity and Security:  Data Integrity and Security should be enhanced through proper access controls and other electronic means. The manual system does not adequately protect information assets.  
    5. \n\t
  5. Scalability: All applications/systems at COMESA should be able to accommodate new features/modules to meet the changing organization needs
    6. \n\t
  6. Currency: the system shall support multi-currency budgeting and reporting. It should be able to provide consolidated reports in the base currency.
    7. \n
\n\n

vii         Reports: Current manual system does not address all stakeholders reporting needs.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment are attached to this request for Expressions of Interest (EOI).

\n\n

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa now invites eligible consultants (firms) to indicate their interest in providing these services. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, core business and not less than 10 years in business, experience in similar conditions, relevant experience, technical and managerial capability of the firm, etc). Consultants may constitute joint ventures to enhance their chances of qualification.  In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

\n\n

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers”  November  2020 setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

\n\n

 SUBMISSION

\n\n

Expressions of interest must be submitted  in written  to the following email address;

\n\n

Tenders@comesa.int copy procurement@comesa.int

\n\n

ASSIGNMENT TITLE:PROCUREMENT OF A PLANNING & BUDGETING SYSTEM

\n\n

REFERENCE No. ZM-COMESA -394071-CS-LCS

\n\n

ATT:THE HEAD OF PROCUREMENT,COMESA SECRETARIAT,BEN BELLA ROAD,LUSAKA, ZAMBIA

\n\n

   CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSION

\n\n

The Closing date for receipt of Expression of Interest is  19th April 2024 at 10:00 hours  Central Africa Time (CAT)

\n\n

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours,  09 00 -  1700hours Central Africa Time (CAT)  to the following address.

\n\n

COMESA Secretariat,Ben Bella Road  Lusaka, Zambia

\n\n

Email address:  Procurement comesa.int.

\n\n

NB: Physical submission of EOIs shall  not be accepted.

\n\n

ATTACHMENT 1: TERMS OF REFERENCE

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Background
    2. \n
\n\n

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is a regional grouping of 21 African States which have agreed to promote regional integration through trade development and transport facilitation. COMESA's objectives include sustainable economic development through economic and social progress in all Member States through increased co-operation and integration in all fields of development particularly in Trade, Customs and Monetary Affairs, Transport, Communication and Information Technology, Industry and Agriculture, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources including Gender and Social Development. The Secretariat is based in Lusaka, Zambia.

\n\n

COMESA Secretariat prepares and submits an annual work programme and budget for         consideration and approval of the COMESA Council of Ministers. The annual budget incorporates the   approved Member States contributions and grants for implementation of the annual work programme and is analyzed based on various cost centres. The work programme incorporates the activities, budget, expected results and timeline for a particular focus area. Each division and unit are required to prepare and submit a costed work programme in line with its mandate, following which the work programmes and budget proposals are consolidated.

\n\n

The current Planning and Budgeting process at COMESA is manual. Ms Excel templates are provided to programme and budget holders to capture planning and budgeting information, which are then submitted to Budget and Finance Division for rationalization and consolidation.

\n\n

The COMESA wish to procure a digital Planning and Budgeting system to digitize the current      manual preparation and consolidation of the work programme and budget by various Units and Divisions of the Secretariat

\n\n

It is expected that a digital Planning and Budgeting system at COMESA  Secretariat  will resolve the following:

\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Objectives of the System
    2. \n
\n\n

The main objectives of the project are to:

\n\n\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Scope of Work
    2. \n
\n\n

The scope of work of the project is as follows:

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Functional Requirements
    2. \n
\n\n

An Integrated Planning & Budgeting Application software should provide the COMESA Secretariat with a single window platform and a repository for an up-to-date consolidated version of information concerning organisation performance. It will give all users an access to planning & budgeting information and enhance the budget performance reporting. It is expected to significantly improve the way of managing planning and budgeting, sharing of information to different stakeholders, automated budget performance reporting, and statistical data within a secured environment.

\n\n

The proposed system architecture for an integrated Planning and Budgeting system is as below:

\n\n

The software will comprise of the following modules:

\n\n\n\n

The informative portal will be accessible to COMESA staff and other stakeholders and will be a single source of information for all COMESA internal policies, guidelines, procedures and processes with regard to planning, budgeting, procurement, monitoring and evaluation. Staff will be able to access information for current and past years. The informative portal should include Online Helpdesk/ Customer Support facilities like Chatbots (AI features) for Frequently Asked Question (FAQ).

\n\n\n\n

The core Planning and Budgeting software will cater for the following activities:

\n\n\n\n

The system should internal stakeholders namely  authorized users from  Divisions/Units and executive management    to undertake the above outlined tasks in a consistent and standardized manner while accommodating the following limitations:

\n\n\n\n

During budget implementation the system should allow budget reallocation,  reassignment based on the organisation requirements and also allow budget rollover for extra budgetary resources and budget savings for member states. Provision should be given for budgeting and reporting on in kind contribution.

\n\n

The system should include a module that will capture staff budget for consolidation in the overall budget.

\n\n\n\n

The automated workflow will allow COMESA users to have a single view of planning and budgeting. Assignment of tasks will be automated to streamline processes. The system will also automatically generate mails to convey the assigner and assignee of the assignment operation.

\n\n\n\n\n\n

The financial management of the Secretariat is undertaken through the sun accounting system version 6.4. The planning and budgeting system should therefore integrate with the accounting system for mining of expenditures for reporting of budget performance and controlling budget spent as per the approved budget items.

\n\n\n\n

The Planning and Budgeting System  should be  integrated with the Monitoring and Evaluation System which will assist in the implementation of  the annual work programme.

\n\n\n\n

The system will be integrated with the Document Management System for the tracking and approvals of documents related to planning and budgeting.

\n\n\n\n

The system will be integrated E-Signature for the signature of documents related to planning and budgeting.

\n\n\n\n

The system shall automatically generate the annual procurement plan and update the E- Procurement system.

\n\n\n\n

The system shall be integrated with the HR system to provide up-to-date employee management information.

\n\n\n\n

The planning and budgeting system should be integrated with a flexible management reporting tool with data extraction in various formats such as MS Word, PDF or MS Excel and includes drilling capabilities. It should include interactive dashboards and highly formatted reporting. Users should be able to design their own reports and generate them in a wide range of formats including listing, charts, and pivot tables.  Users should be able to access data at different levels of granularity in a single report itself.

\n\n

The objective of the Business Intelligence module is to facilitate decision-making by the Head of the Division and Executive Management.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Non-functional Requirements
    2. \n
\n\n

The non-functional requirements for the Planning and Budgeting system are as follows:

\n\n\n\n

The user interface is key to application usability. The System should include content presentation, application navigation, and user assistance.

\n\n\n\n

The system must provide users with screens focusing on their roles (minimizing clutter).

\n\n\n\n

Users should be provided with in data presentation. The system should allow users to select appropriate settings and property values on display options that fits their preferences, e.g., choice of whether data appears in a grid, a chart, or a grid/chart combination.

\n\n\n\n

The system should provide online help that includes comprehensive instructions on using each feature. The users should be provided with default mechanisms for accessing help pages e.g., by clicking the question mark icon across all the screens or a distinct menu Help > Help... menu option in the menu bar. A link to a comprehensive help resource should be provided in various formats e.g., Wiki, PDF etc.

\n\n\n\n

The system should provide a simple traceable navigation of the entire system with options clearly showing the users where they are and how they can navigate away from the current screens and consequences of doing so.

\n\n\n\n

The system should provide users performing data manipulation tasks to save their work at a certain point or make a particular view of the data available to other users.

\n\n\n\n

The system interface design will adhere to the COMESA branding guide which shall be provided.

\n\n\n\n

The supplier shall provide the hardware appropriate for the proper running of the application.

\n\n\n\n

All server-side components must execute on server-class computers. All client-side components must execute on workstation-class and personal-class computers.

\n\n\n\n\n\n

Note: in a scenario where the system uses third party plugins to run, this must be stated in advance for information security tests and clearance.

\n\n\n\n\n\n

End to end encryption must be provided in all the interactions in the system e.g., chat facilities, web browsers, mobile apps etc.

\n\n\n\n

The system should be responsive and perform efficiently, even with many users and data. It should have acceptable response times for tasks such as employee data retrieval, report generation, and system updates. System performance is the most important quality in non-functional requirements and affects almost all the other preceding ones. A stress test is to be performed by the vendor once the system is commissioned.

\n\n\n\n

The system should be designed to minimize downtime through robust error handling, fault tolerance, and backup and recovery mechanisms. It should also have appropriate monitoring and alerting capabilities to identify and address potential issues proactively.

\n\n\n\n

The system should be designed to recover quickly from a crash or a failure in the system and return to full operation.

\n\n\n\n

The system shall provide security measures based on best practices and international standards. Some security features may include encryption of data on database and web services, implementation using HTTPS, only authorized users are able to access the system via an authentication mechanism and Role based access.

\n\n\n\n

All system components must follow a common and standard set of exchange formats to exchange data.

\n\n\n\n

The design should be scalable to provide for future business needs.

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

The system should also be able to integrate with other systems such as Sun Financial system, M& E system, document management systems, workflow and Business Intelligence. It should provide standardized interfaces (APIs) or support industry-standard integration protocols to facilitate data exchange and interoperability.

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

The system should adhere to relevant legal and regulatory requirements, such as data protection and privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR) and employment law. It should support features and controls to ensure compliance, such as data retention policies, audit trails, and consent management.

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

The system should be accessible and functional on mobile devices, allowing users to perform essential tasks on smartphones or tablets. The user interface should be responsive and optimized for mobile screens, enabling employees and managers to access information on the go.

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

The system shall be developed/customize on the latest version of technology stack. The supplier shall provide the system architecture and development platform of the proposed solution.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Project Team
    2. \n
\n\n

A project committee will be setup to provide governance, oversight, and strategic guidance for the project. The committee serves as a central decision-making body, ensuring that the project aligns with the overall goals and objectives of the organization. The project committee will comprise of the following members:

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Timeline
    2. \n
\n\n

The Planning & Budgeting system implementation project is anticipated to span for 18 months after the vendor selection and contract negotiation, which will cover a period of 3 months. The actual Project implementation timelines are as follows:

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

SN

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Activity

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Timeline

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Planning and requirements gathering

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

01/06/2024 to 15/07/2024

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

System customization and configuration

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

16/07/2024 to 31/10/2024

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Data migration and testing

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

01/11/2024 to 13/12/2024

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Training and user acceptance testing

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

01/03/2025 to 31/05/2025

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Rollout and post-implementation support

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

01/06/2025 to 20/09/2025

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Implementation Plan
    2. \n
\n\n

The vendor shall provide a project Grant chart detailing the project schedule, phase, task and subtask duration, proposed phasing for roll-out of proposed system and highlight key milestone dates that illustrates the duration of tasks listed in the scope of work and identifies results and deliverable milestone. The proposed Grant chart should be based upon the proposed project approach and timeline.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Project Approach, Methodology and Governance
    2. \n
\n\n

The vendor is expected to describe how the firm intends to manage all aspects of the work to be performed, including schedules for completion of tasks/subtasks, procedures for scheduling and cost control.

\n\n

9.1 Testing and UAT

\n\n

The vendor should commit to submit Unit Test Plans, System Test Plans, Integration Test Plans, Load and Stress Test Plan. The Test Results should be submitted to COMESA as evidence of full-fledged testing carried out prior to UAT.

\n\n

The vendor should submit UAT test scripts to ensure that the UAT scenarios cater for all the requirements expressed by the users. A comprehensive user manual should be made available before the training.

\n\n

The UAT exercise should consist of different rounds of testing as follows:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Round 1 should consist of executing all the test scenarios business flow wise and identifying list of issues if any by the users;
    2. \n\t
  2. Vendor should commit to ensure that issues identified in Round 1 are fully addressed to the satisfaction of the users prior to starting the next round (Round 2);
    3. \n\t
  3. Vendor should also commit to producing evidence that that non-regression testing has been performed prior to starting next round and
    4. \n\t
  4. Subsequent rounds are conducted until no further issues are identified.
    5. \n
\n\n

9.2 Quality Assurance Plan

\n\n

The vendor shall provide a proper Quality Assurance plan to ensure the success of the project.  The vendor should ensure that all work products are evaluated, and that evidence is provided to the fact that:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. It conforms to specified requirements.
    2. \n\t
  2. It has been produced according to the project standards and processes.
    3. \n
\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Change Management
    2. \n
\n\n

Change management strategies will be employed to ensure smooth transition and adoption of the new Planning & Budgeting system. As the implementation and adoption of business process changes will be vital to the success of the project, the consultant should be able to explain and communicate business process changes and their associated requirements to individuals throughout the COMESA including to executive managers, division heads, subject matter experts, and end-users. The consultant shall provide guidance and mentor the project core team to successfully implement the overall business transformation and system changes for the COMESA. The change management plan will include amongst others:

\n\n\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Project Deliverables
    2. \n
\n\n

The following mandatory deliverables should be provided:

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

SN

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Deliverable

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Details

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Project Management Plan and Project Documents

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

The project management plan shall cover the following aspects:

\n\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1. Project approach and organization
    2. \n\t\t\t\t
  2. Requirement Management
    3. \n\t\t\t\t
  3. Scope Management
    4. \n\t\t\t\t
  4. Schedule Management
    5. \n\t\t\t\t
  5. Deliverable Plan
    6. \n\t\t\t\t
  6. Configuration management
    7. \n\t\t\t\t
  7. Quality Management
    8. \n\t\t\t\t
  8. Risk Management
    9. \n\t\t\t\t
  9. Change management, communication, and training plan
    10. \n\t\t\t\t
  10. Go-Live Plan
    11. \n\t\t\t\t
  11. Warranty service plan
    12. \n\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

The vendor shall update the project plan at the end of each project phases. Furthermore, the vendor is expected to provide regular weekly progress reports or as specified by COMESA project steering committee.

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Solution Blueprint

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

The solution blueprint shall cover all the functional, technical, migration and security requirements as well as the system architecture of the proposed solution.

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Training

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Training for business users as well as Administration training for IT department and IT Auditor. A comprehensive user manuals and Administrator manual for each module configured shall be delivered.

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

User Acceptance Test Document

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Vendor should submit the UAT test scripts and ensure that all the UAT scenarios are catered for the requirements expressed by the users. The UAT exercise should consist of different rounds of testing. The vendor should ensure that a full-fledged testing has been carried out prior to UAT.

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

5.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

A fully operational and bug free efficient system as per requirement

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

The vendor shall provide a fully operational and bug free system prior to Go-Live. The following will have to be addressed to the satisfaction of the users prior to Go-Live of the system:

\n\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1. All requirements of the users (including IT Security requirements) have been catered for in the Application Software.
    2. \n\t\t\t\t
  2. All identified scenarios are fully and comprehensively tested during each round of UAT.
    3. \n\t\t\t\t
  3. All bugs identified during UAT have been dealt with.
    4. \n\t\t\t\t
  4. Trainings on System Administration and Application Software have been delivered.
    5. \n\t\t\t\t
  5. All documentations are provided
    6. \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

6.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Commissioning report

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

The commissioning report shall include among others:

\n\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  1. The level of customization for each module configured.
    2. \n\t\t\t\t
  2. System setup document
    3. \n\t\t\t\t
  3. Security Policies
    4. \n\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t

The sign-off shall be done at the end of the operational acceptance.

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

6.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Warranty Plan

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

The vendor shall provide all the terms and condition of the warranty.

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

7.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Support Agreement

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

The vendor shall provide all the terms and condition of the support. Furthermore, the vendor should provide a monthly progress report on maintenance & support activities and a periodic SLA performance report.

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Training, Knowledge transfer and Support
    2. \n
\n\n

Comprehensive training will be provided to end-users and administrators to ensure proper knowledge transfer and proficiency in using the Planning & Budgeting system. The training programme shall be designed for:

\n\n\n\n

A minimum of three (3) months on-site post implementation support will be provided. Additionally, the selected consultant shall provide ongoing support will be available through:

\n\n\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Evaluation and Monitoring
    2. \n
\n\n

The success of the Planning & Budgeting implementation project will be evaluated based on predefined success criteria, including:

\n\n\n\n

The project committee through regular project status meetings and reports will monitor progress.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Other Requirements
    2. \n
\n\n
    \n\t
  1. The vendor is required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
    2. \n\t
  2. The system should support multilingual.
    3. \n\t
  3. The Planning & Budgeting system shall be developed using the latest and most up-to-date technologies and frameworks.
    4. \n\t
  4. The security features of the system shall meet industry standards and best practices.
    5. \n
\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Payment Terms
    2. \n
\n\n

The structure of payment shall be as follows:

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Implementation Services
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

S.N

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Deliverable

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Payment

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Inception Report with agreed project implementation plan

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

10%

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Detailed Software Requirements Specifications

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

30%

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Solution Prototype based on the Solution Blueprint

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

20%

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Go-live

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

20%

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Retention Money- 12 months after Go-Live

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

20%

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Support Services
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

S.N

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Deliverable

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Payment

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

12 Months post go-live Warranty

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

0%

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Annual Maintenance Contract

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Annually

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Company Profile and Profile of Consultants
    2. \n
\n\n

A company profile of the Vendor as well as a list of staff that would be involved in the project and their respective qualifications and experience should be provided.

\n\n

The Consultant shall determine the number and nature of experts they will require to achieve the objectives of the assignment, in accordance with their proposed approach and methodology. Nonetheless, the Consultant’s team shall be composed of at least four (4) experts with extensive demonstrable experience/knowledge as follows:

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Project Manager
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Education

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Requisite Experience

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Bsc in Computer Science or related discipline

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Master’s degree in Computer Science, business administration, project management or related discipline, or 5 years relevant professional experience in project management.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Professional certification in project/programme management. (Desirable)

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

A minimum of 5 years’ experience in managing IT projects preferably with a focus on Planning & Budgeting system implementations, specifically within the African region.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Professional certifications in Finance or Change Management are desirable. Strong communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills are essential for effective project execution.

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Solution Architect
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Education

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Requisite Experience

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Bsc in Computer Science or related discipline

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

A minimum of 5 years of experience in solution architecture, with a focus on Finance/ Planning & Budgeting system implementations.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Relevant certifications in solution architecture, enterprise architecture, or Finance/ Planning & Budgeting technologies (e.g., TOGAF, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Finance/ Planning & Budging platform-specific certifications) is desirable.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Strong communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills are essential for effective project execution.

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Functional Expert
    2. \n
\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Education

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Requisite Experience

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Bsc in Computer Science or related discipline

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

A minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience working with Finance/ Planning & Budgeting system functionalities and implementation.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Proficiency in Finance / Planning & Budgeting system platforms and related technologies, with specific expertise in implementation, customization, and maintenance.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

In-depth knowledge of Finance /Planning & Budgeting system platforms.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Proficiency in mapping Finance/Planning & Budgeting processes and aligning them with IT system capabilities to optimize workflows.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Proven ability to gather and document detailed requirements from Finance/ Planning & Budgeting system and other stakeholders for Finance/ Planning & Budgeting system configurations and customizations.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Hands-on experience in configuring and customizing Finance/ Planning & Budgeting systems to meet organizational needs.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Experience in conducting comprehensive testing of Finance/ Planning & Budgeting solutions to ensure functionality, accuracy, and compliance.

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Technical Expert
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Education

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Requisite Experience

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Bsc in Computer Science or related discipline

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

A minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience working with Finance/ Planning & Budgeting technologies.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Proficiency in Finance/ Planning & Budgeting platforms and related technologies, with specific expertise in implementation, customization, and maintenance.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Hands-on experience with Finance/ Planning & Budgeting.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Strong programming skills in languages relevant to Finance/ Planning & Budgeting system customization (e.g., Java, Python, SQL).

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Proficiency in scripting languages for automation and integration purposes.

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\n\t\t\t

Expertise in database management systems, particularly those used in Finance/ Planning & Budgeting system (e.g., MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server)

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n

A Project Team Composition Template clearly indicating the manpower input months should be provided as per format in Annex 3.

\n\n

In this respect, Vendors are required to submit information on reference sites and staff profiles as per format at Annex 4.

\n\n

COMESA shall be notified in writing of any change or replacement of staff being assigned on the project as per their response of the bidding document. Respective qualifications and experience of any new staff joining the implementation team should be provided. COMESA reserves the right to approve any such change.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Customer References
    2. \n
\n\n

To be eligible for this exercise, vendors should have at least three (3) reference sites where they have successfully implemented a similar project.

\n\n

Annexes

\n\n

Annex 1: Process Steps for Planning and Budgeting

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Step

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Who

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Performs what

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Systems

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Director/Unit Head/ Officers

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • Selects Plan of Activities for the current year. The system shall display planned activities for the current year from MTSP (M&E system) for the department/unit. Information that will be available include Strategic Pillar, expected result, indicators, available funding (partners), budget, available funds, means of implementation, expenditure items, etc.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Directors and Team Leaders will identify and plan activities (Means of implementation, source of funding (multiple sources), start date, end date, Estimated Budget and responsible officer) for the given year.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Information like standard rate, exchange rate, Analysis Dimension, etc. will be automatically map with Sun system while selecting the activities.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Directors and Team Leaders will have the option to save working documents as Draft until approved by Strategic Planning/ ASG/SG/Council.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Once the draft plan of activities is finalized at the Division/Unit level, same will be sent to strategic planning.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • An email notification is sent to Strategic Planning to review plan of activities.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • During budget implementation, detailed budgets will be prepared by Directors/Unit Heads for the approval of the Assistant Secretary General – Finance on the recommendation of the Director of Budget and Finance.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • During work programme implementation, quarterly and individual aide memoires will be prepared by Unit/Division Heads for the approval of the respective Executive Management upon confirmation of funds by the Director of Finance.
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

M&E – Plan of activities from MTSP for current year

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Strategic Planning

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • Strategic Planning review plan of activities and ensure Divisional and Unit work plans aligns to the approved medium term strategic plan, Council decisions, emerging economic trends and Monitoring & Evaluation Indicators.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • An email notification should be sent to Directors/Head of Unit/ Assistant Secretary General (Programme) once the plan of activities has been reviewed by Strategic Planning.
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Planning

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Assistant Secretary General (Programme)

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • Assistant Secretary General (Programme) validate the activities and programmes.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Once the plan of activities has been validated, the plan is sent to Finance Director to recommend for costing.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • An email notification should be sent to Directors/Head of Unit/ Assistant Secretary General (Programme)/ Finance Director once the plan of activities has been validated by Assistant Secretary General (Programme).
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • During budget implementation, the Assistant Secretary General Programmes will approve quarterly and individual aide memoires upon confirmation of budget availability by Director of Finance
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Planning

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Finance Director

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • Possibility to view plan of work by Division/Unit
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Assign Finance Expert to costs the planned activities on the basis of budget ceilings, standard costing rates as guided by organization rules and regulations.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • An email notification is sent to the Assigned Finance Expert.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • During budget implementation, detailed budgets and aide memoires will be prepared at activity level by Unit/Division Head for approval of the Finance Director on the recommendation of the respective Finance Experts
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Planning

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Assigned Finance Expert

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • The assigned Finance Expert process and review plan of activities
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Assigned Officer will review completeness of information.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Assigned Finance Expert will consolidate budget for the department/unit. The system should have an interface will the Sun System where Finance Expert will be able to retrieve information such as budget available, cost centre, standard rate, exchange rate, Analysis Dimension, Analysis Code, etc. 
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Assigned Officer has the possibility to request information to Division/Unit/Project.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Assigned Officer will review budget and send recommendation to Finance Officer
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • During budget implementation, the Finance Expert will confirm and commit funds for the detailed activities for approval of the Assistant Secretary General Administration upon the recommendation of Director Finance
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Budgeting

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Finance Officer/ Grant Accountant

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • Receives a notification from Finance Expert
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Approve or reject based on recommendation from Finance Expert and Budget availability.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Notification sends to Director Finance for approval of budget. In case of rejection, ground of refusal is specified.
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Budgeting

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

7

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Director of Finance

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • Receives a notification for approval or rejection of budget per division/unit from Finance Officer.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Approve or reject based on recommendation from Finance Expert and Budget available.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Notification sends to Assistant Secretary General (Admin & Finance) on approval of budget from Finance. In case of rejection, ground of refusal is specified.
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Budgeting

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

8

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Assistant Secretary General (Admin & Finance)

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • Receives a notification for approval or rejection of budget per division/unit.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Approve or reject based on recommendation from Finance Director and Budget available.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Possibility to approve or reject budget.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Upon approval of budget for all Division/Unit, Notification is sent to Secretary General.
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Budgeting

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

9

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Secretary General

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • Receives a notification for approval or rejection of organization wide work programme and budget.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Review and approve of the organization wide work programme and budget for submission to Council upon the recommendation of the Assistant Secretaries General.
    • \n\t\t\t\t
  • Notification sends to Assistant Secretaries/Directors/ Head of Unit/Finance Experts/ Procurement/Other Stakeholders on approval of budget.
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Budgeting

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

10

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

M&E

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • Planning and Budgeting is automatically exported to M&E system upon Council approval of organization wide work programme and budget after the review of the Audit and Budget Committee, Administrative and Budgetary Committee and the Inter-Governmental Committee.
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

M&E

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

11

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Procurement

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
  • The Procurement plan will be automatically generated from the approved plan and budget for the year.
    • \n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

E-Procurement

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Annex 2: Proposed Process Flow Diagram

\n\n

Annex 3: Project Team Composition Template

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

SN

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Name of Expert

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Designation

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Manpower Input in Months

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Remote

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

On-Site

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Total

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Name

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Project Manager

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Jane Doe

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Solution Architect

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

0

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Expert III

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Designation III

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Expert IV

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Designation IV

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Expert V

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Designation V

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Expert VI

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Designation VI

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

7

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Expert VII

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Designation VII

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

4

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

8

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Expert VIII

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Designation VIII

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

6

\n\t\t\t
\n\n

Annex 4: Individual Team Profiles       

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

Curriculum Vitae: Expert 1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Role in the Project

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Role X

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Name of Expert

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Expert 1

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Date of Birth

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Dd/mm/yyyy

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Nationality

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

XXXX

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Education

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

No.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Degree

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

College

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Year

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Bachelor of Science XXX

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

College Name

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2002

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Master of Science XXX

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

College Name

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2010

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Professional Certifications

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

No.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Certification

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Body and Number

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Status

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Certified XXX

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Body X Certificate #

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Active

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Certified XXX

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Body X Certificate #

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Expired

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Expert Profile Summary

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Work Experience

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

No

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Employer

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

From

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

To

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Designation

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

1

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Employer X

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

00/00/0000

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

00/00/0000

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Designation x

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Employer X

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

00/00/0000

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

00/00/0000

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Designation x

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Employer X

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

00/00/0000

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

00/00/0000

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Designation x

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Project Experience Related to Current Assignment

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Project Client

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Client Name

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Project Summary

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Responsibilities in the project

\n\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Technologies Used

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Technology 1, Technology 2, Technology N

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Sign

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Expert Signature

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Date

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

00/00/00

\n\t\t\t
       
\n\n

 

"},{"id":"OP00177621","notice_type":"Request for Expression of Interest","noticedate":"02-May-2022","notice_lang_name":"English","notice_status":"Published","submission_deadline_date":"2022-05-16T00:00:00Z","submission_deadline_time":"04:00","project_ctry_name":"Liberia","project_id":"P155293","project_name":"Liberia Social Safety Nets Project","bid_reference_no":"LR-MOGCSP-290621-CS-CQS","bid_description":"SR Phase II Data Collection in Grand Kru and River Gee Counties","procurement_group":"CS","procurement_method_code":"CQS","procurement_method_name":"Consultant Qualification Selection","contact_address":"110 UN Drive & Gurley StreetP.O. Box 10-13751000 Monrovia 10 Liberia","contact_ctry_name":"Liberia","contact_email":"procureoffcr.genderlssn@gmail.com","contact_name":"Aurelius Butler","contact_organization":"Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Protection","contact_phone_no":"886690735","submission_date":"2022-05-02T00:00:00Z","notice_text":"

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

Republic of Liberia

Liberia Social Safety Nets Project

Assignment Title: Data Collection in Grand Kru and River Gee Counties  

Reference No. LR-MOGCSP-290621-CS-CQS

 

The Government of the Republic of Liberia has received financing from the World Bank in support of the Liberia Social Safety Nets Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. The consulting services (“the Services”) include to collect and process data for the Liberia Household Social Registry (LHSR) in Grand Kru and River Gee Counties for (approximately 36,000 households in total), using technological innovations.   

 

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services required. The shortlisting criteria are:

 

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers January 2011, Revised July 2014 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

 

Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub-consultancy to enhance their qualifications. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Consultants Qualification Selection (CQS) method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

 

 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours i.e. 0900 to 1600 hours.

Liberia Social Safety Nets Project

Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection Old Office

First Floor, Capitol Bypass, Monrovia Liberia

 

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by May 16, 2022 at 16.00hrs (GMT). (Note this assignment is only for local firms in Liberia as this is a National Competitive Bidding Process)

 

 

 

ATT: F. Daniel Quire

Procurement Officer

Liberia Social Safety Nets Project

Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection

Capitol Bye Pass, Monrovia Liberia

Tel. +231 777333440, 886690735

E-mail: dquire@lssnp.gov.lr  and copy abutler@lssnp.gov.lr

 

 

 

Signed: Omilford Saye Nyan, Jr.

             Procurement Director

 

Approved: Williametta E. Saydee-Tarr

                   MINISTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR

DATA COLLECTION FIRM

 

  1.  Background

 

  1. Social protection is recognized as a key instrument of the Government of Liberia (GoL)’s development agenda to address vulnerability and reduce poverty. Social protection programs, including social safety nets, are key to the GoL’s development agenda to address vulnerability and reduce poverty. Specifically, Liberia’s Medium-Term National Development Plan for 2018-2023 “The Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development” (PAPD) aims to improve coverage and targeting of social protection services and improve social protection system for effective and efficient service delivery. PAPD has a target of 0.4 percent of GDP from the national budget going to social protection by year 2023.  The National Social Protection Policy and Strategy, approved in August 2013, further contributes to the PAPD’s objectives.

 

  1. The Government’s commitment to building a coherent SP system is further highlighted by the creation of a Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP). The Ministry is focusing on: (i) building a robust, coherent and transparent institutional and legal framework for the coordination of SP programs; and (ii) building unified systems for delivering Social Protection. Within this context, the GoL obtained funding from the World Bank and USAID to support its ongoing efforts to build an effective social protection system through the Liberia Social Safety Nets Project (LSSNP), which aims to improve efficiency, enhance capacity, and strengthen social protection in Liberia through the development of the basic building blocks of a safety net delivery system.

 

  1. Specifically, the project aims to achieve the following:

 

  1. The Project Development Objective (PDO) of the LSSNP is to establish the key building blocks of a basic national safety net delivery system and provide income support to households that are both extremely poor and food insecure in the Republic of Liberia. The systems established under the project are also expected to benefit other government SP programs, as well as interventions operated by collaborating development partners. The SR will likewise assist in tracking the overall coverage of the SP sector through the monitoring of the types and amounts of benefits across vulnerable populations through different SP programs managed by the MGCSP, other Government entities, or Development Partners.

 

  1. The integrated MIS will benefit other Social Protection (SP) programs through its modular setup by enabling different programs to access and customize the system for the management of their own interventions. The MIS will also be integrated in such a way to enable the flow and management of information between SP programs to facilitate improvements in the efficiency of services and reduce duplication errors. The functionality and scalability of these systems will be initially tested through the Social Cash Transfer program implemented by the MGCSP. 

 

  1. The advantages of an integrated approach can be analyzed from a policy and operational perspective (and these often overlap). From a policy perspective, advantages include the ability to:
  1. Apply a more equitable approach to distributing resources to beneficiaries based on objective and comparable information;
  2. Increase responsiveness and inclusiveness of interventions that serve the chronic poor, populations structurally vulnerable to poverty and respond to individual shocks, such as job loss, disability, childbearing, old age, or larger crises (for example, natural disasters or conflict)
  3. Increase transparency and accountability since program information can be more easily shared and compared
  4. Build a stronger link to institutional frameworks and wider social and economic policies
  5. Increase knowledge on poverty and vulnerability based on access to the large amount of information available.

 

  1. From an operational perspective, advantages include the ability to:
  1. Facilitate oversight of multiple schemes and report to policymakers responsible for social protection interventions
  2. Avoid duplication of effort (for example, with data collection activities for targeting programs)
  3. Establish a common payment system across all schemes, increasing efficiency and saving money
  4. Avoid duplication errors and better manage fraud
  5. Enable beneficiaries to transition between schemes as their circumstances change

 

  1. The Liberia Household Social Registry (LHSR) implementation has the potential to have significant impact as a tool to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and expand the coverage and scope of social protection interventions; also to serve as an instrument for data integration and information management across programs to achieve the desired harmonization and coordination of the Social Protection programs in Liberia.

 

  1. Traditionally, developing data collection and household registration processes for social protection programs in Liberia has been a major operational challenge since they have been implemented without much technological support: data collection is done with the traditional use of pen and paper and the data processing takes place using data entry clerks, which can entail high risks in time, cost and quality of information; but also there is no mechanism to ensure a unique identification of the people, so there is the possibility that beneficiaries are enrolled in more than one program without knowledge and coordination between programs. In addition, there have been challenges related to the accuracy of the household information used to assess eligibility for different programs.

 

  1. For the development of the LHSR, the MGCSP is taking into account the lessons learned from previous data collection and household registration experiences, and plan to introduce technological innovations and improvements to the operational procedures in order to accurately collect information on households and identify SP program beneficiaries. The key features and innovations to be introduced include:
  1. Implementation of a Public Information and Awareness Campaign through community outreach to inform the public about the registration process. Such outreach, prior to the beginning of the data collection process in a community, will be critical to ensure the success of the process, and it must be tailored to the literacy levels, cultural and ethnic differences, and accessibility to remote areas.
  2. Collection of a core set of socio-economic information from all individuals and households, which is used to identify beneficiaries for programs based on their level of living standard and other demographic details.
  3. Collection and use of biometrics to ensure effective identification of people and to decrease the chances of duplication. 
  4. Collection and use of GPS location co-ordinates and photographic images of structures to enable better identification of households and to decrease the chances of duplication.
  5. Collection of critical community level information to enhance Development and Social Protection Program planning.
  6. Implementation of Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) as a means of collecting core information both more rapidly and with more built-in quality controls. Data collection on tablets will replace paper-and-pen methods.

 

  1. The implementation of the LHSR will follow a gradual roll-out strategy through which it is projected to cover the entire country in a phased approach. Phase 1 of LHSR data collection is covering Maryland, Bomi, Bong, and Nimba counties. For the purposes of this consultancy assignment, activities are planned for the implementation of Phase 2, which will cover Grand Kru and River Gee Counties.

 

  1. Objective of the Assignment
  1. The objective of this assignment is to collect and process data for the LHSR in the following counties: Grand Kru and River Gee (approximately 36,000 households in total), using the technological innovations and improvements in operational processes as proposed above.
  2. Along this line, the MGCSP is seeking a Data Collection Firm (“Firm”) that has the following expertise and capacity to:
  1. Bench test an existing data collection software and a biometric collection solution tool and provide feedback to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection for any adjustments needed before commencing data collection; All data collection instruments required for the exercise will be provided by the Ministry.
  2. Collect required data from all households, structures, and communities in Grand Kru, and River Gee counties using the finalized data collection software(s);
  3. Perform Data Quality Control, Data Aggregation, and Enumerator Training and Management;
  4. Perform data synchronization, data deduplication, and adjudication;

 

  1. The strategy to collect the core set of socio-economic information from all households will be through a Census Approach.  This entails implementing a house-to-house survey with the objective of visiting and registering every household by collecting key information that will enable screening for their enrolment into different government programs. The tool used for this survey will be referred to as the Data Intake Questionnaire.

 

  1. Biometric information for all household members 16 years and above; and photographs for all household members 8 years and above will be collected during the house-to-house visits as part of the data intake questionnaire to enable better identification of households and to decrease the chances of duplication at this point during data collection. The firm will ensure that 90% of the households’ surveys are with biometric information and photos of all eligible household members.
  2. In addition, the Firm will take GPS coordinates and photographic images of all structure’s households live in using a Structure Identification Form.

 

  1. The Firm will also have responsibility for collecting critical community level information to enhance Development and Social Protection Program planning. This information will be covered by the Community Mapping Module survey tool and will capture information such as the location of the community infrastructures or services and access to basic services outside the community.

 

  1. The data collection process comprises the following steps:

 

  1. Logistics Plan:

A logistics plan should be prepared by the Firm, and will be part of the Inception Report which will be submitted to Social Registry Unit during the process planning phase. The logistics plan ensures the smooth implementation of the field data collection and must provide details about the following activities: (i) schedule and location of training workshops and stakeholder meetings (for example, with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Liberia Institute of Geo-Information Services (LISGIS), and the World Bank); (ii) allocation of staff, which meets minimum qualifications and experience prescribed in this TOR per Region, Counties, Districts, Clans and Communities, and; (iii) logistics for distribution of all required materials in the field (tablets, biometric devices, GPS, stationary, power bank, rain coat and boots, name tags, mobile phone cards, rain proof bag to protect equipment from damage, etc.).

 

  1. Public Information Campaign:

A key activity for the success of the process is a massive Public Information Campaign (PIC) through community outreach to inform the public about the registration process. Such outreach, prior to the start of the data collection process in a community, is critical to ensure the success of this type of approach and it must be tailored to the literacy levels, cultural and ethnic differences, and accessibility to remote areas. The PIC effectiveness would be closely monitored and evaluated in a timely manner as to make necessary changes and adaptations along the way. The Firm will be provided with PIC materials and guidance on PIC activities from the MGCSP, and will be expected to assist in the PIC implementation on the ground, given their direct engagement in communities through the data collection activities.

 

Prior to the launch of a data collection process in a community, the Firm should assist the PIC implementation with community sensitization activities.  The activities would include informing the community about the implementation modality, and the need for households to provide correct information. The Firm will assist in carrying out the PIC at least 1-2 weeks prior to the launch of the data collection process in each County.

 

For each County, the Firm, with the support of the MGCSP will contact the representatives of local NGOs and community leaders of the area to seek their support in terms of information dissemination about the process, and request them to: a) make special announcements in respective local languages to reach every household in the community; b) place posters, brochures and information materials in their schools, or health centers, among other activities that are deemed appropriate in the County.

 

  1. Development of Structure and Community-Level Databases:

This activity should be undertaken by the Firm during the house-to-house visits in a specific community.  All structures in which households are living will be surveyed. As part of this process, each structure should be identified with a number, GPS coordinates, and photos via a short Structure Identification Form  so that structures can be linked to the main household-level data collection process easily. The firm may also be asked to write the structure IDs on the structures. Also, key local landmarks should be identified to help the process of determining all the different clusters of structures which comprise the community.

 

During these community visits, the firm will also collect critical community level information to enhance Development and Social Protection Program planning. This information will be covered in the Community Mapping Module survey tool and will capture information such as the location of the community infrastructures or services and access to basic services outside the community. One Community Mapping Module survey tool will be completed per each community.

 

  1. Data Collection Process:

Enumerators will carry out house-to-house surveys in their assigned areas, using Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI), which is a computer assisted data collection method for replacing paper-and-pen by the use of tablets. 

 

The available CAPI software that will be provided by the Ministry and has the following features:

(i) Ability for the interviewer to select the appropriate language to administer the questionnaire;

(ii) Provide basic and complex skip instruction capabilities. Basic skips are those that use only the current question's answer to determine whether the next question is relevant while Complex skips are those that either use answers from several questions in different modules and/or answers in different hierarchical levels of the questionnaire to determine whether the next question is relevant. (iii)Validation of the response, minimizing data-entry errors; (iv) ability to automate mundane but error-prone aspects of data collection and functionality to augment other aspects through multi-media cues to the enumerator and/or respondent, such as photos of food quantities or prompts about the logical consistency of answers; (v) ability to conduct at minimum two types of data consistency checks: those within modules and those across modules. The logic and graduated level of increasingly greater requirements between intra-module and inter-module consistency checks is the same as with basic and complex skips; (vi) Provide online and offline capabilities;(vii) Capability for collecting fingerprint biometrics to ensure effective identification of people and to decrease the chances of duplication.  For that purpose, the tablets should be equipped with electronic fingerprint sensors, 10 individual plain impressions of separate fingers will be collected from every household member age 8 years and above; (viii) Capability for collecting photograph of each household member 8 years and above and their home (a single photograph should be taken of each household member as well as a single photograph of the household structure); (ix) Capability for collecting geolocation of households: the tablets should be equipped with GPS through which the geolocation of the interviewed households and other community structures, such as health clinics and schools, should be taken; (x) Capability for recording information on mobile phone coverage within each community; (xi) Administration sub-module to track, almost on real time, the performance indicators of the process and thus be able to take corrective measures while still working in the community; (xii) Capability to perform an initial categorization of households based on data intake questionnaire information; (xiii) Capability to scan QR code.

 

The Firm will be required to provide the electronic tablets and biometric devices, as well as any other equipment needed for operationalizing data collection.

 

MGCSP will provide the data collection software, biometric collection solution, data synchronization, QR code reading, data connectivity through SIM cards/VPN and temporary storage.

 

The firm will be required to adhere to the data protection protocol by MGCSP to protect the access, usage and integrity of household data by field enumerators and staff that will be collecting, transferring, and assessing the household data in any form – to or from their CAPI devices and severs.

 

Data Synchronization, Validation and De-Duplication Process

Once a household interview is completed, the enumerator will synchronize the data gathered and send it to the Social Registry Management Information System (MIS) and/or the firm’s central servers, using the data connectivity provided by the tablets SIM cards and through a VPN.  For areas with limited connectivity, the data should be synced at the end of each day, or once enumerator has reached an area with connectivity.

 

The Social Registry and or the firm’s central server shall provide login credentials and VPN connectivity for secure transfer of data.  Data that is successfully posted centrally should be marked as posted. Data must be kept for at least 48 hours after successful posting before deletion from the enumerators’ tablets.  Since tablets have limited storage, the data that is posted to central servers needs to be deleted from the enumerators’ tablets. It is also a mandatory design decision for data security, as well as backing up the data within 24 hours of submission.

 

Once data has been uploaded to the Social Registry's MIS and or the firm’s servers, the process of fingerprint deduplication and adjudication should commence. This is to ensure a duplicate-free member database. All records marked as unique, after the deduplication process, will start the validation stage in which the consistency of the data will be verified.  If inconsistencies are detected, the database administrator of the Firm will check the data reported by the field teams and will provide feedback within one week of data submission, via mobile phones.

 

Data cleaning methodology:  The firm will submit a data cleaning proposal which should include the following phases: (i) Screening Phase: To identify key oddities in the dataset via high-frequency checks and other means: lack of data (missingness); outliers, including inconsistencies; strange patterns in distributions; and unexpected results and other types of inferences and abstractions; (ii) Diagnostic Phase:  to clarify the true nature of the worrisome data points, patterns, and statistics and; (iii) Treatment or Editing Phase: After identifying errors, missing values, and true (extreme or normal) values, what statistical or qualitative (phone calls or field visits) techniques or methodologies will be used to correct the anomalies identified during the screening and diagnostic phase. This should be done within five (5) working days after identifying the problem.

 

The Firm will be responsible for reviewing reports and responding to queries on submitted data, review data quality, daily progression and area wise segregation with complete audit trail of each entry.

 

Only after completing each of these steps should the data be considered clean and may be synchronized with the LHSR servers through VPN connectivity. Synchronization should occur at least once per week.

 

  1. Quality Assurance

 

Under the guidance and supervision of the Social Registry Unit, the contracted firm will develop and implement systematic quality assurance procedures to prevent unacceptable practices and to minimize errors in data collection.

This will include the following:

  1. Standardized supervision tools. All supervisors shall understand and use standard instruments to follow-up and monitor field activities, including spot-checking enumerators on their team on a rotating basis using a spot-check form.
  2. A separate team of back-checkers that revisit randomly selected households and verify some of the information collected from them in the main data collection exercise.
  3. Investigation and redress of data quality flags put forth by the Ministry, including appropriate retraining or corrective actions taken with enumerators flagged as concerning.
  4. Regular internal discussions among field teams to assess progress and challenges and to provide updates to field protocols as needed to improve data quality
  5. Documentation of processes. All supervisors should maintain continuous documentation of the achievements and solve any challenges as they occur and should not wait until the last moment;
  6. Regular meetings with the Social Registry Unit to verify and validate progress to minimize bias and manipulation or error;
  7. The firm must identify ethical, practical, theoretical and methodological issues that need to be considered and how they will be addressed in this data collection process.
  8. The Social Registry Unit has sole copyright and ownership of all data and documentation resulting from the process.
  9. The firm must submit a weekly log of quality checks, issues found and solution adopted and by whom to the Social Registry.

 

  1. The operational parameters to implement the data collection process are:
  1. One structure identification form completed for each structure.
  2. One data intake questionnaire per household for all households. One or several households may reside in one structure. Strict adherence to the household definition as defined by LISGIS is mandatory by the firm and enumerators/supervisors. The basic interview for all households is expected to last for an average of 30-40 minutes (household geo-reference, biometrics, picture of the household members, and data intake questionnaire interview) plus an average travel time of 5 minutes between structures in densely populated communities and 10 to 15 minutes for sparsely populated areas.
  3. One community basic services and resource mapping module per community. Time to complete this module will depend on the size of the community but is anticipated to take under a day.
  4. Spot-checks and back-checks completed on sampled households by a separate team to verify and validate data quality. The Spot-checks and back-checks for all sampled households are expected to last for an average of 10-15 minutes (involve taking GPS/photos of the structure, scanning LHSR IDs of households in the structure, and answering a handful of other questions about the structure or incomplete/pending households, etc) plus an average travel time of 5 minutes between structures in densely populated communities and 10 to 15 minutes for sparsely populated areas.
  5. The firm is expected to cover an entire county in no more than 60 working days. Data collection from the two (2) counties contemplated for phase 2 shall be carried out simultaneously after a short pilot phase in each county following the training.
  6. The enumeration teams are expected to work not less than 6 days a week with an effective working time per day of 8 hours.
  7. The number of enumerators and supervisors depends on local requirements. It is recommended that each enumeration team should be composed of a maximum of 6 enumerators per supervisor and have at least 3 enumerators that can speak the local dialects. 
  8. When calculating the time that an enumeration team will spend in a community, it is recommended to add at least 15% of the time required for contingencies. For example, time may be required for community entry, waiting for absent household members/head who have been send for from nearby village, church/mosque, farm, sick bush, etc.
  1. Scope of Services
  1. The Social Registry Unit will supervise the entire data collection process. The following two main activities will be undertaken by the Firm:
  2. Data Collection

Activities will include the following:

  1. Ensure all logistic requirements (assignment of human and material resources) to undertake the field data collection are in place. 
  2. Develop operational, recruitment, training, and supervision plans.
  3. Recruit, contract, and pay the necessary staff for the collection of data and ensure timely and high-quality training for enumerators. The Social Registry Unit will define the criteria for the personnel selection.
  4. Prepare staff training curriculum, materials and guidelines for field staff, incorporating inputs from the Social Registry Unit on the contents of the training.
  5. Setup and provide logistical support (transport, per-diem, etc.) to field staff while data are being collected.
  6. Distribute Public Information Campaign materials within their assigned geographic area.
  7. Collect household information by using the CAPI software designed for those purposes, as well as fill out the forms designed to control and monitor the process. This includes the data intake questionnaire for all households and the structure identification form for all structures.
  8. Conduct community mapping of access to basic services and natural resources for each community using the community mapping module
  9. Ensure the security and proper use of all equipment and hardware.
  10. When necessary, adjust the process execution procedures according to findings of the spot checks and back-checks. Spot-checks will be done by the supervisors of the data collection firm. Back-checks will be done by a separate team from the data collection firm that will revisit randomly selected households and verify some of the information collected from them in the main data collection exercise; additional back-checks may be carried out by the Social Registry Unit with technical assistance from the World Bank or another independent third party with data collection experience.
  11. Implementation of checks and controls designed together with the Social Registry Unit to ensure the quality of the information being collected during the implementation process and a protocol for returning to the field if necessary, when errors for a particular questionnaire reach a certain threshold or cannot be corrected without a direct contact with the respondent. For instance, having the variable “age” missing. The firm will in addition ensure continuous reporting, communication and consultation on a weekly basis with the Social Registry and the World Bank technical team before, during and post data collection (data analysis) period.
  12. Ensure that data are maintained and stored in a manner that is fully confidential (Encryption, password protection and secured transmission/sharing), so that no external individuals or institution can identify any specific personal or private information in the data. Names, biometrics, pictures and any other direct or indirect identifier should only be made available to the Social Registry Unit.
  13. Distribute LHSR Identification Cards to Households  The Liberia Household Social Registry (LHSR) card will enable the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MGCSP) to uniquely identify every household enumerated and therefore, make it easy for future referencing of the household. Each household will have a unique identification (ID) number to distinguish the LHSR exercise from other data collection activities. The LHSR ID card is comprised of alphanumeric characters and encrypted in a Quick Response (QR) code. Enumerators will be required to assign one ID card to each household within the structure being enumerated in no order or preference, (if the household do not consent to participate in the survey, enumerators should ask politely if they can still leave the LHSR ID with the household for future reference;’ If they do not want the ID card to be left for future reference, then this will be categorized as ‘rejected but and unassigned’). Enumerators will be required to capture photo of the card, making sure all the texts are visible. Enumerators should scan the QR code image attached and hand over the ID card to the head of household, most preferably after scanning the code.

 

  1. Any other activities as may be necessary for the success of the process.
  1. Software Solution

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection will share:

  1. A complete technical solution conforming to the stated process in methodological framework and standard reporting for data, including photographic images, and biometric submissions at the Social Registry Unit.
  2. An existing solution for field data and biometric collection/deduplication/adjudication.
  3. A web platform-based solution with secure controlled access. The system will be accessible via secured Internet connection and with relevant national and international laws concerning the storage and treatment of sensitive data.
  4. Guarantee data connectivity through SIM cards/VPN and secure storage.
  5. A Solution that includes an update functionality to allow approved updates on the database.
  6. A solution that includes a data exporting function. This concerns the transformation (e.g. sub-setting, aggregating, applying mathematical transformations, etc,) of data from the way in which it is captured by a CAPI package to a form in which it can be analyzed by a statistical software package. It allows a user to have control over what data are exported and their method of export, including mathematic transformations and variable and value labels in the languages of data collection. Data can be exported in any size.
  7. A solution that includes an enumeration management function to facilitate, manage and monitor field activities. It has an inbuilt Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to ensure effective operational productivity. It has functionality to assign/receive assignments; navigate, complete and review questionnaires; track progress; and share outputs for management review.
  8. Include analysis of required maps, information and tools for implementing use of GPS maps with localization of collected data.
  9. Printed LHSR identification cards for each district in the two counties. MGCSP will present to the firm prior to enumerators’ training approximately 36,000 LHSR identification cards for distribution to the households during field registration.

The firm will however be required to:

  1. Provide all hardware required to perform the tasks of data collection and processing.
  2. Ensure that all updates are logged and audited.

 

 

 

 

  1.             Specific Activities and Deliverables

The firm is expected to undertake the following specific tasks and provide the following deliverables:

Specific Activities

Deliverables

Logistics Plan and Data Collection Proposal, which shall comprise:

  • Details on core staff: provide CVs and biographic information that demonstrates the experience aligned to individual roles and responsibilities in the process.
  • Procedures and protocols for data collection, data synching, deduplication and supervision of data collection
  • Detailed timelines for implementation: indicating a list of activities (e.g.: staffing, development of instruments, field visits) with a detail timeframe for each activity.
  • Detailed information on how the enumeration teams will be organized and located.
  • A recruitment plan summarizing a detailed explanation on how the firm will recruit the staff necessary to perform and complete the work within the timeline.
  • Supervision plan: illustrating how the firm will deploy the core team to the field and monitor their staffs’ performance in data collection.
  • Field-testing plan: A proposal for conducting field-testing of the equipment, software & tools. This should include timeline for implementation of field testing.
  • Data management and security plan: detailing the processes to ensure that data collected will be safe and in line with data collection and dissemination ethical standards and best practices.
  • Data cleaning methodology proposal.
  • Quality Assurance Plan

Inception report including a Logistics Plan and Data Collection Proposal acceptable to the MGCSP.

Software solution:

  • Bench test an existing data collection software and a biometric collection solution tool based on the stated process in Methodological Framework and standard reporting for data, photographic images and biometric submissions to the Social Registry Unit and provide feedback to the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.  
  • Presentation to and signing off on a complete bench tested  technical solution by the Social Registry Unit.
  • Timely and quality delivery of a bench tested solution before deployment in the field.
  • Training the field staff on data collection software solution.
  • Technical support to enumeration teams during rollout for smooth and bug free running of the software.
  • Technical support for change management and any additional data reporting for the duration of implementation.
  • Provide all hardware required to perform the tasks of data collection and processing.

Bench test report and recommendations on Data Collection Software Solution acceptable to the MGCSP.

Field-testing: The firm should conduct field-testing of the instruments per the field-testing plan.

 

Interview guide for training of the field-testing acceptable to the MGCSP.

Field test documented and data from field test successfully transferred to the MGCSP.

Recruitment and Training of field staff: The firm is responsible for training all field staff and developing staff training curriculum, materials and guidelines for field staff. The Social Registry Unit, as coordinator of the implementation, will be responsible for providing inputs and necessary support for the preparation of the training guidelines. The training plan should include instructions and guidance about the process; the management of the instruments used in the process; and the setup, logistics and the supervision of the process. Besides the process overview, the training should be hands-on and tailored to each specific task to be performed.

Roster of recruited enumerators with their corresponding qualifications acceptable to the MGCSP.

Training plan and manuals acceptable to the MGCSP.

Local Public Information Campaign:  based on the communication strategy and materials designed and prepared by the Social Registry Unit, the firm should prepare a PIC implementation plan and deploy it.

PIC implementation plan acceptable to the MGCSP.

Data collection and quality assurance:  the firm should complete data collection according to the timeline and should take the necessary measures to ensure the data gathered is of high quality. To successfully achieve this, the firm is required to develop a data quality assurance plan and will also establish and maintain regular communication with the Social Registry Unit for progress updates on implementation.

Data Collection, submission of quality assurance plan and all quality assurance documentation (i.e. quality assurance reports), data collection summary statistics acceptable to the MGCSP.

Upon request, the firm will provide samples of data collected.

Submit a protocol for corrective measures to be taken when enumerators systematically make repeated errors, including firing if errors continue after re-training/warnings or if errors involve falsifying data.

Submit weekly log of all data corrections made to raw data.

 

Weekly data synchronization with the LHSR servers

At the end of data collection, the firm will:

  • Provide final cleaned community mapping data, intake data (including biometrics, photos), and structure-level data for each community covered by the data collection.

 

Completion and acceptance of data collection report including community mapping data, data of enumerated structures and households, how the data collection has been carried out, description of problems found in the field and how they were resolved etc. Descriptive statistics of the data. Delivery of final report relating to the overall organization and execution of the data collection.

 

 

  1. The firm will be considered to have failed to comply with the terms of this assignment if, based on a random and representative sample, it is determined that either: i) it is shown that 1% or more of the questionnaires that are presented were filled without the firm having visited the household, ii) it is shown that 1% or more of the questionnaire is inconsistently completed, iii) more than 10% of the households’ surveys are without biometric information and photos of all eligible household members; iv) more than 10% of the households surveyed are without structure photos and GPS coordinates. The Social Registry Unit will use its right to conduct its own checks on 100% of the interviews (in addition to the proposed checks by the firm in their own data quality assurance protocols). If the data do not meet the Social Registry Unit’s requirements in terms of integrity of data, the Social Registry Unit will reserve the right to request a repeat of the work or the option of not paying for the work done (being reimbursed for any initial payment).
  1. Qualifications and Skills:
  1. The Data Collection Firm must have a field team comprising of the following key staff: Team Leader, Data Collection Coordinator, and Biometric Software Engineer.

 

  1.  In addition, the firm is expected to use the services of County Coordinators, and Supervisors and Enumerators.

 

  1. For purposes of these terms of reference, the firm should follow the indicated qualification and skills for field staff; however, the firm’s proposal should also include clear descriptions, which comprise the experience and roles in the process along with the detailed CVs of the management team. If a firm is selected for this consultancy assignment, it is expected that the firm will mobilize the field staff indicated in their technical proposal. If they wish to substitute any member of the field staff, they must first obtain written permission from the Social Registry Unit.

 

The firm must, as much as practicable, recruit and train the staff in the respective Counties or communities of the data collection assignment. The firm must have three teams in the field. One team per county so as to complete the data collection in time. Except for the team leader, all counties must have all of the required staff.

 

Details of Staff Requirements are as follows:

 

No

Position

Responsibilities

Qualifications/experiences

01

Team Leader:

 

The Team Leader will oversee the overall project implementation aspects and coordinate the data collection and software solution activities/teams. The specific responsibilities include:

  1. Responsible for planning, tracking and reporting on project progress;
  2. Research project development options and provide analysis for direction;
  3. Ensure that the team(s) have appropriate work plans, product and technical specifications, and resources to deliver outputs;
  4. Lead business and technical analysis sessions to support development efforts to meet current and projected business needs;
  5. Align stakeholders on the data collection process, software solution business and system requirements;
  6. Provide expertise on the systems capabilities/limitations as it relates to business operations/goals.

 

The Team Leader must have at least a Master’s Degree in Economics, Statistics, Computer Science, Software Engineering or any related field and at least 10 years of experience in implementing large scale data collection and/or software development. S/he should be solution-oriented with excellent communication and managerial skills. Candidates must have strong interpersonal communication and organizational skills

02

 

Biometric Software Engineer: 

 

The Biometric Software Engineer will be responsible for developing system modules for the biometric devices. The specific responsibilities include:

  1. Ensure proper image/template extraction from the biometric scanners;
  2. Ensure biometric integration will other data collection components/modules;
  3. Ensure deduplication of the biometrics.
  4. Ensure the proper installation, configuration and operation and troubleshooting of biometric devices. 

 

The Biometric Solution Developer must have a Bachelor’s degree in the field of Software Engineering or Electrical and Electronic Engineering or other relevant field or a diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering in combination with 3 additional years of relevant work experience will be accepted. At least 3 years’ experience in the design, implementation and installation of mobile biometric solutions. Three (3) years proven experience in template extraction & matching and biometric deduplication. Experience with biometrics matching systems and standards. Knowledge in trouble shooting and integration of biometric scanners with Android CAPI Devices.

 

03

Data Collection Coordinator

 

  1. The Data Collection Coordinator is responsible for the staff, logistics and training, as well as for operationalizing the data collection process on behalf of the Firm. The Data Collection Coordinator should be a senior staff of the Firm.
  2. The specific responsibilities include:
  1. Responsible for the overall timely and accurate implementation of the data collection process;
  2. In-charge of training county coordinators, supervisors and enumerators;
  3. Ensure the successful implementation of the entire data collection process according to the operational plan;
  4. Ensure strict compliance with the methodologies and procedures established for data collection;
  5. Provide technical guidance and troubleshooting services to county coordinators;
  6. Regularly review the quality and quantity of data and ensure its accuracy;
  7. Facilitate universal coverage by maintaining close contact with county authorities, community leaders of all data collection areas.

 

Candidates should have at least a Master Degree in Social Sciences or any related field and at least 10 years of experience in similar jobs requiring personnel supervision and teamwork. Or a Bachelor’s Degree, with 12 years of experience in a similar role. Candidates must have strong interpersonal communication and organizational skills.  Candidate must also have experience with CAPI and medium –to large-scale data collection/management.

 

 

04

County Coordinator

 

  1. The County Coordinator is responsible for the enumeration teams and support during the fieldwork at the county level.

 

  1. The specific tasks to be carried out by a county coordinator are:
  1. Responsible for data collection at the county level;
  2. Participate in training workshops to be organized by the firm and get well acquainted with the data collection process;
  3. Allocate enumeration teams to various communities within the county;
  4. Facilitate logistics arrangements for data collection in the assigned county by providing necessary materials for data collection and making transport arrangements;
  5. Provide technical support to Supervisors;
  6. Monitor the performance of the enumeration teams under his/her jurisdiction through:
    1. Field visits during the data collection process;
    2. Regular meetings with the Supervisors of the respective county;
    3. Careful review of all daily and weekly reports provided by the supervisors;
    4. Assessment of the quantitative output of each team;
  7. Report the work outputs of the enumeration teams under his/her jurisdiction to the Data Collection Coordinator on a weekly basis;
  8. Supervise and ensure the quality of the data collected;

 

 

  1. Candidates should have at least a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences or any related field and at least 5 years of experience in similar jobs requiring personnel supervision and teamwork. Candidates must have strong interpersonal communication and organizational skills. Good knowledge of the county. Experience on the use of CAPI is an advantage

 

05

Supervisor

  1. The Supervisor is responsible for managing the planning and execution of the data collection in one enumeration area and providing technical support to the enumerators during fieldwork. S/he will report to his/her respective county coordinator.
  2. Specific tasks to be carried out by the Supervisors are:
  1. Participate in training workshops to be prepared by the firm and get well acquainted with the data collection process;
  2. Undertake overall planning for the data collection in a specific enumeration area, as per the Operational Plan of the firm;
  3. Provide day-to-day guidance to enumerators and spot-check a share of their work;
  4. Distribute the materials and hardware needed by the team.
  5. Coordinate the logistics required.
  6. Ensure the safety and proper handling of hardware.
  7. Inform the county coordinator about the implementation of the data collection process.
  8. Maintain a close liaison with local community leaders, public representatives and government officials to ensure local ownership of the data collection process and universal coverage of households;
  9. Provide technical guidance to enumerators to ensure quality of the process;
  10. Organize and lead the daily debriefing meetings with the enumerators at the end of each day;
  11. Review completed surveys and ensure that enumerators have filled the form correctly at the end of each day’s work before synching to the sever;
  12. Support with third level public information campaign activities in enumeration areas;

 

  1. Candidates should have at least a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences and at least 3 years of experience in similar jobs requiring personnel supervision and teamwork.  Candidates must have strong interpersonal communication and organizational skills.  Good knowledge of the community. Experience on the use of CAPI is an advantage.

 

 

06

Enumerators/Back-checkers

 

  1. An enumerator is responsible for the filling of Data Intake Questionnaire with the CAPI method. They will interview household representatives and work closely with their colleagues in the enumeration area. Every enumerator will report to his/her supervisor.
  2. Specific tasks to be carried out by an Interviewer are to:
  1. Participate in training workshops to be prepared by the Firm and get well acquainted with the data collection process;
  2. Conduct interviews with household heads/representatives and fill the Data Intake Questionnaire.
  3. Assure quality work by filling the questionnaire as completely as possible, and without any errors;
  4. Discuss in detail the observations and follow the suggestions by the Supervisor, in order to ensure quality of the data collected.

 

Candidates should have a minimum of a secondary school education and have excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to write and read English and at least one of the local dialects are also necessary. Experience on the use of CAPI is an advantage

07

Community Mapping Agents

 

The Community Mapping Agent is responsible for the filling of the Community Basic Services and Resource Access Mapping module with the CAPI method. They will collect information on access to basic services and natural resources for each community, including collection of GPS coordinates for locations of basic services and natural resources and the availability of telecommunication network coverage in the community and its vicinity. Each agent will report to his/her supervisor.

Specific tasks to be carried out by an Interviewer are:

  1. Participate in training workshops to be prepared by the Firm and get well acquainted with the data collection process;
  2. Complete Community Basic Services and Resource Access Mapping;
  3. Complete structure listings in assigned community using structure identification form;
  4. Assure quality work by filling the module and recording GPS coordinates as completely as possible, and without any errors;
  5. Discuss in detail the observations and follow the suggestions by the Supervisor, in order to ensure quality of the data collected.

 

 

 

 

Qualification Requirements for Data Collection Firm

To be considered for this activity, the firm must demonstrate capacity and capabilities in the following:

 

  1. Data Collection
  1. Demonstrated experience in implementing high quality data collection processes in Liberia or other parts of Africa over the past 5 years. Experience should be demonstrated by providing a list of the Data Collection activities the firm has implemented and the manuals, protocols, reports that resulted from these surveys. At a minimum, bidders are required to submit the field manual of the most recent data collection process completed.
  2. A duly registered business entity and has been engaged in the business of providing consulting services that has not been declared ineligible to participate in any public tender in Liberia or elsewhere.
  3. Be an expert in fieldwork required for large-scale data collection processes.
  4. Strong capacity and experience in planning and organizing data collection logistics, including the design and implementation of protocols to ensure high quality data.
  5. Demonstrate skills in project management.
  6. Ability to report to the Social Registry Unit effectively on progress of the work.
  7. Capacity to store and maintain data in a manner that protects respondent’s identities.
  8. Be ready to assume work as soon as possible.

 

  1. Information to be provided by the Client

The Client will provide the following inputs: mobile data collection APK, access to the Social Registry Information System (SRIS), estimates of households to cover per county, and community mapping module, as well as relevant project data and reports to facilitate the work of the consultant. In addition, the clients shall prepare introduction letters to the authorities of the counties for data collection when necessary.

  1. Confidentiality and data ownership

All data collected is confidential and is the property of the MCGSP.  Its sole purpose is enrollment of households into the Liberia Household Social Registry. No data or other information from this data collection will be released to third parties without the written approval of the MCGSP. The Firm will turn over all data, data collection forms and other material to the MCGSP and will not retain any information or material after the survey data collection has ended.

 

  1. Qualifications and Competence of the firm

 

  1. Data privacy and protection

The firm shall adhere to MGCSP protocols for data collection, storing and data sharing under the Social Registry. The risk of potential inappropriate use of households’ information is mitigated by having all parties with access to households’ data adhering to the Data Protection and Sharing Protocol. All households will also be administered an informed consent to ensure they understand the purpose of data collection and their rights with respect to these data.

  1. COVID-19 health and safety protocol

Given the data collection is expected to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm will need to comply with the COVID-19 health and safety protocol. See Annex I.

  1. Code of Conduct

All firm employees and sub-contractors, including enumerators, supervisors and community mapping analyst, must sign the Code of Conduct. See Annex II.

 

  1. Duration of Consultancy

The Firm shall work with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection for a period of Six (6) Months commencing from contract signing.

 

  1. Reporting

The Data Collection and Software Solution Firm shall report to the National Social Protection Coordinator through the Social Registry Unit Manager.

 

In addition to the task listed above, the Firm is also expected to deliver the following reports as part of the contractual obligation:

Type

Content

Frequency

Updates

Achievement of outputs, problems and issues related to implementation; proposed follow up and plan for next week

Every week, effective since contract signing date

Implementation of data collection report

Report on how the data collection has been carried out, description of problems found in the field and how they were resolved etc. Descriptive statistics of the data

Every Month

County activity final report

Consists of a summary of all activities, achievements and outputs, lesson learned, objectives met, or not achieved, and reasons why, recommendations for further counties.

At the end of each county activity

Final Project Report

Consists of a report that notes successes, challenges, and lessons learned during the implementation of the whole Project.

At the end of the Project data collection in Grand Kru, and River Gee Counties

 

Non-compliance with reporting obligations above could result in contract cancellation. 

 

  1. Duty Station

The Firm will work in the following counties: Grand Kru, and River Gee.

 

  1. Financial Arrangements

The Consultancy fee shall be paid as per financial guidelines of the World Bank and Government of Liberia. Payment will be disbursed in installments as spelled out in the consultancy contract.

 

 

"},{"id":"OP00151194","notice_type":"Request for Expression of Interest","noticedate":"11-Nov-2021","notice_lang_name":"English","notice_status":"Published","submission_deadline_date":"2021-11-18T00:00:00Z","submission_deadline_time":"12:30","project_ctry_name":"Egypt, Arab Republic of","project_id":"P172548","project_name":"Greater Cairo Air Pollution Management and Climate Change Project","bid_reference_no":"EG-EEAA-247116-CS-QCBS","bid_description":"Management and Technical Support Consultant for AQM - advisory services and technical assistance in managing and implementing the project across a range of topics related to AQM planning to address air pollution and climate mitigation in Greater Cairo.","procurement_group":"CS","procurement_method_code":"QCBS","procurement_method_name":"Quality And Cost-Based Selection","contact_address":"EEAA, Address: 26, 100 st., Maadi, Cairo, 4th Floor","contact_ctry_name":"Egypt, Arab Republic of","contact_email":"moh.hasan.khalil@gmail.com","contact_name":"Mohamed Khalil","contact_organization":"Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency","contact_phone_no":"00201223663836","submission_date":"2021-11-11T00:00:00Z","notice_text":"

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

\n\n

 

\n\n

Arab Republic of Egypt

\n\n

Greater Cairo Air Pollution Management and Climate Change Project

\n\n

Loan No: 9166-EG

\n\n

 

\n\n

Assignment Title: Management and Technical Support Consultant for AQM - advisory services and technical assistance in managing and implementing the project across a range of topics related to AQM planning to address air pollution and climate mitigation in Greater Cairo

\n\n

Reference No. (as per Procurement Plan): EG-EEAA-247116-CS-QCBS

\n\n

 

\n\n

The Ministry of Environment in response to the Government of Egypt (GoE) is seeking to reduce air and climate emissions from critical sectors and increase resilience to air pollution in Greater Cairo. The recently approved World Bank-financed Greater Cairo Air Pollution Management and Climate Change Project (the Project) aims specifically to reduce emissions that contribute to air pollution concentrations, thus leading to air quality improvements, and to simultaneously mitigate climate change. Air pollutants include PM10 and PM2.5, while climate pollutants include both longer lived greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as CO2, as well as Short-lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) that include black carbon, methane and several short-lived HFCs. The project will strengthen air quality management (AQM) infrastructure (monitoring and analytical), further sustainable development training and education, and provide evidence-based solutions for pollution abatement, deepening GOE’s capacity for decision support and regulatory design, while developing a rapid response system that enables the GoE to respond with plans for emergency situations and for the public to take self-protective actions during high pollution days.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The consulting services (“the Services”) include providing advisory services and technical assistance to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) in managing and implementing the project across a range of topics related to AQM planning to address air pollution and climate mitigation in GC and Egypt. These services are to be implemented in a way that both achieves the direct aims of the project but also provides ongoing sustainability of the AQM planning implemented by EEAA.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The scope of work will be to support EEAA with the implementation of the following activities, either directly or through additional technical support contracts to the Project:

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Establish a SLCP/GHG Monitoring Network for GCA
    2. \n\t
  2. Establish an integrated Emission Inventory Database for GCA and Egypt
    3. \n\t
  3. Facilitate the development of an Integrated Climate and Air Quality Management Plan (IC-AQMP “Action” Plan)
    4. \n\t
  4. Enhance Sustainable Development Curricula at Local Universities
    5. \n\t
  5. Support Sustainable Development Within the Egyptian Government
    6. \n\t
  6. Macroeconomic Assessment of Action Plan
    7. \n\t
  7. Air Quality Forecasting Support
    8. \n\t
  8. AQ Public Awareness Website Development
    9. \n\t
  9. Establish and Implementation Support for an Institutional Response Mechanism
    10. \n\t
  10. Provide technical support for the newly developed source apportion (SA) monitoring network and chemical speciation analysis operated by EEAA/Cairo University
    11. \n
\n\n

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment is attached to this request for expression of interest.

\n\n

The Ministry of Environment of Egypt now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. All consultants participating on the selected team will be ineligible to compete for any of service contracts that are awarded as components of this project.

\n\n

The shortlisting criteria would include, inter-alia, the following:

\n\n\n\n

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016 revised November 2017 & August 2018 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.  In addition, please refer to the following specific information on conflict of interest related to this assignment: Consultants shall not be hired for any assignment that would be in conflict with their prior or current obligations to other clients, or that may place them in a position of being unable to carry out the assignment in the best interests of the Borrower.  Without limitation on the generality of the foregoing, Consultants shall not be hired under the circumstances set forth below:

\n\n

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

\n\n

The resulting products and data must be non-proprietary and will be owned by EEAA and GoE upon delivery.

\n\n

The recommendations and guidance included in deliverables must account for financial, technical, and analytical capacity constraints present in Egypt.

\n\n

A Consultant firm will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost-based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

\n\n

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 09:00 to 17:00.

\n\n

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail) by expended deadline November 18th, 2021 - 12:30 (Cairo Local Time). 

\n\n

Greater Cairo Air Pollution Management and Climate Change Project

\n\n

Attn: Mrs. Azza Belal – Senior Procurement Specialist

\n\n

E-mail: gcapegypt@gmail.com

\n\n

 

\n\n

TERMS OF REFERENCE

\n\n

GREATER CAIRO AIR POLLUTION MANAGEMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:

\n\n

Management and Technical Support Consultant for AQM

\n\n

 

\n\n

I. Background

\n\n

As part of the “Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS): Egypt Vision 2030”,[1]the country committed to halving its fine particulate matter (PM10) air pollution by 2030. Significant improvements have been made towards that goal in recent years. In fact, Cairo’s PM10 concentration fell by about 25 percent over the past decade. Despite these improvements, the city’s pollution levels are still several times the WHO recommended concentrations and higher than national guidelines taking as these high levels are taking their toll on the health and quality of life of the population, in particular poor people. Subsequently, the Greater Cairo (GC) Cost of Environmental Degradation (COED) attributed to air pollution is by far the highest in the country, with a mean estimate equivalent to 1.35 percent of national GDP in 2017. Conversely, the GC COED attributed to waste (net of air pollution damages, via the burning of waste) is half the air pollution’s COED and results in a mean estimate equivalent to 0.68 percent of national GDP in 2017 which includes the opportunity losses from composting, recycling, methane capture, etc. Moreover, recent studies on the COVID-19 show that there is an increased likelihood of contracting the disease with high levels of ambient pollutants.[2]

\n\n

Climate change models project Egypt’s mean annual temperature to increase between 2 ⁰C and 3 ⁰C by 2050 and an increase in the duration of long-lasting heatwaves.[3] Hot sandstorms known as khamsin blow millions of tons of grit from the Sahara to the North African coast with increases in local temperatures of up to 20 ⁰C above regional mean temperatures and are projected to increase in frequency and intensity. By 2050 the intensity and seasonality of heavy rains, as well as the probability of droughts will increase. Long-lasting heatwaves likely will increase in duration of between 9 to 77 days by 2085. The GC area is vulnerable to all of these, as well as to river and urban flooding, water scarcity and wildfires. The impacts are severe, particularly for public health and agriculture. Climate change will put additional pressures on citizens’ health, in the form of increases in the prevalence and severity of cardiopulmonary conditions through heat and sandstorms, potential increases in vector-borne diseases, through decreased nutrition and food security and reduced water quality. Further, it has been demonstrated that extreme heat events are linked to worsening air pollution.[4]

\n\n

In response to this situation, the Government of Egypt (GoE) is seeking to reduce air and climate emissions from critical sectors and increase resilience to air pollution in Greater Cairo. The recently approved World Bank-financedGreater Cairo Air Pollution Management and Climate Change Project (the Project) aims specifically to reduce emissions that contribute to air pollution concentrations, thus leading to air quality improvements, and to simultaneously mitigate climate change. Air pollutants include PM10 and PM2.5, while climate pollutants include both longer lived greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as CO2, as well as Short-lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) that include black carbon, methane and several short-lived HFCs. The project will strengthen air quality management (AQM) infrastructure (monitoring and analytical), further sustainable development training and education, and provide evidence-based solutions for pollution abatement, deepening GOE’s capacity for decision support and regulatory design, while developing a rapid response system that enables the GoE to respond with plans for emergency situations and for the public to take self-protective actions during high pollution days.

\n\n

Additional information on these activities as well as other components of the larger project are available in the Project Appraisal Document.[5]The subcomponent tasks related to AQM are specified in greater detail in Annex A.

\n\n

 

\n\n

II.  Objective of the Assignment

\n\n

This solicitation seeks a consulting firm, referred to thereafter as “the consultant “to provide advisory services and technical assistance to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) in managing and implementing the project across a range of topics related to AQM planning to address air pollution and climate mitigation in GC and Egypt. These services are to be implemented in a way that both achieves the direct aims of the project but also provides ongoing sustainability of the AQM planning implemented by EEAA in the future.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

III.  Scope of Work

\n\n

Overall Task

\n\n

 

\n\n

The overall scope this assignment will be to assist the Air Quality department of Environment Quality Sector- EEAA in implementing Component 1 of the Project and to advance EEAA’s existing AQM planning efforts. This includes, inter-alia, the following subtasks, each of which may require a dedicated technical support contract to be serviced by other consultants (the successful firm that is awarded a contract to support EEAA with AQM planning is prohibited from competing for any other potential work under this project, such as that listed below); however, EEAA is open to discussion alternative groupings or combinations that might achieve efficiencies:

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Establish a SLCP/GHG Monitoring Network for GCA - provide recommendations on the deployment, operation and maintenance of proposed network, (structured in a scoping and subsequent implementation phase).This network should integrate seamlessly with and support existing AQ monitoring networks ( ambient & industrial ) in GCA (including routine AQ monitoring sites in GCA as well as the recently deployed source apportionment network and the telemetry monitoring system for point source of industrial facilities ), thus an initial step may involve conducting a network assessment  to review EEAA’s comprehensive AQ monitoring objectives and, QC/QA and requirement for enhancement road map. Support activities will include design and deployment of network, but also analysis, data management, and quality assurance of GCA monitoring program.
    2. \n\t
  2. Establish an integrated Emission Inventory Database for GCA and Egypt – refine the existing emission inventory consisting of a point and area source inventory for GCA, a biogenic and geogenic inventory for Egypt and a UNFCCC compliant GHG inventory for Egypt to create a unified and comprehensive national inventory database that includes a mobile source inventory per the existing mobile source inventory development roadmap, which required to be developed and done by the consultant through the mentioned road map.  The resulting unified database should enable policy tracking, international reporting and chemical transport modeling.  The data base structure should enable reporting interfaces that enable data reporting from various users (e.g., governorate level reporting of traffic and vehicle registration data, industrial reporting of point source emission data, etc.) to report data into the national system.
    3. \n\t
  3. Facilitate the development of an Integrated Climate and Air Quality Management Plan (IC-AQMP “Action” Plan)–develop, assess and evaluate policy options under a multi-level governance process to identify and justify elements of the GC Action Plan (including technical analysis, economic assessment and facilitation of consensus building process).
    4. \n\t
  4. Enhance Sustainable Development Curricula at Local Universities – this contract should result in enhanced training and knowledge – at both the undergraduate and graduate level – around principles, basics and updates of environmental science, and AQM planning specifically, to ensure a pipeline of trained professionals for EEAA, as well as better prepared students to address other green skills development needed for Egypt as a whole.  This should be planned in collaboration with University of Cairo, either alone or in partnership with Helwan University, and Aim-shams University, to ensure that Cairo is producing a steady supply of students with skills needed for environmental management and the green economy.
    5. \n\t
  5. Support Sustainable Development Within the Egyptian Government – Improve capacity of ministry staffs and sustainable development units - via executive skills training - to undertake integrated climate and air quality management planning and implementation of mitigation actions.
    6. \n\t
  6. Macroeconomic Assessment of Action Plan -provide a sector-specific detailed economic analysis of actions identified by IC-AQMP working group (see III above) comparing implementation costs against health, agriculture, and energy benefits of interventions, as well as macroeconomic benefits of reduced health spending, alternative patterns of investment and quality of life improvements, for labor force, tourism, recreation, etc.
    7. \n\t
  7. Air Quality Forecasting Support –develop an enhanced AQ forecasting program (structured into a scoping and subsequent implementation phase) that builds on existing forecasting capacity for both poor air quality days and climatically extreme events.  This work would likely involve an international vendor to provide support and training with local implementation partners who might carry on forecasting work at conclusion of project.
    8. \n\t
  8. AQ Public Awareness Website Development -create a public information portal that provides access to information on (a) general background on air pollution/ public action (b) current conditions/AQ index and local observations and data and (c) forecasts with self-protective actions for public/ sensitive populations.
    9. \n\t
  9. Establish and Implementation Support for an Institutional Response Mechanism -facilitate an intra-governmental stakeholder process to identify appropriate responses to declared “AQ Action Days” and implementation arrangements to be carried out by various government and private stakeholders (e.g., industries, schools, public health authorities, media, sensitive populations, etc.)
    10. \n\t
  10. Provide technical support for the newly developed source apportion (SA) monitoring network and chemical speciation analysis operated by EEAA/Cairo University - including knowledge transfer and capacity building for Egyptian colleagues as appropriate.  This includes aspects of manual sampling, collection, transfer and storage, chemical speciation analysis, receptor modeling and reporting over calendar years 2022-2024, inclusive.
    11. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Specifically, the scope of the management and technical support consultant will be to:

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Policy and planning TA and advisory services: The consultant will provide EEAA with advisory services and technical assistance in coordinating workflow and project delivery for the AQM component of the Project.  This may include assistance with policy formulation, planning, follow-up on related national plans, identification of indicators, preparation of briefs and presentations, etc. as it relates to the requirements of the AQM component of the Project.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Prepare Terms of Reference: The consultant will work with EEAA’s Technical Implementation Unit (TIU) of the AQM Component, charged with carrying out the subtasks I-IX above, to understand the individual component needs for each aspect of integrated planning and to prepare a detailed “term of reference” or ToR that can be used for hiring consultants/ agencies, but will be subject to review by the EEAA team (example – but still draft – ToRs for the first two subtasks are included as Annex B and Annex C to give a sense of the level of detail). The consultant will work with EEAA to address any recommended changes and revise the documents appropriately.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Manage procurement process subject to EEAA/TIU oversight: The consultant will support EEAA/TIU in hiring consultant/ agencies to deliver the ten tasks outlined above, consistent with the World Bank and GoE procurement guidelines.  This will require the consultant – through EEAA – to submit ToRs for review through project procurement specialists attached to the Project Coordination Unit (PCU; see task 4) and to use tender and bid procedures as approved by the PCU. The Consultant will establish review panels and help EEAA to evaluate submitted information and bids, providing advice and guidance regarding technical aspects of each component (See tentative list I – IX above of potential technical support contract procurements under Component 1 of the project).
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Support EEAA with contract management of each component of the larger effort:  After consultants are selected for each of the 6-8 technical support contracts of the AQM project component, the Consultant will assist EEAA in the day-to-day management of these contracts to ensure that individual consultants are maintaining quality standards, providing state of the science deliverables and achieving project milestones on schedule and within budget parameters.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Support EEAA and represent EEAA positions in meetings with the TIU and PCU. The project has established four separate technical implementation units (TIUs) including one for the AQM component headed by EEAA.  Each of the four TIUs are represented within a larger project coordination unit (PCU). The Consultant will work with EEAA and the relevant project partners to coordinate the AQM components of the larger project with GoE, World Bank, local body and affiliated staffs carrying out the other project components related to sanitary municipal waste disposal, electric bus deployment and testing as well as stakeholder engagement.  The Consultant may also be asked to present their work at other meetings.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Develop training and curricula. Training and capacity building of the EEAA staff is an integral part of the assignment and applies to all activities covered under the Terms of Reference. Therefore, in conducting the various tasks listed above the Consultant is expected to provide on-the-job training to EEAA staff.  The Consultant will undertake skill gap analysis within EEAA (and integrate/design training within Contracts for IV – V above) to address the needs of EEAA as well as the state- and local-level institutions.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Work with Governorates. The Consultant may be required to liaise with the Governorates of Cairo, Giza , Qualyubeiah and different other agencies/ministries  as the beneficiaries of the project.  This may be through stakeholder processes or as direct outreach efforts on behalf of EEAA as implementation of the Project requires.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Work with CTA. The Consultant will be required to liaise with consultant(s)who will be supporting the Cairo Transit Authority (CTA) – as an implementing partner of Component 3 of the project, which deals with vehicle emissions – to coordinate the vehicle emissions monitoring activities and to report to EEAA on the overall implementation of Component 3. While EEAA holds responsibility to ensure that CTA tasks under component 3 of the Project are completed, CTA will host a separate TIU and have their own consultant(s) that will assist with project implementation related to the e-bus aspects of the Project.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Work with EEAA and the Cairo University Center for Environmental Hazard Mitigation (CEHM).  The Consultant will support the newly developed Source apportion (SA) network as described above under Task X.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. COP 27 Preparation. Provide technical support for EEAA`s preparation for COP27.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Miscellaneous. Any other tasks of relevant to the Project as requested by the Head of the Component 1 Technical Implementation Unit.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

                                                                                                                               

\n\n

Institutional Arrangements

\n\n

The consultant will work collaboratively in partnership with EEAA staff and with other development partners that are also supporting EEAA staff with AQM planning (including the World Bank). For example, the EEAA maintains a partnership with the Cairo University and others.  The consultant should have the capacity to liaise with other ministries or universities that may be providing data inputs critical to project success. This may be coordinated through EEAA.

\n\n

 

\n\n

IV. Consultant Qualifications & Team composition

\n\n

The objective of the consultancy is to bring the highest level of technical and project management expertise to support the EEAA program under Component 1 of the Project. Therefore, the consultant is required to have a strong experience and a proven track record in AQM, and to provide a team of highly qualified personnel to professionally undertake the assignment, meeting the agreed targets, timelines, quality assurance and standards.  

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Consultant Qualifications and Experience

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Key Team Members

\n\n

 

\n\n

The core team listed below should include at least one member who is fluent in both speaking and writing the Arabic language to assist the consulting firm in dealing with all agencies inside Egypt including EEAA.

\n\n

 

\n\n

1. Team Leader – Air Quality Management Specialist: An experienced and energetic project leader with technical training (i.e., advanced degree) in environmental engineering, earth science or similar field.  This individual should be an internationally recognized expert in air quality who will bring extensive international experience and provide depth of knowledge on air pollution principles and air quality management, including the costs and benefits of various control strategy options and the methods for assessing health and economic benefits of these actions.  This individual should also be comfortable with public speaking and have experience with group facilitation and negotiation skills.  A minimum of 15-years of experience working in the field of air quality is required.  Anticipated time commitment: 18months FTE (one-third-time equivalent for 54 months, duration of project)

\n\n

 

\n\n

2. Source Apportionment Expert – An internationally recognized expert in source apportionment who will bring extensive international experience relevant to source apportionment concepts  (i.e., manual filter sample network design, collection, transfer and archiving, chemical speciation analysis using various analytical chemistry techniques - including X-ray fluorescence - as well as receptor modeling approaches) and has at least 7-years’ experience working in the field. This individual will provide guidance for EEAA and CU-CEHM for three years of sampling/analysis.  Anticipated time commitment: 12 months FTE (one-third time equivalent for 36 months).

\n\n

 

\n\n

3. Procurement Expert – An individual who is familiar with governmental or institutional procurement procedures who is able to liaise with technical team members and ensure that proper procurement procedures are built into technical workplans and technical products that may result from technical service contracts. A minimum 5 years of experience on procurement is required with experience working on projects related to air quality monitoring or relevant subject. Anticipated time commitment: 6 months FTE (periodic inputs for development and evaluation of 10 procurements (See Annex B).

\n\n

 

\n\n

4. Air Quality Engineer – A specialist (or specialists) in air pollution or air quality management with a degree in chemical engineering, earth science or similar technical field with at least 7-years of experience working on air quality issues, including air quality monitoring, inventory development and modeling or air pollution.  Anticipated time commitment: 54 months FTE (full-time equivalent for 54 months, duration of project).

\n\n

 

\n\n

5. Training and Capacity Building Expert–An individual with specific skills and expertise in the development of training programs, e-learning platforms and curriculum development.  This individual should have demonstrated experience with the development and successful delivery of executive skills training courses or post-secondary job training programs. Expertise in pedagogical methods and curriculum development is also a plus. Anticipated time commitment: 18 months FTE (3 years half-time equivalent).

\n\n

 

\n\n

In addition, specific key experts may be deployed on ‘as-needed basis’ to supplement the core team, as stipulated in advance in the work plan that will be agreed between the EEAA and the Consultant every 6 (six) months. They may be supported by junior level engineers, technicians, and support staff. The core team will require access to administrative support and proposals should account for this role. The estimated total person-months of all team members (core team plus administrative support) are estimated at approximately 135 man-months; however, proposals are free to estimate more or less time than what is anticipated with justification for why more or less effort is appropriate for the tasks listed.

\n\n

 

\n\n

The assignment will be performed in Egypt, mostly in Cairo. The Consultant team members may be required to travel to nearby cities by EEAA. Each such visit shall be followed by a mission report, stating the objectives of the mission, mission contents, and conclusion.  All expert inputs shall be delivered in Egypt.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Scheduling

\n\n

 

\n\n

The Consultant will prepare the proposed schedule of activities and staff mobilization plan at the inception stage; and these may be reviewed and revised every six months in response to EEAA’s needs and in agreement with EEAA.

\n\n

 

\n\n

V. Reporting Requirements and Deliverables

\n\n

The Consultant shall report to and work under the supervision of the Head of the Environment Quality Sector of EEAA.

\n\n

The Consultant shall prepare the following reports, with 3 paper copies and complete digital files in a format and manner acceptable to EEAA. All reports will include a summary in English and in Arabic. Some full reports will be in English and in Arabic, but this will be decided on a case-by-case basis as needed and as agreed with Head of the Environment Quality Sector of EEAA. Reports would be prepared initially in draft and finalized within an agreed upon period following receipt of comments from EEAA.

\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n
\n\t\t\t

            Report

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Contents

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Submission Date/Frequency

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Number of Copies

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

 

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Draft

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Final

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Draft

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Final

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Inception Report

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Approach to the assignment, objectives, detailed methodologies in respect of each activity, Activities schedule, mobilization plan, progress to date, expected difficulties and assistance required, meetings held and persons met.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1 month after start of assignment

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2 weeks after comments of Client

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

3

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

10

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Quarterly Reports

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Work progress, team mobilization, tasks undertaken, partial results, meetings held and persons met, planning of activities for next quarter, updated works schedule and mobilization plan, difficulties encountered, assistance required. The quarterly report will also include the draft of the EEAA’s quarterly report for Component 1 of the Project. Copies of all ad-hoc reports produced during the quarter will be included as annexures.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Every quarter

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

10

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Mission Reports

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Participants, people met, objectives of mission, content of mission, extent to which objectives have been met.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1 week after return from mission

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

1 week after comments from Client

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Ad-hoc Reports

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Review reports, recommendations, model documents, audit reports, etc, as detailed above

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

As and when required

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2 weeks after comments from Client

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

10

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Final report

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

Completion report, overall work progress and final documentations.

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

On completion of the assignment

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

2 weeks after comments from Client

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

5

\n\t\t\t		\n\t\t\t

10

\n\t\t\t
       
\n\n

   * All results, data (raw and final), reports should be delivered to EEAA in hard and electronic (editable) 

\n\n

      Copies.

\n\n

 

\n\n

VI. Administrative and Reporting Arrangements

\n\n

 

\n\n

The consultant will report directly to:

\n\n\n\n

Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA)

\n\n

30 Misr Helwan Road

\n\n

Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

\n\n

PO 11728

\n\n

(+2)022526452
\nThe Consultant will also work closely with the World Bank members of the Project team including: Suiko, (World Bank Sr. Environmental Economist, ENB Global Practice) and Gary Kleiman (Sr. Env. Consultant, ENBGP).

\n\n

The Consultant staff will be available for meetings and appointments per the schedule of EEAA and the World Bank teams. Consultant will be expected to present results to multi-stakeholders in GCA multiple times during the contract period.

\n\n

Services, facilities and property may be made available to the Consultant by the Client:

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n

Contract duration:

\n\n

 

\n\n

The Consultant will provide its services to EEAA starting approximately in January 2022 and until December 31, 2025 (within 4.5 years of the start of contract).  This will be based on a renewable annual contract, to be renewed based on satisfactory performance of the Consultant.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Annex A: Subcomponent descriptions of Greater Cairo Air Pollution Management and Climate Change Project Component on “Enhancing the Air Quality Management (AQM) & Response System”

\n\n

 

\n\n

This component will support the enhancement of the air quality management and response system for Egypt with a focus on GC through strengthened AQM infrastructure (monitoring and analytical), capacity building activities, emergency response plans and raising public awareness through information dissemination. The component will build on the Pollution Management and Environmental Health (PMEH) trust funded activities, which are helping EEAA to strengthen monitoring (including through procuring monitoring equipment, training on the equipment and the analysis), health impact assessment and providing a foundational assessment of key sources contributing to GC air pollution. Given the importance of the PMEH activities in grounding this project’s air quality components, the project design retains the flexibility to complete certain PMEH analyses (e.g. source apportionment, or inventory needs assessment, etc) as part of component 1. This component will also provide evidence-based solutions for pollution abatement, deepening EEAA’s capacity for decision support and regulatory design, while developing a rapid response system that enables the GoE to respond with plans for emergency situations and for the public to take self-protective actions during high pollution days.

\n\n

 

\n\n

Sub-Component 1.1: Reduction of air pollution and GHGs

\n\n

To maintain the GoE’s offensive posture towards reducing emissions and to identify further abatement actions, building on component 2 (SWM) and component 3 (urban mobility), an Integrated Climate and Air Quality Management Plan (IC-AQMP) will be prepared. This plan will present an array of actions towards continued emissions reduction based on robust observations and sound analytical methods.  The IC-AQMP for reducing air and climate emissions in GC aims to reduce the sources and amounts of pollutants responsible for the degradation of urban ambient air quality and regional and global warming, thereby improving the quality of life of the citizens of GC, protecting their health from air pollution including from GHG emissions, and contributing to climate stabilization. The IC-AQMP will build on the foundational assessment of key pollution sources in GC identified through prior PMEH work (i.e., urban transportation and the burning of solid waste) to develop pathways to reduce GHGs, SLCPs and local air pollutant emissions in a context of sustainable economic development. Specifically, this activity will synthesize and assess the environmental health, and economic benefits (including tourism) of priority climate and air quality interventions, evaluate the priority measures based on financial cost estimating and cost-effectiveness analyses.  The Plan will present options with estimated budget requirements in a time-bound action plan with clear roles and responsibilities delineated. The IC-AQMP will serve as the overarching framework for government action, building off PMEH foundational assessments, learning through the Component 2 and 3 pilot actions and laying out the vision for further scaling these activities toward impact manifested through improved air quality and reduced climate impacts.

\n\n

 

\n\n

In order to ground the IC-AQMP in the best data, AQM information systems will be strengthened through this work, including an expanded emission inventories to include mobile sources with the potential for detailed emission factor development (i.e., through emission testing) of Cairo-specific vehicle technologies. Given the important contributions from the urban mobility sector, the mobile source emissions inventory will serve the IC-AQMP as a fine-grained policy tracking and analysis framework for city-wide transportation planning.  The completed criteria air pollutant emission inventory will also be integrated with national GHG inventories and supplemented with an SLCP inventory so that the GoE will have a single database providing a comprehensive point of reference for air pollution policy tracking, national reporting (i.e., IPCC) and policy development (i.e., NDCs).

\n\n

In addition, AQ monitoring networks will be expanded beyond their current focus to include SLCPs (such as black carbon) and GHGs (such as CO2), serving a critical role in achieving the INDC priority initiative of establishing “national monitoring, reporting and verification systems.”  This observation network will also enable future monitoring/accountability for transport sector and solid waste initiatives that address city-wide emissions of diesel or waste burning.

\n\n

 

\n\n

A focus on training and skills development within Component 1.1 will improve capacity of ministry staffs and sustainable development units to undertake integrated climate and air quality management planning while enhancing university curricula to provide skills trainings for ‘Green Jobs’. Critical levers to the success of an IC-AQMP is an effective stakeholder engagement. It is important to involve key sectors upstream in the preparation of the IC-AQMP in order to build trust, ownership and a sense of shared responsibility. Therefore, stakeholder engagement workshops must be started and held regularly to update stakeholders on progress made, and also to enable feedback, particularly with respect to proposed sectoral mitigation strategies and abatement options. The goal is to develop the abatement options elaborated in the IC-AQMP to be presented to the Climate Change Committee for action.

\n\n

 

\n\n

Sub-component 1.2: Strengthening resilience to air pollution

\n\n

This sub-component will strengthen the resilience of the population of GC to cope with high pollution events, including those exacerbated by climate extremes and emissions, and will be achieved through two activities:

\n\n

 

\n\n

Improving Air Quality Forecasting. This activity will improve the quality of the current air quality forecasting tools, and the integration of these tools with local air quality monitoring data. The strengthened forecasting system will predict extreme air pollution episodes regardless of whether they are associated with increased anthropogenic activity, changes in meteorological phenomena or increased dust events (all of which are inter alia related to climate change, as outlined in the climate vulnerability context in paragraph 4 above). Dissemination of improved forecasting information on a newly designed website displaying the air pollution information, along with pertinent health messages (see sub-component 4.1 for more details on how improved air quality information will be disseminated in order to bring about behavioral changes. On-line forecasts of low-air-quality events can include information that emissions both reduce air quality and cause climate change (median annual temperature increase, higher volatility of extreme climatic events). This will serve as a passive and constant awareness-raising campaign. Presented in such manner, information will promote climate change mitigation efforts. 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Establishing institutional response mechanisms to high pollution days, irrespective of whether such pollution is associated with anthropogenic activity or climate-induced, is critical to enabling resilience measures among the public. This activity will create an institutional response to high pollution days by: (i) creating emergency plans to be enacted and decision protocols to be followed when air quality Action Days are identified; and (ii) establishing an emergency committee, which will take adaptive actions in the face of forecast high pollution days to significantly reduce human exposure to the worst air pollution (such as e.g., closing schools and asking elderly to remain indoor), as well as related adverse climate hazards, as well as take measures to shut down certain human emissive activities in the short-term to manage pollution and air quality levels.  This mechanism will enable broader public health action as outlined in Component 4. Carefully crafted emergency plans in the short-run will result in temporary GHG emission reductions, and in the long-run will lead to steady GHG emissions reductions by stimulating industries’ transition to cleaner processes and technologies, and by stimulating urban transport modal change.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Annex B: Terms of Reference for AQ Monitoring Network Review and SLCP Monitoring Network Design and Deployment

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

TERMS OF REFERENCE

\n\n

GREATER CAIRO AIR POLLUTION MANAGEMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:

\n\n

AQ Monitoring Network Review & Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Monitoring

\n\n

 

\n\n

I. Background

\n\n

 

\n\n

As part of the “Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS): Egypt Vision 2030”,[6]the country committed to halving its fine particulate matter (PM10) air pollution by 2030. Significant improvements have been made towards that goal in recent years. In fact, Cairo’s PM10 concentration fell by about 25 percent over the past decade. Despite these improvements, the city’s pollution levels are still several times the WHO recommended concentrations and higher than national guidelines taking as these high levels are taking their toll on the health and quality of life of the population, in particular poor people. Subsequently, the Greater Cairo (GC) Cost of Environmental Degradation (COED) attributed to air pollution is by far the highest in the country, with a mean estimate equivalent to 1.35 percent of national GDP in 2017. Conversely, the GC COED attributed to waste (net of air pollution damages, via the burning of waste) is half the air pollution’s COED and results in a mean estimate equivalent to 0.68 percent of national GDP in 2017 which includes the opportunity losses from composting, recycling, methane capture, etc. Moreover, recent studies on the COVID-19 show that there is an increased likelihood of contracting the disease with high levels of ambient pollutants.[7]

\n\n

Climate change models project Egypt’s mean annual temperature to increase between 2 ⁰C and 3 ⁰C by 2050 and an increase in the duration of long-lasting heatwaves. Hot sandstorms known as khamsin blow millions of tons of grit from the Sahara to the North African coast and increases in local temperatures of up to 20 ⁰C are projected to increase in frequency and intensity. By 2050 the intensity and seasonality of heavy rains, as well as the probability of droughts will increase. Long-lasting heatwaves likely will increase in duration of between 9 to 77 days by 2085. The GC area is vulnerable to all of these, as well as to river and urban flooding, water scarcity and wildfires. The impacts are severe, particularly for public health and agriculture. Climate change will put additional pressures on citizens’ health, in the form of increases in the prevalence and severity of cardiopulmonary conditions through heat and sandstorms, potential increases in vector-borne diseases, through decreased nutrition and food security and reduced water quality. Further, it has been demonstrated that extreme heat events are linked to worsening air pollution.[8]

\n\n

In response to this situation, the Government of Egypt (GOI) is seeking to reduce air and climate emissions from critical sectors and increase resilience to air pollution in Greater Cairo. The project aims specifically to reduce emissions that contribute to air pollution concentrations, thus leading to air quality improvements, and to simultaneously mitigate climate change. Air pollutants include PM10 and PM2.5, while climate pollutants include both longer lived greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as CO2, as well as Short-lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) that include black carbon, methane and several short-lived HFCs.

\n\n

Successful Integrated Climate and Air Quality Management Planning (IC-AQMP) requires a comprehensive understanding of baseline ambient air concentrations, including Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) and greenhouse gases (GHGs).  This solicitation seeks a consulting firm, referred to thereafter as “the consultant” to evaluate existing AQ monitoring networks in GC with respect to current and new monitoring objectives and to assist EEAA in procuring, deploying, calibrating, operating and maintaining additional instruments for monitoring greenhouse gases (GHGs) and short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs).  The consultant will also work with EEAA to establish a data management system to validate and quality assure these data and incorporate into the larger EEAA data management framework allowing them to jointly address air pollution and climate mitigation in GC and Egypt.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

II. Statement of Vendor Task

\n\n

Overall Task

\n\n

 

\n\n

This procurement opportunity seeks to establish a contract between the GoE and a consulting firm to provide support to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) and the cities of Cairo, Giza and Qualyubeiah to advance existing integrated climate and AQM planning (IC-AQMP) for the tri-city GC area as well as the country of Egypt as a whole, with a specific focus on reviewing existing AQ monitoring systems for GHGs, SLCPs and criteria air pollutants and establishing new monitoring systems to develop a single unified monitoring network that comprehensively covers all three classes of pollution. Specifically, the consultant is asked to:

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. EEAA AQ Monitoring Network Review.  The existing EEAA monitoring networks include routine PM2.5/10 monitoring sites for compliance purposes that also measure NOx, VOC, SO2 and other gaseous species. EEAA and partners also maintain a recently established PM Source Apportionment network.  Under the current assignment, EEAA also would like to identify opportunities for adding SLCP and GHG monitoring capacity. The consultant will work with EEAA teams (both within the Agency and at Center for Environmental Hazards Mitigation of Cairo University (CU-CEHM)) that are currently monitoring several criteria air pollutants in and around GC. EEAA has a robust existing AQ monitoring network that includes numerous continuous and gravimetric PM10 monitoring sites with several gaseous pollutant monitors as well as a few PM2.5 monitoring sites. Recently, 4 sites at Kaha, Shoubra El Kheima, El Qulaly and El Maadi have been outfitted with pairs of samplers for source apportionment sample collection. The network review will consider the expanding range of AQ monitoring objectives (including SLCP/GHG monitoring under Task 2) and develop recommendations for a revised network monitoring strategy that enables streamlined and efficient monitoring (e.g. through a “core” supersite network supplemented with a constellation of compliance monitoring sites or alternative strategies).
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Add SLCP/GHG Monitoring Capacity to Network. Through this project, EEAA intends to add approximately 12 sites that will continuously monitor the black carbon fraction of PM2.5 as well as basic meteorological measurements.  The typical multi-wavelength aethalometers used to measure BC are also able to detect CO2, so plans should include that addition.  The consultant will need to work with EEAA to understand existing gaps in PM2.5 monitoring, understand key sources of black carbon and CO2 and design a siting plan and monitoring strategy that will enhance the existing monitoring network (including the recent Source Apportionment samplers and any proposed additions to that network) to provide the most robust information on baseline concentrations of SLCPs and GHGs in and around GC.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Support ongoing Source Apportionment Monitoring & Chemical Speciation Analysis. The consultant will evaluate existing measurements of air pollutants for particulate matter (both fine and coarse), assess chemical speciation analysis methodologies and quality assurance procedures, and assist with refining and completing a source apportionment analysis of one-year of data from the Greater Cairo area.  Specifically, the consultant will work with EEAA and CU-CEHM to:
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. \n\t
      \n\t\t
    1. Assess existing procedures and practices based on site visits, review of existing SOPs and training materials and practical assessment of field/lab practices. Based on these existing conditions, the vendor will design a tailored training program to enable EEAA to collect, validate and assess data necessary to achieve an updated source apportionment analysis for GCA including monitoring practice, data quality objectives, network design, standard operating procedures and human resource allocation,
      2. \n\t\t
    2. Upgrade laboratory facilities at CEHM to support their capacity to conduct the following aspects of speciated PM2.5 monitoring, chemical speciation measurement and data analysis, and to audit laboratory results to ensure DQOs are achieved.  This may involve modification of lab space, training of staff, training data management and validation procedures, or undertaking audits or laboratory intercomparison experiments to ensure achievement of DQOs, and
      3. \n\t\t
    3. Assist EEAA/CU-CEHM to employ receptor-oriented source apportionment methods (e.g. PMF, CMB or UNMIX) to determine major contributors to each location, improve emission inventory estimates by reconciling receptor-oriented source contributions with those from source-oriented models.  The consultant will provide guidance to EEAA on how to develop a weight-of-evidence demonstration of source contributions to ambient PM2.5air pollution in GCA.  
      4. \n\t
    \n\t
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Advise on the procurement, deployment, calibration and testing of new SLCP (i.e. black carbon) monitors.  The consultant will work with EEAA to select and procure appropriate equipment; develop a deployment plan consistent with the siting plan developed under Task 1; supervise and assist in deployment, set up and testing of equipment; develop SOPs including calibration, operation and maintenance of equipment and ensure that initial data collection occurs per SOP.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Establish a quality management system (QMS) for new equipment: The consultant will work with EEAA to establish data quality objectives, quality assurance and quality control procedures for the new equipment to ensure that observations meet international best practice,  resulting in high quality repeatable measurements of black carbon, PM2.5, PM10, CO2 and basic meteorological parameters at each site.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Establish a data management system for EEAA monitoring data: The consultant will work with EEAA to establish a cloud-based system that will accept real-time data from the 12-sites monitoring black carbon, CO2, PM2.5, PM10 and meteorological measurements; enable data analysts at EEAA or their subcontracted vendors to validate and quality assure the data, and then archive the data with an interface giving the option of public access or use in calculating an air quality index (AQI) or for input into AQ forecasting systems being developed by another vendor.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Training EEAA and their partners in the use, operation, maintenance of monitoring equipment. The consultant will work with EEAA and the relevant partners to ensure that the at the conclusion of the contract, their staffs are able to continue all SLCP and GHG monitoring operations, including calibration of instruments, collection of data, validation and analysis of data, routine maintenance of instruments, reporting of data into AQI and forecasting systems.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Institutional Arrangements

\n\n

The consultant will work collaboratively in partnership with EEAA staff and with other development partners that are also supporting EEAA staff with AQM planning (including the World Bank). For example, the EEAA maintains a partnership with the Cairo University and has a contract with other consulting firms to perform meteorological modeling.  The consultant will also need to liaise with other ministries that may be able to host monitoring sites, but this is to be coordinated through EEAA.

\n\n

III. Timing and Human Resources

\n\n

 

\n\n

The consultant will work to complete deliverables between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2025 (within 36 months of the start of contract).  This work will require reporting to the EEAA as outlined above.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Key milestones

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within 1 month of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

Team meeting (via WebEx) with WBG ENB and EEAA to review technical proposal and discuss options for data acquisition.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within three months of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

Provide inception plan for development, procurement, deployment and operation of SLCP/GHG/PM network (including QMS).

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within 4 months of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

Deliver training plan explaining the timing and content of proposed training activities.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within 5 months of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

Deliver network assessment with recommendations for siting to achieve various monitoring objectives coordinated across the three existing networks complete with a data management plan explaining the approach to data collection, validation archiving and reporting to EEAA, the public and other EEAA vendors as approved by EEAA.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within one year of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

Successful deployment of all monitoring equipment and delivery of source apportionment analysis for GCA.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within two years of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

Data report including quality assurance results, data reports and analysis of trends, diurnal, weekly and seasonal patterns.

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within 35 months of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

Draft two-year data report with network observations/analysis as well as future recommendations for any network enhancements.

\n\n

 

\n\n

IV. Deliverables

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Draft inception plan  – 3 months
    2. \n\t
  2. Draft training plan – 4 months
    3. \n\t
  3. Data Management Plan – 5 months
    4. \n\t
  4. Network operational and streaming data to operational data management system – one year
    5. \n\t
  5. Draft-one-year data report – 24 months
    6. \n\t
  6. Draft two-year data report – 35 months
    7. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

V. Vendor Qualifications and Experience

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

The consultant staff will be available for meetings and appointments per the schedule of the EEAA and World Bank teams.  The consultant will be expected to present results to multi-stakeholders in GCA at least twice during the contract period.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

Annex C: Terms of Reference for Integrated Emission Inventory Development

\n\n

 

\n\n

TERMS OF REFERENCE

\n\n

GREATER CAIRO AIR POLLUTION MANAGEMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECT:

\n\n

Emission Inventory Development

\n\n

 

\n\n

I. Background

\n\n

 

\n\n

As part of the “Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS): Egypt Vision 2030”,[9]the country committed to halving its fine particulate matter (PM10) air pollution by 2030. Significant improvements have been made towards that goal in recent years. In fact, Cairo’s PM10 concentration fell by about 25 percent over the past decade. Despite these improvements, the city’s pollution levels are still several times the WHO recommended concentrations and higher than national guidelines taking as these high levels are taking their toll on the health and quality of life of the population, in particular poor people. Subsequently, the Greater Cairo (GC) Cost of Environmental Degradation (COED) attributed to air pollution is by far the highest in the country, with a mean estimate equivalent to 1.35 percent of national GDP in 2017. Conversely, the GC COED attributed to waste (net of air pollution damages, via the burning of waste) is half the air pollution’s COED and results in a mean estimate equivalent to 0.68 percent of national GDP in 2017 which includes the opportunity losses from composting, recycling, methane capture, etc. Moreover, recent studies on the COVID-19 show that there is an increased likelihood of contracting the disease with high levels of ambient pollutants.[10]

\n\n

Climate change models project Egypt’s mean annual temperature to increase between 2 ⁰C and 3 ⁰C by 2050 and an increase in the duration of long-lasting heatwaves. Hot sandstorms known as khamsin blow millions of tons of grit from the Sahara to the North African coast and increases in local temperatures of up to 20 ⁰C are projected to increase in frequency and intensity. By 2050 the intensity and seasonality of heavy rains, as well as the probability of droughts will increase. Long-lasting heatwaves likely will increase in duration of between 9 to 77 days by 2085. The GC area is vulnerable to all of these, as well as to river and urban flooding, water scarcity and wildfires. The impacts are severe, particularly for public health and agriculture. Climate change will put additional pressures on citizens’ health, in the form of increases in the prevalence and severity of cardiopulmonary conditions through heat and sandstorms, potential increases in vector-borne diseases, through decreased nutrition and food security and reduced water quality. Further, it has been demonstrated that extreme heat events are linked to worsening air pollution.[11]

\n\n

In response to this situation, the Government of Egypt (GOI) is seeking to reduce air and climate emissions from critical sectors and increase resilience to air pollution in Greater Cairo. The project aims specifically to reduce emissions that contribute to air pollution concentrations, thus leading to air quality improvements, and to simultaneously mitigate climate change. Air pollutants include PM10 and PM2.5, while climate pollutants include both longer lived greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as CO2, as well as Short-lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) that include black carbon, methane and several short-lived HFCs.

\n\n

Successful Air Quality Management (AQM) planning requires a detailed assessment of these emissions in ways that enable decision makers to (i) understand the many sectors that contribute to a city’s air pollution problems, (ii) track the effectiveness of policies and strategies over time to establish an accountability framework for both climate mitigation and AQM planning and (iii) utilize these data to conduct periodic international reporting and to process emissions estimates for dispersion modeling, critical to AQ forecasting.  This solicitation seeks a consulting firm, referred to thereafter as “the consultant” to evaluate existing emission inventories for criteria air pollutants, greenhouse gases (GHGs) and short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), fill any gaps in these existing inventories (e.g. mobile sources) and integrate each of these (including a completed mobile source inventory) into a single unified database useful for policy tracking, international reporting, and dispersion modeling/forecasting to address air pollution and climate mitigation in GC and Egypt.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

II. Statement of Consultant Task

\n\n

Overall Task

\n\n

 

\n\n

This procurement opportunity seeks to establish a contract between the GoE and a consultant to provide support to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) and the cities of Cairo, Giza and Qualyubeiah to advance existing integrated climate and AQM planning (IC-AQMP) for the tri-city GC area as well as the country of Egypt as a whole, with a specific focus on reviewing existing inventory data products for GHGs, SLCPs and criteria air pollutants and synthesizing these with other information to develop a single unified database that can be utilized and continually updated. Specifically, the consultant is asked to:

\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Review, refine, enhance and consolidate emission inventories: The consultant will work with EEAA teams that are currently updating emission inventory databases for the GCA to obtain the best available data. EEAA has recently completed an inventory for point sources, biogenic and geogenic sources and has developed a “Roadmap” report for developing a mobile source inventory.  The consultant will need to work with EEAA to understand existing gaps and align the available information with best practices to develop a comprehensive inventory[12] for the GCA and surrounding area[13].  The consultant will be asked to fill those gaps, improve and enhance available data resulting in a single, internally consistent comprehensive inventory (i.e. covering point, area and mobile sources as well as relevant biogenic emission sources) that will be available for photochemical and dispersion modeling (see Task 3).
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Update and improve inputs for new comprehensive integrated database: The consultant will work with EEAA to develop and incorporate available emission inventory data, review and update the existing inventories utilizing new data provided by relevant ministries (e.g. see the roadmap report, but this will include vehicle registration data from Ministry of Interior, industrial activity data from Ministry of Industry, etc.).  The creation of gridded emission files (see Task 3) may include defining the airshed that affects air quality in GCA, applying land-use regression techniques to define sharp spatial gradients (e.g. via satellite-based methods) or identifying socio-economic indicators or technology distributions that that can be used to improve spatial surrogates for emissions distributions, and potentially break out inventory data by socio-economic status.  The consultant may also propose developing locally appropriate source characterizations/emission profiles for specific source categories known to affect GCA air quality or to identify and address weaknesses in the national GHG inventory.
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Synthesize and integrate data in a single unified IC-AQMP emission inventory for Egypt: The resulting inventory will be presented in (a) a spreadsheet or database format as well as (b) gridded emission files (NetCDF format) appropriate for chemical transport modeling and finally (c) as a IPCC-compliant national GHG emission inventory useful for submission under the UNFCCC. The final products should include all pollutants as relevant (e.g. IPCC-compliant inventory should include the six Kyoto gases, black carbon, methane, short-lived HFCs and N2O; the gridded emission files should include Pb, CO, primary PM2.5, primary PM10, NOx, SO2, VOC, ammonia and hazardous air pollutants ; the database should include all of the above).
    2. \n
\n\n

 

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Training EEAA and their partners in the use, updating and processing of the emissions data for future policy tracking, air dispersion modeling and international reporting. The consultant will work with EEAA and the relevant partners to ensure that the final products are useful for Ministry staff, their vendors and their partners to achieve air quality and climate mitigation goals with the IC-AQMP database. This means identifying and training on aspects of inventory collection and refinement that may have come out during the course of the refinement process undertaken in Task 2, ensuring that chemical transport modelers are able to process gridded emissions files in the future based on updated or refined inputs, and ensuring that members of the Egypt Climate Change Committee are able to generate new IPCC-compliant reports of GHG and/or SLCP emissions.
    2. \n
\n\n

Institutional Arrangements

\n\n

The consultant will work collaboratively in partnership with EEAA staff and with other development partners that are also supporting EEAA staff with AQM planning (including the World Bank). For example, the EEAA maintains a partnership with the Cairo University and has a contract with another consulting firm to perform meteorological modeling.  The consultant will also need to liaise with other ministries that may be providing data inputs to the emissions estimation process, but this is to be coordinated through EEAA.

\n\n

III. Timing and Human Resources

\n\n

The consultant will work to complete deliverables between September 1, 2022 and Mar 31, 2024 (within 18 months of the start of contract).  This work will require reporting to the EEAA as outlined above.

\n\n

Key milestones

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within 2 weeks of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

Team meeting (via WebEx) with EEAA and WBG ENB to review proposed inventory development plan and expected deliverables.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within one month of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

Provide inception plan for comprehensive inventory development and processing and expected form of deliverables, including training plan.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within one month of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

EEAA provides biogenic/geogenic and mobile source inventory roadmap.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within one year of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

Draft Egyptian inventory for criteria air pollutants (including point, area, mobile and biogenic/geogenic sources), SLCPs and GHGs in database format.

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Within 17 months of contract signature
    2. \n
\n\n

Draft Final IC-AQMP inventory in three formats.

\n\n

 

\n\n

IV. Deliverables

\n\n
    \n\t
  1. Draft inventory data inception report, including training plan  – 1 month
    2. \n\t
  2. Draft comprehensive emission database – one year
    3. \n\t
  3. Draft-final inventory in three formats – 17 months
    4. \n
\n\n

V. Vendor Qualifications and Experience

\n\n

 

\n\n\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

The consultant will also work closely with other members of the Project team including: TBD.

\n\n

The consultant staff will be available for meetings and appointments per the schedule of EEAA and the World Bank teams.  The consultant will be expected to present results to multi-stakeholders in GCA at least twice during the contract period.

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

 

\n\n

[1]http://www.cabinet.gov.eg/English/GovernmentStrategy/Pages/Egypt%E2%80%99sVision2030.aspx and https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/sites/default/files/downloads/policy-database/Egypt%20Vision%202030%20%28English%29.pdf.

\n\n

[2] Larsen, Bjorn. 2019. Egypt: Cost of Environmental Degradation: Air and Water Pollution. The World Bank. Washington, D.C.; and Back of the envelop calculations for cost of solid waste environmental degradation performed by the Team.

\n\n

[3]USAID 2018. Climate Risk in Egypt: Country Risk Profile. https://www.climatelinks.org/sites/default/files/asset/document/2018_USAID-ATLAS-Project_Climate-Risk-Profile-Egypt.pdf.

\n\n

[4]Markandya and Chiabai, Valuing Climate Change Impacts on Human Health: Empirical Evidence from the Literature, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 6, 759–86, 2009.

\n\n

[5] Link to PAD

\n\n

[6]http://www.cabinet.gov.eg/English/GovernmentStrategy/Pages/Egypt%E2%80%99sVision2030.aspx and https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/sites/default/files/downloads/policy-database/Egypt%20Vision%202030%20%28English%29.pdf.

\n\n

[7] Larsen, Bjorn. 2019. Egypt: Cost of Environmental Degradation: Air and Water Pollution. The World Bank. Washington, D.C.; and Back of the envelop calculations for cost of solid waste environmental degradation performed by the Team.

\n\n

[8]Markandya and Chiabai, Valuing Climate Change Impacts on Human Health: Empirical Evidence from the Literature, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 6, 759–86, 2009.

\n\n

[9]http://www.cabinet.gov.eg/English/GovernmentStrategy/Pages/Egypt%E2%80%99sVision2030.aspx and https://www.greengrowthknowledge.org/sites/default/files/downloads/policy-database/Egypt%20Vision%202030%20%28English%29.pdf.

\n\n

[10] Larsen, Bjorn. 2019. Egypt: Cost of Environmental Degradation: Air and Water Pollution. The World Bank. Washington, D.C.; and Back of the envelop calculations for cost of solid waste environmental degradation performed by the Team.

\n\n

[11]Markandya and Chiabai, Valuing Climate Change Impacts on Human Health: Empirical Evidence from the Literature, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 6, 759–86, 2009.

\n\n

[12] For example, the mobile source inventory roadmap describes steps to be taken and data to be used, but has not yet used this information to develop the emissions estimates.  Similarly, the biogenic and geogenic inventory that has been developed by another vendor does not include the relatively small contribution to NOx from lightning or GHG emissions due to vegetation and land-use changes but may need to be completed (guidance has already been developed for both of these tasks) and integrated into this emissions framework.

\n\n

[13] The entire country of Egypt will have to be covered to some degree both to satisfy the need to provide international reporting of GHGs at the national level under IPCC methodologies and to include air pollution emissions from areas surrounding the tri-city areainsofar as emissions from surrounding regions need to be included within larger nested modeling domains for GC AQ forecasting.

"},{"id":"OP00151570","notice_type":"Invitation for Bids","noticedate":"22-Oct-2021","notice_lang_name":"English","notice_status":"Published","submission_deadline_date":"2021-11-05T00:00:00Z","submission_deadline_time":"14:00","project_ctry_name":"Liberia","project_id":"P162893","project_name":"Liberia Land Administration Project","bid_reference_no":"LR-LLA-253649-NC-RFQ","bid_description":"Supply of Digital Land Records Management System for the Liberia Land Authority.","procurement_group":"NC","procurement_method_code":"RFQ","procurement_method_name":"Request for Quotations","contact_address":"Ministry of Commerce Former Building\nAshmun & Gurley Streets Intersection \nMonrovia, Liberia","contact_ctry_name":"Liberia","contact_email":"teakon@yahoo.com","contact_name":"Dr. J. Teakon Williams","contact_organization":"Liberia Land Authority","contact_phone_no":"0770567334.","submission_date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","notice_text":"

Liberia Land Authority
Ministry of Commerce Former Building,
Ashmun & Gurley Streets
Monrovia, Liberia

 

NON- CONSULTANCY SERVICES
SUPPLY, DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION OF DIGITAL LAND RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR THE LIBERIA LAND AUTHORITY

Request for Quotations

Ref No: LR-LLA-253649-NC-RFQ
Project: Liberia Land Administration Protect (LLAP)
Purchaser: Liberia Land Authority (LLA)
Country: Republic of Liberia
Issued on: October 22, 2021

                                                                                                     

Dear Supplier/Service Provider:

  1. The Republic of Liberia has received Financing from the International Development Association (IDA) towards the cost of implementing and it intends to apply part of the proceeds of this to the Liberia Land Administration Project (LLAP) by the Liberia Land Authority for engaging a Service Provider under this Request for Quotation (RFQ).
  2. You are invited to submit your priced quotation per attached Terms of Reference or system requirement (TOR). The final cost of the assignment must be provided in a summary, including Profit, Labour, and Tax etc.
  3. You are to submit a statement of compliance in your Quotation and technical documentations proofing your qualification to provide the above mentioned service.  
  4. Your quotation in the required format should be addressed to:

The Project Coordinator
Liberia Land Administration Project
First Floor of LLA Headquarter
Ministry of Commerce Former Building,
Ashmun & Gurley Streets Intersection
Monrovia, Liberia

Cell: +231770567334
Email: teakon@yahoo.com  
Cc: gracekangunda@gmail.com /vanyanbah.julius@yahoo.com

Clarifications

Any clarification request regarding this RFQ may be sent in writing to Dr. Teakon J. Williams, Project Coordinator-LLAP, teakon@yahoo.com Cc: gracekangunda@gmail.com /vanyanbah.julius@yahoo.com before October 28, 2021 at 1:00pm GMT. The Purchaser will forward copies of its response to all bidders including a description of the inquiry but without identifying its source.

  1. Detailed information on system requirements for the Digital Archiving System for the LLA can be found at www.emansion.gov.lr. You can also request for the documents through the above emails.
  2. The quotation in the English language should be accompanied by
    1. Adequate technical documentations and other pertinent information demonstrating your entity to meet the below as indicated in the technical specifications in Appendix 1 below:
  1. Company Certificate of Incorporation;
  2. Valid Tax Clearance Certificate;
  3. Valid Business Registration Certificate

v)  Signed completed price and delivery schedule

The deadline for receipt of your quotation is November 5, 2021 at 2.00pm. (1400 hours GMT).

  1. Quotations in sealed envelopes should be submitted by hand, by e-mail or post by the deadline stated above.
  2. Evaluation. The Employer shall award the Contract to the Service Provider whose offer has been determined to be the Most Advantageous quote and is substantially responsive to the request for quotation, provided further that the Service Provider is determined to be qualified to perform the contract satisfactorily.
  1. Prices. Prices shall be in United States Dollars (USD). Prices quoted in currencies other than United States Dollars (USD) will be evaluated after converting the currency into USD at the exchange rate prevailing at the Central Bank of Liberia on the date of the deadline of quotation submission, or from OANDA Exchange Rates Services at www.oanda.com .

Payment. Payment will be made upon completion of services and certified by the LLA and submission of invoicing for claim of payment.

Completion Schedule. The whole assignment should be completed within 2.5 months after award of contract.

Warranty. Materials used should be covered by at least one-year warranty from the date of completion to the Employer. Materials offered shall be new, unused and based on the manufacturer’s current and most recent model. 

Validity. Your quotation should be valid for a period of 60 days from the date of deadline of submission.

  1. Contract Award

The Contract will be awarded to the Supplier/s who:

  1. offers the Most Advantageous evaluated price/s,
  2. technically compliant quotation, and
  3. guarantees delivery, in accordance with the delivery period/s

17. Fraud and Corruption

The Bank requires compliance with the Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines and its prevailing sanctions policies and procedures as set forth in the WBG’s Sanctions Framework, as set forth in the attachment to the Contract Conditions (Attachment A).

In further pursuance of this policy, the supplier shall permit and shall cause their agents (where declared or not), subcontractors, sub consultants, service providers, suppliers, and personnel, to permit the Bank to inspect all accounts, records and other documents relating to the RFQ and contract performance (in the case of award), and to have them audited by auditors appointed by the Bank.

Yours sincerely,

Signed: _____________________            

            Teakon J. Williams (PhD)                                                                                         Project Coordinator, LLAP                               

 

 

 

Appendix 1

 

System requirements for

Digital Archive System in LLA

No.

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

  1.  

General requirements

    1. The system shall allow multiuser access over the network.
    2. The system should be a Web application or Desktop application with server-side component, implementing business logic and database access.
    3. The system can be supplied as a commercial, open-source or custom development solution.
    4. If the system is supplied as a commercial solution, it shall have perpetual licenses for 30 users or more.
    5. If the system is supplied as custom development, LLA shall have full ownership rights and unrestricted access to the source codes. If custom development is using any licensed components, it shall be agreed with LLA prior to using them and required number of licenses provided, allowing access to 30 users at least.
    6. The system shall be supplied with user and administration guides (help files), as well as system documentation in case of custom development (e.g. DB description, system architecture).
    7. The supplier shall migrate existing digital records from Open Title solution.
    8. The supplier shall provide user training sessions to train end users (e.g.20 users), administrator and senior management.
    9. In case of a custom development, the supplier shall provide a warranty for 6 months, covering bugs fixing.
    10.  
  1.  

FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS  

    1. The user shall be required to login into the system using its username and password, assigned by the administrator.
    2. The main screen shall have a list of folders (or categories) and workflow steps on the left side and relevant list of records on the right side, allowing quick filtering of records in the system.
    3. By default, the list of records shall be displayed in descending order by the registration date in the system.
    4. The user shall be able to change the records order by clicking on the column header, which should be used for ordering.
    5. The list of records shall be displayed in paged format (e.g. 20 records per page) and allow pages navigation.
    6. The system shall allow records search by the key attributes (e.g. range of registration dates, deed number, phone number, owner name, folio number, workflow step, status).
    7. The system shall allow viewing of deed or non-deed records through the search results or by opening from the main screen.
    8. The system shall implement 4 workflow steps – Data Entry, Spatial Data Entry, Quality Control and Final Review.
    9. The main screen shall also allow opening an interactive map, showing the location of registered deeds and allow clicking and opening relevant deed record.
    10. The system shall allow the creation and management of deed volumes for Records Entry Technician role. The attributes for deed volume are listed in the Annex 1.
    11. The system shall allow the creation and management of non-deed volumes for record entry. The attributes for non-deed volume are listed in Annex 3.
    12. Users with Records Entry Technician role shall be able to create a new record (deed or non-deed) in the system by capturing its key attributes as defined in the Annex 2 and Annex 4. While creating a new record, the System shall ask if the record is new or existing (digitizing archive) and save this attribute as part of the record.
    13. New record shall be assigned with “pending” status and Data Entry workflow step.
    14. While the record is at the Data Entry step, Records Entry Technician shall be able to attach a digital copy of the documents, relevant to the created records (e.g. deed, payment receipt, person ID).
    15. Every document attached, shall have additional attributes such as – document type (mandatory), reference number (mandatory), document date (mandatory), issuing authority, description.
    16. Records Entry Technician shall be able to attach a digital copy of a document or capture it from the scanner.
    17. Once Data Entry step is completed, Records Entry Technician shall click a “Complete” button to move the record to the next step. If the record is new and has deed type, it shall be moved to the Spatial Data Entry step. All other records (existing deed or non-deed) shall be moved to the Quality Control step.
    18. Spatial Data Entry shall be executed by the Spatial Data Entry Technician.
    19. At the Spatial Data Entry step, the Spatial Data Entry Technician shall capture land parcel location by using an interactive map and adding a marker over the land parcel. Marker coordinates shall be displayed in a text field, allowing entering or adjusting the coordinate. If the text field is modified, the map marker shall be set or adjusted accordingly.
    20. The System shall allow only spatial data entry at the Spatial Data Entry step and no other attributes. If spatial location is missing, it can be left empty.
    21. Once Spatial Data Entry step is completed, Spatial Data Entry Technician shall click a “Complete” button to move the record to the Quality Control step.
    22. Quality Control shall be executed by the QC Manager.
    23. QC Manager shall review the record and make a decision to move it forward or revert.
    24. If any issues are found with the record, QC Manager shall make an appropriate note on the record and click “Revert” button. Reverted record shall be assigned with Data Entry step and made available for modification to Records Entry Technician users.
    25. For the record with a good quality, QC Manager shall click “Complete” button to move the record to the Final Review step.
    26. The Final Review step shall be implemented by the Supervisor role.
    27. If any issues are found with the record at the Final Review, Supervisor shall be able to revert the record back to Quality Control step and make an appropriate note or reject registration.
    28. For reverting to the Quality control step, Supervisor shall add an appropriate note and click “Revert” button. Reverted record shall be assigned with Quality Control step and made available QC Manager users.
    29. Supervisor shall be able to reject the record by clicking “Reject” button. The system shall ask for confirmation and rejection reason (free text). Rejection reason shall be added as a note and the status of the record changed to “Rejected”. Workflow step shall be cleaned to make the record finalized.
    30. For a good quality record, Supervisor shall be able to approve the record by clicking “Approve” button. The system shall assign “Registered” status to the record and remove (clean) the workflow step, making it finalized.
    31. The system shall allow capturing free notes, made by the users responsible for the workflow step, where the claim is currently assigned. Every note shall contain the note text, full user name who added the note, date and time when the note is captured. All notes shall be presented as a list on the record, ordered in descending by creation date (latest on top).
    32. The system shall track the history of workflow steps for every record, capturing user name and full name of the user executed the workflow step as well as date and time of this action.
    33. Workflow history shall be displayed as read-only information as part of the record information.
    34. The system shall allow Administrator role to manage code list tables used in the system (e.g. document types, list of counties list of communities, etc). Deletion of code list shall not be allowed if there is an existing record using code list value.
    35. Authorized users from the Digital Scanning Center shall not be able to interact or interfere with the Customer Service Center module.
    36. The system shall allow generation of parameterized reports, listed in Annex 5.
  1.  

 

SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

    1. The system shall allow user management by adding, editing and deleting users.
    2. Every user shall have the following attributes – full name, division name, user name, password and roles.
    3. The system shall implement the following roles – Administrator, Records Entry Technician, Spatial Data Entry Technician, QC Manager and, Supervisor, Executive Official.
    4. Access to the system functions shall be defined through user roles.
    5. Administrator shall be able to manage users and activate/deactivate user account, which will enable or disable access to the system.
    6. While creating or editing a record, the system shall automatically capture a user name and date of creation or modification.
    7. The system shall have a default administrator user with admin/admin user name and password, which will be used for initial system configuration.
    8. The system shall allow read-only mode (viewing only) for the users with Executive Official role. It shall allow searching and viewing records, as well as generation of various statistical reports (parametrized).
    9. Reports viewing shall be available only to the Executive Official users.

Annexes

No.

Description

1

Deed volume attributes

  1. Volume Number (surrogate ID)
  2. Month
  3. Year

2

Deed Attributes

  1. LLA Tracking Number
  2. Grantor Last Name
  3. Grantor First Name
  4. Grantor – Other Names
  5. Grantee Last Name
  6. Grantee First Name
  7. Grantee – Other Names
  8. Instrument Type (lookup table)
  9. County (lookup table)
  10. Volume reference
  11. Year
  12. Page Number
  13. Grantor County (lookup table)
  14. Property Community (lookup table)
  15. Property Lot Number
  16. Property Description
  17. Property Size (Areas)
  18. Property Size (Lots)
  19. Deed Date
  20. Survey Date
  21. Probate Date
  22. Surveyor
  23. Registrar
  24. Recorder
  25. Price of Land
  26. Point Table (Coordinates of each vertex in the polygon, when available)
  27. Polygon
  28. National ID

3

Non-Deed volume attributes

  1. Volume Number (surrogate ID)
  2. Month
  3. Year

4

Non-deed attributes

  1. LLA Tracking Number
  2. Instrument Type (lookup table)
  3. Volume Number/Year
  4. Page Numbers
  5. Transaction Date
  6. Primary Last Name
  7. Primary First Name
  8. Secondary Last Name
  9. Secondary First Name
  10. County (lookup table)
  11. Location

5

List of reports

Parameterized reports

List of deeds by:

  1. Dates (range of dates) – (LLA Tracking Number, Grantor, Grantee, Volume, Page, Address (Community, County), Date of Survey, Surveyor’s Name, Probate Date, Registration Date, Price of Land, polygon)
  2. Instrument Type (LLA Tracking Number, Volume, Page, Property Size, Date Surveyed).
  3. Grantor (LLA Tracking Number, Volume, Page, Grantee, Property Size, Date Surveyed)
  4. Grantee (LLA Tracking Number, Volume, Page, Grantor, Property Size, Date Surveyed)
  5. Location (LLA Tracking Number, Volume, Page, Grantor, Grantee, Property Size, Date Surveyed
  6. County (LLA Tracking Number, Volume, Page, Property Size, Date Surveyed)
  7. Recorder (LLA Tracking Number, Volume, Page, Property Size, Date Surveyed
  8. registrar (LLA Tracking Number, Volume, Page, Property Size, Date Surveyed)

ANNEX 3: Contract Forms

Contract Agreement

THIS AGREEMENT made the ………..day of June, 2021.

BETWEEN

(1)       Liberia Land Authority, an agency of the Government of the Republic of Liberia incorporated under the laws of Liberia and having its principal place of business at Former Commerce Building, corner of Ashmun and Gurley Streets (hereinafter called “the Purchaser”), of the one part, and

(2)       [insert name of Supplier], a corporation incorporated under the laws of [ insert: country of Supplier] and having its principal place of business at [ insert: address of Supplier] (hereinafter called “the Supplier”), of the other part:

WHEREAS the Purchaser invited quotations for certain Goods and ancillary services, for the Supply and Delivery of ICT Equipment and related Software and Office Furniture and Supplies and has accepted a quotation by the Supplier for the supply of those Goods and Services

The Purchaser and the Supplier agree as follows:

1.      In this Agreement words and expressions shall have the same meanings as are respectively assigned to them in the Contract documents referred to.

2.      The following documents shall be deemed to form and be read and construed as part of this Agreement. This Agreement shall prevail over all other Contract documents.

  1. the Letter of Award of Contract
  2. the Supplier’s quotation
  3. Conditions of Contract
  4. the Purchaser’s Requirements (including Schedule of Requirements and Technical Specifications)
  5. the completed Schedules (including Price Schedules)
  6. any other document listed as forming part of the Contract

3.     In consideration of the payments to be made by the Purchaser to the Supplier as specified in this Agreement, the Supplier hereby covenants with the Purchaser to provide the Goods and Related Services if applicable and to remedy defects therein in conformity in all respects with the provisions of the Contract.

4.      The Purchaser hereby covenants to pay the Supplier in consideration of the provision of the Goods and Related Services and the remedying of defects therein, the Contract Price or such other sum as may become payable under the provisions of the Contract at the times and in the manner prescribed by the Contract.

IN WITNESS whereof the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Liberia on the day…….. November 2021.       

For and on behalf of the Purchaser:

Signed: …………………………….               

in the capacity of ………………………………………………

in the presence of ………………………………………………

For and on behalf of the Supplier:

Signed: …………………………….               

in the capacity of ………………………………………………

in the presence of ………………………………………………

Conditions of Contract

  1. Definitions 
      1. The following words and expressions shall have the meanings hereby assigned to them: “Bank” means the World Bank and refers to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) or the International Development Association (IDA). “CC” means the Conditions of Contract. “Contract” means the Contract Agreement entered into between the Purchaser and the Supplier, together with the Contract Documents referred to therein, including all attachments, appendices, and all documents incorporated by reference therein. “Contract Documents” means the documents listed in the Contract Agreement, including any amendments thereto. “Contract Price” means the price payable to the Supplier as specified in CC 8.1, subject to such additions and adjustments thereto or deductions therefrom, as may be made pursuant to the Contract. “Day” means calendar day. “Completion” means the fulfillment of the Related Services, as applicable, by the Supplier in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the Contract. “CC” means the Conditions of Contract. “Goods” means all of the commodities, raw material, machinery and equipment, and/or other materials that the Supplier is required to supply to the Purchaser under the Contract. “Party” means the Purchaser or the Contractor, as the context requires, and “Parties” means both of them. “Purchaser” means the entity purchasing the Goods and Related Services as applicable, as specified in CC 2. “Purchaser’s Country” is the country specified in the CC 2.  “Related Services” means the services incidental to the supply of the goods, such as insurance, installation, training and initial maintenance and other such obligations of the Supplier under the Contract, as applicable.  “Subcontractor” means any person, private or government entity, or a combination of the above, to whom any part of the Goods to be supplied or execution of any part of the Related Services is subcontracted by the Supplier. “Supplier” means the person, private or government entity, or a combination of the above, whose Quotation to perform the Contract has been accepted by the Purchaser and is named as such in the Contract Agreement.
      2. “The Project Site,” where applicable, means the place named in the CC.
  1. Purchaser, Purchaser’s Country, Project Site/Final Destination
    1. The Purchaser is: [Insert complete legal name of the Purchaser]
    2. The Purchaser’s Country is: [insert name of the Purchaser’s Country]
    3. The Project Site(s)/Final Destination(s) is/are: [Insert name(s) and detailed information on the location(s) of the site(s), where applicable]
  1. Incoterms
    1. The edition of Incoterms that shall apply is: 2020
  1. Notices and Addresses for notices

 

    1. Any notice given by one Party to the other pursuant to the Contract shall be in writing to the address hereafter using the quickest available method such as electronic mail with proof of receipt.

Address for notices to the Purchaser:

Dr. Teakon J. Williams
The Project Coordinator
Liberia Land Administration Project
First Floor of LLA Headquarters
Ministry of Commerce Former Building, 

 Ashmun & Gurley Streets Intersection
 Monrovia, Liberia
Email: teakon@yahoo.com
Cc: gracekangunda@gmail.com /vanyanbah.julius@yahoo.com

Address for notices to the Supplier:

[insert the name of officer authorized to receive notices]

[title/position]

[department/work unit]

[address]

[Electronic mail address]

  1. Governing Law
    1. The Contract shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of Republic of Liberia.
  1. Settlement of Disputes

 

    1. [“CC 6(a) shall be retained in the case of a Contract with a foreign Supplier and CC  6 (b) shall be retained in the case of a Contract with a national of the Purchaser’s Country.”]
  2. Contract with foreign Supplier:

[unless the Purchaser chooses the commercial arbitration rules of another international arbitral institution, the following sample clause should be inserted:]

All disputes arising out of or in connection with the present contract shall be finally settled under the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce by one or more arbitrators appointed in accordance with the said Rules.

  1. Contracts with Supplier national of the Purchaser’s Country:

In the case of a dispute between the Purchaser and a Supplier who is a national of the Purchaser’s Country, the dispute shall be referred to adjudication or arbitration in accordance with the laws of the Purchaser’s Country.

  1. Shipping and other documents to be provided

 

    1. The Delivery of the Goods and Completion of the Related Services as applicable shall be in accordance with the Delivery and Completion Schedule specified in the Schedule of Requirements.

Details of Shipping and other Documents to be furnished by the Supplier are: an airway bill, insurance certificate, Manufacturer’s or Supplier’s warranty certificate, inspection certificate issued by nominated inspection agency, Supplier’s factory shipping details etc.].

The above documents shall be received by the Purchaser: NA

        1. before arrival of the Goods, if the mode of payment is through letter of credit if so specified in CC 9. If the documents are not received before arrival of the Goods, the Supplier will be responsible for any consequent expenses; or otherwise
  1. Contract Price

 

    1. The Contract Price is specified in Price Schedule 4.
    2. The unit prices charged by the Supplier for the Goods supplied and the Related Services performed under the Contract shall not vary from the prices quoted by the Supplier and accepted by the Purchaser.
  1. Terms of payment

 

    1. The method and conditions of payment to be made to the Supplier under this Contract shall be:

On Acceptance: One Hundred (100) percent of the Contract Price for Goods received shall be paid within thirty (30) days of receipt of the final product, by the acceptance certificate issued by the Purchaser which will comprise Invoices, Delivery Note and all related supporting documents.

  1. Taxes and Duties
    1. For Goods manufactured outside the Purchaser’s Country, the Supplier shall be entirely responsible for all taxes, stamp duties, license fees, and other such levies imposed outside the Purchaser’s Country.NA
    2. For Goods Manufactured within the Purchaser’s Country, the Supplier shall be entirely responsible for all taxes, duties, license fees, etc., incurred until delivery of the contracted Goods to the Purchaser.NA
    3. If any tax exemptions, reductions, allowances or privileges may be available to the Supplier in the Purchaser’s Country, the Purchaser shall use its best efforts to enable the Supplier to benefit from any such tax savings to the maximum allowable extent.
  1. Performance Security

 

    1. NOT APPLICABLE - In exceptional circumstances, if a Performance Security is required, insert the following:

[“The Supplier shall, within [insert number] of days of the notification of contract award, provide a performance security for the performance of the Contract

The proceeds of the Performance Security shall be payable to the Purchaser as compensation for any loss resulting from the Supplier’s failure to complete its obligations under the Contract.

The amount of the Performance Security shall be: [insert % of Contract Price;], denominated in the currency(ies) of the Contract, or in a freely convertible currency acceptable to the Purchaser. The Performance Security shall be in the form of the attached Demand Guarantee.

The Performance Security shall be discharged by the Purchaser and returned to the Supplier not later than fourteen (14) days following the date of Completion of the Supplier’s performance obligations under the Contract, including any warranty obligations, unless specified otherwise.”]  

  1. Subcontractors
    1. The Supplier shall notify the Purchaser in writing of all subcontracts awarded under the Contract if not already specified in the Quotation. Such notification, in the original Quotation or later shall not relieve the Supplier from any of its obligations, duties, responsibilities, or liability under the Contract.
  1. Specifications and Standards
    1. The Goods and Related Services supplied under this Contract shall conform to the technical specifications and standards mentioned in the Technical Specifications and, when no applicable standard is mentioned, the standard shall be equivalent or superior to the official standards whose application is appropriate to the Goods’ country of origin.
  1. Packing, marking and documentation

 

    1. The Supplier shall provide such packing of the Goods as is required to prevent their damage or deterioration during transit to their final destination, as indicated in the Contract. During transit, the packing shall be sufficient to withstand, without limitation, rough handling and exposure to extreme temperatures, salt and precipitation, and open storage. Packing case size and weights shall take into consideration, where appropriate, the remoteness of the goods’ final destination and the absence of heavy handling facilities at all points in transit.
    2. The packing, marking and documentation within and outside the packages shall be: Refer to the Technical Specifications  NA
  1. Insurance cover

 

    1. The insurance coverage shall be as specified in the Incoterms.

If not in accordance with Incoterms, insurance shall be as follows: Incoterms 2020 NA

  1. Transportation

 

    1. Responsibility for transportation of the Goods shall be as specified in the Incoterms.

If not in accordance with Incoterms, responsibility for transportations shall be as follows: “The Supplier is required under the Contract to transport the Goods to a specified place of final destination within the Purchaser’s Country, defined as the Project Site. Transport to such place of destination in the Purchaser’s Country, including insurance and storage, as shall be specified in the Contract, shall be arranged by the Supplier, and related costs shall be included in the Contract Price”; or any other agreed upon trade terms “Mode of Transport: The main mode of international transport shall be by air.”

  1. Site of inspections and tests
    1. The inspections and tests shall be conducted at: Liberia Land Authority Headquarters, Monrovia, Liberia.
  1. Delivery Date and Completion Date
    1. The completion of the final product shall be in:

2.5 months

    1. The Completion Date of Related Services shall be: 2.5 months
  1. Liquidated damages and bonuses
    1. The liquidated damage shall be 0.5 % of the price of the delayed Goods or unperformed Services for each week or part thereof of delay until actual delivery or performance.

The maximum amount of liquidated damages shall be 10% of the Contract Price. Once the maximum is reached, the Purchaser may terminate the Contract pursuant to CC 26.

  1. Warranty

 

    1. The Supplier warrants that all the Goods are new, unused, and of the most recent or current models, and that they incorporate all recent improvements in design and materials, unless provided otherwise in the Contract.
    2. The Supplier further warrants that the Goods shall be free from defects arising from any act or omission of the Supplier or arising from design, materials, and workmanship, under normal use in the conditions prevailing in the country of final destination.
    3. The warranty shall remain valid for Refer to the Technical Specifications  months after the Goods, or any portion thereof as the case may be, have been delivered to and accepted at the final destination.
    4. The period for repair or replacement after being notified of the defect by the Purchaser shall be 14 days. NA
    5. If having been notified, the Supplier fails to remedy the defect within the period specified in CC 20.4, the Purchaser may proceed to take within a reasonable period such remedial action as may be necessary, at the Supplier’s risk and expense and without prejudice to any other rights which the Purchaser may have against the Supplier under the Contract.
    6. For purposes of the warranty, the place(s) of final destination(s) shall be: Liberia Land Authority Headquarters, Monrovia, Liberia
  1. Copyright
    1. The copyright in all drawings, documents, and other materials containing data and information furnished to the Purchaser by the Supplier herein shall remain vested in the Supplier, or, if they are furnished to the Purchaser directly or through the Supplier by any third party, including suppliers of materials, the copyright in such materials shall remain vested in such third party.
  1. Fraud and Corruption
    1. The Bank requires compliance with the Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines and its prevailing sanctions policies and procedures as set forth in the WBG’s Sanctions Framework, as set forth in Attachment A to the Conditions of Contract.
    2. The Purchaser requires the Supplier to disclose any commissions or fees that may have been paid or are to be paid to agents or any other party with respect to the request for quotations or execution of the Contract. The information disclosed must include at least the name and address of the agent or other party, the amount and currency, and the purpose of the commission, gratuity or fee.
  1. Inspections and Audit by the Bank
    1. Pursuant to paragraph 2.2 e. of the attachment to the Conditions of Contract, the Supplier shall permit and shall cause its agents (where declared or not), subcontractors, subconsultants, service providers, suppliers, and personnel, to permit, the Bank and/or persons appointed by the Bank to inspect the site and/or the accounts, records and other documents relating to the request for quotations process and/or execution of Contract. The Supplier’s and its subcontractors attention is drawn to CC 22.1 (Fraud and Corruption) which provides, inter alia, that acts intended to materially impede the exercise of the Bank’s inspection and audit rights constitute a prohibited practice subject to contract termination (as well as to a determination of ineligibility pursuant to the Bank’s prevailing sanctions procedures).
  1. Limitation of Liability
    1. Except in cases of criminal negligence or willful misconduct,

(a)      the Supplier shall not be liable to the Purchaser, whether in contract, tort, or otherwise, for any indirect or consequential loss or damage, loss of use, loss of production, or loss of profits or interest costs, provided that this exclusion shall not apply to any obligation of the Supplier to pay liquidated damages to the Purchaser and

(b)     the aggregate liability of the Supplier to the Purchaser, whether under the Contract, in tort or otherwise, shall not exceed the total Contract Price, provided that this limitation shall not apply to the cost of repairing or replacing defective equipment, or to any obligation of the supplier to indemnify the Purchaser with respect to patent infringement.

  1. Force Majeure
    1. The Supplier shall not be liable for forfeiture of its Performance Security (if required), liquidated damages, or termination for default if and to the extent that its delay in performance or other failure to perform its obligations under the Contract is the result of an event of Force Majeure.
    2.  For purposes of this Clause, “Force Majeure” means an event or situation beyond the control of the Supplier that is not foreseeable, is unavoidable, and its origin is not due to negligence or lack of care on the part of the Supplier. Such events may include, but not be limited to, acts of the Purchaser in its sovereign capacity, wars or revolutions, fires, floods, and freight embargoes.
    3. If a Force Majeure situation arises, the Supplier shall promptly notify the Purchaser in writing of such condition and the cause thereof. Unless otherwise directed by the Purchaser in writing, the Supplier shall continue to perform its obligations under the Contract as far as is reasonably practical and shall seek all reasonable alternative means for performance not prevented by the Force Majeure event.
    4. If the performance of the Contract is substantially prevented, hindered or delayed for a single period of more than sixty (60) days or an aggregate period of more than one hundred and twenty (120) days on account of one or more events of Force Majeure during the currency of the Contract, the Parties will attempt to develop a mutually satisfactory solution, failing which either Party may terminate the Contract by giving a notice to the other Party.
  1. Termination
    1. Termination for Default

The Purchaser, without prejudice to any other remedy for breach of Contract, by written notice of default sent to the Supplier, may terminate the Contract in whole or in part:

        1. if the Supplier fails to deliver any or all of the Goods within the period specified in the Contract, or within any extension thereof granted by the Purchaser;
        2. if the Supplier fails to perform any other obligation under the Contract; or
        3. if the Supplier, in the judgment of the Purchaser has engaged in Fraud and Corruption, in competing for or in executing the Contract.

In the event the Purchaser terminates the Contract in whole or in part, the Purchaser may procure, upon such terms and in such manner as it deems appropriate, Goods or Related Services if applicable similar to those undelivered or not performed, and the Supplier shall be liable to the Purchaser for any additional costs for such similar Goods or Related Services if applicable. However, the Supplier shall continue performance of the Contract to the extent not terminated.

  1. Termination for Convenience.
  2. The Purchaser, by notice sent to the Supplier, may terminate the Contract, in whole or in part, at any time for its convenience. The notice of termination shall specify that termination is for the Purchaser’s convenience, the extent to which performance of the Supplier under the Contract is terminated, and the date upon which such termination becomes effective.
        1. The Goods that are complete and ready for shipment within twenty-eight (28) days after the Supplier’s receipt of notice of termination shall be accepted by the Purchaser at the Contract terms and prices. For the remaining Goods, the Purchaser may elect:
        2. to have any portion completed and delivered at the Contract terms and prices; and/or
        3. to cancel the remainder and pay to the Supplier an agreed amount for partially completed Goods and Related Services if applicable and for materials and parts previously procured by the Supplier.
  1. Forced Labor
    1. The Supplier, including its Subcontractors, shall not employ or engage forced labor or persons subject to trafficking, as described in CC 27.2 and CC 27.3.
    2. Forced labor consists of any work or service, not voluntarily performed, that is exacted from an individual under threat of force or penalty, and includes any kind of involuntary or compulsory labor, such as indentured labor, bonded labor or similar labor-contracting arrangements.
    3. Trafficking in persons is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power, or of a position of vulnerability, or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purposes of exploitation.
  1. Child Labor
    1. The Supplier, including its Subcontractors, shall not employ or engage a child under the age of 14 unless the national law specifies a higher age (the minimum age).
    2. The Supplier, including its Subcontractors, shall not employ or engage a child between the minimum age and the age of 18 in a manner that is likely to be hazardous, or to interfere with, the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development.

Work considered hazardous for children is work that, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to jeopardize the health, safety, or morals of children. Such work activities prohibited for children include work:

  1. with exposure to physical, psychological or sexual abuse;
  2. underground, underwater, working at heights or in confined spaces;
  3. with dangerous machinery, equipment or tools, or involving handling or transport of heavy loads;
  4. in unhealthy environments exposing children to hazardous substances, agents, or processes, or to temperatures, noise or vibration damaging to health; or
  5. under difficult conditions such as work for long hours, during the night or in confinement on the premises of the employer.
  1. Health and safety obligations
    1. The Supplier shall comply, and shall require its Subcontractors if any to comply, with all applicable health and safety regulations, laws, guidelines, and any other requirement stated in the Technical Specifications.

Project Manager

The Project Managers shall be:

LLA Technical staff TBA

Additional Clauses

Nil

Attachment A to the Conditions of Contract

Fraud and Corruption

(Text in this Appendix shall not be modified)

  1. Purpose
    1. The Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines and this annex apply with respect to procurement under Bank Investment Project Financing operations.
  2. Requirements
  1. The Bank requires that Borrowers (including beneficiaries of Bank financing); bidders (applicants/proposers), consultants, contractors and suppliers; any sub-contractors, sub-consultants, service providers or suppliers; any agents (whether declared or not); and any of their personnel, observe the highest standard of ethics during the procurement process, selection and contract execution of Bank-financed contracts, and refrain from Fraud and Corruption.
  2. To this end, the Bank:
  1. Defines, for the purposes of this provision, the terms set forth below as follows:
  1. “corrupt practice” is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting, directly or indirectly, of anything of value to influence improperly the actions of another party;
  2. “fraudulent practice” is any act or omission, including misrepresentation, that knowingly or recklessly misleads, or attempts to mislead, a party to obtain financial or other benefit or to avoid an obligation;
  3. “collusive practice” is an arrangement between two or more parties designed to achieve an improper purpose, including to influence improperly the actions of another party;
  4. “coercive practice” is impairing or harming, or threatening to impair or harm, directly or indirectly, any party or the property of the party to influence improperly the actions of a party;
  5. “obstructive practice” is:
  1. deliberately destroying, falsifying, altering, or concealing of evidence material to the investigation or making false statements to investigators in order to materially impede a Bank investigation into allegations of a corrupt, fraudulent, coercive, or collusive practice; and/or threatening, harassing, or intimidating any party to prevent it from disclosing its knowledge of matters relevant to the investigation or from pursuing the investigation; or
  2. acts intended to materially impede the exercise of the Bank’s inspection and audit rights provided for under paragraph 2.2 e. below.
  1. Rejects a proposal for award if the Bank determines that the firm or individual recommended for award, any of its personnel, or its agents, or its sub-consultants, sub-contractors, service providers, suppliers and/ or their employees, has, directly or indirectly, engaged in corrupt, fraudulent, collusive, coercive, or obstructive practices in competing for the contract in question;
  2. In addition to the legal remedies set out in the relevant Legal Agreement, may take other appropriate actions, including declaring misprocurement, if the Bank determines at any time that representatives of the Borrower or of a recipient of any part of the proceeds of the loan engaged in corrupt, fraudulent, collusive, coercive, or obstructive practices during the procurement process, selection and/or execution of the contract in question,  without the Borrower having taken timely and appropriate action satisfactory to the Bank to address such practices when they occur, including by failing to inform the Bank in a timely manner at the time  they knew of the practices;
  3. Pursuant to the Bank’s Anti- Corruption Guidelines and in accordance with the Bank’s prevailing sanctions policies and procedures, may sanction a firm or individual, either indefinitely or for a stated period of time, including by publicly declaring such firm or individual ineligible (i) to be awarded or otherwise benefit from a Bank-financed contract, financially or in any other manner;[1] (ii) to be a nominated[2] sub-contractor, consultant, manufacturer or supplier, or service provider of an otherwise eligible firm being awarded a Bank-financed contract; and (iii) to receive the proceeds of any loan made by the Bank or otherwise to participate further in the preparation or implementation of any Bank-financed project;
  4. Requires that a clause be included in bidding/request for proposals documents and in contracts financed by a Bank loan, requiring (i) bidders (applicants/proposers),  consultants, contractors, and suppliers, and their sub-contractors, sub-consultants, service providers, suppliers, agents personnel, permit the Bank to inspect[3] all accounts, records and other documents relating to the procurement process, selection and/or contract execution, and to have them audited by auditors appointed by the Bank.

Letter of Award of Contract

[modify as appropriate]

[use letterhead paper of the Purchaser]

[date]

To: [name and address of the Supplier]

Subject: Notification of Award of Contract No. . . . . . . . . .. 

In reference to the RFQ [insert reference number and date], your Quotation [insert reference number and date] has been accepted.

Please find inclosed herewith the Contract. You are requested to sign the contract within [insert no of days].

[Insert the following only if Performance Security is required:] “You are also requested to furnish a Performance Security within [insert no of days] in accordance with the Conditions of the Contract, using for that purpose one of the Performance Security Forms attached to the Contract.

Authorized Signature:                                                                                                  

Name and Title of Signatory:                                                                                       

Name of Agency:                                                                                                                                      

Attachment: Contract

[1]             For the avoidance of doubt, a sanctioned party’s ineligibility to be awarded a contract shall include, without limitation, (i) applying for pre-qualification, expressing interest in a consultancy, and bidding, either directly or as a nominated sub-contractor, nominated consultant, nominated manufacturer or supplier, or nominated service provider, in respect of such contract, and (ii) entering into an addendum or amendment introducing a material modification to any existing contract.

[2]             A nominated sub-contractor, nominated consultant, nominated manufacturer or supplier, or nominated service provider (different names are used depending on the particular bidding document) is one which has been: (i) included by the bidder in its pre-qualification application or bid because it brings specific and critical experience and know-how that allow the bidder to meet the qualification requirements for the particular bid; or (ii) appointed by the Borrower. 

[3]  Inspections in this context usually are investigative (i.e., forensic) in nature.  They involve fact-finding activities undertaken by the Bank or persons appointed by the Bank to address specific matters related to investigations/audits, such as evaluating the veracity of an allegation of possible Fraud and Corruption, through the appropriate mechanisms.  Such activity includes but is not limited to: accessing and examining a firm's or individual's financial records and information, and making copies thereof as relevant; accessing and examining any other documents, data and information (whether in hard copy or electronic format) deemed relevant for the investigation/audit, and making copies thereof as relevant; interviewing staff and other relevant individuals; performing physical inspections and site visits; and obtaining third party verification of information.

"},{"id":"OP00064607","notice_type":"Request for Expression of Interest","noticedate":"23-Jan-2019","notice_lang_name":"English","notice_status":"Published","submission_deadline_date":"2019-02-12T00:00:00Z","submission_deadline_time":"10:00","project_ctry_name":"Serbia","project_id":"P108005","project_name":"CORRIDOR X HIGHWAY PROJECT","bid_reference_no":"CORRX-CS-WB-GTS","bid_description":"Preparation of Study: Gender in the Transport Sector, Republic of Serbia","procurement_group":"CS","procurement_method_code":"CQS","procurement_method_name":"Consultant Qualification Selection","contact_address":"21, Kralja Petra Street\r\n11000 Belgrade","contact_email":"v.dragas@koridorisrbije.rs","contact_name":"Vladimir Dragas","contact_organization":"Koridori Srbije d.o.o. Beograd","contact_phone_no":"381113344174","contact_web_url":"www.koridorisrbije.rs","submission_date":"2019-01-23T00:00:00Z","notice_text":"

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTANT SERVICES)

\r\n\r\n

Country:                               Republic of Serbia

\r\n\r\n

Name of project:                  Corridor X Highway Project

\r\n\r\n

Sector:                                 Transport

\r\n\r\n

Consulting services:            Preparation of Study: Gender in the Transport Sector, Republic of Serbia

\r\n\r\n

Project ID No:                      P108005

\r\n\r\n

Expressions of interest no: CORRX-CS-WB-GTS

\r\n\r\n

In 2008 the Government of the Republic of Serbia (“GoS”) committed to completion of the core road infrastructure on Corridor X. To this end, the GoS asked the International Financing Institutions: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (“IBRD” or “the Bank”), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and European Investment Bank for financial support for completion of Corridor X links from Nis to Bulgarian and to Macedonian border. The Project total estimated cost is 1.3 billion EUR, including design preparation and land acquisition that have been financed by the Republic of Serbia.

\r\n\r\n

The Republic of Serbia has received financing in the amount of 310,2 million EUR from the IBRD toward the cost of the Corridor X Highway Project, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consultant services Preparation of Study: Gender in the Transport Sector, Republic of Serbia.

\r\n\r\n

The Republic of Serbia is represented by the Project Implementing Entity, acting as the Contracting Authority Koridori Srbije d.o.o. (“KSDOO” or “the Client”).

\r\n\r\n

The main objective of this assignment is to support the Government to: i) understand  gender patterns in transport sector and how this compare to EU countries; ii) enhance its transport service provision so to ensure that it offers services that incorporates the needs of both women and men and particularly of the former into the design and delivery of its transport operations; and iii) create better access to employment opportunities for female candidates and staff, improve their workplace advancement into and raise the number of women employed in the sector at all levels. The Consultant will produce the Gender Equality in Transport Study, and help the Government of Serbia to incorporate the key findings and recommendations into the development of the Transport Strategy of the Republic of Serbia, and its Action Plan planned for 2019.

\r\n\r\n

The Assignment is structured in the following components: 1) Data Collection and Analysis, 2) Recommendations, workshops and the national and company-level action plans and 3) Training and Capacity Building. 

\r\n\r\n

The requirements for the services are fully identified in the attached Terms of Reference (ToR).

\r\n\r\n

The period for Consulting Services, in its various phases and stages is expected to be
\r\napproximately 7 months, until end of September 2019.

\r\n\r\n

The Client now invites eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested consultants must provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. In order to determine the capability and experience of Consultants, the information submitted should include the following:

\r\n\r\n

1.     Company/group of firms’ profile, organization and staffing (max. 2-4 pages).

\r\n\r\n

2.     Details of previous project experience or similar assignments particularly undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contract value, contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided (if different from duration) , main activities, objectives.

\r\n\r\n

3.     CVs of Permanent staff who could carry out the services detailing qualifications, experience in similar assignments, particularly assignments undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contracting entity/client, project location/country, duration (mm/yy to mm/yy), expert months provided, assignment budget, main activities, objectives.

\r\n\r\n

Consultants may associate to enhance their qualifications by forming joint ventures or consortia. In the case of joint venture or consortia, the lead partner should be identified along with other partners.

\r\n\r\n

A Consultant will be selected using CQS (Selection Based on the Consultants’ Qualifications) method in accordance with the procedures set out in the World Bank's Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers (January 2011, revised July 2014).

\r\n\r\n

The highest-ranked Consultant shall be asked to submit a combined technical and financial proposal and, if such proposal is responsive and acceptable, be invited to negotiate a contract.

\r\n\r\n

The evaluation criteria are as follows:

\r\n\r\n

1.     Firm’s previous experience in similar assignments i.e. Gender in the Transport Sector (65 %)

\r\n\r\n

2.     Firm’s general experience in gender issues and studies (20 %)

\r\n\r\n

3.     CV of the Permanent staff in accordance with the corresponding requirements for Key Experts listed in ToR (15 %)

\r\n\r\n

Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours 10:00 to 15:00, local time (GMT +1).

\r\n\r\n

Complete set of documents, including CVs, must be in English and shall not exceed 30 pages.

\r\n\r\n

Expressions of interest must be delivered by e-mail to the address below by February 12, 2019, 10:00 hours local time (GMT +1). Please indicate in the email subject and on the cover page of the Expression of Interest the full title of the Services.

\r\n\r\n

There will be no public opening of the expression of interests. All candidates which submitted the expression of interest will be provided with the Minutes of opening.

\r\n\r\n

Koridori Srbije d.o.o.

\r\n\r\n

21 Kralja Petra Street, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

\r\n\r\n

Tel:  +381 11 33 44 174

\r\n\r\n

E-mail: procurement@koridorisrbije.rs, Web site: www.koridorisrbije.rs

\r\n\r\n

 

\r\n\r\n

TERMS OF REFERENCE - Gender in the Transport Sector: Republic of Serbia

\r\n\r\n

 

\r\n\r\n

I              INTRODUCTION

\r\n\r\n

1.     The Republic of Serbia is committed to advance gender equality as a prerequisite for sustainable development, peace and security, to ensure equal opportunities for women and man and to leave no one behind. In the continuous effort to ensure sustainable progress and to enhance impact of Government policies, programs, measures and activities in advancing gender equality, Government of Republic of Serbia has established Coordination body for Gender Equality (CBGE) in 2014. This national, multisectoral mechanism is reflecting Serbia’s high political commitment to tackle gender inequality as it is led by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Construction, Transportation and Infrastructure, and is coordinating all government efforts towards achieving full equality of women and man.

\r\n\r\n

2.     Gender Equality in Transport Sector is a relatively unexplored field in the country. The Coordination Body for Gender Equality (CBGE) and the Ministry of Construction, Transportation and Infrastructure (MCTI) are considering ways to raise the issue of gender equality in transport in the Republic of Serbia. This area has significantly evolved globally over time, and the Government of Serbia would like to systematically approach the issue by developing appropriate strategic document which will define general and specific measures for the improvement of gender equality in transport in the country.

\r\n\r\n

3.     The Government of Serbia (or the “GoS”) wishes to engage a Consultant (“the Consultant” hereinafter) to undertake a comprehensive gender study (“the Assignment”) with a goal to support the Government to: i) understand  gender patterns in transport sector and how this compare to EU countries; ii) enhance its transport service provision so to ensure that it offers services that incorporates the needs of both women and men and particularly of the former into the design and delivery of its transport operations; and iii) create better access to employment opportunities for female candidates and staff, improve their workplace advancement into and raise the number of women employed in the sector at all levels. The Consultant will produce the Gender Equality in Transport Study, and help the GoS incorporate the key findings and recommendations into the development of the Transport Strategy of the Republic of Serbia, and its Action Plan planned for 2019. 

\r\n\r\n

4.     The Assignment will be funded by the Government of Serbia. In this assignment the Consultant will work closely with and report to the CBGE and the MCTI. The World Bank works with its counterparts to support the promotion of gender equality through its projects and policy dialogue activities. The Bank will be providing advisory support to the CBGE and the MCTI to ensure that the study methodology is sound, and the findings are informed by international good practices.

\r\n\r\n

5.     The benefits of this Assignment are expected to be notable as the findings will be incorporated into the Transport Strategy of Serbia, which the Government will be preparing in 2019. Also, as there are no other studies of similar scope and nature in the Western Balkans, the findings will be of great benefit for the region and beyond.

\r\n\r\n

I. A. Gender Equality and Transport – Key Issues 

\r\n\r\n

6.     Although transport sector projects may at first appear to benefit everyone equally, women and men experiences with transport systems differ, particularly when related to their safety, personal security, reliability, affordability and accessibility. For example, sexual harassment in public transport can curtail women’s mobility and employability and can reduce their earning options. Harassment while walking down the street or travelling on a bus or train is often exacerbated by the inadequate lighting, inadequate carriages or lack of suitably trained security personnel. As the experience across the world shows, lack of safe transport options can translate into girls missing schools, women not looking for jobs far away from homes, giving up their jobs or being unable to access health or childcare services. 

\r\n\r\n

7.     Transport patterns disaggregated by gender indicate that women and men use transport differently in terms of purpose, location, time and mode of travel. Women’s travel generally consists of more frequent trips, often for shorter distances - referred to as ‘trip chaining’ (i.e. collecting children at school, accompanying an elderly person to the hospital, going to the market, etc.) while men make less frequent and more direct trips, mainly to and from work. Men tend to do more peak travelling than women, when service provision is relatively better, and women - more off-peak trips during the day, when transport services are less frequent.

\r\n\r\n

8.     Different transport modes present different challenges for women and men users. For example, whilst there has been quite some research done on gender aspects of mobility in public transport, not much attention has been paid to how traditional taxi and ride-hailing industries serve women’s and men’s transportation needs. Besides mobility, these industries potentially are a source of employment for women (and men). However, women’s ability to become drivers is often held back by a range of barriers including financial (to buy or rent a car), social (assigning driving roles to men) as well as concerns over personal security. Proportion of women Uber drivers is over 20 percent in Canada and the United States, which together account for 75 percent of all women drivers globally who drive with Uber.

\r\n\r\n

9.     The affordability is another aspect with an important gender dimension. In many countries the system of uncoordinated flat ticket fares charging per line disproportionally affects women: as women generally have lower cash incomes and less decision-making control over household financial resources, they have limited affordability for public transport services. Given women’s gender roles and associated travel patterns that require them to make shorter, more frequent journeys with multiple stops, they are likely to face higher costs by using public transport with ticketing systems that charge flat rates per line/per journey.

\r\n\r\n

10.  It is not just the transport services that women and men experience differently but also its physical infrastructure. For example, due to concerns over safety and personal security in underpasses, women and girls often have to resort to crossing the roads that do not have pedestrian overpasses exposing themselves to risks of injury and even death. Physical design of roads should take into consideration women’s and men’s needs by adopting a traffic management approach that is safer and more compatible with walking and cycling, e.g. safer road crossings, traffic-calming devices such as road humps, etc.

\r\n\r\n

11.  Women and men have a different road safety profile, which is partly accountable for the differences in their road safety outcomes: males are almost three times as likely to be killed than females during a road traffic crash. At the same time, whilst more males than females are killed in road crashes in absolute terms, the highest female casualties happen amongst pedestrians and passengers whereas larger percentages of male deaths occur amongst drivers of motor vehicles. It is important to consider and integrate diverse needs and concerns of all types of road users including the most vulnerable, in particular, women, children, elderly and disabled into the planning, design and operation of roads.

\r\n\r\n

12.  At the same time, it is important to recognize that women are not homogenous group and they experience transport differently due to their differences in their socio-economic status, health, education, race, ethnicity, religion, age, geographical location or sexual orientation. For example, the experience of a woman in rural area is likely to be qualitatively different than that of a woman in a city with options for urban transportation. Roma women are likely to face double disadvantage on the bases of sex and ethnicity that non-Roma woman.

\r\n\r\n

13.  Globally, transport remains one of the most male-dominated sectors of the economy. For example, just 22% of the transport sector workforce of the European Union (EU) is female in comparison with an overall female employment rate of 46% in the EU. There is a pronounced division throughout the sector between the types of occupations carried out by women and men. Women tend to work in administration, sales, catering and cleaning, which are also often the lowest paid. Throughout the sector, the most common issues that typically impede women’s access to employment include: legal barriers preventing women from accessing some transport occupations, ‘soft’ factors such as perceptions and gender stereotypes; the prevalence of a male-dominated working culture in many transport companies, inflexible and generally unattractive terms and conditions of employment, workplace health and safety issues, and lack of clear career trajectories and opportunities.

\r\n\r\n

14.  It is also worth noting that lack of women in the sector and lack of gender-sensitive services often reinforce each other. Participation of women in the sector as drivers, engineers or leaders remains low. As a result, transport services remain heavily male-dominated, which contributes to women’s voices as transport users not being heard, with often little incentives for transport services to respond to particular needs of women service users or responding to their needs without consulting women to understand their needs. Employing more women in the transport sector can lead to more inclusive transport service development.

\r\n\r\n

15.  Applying a gender perspective to transport projects can positively benefit not only its users but also service providers. For example, addressing the needs of all users broadly correlates with improved company performance: service providers can record benefits in terms of revenue generation and operational efficiency when they provide a customer-focused service, which is gender-sensitive. Transport is most efficient and produces full economic benefits when operating at near capacity and is least efficient when there is low usage. High usage can be achieved if a service provider adopts a customer-focused approach by accommodating the needs of its diverse passenger base covering both women, men, boys and girls.

\r\n\r\n

16.  The public value of gender-sensitive services cannot be underestimated either. Societal benefits arising from providing better access to employment opportunities and other services (e.g. health and education) for women and men belonging to different socio-demographic groups such as the elderly, youth, those in rural areas or people living with disabilities is self-evident. Enhanced customer service in the transport sector also results in less private (cars, unofficial services) and more public transport usage, which contributes to reducing traffic congestion, enhanced safety and improved environmental outcomes.

\r\n\r\n

17.  The Consultant is expected to take into consideration all the above key issues and any other pertinent aspect that the Consultant and the GoS may deem necessary into this Assignment at all stages: design of study methodology, analysis of the findings and reporting.

\r\n\r\n

I. B. Gender Equality in Serbia

\r\n\r\n

18.  The Coordination Body for Gender Equality (CBGE) has been coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the National Strategy for Gender Equality 2016-2020 and its first Action plan 2016-2018 that has been developed in cooperation with all relevant governmental institution, local self-government and civil society. Strategic orientation and activities envisaged in the action plan are aiming to challenge gender stereotypes and patriarchal norms and advance gender equality by implementing policy and measures on equal opportunities, and to introduce gender mainstreaming in the policy adoption, implementation and monitoring process at all level of governance.

\r\n\r\n

19.  Serbia has adopted the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and amended the Criminal Code, making sexual harassment and stalking criminal offenses. As the only country outside the European Union, Serbia has created the Gender Equality Index, with the support of the European Institute for Gender Equality, which allows for comparisons of the results with those of the EU. This instrument measures gender equality in six domains (money, work, knowledge, health, time and power) and two subdomains (increasing inequalities and violence against women).

\r\n\r\n

20.  Also, Serbia has mainstreamed gender into its national budget in a systematic and sustainable manner. Political endorsement for Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB) introduction have been ensured from the highest political level: from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance office. GRB has been introduced in planning, execution and reporting on the budget at all levels of governments with amendments to the Budget System Law in 2015.

\r\n\r\n

21.  The European Commission has approved an IPA funds- gender component prepared by the Coordination Body for Gender Equality in cooperation with the Ministry for European Integration and UN Women, with the support of the EU Delegation in Serbia. The project "Key steps towards gender equality in Serbia" has started and is aimed at inclusion of a gender perspective in strategic planning and programming of EU funds, development of administrative and technical capacities and support to women's economic empowerment.

\r\n\r\n

I.C. Gender equality in Transport in Serbia

\r\n\r\n

22.  Gender gaps are observed in terms of both job quantity and quality in Serbia. In 2017 39.7% of women were employed as compared to 54.2% for their male counterparts. Women earn less than men in Serbia: gender pay gap is at 16% in this sector in favor of men. Some groups face more profound barriers than others due to their socio-economic profile. For example, Roma women face multiple discrimination on the basis of sex and ethnicity, with greater challenges to access education, health care services and employment opportunities.

\r\n\r\n

23.  Women consist of 21% of employed individuals in transport and communication in Serbia as compared to 79% for men. These figures are in line with EU figures reported earlier. Globally, women tend to be over-represented at certain levels and in occupations, such as administration and HR and fewer of them occupy roles, such as, engineers, equipment operators, drivers or managers. Barriers to female employment in the sector are often exacerbated by cultural stereotypes that identify transport jobs as ‘men’s work.

\r\n\r\n

24.  Although there are more women than men at the tertiary level (56%; 2016/17), there is a segregation in terms of subject choice. For instance, 73% of tertiary students graduated from health and welfare are females compared to 27% for males, while 37% of women did so from engineering, manufacturing and construction courses compared to 63% for males. In EU, on average the proportion of women graduates in tertiary education in engineering, manufacturing and construction is 27% as compared to 73% for males ranging from high 39% in Poland to low 18% in Luxembourg (Data extracted from European Statistical Office (Eurostat). 2016. Data includes all EU countries except for Slovenia and several other non-EU countries from Europe). Interestingly, out of all 33 European countries for which data was available, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia performs the best with 41% of females of all graduates in engineering, manufacturing and construction.

\r\n\r\n

25.  The information on the barriers of women’s (and men’s) access to transport is very scarce, if any, in Serbia. According to one of the gender assessments done in Serbia (Dokmanovic, M. (2016), Gender Analysis of Serbia. http://europa.rs/files//Gender_Equality/Gender-Analysis-Serbia-dec-2016.pdf), the inadequate provision of public transport services that connects villages to the main cities prevents rural women from accessing specialized health care centres in Serbia.

\r\n\r\n

 

\r\n\r\n

II. OBJECTIVES

\r\n\r\n

26.  The ultimate goal of the study is to help the Government of Serbia i) understand  gender patterns in transport sector in Serbia and how this compare to EU countries; ii) enhance transport service provision so to ensure that it offers services that incorporates the needs of both women and men and particularly of the former into the design and delivery of its transport operations; and iii) create better access to employment opportunities for female candidates and staff, improve their workplace advancement and raise the number of women employed in the sector at all levels.

\r\n\r\n

27.  To support the above goal, this Assignment aims to i) identify gender differences in the use and access to and safety of transport infrastructure and services and, where possible, analyze historical trends ii) analyze road safety statistics from a gender perspective, assess progress with implementation of gender focused road safety action plan adopted in 2016, and draw conclusions iii) assess the extent and the nature of women’s labour force participation in the sector iv) identify and recommend operationally relevant projects, activities, and policies that will support the Government to integrate them into the Transport Strategy of Serbia and its Action Plan, and iv) train the key staff of the CBGE, Ministry, and the selected transport service providers to build their capacity to implement the Strategy and its Plan.

\r\n\r\n

28.  The study will cover all key transport sub-sectors, e.g. road, rail, air and water transport as well as traditional taxi and ride-hailing industry with a particular focus on public transport.

\r\n\r\n

 

\r\n\r\n

III. SCOPE OF SERVICES

\r\n\r\n

29.  The Assignment is structured in the following components: 

\r\n\r\n

·       Data Collection and Analysis

\r\n\r\n

·       Recommendations, workshops and the national and company-level action plans

\r\n\r\n

·       Training and Capacity Building. 

\r\n\r\n

30.  These components are discussed in detail in the following sections.

\r\n\r\n

III.A. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

\r\n\r\n

31.  The study will collect primary data through both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and include the following steps: i) interviews with the key staff of the MCTI, the CBGE and other key stakeholders ii) focus group discussions with transport users iii) a survey of transport users iv) focus group discussions with the staff of the selected transport operators, and v) workplace audit of physical infrastructure of some of the key representative transport companies. The study will conduct secondary data research to analyze available transport statistics and benchmark regional and international good practices. 

\r\n\r\n

32.  Interviews with the key staff of the Ministry, Coordination Body for Gender Equality and other primary and secondary stakeholders: The Consultant will conduct interviews with the key staff of the CBGE and MCTI to understand their expectations from this study, and their priorities and deadlines. The Consultant will also conduct interviews with the management of the selected transport operators to understand their HR culture, operating model and business challenges; identify where there are opportunities for improving services and increasing the number of women. The Consultant will also conduct interviews with a number of secondary stakeholders (e.g. women’s groups, vocational school/s and higher educational institutions that prepare graduates for the sector, any development agencies working to advance the gender equality agenda in the transport sector in Serbia, if any) to understand their views on the current state of transport services from the point of view of gender, and the challenges and opportunities of employing women.

\r\n\r\n

33.  Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): focus groups will be undertaken both with groups of women and mixed groups of women and men. Focus groups will provide key information on the types of issues affecting women and men using transport and the factors that influence their travel decisions. The FGDs with users will be the first phase of the data collection since the findings will be used to design a structured questionnaire for the survey with users. The FGD findings will also be used to interpret the survey results. This ‘triangulation approach’, e.g. validating data through cross verification of quantitative and qualitative sources will enable the study to produce a full understanding and comprehend the gender dimension of transport services. The criteria for selecting the groups should ensure the participation of women and men from different income, age and vulnerable groups (minimum, but not limited to single mothers, Roma women, women with disabilities) and from different parts of Serbia. Participants should include those using public transport/taxi and those who do not. Each group size should range from 6 to 10 participants. The Consultant will propose the optimal number of FGMs and the criteria for selecting the participants for the review and approval of CBGE and the MCTI.

\r\n\r\n

34.  A survey of transport users: the goal of the survey is to obtain the assessment of the transport service users, both females and males, towards the level of service provided on different modes of transport in Serbia. The survey will be structured interviews with open-ended questions; subjects will be randomly chosen, and interviews will cover all key types of transport services (within city, inter-city, regional, local) in different parts of Serbia. As a minimum, the questionnaire will collect socio-economic data of the interviewees and their views on the accessibility, reliability, affordability, safety and personal security, and comfort and satisfaction of transport. The questionnaire will also allow for obtaining the views of the interviewees on possible improvements through an open-ended question. The Consultant will develop a draft questionnaire, both in English and Serbian, for the review and approval by the CBGE and the MCTI, which will then be piloted and improved before its deployment. In the Expression of Interest (EoI), the Consultant can propose modified sequence and/or the methodology of the data collection phases for the consideration and approval by the CBGE and the MCTI.

\r\n\r\n

35.  Focus group discussions with the selected staff of the transport operators: the goal of the FGDs with this group are twofold: i) to gauge their reaction to the findings of the user FGDs, understand their perceptions about the quality of transport service currently being offered, and seek their views on how to improve services ii) understand their views of the challenges that women face in getting the jobs (e.g. perceptions and gender stereotypes, male-dominated working culture, terms and conditions of employment, workplace health and safety issues, lack of clear career trajectories) in the sector, and identify actions that the companies may want to put in place to create better access to employment and related training opportunities for female candidates and staff, and to raise the number of women employed at all levels in the sector. Acknowledging that it will not be possible to organize focus groups with all the transport providers across the country, in consultation with the CBGE and the MCTI the Consultant will select the key representative service providers (e.g. Srbija Voz, GSP Belgrade, Air Serbia, Yugoslav river shipping company (JRB), one of the biggest Belgrade taxi unions, and a number of inter-city and regional train and bus companies).

\r\n\r\n

36.  The Consultant will analyze the road traffic data from a gender perspective to understand the road safety profile of men and women. The Consultant may want to use the UN Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020) or the “Safe System” approach as a framework to explore if and how gender is considered in the planning, design and implementation for road safety in Serbia. The Consultant will review the Road Safety Strategy of Serbia 2015-2020 and the associated gender focused action plan and work closely with relevant road authorities to understand their current awareness and capacity to integrate gender considerations into their operations. Due to their distinct vulnerabilities, the Consultant will also cover other vulnerable groups of road users, e.g. children, elderly and disabled.

\r\n\r\n

(The UN Plan for the Decade of Action serves as a guiding document to reduce the forecasted level of road fatalities by stepping up activities at national, regional and global levels and it offers a good framework to consider how gender considerations can be incorporated into its activities, whilst the “Safe Systems” approach advocates for the integration of core management elements and action areas to create a safe mobility system for all taking into account the built environment and how it affects travel choices and behaviors of all users, men and women of different socio-economic and demographic
\r\ncharacteristics, is ultimately a gender-sensitive approach.)

\r\n\r\n

37.  Benchmarking regional and international good practice: The goal of the benchmarking is to understand what represents ‘good’ practice on gender-sensitive transport service and employment practices in the sector. The Consultant will look at and analyze the standards that have been set by other companies and countries in the sector globally but with a focus on EU countries. The benchmarks will be chosen on the basis of desk research and outreach to these companies (if data is not readily available). Once the study has established baseline performance of Serbia, the Government can benchmark its performance against the EU.

\r\n\r\n

38.  Audit of physical infrastructure: The goal is to assess whether physical infrastructure of the facilities of the transport companies’ inside and outside their premises (workplace, terminals, stations etc.) meet the needs of both their female and male employees and customers. This will include an assessment of the companies’ facilities, e.g. whether they provide separate, hygienic toilets including sanitary dispensing and disposal, showers, changing and resting rooms; adequate lighting in and around the vicinity of transport services, etc.

\r\n\r\n

39.  The Consultant will analyze the results of the survey, FGDs, individual interviews and the audit and prepare an Analytical Report.

\r\n\r\n

III. B. RECOMMENDATIONS AND WORKSHOP AND THE NATIONAL AND COMPANY-LEVEL ACTION PLANS

\r\n\r\n

40.  The Consultant will provide recommendations, based on the findings of the earlier phase, on how to include the needs of both women and men into the design, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of transport services, and how to promote women’s employment and advancement in the sector. The recommendations will be culturally sensitive, appropriate for the context and the country’s budgetary capacity. The recommendations will be sorted by the priority, an estimated cost, and a performance indicator/s to monitor the progress. The recommendations should be prepared and structured in a way to be easily incorporated into the Transport Strategy of the Republic of Serbia, its part dealing with the gender equality in transport sector and its Action Plan.

\r\n\r\n

41.  The Consultant will organize workshops with the key members of the Ministry, the CBGE and the selected staff of the key transport service providers and other key stakeholders in the country from academia, non-governmental sector and international development agencies in the country to present and validate the recommendations and identify ways forward for their practical implementation. The workshops will also be an opportunity to enhance the participants’ awareness of the importance of advancing gender equality in the sector and explain the business rationale for promoting gender equality in the sector. The plan for Workshops and Dissemination should be part of the consultant proposals, where it is envisaged that several working workshops will be done during the course of the works with one final for Study Dissemination. CBGE will help the Consultant to invite the relevant counterparts to the workshop.

\r\n\r\n

42.  The Consultant will fine tune the recommendations and develop a Gender in Transport Sector Action Plan based on the feedback received from the participants during the workshops. The plan is expected to be incorporated into the Master Action Plan of the Transport Strategy of Serbia. 

\r\n\r\n

III.C.         CAPACITY BUILDING OF THE SELECTED TRANSPORT SERVICE PROVIDERS

\r\n\r\n

43.  The Consultant will work with one of the key representative transport service providers (e.g. Srbija Voz, which has 2350 employees, of which 66 are machine drivers who mainly work in bgVoz, or Lasta), to be nominated by the CBGE and the MCTI, to help them introduce the recommendations in their operations. The Consultant will help the companies draft company-specific gender action plans and provide capacity building trainings and hands-on technical support to the selected groups of staff and the management on how to implement the plan. Support will be provided in a wide range of areas concerning i) transport service and infrastructure improvements and ii) HR policies and practices, recruitment, skills management and career development, and developing a talent pipeline.

\r\n\r\n

44.  The Consultant will target key staff of the company to discuss how their services can be made more gender sensitive from a management, operations and design perspective. The Consultant should filter the findings and recommendations that are relevant for the company, and in consultation with these groups, prepare a company specific action plan aimed at integrating women’s and men’s diverse needs and concerns into their operations. The actions may include but not be limited to improving physical infrastructure (toilets, changing rooms at bus and train stations, airports, passenger port terminals; facilities for pregnant women, disabled and the elderly, etc.), services (timetabling, different ticket fare modalities, timeliness, etc.) and better enforcement to provide safety and security (more and trained security personnel in the terminals, surveillance cameras, lighting, etc.).

\r\n\r\n

45.  The Consultant will target strategic groups, e.g. HR and the mid and senior management in the area of gender and employment practices. HR professionals are a key group for supporting management in ensuring companies have the right mix of talented people, both women and man, to deliver its business goals. The Consultant will provide capacity building trainings to them in a form of a workshop structured around the recommendations, design a gender focused HR action plan for the company with the participants in an interactive format and focus on the design of key policies and processes focusing on recruitment, selection and career progression. The Consultant will also deliver training to mid and senior managers to enhance their awareness of gender equality and workplace issues; provide examples of good practices in equal opportunities in the sector, explain the business rationale for promoting gender equality for the company and discuss what actions might be appropriate for them to adopt individually (i.e. as part of career and performance appraisal discussions) and as a leadership cohort.

\r\n\r\n

 

\r\n\r\n

IV.  PROJECT LOGISTICS AND SCHEDULE

\r\n\r\n

a.     Location

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant will be available and within the reach to meet the CBGE and the MCTI as per request. Frequent meetings at various institutions, companies, etc., in Belgrade or elsewhere, are expected.

\r\n\r\n

b.     Timing

\r\n\r\n

Expected Implementation period of services is approximately 7 months, until end of September 2019. 

\r\n\r\n

c.     Key Experts

\r\n\r\n

As a minimum, the Consultant’s team should include the following key experts:

\r\n\r\n

1.     Team Leader/Senior Gender Specialist

\r\n\r\n

- At least 10 years of experience of working on gender and desirably in transport or at least in related disciplines (e.g. urban planning). Experience in urban mobility is highly desirable.

\r\n\r\n

-   specific experience (minimum 8 years of experience in preparation and implementation of sectorial gender studies and gender analysis);

\r\n\r\n

-   language skills (proficiency in written and spoken English);

\r\n\r\n

-   computer literacy (MS Office or similar, MS Project or similar);

\r\n\r\n

-   Post-graduate degree in social sciences, development studies, gender, transport or other related fields

\r\n\r\n

2.     Transport Expert

\r\n\r\n

- At least 10 years of experience in transport policy, transport management or related field

\r\n\r\n

- language skills (proficiency in written and spoken English; knowledge of Serbian language will be an asset);

\r\n\r\n

- computer literacy (MS Office or similar, MS Project or similar);

\r\n\r\n

- University degree in transport engineering, transport management or related fields.

\r\n\r\n

3.     HR/Workforce Specialist

\r\n\r\n

- At least 10 years' experience in good international practice in HR, workforce management and equal opportunities in the infrastructure sector at the national and/or City level;

\r\n\r\n

- specific experience (minimum 10 years of experience in HR management in transport/infrastructure sector);

\r\n\r\n

- language skills (proficiency in written and spoken English; knowledge of Serbian language will be an asset);

\r\n\r\n

- computer literacy (MS Office or similar, MS Project or similar);

\r\n\r\n

-   Post-graduate degree in HR management, social sciences, development studies, gender, or other related fields

\r\n\r\n

4.     Survey Data, Statistics and Analytics Specialist 

\r\n\r\n

- At least 10 years of research experience using both qualitative and quantitative research methods

\r\n\r\n

- specific experience (minimum 8 years of experience in designing research and administering surveys, e.g. weighting and sampling, database creation and analysis and reporting)

\r\n\r\n

- Knowledge of theory and application of statistical methods with a focus on methods used in social research  

\r\n\r\n

- language skills (proficiency in written and spoken English; knowledge of Serbian language will be an asset);

\r\n\r\n

- computer literacy (MS Office or similar, MS Project or similar);

\r\n\r\n

- Advanced Skills with statistical software packages

\r\n\r\n

- Post-graduate degree in social research, statistics, social science or relevant field.

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant’s team should have familiarity with and experience of working with institutions, including state-owned institutions, preferably in the Western Balkans and ideally in Serbia. 

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant should provide a comprehensive CV for the proposed experts with copy of academic qualifications and professional registration, as well as an outline of the organization and methodology to carry out the assignment.

\r\n\r\n

d.     Market research/surveying company

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant’s team should have either within or as external partner a Market research/Surveying company:

\r\n\r\n

- Company located in Serbia specializing in social research

\r\n\r\n

- The company should have strong enough pool of researches able to implement and deliver extensive surveys across the country

\r\n\r\n

- Minimum 10 years of experience in delivering surveys and market research

\r\n\r\n

- Ability to proficiently communicate in English

\r\n\r\n

e.     Additional staff

\r\n\r\n

For fulfillment of the assignment tasks, the Consultant can engage additional staff (e.g. road safety expert, transport manager, data analyst, etc.) that would help long-term and short-term experts in their work, as required per the profiles identified in its organization and methodology.

\r\n\r\n

All additional staff must be independent and free from conflicts of interest in the responsibilities awarded to them.

\r\n\r\n

 

\r\n\r\n

V. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS

\r\n\r\n

The overall budget for this Assignment is EUR 250,000. This includes the Consultant’s fees, travel and accommodation as well as the logistics costs associated with data collection. The Client has put aside additional EUR 10,000 for contingency fees which the Client will release during the implementation of the Assignment if the Assignment identifies activities which are of strategic importance for its successful completion.

\r\n\r\n

a.     Facilities and support to be provided by the MCTI.

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant will report directly to the CBGE and the MCTI. The MCTI will be responsible for the implementation of this Contract.

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant will work closely with the permanent staff in the CBGE as well as with the two consultants that the MCTI will be recruiting to support the CBGE in managing the work of the Consultant throughout the Assignment.

\r\n\r\n

CBGE and MCTI will introduce the Consultant to companies, institutions, authorities and concerned agencies relevant to the provision of the services listed in the ToR. The CBGE will assist in identifying and selecting personnel in other agencies/ministries that are familiar with the subject and able to provide relevant information/guidance to the Consultant.

\r\n\r\n

b.     Facilities and support to be provided by the Consultant

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant will supply all necessary computer hardware and software and other relevant equipment required for the effective operation of the services.

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant will be responsible for the cost of the calls/faxes at the prevailing tariffs of the telephone utility company and Internet services.

\r\n\r\n

Accommodation, transportation, international and local travel costs and any other support facilities for the assignment are the responsibility of the Consultant. The cost thereof must be included in the expenses for rendering the agreed services. The Consultant shall ensure that the experts are adequately supported and equipped. In particular, the Consultant shall ensure that there is sufficient administrative, secretarial and interpreting provision to enable the experts to concentrate on their primary responsibilities. It must also transfer funds as necessary to support the experts’ activities under the Contract.

\r\n\r\n

In summary, the Consultant shall be responsible for:

\r\n\r\n

-  arranging living accommodations for experts;

\r\n\r\n

-  arranging transportation from abroad for experts;

\r\n\r\n

-  arranging for local transportation;

\r\n\r\n

-  arranging for accommodation, international and/or local transport for short-term experts;

\r\n\r\n

-  arranging for additional engineering/technician staff;

\r\n\r\n

-  arranging for both written and verbal bilingual (Serbian-English) secretarial/translation assistance;

\r\n\r\n

-  provision of office supplies/stationary, equipment, communication costs, hardware and software equipment;

\r\n\r\n

-  any cost incurred in document reproduction, printing and reproduction of reports.

\r\n\r\n

-  all costs related to workshops organization, preparation of material, and facilitation

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant shall be entirely responsible for all taxes, duties, license fees and other such levies imposed outside the beneficiary country. 

\r\n\r\n

 

\r\n\r\n

VI. DELIVERABLES

\r\n\r\n

a.     Inception Report

\r\n\r\n

Within two weeks from the contract signing, the Consultant shall prepare and submit the Inception Report, outlining at least:

\r\n\r\n

·       general approach,

\r\n\r\n

·       methodology,

\r\n\r\n

·       survey tools and selection criteria, and

\r\n\r\n

·       timetable for preparation and implementation of all activities funded under the contract.

\r\n\r\n

In inception report the consultant shall identify and detail all assumptions, as well as all risks that may compromise successful completion of the Project and prepare risk management plan, and update this during assignment.

\r\n\r\n

The Inception Report will include a detailed work plan for entire assignment by activities, timelines and staff composition. 

\r\n\r\n

In addition, the inception report should propose the outline of the analytical report.

\r\n\r\n

b.     Progress Reports

\r\n\r\n

Progress Reports shall be submitted every two months within fifteen days following the end of each reporting period.

\r\n\r\n

Progress reports shall include:

\r\n\r\n

-       a brief description of services carried out during the reporting period;

\r\n\r\n

-       actual or expected difficulties or delays in the implementation of the contract and their effects on the implementation timetable, and the actual steps taken or planned to overcome the difficulties and avoid delays;

\r\n\r\n

-       expected changes in the completion date of the Contract, if any;

\r\n\r\n

-       key personnel changes in the staff;

\r\n\r\n

-       identification of any unresolved issues, with recommended actions to resolve them;

\r\n\r\n

-       a detailed description of the work (work plan) to be carried out during the next six months period

\r\n\r\n

-       The progress reports are expected to be very brief outlining only key points.

\r\n\r\n

c.     Gender in Transport Study with Recommendations and Action Plan

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant shall prepare Gender in Transport Study with Recommendations and Action Plan within 5 months from the contract signing. In general, the report should cover at least:

\r\n\r\n

·       Objective of the study

\r\n\r\n

·       Data collection methodology

\r\n\r\n

·       Economic and business case for promoting gender equality in the sector

\r\n\r\n

·       Analytical report with study findings 

\r\n\r\n

·       Main findings of the benchmarking exercise

\r\n\r\n

·       Recommendations with resource implications and performance indicators

\r\n\r\n

·       Action Plan for mainstreaming gender equality in transport sector and guidance on its incorporation to the National Transport Strategy

\r\n\r\n

d.     Selected Transport Service Provider report

\r\n\r\n

The consultant shall deliver the Report related to the Selected Transport Service provider 6 months from the contract signing. At minimum, the report should cover:

\r\n\r\n

·       Gender assessment of the workforce and services provision of the selected service providers

\r\n\r\n

·       Action plans for these providers to make their infrastructure and services more gender-sensitive. Srbija Voz has 2350 employees, of which 66 are machine drivers who mainly work in BG Voz.

\r\n\r\n

·       Action Plans to improve their HR equal opportunities policies and practices to increase women’s employment in their respective workforce

\r\n\r\n

·       Description of the capacity building provided to the selected transport companies

\r\n\r\n

e.     Workshops Report

\r\n\r\n

The Workshops report should be delivered 7 months from the contract signing and should provide the overview of the workshops delivered, material delivered at the workshops, main discussions and conclusions held, etc.

\r\n\r\n

Upon acceptance of all reports, the final workshop will be held to present the findings of the studies to the wider public. Material from the final workshop and workshop report will be delivered as a form of the last report under assignment, upon which the final payments will be made.

\r\n\r\n

f.     Number of Copies and Delivery

\r\n\r\n

Reports shall be submitted in soft copy in Serbian and English to members of Steering Committee for review and comments.

\r\n\r\n

After approval of reports by the CBGE and MCTI, reports shall be submitted in hard and soft copy in Serbian and English to CBGE, MCTI, and WB.

\r\n\r\n

The reports will use standard software formats (Word, Excel, etc).

\r\n\r\n

g.     Review and Approval of Deliverables

\r\n\r\n

The CBGE and the MCTI shall be responsible for reviewing and commenting (within 15 days) and approval of all deliverables.

\r\n\r\n

 

\r\n\r\n

VII. REMUNERATION AND PAYMENTS

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant’s financial proposal shall include all expenses associated with the Services.

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant’s fee rates shall be fully inclusive of actual remuneration per working day, overheads, social costs and employment benefits. The following costs shall also be included in the fee:

\r\n\r\n

-  all administrative, secretarial and translation support costs during the Services;

\r\n\r\n

-  all additional technical and administrative support staff required during the Services not otherwise specifically listed as key personnel.

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant shall be entirely responsible for all taxes, duties, license fees and other such levies imposed outside the beneficiary country

\r\n\r\n

The Consultant will submit its invoices as per the schedule given in the below table. Condition for each payment is approval of each deliverable by the CBGE and the MCTI. Condition for the final payment is acceptance of the Final Report by the CBGE, MCTI and the Bank. In addition, an updated financial report must be submitted with each request for payments. The updated financial report must contain details of the time inputs of the experts and of the incidental expenditure. The Final Report must be accompanied by the final invoice and an expenditure verification report at the end of the period of execution.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\r\n
\r\n\t\t\t

Deliverables

\r\n\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t

% of contract price to be paid

\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t

Inception Report

\r\n\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t

10%

\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t

Gender in Transport Study, Recommendations and Action Plan

\r\n\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t

40%

\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t

Selected Transport Service Provider Report

\r\n\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t

30%

\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t

Final Workshop with Workshop Report

\r\n\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t

20%

\r\n\t\t\t
\r\n\r\n

 

\r\n\r\n

Incidental expenditure

\r\n\r\n

The provision for incidental expenditures (reimbursable) covers the eligible incidental expenditures incurred under this Contract. It cannot be used for costs that should be covered by the Consultant as part of its fee rate, as defined above. Its use is governed by the provisions of the contract. It covers:

\r\n\r\n

-  a per diem allowance in respect of personnel of the consultant for every day in which the personnel shall be outside the Client’s country for purposes of the Services;

\r\n\r\n

-  necessary international and/or local travel, including transportation of staff by the most appropriate means of transport and the most direct practicable route;

\r\n\r\n

-  necessary accommodation;

\r\n\r\n

-  documents reproduction, printing and dispatching to be produced for the Services;

\r\n\r\n

-  communication costs incurred in the course of the Contract;

\r\n\r\n

-  procurement and maintaining of a supplementary stock of office supplies, equipment, including necessary hardware and software equipment;

\r\n\r\n

-  cars running and maintenance costs;

\r\n\r\n

-  cost of such further items required for purposes of the Services not covered in the foregoing.

\r\n\r\n

 

\r\n\r\n

VIII. MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING

\r\n\r\n

The assignment will be managed and monitored by representatives of the CBGE and MCTI. The  World Bank will provide its comments to the CBGE and MCTI and to consultant when requested by the MCTI.  If necessary, the Employer and the Consultant may agree to make adjustments to the task descriptions or the time frame for deliverables. The Consultant shall submit all deliverables in English and Serbian language. CBGE may request clarifications of the submitted reports. All data collected should be in standard open, ideally machine readable, formats. All data collected shall be in the format to be easily electronically transmitted to the CBGE and the MCTI and will be considered public unless the CBGE and the MCTI explicitly asks otherwise.

\r\n\r\n

The consultant may be occasionally asked to be available for video/audio conference connecting to Serbia, Europe, at a time that may be outside normal work hours in the time zone of residence.

"},{"id":"OP00047757","notice_type":"Request for Expression of Interest","noticedate":"19-Dec-2017","notice_lang_name":"English","notice_status":"Published","submission_deadline_date":"2017-12-29T00:00:00Z","submission_deadline_time":"15:30","project_ctry_name":"India","project_id":"P158798","project_name":"Jharkhand Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Growth Project","bid_reference_no":"IN-JSLPS-38928-CS-QCBS","bid_description":"Hiring of TSA for Baseline Survey for JOHAR Project","procurement_group":"CS","procurement_method_code":"QCBS","procurement_method_name":"Quality And Cost-Based Selection","contact_address":"3rd Floor, Shantideep Tower, Radium Road, Ranchi","contact_ctry_name":"India","contact_email":"joharjharkhandproc@gmail.com","contact_name":"Bhajaman Sabut","contact_organization":"Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society","contact_phone_no":"918674851253","contact_web_url":"www.jslps.org","submission_date":"2017-12-19T00:00:00Z","notice_text":"

Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society

(Under the aegis of Rural Development Department, Govt. of Jharkhand)

3rd Floor, Shantideep Tower, Radium Road, Ranchi-834001

 Website – www.jslps.org

 

No: 2230/Ranchi                                                            Dated: 09/12/2017

 

 

Request for Expression of Interest (REOI)

 FOR Consultancy services for “Baseline Survey” under JoHAR

         

The Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) invites “Expression of Interest” from eligible consultancy agencies to submit their interest for providing consulting services for World Bank supported Jharkhand Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Growth (JOHAR) Project for undertaking “Baseline Survey” in Jharkhand.

 

Interested agencies may submit their "Expression of Interest" in a sealed envelope clearly superscripted as Expression of Interest for “Consultancy services for Baseline Survey for JOHAR” latest by 15.30 hours on 29th December,2017. The agencies may obtain further information and procedures for submitting the “Expression of Interest” from the official website of JSLPS i.e. www.jslps.org.

                                                                               

Sd/-

                                                                                                   

Chief Executive Officer 

 

                                                                               

 

 

 

Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society

(Under the aegis of Rural Development Department, Govt. of Jharkhand)

3rd Floor, Shantideep Tower, Radium Road, Ranchi-834001

 Website – www.jslps.org

 

No: 2230/Ranchi                                                            Dated: 09/12/2017

 

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR HIRING OF CONSULTANCY AGENCIES FOR PROVIDING TECHNCIAL SERVICES ON “BASELINE SURVEY” REQUIRED FOR JOHAR PROJECT IN JHARKHAND.

 

 

(CONSULTING SERVICES – AGENCY SELECTION)

 

Ranchi, Jharkhand, India

JOHAR

 

Assignment Title: Hiring of Consultancy Services for Baseline Survey.

Reference No:

 

The project titled Jharkhand Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Growth (JOHAR) being implemented by Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society under the aegis of Rural Development Department, Government. of Jharkhand with financing from the World Bank towards the project implementation cost and intends to apply part of the proceeds for hiring of an agency to provide consulting services.

 

The consulting services (“the Services”) include hiring of an agency for undertaking Baseline Survey for JOHAR for a period of 6 months subject to extension of further period based on the requirement and performance. The details of activities will be mentioned in the Terms of Reference for the proposed service.

 

Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS), now invites eligible consulting agencies to indicate their interest for providing the services. Interested agencies should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services.

 

The short-listing criteria are as follows.

 

  1. The agency should have an independent legal existence, registered under the applicable Act. [Submit proof of Registration Certificate, Articles and Memorandum of Association].

 

  1. The agency should have minimum 5 (five) years of experience in conducting large scale surveys in India, preferably large scale household surveys.

 

  1. The agency should have experience of having conducted at least 3 (three) surveys, where the agency has directly and independently developed survey tools and fielded the same tools for data collection using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) tool.

 

  1. The agency should have a minimum average annual turnover of Rs. 1.5 crore or more during last three financial years and preferably have a positive net worth. [Relevant documents viz, audited financial statements and a certificate from Charted Accountant in support of satisfying the criteria should be submitted]. Out of the prescribed minimum annual turnover, at least Rs. 75.00 lakhs should be from Baseline Activities/Projects.

 

  1. The agency should have prior experience and have successfully completed at least 2 similar assignments, in the last 5 years, in sectors specific to that of the proposed assignment. Experience in Government sector especially related to livelihoods sector projects and having a working experience in Jharkhand is preferred.

 

  1. The agency should have a well-qualified and sufficiently experienced team, in house, or should be in a position to commit about their own network/association.

Interested agencies may submit their application expressing interest in the prescribed Performa annexed herewith [Annexure A] in sealed envelope with each page of the application signed by an authorised signatory, including the pages comprising the annexure.

 

The attention of interested agencies is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers (January 2011) (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.  In addition, please refer to the following specific information on conflict of interest related to this assignment: conflict between consulting activities and procurement of goods, works or non-consulting services; conflict among consulting assignments; and relationship with Borrower’s staff.

.

The Consultants may associate with other agencies in the form of a joint venture or a sub consultancy to enhance their qualifications. The submission should clearly indicate the type of association whether a joint venture (JV) or sub consultancy

 

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

 

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below by person or through postal/courier services latest by 15.30 hours 29th December, 2017 at the following address.

 

Address:

The Chief Executive Officer,

Jharkhand State Livelihoods Promotion Society

3rd Floor, Shantideep Tower,  

Radium Road, Ranchi-834001

Phone No. 0651-2360142/2360038

Email: joharjharkhandproc@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Annexure-A

 

Attachment 1: Format for Submission of Information to JSLPS, Ranchi to provide consultancy services for undertaking Baseline Survey.

 

Submission Requirements

 

A – Consultant Company’s Profile [Maximum 2 Pages]

1.

Organizational

Provide a brief description of the background and organization of your firm/entity.

The brief description should include:

  • Ownership details
  • Date and place of incorporation of the firm,
  • Objectives of the firm,
  • Availability of appropriate skills among staff.

2.

Financial: (Minimum average annual turnover of Rs. 1.5 Crore during the three financial years just gone by, required.

 

Provide the turnover on the basis of the audited accounts of the previous three financial years in Indian Rupees.

2014-15

2015-16

2016-17

 

 

 

B – Consultant Agency’s Experience [Maximum 15-20 pages]

1.

Experience of working on government, externally aided, or livelihoods sector projects in India.

At least 5 years experience required.

Please provide details of up to 10 such assignments (you may add more rows).

Name of Project

Services provided

Client and Country

Duration of Assignment

Value of Contract (Rs)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.

Experience in conducting large-scale surveys in India.

Please provide details of up to 10 such assignments. Experience in CAPI is required for at least three projects. (you may add more rows)

 

Name of the Client (GoI/Externally Aided Project)

Nature of the assignment (Baseline Survey or similar assignments)

Location and coverage (entire state, country, etc.)

Duration of Assignment (In month)

Value of Contract (Rs. Lakh)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please enclose copy of the contract as evidence

3.

Two Experts to be proposed of which at least one should hold a PhD qualification in any related discipline. Both experts proposed should have experience in government, externally aided, or livelihoods sector projects and specifically with leading large-scale household surveys at-least for a period of 3 years. Detailed CVs are not required at REOI stage, it should be submitted if the agency qualifies for RFP stage.

 

Among other information, the brief CVs should include the following information in the following format:

 

Name of the proposed Expert

 

 

Designation

 

 

Experience

 

Name of Project

Large-Scale Household Survey or similar type of work experience.

Client and State

Duration of Assignments (In month)

 

 

 

 

 

               

 

If the Consultant has formed a consortium, all the above details of each member of the consortium and the name of the lead partner, shall be provided.


 

 

 

Annexure -2

Declaration

                                                                                          Date: __/__/2017

 

To whom so ever it may be concern

 

I/We hereby solemnly take oath that I/We am/are authorized signatory in the firms/ Agency/ Institute/ Company and hereby declare that "Our firms/ Agency/ Institute/ Company do not face any sanction or any pending disciplinary action from any authority against our firms/ Agency/ Institute/ Company or partners." Further, it is also certified that our firm has not been blacklisted by any government or any other donor/partner organization in past.

 

In case of any further changes with effect of this declaration at a later date; we would inform the JSLPS accordingly.

 

 

Authorized Signatory

(with seal)

 

 

 

Draft Terms of Reference for the Hiring of Services of an Agency for the Baseline Survey of JOHAR project to be conducted in 2017-18 for Jharkhand State Livelihoods Promotion Society

 

1)      Background:

Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) is an autonomous society constituted in the year 2009 under the aegis of Department of Rural Development, Government of Jharkhand. The society is created to serve as a special purpose vehicle for smooth implementation of poverty alleviation schemes and programmes in the state. The society has its own Governing Body, chaired by the honorable Minister of Rural Development Department, Government of Jharkhand and Executive Committee, chaired by the Principal Secretary / Secretary of Rural Development Department, Government of Jharkhand.  Currently, the society is implementing multiple poverty alleviation programs supported by Govt. of India, State’s own fund and funds from other agencies. The major programs implemented by JSLPS are – National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Sanjivani, Initiative for Horticulture Intervention by Micro Drip Irrigation supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Jharkhand Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Growth (JOHAR) project. The core strength of the society lies in its team of professionals and thematic experts deployed at State, District, Block and Village level who have strived to build up strong and vibrant community institutions. Currently, JSLPS has its presence in 188 of 263 blocks across all 24 districts of the State.  As of November 2017, the mission has expanded its outreach to more than 13.00 lakh households through more than 105,000 SHGs which in turn have been federated into about 5,100 Village Organizations (VO) and about 149 Cluster Level Federations. Additionally, a pool of community cadre have been nurtured and capacitated. It is envisaged that by the end of FY 2019-20, in Jharkhand, NRLM would have an outreach and coverage extending to all villages of the State.

 

2)      Details about JOHAR Project:

Currently, Govt. of Jharkhand with financial assistance from the World Bank is implementing the JOHAR project, which is a livelihood programme being layered on the existing community base supported by JSLPS, through the NRLM project. The JOHAR project aims to bring transformative change in the lives of the targeted families. The project development objective is to enhance and diversify household income (real) in select farm and non-farm sectors for target beneficiaries (about 200,000 unique households) in project areas.

 

The key areas of interventions identified under JOHAR are: a) High Value Agriculture (HVA) development b) Irrigation system development c) Livestock development c) Fishery development d) Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) development e) Skills, jobs, and enterprise development f) Promotion of pro-poor agricultural finance systems, and g) Promotion of market access and private player participation. Adopting a value chain approach, JOHAR intends to promote rural producer collectives that will include producer groups and larger producer organizations. This six-year project has commenced in September of FY 2017-18 with an approximate budget outlay of Rs. 900 Crore.  However, the project is designed to leverage significant additional funding from the existing schemes of allied departments. The project is being rolled out in a phased manner, in 68 blocks across 17 districts of Jharkhand, the list of blocks and districts are provided in annexure 1.

 

JSLPS will manage and be responsible for implementation and outcomes of the JOHAR project, and for this purpose, the society has deployed a committed team of professionals at all levels, and established a JOHAR specific State Project Management Unit (SPMU), at the state level. The project also draws on the strength of the existing government departments and schemes, and the SPMU leverages the expertise and capacity of senior government officials from allied departments. Among the NRLM intensive blocks, JOHAR has identified clusters wherein it will target around two lakh households. Further, the JOHAR project will be underpinned by a solid monitoring, learning, and evaluation system, which will feed into decision making systems at JSLPS. Towards this, JSLPS has contracted Oxford Policy Management Limited (OPML) to provide technical support to the JOHAR project for monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The OPML team, together with the concerned senior staff at JSLPS will technically lead M&E activities, annexure 2 details OPML’s Terms of Reference.

 

3)      Rationale for Baseline survey:

The main objective of JOHAR is “Enhanced and diversified household income in select farm and non-farm sectors for targeted beneficiaries in the project area.” To measure the objective following key indicators have been identified:

  1. Percentage increase in the real average annual household income of the targeted households in the project area.
  2. Percentage increase in proportion of real income from select livelihood sources
  3. Number of project beneficiaries that are Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe
    1. Percentage of female beneficiaries
  4. Number of farmers reached with agricultural assets or services
    1. Number of female farmers

 

The results framework for the JOHAR project is attached as annexure 3.

 

A rigorous quantitative impact evaluation would be carried out to estimate the precise impact of the JOHAR project interventions. To estimate the precise impact, quantitative baseline, mid-line and end-line surveys will be conducted. The current assignment is specific and restricted to the above mentioned quantitative baseline survey for the JOHAR project’s impact evaluation.

 

4)      Objectives:

JSLPS seeks to identify an agency or a consortium of organizations (hereinafter referred to as agency) to collect, in an efficient and reliable manner, quantitative data at the household and village / cluster level. The survey tool developed for the quantitative data collection will capture data on the intermediate indicators identified for the project, along with the indicators that measure impact in terms of the overall JOHAR project development objective.

5)      Scope of survey activities:

The survey will be carried out in about 160 Gram Panchayats of about 30 blocks in Jharkhand and cover 6,000 – 8,000 households[1]. The number of households may change depending on requirements and the survey methodology that is finalized.

 

6)      Outline of tasks to be carried out:

The general responsibility of the agency will be to conduct the quantitative baseline survey. The agency will work in close collaboration with the JSLPS, World Bank and Oxford Policy Management teams in the development and refinement of survey tools, survey field team training, fielding the survey, supervision of all phases of data collection for the quantitative baseline survey, and cleaning of the data set. The data collection will be conducted with the use of technology platforms such as hand-held electronic devices for data capture and real-time data transfer and digital servers for data storage (popularly called computer-assisted personal interviewing, or CAPI). The agency must demonstrate prior experience with digital data collection utilizing hand-held electronic devices.

 

The agency must have relevant experience in handling the data collection through technology-based modes. The agency will be expected to propose an in-house Software Development and Data Management team for programming and data management. The questionnaires for the survey will need to be developed in software which is compatible for installation and use in hand-held electronic devices, such as mobile phones or tablets. The agency will be responsible for software development for data collection, from paper-based survey tools provided to them by JSLPS. The completed surveys will have to be uploaded on to a back-end server. The agency must also possess capacity and experience with the development and use of the required server.  Real-time access to data being uploaded on the servers will be provided to JSLPS, World Bank and Oxford Policy Management teams. A table outlining the division of responsibilities and tasks between JSLPS, OPML, and the Agency is provided as annexure 4. An advisory committee will be instituted to oversee and ensure quality of the baseline survey. The agency will be responsible for the following aspects of the survey:

 

7)      Survey Tool Piloting, Refinement, and CAPI Development

The agency's duties will include:

8)      Sampling:

9)      Suggested Minimum Staffing:

The agency is expected to have access to the needed personnel, including a technical lead, project manager, programmer, data manager, enumerators (including back checkers and spot checkers), field supervisors, and a field manager. All enumerators and supervisors will need to be fluent in Hindi and knowledge of local languages or dialects may be necessary and critical in context of Jharkhand. Following is an indicative minimum list of staff and their role, the agency can propose additional staff based on their operational plan.

a)    Field Team;

Given the complexity of the questionnaires and the need for close supervision of enumerators, it is envisioned that an enumerator would be able to complete 2-3 household surveys a day, so a team of five enumerators and one field supervisor ought to be able to complete approximately 30-35 household surveys in a Gram Panchayat plus Self-Help Group / Village Organization surveys and key informant surveys for village-level surveys in the same Gram Panchayat in about 3 days (aided by the supervisor).  Including travel and down time, a team ought to be able to complete two Gram Panchayats per week. Since about 160 Gram Panchayats are to be surveyed (with 30 – 35 households per Gram Panchayat), and if field work is to be completed in 08 weeks, about 10 teams would be needed.  These needs would be revisited after the field test.

b)    Enumerators;

The agency will recruit and train at least 15 percent more enumerators and supervisors than needed to ensure that there will be suitable replacements for team members who may leave during field work or those who do not demonstrate sufficient proficiency following training.  Enumerators will all need to be able to use CAPI devices and become proficient in administering the questionnaire following training. The enumerator team will also include listers and mappers, as well as back checkers and spot checkers. JSLPS will provide a list of community cadres to the Agency from which back checkers and spot checkers should be recruited, contracted by and budgeted for by the Agency. JSLPS recommends that each field team should contain at least one person from the pool of community cadre provided by JSLPS. It is further recommended that the field teams should be a mix of women and men members.

 

c)     Field Supervisors

Each team will have a field supervisor to oversee all activities of the specific team. The field supervisors will travel with their teams and be responsible for day-to-day supervision and logistics, including contacting community leaders and key respondents in villages, making arrangements for accommodation of the field team, and arranging appointments with respondent households. The field supervisor will also perform quality controls on the information collected by his/her team, including randomly attending some interviews, randomly re-interviewing 10-15% of households on specific modules or overall questionnaires, and randomly reviewing questionnaires. The field supervisor will further be responsible for the daily transfer of the data to the uploading center or, if the data is uploaded online, for ensuring the quality of the upload.  In addition to supervisory activities, it may be useful to use the field supervisors to carry out the pilot test. Field supervisors will also need to participate in the entire field team training.

d)    Field Manager

S/he will be responsible for overall management of field work, which will include schedule preparation, data and survey quality management, ensuring data uploading, maintenance of equipment, team deployment and replacement, and weekly reports. It is expected that the field manager is present and an active participant during the entire duration of the field team training.

e)    Programming and Data Management Team

A Programmer and Data Manager who will be responsible for software development and data management. The agency will set up appropriate data management arrangements and be responsible for data security.  The data must be promptly uploaded so as to be available via a web-based platform or regular offline updating to JSLPS. 

f)      Other Key Experts Required

To manage and oversee all activities, the agency ought to engage the following experts:

A Technical Lead (part-time) and a Project Manager who will be responsible for finalizing the survey tools, piloting and field testing the survey tools, training of field teams and overall supervision and management of the field activities, data management and final submission of data. The project manager will be required to make regular field visits, including continuous time spent in the field during the data collection phase of the baseline survey.

All technical experts must be able to work collaboratively with JSLPS, World Bank and Oxford Policy Management staff and have experience in training as well as supervising field teams.

10)   Equipment and Logistics:

The agency will provide the requisite number of hand-held devices and other tools to facilitate digital data collection by survey teams. JSLPS bears no responsibility for the payment, storage and field level disbursal and utilization of hand-held devices. The hand-held devices should have the following minimum specifications.

  1. Android version 4.0
  2. Seven inches diagonal screen size
  3. 1.5 Giga Bytes Random Access Memory (RAM)
  4. 8 Giga Bytes Read Only Memory (ROM)
  5. Battery backup of 6 hours (3500 mAh)
  6. GPS enabled devise to capture the coordinates

 

Following is a suggested list of equipment and logistical arrangement for the duration the contract:

11)   Training:

The agency will be responsible for preparation, organization and implementation of training activities, including logistics. The agency will conduct training for the entire field team, for a minimum of 7 days. The agency will prepare manuals for training in English and Hindi. Specific training duties which are required of the agency include:

  1. Preparation of training materials and detailed enumerator, back checker, spot checker and supervisor manuals in close collaboration with the JSLPS team.
  2. In-depth training of all field staff, including practice interviews and other similar exercises.
  3. Conduct of interviews as per agreed procedures (initially by team supervisors).

12)   Data Collection:

Data collection will be done according to the schedule agreed with JSLPS and the agency will be responsible for ensuring that the data collection is performed without any significant delay. The survey will comprise the following instruments:

  1. Household questionnaire – Male & Female;[2]
  2. SHG questionnaire;
  3. Village questionnaire;
  4. Block questionnaire;

13)   Quality Controls in the field:

The following quality control actions would need to be undertaken during the course of the survey (or similar controls to be agreed upon jointly):

 

  1. By team of supervisors in every sampled location:

 

  1. By team of data management staff:

 

JSLPS may deploy its own team for quality control in the field, and at any point request the agency to show a log of data checks performed, errors rectified and demonstrate back-end data checks.

 

The agency will report any field errors that they may notice and (a) provide feedback on the instruments to JSLPS and (b) provide feedback to the software team for updates in case of system errors, which would then be rectified within 12 hours and all devices updated with the rectified version within the 12 hours period.

 

14)   Data Management and Security:

The agency will be responsible for developing a data entry program and carrying out consistency checks, and provide final cleaned dataset to the client. The agency will provide access to internet or other platforms through which data can be transferred from hand-held devices to the server. The final cleaned dataset will be provided in STATA and ASCII formats. The agency is required to provide copies of the datasets and data entry error reports/logs that show the frequency of discrepancies noted and actions taken to rectify to JSLPS. The agency will scrutinize all errors and inconsistencies detected by the data entry and consistency programs by revisiting households if major errors are detected.

 

Further, the Agency will provide module with link to FTP site for back up to JSLPS server on a daily basis, in addition to maintaining its own back up, and will also submit the same through off-line method as well to JSLPS.

 

The JSLPS team will verify a 5% random sample of households against the data entered through checks. In cases of errors found, there will be penalties deducted from the final tranche payment in accordance with the severity of errors. JSLPS has the right to cancel the contract and make no further payments or request the work to be done again (including the field work) without any additional costs.

 

The agency will provide the final clean copies of the datasets along with a complete codebook to JSLPS within one week of completion of field work.  JSLPS retains the right to the complete data set, with complete access to all names, addresses, and listing and survey data for individuals and households surveyed through this exercise.

 

15)   Deliverables and Timelines

The agency is expected to deliver the following outputs:

  1. An Inception Report, containing the overall approach and methodology for carrying out the survey, a detailed work plan, outputs, and staff assignments with levels of effort by task and sub-task
  2. Final versions of paper-based survey questionnaires
  3. Final versions of software developed
  4. Documentation of data management processes
  5. Report from pilot survey and field testing of survey questionnaires
  6. All training material and field manuals
  7. Documentation of data collection protocols
  8. Census data from mapping and listing of households
  9. Survey data as it is being collected on a continuous basis
  10. Complete data sets with GPS coordinates of dwellings of all sampled households
  11. A draft, followed by final completion report on the field work, to be submitted to JSLPS. This report should include the dates for field visits for each village, supervision checks, problems encountered, etc.

A table listing tasks with a suggested timeline and corresponding outputs is provided in annexure 5.

16)   Institutional Arrangements:

The agency will work under the overall supervision of the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) which will provide the coordination mechanisms necessary for the agency to work effectively with the Oxford Policy Management team as needed.  Additionally, an advisory committee will be instituted by JSLPS to oversee and ensure quality of the baseline survey.

 

17)   Team Composition:

The agency will deploy a core team exclusively for the survey, clearly indicating the time commitment of each member.  Following is an indicative minimum list of staff and their role; the agency can propose additional staff based on a clear work plan. The CVs of the core team members will be evaluated as part of the evaluation of the technical proposal.

A)          Core Team:

  1. Technical Lead (1) (Part-Time 30%): Preferably hold a PhD in social sciences or related disciplines with seven+ years of experience conducting and overseeing large-scale household and facilities’ surveys; relevant background in public policy or service delivery in India; experience in Jharkhand would be an advantage, and experience in the livelihoods sector, specifically with government and externally aided programmes, will be preferred. Fluency in both English and Hindi is essential. S/he is expected to work part time throughout the duration of the assignment, available as required and planned.

 

  1. Project Manager (1) (Full-Time): Master’s degree in related disciplines with five+ years of relevant professional experience in government, externally aided and livelihoods projects, managing and training a large survey team and overseeing large-scale household and facilities’ surveys; experience in Jharkhand would be an advantage. Fluency in both English and Hindi is essential. S/he is expected to work full time throughout the duration of the assignment.

 

  1. Programmer (1) (Full-Time): Master’s degree in computer science or related field with a minimum of three years of experience with developing applications in existing sophisticated data entry software (such as CSPro, or Blaise for example) and managing large data base construction and quality control. S/he is expected to work full time throughout the duration of the assignment.

 

  1. Data Manager (1) (Full-Time): Master’s degree in computer science or related field with minimum two to three years of relevant experience in quality control and management of large databases. S/he is expected to work full time throughout the duration of the assignment.

It is expected that the agency will identify suitable personnel to design data capture in such a way as to ensure that the quality and integrity of data collected remains intact.

B)         Field Team:

1.1)         Field Manager (1) (Full-Time): bachelor’s degree in economics, statistics, or related fields and a minimum experience of five years or a master’s degree in a related field and a minimum experience of three years in large-scale quantitative household surveys is required. Experience with living standards measurement study (lsms) or other survey where data is entered concurrently with the interview process is preferred. Experience in conducting surveys using computer assisted personnel interview (capi) software and coordination of field activities is necessary. S/he will work full time throughout the duration of the assignment. Fluency in both english and hindi is essential.

 

1.2)         Field Supervisors: Field supervisors should have experience in data collection and supervision of field team for large-scale household surveys. Regional experience is preferred, and the minimum educational requirement for field supervisors is a Master’s Degree (i.e. 5 years of study after completion of higher secondary / 12th standard).  A basic competence in English is preferred though not required.

 

1.3)         Enumerators: Enumerators should have experience in data collection for large-scale household surveys. Regional experience and knowledge of separate dialects of Jharkhand is preferred. The minimum education requirement for enumerators is a Bachelor’s degree (i.e. 3 years of study after completion of higher secondary / 12th standard).

 

 

18)   Estimated input and time of staff: person-months

 

Professional Staff

No

Months Required

Total

  1. Technical lead (30%)

1

2

2 person months

  1. Project Manager

1

6

6 person months

  1. Programmer

1

6

6 person months

  1. Data Manager

1

6

6 person months

Sub-total

4

20

20 person months

Field Staff

 

  1. Field Manager

1

6

6 person months

  1. Field Supervisor

10

3

30 person months

  1. Enumerators

70

3

210 person months

Sub-Total

81

12

246 person months

Total

 

 

266 person months

 

19)   Suggested Selection Criteria :

S. No

Description

Weightage

  1.  

A successful track record of implementing large-scale household surveys of nation-wide/inter-state/state-wide development projects funded by international funding agencies/GOI or State governments or their agencies/ international NGOs/ corporate sector during the last 5 years. Preference will be given to agencies with past experience in Jharkhand

20%

  1.  

Infrastructure to support field-based CAPI data collection, electronic archiving of the data ensuring the highest level of confidentiality for research subjects as well as high validity of responses. Preference will be given to agencies with a field presence in Jharkhand

30%

  1.  

Team composition and CVs of the core team

20%

  1.  

Quality of technical proposal: The technical proposal and the work plan should provide sufficient details about the implementation plan and quality control checks

30%

 

20)   Payment for Services:

Payment for services will be made in five tranches, as indicated below. Note that work required for payment of each tranche must be completed to the satisfaction of JSLPS.

 

Payment

Amount

Payable upon

1

20%

Signature of contract (against Advance Payments Guarantee)

2

20%

Submission of Inception Report

4

40%

Submission and acceptance of final data set

5

20%

Submission and acceptance of Completion Report’s final version

 

21)   Future use of the Data

The completed dataset, documentation, and other deliverables will be the property of JSLPS, and may be used for any research purpose by any member of the JSLPS team. The firm cannot use the data for their own research purposes, nor license the data to be used by others, without the written consent of JSLPS.

 

-***-

 

 

Annexure 1

 

List of Blocks for JOHAR Implementation

#

District

Block

1

Bokaro

Chandankyari

2

Bokaro

Jaridih

3

Bokaro

Chas

4

Bokaro

Petarwar

5

Dhanbad

Tundi

6

Dhanbad

Nirsa

7

Dhanbad

Purbi Tundi

8

Dumka

Shikaripara

9

Dumka

Dumka

10

Dumka

Masaliya

11

Dumka

Ramgarh

12

E. Singhbhum

Dhalbhumgarh

13

E. Singhbhum

Ghatsila

14

E. Singhbhum

Potka

15

E. Singhbhum

Musabani

16

E. Singhbhum

Patamada

17

E. Singhbhum

Gudabandha

18

Giridih

Gandey

19

Giridih

Deori

20

Giridih

Tisri

21

Giridih

Pirtand

22

Gumla

Basia

23

Gumla

Ghaghra

24

Gumla

Gumla

25

Gumla

Palkot

26

Gumla

Raidih

27

Gumla

Sisai

28

Gumla

Bishnupur

29

Hazaribagh

Churchu

30

Khunti

Khunti

31

Khunti

Murhu

32

Khunti

Karra

33

Latehar

Barwadih

34

Latehar

Chandwa

35

Latehar

Garu

36

Latehar

Manika

37

Lohardaga

Kisko

38

Lohardaga

Kuru

39

Lohardaga

Senha

40

Lohardaga

Bhandra

41

Pakur

Pakuria

42

Pakur

Pakur

43

Pakur

Maheshpur

44

Pakur

Amarpara

45

Palamu

Chhatarpur

46

Palamu

Patan

47

Palamu

Chainpur

48

Ramgarh

Mandu

49

Ramgarh

Pataratu

50

Ramgarh

Gola

51

Ranchi

Mandar

52

Ranchi

Chanho

53

Ranchi

Angara

54

Ranchi

Bero

55

Ranchi

Kanke

56

Saraikela Kharsawan

Ichagarh

57

Saraikela Kharsawan

Nimdih

58

Saraikela Kharsawan

Chandil

59

Saraikela Kharsawan

Kukru

60

Saraikela Kharsawan

Gamharia

61

Simdega

Kurdeg

62

Simdega

Kersai

63

Simdega

Simdega

64

West Singhbhum

Tonto

65

West Singhbhum

Chaibasa

66

West Singhbhum

Jhinkpani

67

West Singhbhum

Hat Gamharia

68

West Singhbhum

Manjhgaon

 

Total

68

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annexure 2

Terms of Reference of OPML

1) Background:

Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) is an autonomous society Constituted under the aegis of Department of Rural Development, Government of Jharkhand. The society is created to serve as a special purpose vehicle for smooth implementation of poverty alleviation schemes and program in the state. Currently, the society is implementing multiple poverty alleviation programs supported by Govt. of India, State’s own fund and funds from other agencies. The major programs implemented by JSLPS are– National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Sanjivani and Initiative for Horticulture Intervention by Micro Drip Irrigation supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The core strength of the society lies in competent team of professionals and thematic experts deployed at State, District, Block and Village level who have strived to build up strong and vibrant community institutions. The society enjoys its autonomy by having its own independent HR, finance and procurement manual. Currently, JSLPS is present in 125 of 263 blocks spread over all of the 24 districts of the state. As of January 2017, the mission has expanded its outreach to more than seven lakh poor rural households through 57,000 Women SHGs (called as Sakhi Mandals), federated into 2500 Village Organizations (VO) and 50 Cluster Level Federations. In addition, a pool of community cadre has been nurtured and capacitated. It is envisaged that by the end of FY 2020-21, NRLM would reach to around 32500 villages of the State.

 

2) About the Project:

Currently, Govt. of Jharkhand with funding support from World Bank is preparing a livelihoods program, leveraging the existing community institutions of JSLPS. The six year project - Jharkhand Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Growth (JOHAR) aims to bring transformative change in the lives of the targeted families. The project development objective is: - “Enhanced and diversified household income in select farm and non-farm sectors for targeted beneficiaries in Project Area.” The key area of interventions identified under JOHAR are:

 

a) Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs): JOHAR will use the existing social mobilization base of NRLM and organize them into commodity clusters and collectives.

 

b) Promotion of High Value Agriculture (HVA): High value crop intervention focuses on enhancing the production by use of scientific technology, introduction of improved variety of seed and increasing cropping intensity through provisioning of irrigation systems.

 

c) Promotion of Irrigation: In order to increase the cropping intensity and bring new cultivable area under HVA, irrigation facilities like drip irrigation, gravity flow irrigation, in-take well, check dams, cross bunds, dug wells of various sizes and other types of irrigation structures would be implemented in the identified blocks\\clusters.

 

d) Livestock Development: Under this intervention focus would be to improve the productivity of small ruminants by promoting backyard poultry, broiler & layer poultry birds, goat rearing and pig rearing.

e) Fishery Promotion: Existing water bodies like ponds, tanks and reservoirs will be brought under improved pisci-culture, cage culture, and pen culture through improved hatchery management, seed production, input supply and other equipment supply.

 

f) Promotion of Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP): A large proportion of rural Jharkhand draws significant proportion of their income from NTFP. Adopting Value Chain Approach, the project would collectivize community so that aggregation, hoarding, processing of NTFP produce fetches higher returns.

 

g) Skills and Enterprise Promotion: The project entails building capacities of the existing producers on various package of practices.

 

h) Agriculture Business and Private Player Engagement: In order to ensure higher price realization per unit of produce, JOHAR would work on both forward and backward linkages, by collaborating with input supplier and market players.

 

i) Market Intelligence: As production augmentation and risk minimization strategy, the project would provision Crop, Weather and Market Advisory Services. The expertise of various technical support agencies would be used.

 

3) Project Implementation Mechanism:

JSLPS will be the core implementing agency for JOHAR, and will deploy a committed team of professionals at State, District and Block levels. Since, the project draws on the strength of the existing government departments and schemes, especially NRLM, it would draw senior government officials from the allied departments and market to establish a seamless functioning mechanism.

 

4) Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning under the project:

Due to the diversity of the project, JSLPS needs to embed a culture of result-based monitoring system and provide evidence-based decision-making inputs of both strategic and operational nature, at all levels including community institutions. Currently, the following M&E related activities are planned under the project:

a) The overall impact assessment using experimental or quasi experimental design, with a base-line survey, mid-term survey and follow up survey.

b) Process Monitoring to assess if the key processes of the project are being followed and key inputs are getting converted into outputs, outcomes and behavior changes according to the guidelines and assumptions of the project.

c) Community Based Monitoring System to involve community in the monitoring process of the activities being taken up at the community level. This will help imbibe a sense of ownership for the program among the community.

d) ICT-based Management Information System: JSLPS already has a tablet-based MIS system under NRLM (soon to be Aadhar enabled), and the JOHAR MIS (preferably an ICT-based system) will make an effort build on the existing system, limiting duplication. Beyond progress and exception reports produced automatically, data from MISs can be used to conduct more in-depth analysis, especially where systems identify persistent problems.

e) Periodic Tracking Surveys to inform the operations of the project on key learning’s, evolving issues to be addressed and intermediate reporting.

f) Thematic Evaluations to assess the many innovative approaches for livelihood, value-chain development and access to entitlements that will be tested and identify which ones to drop, revise, or scale up. This would be typically done through quick turnaround evaluation studies. These studies can be randomized where applicable.

g) Other activities: Qualitative Studies to accompany the quantitative studies, e.g. best practices in the project, compilation of important community case studies etc. Other evaluation activities as demanded by thematic experts and project staff.

 

5) Purpose of the Assignment:

JOHAR is a multi-sectoral project with several sub-components and activities. JSLPS has a long and successful history of implementing innovative programs and monitoring them. However, due to the complex and innovative nature of JOHAR, JSLPS needs to regularly evaluate the key community-driven and livelihoods innovations and eventually scale-up the most effective and replicable activities.

 

6) Scope of the Assignment

The agency would be responsible for preparing the M&E framework for the project and ensuring that the key evaluation activities are being carried out as laid out in the project document. It will also collaborate with the MIS agencies to utilize the data sets to generate preliminary evidence and subsequent analyses. In particular, the agency would be responsible for the following activities in the first three years:

 

A. Design of Result Based Monitoring framework for JOHAR with clear yearly milestones and measurable indicators. The agency shall also come up with a comprehensive Monitoring & Evaluation framework for the entire project period covering all the areas of intervention. However, the basic details would be provided which needs to be elaborated and finalized.

 

B. Impact Evaluation: The agency would be responsible for the following:

1) Prepare the technical design of the impact evaluation using experimental or quasi-experimental methodology; it should include power calculations, sampling strategy etc. 2) Provide technical assistance for preparing the terms of reference of the data collection agencies.

3) Do the preparation work for the baseline data collection such as designing the survey tools, protocols etc.

4) Supervision of the data collection, which will most likely be conducted using computer-assisted personal interviewing, or CAPI.

5) Pre-analysis plan which includes detailed methodology of the analysis, indicators, limitations of the evaluations etc.

6) Clean and analyze data and prepare the technical baseline report.

 

C. Process Monitoring: The agency will also conduct process monitoring from second year onwards with the following activities:

1) Identify the key processes of the project, develop process indicators, protocol and monitor them to check in quarterly rounds.

2) Prepare quarterly round reports detailing the key processes observed, adherence and variances in the laid processes and potential implications on the project.

3) The agency would also identify pool of community cadres based on certain selection criteria and train them on process monitoring activity. These monitors will be doing the process monitoring once the agency and JSLPS withdraws from the project

 

D. Thematic Studies and Evaluations will be needed to study the output and outcomes of the intervention in the short term and long term. The agency should be able to conceive design of thematic studies, rapid assessments and surveys so as the intermediate level output and outcomes are tracked periodically. Based on the needs of the technical leads, the MIS analytics and the output of the process monitoring studies will be used to identify the areas of focus.

 

E. Data Analytics: Agency will collaborate with MIS & GIS agency/consultant to analyze the MIS data generated from the fields and prepare regular analytical reports, as per requirements of the stakeholders. These short and concise products should identify lessons and recommend policy and program design changes in real time.

 

F. Periodic Tracking Surveys: The agency should design, supervise and anchor rapid surveys, if needed.

 

G. Other Activities

1. Agency should also strengthen the capacity of the M&E members at JSLPS in monitoring and evaluation.

2. Establish and monitor performance benchmarks for all thematic areas.

3. Provide technical inputs to the monthly/quarterly performance of districts and thematic areas.

4. Generate standard and customized reports for decision making and wider dissemination.

5. Track progress in project implementation along with output and outcomes.

 

7) Expected Outputs:

The agency would report to SPM, M&E at JSLPS and would be responsible for the following outputs:

 

 

8) Team Composition & Implementation Arrangements

The M&E agency should comprise a team of researchers with expertise in carrying out rigorous impact evaluations. In particular, it will comprise:

 

One Senior Evaluation Specialist(s) (part-time) with proven track record of conducting rigorous evaluations9. S/he should have independently led the design of a large-scale impact evaluation study (over 4,000 Households). At least one evaluation should be using an experimental or quasi-experimental technique and should be published10. S/he should have at least 8 years of experience in quantitative evaluation. S/he should have an advanced degree (PhD preferred) in economics/statistics/public policy or a related discipline. Specific experience in monitoring and evaluation of public policy programs for at least 5 years would be preferable. S/he would spend 20% of his/her time on this project.

 

One Team Leader (full-time) with proven track record in anchoring/conducting evaluation activities. S/he should have at least 5 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation of which at least 3 years of field-work experience. S/he should have been a part of the design team of at least one impact evaluation using randomized or quasi-experimental technique and preferably should be published. S/he should have a Post Graduate degree in economics/statistics/public policy or a related discipline. Specific experience in evaluation of rural livelihoods projects would be preferable. He/she is expected to operate out of JSLPS SMMU Office, wherever it may be located.

 

Two Data Analysts (one full-time; one full-time from 6 months onwards) with two to three years’ experience in data analysis or supervision of household surveys or rigorous (experimental or quasi experimental) impact evaluations. S/he should have a degree in economics/statistics/public policy/development studies or a related discipline. S/he should have experience working on statistical software packages like – SPSS, R, STATA, CS–PRO, Atlas.ti, etc. S/he would spend about 25% of the time in the field (at least 2 visits per quarter) with district-level staff. He/she is expected to operate out of JSLPS SMMU Office, wherever it may be located.

 

Field Staff

Four Process Monitors (full time from 18 months onwards): Post-Graduates in rural management / economics/social work/ social science with at least 7 years of experience in rural development / livelihoods projects, of which at least 4 years of hands on experience in monitoring and evaluation including process monitoring. Should be well acquainted with the methodology of community institutional development, participate research, monitoring and evaluation methods and tools. Prior work experience in monitoring and evaluation of large scale rural development projects implemented by the GoI and state governments would be preferred. We may provide office space in the visiting district to the monitors, if required. The TSA will work closely with JSLPS and will be provided a designated office space in the JSLPS office. Full-time team members would be required to work from the JSLPS office and move to field as per their work plan.

 

9) Duration of the assignment

The duration of the assignment would be for the entire project period (currently six years), though the initial contract will be for three years. Depending on the performance of the selected agency and budget availability, the contract can be extended further with mutual agreement. However, the performance of the TSA will be assessed on quarterly deliverables.

 

10) Services to be provided by the Client

The M&E team of JSLPS would continuously supervise the assignment. JSLPS would facilitate sharing of information by SMMU, DMMU, and BMMUs with the TSA, and would also ensure provision of logistic support for placement of TSA core staff in the state office. All project documents, including MIS, which are not classified documents, will be made available to the TSA for the purpose of assignment. The consultant should also provide regular feedback about progress, issues therein and inputs on the basis of field assessment, as and when available.

 

11) Review Committee to Monitor TSAs Works

The performance of the agency would be judged on the basis of work done against the agreed work plan. The agency will report to the Project Director – JOHAR and CEO of JSLPS or an Officer designated by them. The agency will generate one short summary report of its’ key achievement at the end of each year under contract. A committee consisting of both thematic specialists from within and outside JSLPS, as deemed appropriate, shall undertake a review of the work produced by the TSA from time to time.

 

12) Ownership of Data and Reports:

JSLPS shall be the sole owner of the outputs and other deliverables of the assignment. The TSA will have no right of claim to the assignment or its outputs. Any report/document/material produced as part of these assignments shall be deemed to be the property of JSLPS who is funding the assignment and the TSA will not have any claim over such outputs and will not use or reproduce the contents of the documents without the explicit written permission of JSLPS.

 

-***-

 

Annexure 3

Results Framework
Jharkhand Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Growth Project (JOHAR)

 

Project Development Objectives

 

 The PDO is to enhance and diversify household income in select farm and non-farm sectors for targeted beneficiaries in project areas.

 

Project Development Objective Indicators

 

Indicator Name

Core

Unit of Measure

Baseline

End Target

Frequency

Data Source/Methodology

Responsibility for Data Collection

 

 

Name: Percent increase in average annual household income (real) of the targeted households

  

Percentage

0.00

50.00

Baseline / Midterm / EOP

 

Household Survey

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

Description: This indicator will capture the full household (with a detailed agriculture module) income (real income) during the project period. The midterm and the end line surveys will report the increase in overall household and agriculture income increase. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Percent increase in the proportion of income (real) from select livelihoods sources

  

Percentage

0.00

100.00

Baseline / Midterm / EOP

 

Household Survey

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

Description: This indicator will capture the key objective of the project of income diversification away from subsistence livelihoods. It will measure the shift of households from low productivity livelihoods activities (such as casual labor and paddy farming) to more productive livelihoods. Livelihoods supported under the project are: self-employed crops, self-employed livestock, self-employed fisheries, self-employed non-farm business and formal labor. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Number of project beneficiaries that belong to SC/ST categories

  

Number

0.00

100000.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing agency

 

 

Number of project beneficiaries that belong to SC/ST categories - female

  

Number

0.00

70000.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing Agency

 

 

 

Description: Number of SC/ST beneficiaries who have directly benefited from the intervention. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Farmers reached with agricultural assets or services

  

Number

0.00

200000.00

Yearly

 

MIS

 

Implementing Agency

 

 

Farmers reached with agricultural assets or services - female

  

Number

0.00

140000.00

Yearly

 

MIS

 

Implementing Partner

 

 

 

Description: This indicator will capture the beneficiaries that directly derive benefits from project interventions (HVA, livestock, NTFP and fisheries) in terms of assets and services. This indicator will require supplemental information on the number of female beneficiaries. The baseline value of the indicator is zero

 

 

 

Intermediate Results Indicators

 

Indicator Name

Core

Unit of Measure

Baseline

End Target

Frequency

Data Source/Methodology

Responsibility for Data Collection

 

 

Name: Percent of Producer Groups that have been assessed as grade A

  

Percentage

0.00

65.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing agency and technical partners

 

 

Description: This indicator captures the livelihoods focused institution building efforts of the project. It will be measured through an index (with A as the highest grade) that will measure performance on financial management, governance, group management, financial performance etc. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Percent of project-supported Producer Organizations that are viable and sustainable

  

Percentage

0.00

50.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

Description: This indicator captures the livelihoods-focused institution building efforts of the project. A PO will be considered viable and sustainable based on agreed criteria such as, organizational capacity, repayment, governance structure, operating profit etc. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Clients who have adopted an improved agr. technology promoted by the project

Number

0.00

160000.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

Clients who adopted an improved agr. technology promoted by project – female

Number

0.00

112000.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

 

Description: This indicator measures the number of clients of the project who have adopted an improved agricultural technology promoted by the project.

 

 

 

Name: Percent increase in the sale volume of select HVA crops of targeted households

  

Percentage

0.00

50.00

Baseline / Midterm / EOP / Yearly

 

Household Survey / Project MIS 

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

Description: This indicator will capture the marketed surplus of the HVA crops by measuring the percentage increase in the sales volume of high value crops (examples include tomato, chili, watermelon, cucurbits, cole crops etc.) across all seasons in a year. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Percent  increase in the sale volume of select livestock produce

  

Percentage

0.00

50.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS / Thematic studies

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

Description: This indicator will able to capture the marketed surplus by measuring the percentage increase in the sales volume of livestock related livelihoods and value chain interventions of the project. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Percent increase in the sale volume of select fish of the targeted households

  

Percentage

0.00

50.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS / Thematic studies

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

Description: The adoption of new fish species, scientific production, sustainable collection/ harvesting and post-harvest management of fish production will result in increased volume of production. This indicator will capture the marketed surplus of fisheries produce by measuring the percentage increase in sales volume. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Percent increase in sale volume of select NTFPs of the targeted households

  

Percentage

0.00

50.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS / Thematic studies

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

Description: The adoption of new NTFPs, scientific production, sustainable collection/ harvesting and post-harvest management of NTFPs will result in increased volume of production. This will be tracked through the project MIS as well as thematic studies. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Area provided with irrigation or drainage services

  

Hectare(Ha)

0.00

18000.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

Description: This indicator measures the total area of land provided with new irrigation or drainage services under the project. It will measure the area provided with improved irrigation or drainage services, expressed in hectares(ha). The baseline value for this indicator will be zero.

 

 

 

Name: Proportion of total production sold by targeted households through producer collectives

  

Percentage

0.00

50.00

Yearly / Baseline / Mid-term / Endline

 

Project MIS / Household Survey

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

Description: This indicator captures if the project beneficiaries have started selling produce through producer collectives such as producer groups, and producer organizations. It will be measured as the proportion of total production sold through these marketing channels. This will be tracked through the project MIS as well as the project evaluation and the baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Number of beneficiaries reached with financial services

  

Number

0.00

150000.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing agency

 

 

Description: This indicator captures the number of beneficiaries that have been reached with new financial services promoted under the project. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Number of service providers trained and earning at least Rs 3,500 per year through user fees in the last 2 years

  

Number

0.00

7000.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing agency with technical partners

 

 

Description: This indicator aims to measure the sustainability of the training system created under the project. It is the proportion of their project related revenue stream that is earned through user fees, and should be a minimum of Rs 3,500 per year in the last two years of the project. The income from user fees will be additional income for the service provider. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Number of entrepreneurs trained 

  

Number

0.00

5000.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing agency

 

 

Description: This indicator captures the number of self-employed households or entrepreneurs being trained under the project. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Grievances registered related to delivery of project benefits addressed (%)

Percentage

0.00

100.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS and project correspondence

 

Implementing agency

 

 

Description: This indicator measures the transparency and accountability mechanisms established by the project so the target beneficiaries have trust in the process and are willing to participate, and feel that their grievances are attended to promptly. It is understood that local sensitivities and tensions will not allow grievance or redress mechanisms to be established in all projects.

 

 

 

Name: Proportion of project investments mobilized through convergence

  

Percentage

0.00

20.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing agency

 

 

Description: This indicator captures the resources that have been mobilized from other related departments and centrally sponsored schemes. It will be measured as a proportion of the cumulative project expenditure. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Percent increase in average dietary diversity score in target households

  

Percentage

0.00

10.00

Baseline / Midline / Endline

 

Household Survey

 

Technical Agency with implementing partners

 

 

Description: This indicator captures nutrition impact of the project due to increased income and higher production of more nutritious crops such as vegetables, pulses and poultry. The dietary diversity would a composite score of recall of consumption habits. The baseline value of this indicator is zero.

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Number of private sector partnerships operationalized

  

Number

0.00

3.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS

 

Implementing Agency

 

 

Description: This indicator captures the number of partnerships that have been operational zed. A partnership would be considered operational when a commercial transaction has taken place between producer collectives and private sector partner. The baseline value of the indicator is zero.

 

 

 

Name: Project management has satisfactorily addressed statutory audit findings (cases) according to agreed business standards

  

Percentage

0.00

100.00

Yearly

 

Project MIS and project correspondence

 

Implementing agency

 

 

Description: This is a qualitative monitoring indicator where the resolution of audit findings will be recorded.

 

 

 

Annexure 4

Division of Responsibilities, pertaining to the JOHAR Baseline Survey

#

Activity

Responsibility

JSLPS

OPML

Agency

1

Survey tool development

Translation and review

Initial development and refinement , translation, including field testing, and support final rounds of survey tool field testing

Final refinement

2

Survey team recruitment

Provide list of community cadre pool for spot checking and back checking, and review survey team recruitment

Overall supervision of Agency

Recruit all personnel, including at least 1 person for each field team from list of community cadre provided by JSLPS

3

Survey field team training

Review and supervision

Development of field survey manual and support during training

Development of training material and guides, schedule, logistics and conduct the training

4

Listing and mapping

Provide the list of villages and Gram Panchayats for listing and mapping

Support, as required

Train listers and mappers, and complete listing and mapping exercise

5

CAPI development

Review

Support with piloting

Development of survey tools in CAPI

6

Sampling

Provide list of households to be surveyed to the Agency

Support JSLPS with sampling

Locating sampled households

7

Data collection

Review and supervision

Support JSLPS with supervision

Field the survey to collect data from sampled households and replace households as required

8

Data management

Take daily backups to JSLPS server and save off line back up

Support, as required

Check data received for errors, review data verifications and conduct consistency checks, provide reports to JSLPS, save and back up data collected

9

Dataset cleaning

Review and final acceptance

None

Clean dataset in format as required, to be submitted by agency to JSLPS

 

Annexure 5

JOHAR Baseline Survey Agency Work plan and Timeline

#

Activity

Week

Remarks

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

 

1

Core team deployment and joint workshop with stakeholders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting minutes from workshop required

2

Development of detailed work plan field work schedule

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submit Inception Report

3

Review of Hindi and English versions of paper-based survey questionnaires

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edits to be made, if necessary

4

Programming and software development

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review required prior to finalisation

5

Piloting and field testing of paper-based survey questionnaires

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Based on list provided by JSLPS and review of field plan for pilot

6

Development of training guides and material

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A review of training guides and material by JSLPS is required

7

Paper-based survey questionnaire refinement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final versions required

8

Recruitment of field team

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In consultation with JSLPS and OPML teams

9

Final round of survey piloting and field testing (CAPI)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With support from OPML team and reviewed by JSLPS

10

Data management piloted and tested

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review by JSLPS required

11

Final revision of survey tools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final versions to be submitted to JSLPS

12

Training of field team

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With support from OPML team and reviewed by JSLPS

13

Mapping and listing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Based on list provided by JSLPS and review of field plan for mapping and listing

14

Prepare for data collection in field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submission of field work plan required, will be reviewed by JSLPS

15

Administer survey tools for data collection in field

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily back ups to be provided to JSLPS along with reports

16

Revisits as required

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Report required

17

Data set cleaning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clean data set to be submitted

18

Completion report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final version of completion report to be submitted

 

 

[1] The details of districts, blocks, and villages will be provided after the final list is ready, at which time the total number of Gram Panchayats and their corresponding blocks in which the survey will be carried out, and the final total number of households in the survey sample may change as well.

[2] It is estimated that the household questionnaires will take 2.5-3 hours per household

"}]}