Use and content of the RFP

1. Use and content of the RFP • Request for Proposals (RFP) is similar to bidding documents and include all information of the assignment, selection of consultants and contract conditions • Standard RFP published by the Bank • Mandatory for contracts >$200,000 • Recommended for contracts <$200,000 • Content of RFP • Letter of Invitation (LOI) • Information to Consultants (ITC) • ITC - Data Sheet • Terms of Reference (TOR) • General Conditions of Contract • Sample Special Conditions of Contract (SCC) • Technical & Financial proposals standard forms

2. Letter of invitation (LOI) LOI is the RFP cover letter LOI Content • Basic information regarding source of financing for the assignment • Basic information regarding the client and the assignment • Short list of consultants • 6 firms: QCBS, QBS, Fixed Budget, Least Cost • One firm: Consultants Qualifications, Single Source • Selection method • Content • Request for acknowledgement and confirmation of participation

3. Information to consultants ITC includes all general information regarding • Eligibility of Consultants • Preparation of Proposals • Submission and receipt of proposals • Proposals evaluation • Contract negotiations and award

4. Introduction - Eligibility • Consultant familiarization • Client input • Conflict of Interest • Corruption and fraudulent practices • Commissions and gratuities • Clarification and amendment

5. Preparation of proposals FULL TECHNICAL PROPOSAL 100 pages max Tech 1 - Submission Form Tech 2 - Consultant’s Organisation Tech 3 - Comments on TOR Tech 4 - Description on Approach, Methodology and Work Plan Tech 5 - Team Composition and Task Assignments Tech 6 - Curriculum Vitae of Professional Staff Tech 7 - Staffing Schedule Tech 8 - Work Schedule SHORT TECHNICAL PROPOSAL 50 pages max Tech 1 - Submission Form Tech 2 - Not required Tech 3 - Not required Tech 4 - Description on Approach, Methodology and Work Plan Tech 5 - Team Composition and Task Assignments Tech 6 - Curriculum Vitae of Professional Staff Tech 7 - Staffing Schedule Tech 8 - Work Schedule

6. Preparation of proposals (cont.) Financial proposals • Remuneration and reimbursable • Taxes. separate estimate • Currency • Standard forms Proposal validity No bid security

7. Submission, receipt and opening of proposals • Two envelopes • Signature • Original and Copies • Sealing of envelopes • Submission: Place, Date and Time • Shortly after submission deadline opening of technical proposals by Committee (public opening not usually required) • Late proposals rejected

8. Evaluation of proposals EVALUATION OF TECHNICAL PROPOSALS • Technical Committee • Points and scores system as specified in ITC Data Sheet • No access to Financial Proposals • Review of the evaluation by IFAD • Rejection of non responsive and non acceptable (score below minimum threshold) proposals and consultant(s) notification • Notification to successful consultant(s) of opening of Financial Proposals

9. Evaluation of proposals (cont.) EVALUATION OF FINANCIAL PROPOSALS • Public opening: Names, technical scores, prices • Responsiveness • Currency conversion • Score according to method specified in ITC Data Sheet COMBINED EVALUATION • In accordance with selection method • As specified in ITC Data Sheet

10. Evaluation of proposals (cont.) The procedures of proposals evaluation are summarized in the table below

11. Negotiations and award of contract • NEGOTIATION SEQUENCE • Methodology and staffing • Final TOR (without substantially changing original TOR) • Staffing schedule • Client inputs • Consultant outputs • Activity schedule • Skills transfer • Final TOR and agreed methodology to be incorporated in “Description of Services”which becomes part of the Contract

12. Negotiations and award of contract (cont.) • FINANCIAL NEGOTIATIONS • If price was a factor in evaluation, limited to tax liability in Borrower’s country and how it will be or has been reflected in the contract • if negotiation fails, the Borrower invites second ranked proposal • as soon as negotiations successfully concluded, the Borrower must inform other firms that they were not successful

13. Rejection of all proposals and re-invitation • Upon consultation with IFAD: • If all proposals are non-responsive • If costs are substantially higher than allocated budget • Re-invitation may include revising RFP, budget and short list

14. Confidentiality • Information relating to evaluation of proposals and recommendations concerning awards shall not be disclosed to the consultants who submitted proposals or other persons not officially concerned with the process, until the award of contract is notified to the successful firm

15. ITC – Data Sheet • General Information • Phased Assignment: if any, list of phases (TOR) • Client inputs (e.g. offices, accommodations, staff) • Downstream assignment: if any, evaluation • Preparation of proposals • Association of Consultants • Number of staff-weeks/months (or in FBS: available budget) • Professional staff: minimum experience • Reporting language • Training: if any, scope, number, duration

16. ITC – Data Sheet (cont.) • Taxes: regulation, source of information • Currency for local cost • Proposal validity • Number of copies • Submission: place, date, time

17. ITC – Data Sheet (cont.) Evaluation criteria - Points • Specific Experience related to assignment [0 … 10] • No more than 10, since firms already shortlisted • Focus on specific experience • Work-plan and methodology adequacy (TOR) [20 … 50] • Main criteria for complex assignment, less important for routine assignment • Can be subdivided in a few sub-criteria, e.g. • technical approach and methodology • work-plan • organization and staffing

18. ITC – Data Sheet (cont.) Evaluation criteria - Points • Qualification and Competence of key staff [30 … 60] • Most important when expertise is key factor • For each key professional, individual assessment based on • general qualification [20 … 30] • adequacy for the project [50 … 60] • experience in region & language [10 … 20] • Indicate relative weight (%) of each expert • Transfer of knowledge program training [0 … 10] (sub-criteria as appropriate) • Local participation: when appropriate [0 … 10] • Minimum score: acceptable proposal >70 … 80

19. ITC – Data Sheet (cont.) Financial proposal evaluation • Currency conversion • single currency for price conversion • source of exchange rates • date of exchange rates • Definition of financial scores (typically) • Fm = price of proposal with lowest price • Ff = price of proposal to be evaluated(f) • Sf = score of proposal f: Sf = 100*Fm/Ff

20. Standard forms • These forms will be included in the RFP, as appropriate, and filled by the consultants • Breakdown of remuneration rates, to be used and included only when price is not a competitive factor: QBS, Consultants Qualifications, Single Source • Technical Proposal • Submission form • Firm’s references • Comments and suggestions on TOR • Team composition and task assignment • Format of curriculum vitae • Time schedule for professional staff • Activity (Work) schedule

21. Standard forms (cont.) • Financial Proposal • Submission form • Summary of costs • Breakdown of price per activity • Breakdown of remuneration per activity • Reimbursable per activity • Miscellaneous expenses