Request for Expression of Interest (EOI) Consultant for Capacity Building Study

Country: 
Lao PDR
Project: 
The Poverty Reduction Fund Phase II
Position Description: 
Request for Expression of Interest (EOI) Consultant for Capacity Building Study
Grant No.: 
H 685-LA
Project No.: 
123480
Date of Issue: 
Friday, March 22, 2013
Closing Date: 
Monday, April 8, 2013

    The Government of Lao PDR has received grant from the World Bank, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), AusAid and Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF) to establish the Poverty Reduction Fund (PRF) to improve the access to and the utilization of basic infrastructure and services for the project’s targeted poor communities in a sustainable manner through inclusive community and local development processes. The project intends to apply part of the proceeds for consultancy firm service for a Capacity Building Study.
The overall purpose of the study is to evaluate the PRF capacity building component and related activities conducted during the course of the PRF II in order to:
•    empower communities and more specifically vulnerable groups (women, ethnic minorities and the poorest community members), in assessing and plan their own needs, discussing them with the district authorities, implementing and monitoring the construction of public infrastructure and ensure proper utilization and maintenance of the sub-projects infrastructure investments supported by the PRF II;
•    contribute to the government’s objective of better coordination among ministries and other organizations involved in poverty reduction and rural development and better service delivery to the communities;
•    Capacity of the PRF staff to fulfil their responsibilities as capacity builder and facilitator to ensure the projects objectives are meet.

Scope of the work:
The assessment will mainly focus on reviewing the implementation of the capacity building strategy and related plan at each level and for each group of stakeholders as well as the related capacity building methodology, approach and tools used by the PRF staff / consultants.

The proposed assessment will particularly focus on the following areas:
-    PRF capacity building strategy, plan, principles, approach and tools
-    Delivery of the Capacity Building plan and related activities
-    Outcomes of the capacity building activities

The consultancy service period is 16 weeks starting from April 2013.
    
The PRF would like to invites eligible consultancy firms to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested consultancy firms must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services, including:
-    company background including relevant experience of the firm related to the assignment e.g. work of a similar nature;
-    Statement of the Consulting Firm’s ability to fulfill all necessary technical, legal, financial and administrative aspects applicable to the contract, including statement of whether the contract will be undertaken: a) solely by the Consulting Firm,  b) as a Joint Venture or  c) as a Sub-Consultancy Agreement;
-    Statement of the Consulting Firms commercial and financial capability to perform the contract including number and qualify of facilities, office equipment etc… and present financial health of the firm;

A consultancy firm will be selected under Consultants Qualifications Selection (CQS) method in accordance with the procedures set out in the World Bank’s Guidelines “Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers, January 2011 which can be found at the website: www.worldbank.org/procure.

The consulting team will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Interested consultancy firm may obtain further information at the address below during office hours from 8:30 to 16:00 or visit http://prflaos.org/ Only selected consultancy firm will be contracted and requested to submit a combined technical-financial proposal.

Expressions of interest must be delivered by hand, postal mail, fax or email to the address below by 16:00 hour no later than 8 April 2013.
The following documents can be forwarded upon request sent by email to PRF’s PMT:
•    PRF Manual of Operations
•    Recent PRF semi-annual reports
•    For more information visit: www.prflaos.org

Attention to:     Procurement Team
Administration and Finance Unit
        Poverty Reduction Fund Office
C/O Prime Minister’s Office
Nahaidiew Road, Building 501, 1st Floor
Vientiane, LAO PDR.
        Phone: 856-21-261479-80 (ext. 105)
        Fax: 856-21-261481
        Email: pmt@prflaos.org (cc: youthavinh@prflaos.org)