Overview
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
The Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) is a cyclical Programme which was launched in 1979 and is the principal vehicle within the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for targeted poverty reduction initiatives. Contributors to the Ninth Cycle of the Unified Special Development Fund (SDF 9) approved a contribution of forty million United States dollars ($40 mn) for the Ninth Phase of the BNTF Programme (BNTF 9). Total funding for BNTF 9 was estimated at $47.43 mn comprising grants of $40.78 and counterpart funding of $6.65mn from the governments of the nine Participating Countries (PCs), namely: Belize, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and a special provision for the integration of Suriname, which joined BNTF as a new PC in 2017. The overall outcome of BNTF 9 is improved access to quality education, water and sanitation, basic community access and drainage, livelihoods enhancement and human resource development services in low-income and vulnerable communities.
In keeping with CDB's Operations Manual, each of the nine PCs completed a Country Project Completion Report (CPCR) at the end of the Programme. These country-level reports are meant to capture the degree to which each of their BNTF 9 Project resources were utilised to achieve their development objectives and deliver the outputs and outcomes as set out in the respective Country Policy Framework reports for each country project.
Additionally, a single independent PCR is now required which will highlight the impact of the BNTF 9 Programme on all beneficiaries and the sustainability of such impact. The BNTF 9 PCR is the central component of the assessment of the Programme and it will assess the overall contribution of the BNTF 9 Programme encompassing the nine national initiatives and the Regional Components. The BNTF 9 PCR may also include case studies and beneficiary assessments.
CDB now wishes to procure consultancy services for the Preparation of the Basic Needs Trust Fund Ninth (BNTF9) Programme Closing Report.
Specifically, the Consultant shall:
(a) analyse and validate nine CPCRs;
(b) assess the impact of COVID-19 on the implementation and sustainability of interventions;
(c) identify and complete four case studies;
(d) undertake beneficiary assessments, including gender analyses, in four selected PCs;
(e) present an overview of the outputs and outcomes within the context of the Programme's goals, design, processes and results during implementation (both the Country Projects and Regional Components); and
(f) assess if and how any of the recommendations made in MTE of BNTF 9 Programme were taken into account in the final years of the Programme.
The objective of the consultancy is to prepare the BNTF 9 PCR comprising a consolidation of nine (9) CPCRs based on the guidance and template in Annex 1 of the Terms of Reference (TOR).
The assignment is expected to commence in the second week of September 2024 and be completed in 60 person days by December 2024.
CDB now invites interested eligible consulting firms to submit Expressions of Interest for the provision of these consultancy services.
Eligibility
A Consultant shall be eligible to participate if they fulfil:
1) the following eligibility requirements:
(a) in the case of a body corporate, it is legally incorporated or otherwise organised in an eligible country, has its principal place of business in an eligible country and is more than 50 per cent beneficially owned by citizen(s) and/or bona fide resident(s) of eligible country(ies) or by a body(ies) corporate meeting these requirements;
(b)in the case of unincorporated firms, the persons are citizens or bona fide residents of an eligible country; and
(c) in all cases, the consultant has no arrangement and undertakes not to make any arrangements, whereby any substantial part of the net profits or other tangible benefits of the contract will accrue or be paid to a person not a citizen or bona fide resident of an eligible country.
2) the following integrity requirements:
(a) is not subject to sanctions under the United Nations (UN) Security Council taken under Chapter VII of the Charter of the UN;
(b) has not engaged in Prohibited Practices, as detailed in Paragraph 2.02 a) of the Procedures for Dealing with Fraud and Corruption in CDB-Financed Projects (October 2014 or as updated from time to time)[1];
(c)is not suspended or debarred by CDB for engaging in the Prohibited Practices referenced in 2) (b) above;.
(d) is not publicly debarred by a Multilateral Development Bank subject to the Agreement on Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions[2] in their own right, or under abovementioned agreement; and
(e) is not subject to a conflict of interest that would undermine the Consultant's ability to provide professional, objective, and impartial advice.
CDB requires that all parties involved in the procurement process avoid and declare promptly and proactively in writing to CDB any potential, apparent or actual conflicts of interest. Without limitation on the generality of the foregoing, the Consultant shall not be hired under the following circumstances: Conflict between consulting activities and procurement of goods, works or non-consulting services, conflict among consulting assignments, and/or close relationships with CDB staff or other stakeholders involved in or expected to be involved in the procurement or subsequent contract management.
Eligible countries are CDB member countries.
In the assessment of submissions, consideration will be given to:
(a) technical competence, qualifications and experience including:
i. Project management;
ii. Social/gender research;
iii. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis;
iv. Human resource management (performance management);
v. Result-based management;
vi. Participatory approaches and methods;
vii. Poverty reduction programming; and
viii. Monitoring and evaluation
(b) local and regional experience on similar assignments, including working with international financial institutions and on donor-funded projects/programmes in beneficiary countries, particularly some of CDB’s borrowing member countries;
(c) evidenced financial capability; and
(d) existing commitments.
Instructions
All information must be submitted in English. Further information may be obtained from the first address below between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
Interested consultant teams are required to submit their Expression of Interest using the “EOI Consulting Firms template” attached to this REOI or which can be downloaded from the Specific Procurement Notice on CDB’s website.
Electronic submissions of the Expressions of Interest must be received at the second address below no later than 16:00 hours (Barbados time) on Thursday, September 5th, 2024. The Expression of Interest will be deemed to have been received at the time that it is received by CDB. The burden of proving receipt of the e-mail will be on the applicant and will not be met solely by a read receipt or sent items report generated by the Consultant’s computer. The e-mail containing each submission should include the name and address of the applicant. The subject line shall be clearly marked “Expression of Interest – Consultancy Services for the Preparation of the Basic Needs Trust Fund Ninth (BNTF9) Programme Closing Report”.
The selection method shall be Consultants’ Qualifications selection. Therefore, following the assessment of submissions, firms shall be assessed and compared, and the best qualified and experienced firm shall be selected. Only the selected firm 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. CDB reserves the right to accept or reject late applications or to cancel the present invitation partially or in its entirety. It will not be bound to assign any reason for not short-listing any applicant and will not defray any costs incurred by any applicant in the preparation and submission of Expressions of Interest.
Consultants are advised to view CDB’s General Privacy Notice for information on how CDB manages and protects personal data.
Contacts
Address 1
Procurement Officer
P. O. Box 408
Wildey
St. Michael
BARBADOS ,BB11000
Address 2
Mr. George Yearwood
P. O. Box 408
Wildey
St. Michael
BARBADOS ,BB11000