Pre-Solicitation Notice for Procurement Agent Services for MCA-Malawi

Prior Information Notice

General Information
Country:   Malawi
City/Locality:   Lilongwe
Notice/Contract Number:   RFP/QCBS/MCAM/GOM/002
Publication Date:   Jul 29, 2010
Deadline:   Oct 15, 2010
Funding Agency:   Millennium Challenge Account
Buyer:   MCA-Malawi
Eligibility of Bidders:   Firms/organizations interested in responding to the RFP solicitation should fulfill the following requirements:
1. The firm/organization must have general management ability to mobilize and sustain highly professional procurement services, including experienced staff, and the operating structures to administer and provide the necessary back-up services and quality controls to support the Procurement Agent team in headquarters and in the field. The ability to provide the equipment and furnishings needed for the provision of the services is also required. The Consultant shall also have the ability to provide training and capacity building to ESCOM which may serve as a procurement agent during the term of the Compact.
2. Experience of the firm/organization should include relevant work on similar procurement management activities, work in similar countries, and demonstrated understanding of international best practices in a similar environment.
3. The firm/organization will preferably have experience in the sectors targeted in the Compact and must explain how they would gain access to expertise required.
4. The staffing requirements to carry out the duties, responsibilities and tasks under the contract will be determined by the Consultant. In executing the role of Procurement Agent the Consultant shall identify a minimum of two key personnel, the Procurement Agent Manager and one other senior procurement specialist. In executing the role of Procurement Oversight and Advisor the Consultant shall identify a core team of two experienced Procurement Advisors to work with the ESCOM procurement unit and the MCA-Malawi CEO and Procurement Director. One of the individuals must be identified as the lead for procurement oversight and advisory services
Original Language:   English

Contact Information
Address:   Peter Hlekwayo Shaba
Procurement Specialist
Millennium Challenge Account-Malawi
Lilongwe
Lilongwe, Central Region 00265
Malawi
Telephone:   +265 (0) 1 774308/309
Fax:   +265 (0) 1 774301/302
Email:   Click here
Web Site:   http://www.mca-m.gov.mw

Goods, Works and Services

 

Original Text

PROCUREMENT AGENT AND PROCUREMENT OVERSIGHT AND ADVISORY (PROCUREMENT CONSULTANT) SERVICES

Request for Proposal (RFP) Pre-Solicitation Notice

The Government of the Republic of Malawi (the “Government”) has made a proposal for consideration for a grant from the Government of the United States through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (the “MCC”), a U.S. government owned corporation, that pending the successful outcome of diligence and availability of funds, would result in a compact between the Government and MCC pursuant to which MCC would provide a five year, multi-million dollar poverty reduction grant to the Government (a “Compact”). Pursuant to Section 609(g) of the Millennium Challenge Act, as amended, MCC and the Government will sign an agreement (the “609(g) Agreement) wherein MCC will provide the Government a grant (the 609(g) Grant) to support Compact development and facilitate Compact implementation. A portion of the proceeds of this grant will be applied to fund Procurement Agent and Procurement Oversight and Advisory professional services to assist the Government to manage the MCC program in a transparent and fiscally sound manner. In this procurement proceeding, the Government is represented by the Ministry of Finance through Millennium Challenge Account - Malawi Core Team (the “MCA-MCT”).

The Procurement Consultant shall act on behalf of MCA-Malawi, if a Compact is successfully concluded, to manage the procurement of a broad range of goods, works and services, as well as to provide training and capacity building that are requested by MCA-Malawi to implement the activities funded under the 609(g) Agreement and the Compact with MCC Funding (“the Program”). In this capacity the Procurement Consultant shall (i) provide procurement agent services, assisting the Government to diligently oversee, discharge and perform all services necessary to achieve the optimum value for the monies in MCC funded contracts, while ensuring that all procurement transactions are conducted in compliance with the principles, rules and procedures set out in the MCC Compact; and (ii) provide procurement oversight and advisory services to entities identified by the Government and approved by MCC to assume Procurement Agent responsibilities under the Compact, all in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the Procurement Services Consultant Agreement. It is expected that there will be one Government entity, ESCOM the national electricity company, may serve as procurement agent. The requirement for procurement oversight and advisory services shall be an option under the proposed contract. The procedures for competition and selection of the successful Consultant will comply with MCC Program Procurement Guidelines.


The purpose of this pre-solicitation notice is to alert all potential Procurement Consultants that the RFP is expected to be posted on the website of the Millennium Challenge Account-Malawi, www.mca-m.gov.mw on or around August 30, 2010, and to share the experience and qualifications that will be expected from interested firms/organizations. All firms/organizations which determine that they are qualified will demonstrate their interest by sending a letter or e-mail to MCA-MCT to the attention of Mr. Peter Shaba peter.shaba@mca-m.gov.mw before August 13, 2010.

Minimum Eligibility Criteria
Firms/organizations interested in responding to the RFP solicitation should fulfill the following requirements:
1. The firm/organization must have general management ability to mobilize and sustain highly professional procurement services, including experienced staff, and the operating structures to administer and provide the necessary back-up services and quality controls to support the Procurement Agent team in headquarters and in the field. The ability to provide the equipment and furnishings needed for the provision of the services is also required. The Consultant shall also have the ability to provide training and capacity building to ESCOM which may serve as a procurement agent during the term of the Compact.
2. Experience of the firm/organization should include relevant work on similar procurement management activities, work in similar countries, and demonstrated understanding of international best practices in a similar environment.
3. The firm/organization will preferably have experience in the sectors targeted in the Compact and must explain how they would gain access to expertise required.
4. The staffing requirements to carry out the duties, responsibilities and tasks under the contract will be determined by the Consultant. In executing the role of Procurement Agent the Consultant shall identify a minimum of two key personnel, the Procurement Agent Manager and one other senior procurement specialist. In executing the role of Procurement Oversight and Advisor the Consultant shall identify a core team of two experienced Procurement Advisors to work with the ESCOM procurement unit and the MCA-Malawi CEO and Procurement Director. One of the individuals must be identified as the lead for procurement oversight and advisory services.
The term of the contract will be a base period of one (1) calendar year, with five (5) one-year option periods. The exercise of the contract option periods is contingent upon satisfactory performance from the Procurement Consultant. The contract is expected to start on January 21, 2011. During the term of the base period and any option years, the Procurement Consultant shall operate from offices in Blantyre and Lilongwe, Malawi and have travels in the regions of program implementation.

Mr. Sam Kakhobwe,
The National Coordinator and Point of Contact,
Millennium Challenge Account-Malawi,
Please note that this notice is for your information only.
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