Request for Proposals

Title: Consultant Services for Final Evaluation

Date Solicitation is Issued: August 16, 2024

Solicitation Number: 269.08.16.2024.FEP

Closing Date: September 8, 2024

Closing Time: 18:00 GMT-5

Entitles That May Apply: Both firms and individual consultants

Contractual Mechanism: Fixed price

I. BACKGROUND

The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) believes in creating a hemisphere of opportunity, for all. We work across Latin America and the Caribbean to make our region stronger— more healthy, peaceful, just, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable for current and future generations. For 60 years, we have served the most vulnerable communities, investing resources throughout the hemisphere. We partner with and enable civil society, governments, and the private sector for the greater good of the region.

With 60 years of experience across Latin America and the Caribbean and strong partnerships with local communities, civil society, and public and private sectors, we have an impeccable track record of success with extensive in-country networks and sound financial controls. We are uniquely positioned to develop and implement adaptable programs across multiple technical areas, quickly deploy to any country in Latin America and the Caribbean and activate existing local networks, measure and evaluate our impact with comprehensive performance indicators, and communicate our progress through integrated communications strategies.

Since 2021, under the thematic area of “Advancing Rights and Justice,” PADF, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has implemented the project “Promoting Anti-Corruption (PACE) – Building Trust, Competitiveness, and Transparency in Public Procurement in Ecuador.” The project’s approach seeks to:

• Build political will and regulatory frameworks by working with key GOE agencies including the National Public Procurement Service (SERCOP).
• Strengthen the capacity of institutions to fight corruption and meet international transparency and accountability standards through specialized training and accompaniment by PADF and its partners.
• Empower civil society leaders to engage with government and push for accountability and increased transparency on public sector procurement.
• Attract private sector interest and drive private sector confidence as reforms lower the cost of doing business and promote transparent competition.

II. PROJECT OVERVIEW

PACE is a 36-month project funded by USAID, aimed at helping Ecuador achieve a more transparent and accountable public sector; more competitive and trusted procurement and concession processes; a more responsible and engaged private sector; and increased respect for democratic values, transparency, and human rights. The project entails the following objectives: 1) Improved understanding of gaps and needs to improve regulatory and legal frameworks around public procurement in target areas (energy, infrastructure, and telecommunications); 2) Increased citizen oversight of public procurement and concessions in target areas; 3) Strengthened public procurement processes in target areas at the national and international levels; and 4) Promoted transparency, sustainability, and inclusion in extractive industries. The theory of change, activities, and intermediate results are summarized in Annex II.

III. PURPOSE OF THE EVALUATION

PADF seeks an individual consultant or consulting team to perform a final evaluation of the PACE project. The final performance evaluation seeks to address descriptive and normative questions, using systematic data collection and analysis of information about the activities performed relative to the intended theory of change and linkages with outcomes obtained throughout the project. The evaluation should include a review of relevant project documents, and participatory evaluation designs that involve engagement with local stakeholders and collection of qualitative and quantitative data are strongly encouraged.

The evaluation will serve as a valuable input for organizational learning and adaptive management by both PADF and USAID. This evaluation also intends to capture emerging results to inform decisions about current and future programming and to identify effective strategies that other projects and organizations can replicate.

The main question to be addressed by the evaluation is: Were the expected results of the project achieved? Potential questions, which can be refined by the evaluation team, could include:

• How has PADF contributed to the adoption of international standards and good practices of transparency, accountability, and citizen participation among the institutions linked to strategic sectors?
• What external and internal constraints has PADF, and its partner organizations encountered during project implementation?
• How has the training and technical assistance delivered under the project influenced public procurement and citizen participation processes in local governments?
• How effective were the approaches and tools used in PADF activities? Which can be improved for future projects?
• What were the main concrete and tangible outcomes of the project that helped the Government of Ecuador (GOE) to advance transparency initiatives in extractive industries?
• How has PADF’s intervention influenced government policies and practices related to transparency and accountability in extractive industries?
• How has PADF’s support to social organizations influenced the implementation of citizen participation and oversight mechanisms?
• How has PADF contributed to the creation of knowledge and relevant information about strategic sectors and the impact of Chinese influence in public procurement and concession processes?
• How have the awareness-raising actions implemented by PADF, and its partner organizations impacted awareness and commitment by communities and key actors in the fight against corruption and promotion of transparency within Ecuador’s extractive industries?

IV. RELEVANT INFORMATION

The evaluation team will have access to the following documents and resources:

• Project work plan
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan
• Quarterly aggregated progress reports
• Partner reports
• Project/partner websites
• Other project documents, as needed and agreed upon by the project team

The evaluation team is encouraged to collect primary data through site visits, interviews, surveys, focus groups, etc., depending on the proposed methodology.

V. LOCATION(S) OF ASSIGNMENT

Ecuador

VI. TERMS OF REFERENCE, DELIVERABLES AND DELIVERABLES SCHEDULE (All applicable Taxes, Fees, and other costs should be included in the price proposal.)

Interested parties should submit a proposal to PADF by the deadline indicated in section VIII. Proposals should include:

1. A general description of the consultant(s) relevant experience and qualifications.
2. Updated resume(s) for the consultant(s), including contact information for two professional references (email and phone number).
3. At least two examples of previous evaluation reports conducted.
4. A work plan, not to exceed 10 pages, that includes:
   1. A detailed timeline of the various phases and activities to be undertaken, as well as expected submission dates for deliverables.
   2. An overview of the consulting team’s qualifications and the specific roles and responsibilities each team member is expected to assume. Note: Multidisciplinary teams will be valued.
   3. A budget for consulting services, including any foreseeable additional expenses (see attached format).

The allocated budget for this contract is US$ 15,000.

PADF expects to sign a Fixed Price Agreement and make payments based on the receipt and approval of the following deliverables:

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Product 1

Estimated Completion Date: September 26, 2024

Milestone: Work Plan & Methodology

Deliverable: A methodology and workplan that outlines the qualitative and quantitative approach to understanding the project’s impact, data collection and analysis, and a proposed timeline for drafting and finalizing the final evaluation report.

Percent of Total: 20% of total

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Product 2

Estimated Completion Date: October 21, 2024

Milestone: First Draft of the Final Evaluation Report

Deliverable: The first draft of the final evaluation report must address the description and questions outlined in section III “Purpose of the evaluation.” It must include, at least, an executive summary, an introduction, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

Percent of Total: 30% of total

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Product 3

Estimated Completion Date: November 5, 2024

Milestone: Final Evaluation Report

Deliverable: The final evaluation report must incorporate all feedback and suggestions made by the PADF team.

Percent of Total: 50% of total

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VII. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Evaluation Criteria

Technical approach/methodology: Does the proposal clearly explain, understand and respond to the objectives of the project as stated in the Scope of Work?

Points: 30

Relevant Experience: Does the proposed consultant/team possess the necessary experience and capabilities to carry out the Scope of Work?

Points: 30

Value for money: Does the proposal maximize resources to achieve the objectives stated in the Scope of Work?

Points: 30

Timeline: Does the proposed timeline and work plan comply with the scheduled deliverables?

Points: 10

TOTAL: 100

VIII. SUBMISSION DETAILS

a. Deadline. Proposals must be received no later than September 8, 2024, at 18:00 (GMT-5). Late submissions will not be accepted. Proposals must be submitted via email to despinosa@padf.org. All proposals are to be submitted following the guidelines listed in this RFP.

b. Validity of bid; proposals, including cost/price, shall remain valid for 120 days, from the submission deadline.

c. Clarifications. Questions may be submitted to despinosa@padf.org by the specified date and time in the timeline below. The subject of the email must contain the RFP number and title of the RFP. PADF will respond in writing to submitted clarifications by the date specified in the timeline below. Responses to questions that may be of common interest to all bidders will be posted to the PADF website and/or communicated via email.

d. Amendments. At any time prior to the deadline for submission of proposals, PADF may, for any reason, modify the RFP documents by amendment which will be posted to the PADF website and/or communicated via email.

e. Timeline of Events

Request for Proposals issued: August 16, 2024

Questions submitted to PADF: September 1, 2024

Q&A document disseminated to known bidders: September 4, 2024

Complete proposals due: September 8, 2024, 18:00 (GMT-5)

Interviews for selected bidders: September 10-11, 2024

Approximate selection made: September 11, 2024

IX. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

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**No.**1

Qualification: The consulting team has prior experience conducting final evaluations for similar projects.

Degree of Importance: Mandatory. The consultant must meet this qualification.

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**No.**2

Qualification: The consulting team has prior experience in one or more of the following strategic sectors: energy, telecommunications, infrastructure, extractive industries, and/or public procurement.

Degree of Importance: Preference will be given to consultants who meet this qualification.

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**No.**3

Qualification: The consulting team has experience engaging with stakeholders from the public sector, private sector, and civil society, at different levels.

Degree of Importance: Mandatory. The consultant must meet this qualification.

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**No.**4

Qualification: The consulting team is knowledgeable about transparency, citizen participation, accountability, and integrity, particularly within the Ecuadorean context.

Degree of Importance: Preference will be given to consultants who meet this qualification.

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**No.**5

Qualification: The consulting team is fluent (read/write/speak) in Spanish and English.

Degree of Importance: Mandatory. The consultant must meet this qualification.

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X. PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS TO INCLUDE

1. Signed cover page on bidder’s letterhead with the bidder’s contact information.
2. Technical Proposal.
   1. Corporate Capabilities, Experience, Past Performance, and 3 client references. Please include descriptions of similar projects or assignments.
   2. Qualifications of Key Personnel. Please attach CVs that demonstrate how the team proposed meets the minimum requirements listed in section 7 (Minimum Requirements).
   3. Technical Approach, Methodology and Detailed Work Plan. The Technical Proposal should describe in detail how the bidder intends to carry out the requirements described in the Terms of Reference
   4. Please included completed Budget Template provided with this RFP.

XI. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Resulting Award

This RFP does not obligate PADF to execute a contract, nor does it commit PADF to pay any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of the proposals. Furthermore, PADF reserves the right to reject any and all offers, if such action is considered to be in the best interest of PADF. PADF will, in its sole discretion, select the winning proposal and is not obligated to share individual evaluation results.

Confidentiality

All proprietary information provided by the bidder shall be treated as confidential and will not be shared with potential or actual applicants during the solicitation process. This includes but is not limited to price quotations, cost proposals and technical proposals. PADF may, but is not obliged to, post procurement awards on its public website after the solicitation process has concluded, and the contract has been awarded. PADF’s evaluation results are confidential and applicant scoring will not be shared among bidders.

Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

As part of the contractor’s internal controls and standards of employee conduct, the contractor must ensure that its employees adhere to these standards of conduct in a manner consistent with the standards for United Nations (UN) employees in Section 3 of the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin – Special measures protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13).

Contracting with Small, Minority, and Women’s Businesses

PADF will take all necessary steps to assure that minority businesses, women’s business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms are used when possible.

Debarment and Suspension

Entities that appear on any exclusion lists, System for Award Management (SAM), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), UN Sanctions List, and other watchlists, will not have their bid evaluated and will not be eligible to receive any subaward that may result from this Request for Proposals.

FOR THE COMPLETE PROPOSAL AND BUDGET, PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING SITE: https://www.padf.org/procurement-opportunities/

How to apply

Proposals must be received no later than September 8, 2024, at 18:00 (GMT-5). Late submissions will not be accepted. Proposals must be submitted via email to despinosa@padf.org. All proposals are to be submitted following the guidelines listed in this RFP.

For the complete Request for Proposal and associated Budget please visit: https://www.padf.org/procurement-opportunities/