REOI –
Individual Consultants
(consultancy firm to develop the 4Ps approach)
1st Edition
December 2020
Foreword
This REOI is based on the 1st edition of the IFAD-issued standard procurement document for REOI advertisement – individual consultants to be used in projects financed by IFAD, available at www.ifad.org/project-procurement.
IFAD does not guarantee the completeness, accuracy or translation, if applicable, or any other aspect in connection with the content of this document.
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(Individual Consultants)
Kingdom of Lesotho
GAFSP
Assignment title: Engagement of Individual Consultant to Design the Public Private Producer Partnership (4-P)s
Reference no. LSO-2000002563-0022-CS-ICS
The Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Nutrition SADPII has received financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) towards the cost of Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the recruitment of consulting services provided by an individual consultant as part of the post of GAFSP Project.
The use of any IFAD financing shall be subject to IFAD’s approval, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the financing agreement, as well as IFAD’s rules, policies and procedures. IFAD and its officials, agents and employees shall be held harmless from and against all suits, proceedings, claims, demands, losses and liability of any kind or nature brought by any party in connection with GAFSP.
The consulting services (“the services”) include the Engagement of Individual Consultant to Design the Public Private Producer Partnership (4-P)s, 60 days.
This request for expressions of interest (REOI) follows the general procurement notice that appeared on the IFAD website on 30th th October 2024 , on UNDB on 30th October 2024 and on Public eye, Focus Group , News day and The Reporter newspaper on 31stth October 2024.
The attention of interested consultants is drawn to IFAD’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Policy[1] and the Revised IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption its Activities and Operations[2]. The latter sets forth IFAD’s provisions on prohibited practices. IFAD further strives to ensure a safe working environment free of harassment, including sexual harassment, and free of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in its activities and operations as detailed in its IFAD Policy to Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.[3] By entering in this document, you certify to have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Privacy Policy of IFAD.[4]
Interested consultants shall not have any actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest. Consultants with an actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest shall be disqualified unless otherwise explicitly approved by the Fund. Consultants are considered to have a conflict of interest if they a) have a relationship that provides them with undue or undisclosed information about or influence over the selection process and the execution of the contract, or b) have a business or family relationship with a member of the client’s board of directors or its personnel, the Fund or its personnel, or any other individual that was, has been or might reasonably be directly or indirectly involved in any part of (i) the preparation of the REOI, (ii) the selection process for this procurement, or (iii) execution of the contract. Consultants have an ongoing obligation to disclose any situation of actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest during preparation of the EOI, the selection process or the contract execution. Failure to properly disclose any of said situations may lead to appropriate actions, including the disqualification of the consultant, the termination of the contract and any other as appropriate under the IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Projects and Operations.
The following conflict of interest rules shall apply with respect to recruitment of government/client staff within the consultant’s proposed team:
(a) No member of the client’s board of directors or current employees of the client (whether part time, or full time, paid or unpaid, in leave status, etc.) shall be proposed or work as, or on behalf of, any consultant.
(b) Except as provided in sub-clause 8.6(d), no current employees of the government shall work as consultants or as personnel under their own ministries, departments or agencies.
(c) Recruiting former client or government employees to perform services for their former ministries, departments or agencies is acceptable provided no conflict of interest exists.
(d) If a consultant proposes any government employee as personnel in their technical proposal, such personnel must have written certification from the government confirming that: (i) they will be on leave without pay from the time of their official proposal submission and will remain on leave without pay until the end of their assignment with the consultant and they are allowed to work full-time outside of their previous official position; or (ii) they will resign or retire from government employment on or prior to the contract award date. Under no circumstances shall any individuals described in (i) and (ii) be responsible for approving the implementation of this contract. Such certification shall be provided to the client by the consultant as part of its technical proposal.
(e) In the case where a consultant seeks to engage the services of any person falling under ITC sub-clauses 8.6(a) – 8.6(d), who may have left the client within a period of less than twelve (12) months of the date of this RFP, it must obtain a written “no-objection” from the client for the inclusion of such a person, prior to the consultant’s submission of its proposal.
The Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Nutrition : SADPII Project now invites eligible Individual consultants (“consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services in the form of a curriculum vitae (CV). A consultant will be selected in accordance with the individual consultant selection (ICS) method set out in IFAD’ Project Procurement Handbook that can be accessed via the IFAD website at www.ifad.org/project-procurement. Interviews will not be conducted as part of the selection process.
The shortlisting criteria are: The qualifications and experience of the Individual consultant as follows :
Degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness development and or rural finance
• Proven experience in developing and implementing agricultural value chain strategies. Preferably 10 years of professional experience in the agricultural and rural development sector, 5 of these years should be at managerial level
• 3 years’ experience in the 4-Ps Approach and private sector engagement and linking farmers to markets.
• Experience working with smallholder farmers and agribusinesses.
• Knowledge of the agricultural sector in Lesotho or similar contexts.
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills.
Any request for clarification on this REOI should be sent via e-mail to the address below procurement@sadpii Cc:rkhathibe@sadpii.org.ls no later than 16:00hrs, 7th November 2024 and Harare Pretoria time zone. The client will provide responses to all clarification requests by 16:00 , 11th November 2024 and Harare Pretoria time zone.
Expressions of interest in the form of curriculum vitae (CV) must be submitted, in electronic format (pdf), with each page signed, no later than 15th November 2024.. EOIs shall be submitted to the address below no later than 12:00 Midday, 15th November 2024, and Harare Pretoria time zone
Attn: Procurement Specialist
Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Nutrition SADPII Project
Livestock Offices, Moshoeshoe II
P.O. Box 24, Maseru and Lesotho
Tel: +266 22322578
E-mail: procurement@sadpiii.org.ls
[1] The policy is accessible at https://www.ifad.org/en/document-detail/asset/41942012.
[2] The policy is accessible at www.ifad.org/anticorruption_policy.
[3] The policy is accessible at https://www.ifad.org/en/document-detail/asset/40738506.
[4] The policy is accessible at https://www.ifad.org/en/privacy.
