M&E Technical Assistance.

The Embassy of Denmark in Bamako, Mali wishes to enter into a consultancy agreement for an assignment for M&E Technical Assistance. The assignment concerns establishing a foundation for effective monitoring of Denmark's Country Programme for Mali for the period 2017-2022, including the documentation and communication of lessons learned and its and results during its implementation. The key tasks will include the establishment of baselines at programme- and development engagement levels and helping partners develop the capacity to effectively monitor progress and communicate results as well as changes in assumptions and key risk factors during the implementation of their engagements.

Mali.

The main objective of the assignment is to establish a functioning country programme monitoring and risk management system that will help improve programme effectiveness, ensure informed decision-making, facilitate the communication of results, enable a learning process, and maximise transparency and accountability.

The scope of work includes all activities necessary to achieve the above objective, including, but not necessarily limited to the following:

a) establish baselines at the development engagement and thematic programme levels;

b) assess implementing partners' conflict sensitivity, risk management and M&E capacities and practices;

c) assist partners in the planning and implementation of activities to strengthen their conflict sensitivity, risk management and M&E framework, systems, procedures, and plans;

d) assist partners in updating their conflict analysis, results- and risk management frameworks;

e) prepare and present to the Embassy a Communication Plan for the effective promotion of the public's (Malian and Danish) knowledge of the country programme and its results;

f) assist partners in collecting, analysing and summarising information and ensuring the timely submission of progress reports, including the reporting of expenditures as compared to output-based budgets;

g) identify and document a minimum of 4 case stories and/or best practice examples per calendar year (using various media formats) for use by the media and the Embassy;

h) assist partners in preparing for meetings on and communication of progress and performance, including the preparation of agenda, supporting documentation such as financial and physical progress reports, infographics, presentations, and minutes of meetings;

i) prepare end-of-year status reports communicating progress towards results, changes in key risk factors, and lessons learned across the country programme;

j) facilitate the conduction of the Mid-Term Review (MTR) by preparing a Status Report presenting the progress of the country programme vis-à-vis targets in the results framework, developments in risk factors, and an assessment of the capacities and performance of partners in relation to risk management and monitoring and evaluation; and facilitate a smooth completion of assignment and exit by helping partners formulate an M&E plan for the remaining programme period and key actions to further strengthen their performance.

The assignment is tentatively divided into the following phases:

Inception phase: comprising desk review of all relevant documents, consultation and interaction with partners and the Embassy, and the completion of activities a) to e) above.

Capacity building phase: concerned with the implementation of the Consultant's Action Plan to strengthen partners' capacities which may comprise training-, coaching and other technical support activities such as reflected in points f) and g) above. During this phase regular meetings with the Embassy will be used to discuss progress in the implementation of the Consultant's Action Plan, the status of the Communication Plan, as well as any issues relating to the performance and reporting of partners. This may include assistance with the preparation of annual reports and technical reviews, if required. This phase also includes joint reflections on how to best react to the recommendations of the MTR.

Status Documentation phase: a concentrated phase (overlapping with the capacity building phase) concerned with paving the way for an effective MTR by ensuring the availability of updated information on progress at all programme levels; status of developments in risk factors; and the performance of partners in relation to risk management, monitoring and reporting, and the communication of results.

Completion and exit phase: concerned with assisting partners in updating their M&E and Communication Plan and the preparation and submission of the Consultant's Completion Report.

Re, section II.1.6): Rationale for not splitting the contract up into lots (cf. Danish Public Procurement Act § 49, stk. 2): This contract has not been split into lots due to market and economic considerations. The size and character of the services to be provided makes it unsuitable for distributing over several lots.

M&E Technical Assistance

The following deadlines apply to the lodging of appeals pursuant to the Danish Act on The Complaints Board for Public Procurement (Lov om Klagenævnet for Udbud) (the Act is available at www.retsinformation.dk):

Appeals for not having been prequalified must be submitted to the Danish Complaints Board for Public Procurement (Klagenævnet for Udbud) within 20 calendar days calculated from the day after the day when the contracting authority has notified the applicants concerned which applicants have been prequalified provided that the notification has included a short explanation of the relevant grounds for the decision.

In other situations, appeals regarding tender procedures must be lodged with the Complaints Board for Public Procurement within 45 calendar days after the contracting authority has published a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union that the contracting authority has concluded the contract. The deadline is calculated from the day after the day when the notice was published.

The complainant must no later than at the same time as lodging the appeal with the Complaints Board for Public Procurement notify the contracting authority that an appeal has been lodged with the Danish Complaints Board for Public Procurement and whether the appeal has been lodged within the standstill period, see section 3(1) of the Act. In the event that the appeal has not been lodged within the standstill period, the complainant must furthermore indicate whether he has requested a suspensory effect of the appeal, see clause 12(1) of the Act. The e-mail address of the Complaints Board for Public Procurement is set out in section VI.4.1).

The Complaints Board's own complaints procedure is available at www.erhvervsstyrelsen.dk