https://devbusiness.un.org/content/MCC-P616248-1220
  MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT NEPAL (MCA- NEPAL) Request for Information (RFI) about Prospective Consulting Services for Ratmate Livelihood Restoration Program (LRP) implementation The Millennium Challenge Corporation (“MCC”) and the Government of Nepal (the “Government” or “ GoN ”) have entered into a Millennium Challenge Compact for Millennium Challenge Account assistance to help facilitate poverty reduction through economic growth in Nepal (the “Compact”) in the amount of approximately USD 500 million (“MCC Funding”) with the GoN also contributing USD 130 million (Government Contribution”) for a total of approximately US$630 million. The Government is acting through the Millennium Challenge Account Nepal (the “MCA-Nepal”) for the implementation of the projects funded under the Compact.  The goal of the Compact is to reduce poverty through economic growth. The Compact program includes two projects: (i) construction of 312 kilometers of 400 kV electricity transmission lines, three substations, and technical assistance for the power sector (the “Electricity Transmission Project” (ETP)); and (ii) technical assistance to improve the road maintenance regime and road maintenance works on up to 300 kilometers of the strategic road network (the “Road Maintenance Project” (RMP)). The program includes procurement of contractors and consultants for design, construction and supervision of electricity lines and substations, road maintenance works, including a variety of technical services, equipment and construction works in different geographic locations within Nepal. The Compact document can be accessed at http://mcanp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Millennium_Challenge_Compact.pdf.   As part of the ETP, MCA-Nepal is initiating a land acquisition process for the site of a proposed electricity substation at Ratmate. MCA-Nepal has prepared a resettlement action plan and is employing a resettlement implementation consultant to assist with this process. In addition, MCA-Nepal is seeking to identify qualified organizations to assist with the implementation of associated livelihood restoration programs, described herein as the “Livelihood Restoration Program (LRP) Consultant”.   The MCC Program Procurement Guidelines allow the submission of a proposal as a single entity or in association (Joint Venture or Sub-Consultants) with other firms or NGOs.  The LRP Consultant can be a Consulting firm, NGO, Joint Venture, or Prime and Sub-Consultants arrangement.  Because of the breadth of the Scope of Services, it is envisioned that more than one entity will make up the LRP Consultant.  The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) notice is as follows:  1.      Request information from prospective Consultants interested in participating in the below described procurement processes that MCA-Nepal may eventually launch. The collected information will be used by MCA-Nepal to enhance the final Terms of Reference and scope of work for this assignment. 2.      Identify interested and qualified Consultants willing to submit their company profile (preferably not more than 5 pages) to be placed on MCA-Nepal’s mailing list to receive the Specific Procurement Notice (SPN), if it becomes available.   Summary of Expected Scope of Services  The LRP Consultant will be in charge of designing and implementing a Livelihood Restoration Program(s) for 235 number of families in the Ratmate Area that would be affected by relocation by the ETP works construction. The detailed LRP design will be based on the parameters set out in the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the Ratmate Substation, which includes information on program areas, program themes, eligibility, and participant numbers. The successful consultant(s) must have demonstrable expertise in delivering high quality programmes similar to those described below, must have experience working in similar local contexts and have staff able to communicate in local language (Nepali). The LRP has four programme elements: ●     An agricultural intensification and extension training / marketing programme for production suited to the area. ●     A skills programme whereby identified Project Affected Persons (PAPs) are assisted to identify, select and attend a skills training course available in the District, and upon completion are supported into business start-up or suitable employment. ●     A 6-12 month life skills training component available to all participants covering the following aspects – Countering trafficking  in Persons, HIV/ AIDS, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, conflict resolution, gender and social inclusion issues, adult literacy and numeracy where needed, and savings and credit advice and direction.  It is envisaged that this training would likely be delivered at monthly intervals. ●     Support to establish a cooperative in the project area from Project Affected Families (PAF) and mobilize saving and credits to agriculture and support for startup income generating business to increase employment.  The Scope of Services for the LRP includes the following components:  A.     Implementation Planning:   The Program Implementation Plan will include: ●     Preparation of a detailed implementation plan of the identified programs (as described in the draft RAP under preparation by MCA-Nepal) based on inception and information review. ●     Three progress reviews with participants, reviewing the strategy and outcomes at 6 months, 12 months and 24 months.  The intention is to identify areas needing modification and realignment in the case that designed outcomes are not being manifest. ●     Consider gender and social inclusion aspects in project planning and ensure they get well reflected in each element of LRP ●     A detailed exit strategy proposal which may get modified as the initiatives are implemented ●     Proposed reconnaissance visits that may be needed  B.       Execution and Oversight:   Execution and Oversight will include: ●     Development of a detailed executive plan and timeline ●     Trained staff to undertake the initiative ●     Accounting and managerial expertise to respond to MCA-Nepal financial and supervisory oversight of programme execution.  C.     Implementation:   The LRP consultant is expected to interact with the PAPs and establish baseline conditions and keep records of PAPs economic conditions at the start and finish of the project, and maintain records of participation. They are to work in tandem with the community to organise and undertake the trainings.  The agricultural programme will require a permanent presence of the Consultant and its trainers in the area and the delivery of the agreed programme of advice, training, demonstration, promotion of improved varieties and techniques, land preparation, improved production processing and marketing.  It may require enabling the setup of an appropriate marketing cooperative for PAPs.  It is envisaged that this may run for 18 months with support post programme and evaluation of outcomes.  The skills programme requires a consultant with a local office to assist PAPs to identify realistic skills training objectives and suitable training courses preferably in the District for PAPs selecting a skills training. The Consultant will liaise with PAPs, organise enrolment in skills trainings, monitor performance and achievement, assist in starting up businesses or in finding employment, ensuring graduating PAPs have the tools to commence independent income generation, ensure PAPs have the finances to maintain living standards whilst training as is enshrined in the entitlement matrix for compensation, and undertake evaluation of the success of livelihood restoration.  The life skills training is envisaged as a monthly half day training for PAPs in areas as above, designed to support stepping out of the cycle of poverty by sharing information, discussing issues in the community, encouragement and supporting new initiatives.  Consideration should be made for some sections of the programme to be delivered in PAP sub-groups where sensitivities arise and where better outcomes are likely in smaller groups.  The consultant will support establishing new cooperative or support organizational strengthening  of the existing cooperative in the Ratmate area and enhance capacity of cooperative members for providing training, account keeping, governance, saving and credit mobilisation, financial lending and reimbursement of loan  as well as market linkage of agricultural products.   The Consultant will organise logistics including offices, workshops, training materials, tools, other production inputs and equipment, post course start up and support, training space, travel needs, food for the PAPs and the Consultant’s own staff. The Consultant is also expected to undertake ongoing monitoring and identify a calendar for follow up visits and technical back stopping.   D.     LRP Monitoring and Evaluation  The Consultant will monitor indicators collected during the baseline studies carried out for the RAP and LRP.  The Consultant will complement these through additional surveys carried out at the outset and completion of this assignment in order to measures livelihood impacts and both quantitative and qualitative outcomes of the livelihood restoration measures.  The consultants will undertake constant supervision of participation by all enrolled persons with the intention that this will ensure continued participation and maximise the benefits of completing training.   E. Completion and Evaluation:   Towards the end of Program Implementation, a formal completion and evaluation assessment will be undertaken by a third party as part of RAP implementation monitoring with a clear way forward on the exit strategy.  The Consultant will be expected to participate in this process.  MCA-Nepal is currently in the final stages of launching major construction works bids for ETP. MCA-Nepal anticipates providing an LRP to PAPs and is planning to launch a procurement for its implementation.  Prospective Consultants are required to have demonstrated experience in similar assignments. Prospective Consultants are requested to provide below mentioned information so that MCA-Nepal can have access to market information to be used as input to the final Terms of Reference and decide further about the procurement process based on available options. NGO(s) who can provide the required service are encouraged to submit their response. Information requested is as follows:  1.     Name of your organization, address, contact person, email address of contact person. 2.  Your interest in the MCA-Nepal projects pertaining to providing Livelihood Restoration Program (LRP) implementation support. 3.  Your number of years and specific areas of experience in providing Livelihood Restoration Program (LRP) implementation support 4.     Your past experience in Nepal, readiness to come to Nepal for carrying out the works, if you are located outside Nepal 5.     Based on your experience, do you have any information that you could provide that would enhance the areas of support defined in this RFI? 6.     Based on your experience, do you have recommendations for key personnel that is required to achieve the areas of support defined in this RFI? 7.     Based on your experience, what are some challenges that you identify to compete for this potential contract? 8.     Availability of key personnel based on your assessment of the areas of support defined in this RFI in Nepal. 9.     Do you have experience in working with local and government entities? 10.   Based on your experience, please provide your time requirement to mobilize for this consultancy. 11.   As per your experience in similar countries what shall be the Contract duration to achieve the objectives of the LRP? Please explain. 12.   Please provide any additional points you would like to highlight for successful implementation of this type of assignment.  Please send us your response to the information requested and questions asked above, as follows:   Submission Deadline: 17:00 hours Nepal time (GMT +5:45) On 24 December 2020 To: Millennium Challenge Account Nepal  Hotel Yak & Yeti Convention Center, Second Floor, Durbar Marg Kathmandu, Nepal Attention: Procurement Agent Email: [email protected] with copy to [email protected] and [email protected]   Subject: Request for Information (RFI) about Prospective Consulting Services for Ratmate Livelihood Restoration Program (LRP) implementation  The prospective consultants are requested to respond to above request for information in maximum five (5) single side pages response.  Important: This is not a request for offers/proposals/expressions of interest. MCA-Nepal is not hereby requesting the submission of proposals in response to this RFI notice. This is also not intended to be a shortlisting process. The purpose of this RFI notice is to request information on interested consultants and technical aspects of the assignment.  This RFI notice does not obligate MCA-Nepal to release an RFP or award a contract, nor does it commit MCA-Nepal to pay for costs incurred in response to this RFI notice. The responses provided by interested Consultants will be kept confidential and will not be shared with other interested Consultants.   MCA-Nepal Nepal Not cancelled Consulting Service- Unclassified Thursday, December 24, 2020- 06:15 MCC-P616248-12/20 Miscellaneous General- Miscellaneous Wednesday, December 9, 2020 English Wednesday, December 9, 2020- 12:13 7029 Millennium Challenge Corporation MCA-Nepal