Assignment Description: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the "EBRD" or the "Bank") intends to engage a consultant to conduct the Life in Transition Survey (LiTS) III.
The LiTS has been conducted in the transition region twice (2006 and 2010) jointly by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (“EBRD” or the “Bank”) and the World Bank (“WB”). They are a combined household and attitudinal survey undertaken in at least 1,000 households per country (29 countries in 2006 and 36 countries in 2010). These surveys have become a rich source of data for the analysis of economic and social problems in the transition region for both the EBRD and for the broader policy and research community. The research and analysis undertaken with LiTS data encompasses a diverse range of topics including household finance, corruption, the impact of the 2008-09 crisis, views on markets and democracy, persistent effects of historical boundaries, public services, social inclusion, happiness, and social trust.
A consultant (the "Consultant"), to be engaged by the EBRD, will implement the Survey through face-to-face interviews utilizing computer assisted personal interview (CAPI) program. One thousand five hundred (1,500) randomly chosen households, based on a sample frame stratified to be nationally representative along a number of key variables - such as gender, household income, household size and geographical location - will be surveyed. The LITS III will be implemented in 31 transition economies on behalf of the EBRD: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Additionally, two Western European comparator countries will be included, consisting of Germany and Italy. The sample size in all countries will be 1,500 households.
The main objectives of the assignment shall be:
• Implementation of the face -to-face survey of 1,500 households in each of the EBRD's countries of operation, possibly, plus two Western European countries under the supervision of the EBRD management team. The survey would use an updated version of the questionnaire that was used in LiTS II, as developed jointly with the World Bank.
To complete the survey the Consultant will:
• Obtain sample frames from the governments based on the most recent census.
• Translate and back translate the questionnaire and all related survey and training materials, into the language(s) of the country.
• Script the CAPI code of the questionnaire, including hard and soft checks, and skip patterns and acceptable values.
• Train all staff including field supervisors, enumerators and staff on the questionnaire, implementation, survey procedures and use of CAPI.
• Pilot the surveys on 10-15 households in each country prior to launching the surveys and advise on possible revisions to the survey instrument.
• Complete the surveys in face-to-face interviews using the samples approved by the EBRD.
• Provide weekly Progress Reports that include response rates differentiating between non-response, refusals and problems with the sampling frame in a format approved by the EBRD, for each country.
• Code and compile the survey results in Stata format.
• Provide the Survey data to the EBRD in Stata format, for quality control checks at any time by request of the EBRD and when the following milestones are reached: ten percent (10%) of the overall number of interviews; and again when fifty percent (50%) of the overall survey sample has been completed and no less than ten percent (10%) of each individual country number of interviews. The final set will be delivered after completion of one hundred percent (100%) of the interviews.
• Conduct quality control checks of the data following the survey and before submitting to the EBRD and after receiving feedback from the EBRD.
• Conduct call-backs on at least 10 per cent (10%) of the completed interviews.
• Prepare a technical report/users guide, in English, on the data describing all codes, sampling biases introduced in the survey implementation and other pertinent information for researchers. The report will cover observations/experiences arising from the survey and the methodology employed. Any data removed in the “cleaning” process other than through clarification with the responding establishment will also be reported. This technical report will include a set of regional profiles, which will then be used as an appendix to the analytical report that will be provided later.
Assignment Duration: It is expected that the Survey will be implemented over a period of 5 months with the results available by May 2015.
Cost Estimate for the Assignment: EUR 2,230,000; exclusive of VAT.
The consultant must determine whether any VAT would be chargeable on the services and the basis for that determination, without taking into consideration the Bank's special status as an IFI and state this to the Bank in their response to the Invitation for Expressions of Interest. To the extent that a consultant incurs input VAT on goods and services purhcased in connection with the provision of services (e.g. VAT on airline ticket) which is not otherwise recoverable by the consultant from the local tax authority, the gross cost to the consultant of such expenses shall be treated as a reimbursable expense.
Funding Source: It is anticipated that the contract will be financed through the EBRD's donor funded Technical Cooperation Funds Programme.
Eligibility: Consultant Profile: The consultant will be a firm or consortium and shall have relevant experience in the following areas:
• Demonstrable experience in conducting household or comparable surveys in each of the countries covered by the Survey;
• Capacity to undertake sample frame construction, survey implementation, data entry and analysis;
• Capacity to implement the Survey in the 31 countries plus 2 Western European countries, within the necessary timeframe;
• Experience in survey implementation with the use of CAPI.
Submission Requirements:
Interested consultants are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.
In order to determine the qualifications and competence of consulting firms seeking to be shortlisted, the information submitted should include the following:
- company profile, organisation and staffing;
- details of the company's local offices or local presence in the countries to be surveyed;
- details of experience in similar assignments undertaken in the previous 5 years, including their locations; and
- CVs of individuals available to work on the assignment.
The above information should not exceed 30 pages excluding CVs.
The expression of interest must be accompanied by a completed Contact Sheet and a completed Consultant Declaration, the template for which is available from the following web-link: http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/notices/csu/contact_sheet.doc
The expression of interest shall be one file (pdf or Word). Only if the permissible file size is exceeded (4MB), the Consultant may split the expression of interest into further files.
Expressions of Interest should be submitted, in English, electronically through e-Selection to reach the Bank not later than the closing date for submission of expressions of interest.
EBRD Contact Person: Angela Levitsky
Telephone number:+ 44 207 338 6363; E-mail address: levitska@ebrd.com (submissions should be sent through eSelection and NOT to this email address).
Note:
1) Following this invitation for Restrictions of Interest, a shortlist of qualified consultants will be formally invited to submit proposals. Shortlisting and selection will be subject to the availability of funding.
2) The following evaluation criteria applies:
- Firm’s demonstrable experience in conducting household or comparable surveys in each of the countries covered by the Survey - 30%
- Firm’s demonstrable capacity to undertake sample frame construction, survey implementation, data entry and analysis - 10%
- Firm’s demonstrable capacity to implement the Survey in the 31 Countries of Operations plus two Western European Comparator countries, within the necessary timeframe - 20%
- Calibre of CVs - 20%
- Firm’s experience in survey implementation with the use of CAPI - 20%
