Clarification 14/04/2016: The deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest has been extended to 25/04/2016 at 23:59 London time.
Clarification: 07/04/2016: The deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest has been extended to 14/04/2016 at 23:59 London time.
Project Description:
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the “EBRD” or the “Bank”) is assisting the Government of Tunisia with a view to further enhancing national public procurement legislation and facilitating small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) participation in public tenders conducted on TUNEPS, the Tunisian electronic procurement (“eProcurement”) system. The EBRD technical cooperation project incorporates policy advice and capacity building components, including piloting electronic procurement procedures on TUNEPS.
The 2013 public procurement law of Tunisia modernised the public procurement system and introduced an eProcurement platform, TUNEPS. While the public procurement legal framework has improved, to make the procurement process competitive and efficient, adequate access to procurement opportunities for local suppliers, especially SMEs, need to be ensured.
Assignment Description: The EBRD now intends to retain a consultant (the “Consultant”) to carry out the tasks under the assignment (the “Assignment”)
The main objective of the Assignment is to upgrade the TUNEPS help desk which will involve the selection, purchasing and installation of customer relationship management software as well as providing relevant training to the TUNEPS help desk staff. The customer relationship management software should be in line with the recommendations of the review report prepared by Korea’s Knowledge Sharing Program (the “KSP”) , to be shared with the Consultant.
The selected Consultant is expected to carry out the following activities and provide the following services:
1. Review the evaluation report provided by the KSP consultants, along with the KSP proposal and technical specifications for help desk;
2. Within 14 days of signing the consultancy contract submit an implementation proposal for the Assignment, including the proposed help desk structure as well as recommended customer relationship management software, taking into account the results of the review of the KSP proposals and technical specifications;
3. Upon approval of the implementation proposal by the Tunisian counterpart, purchase the customer relationship management software for the help desk and install it at TUNEPS premises in Tunis, Tunisia, in cooperation with the TUNEPS staff.
The minimum technical requirements for the new system will include:
1) 11. Self-service system for TUNEPS: an online portal with resources in French and Arabic, available to local suppliers and contractors allowing them to search for solutions for their issues with TUNEPS: self-service resources can include searchable FAQs, how-to pages or video tutorials. If the problem cannot be solved via self-service, it will be possible to request further assistance online or by phone.
2) 2. IT network management for TUNEPS: asset management tools inventory and track changes to TUNEPS hardware and software configurations, with network monitoring tools overseeing the health of servers and other network components.
3. Reporting: reporting tools to monitor the overall help desk performance and help desk staff responsiveness: performance metrics frequently includes total open tickets, ticket resolutions by date, average time to resolution, customer satisfaction, etc
4. Upon completing the installation of the new help desk system, and piloting the system, as well as integrating TUNEPS online information resources, as delivered by the KSP consultants and HAICOP staff, in the self-service system of the new help desk;
5. Assist with testing and train IT administrators of the new help desk system as well as TUNEPS staff appointed as support staff for the help desk.
Status of Selection Process: Interested firms or group of firms are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.
Assignment Start Date and Duration: The Assignment is expected to start in Q2 2016 and has an estimated overall duration of up to six months.
Cost Estimate for the Assignment: EUR 200,000 (exclusive of VAT). The cost for equipment purchase and installation of customer relationship and help desk online system is budgeted at EUR 180,500. Consultancy services including training is budgeted at EUR 19,500. The Consultant must determine whether any VAT would be chargeable on the services and the basis for that determination, without taking into consideration the special status of the Bank 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 purchased 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: The contract will be financed by the Korean Technical Assistance and Cooperation Fund. Selection and contracting is subject to the availability of funding.
Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions.
Consultant Profile: Corporate services are required. The Consultant will be a firm or a group of firms preferably with previous experience in the following areas:
1. Selecting and acquiring customer relationship / help desk management software, preferably with respect to both private and public entities and/or public procurement agencies and in relation to SMEs.
2. Installing the customer relationship / help desk management software and testing / piloting the system, as well as facilitating the integration of the existing online information resources and the help desk system, preferably with respect to both private and public entities and/or public procurement agencies and in relation to SMEs.
3. Operating a complex help desk (multiple persons on various organisational levels, inbound and outbound counselling, customer relationship management based counselling system etc.) and providing capacity building services to relevant entities (including, preferably, both private and public entities and/or public procurement agencies), including developing instruction and operational manuals for customer relationship management software, preferably also in relation to SMEs.
The Consultant’s team is expected to include key experts as follows:
a. Technical Expert, with preferably 5 years of previous professional experience installing help desk/customer relationship management software.
b. IT Expert with preferably 5 years of previous professional experience in IT network management in particular the operation of a complex help desk and experience in providing capacity building services preferably to public and private entities and/or procurement agencies
Submission Requirements: In order to determine the capability and experience of the Consultant seeking to be shortlisted for this Assignment, the information submitted should include the following:
1. Company/group of firms’ profile, organisation and staffing (max. 2-4 pages).
2. Details of previous project experience or similar assignments particularly undertaken in the previous five years, including information on contract value, contracting entity/client, project location/country, main activities, objectives.
3. Completed Consultant Declaration Form and Contact Sheet, the template for which is available from the following web-link:
http://www.ebrd.com/pages/workingwithus/procurement/notices/csu/contact_sheet.doc
The complete expression of interest (including CVs and Consultant Declaration and Contact Sheet) s should be submitted, in English, electronically through e-Selection (https://eselection.ebrd.com/suite/) to reach the Bank not later than the closing date. The expression of interest shall be one file (pdf). The EBRD reserves the right to reject applications of firms submitting more than one file. Only if the permissible file size is exceeded (4MB), the Consultant may split the expression of interest into further files.
Expressions of Interest shall be submitted, in English, electronically through e-Selection, to reach the Bank not later than the closing date and time indicated above.
Bank Contact Person
James Yoo
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
One Exchange Square
London EC2A 3JN
Tel: + 44 20 7338 6369
Email: YooJ@ebrd.com (Expressions of Interest should be sent through eSelection and not to this email address).
Important Notes:
1. The selection will normally be made from responses to this notification only. Consultants will not be asked to submit a proposal. The highest-ranked Consultant will be selected from a shortlist and be invited to negotiate the contract, subject to availability of funding.
2. The shortlist criteria are based on the criteria mentioned in the Consultant Profile section and are as follows:
(a) Firm’s or expert’s previous experience in selecting and acquiring customer relationship / help desk management software, preferably with respect to both private and public entities and/or public procurement agencies and in relation to SMEs (25%).
(b) Firm’s or expert’s previous experience in Installing the customer relationship / help desk management software and testing / piloting the system, as well as facilitating the integration of the existing online information resources and help desk system, preferably with respect to both private and public entities and/or public procurement agencies and in relation to SMEs (25%).
(c) Firm’s or expert’s previous experience in operating a complex help desk (multiple persons on various organisational levels, inbound and outbound counselling, customer relationship management based counselling system etc.) and providing capacity building services to relevant entities (including, preferably, both private and public entities and/or public procurement agencies), including developing instruction and operational manuals for customer relationship / help desk management software, preferably also in relation to SMEs (25%).
(d) CVs of Key Experts (25%)
