RFP Education Training _Human Dev Project_ Final Approved Sep 24 2007

8/2/2019 RFP Education Training _Human Dev Project_ Final Approved Sep 24 2007

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFPFOMILENIOQCBS2007-005

GOVERNMENT OF EL SALVADORFONDO DEL MILENIO (FOMILENIO)MCA-EL SALVADOR

Project Name:

Human Development Project

Title of Consulting Services:

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Funded by

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAThrough

THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION

San Salvador, El Salvador, October, 2007


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Section 1. Letter of Invitation

San Salvador, El Salvador, October 2, 2007

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR CONSULTANCY SERVICES

This request for proposals (RFP) follows the General Procurement Notice that appeared indgMarket online of May 8, 2007, UN Development Business online of May 14, 2007, localnewspaper El Diario de Hoy of May 18, 2007, and was posted on the FOMILENIO website athttp://www.mca.gob.sv/noticias.php?seccion=45&subseccion=&ini=10

The Government of El Salvador (GoES) received a US$ 460.9 million grant from theGovernment of the United States of America through the Millennium Challenge Corporation

(MCC), a US Government corporation. Subject to the terms and conditions of relatedagreements, and the availability of funds, the GoES intends to use a portion of the proceeds ofthis Compact to fund procurement of professional services to assist the GoES to manage theprogram in a transparent and fiscally sound manner.

In this procurement proceeding, the GoES is represented by Fondo del Milenio (FOMILENIO),the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Entity, which was established under the laws of ElSalvador.

A Firm will be selected under Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS)procedures described inthis RFP, in accordance with the MCC Program Procurement Guidelines of May 22, 2007, which

is found at: www.mcc.gov/procurement/partnercountries/programguidelines.php. Please note thatwhile the procedures are similar to those set out in the World Bank Guidelines there are severalvery significant differences.

This invitation seeks technical and financial proposals from interested Consulting Firms, for theexecution of the Education and Training component of the Human Development Project, for a12--month Base Period contract (Phase I) payable in U.S. dollars, with the possibility of anextension for two additional 18-month Option Periods (Phase II and Phase III), at the solediscretion of FOMILENIO. At the end of the Base Period, and subject to the submission andacceptance of a Final Report and recommendations of the Consultant, the first Option Period(Phase II) may be exercised. Please refer to the Terms of Reference (TOR) in Section 5 of thisRFP for more information on the scope of the services, expected deliverables, and otherimportant aspects of the Base and Option periods.

For the Financial Proposal, Consultants are required to propose a fixed price for the Base Period(Phase I), where the payments will be based on specific deliverables expected of the Consultantto meet the project objectives. For the Option Periods (Phase II and III), the Consultants arerequired to propose monthly prices based on an all-inclusive rate (all expenses such as fee,travel, per diem, hotel, taxes, etc., including.) per skill set (for local or international hire) as


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required in the FIN forms found in Section 4 of this RFP. The monthly rate applied to theestimated person-months (see Form FIN-2) would determine the proposed price for the OptionPeriods. The Consultant could propose different unit monthly rates for different Option Periods.The combined Base and Option Period prices for full four (4) years would constitute the overallFinancial Proposal for evaluation purposes.

At the beginning of each Option Period (Phase II and Phase III), the person-months for theperiod will be negotiated with the Consultant based on the unit monthly rates proposed for theperiod as above. This would determine the value of the contract for each specific Option Period.Any unanticipated additional staffing requirement will be identified during negotiations of theOption Period and a contract amendment, if necessary, would be executed.

The RFP includes the following documents:

1. Section 1 - Letter of Invitation

2. Section 2 - Instructions to Consultants (including Data Sheet)

3. Section 3 - Technical Proposal - Standard Forms4. Section 4 - Financial Proposal - Standard Forms

5. Section 5 - Terms of Reference

6. Section 6 - Standard Form of Contract

The Proposals must be submitted, original in English plus three (3) copies, and one original inSpanish plus three (3) copies, including a copy on compact disk (CD) in both languages, to theaddress below by November 12, 2007 up to 3:30 p.m. (El Salvador local time). Proposalsreceived after this time and date shall not be considered and will be returned unopened.Consultants should be aware that distance and customs formalities may require longer than

expected delivery time.

Attention:Jos Tito SigenzaDirector of ProcurementFOMILENIOBoulevard del Hipdromo # 442, Col. San BenitoSan Salvador, Republic of El SalvadorTel: (503) 2524-1031Fax: (503) 2243-2089

Electronic mail address: [email protected]

Yours sincerely,

_________________________

Juan Jos Llort

Executive Director


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FOMILENIO

Section 2. Instructions to Consultants (ITC)

Definitions a. Consultant means any entity or person that may provide orprovides the Services to FOMILENIO under the Contract.

b. Contract means the Agreement signed by the Parties and all theattached documents such as the General Conditions of Contract(GCC), the Special Conditions of Contract (SCC), and theAppendices.

c. Data Sheet means such part of the Instructions to Consultants usedto reflect specific assignment conditions.

d. Day means calendar day.

e. Fondo del Milenio (FOMILENIO) is the Millennium ChallengeAccount (MCA) Entity, the principal with which the SelectedConsultant signs the Contract for the Services.

f. Government means the government of the Republic of ElSalvador.

g. Instructions to Consultants (Section 2 of the RFP) means the

document which provides the Consultants with all informationneeded to prepare their Proposals.

h. LOI (Section 1 of the RFP) means the Letter of Invitation beingsent by FOMILENIO to the Consultants.

i. MCC means the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

j. Personnel means professionals and support staff provided by theConsultant or by any Sub-Consultant and assigned to perform theServices or any part thereof; Foreign Personnel means suchprofessionals and support staff who at the time of being so provided

had their domicile outside El Salvador; Local Personnel meanssuch professionals and support staff who at the time of being soprovided had their domicile inside El Salvador.

k. Proposal means the Technical Proposal and the Financial Proposal.

l. RFP means the Request for Proposal prepared by FOMILENIO for


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the selection of Consultants.

m. Services means the work to be performed by the Consultantpursuant to the Contract.

n. Sub-Consultant means any person or entity with which theConsultant subcontracts any part of the Services.

o. Terms of Reference (TOR) means the document included in theRFP as Section 5, which explains the objectives, scope of work,activities, tasks to be performed, respective responsibilities ofFOMILENIO, and the Consultant, and expected results anddeliverables of the assignment.

1. Introduction 1.1 FOMILENIO will select a Consulting Firm/Organization (theConsultant) in accordance with the method of selection specified

in the Data Sheet.

1.2 Consultants are invited to submit a Technical Proposal and aFinancial Proposal, as specified in the Data Sheet, for consultingservices required for the assignment named in the Data Sheet.The Proposal will be the basis for contract negotiations andultimately for a signed Contract with the selected Consultant.

1.3 Consultants should familiarize themselves with local conditionsand take them into account in preparing their Proposals. Toobtain first-hand information on the assignment and local

conditions, Consultants are encouraged to attend a site visit andattend a pre-proposal conference, if offered in the Data Sheet.For this purpose, Consultants should contact FOMILENIO at theaddress provided in the Data Sheet for relevant arrangements.Attending the pre-proposal conference and/or site visit is optionaland consultants attendance shall not be taken into account forthe purpose of evaluation.

1.4 FOMILENIO will provide in a timely manner, at no cost to theConsultants the inputs and facilities specified in the Data Sheet.

1.5 Consultants shall bear all costs associated with the preparationand submission of their proposals and contract negotiation.FOMILENIO is not bound to accept any proposal, and reservesthe right to annul the selection process at any time prior toContract award, without thereby incurring any liability to theConsultants.


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Conflict ofInterest

1.6 FOMILENIO requires that Consultants provide professional,objective, and impartial advice and at all times holdFOMILENIOs interests paramount, strictly avoid conflicts withother assignments or their own corporate interests and actwithout any consideration for future work.

1.6.1 Without limitation on the generality of the foregoing,Consultants, and any of their affiliates, shall beconsidered to have a conflict of interest and shall not berecruited, under any of the circumstances set forth below:

Conflictingactivities

(i) A firm that has been engaged by FOMILENIO toprovide goods, works or services other thanconsulting services for a project, and any of itsaffiliates, shall be disqualified from providingconsulting services related to those goods, worksor services. Conversely, a firm hired to provideconsulting services for the preparation orimplementation of a project, and any of itsaffiliates, shall be disqualified from subsequentlyproviding goods or works or services other thanconsulting services resulting from or directlyrelated to the firms consulting services for suchpreparation or implementation. For the purpose ofthis paragraph, services other than consultingservices are defined as those leading to ameasurable physical output, including but notlimited to surveys, exploratory drilling, aerialphotography, and satellite imagery.

Conflictingassignments

(ii) A Consultant (including its Personnel and Sub-Consultants) or any of its affiliates shall not behired for any assignment that, by its nature, maybe in conflict with another assignment of theConsultant to be executed for FOMILENIO orany other client of the Consultant.

Conflictingrelationships

(iii) A Consultant (including its Personnel and Sub-Consultants) that has a business or familyrelationship with a member of FOMILENIOsstaff, Procurement or Fiscal Agents hired (asdefined in the Compact) by FOMILENIO who isdirectly or indirectly involved in any part of (i) thepreparation of the Terms of Reference of theassignment, (ii) the selection process for such


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assignment, or (iii) supervision of the Contract,may not be awarded a Contract, unless the conflictstemming from this relationship has been resolvedin a manner acceptable to MCC throughout theselection process and the execution of the

Contract.

1.6.2 Consultants have an obligation to disclose any situationof actual or potential conflict that impacts their capacityto serve the best interest of FOMILENIO, or that mayreasonably be perceived as having this effect. Failure todisclose said situations may lead to the disqualification ofthe Consultant or the termination of its Contract.

1.6.3 No agency or current employees of the Government shallwork as Consultants under their own ministries,

departments or agencies. Recruiting former governmentemployees of the Government to work for their formerministries, departments or agencies is acceptableprovided no conflict of interest exists. When theConsultant nominates any current Government employeeas Personnel in their Technical Proposal, such Personnelmust have written certification from the Government oremployer confirming that they are on leave without payfrom their official position and allowed to work full-timeoutside of their previous official position. Suchcertification shall be provided to FOMILENIO by the

Consultant as part of his technical proposal.

Unfair Advantage 1.6.4 If a Consultant could derive a competitive advantagefrom having provided consulting services related to theassignment in question, FOMILENIO shall makeavailable to all Consultants upon request together withthis RFP all information that would in that respect givesuch Consultant any competitive advantage overcompeting Consultants.

Fraud andCorruption

1.7 Consultants participating in projects funded by MCC shall adhereto the highest ethical standard, both during the selection processand throughout the execution of a contract. In pursuance of thisrequirement, FOMILENIO:

(a) defines, for the purpose of this paragraph, the terms setforth below as follows:


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(i) corrupt practice means the offering, receiving,providing, accepting or soliciting, directly orindirectly, of any thing of value to influence theaction of a public official in the selection processor execution of an agreement; or the making of

any payment to any third party, in connection withor in furtherance of this Contract, in violation ofthe United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of1977, as amended (15 USC 78a et seq) ("FCPA")or any other actions taken that otherwise would bein violation of the FCPA if the FCPA wereapplicable;

(ii) fraudulent practice means a misrepresentationor omission of facts in order to influence aselection process or the execution of a contract to

the detriment of FOMILENIO or the GoES, andincludes collusive practice among those partiessubmitting Proposals (prior to or after Proposalsubmission) designed to establish Proposal pricesat artificial noncompetitive levels and to depriveFOMILENIO of the benefits of free and opencompetition;

(iii) collusive practices means a scheme orarrangement between two or more consultantswith or without the knowledge of FOMILENIO,

designed to establish prices at artificial,noncompetitive levels;

(iv) coercive practices means harming orthreatening to harm, directly or indirectly, personsor their property to influence their participation ina procurement process, or affect the execution of acontract; and

(v) prohibited practices means any action thatviolates the provisions relating to Anti-Corruption

Legislation, Anti-Money Laundering Legislationand terrorist financing statutes or other restrictionsset forth in the General Conditions of Contract ofthis RFP.

(vi) obstructive practice is

(aa) deliberately destroying, falsifying, altering or


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concealing of evidence material to theinvestigation or making false statements toinvestigators in order to impede materially aninvestigation by MCC or the MCA Entity intoallegations of a corrupt, fraudulent, coercive,

collusive, prohibited or obstructive practice; andthreatening, harassing, or intimidating any party toprevent it from disclosing its knowledge ofmatters relevant to the investigation or frompursuing the investigation, and

(bb) acts intended to impede materially the exercise ofthe inspection and audit rights of MCC providedunder the Compact;

(b) will reject a proposal for award if it determines that the

Consultant recommended for award has, directly orthrough an agent, engaged in corrupt, fraudulent,collusive, coercive or prohibited practices in competingfor the contract in question;

(c) will sanction a Consultant, including declaring suchConsultant ineligible, either indefinitely or for a statedperiod of time, to be awarded an MCC-funded contract ifat any time it determines that the Consultant has, directlyor through an agent, engaged in corrupt, fraudulent,collusive, coercive or prohibited practices in competingfor, or in executing, such a contract; and

(d) will have the right to require that a provision be includedrequiring the selected Consultant to permit FOMILENIO,the GoES and MCC or any designee of MCC to inspecttheir accounts and records relating to the submission of aProposal or performance of contract and to have themaudited by auditors appointed by FOMILENIO with theapproval of MCC.

In addition, MCC will cancel the portion of the Compact fundingallocated to the contract if it determines at any time that representatives

of a beneficiary of the Compact were engaged in corrupt, fraudulent,collusive, coercive, prohibited or obstructive practices during theselection process or the execution of the contract, without thebeneficiary having taken timely and appropriate action satisfactory toMCC to remedy the situation. MCC also may invoke any of the rightsidentified for FOMILENIO in paragraphs (a) through (d) above.


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1.8 Consultants, their Sub-Consultants, and their associates shall notbe under a declaration of ineligibility for corrupt and fraudulentpractices in accordance with the above paragraph 1.7.Furthermore, the Consultants shall be aware of the provisions onfraud and corruption stated in the specific clauses in the General

Conditions of Contract.

1.9 Consultants shall furnish information on commissions andgratuities, if any, paid or to be paid to agents relating to thisproposal and during execution of the assignment if theConsultant is awarded the Contract, as requested in the FinancialProposal submission form (Section 4).

Origin of Goodsand ConsultingServices

1.10 Goods supplied and Services provided under the Contract mayoriginate from any country except if:

(i) as a matter of law or official regulation, El Salvador orthe United States prohibits commercial relations with thatcountry; or

(ii) by an act of compliance with a decision of the UnitedNations Security Council taken under Chapter VII of theCharter of the United Nations, El Salvador prohibits anyimports of goods from that country or any payments topersons or entities in that country.

(iii) Any person or entity that has been prohibited from

participation in procurements financed by the WorldBank or debarred or suspended from participation inprocurements funded by the United States FederalGovernment or otherwise prohibited by applicable UnitedStates law or Executive Order or United States policies,including under any then existing anti-terrorist policies oras may be specified in the Compact, shall be excludedfrom procurements awarded under the Compact. Withoutlimiting the foregoing, this would remove from eligibilityany Consultant, Sub-consultant or Personnel of any partyor Sub-consultant who or which are nationals of any

country that is subject to sanction or restriction by UnitedStates law or policy. As of the date hereof, thesecountries include Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan andSyria.

Only oneProposal

1.11 Consultants may only submit one proposal as a lead Consultant.If a lead Consultant submits or participates in more than one


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proposal, all such proposals shall be disqualified. However, thisdoes not limit the participation as a Sub-Consultant, includingindividual experts, in more than one proposal. All Proposals shallinclude explicit written consent of all parties, includingindividual experts stating that they willingly associate with the

firm. This consent could be demonstrated by a letter on theletterhead of the sub-consultant and/or by the signatures of theindividuals on their resume. If this consent is not ascertainedprior to submitting the Proposal, the Proposal may be rejected.

Proposal Validity 1.12 The Data Sheet indicates the length of time that ConsultantsProposals must remain valid after the submission date. Duringthis period, Consultants shall maintain the availability of itsproposed staff nominated in the Proposal. FOMILENIO willmake its best effort to complete negotiations within this period.Should the need arise, FOMILENIO may request Consultants to

extend the validity period of their Proposals. Consultants thatagree to such extension shall confirm that they maintain theavailability of the Professional staff nominated in the Proposal,or in their confirmation of extension of validity of the Proposal,Consultants may submit new staff in replacement, who would beconsidered in the final evaluation for contract award. Consultantswho do not agree have the right to refuse to extend the validity oftheir Proposals. Expired proposals cannot be considered foraward.

Eligibility of Sub-Consultants

1.13 In case a Consultant intends to associate with other Consultantsand/or individual expert(s), such other Consultants and/orindividual expert(s) shall be subject to the eligibility criteria setforth in the Data Sheet.

2. Clarification andAmendment ofRFP Documents

2.1 Consultants may request a clarification of the RFP documents upto the number of days indicated in the Data Sheet before theproposal submission date. Any request for clarification must besent in writing or by email or fax to FOMILENIO at the addressindicated in the Data Sheet. FOMILENIO will respond inwriting or by email or fax and will send written copies of the

response (including an explanation of the query, but withoutidentifying the source of inquiry) to all Consultants by the datespecified in the Data Sheet. Should FOMILENIO deem itnecessary to amend the RFP as a result of a clarification, it shalldo so following the procedure under paragraph 2.2 below.

2.2 At any time before the submission of Proposals, FOMILENIOmay amend the RFP by issuing an addendum in writing, by mail,


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email or fax. The addendum shall be sent to all Consultants andwill be binding on them. Consultants shall acknowledge receiptof all amendments in writing, by mail, email or fax. To giveConsultants reasonable time in which to take an amendment intoaccount in their Proposals, FOMILENIO may, if the amendment

is substantial, extend the deadline for the submission ofProposals.

3. Preparation ofProposals

3.1 The Proposal as well as all related correspondence exchanged bythe Consultants and FOMILENIO shall be written in thelanguage(s) specified in the Data Sheet.

3.2 In preparing their Proposal, Consultants are expected to examinein detail the documents comprising the RFP. Materialdeficiencies in providing the information requested may result inthe rejection of a Proposal.

AssociationBetweenConsultants

3.3 While preparing the Technical Proposal, Consultants must giveparticular attention to the following:

(a) If a Consultant considers that it may enhance itsexpertise for the assignment by associating with otherConsultants in a joint venture or sub-consultancy, it mayassociate with those other Consultant(s) if so indicated inthe Data Sheet. In case of association with otherConsultant(s), the Consultant shall act as association

leader and retain sole liability. In case of a joint venture,all partners shall be jointly and severally liable and shallindicate who will act as the leader of the joint venture.

(b) For fixed-budget-based assignments, the available budgetis given in the Data Sheet, and the Financial Proposalshall not exceed this budget.

(c) Alternative professional staff shall not be proposed, andonly one Curriculum Vitae (CV) may be submitted foreach position.

TechnicalProposal Formatand Content

3.4.a The Technical Proposal shall provide all the information usingthe attached Standard Forms (Section 3), all complementaryinformation shall be submitted as requested in the Data sheet.Failure to provide such information may result in the rejection ofthe Consultants Proposal.

3.4.b If so specified in the Data Sheet, the Technical Proposal shall be


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restricted to a page limit. A page is considered to be one printedside of A4 or letter size paper, text font type Times New Romansize 12pt, margins on all sides not less than 2cm. Proposals notconforming to this page limit may be rejected at the discretion ofFOMILENIO.

3.5 The Technical Proposal shall not include any financialinformation that may disclose the financial proposal in any form.A Technical Proposal containing such financial information shallbe rejected.

FinancialProposals

3.6 The Financial Proposal shall be prepared using the attachedStandard Forms (Section 4). The activities and items described inthe Technical Proposal shall be assumed to be included in theprice offered in the Financial Proposal.

Taxes

3.7 Consultants may only express the price of their services in thecurrencies specified in the Data Sheet.

3.8 The Consultant, the Sub-Consultants, and their respectivePersonnel may be subject to certain local taxes (includingincome taxes, profits taxes or other taxes, duties, charges or feeson business) on amounts payable by FOMILENIO hereunder.The Consultant, Sub-Consultant and their respective Personnelshall pay all such local taxes and such other taxes, duties, fees,and other impositions levied under the Applicable Law (as

defined in the Contract), the amount of which is deemed to havebeen included in the amount of the Financial Proposal (see DataSheet).

3.9 The Consultants are advised that the tax provisions under MCC-funded contracts may differ from other donor-funded contracts;therefore, the Consultants are encouraged to closely review thetax exemptions and liability provisions set forth in Section 2.3 (e)of the Compact between the Government of El Salvador andMCC, available in English athttp://www.mca.gob.sv./administrador/archivos/0/archivo145.pdfand in Spanish at

http://www.mca.gob.sv./administrador/archivos/0/archivo146.pdf.

3.10 The form of contract to be used in connection with this RFPincludes references to such tax provisions. The Consultants arerequired to ascertain available tax exemptions and determine alltax liabilities, and include these in their fixed-price FinancialProposal. There shall be no adjustments permitted for tax


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exemptions/liabilities after the opening of Proposals.

3.11 Consultants should be aware that their Proposals should belimited to the requirements of the TOR. Any suggestions formodifications to the TOR should be noted in Form TECH 3,

which could be discussed during Negotiations at the discretion ofFOMILENIO.

4. Submission,Receipt, andOpening ofProposals

4.1 The original proposal (Technical Proposal and, FinancialProposal) shall contain no interlineations or overwriting, exceptas necessary to correct errors made by the Consultantsthemselves. The person who signed the proposal must initial suchcorrections. Submission letters for both Technical and FinancialProposals should be in the formats given in Section 3 and Section4, respectively.

4.2 An authorized representative of the Consultant shall initial allpages of the original Technical and Financial Proposals. Theauthorization shall accompany the Proposal in the form of awritten power of attorney or in any other form demonstrating thatthe representative has been duly authorized to sign (including butnot limited to a Decision of the Board, the incorporation of thecompany). The signed Technical and Financial Proposals shall bemarked Original. All required copies shall be made from thisoriginal.

4.3 The Technical and Financial Proposals shall be marked

ORIGINAL or COPY as appropriate. The TechnicalProposal shall be sent to the addresses and in the number ofcopies indicated in the Data Sheet. If there are discrepanciesbetween the original and the copies of the Technical Proposal,the original governs.

4.4 The original and all copies of the Technical Proposal shall beplaced in a sealed envelope clearly marked TECHNICALPROPOSAL followed by the RFP Number indicated on the CoverPage of this RFP and the name of the assignment. Similarly, theoriginal Financial Proposal shall be placed in a separate sealedenvelope clearly marked FINANCIAL PROPOSAL followed by theRFP Number indicated on the Cover Page of the RFP and thename of the assignment and with a warning DO NOT OPENWITH THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL. The sealed envelopecontaining the Technical Proposal and the sealed envelopecontaining Financial Proposal shall be placed into another outerenvelope and sealed. This outer envelope shall bear thesubmission address, RFP number and name of the assignment,


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and be clearly marked DO NOT OPEN, EXCEPT DURING THEPROPOSAL OPENING SESSION. FOMILENIO shall not beresponsible for misplacement, loss or premature opening if theouter envelope is not sealed and/or marked as stipulated. Failureto correctly seal and mark the envelope may lead to rejection of

the Proposal. If the Financial Proposal is not submitted in aseparate sealed envelope duly marked as indicated above, thiswill constitute grounds for rejecting the Proposal.

4.5 The Proposal must be sent to the address/addresses indicated inthe Data Sheet and received by FOMILENIO no later than thetime and the date indicated in the Data Sheet, or any extensionto this date. Any proposal received by FOMILENIO after thedeadline for submission shall be returned unopened.

4.6 FOMILENIO shall publicly open the Technical Proposals on the

date and time specified in the Data Sheet. The envelopes withthe Financial Proposal shall remain sealed and securely stored.

5. Evaluation ofproposals

5.1 From the time the Proposals are opened to the time the Contractis awarded, the Consultants should not contact FOMILENIO onany matter related to its Technical and/or Financial Proposal.Any effort by Consultants to influence FOMILENIO in theexamination, evaluation, ranking of Proposals, andrecommendation for award of Contract may result in therejection of the Consultants Proposal.

5.2 Proposals shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Committeenominated by FOMILENIO. The names of the Committeemembers shall remain confidential at all times. Evaluators ofTechnical Proposals shall not have access to the FinancialProposals until the technical evaluation is concluded.

Evaluation ofTechnicalProposals

5.3 The Evaluation Committee shall evaluate the Technical Proposalson the basis of their compliance with the evaluation criteriaspecified in the Data Sheet. Each acceptable Proposal will begiven a technical score (St). A Proposal shall be rejected at thisstage if it does not respond to the required format and itscomponents as defined in the Data Sheet, or if it fails to achievethe minimum technical score indicated in the Data Sheet. At thediscretion of the Evaluation Committee, requests for clarificationof proposals may be sent to the Consultants in writing byFOMILENIO. Such clarifications shall only concern minorelements of a Proposal and in no way can allow for substantialchanges to the initial Proposal. Answers shall be provided only in


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writing and within the deadline specified in the request.

In the event that none of the Consultants achieve the minimum

total technical score for the required Services, FOMILENIO

reserves the right to select the Consultant with the highest

technical score and negotiate the contract.

Public Openingand Evaluation ofFinancialProposals

5.4 Following the ranking of technical proposals, in cases whenselection is based on quality only (QBS), the first rankedConsultant shall be invited to negotiate its proposal and theContract in accordance with the instructions given below forNegotiations. In case of QCBS, FBS and LCS, the procedurespecified below in 5.5 shall be followed.

5.5 After the technical evaluation is completed, FOMILENIO shallinform the Consultants who have submitted proposals of the

technical scores obtained by their Technical Proposals, and shallnotify those Consultants whose Proposals did not meet theminimum qualifying mark, or were considered non-responsive tothe RFP and TOR, that their Financial Proposals will be returnedunopened after completing the selection process. FOMILENIOshall simultaneously notify, in writing, Consultants that havesecured the minimum qualifying mark of the date, time andlocation for the opening of the Financial Proposals. The openingdate will allow Consultants sufficient time to make arrangementsfor attending the opening ceremony. Consultants attendance atthe opening of Financial Proposals is optional.

5.6 Financial Proposals shall be opened publicly. The name of theConsultants and the technical scores of the Consultants shall beread aloud. The Financial Proposal of the Consultants who metthe minimum qualifying mark will then be inspected to confirmthat they have remained sealed and unopened. These FinancialProposals shall be then opened, and the total prices read aloudand recorded.

5.7.a The evaluation committee will correct any computational errors.When correcting computational errors, in case of discrepancy

between a partial amount and the total amount, or between wordand figures, in each case, the former will prevail. In addition tothe above corrections, all activities and items described in theTechnical Proposal shall be assumed to be included in the pricesoffered in the Financial Proposal (see Data Sheet). In case anactivity or line item is quantified in the Financial Proposaldifferently from the Technical Proposal, (i) if the Time-Basedform of contract has been included in this RFP, the Evaluation


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Post-qualification

Review

Committee shall correct the quantification indicated in theFinancial Proposal so as to make it consistent with that indicatedin the Technical Proposal, apply the relevant unit price includedin the Financial Proposal to the corrected quantity and correct thetotal Proposal price, (ii) if the Fixed-Price form of contract has

been included in this RFP, no corrections are applied to theFinancial Proposal in this respect.

5.7.b At any time during the evaluation process in all cases of QBS,QCBS, FBS, and LCS, FOMILENIO shall reserve the right toconduct a verification of market-reasonableness of the pricesoffered, and a negative determination (either unreasonably highor unreasonably low) could be a reason for rejection of theProposal at the discretion of FOMILENIO. The Consultant shallnot be permitted to revise its Proposal after this determination.

5.7.c In case of QCBS, the lowest evaluated Financial Proposal (Fm)will be given the maximum financial score (Sf) of 100 points.The financial scores (Sf) of the other Financial Proposals will becomputed as indicated in the Data Sheet. Proposals will beranked according to their combined technical (St) and financial(Sf) scores using the weights (T = the weight given to theTechnical Proposal; P = the weight given to the FinancialProposal; T + P = 1) indicated in the Data Sheet: S = St x T% +Sfx P%. The firm achieving the highest combined technical andfinancial score will be invited for negotiations.

5.8 Prior to inviting the best evaluated firm for negotiations,FOMILENIO may, at its own discretion, conduct a post-qualification review. The criteria for post-qualification mayinclude, among others, verification of the information providedin the Technical and Financial Proposals, review of theConsultants financial statements, and check on the referencesprovided in the proposal and other clients of the Consultantwhether or not listed in the Proposal. A negative determination inthe post-qualification could lead to the rejection of the Proposal,and FOMILENIO may, at its discretion move to invite the next-ranked Consultant.

5.9 In the case of Fixed-Budget Selection, FOMILENIO will selectthe firm that submitted the highest ranked Technical Proposalwithin the budget. Proposals that exceed the indicated budgetwill be rejected. In the case of the Least-Cost Selection,FOMILENIO will select the lowest price proposal among thosethat passed the minimum technical score. In both cases theevaluated proposal price shall be considered, and the selected


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18

firm shall be invited for negotiations.

6. Negotiations 6.1 Negotiations will be held at the address indicated in the DataSheet. The date and time shall be communicated to the invitedConsultant following completion of the Financial Evaluation

process. The invited Consultant will, as a pre-requisite forattendance at the negotiations, confirm availability of allproposed staff. Failure in satisfying such requirement may resultin FOMILENIO proceeding to negotiate with the next-rankedConsultant. Representatives conducting negotiations on behalf ofthe Consultant must have written authority to negotiate andconclude a Contract.

Technicalnegotiations

6.2 Negotiations will include a discussion of the Technical Proposal,the proposed technical approach and methodology, work plan,and organization and staffing, and any suggestions made by theConsultant to improve the Terms of Reference. FOMILENIOand the Consultant will finalize the Terms of Reference, staffingschedule, work schedule, logistics, and reporting. Thesedocuments will then be incorporated in the Contract asDescription of Services. Special attention will be paid toclearly defining the inputs and facilities required fromFOMILENIO to ensure satisfactory implementation of theassignment. FOMILENIO shall prepare minutes of negotiationswhich will be signed by FOMILENIO and the Consultant.

Financialnegotiations 6.3 Pursuant to clause 3.8, 3.9, and 3.10 above, FinancialNegotiations shall not include discussions of and/or adjustmentsfor the Consultants tax liabilities. Further, unless there areexceptional reasons, the financial negotiations will involveneither the remuneration rates for staff nor other proposed unitrates.

Availability ofProfessionalstaff/experts

6.4 Having selected the Consultant on the basis of, among otherthings, an evaluation of proposed professional staff,FOMILENIO expects to negotiate a Contract on the basis of theprofessional staff named in the Proposal. FOMILENIO will not

consider substitutions during contract negotiations unless bothparties agree that undue delay in the selection process makessuch substitution unavoidable or for reasons such as death ormedical incapacity. Any proposed substitute shall haveequivalent or better qualifications and experience than theoriginal candidate and be submitted by the Consultant within theperiod of time specified in the letter of invitation to negotiate. Ifthis is not the case and if it is established that professional staff


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19

were offered in the Proposal without confirming theiravailability, the Consultant may be disqualified.

Conclusion of thenegotiations

6.5 Negotiations will conclude with a review of the draft Contract.To complete negotiations, FOMILENIO and the Consultant will

initial the agreed Contract. If negotiations fail, FOMILENIO willinvite the Consultant whose Proposal received the second highestscore to negotiate a Contract, and will not be liable to theConsultant for any expenses incurred.

7. Award ofContract

7.1 After completing negotiations, and after allowing for the BidChallenge Process specified below in Clause 9 if in case,FOMILENIO shall award the Contract to the selectedConsultant, ensure publicity of the Contract award and promptlynotify all Consultants who have submitted proposals. AfterContract signature, FOMILENIO shall return the unopenedFinancial Proposals to the unsuccessful Consultants.

7.2 The Consultant is expected to commence the assignment on thedate and at the location specified in the Data Sheet.

8.Confidentiality 8.1 Information relating to evaluation of Proposals andrecommendations concerning awards shall not be disclosed toany person not officially concerned with the evaluation process,until the publication of the award of Contract.

9. Complaints 9.1 Any bid challenges will be conducted under the Bid ChallengeSystem that complies with the terms as set forth in the MCCProgram Procurement Guidelines and approved by MCC, asspecified in the Data Sheet.


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Section 2 Instructions to Consultants Data Sheet 20

Instructions to Consultants

DATA SHEET

ParagraphReference

to ITCInstructions

1.1 and4.4

Method of selection: Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS)

1.2 Financial Proposal to be submitted together with Technical Proposal: Yes

Name of the assignment is: Education and Training Technical Assistance

1.3 A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held: Yes

Date: October 19, 2007 at 10:00 am (El Salvador local time).Venue:

FOMILENIO Offices:Boulevard del Hipdromo # 442 Col. San BenitoSan Salvador, Republic of El SalvadorTel: (503) 2524-1000Fax: (503) 2524-1004

Contact Person:Cecilia E. Lagos MelaraUACI ChiefTel: (503) 2524-1031Fax: (503) 2243-2089Electronic mail address: [email protected]

A site visit shall be organized:NO

1.4 Inputs and facilities to be provided by FOMILENIO: if so specified in AppendixF of the enclosed Form of Contract.

1.12 Proposals must remain valid 90 days after the proposal submission date.

1.13 Eligibility Criteria for Sub-Consultants are as defined in ITC paragraph 1.10(i),(ii) and (iii).


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2.1 Clarifications may be requested not later than 15 days before the proposalsubmission date.

FOMILENIO shall respond within five working days of the receipt of an inquiry,by facsimile or electronic mail to such requests and will send written copies of

the response (including an explanation of the query but without identifying thesource of inquiry) to all invited Consultants.

The address for requesting clarifications is:

Attention:Jos Tito SigenzaDirector of ProcurementFOMILENIOBoulevard del Hipdromo # 442 Col. San BenitoSan Salvador, Republic of El Salvador

Tel: (503) 2524-1030Fax: (503) 2243-2089


3.1 Proposals, as well as related correspondence, shall be submitted inEnglish andSpanish.

Consultants must ensure that the proposals in English and Spanish are equivalentand that all effort is made to ensure that the Spanish translation is of the highest

possible quality.

Whenever two languages are used for any purpose, the English language shallgovern.

3.3 (a) Consultants may associate with other Consultants in a joint venture or sub-consultancy.

3.4 (a) The following complementary information is required:

1. Copy of documents of constitution / incorporation, including legal status(for example, incorporated or public enterprise, or private partnershipetc), original and actual place of registration and principal place ofbusiness.

2. Copy of power of attorney demonstrating that the signatory of theproposals has been duly authorized to sign as Legal Representative ofthe Consultant firm that submits the proposals.


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3. In case of consortium/joint-venture, original document of Commitmentor Intention Letter of Consultants firms. In case a consortium isselected the associated Consultants firms shall deliver the agreement ofpartnership properly notarized in the country of the Consultant. Eachmember of the consortium/joint venture shall deliver the complementary

information required.

(b) The Technical Forms (Section 3) shall conform to the page limit providedon each of the technical forms.

3.7 Consultant shall express all prices in US Dollars.

As an indication, the estimated contract value of the 12-month Base PeriodPhase I is $1.1 million.

3.8 All foreign firms shall be required to register with the local tax authorities andreceive a tax ID number before they can receive any payment from

FOMILENIO.

Foreign Consultants are required to pay the Value Added Tax (IVA) but notother taxes. The following is the IVA rate structure currently in place in ElSalvador (13% on goods and services imported or purchased from the localmarket). Given the responsibilities to pay IVA the bidder should calculate totalconsultancy fees factored at 1.13 (cost + IVA).

FOMILENIO will pay IVA on the consulting services provided by theConsultant. For this, the Consultant will be required to submit two invoices witheach payment request: one for their fee as agreed to during contract negotiations

and one for the IVA on such services.

EXEMPTIONS

According to the exemptions provided by the Compact, any profit or distributionof funds shall be exempt of all taxes as mentioned in Section 2.3 (e) of theCompact. This exemption includes:

A. Income tax and other taxes and duties on profits from MCC Funding forbusinesses, organizations and entities that receive the MCC Funds, amongthem: (i) taxes on purchase, property, lease, disposition or any other use ofreal estate or personal property, (ii) taxes on investment or deposits requiredand hard currency control in the Republic of El Salvador, (iii) municipal,state or any other tax, duty, charges or fees or any kind; and,

B. Personal income or property taxes of all persons that are not citizens norpermanent residents of the Republic of El Salvador, including: (i) incometax; (ii) social security payments, (iii) all taxes on the personal propertybelonging to these individual, to the extent that such income or property are


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attributable to MCC Funding,

C. Import duties, customs fee, import and export taxes, use and re-export ofassets, service or personal effects and belongings, including automobilesbelonging to a person for use of the Program or for the personal use of

individuals who are not citizens nor permanent residents of the Republic ofEl Salvador, and who are in the Republic of El Salvador for the purpose ofimplementing the Program, including whichever amount based on the valueof said imported goods.

EXEMPTION MECHANISM

A. As pertains to income taxes of the Republic of El Salvador, all payments ortransfers made by FOMILENIO with MCC funding will not be consideredincome, profit, income or fiscal income for the receiver of said paymentsor transfers (excluded rent) and, thus, they are excluded from the concept ofincome and payment of income tax calculated monthly and from theprogram of retention of taxes on applicable income to service and goodsproviders;

B. The Government will simultaneously pay the IVA on any invoice that mustbe paid, total or partially by FOMILENIO. The procedure to use forsimultaneous payment of the above mentioned tax will be as follows:

(i) When creating of the Purchase Order or Contract, FOMILENIO mustmake sure that the amount to be paid for goods or services is detailedseparately from that to be paid for IVA on the goods or services.

(ii) Additionally, in the same documents, it will be necessary to establishthat the supplier will present two invoices upon delivery of the good orservice: once covering the amount charged for the good or service andanother one for the IVA.

(iii)FOMILENIO will record two budgetary commitments and will issuetwo payment checks, one covering the amount charged for the good orservice and another one for the payment of the IVA.

C. The Ministry of Treasury, through the General Direction Of Internal Taxesand the General Direction of Customs, depending on the corresponding tax,and in adherence to section 2.3(e) of the Compact, will issue official

exemption letters or certificates, to prove that the beneficiaries of theCompact Funds and Assets are exempt from taxes. The letters or certificateswill be valid for one calendar year, after which they will have to be renewedby the holders through FOMILENIO, as applicable, with a report byFOMILENIO regarding their continued participation in the project. Requestfor renewal can be submitted as of November of each year before theexpiration of the validity of the certificate or letter to be renewed.


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D. To register the exemption to the Income Tax and the exoneration of formalobligation, the Government of El Salvador, through the General Direction ofInternal Taxes of the Ministry of Treasury will issue the respectivecertifications to the good and services providers to carry out thecorresponding tax obligations.

4.3 The Consultant must submit 1 original and 3 copies of the Technical Proposal,and an electronic copy in the form of a CD Rom in Microsoft Word and/orExcel, as appropriate. The CD for the Technical Proposal should be sealed in thesame envelope as the Technical Proposal.

The Consultant shall also submit 1 original and 1 copy of the Financial Proposal,and an electronic copy in the form of a CD Rom in Microsoft Word and/orExcel, as appropriate. The CD for the Financial Proposal should be sealed in thesame envelope as the Financial Proposal.

In any case of discrepancy between the Original and printed or electronic copies,the Original printed shall govern.

4.5 The Proposal submission address is:

FOMILENIOAttention:Jos Tito SigenzaDirector of ProcurementFOMILENIOBoulevard del Hipdromo # 442 Col. San Benito

San Salvador, Republic of El SalvadorTel: (503) 2524-1030Fax: (503) 2243-2089


Proposals must be submitted no later than: November 12, 2007up to 3:30 pm(El Salvador local time).

The following RFP number MUST be written on all outer envelopes and on theProposals: RFP FOMILENIO QCBS 2007-005.

4.6 The date and time for public opening of the Technical Proposals is: November12, 2007 at 4:00 pm(El Salvador local time).

5.3 Criteria, sub-criteria and point system for evaluation of Technical Proposals areas follows:

I. Experience of the Firm: 25 points


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A. Relevant experience in base-line design, and curriculum design andimplementation of Education and Training Programs in Latin Americaand/or other Developing Countries.

B. Experience in the execution, monitoring and evaluation of social

development projects in Latin America and/or other DevelopingCountries.

II. Technical Approach and Methodology: 40 points

A. Feasibility of the approach to meeting the general and specific objectivesexpressed in the TOR leading to the successful completion of each phaseof the assignment.

B. Quality and feasibility of the approach and methodology for executingall the activities related to each one of the phases of the assignment.

III. Qualifications of Key Personnel: 35 points

A. The Coordinator of Formal Education, the Coordinator of Non-FormalEducation and the Support Specialist are considered Key Personnel forall phases of the assignment. Key Personnel will be evaluated against thecriteria set forth in the TOR.

B. Other team members and Support staff for Phase I will be evaluated onthe extent to which the proposed number of positions and respective jobdescriptions reflect a good understanding of the services required.

C. The evaluation of the Key Personnel and other team members shall bedetermined considering the following three sub-criteria:

1. General qualifications 30% of points2. Adequacy for the assignment 50% of points3. Experience in the region 20% of points

D. Other team members and Support staff for Phase II and Phase III, will beevaluated prior to the execution of each Option Period.

The minimum total technical score Strequired to pass is: 80 Points.


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5.7 a The financial proposal shall be evaluated as follows (example).

A. Fixed-price proposal for the Base Period:

B. Option Period #1 (Phase II):

B1. Coordinator Formal Education (per month fully loaded) x 18 person-months.

B2. Coordinator Non-Formal Education (per month fully loaded) x 18 person-months.

B3. Support Specialist (per month fully loaded) x 18 person-months.

B4. Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist (per month fully loaded) x 18 person-months.

B5. Curriculum Program Evaluation Specialist (per month fully loaded) x 9person-months.

B6. Technical Trainers (mid-level) (per month fully loaded) x 30 person-months.

B7. Technical Trainers (per month fully loaded) x 48 person-months.

B8. Trainer of Trainers (per month fully loaded) x 6 person-months.

B9. Communications Specialist (per month fully loaded) x 3 person-months.

B10. Support Staff (monthly equivalent for all support positions) x 18calendar months

C. Option Period #2 (Phase III):

C1. Coordinator Formal Education (per month fully loaded) x 18 person-

months.C2. Coordinator Non-Formal Education (per month fully loaded) x 18 person-

months.

C3. Support Specialist (per month fully loaded) x 18 person-months.

C4. Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist (per month fully loaded) x 18 person-months.

C5. Technical Trainers (mid-level) (per month fully loaded) x 30 person-months.

C6. Technical Trainers (per month fully loaded) x 24 person-months.

C7. Support Staff (monthly equivalent for all support positions) x 18 calendar

months

F = A + B + C

The proposals shall be evaluated on total value F, however, the initial contractshall only be forA. Each Option Period Contract shall be negotiated at the timeof option execution when the requirement for other personnel and support staff isclearer, but will be based on the monthly unit rates as proposed above


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5.7 b The formula for determining the financial scores is the following:Sf = 100 x Fm/F, whereSf is the financial score,Fmthe lowest price andFtheprice of the proposal under consideration

The weights given to the Technical (T) and Financial (F) Proposals are:

T= 0.8 andF= 0.2

6.1 The address fornegotiations is:FOMILENIOSan Salvador, El Salvador.The exact address shall be provided to the winning consultant in the Invitation toNegotiations.

7.2 Expected date forcommencement of consulting services:

Estimated Month: February, 2008.Location: El Salvador.

9.1 The Bid Challenge Process:

Any bid challenges will be conducted under the Bid Challenge System thatcomplies with the terms as set forth in the MCC Program ProcurementGuidelines and approved by MCC.

A copy of the approved procedure can be downloaded from the page:www.fomilenio.gob.sv

The bid challenge shall be addressed to:

FOMILENIOAttention:Juan Jose LlortExecutive Director, FOMILENIOBoulevard del Hipdromo # 442 Col. San BenitoSan Salvador, Republic of El SalvadorTel: (503) 2524-1000E-mail: [email protected]


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Section 3 Technical Proposal Standard Forms 28

Section 3. Technical Proposal - Standard Forms

[Comments in brackets [ ] provide guidance to the Consultants for the preparation of theirTechnical Proposals; they should not appear on the Technical Proposals..]

TECH-1 Technical Proposal Submission Form

TECH-2 Consultants Organization, Experience, and ReferencesA Consultants OrganizationB Consultants ExperienceC Consultants References

TECH-3 Comments or Suggestions on the Terms of Reference and on Counterpart Staff andFacilities to be provided by FOMILENIO

A On the Terms of ReferenceB On the Counterpart Staff and Facilities

TECH-4 Description of the Approach, Methodology and Work Plan for Performing theAssignment

TECH-5 Team Composition and Task Assignments

TECH-6 Curriculum Vitae (CV) for Proposed Professional Staff

TECH-7 Staff Schedule

TECH-8 Work Schedule


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FORM TECH-1 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION FORM

[insert location, Date]

To: FOMILENIOJos Tito SigenzaDirector of ProcurementFOMILENIOBoulevard del Hipdromo # 442 Col. San BenitoSan Salvador, Republic of El SalvadorTel: (503) 2524-1030Fax: (503) 2243-2089

Dear Sir:

We, the undersigned, offer to provide the consulting services for [insert] in accordancewith your Request for Proposal dated [Insert Date] and our Proposal. We are hereby submittingour Proposal, which includes this Technical Proposal, and a FinancialProposal sealed in separateenvelopes with one outer envelope.

We are submitting our Proposal in association with: [Insert a list with full name andaddress of each associated Consultant or delete in case no association is foreseen]

We hereby declare that all the information and statements made in this Proposal are trueand accept that any misrepresentation contained in it may lead to our disqualification.

If negotiations are held during the period of validity of the Proposal, i.e., before thevalidity date indicated in the Data Sheet, we undertake to negotiate on the basis of the proposedstaff. Our Proposal is binding upon us and subject to the modifications resulting from Contractnegotiations.

We undertake, if our Proposal is accepted, to initiate the consulting services related to theassignment not later than the date indicated in the Data Sheet.

We understand you are not bound to accept any Proposal you receive.

We remain,

Yours sincerely,

Authorized Signature [In full and initials]:Name and Title of Signatory:Name of Firm:

Address:


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FORM TECH-2 CONSULTANTS ORGANIZATION AND EXPERIENCE

A - Consultants Organization

[Provide here a brief (maximum two pages) description of the background and organization ofyour firm/entity and each associate/joint venture partner for this assignment.]

B - Consultants Experience

[Using the format below, provide information on minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five

(5) assignments for which your team (firm or an associate for this assignment) was legally

contracted over the last five (5)years either individually as a corporate entity or as one of the

major companies within an association for carrying out consulting services similar to the ones

requested under this assignment.]

Assignment name: Approx. value of the contract (in current US$):

Country:Location within country:

Duration of assignment (months):

Name of Client:(references to be provided per Form TECH 2 (C)below)

Total No of staff-months of the assignment:

Address: Approx. value of the services provided by your firmunder the contract (in current US$):

Start date (month/year):Completion date (month/year):

No of professional staff-months provided by associatedConsultants:

Name of associated Consultants, if any: Name of senior professional staff of your firminvolved and functions performed (indicate mostsignificant profiles such as ProjectDirector/Coordinator, Team Leader):

Narrative description of Project:

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:

Firms Name:


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C - Consultants References

The Consultant shall provide at least three (3) references for projects of similar scope and

magnitude performed by the consultant within the past five (5) years. Provide the following

information for each reference:

a. Name and Business Address of Contracting Officer or Other Official who can verifyperformance of the project cited for reference

b. Current Phone Number and e-mail address for above point of contact.

Note: It is the Consultants responsibility to ensure that its references would respond within a

maximum of five working days when contacted by FOMILENIO.

If this response is not received within this timeframe, the Consultant may loose scoresin the technical evaluation of its proposal.


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FORM TECH-3 COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS ON THE TERMS OF REFERENCEAND ON COUNTERPART STAFF AND FACILITIES TO BEPROVIDED BY FOMILENIO

[These comments shall not be used for evaluation purpose, but may be discussed during

negotiations. FOMILENIO is not bound to accept any modifications proposed. If the proposed

modifications/suggestions would require changes in the offered price, it should be noted as such,

without revealing the price of the change. Disclosure of any prices in this Form shall be reason

for rejection of the Proposal.]

A - On the Terms of Reference

[Present and justify here any modifications or improvement to the Terms of Reference you are

proposing to improve performance in carrying out the assignment.

B - On Counterpart Staff and Facilities

[Comment here on counterpart staff and facilities to be provided by FOMILENIO according to

the Data Sheet, including: administrative support, office space, local transportation, equipment,

data, etc.]

Use maximum five (5) pages.


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FORM TECH-4 DESCRIPTION OF APPROACH,METHODOLOGY AND WORKPLAN FOR PERFORMING THE ASSIGNMENT

[Technical approach, methodology and work plan are key components of the Technical

Proposal. You are suggested to present them divided into the following three chapters.]:

a) Technical Approach and Methodology,b) Work Plan, andc) Organization and Staffing, In this section, Consultants are encouraged to limit their response directly to the TOR.

Comments on the TOR, if any, should be provided in Form TECH 3.

a) Technical Approach and Methodology. In this chapter you should explain yourunderstanding of the objectives of the assignment, approach to the services, methodology for

carrying out the activities including transfer of knowledge and obtaining the expected output,and the degree of detail of such output. You should highlight the problems being addressed and

their importance, and explain the technical approach you would adopt to address them. You

should also explain the methodologies you propose to adopt and highlight the compatibility of

those methodologies with the proposed approach.

b) Work Plan. In this chapter you should propose the main activities of the assignment, their

content and duration, phasing and interrelations, milestones (including interim approvals by

FOMILENIO), and delivery dates of the reports. The proposed work plan should be consistent

with the technical approach and methodology, showing understanding of the TOR and ability totranslate them into a feasible working plan. A list of the final documents, including reports,

drawings, and tables to be delivered as final output, should be included here. The work plan

should be consistent with the Work Schedule of Form TECH-8.

d) Organization and Staffing. In this chapter you should propose the structure and compositionof your team. You should list the main disciplines of the assignment, the key expert

responsible, and proposed technical and support staff.]

Use maximum 50 pages.


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FORM TECH-5 TEAM COMPOSITION AND TASK ASSIGNMENTS

Key positions given below are mandatory; absence of a CV for a key position below may lead tothe rejection of the Proposal. Consultants are not permitted to propose one individual for more

than one position, except for when the services are expected to be executed in phases and theconsultant intends to use the same individual on more than one phase of the assignment.

Curriculum Vitae are required for the following positions in the format given in form TECH 6.CVs should be signed by the relevant individual, confirming availability for the assignment.

Position Name Area of Expertise Task Assigned

1. CoordinatorFormal Education

2. Coordinator Non-Formal Education

3. Support Specialist


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FORM TECH-6 CURRICULUM VITAE (CV) FOR PROPOSED PROFESSIONALSTAFF

1. Proposed Position [only one candidate shall be nominated for each position]:

2. Name of Firm [Insert name of firm proposing the staff]:

3. Name of Staff[Insert full name]:

4. Date of Birth: Nationality:

5. Education [Indicate college/university and other specialized education of staff member, giving names ofinstitutions, degrees obtained, and dates of obtainment]:

6. Membership of Professional Associations:

7. Other Training [Indicate significant training since degrees under 5 - Education were obtained]:

8. Countries of Work Experience: [List countries where staff has worked in the last ten years]:

9. Languages [For each language indicate proficiency: good, fair, or poor in speaking, reading, and writing]:

10. Employment Record [Starting with present position, list in reverse order relevant employment related tothe expected assignments held by staff member since graduation, giving for each employment (see format here

below): dates of employment, name of employing organization, positions held.]:

From [Year]: To [Year]:

Employer:

Positions held:


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11. Detailed Tasks Assigned

[ List all tasks to be performedunder this assignment]

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

[to be completed as appropriate]

12. Work Undertaken that Best Illustrates Capability toHandle the Tasks Assigned

[Among theassignments in which the staff has been involved, indicate

the following information forthose assignments that best illustrate staffcapability to handle the tasks listed under point 11.]

For Task : [to be completed as appropriate]

Name of assignment or project:

Year:

Location:

Client:

Main project features:

Positions held:

Activities performed:

For Task : [to be completed as appropriate]

Name of assignment or project:

Year:

Location:

Client:

Main project features:

Positions held:

Activities performed:

13. Certification:

I, the undersigned, certify that to the best of my knowledge and belief, this CV correctlydescribes myself, my qualifications, and my experience. I understand that any willful

misstatement described herein may lead to my disqualification or dismissal, if engaged. I furtherconfirm that I am available and interested to participate in this assignment as proposed.Date:

[Signature of staff member or authorized representative of the staff] Day/Month/Year

Full name of authorized representative:


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Section 3 Technical Proposal Standard Forms

FORM TECH-7 STAFF SCHEDULE1

N Name of StaffStaff input (in the form of a bar chart)

2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Foreign

1 [Home][Field]

2

3

n

Subtotal

Local

1 [Home

][Field]

2

n

Subtotal

Total

1 The names here should correspond to the names provided for in the Form TECH 5 above. For Professional Staff the input should

should be indicated by category (e.g.: draftsmen, clerical staff, etc.).

2 Months are counted from the start of the assignment. For each staff indicate separately staff input for home and field work.

3 Field work means work carried out at a place other than the Consultant's home office.

Full time input

Part time input


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Section 3 Technical Proposal Standard Forms

FORM TECH-8 WORK SCHEDULE

N

Activity

(see enclosed TOR, and prepare this

table accordingly)

Months (starting from contract effective

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9


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Section 4 Financial Proposal Standard Forms 39

Section 4. Financial Proposal - Standard Forms

[Comments in brackets [ ] provide guidance to the Consultants for the preparation of theirFinancial Proposals; they should not appear on the Financial Proposals to be submitted.]

FIN-1 Financial Proposal Submission Form

FIN-2 Summary of Prices

FIN-3 Breakdown of prices


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FORM FIN-1 FINANCIAL PROPOSAL SUBMISSION FORM

[insert location, date]

To: FOMILENIO

Attention:Jos Tito SigenzaDirector of ProcurementFOMILENIOBoulevard del Hipdromo # 442 Col. San BenitoSan Salvador, Republic of El SalvadorTel: (503) 2524-1030Fax: (503) 2243-2089

Dear Sir:

We, the undersigned, offer to provide the consulting services for [insert] in accordancewith your Request for Proposal dated [Insert Date] and our Technical Proposal. Our attachedFinancial Proposal is for the sum of [Insert amount in words and numbers1] US Dollars. Thisamount is inclusive of all taxes that shall be due on us if we are awarded the contract. We herebyacknowledge and agree that the tax amount shall not be adjusted during negotiations.

Our Financial Proposal shall be binding upon us subject to the modifications resultingfrom Contract negotiations, up to expiration of the validity period of the Proposal, as indicated inthe Data Sheet.

Commissions and gratuities paid or to be paid by us to agents relating to this Proposaland Contract execution, if we are awarded the Contract, are listed below:

Name and Address Amount and Purpose of Commissionof Agents Currency or Gratuity

We understand you are not bound to accept any Proposal you receive.

We remain,

Yours sincerely,

Authorized Signature [In full and initials]:Name and Title of Signatory:Name of Firm:

Address:


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1 Amounts must coincide with the ones indicated under Total Price of Financial proposal in Form FIN-2.


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FORM FIN-2 SUMMARY OF PRICES

BASE PERIOD (Phase I) US$ Totallump sum

A Fixed-Price Proposal for 12-month Base Period (Phase I):

(1) (2) (3)

OPTION PERIODS(Phases II and III)

PersonMonths

All-Inclusiveunit monthly

rates US$(to be filled bythe Consultant)

Total $ =(1) x (2)

B. Option Period #1 (Phase II):B1. Coordinator Formal Education (per month fully loaded) 18

B2. Coordinator Non-Formal Education (per month fully loaded) 18

B3. Support Specialist (per month fully loaded) 18

B4. Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist in Professional Development(per month fully loaded) 18

B5. Curriculum Program Evaluation Specialist (per month fully loaded) 9

B6. Technical Trainers (mid-level) (per month fully loaded) 30

B7. Technical Trainers (per month fully loaded) 48

B8. Trainer of Trainers (per month fully loaded) 6

B9. Communications Specialist (per month fully loaded) 3

B10. Support Staff (monthly equivalent for all support positions) 18

B Total Option Period #1 (Phase II):

C. Option Period #2 (Phase III):C1. Coordinator Formal Education (per month fully loaded)

18C2. Coordinator Non-Formal Education (per month fully loaded) 18

C3. Support Specialist (per month fully loaded) 18

C4. Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist (per month fully loaded) 18

C5. Technical Trainers (mid-level) (per month fully loaded) 30

C6. Technical Trainers (per month fully loaded) 24

C7. Support Staff (monthly equivalent for all support positions) 18C Total Option Period #2 (Phase III):

Total Financial Offer (A+B+C):


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REVISEDFORM FIN-3 BREAKDOWN OF REMUNERATIONS

[Information to be provided in this Form shall only be used to establish payments to the

Consultant for possible additional services requested by FOMILENIO corresponding to Phase I

of the assignment, and for verification of the market reasonableness of the prices offered. TheConsultant shall list the all-inclusive monthly rates for each staff position for Phase I of the

assignment, only.]

PHASE I REQUIRED POSITIONREQUIRED POSITIONREQUIRED POSITIONREQUIRED POSITIONMONTHLY RATEMONTHLY RATEMONTHLY RATEMONTHLY RATE

(ALL INCLUSIVE)(ALL INCLUSIVE)(ALL INCLUSIVE)(ALL INCLUSIVE)

Foreign staff

Local staff

Notes:Staffing positions on Form FIN-3 shall correspond to the required positions identified for the activities listed inForm TECH-8.


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Section 5 Terms of Reference 44

Section 5. Terms of Reference (TOR)

Education and Training Technical Assistance

1 I. BACKGROUND

1.1 1.1. Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)

The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) is a fundcreated by the Government of the UnitedStates of America to support the worlds poor countries and is granted to those governmentswhich are above the median in at least half of the indicators in each category such as povertyreduction, democracy, combating corruption and macroeconomic stability, among others. MCAfunding takes the form of a grant, but in order to apply, eligible countries must present MCC

with a proposal in order to compete for a portion of the budget assigned by the United States.

On November 8, 2005, the MCC announced that El Salvador and Namibia had been elected forfunding among lower middle income countries. At that point, a consultation process was initiatedwith different sectors of the population, coordinated by the National Development Commission(CND in Spanish) and the Technical Secretary of the Presidency (STP, in Spanish), aimed at thepreparation of a consultative proposal to access MCC funding for the execution of an integrateddevelopment strategy for the Northern Zone of El Salvador. The Government of the Republic ofEl Salvador (GOES), created a High-Level Tracking Committee for the MillenniumChallenge Account by Executive Decree No. 90 of September 10, 2005, published in theOfficial Gazette No. 171, Volume No. 368 of September 14 2005. The said Committee prepared

and submitted a proposal which qualified for MCA funding.

In May 2006 El Salvador presented the MCC with a proposal which included: creation ofprosperity and poverty reduction, through economic growth in the Northern Zone, towards thegoal of achieving a nationwide impact, and integration with neighboring countries. The deliveryperiodof the proposal was five years and direct beneficiaries would be approximately 850,000inhabitants of 94 municipalities in that area. The proposal is an integrated, coherent andcomprehensive program including three broad components to transform the Northern Zone:Human Development, Productive Development and Physical Connectivity. Furthermore, theproposal has 5 significant transversal axes: environment, local development, gender equality,transparency and citizen participation. (See Annex 1 Program Description1 / MCA Content

Program, Millennium Challenge Compact between the Government of the Republic of ElSalvador and The United States of America through the Millennium Challenge Corporation).

On November 8, the MCC Board of Directors approved for El Salvador an amount of US$461million aimed at strengthening citizen participative consultation, monitoring and evaluation,auditing systems, training in environment, technical assistance and institutional strengthening.

1 Annex 1: Program Description.


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On November 29 2006 El Salvador signed with the Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC), a U.S.entity, a Compact Agreement for a non-reimbursable Grant for US$461 million in Washington.On December 20 both the Compact and the Law Creating FOMILENIO were ratified by theLegislative Assembly. On January 4, 2007, the President of the Republic sanctioned both decreeswhich became Laws of El Salvador on January 12, 2007.

1.2 Northern Zone Development Strategy

The Northern Zone is a region that includes 94 municipalities which make up the northern thirdof the national territory. More than half of the households live in poverty; 850,000 inhabitantshave a per-capita income of 40 per cent less than the national/domestic average. Salvadoransliving in the NZ have less access to education and services such as water, sanitation and energythan the national average. Furthermore, the Northern Zone is isolated from the rest of thecountry, and its Central American neighbors, as a result of an inadequate roadway system.

Also, the Northern Zone is an important source of water, energy, biodiversity and environmental

resources of El Salvador, producing one third of the energy supply for the country as well as onethird of the water supply for the San Salvador metropolitan area. Furthermore, the region isconsidered a significant source of rice, seafood and dairy products, having a considerableproductive potential. The Northern Zone Strategy comprises six elements that stem from anextensive consultative process with individuals and diverse sectors within the region, andthroughout the country. The six elements are: development of economic activity centers;preservation of the Rio Lempa Basin; construction of a northern transnational highway and acomplementary road network; integration with the Honduran border; construction of competitivecities; and strengthening of the municipal associations and governance. These elementsencompass three major themes: (1) strengthening human development in the Northern Zone; (2)developing productive potential in the region; and (3) increasing physical connectivity within theregion, with the rest of the country, and with neighboring countries.

1.2 1.3 National Education Plan 2021 and MEGATEC Network

In March 2005, the President of the Republic, Elas Antonio Saca, launched the NationalEducation Plan 2021 (www.mined.gob.sv). The long-term plan includes priority educationobjectives, policies and goals, for the next years and establishes short, medium and long termcommitments. It is a 16-year plan which will be completed by 2021, when El Salvador willcommemorate its 200th anniversary of independence from Spain. The plan objectives are thefollowing: improve education effectiveness and universal secondary education for young people,strengthen technical and technological education and foster science and technology development.In order to achieve these objectives, the plan comprises a set of policies aimed at the enlargementof educational services, the improvement of effectiveness in education (focusing on students`learning achievements), the graduates higher level of competitiveness and promotion ofadministrative good practices. One of the Government priority programs is the MEGATECnetwork, focused on strengthening of both technical and technological education, incorrespondence with the countrys productive development.


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1.3 Table 1. MEGATEC Network

The MEGATEC Network is the main Government initiative to both expand and strengthenmiddle-level technical education and higher technological education, in compliance withproductive development requirements of the countrys various regions. The MEGATEC

network was conceived as a system of middle level technical education, technological highereducation and professional education (non-formal) aimed at human capital formation in areasrelated to the productive development in the country and its regions.

According to consultative studies and processes by the National Development Commissionduring the last eight years, there are four main regions with various potentially productivelevels:

Region Department Productive Priority

South Comalapa Zacatecoluca Electronics and Logistics.

Los Volcanes Sonsonate Telecommunications and Industrial

Mechanics.

Northern RoLempa

Cabaas andChalatenango

Electrical Power, Agricultural industry,Agroforestry and Basin Management.

Eastern Zone La Unin Port Administration, Logistics andCustoms.

In 2006, the Government opened the first MEGATEC network Base in the La UninDepartment, where one of the main ports in Central America is under construction. For this

initiative, the Government already made an initial investment of US$ 2.4 millions for theenrollment of 260 students under a yearly scholarship grant of US$ 2,500. Some additional US$6 million will be invested (including resources granted by the Japanese Government for someUS$ 4 million).

Likewise, the MEGATEC Network includes the implementation of centers in the Department ofLa Paz (south central zone) and in the Department of Sonsonate (western zone). Likewise,technological institutes in Santa Ana (Northwest Zone) and San Miguel (Noreastern Zone /Oriental Norte). Some other medium technical education institutes will be strengthenednationwide, especially focusing on 22 institutes that benefited from a recent project financed bythe European Union (1999 to 2004).

1.4 Status of Formal and Non-formal Education in the Northern Zone

The Northern Zone comprises 94 municipalities (See Annex 1) having the highest levels ofpoverty and the lowest rate of development when compared to the rest of the country. In generalterms, these municipalities present low educational rates, low levels of access to pre-school andsecondary education, high illiteracy rates, very low levels of education, student low academicachievement and only a few technological higher education institutions.


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In the said area, there are 1,572 schools (kindergarten, primary and secondary education (out of6,000). Enrollment in these institutions is approximately 282,263 students (out of 1.7 millionstudents at a national level): 35,000 kinder garden students, 225,000 students in basic education,and 19,000 students in secondary/intermediate school.

This zone is also characterized by scarce investment in productive projects which foster jobcreation and qualified human resources, which has limited the training potential for self-employment in traditional occupations, such as in woodwork, carpentry, dressmaking,cosmetology, plumbing, bakery and refrigeration and air conditioning, which restricts productivedevelopment of the zone. Nevertheless, in 2006, 217 people benefited from traditionaltraining;119 micro-businessmen received training in business administration; and 3,030 small enterpriseworkers in some municipalities which will be MCA Project beneficiaries.

Training programs in the Northern Zone have been developed according to the demand forqualified human resources, which is determined by the development opportunities identified, and

by the characteristics of the population, an important factor to be taken into account is the lowschool levels, which are an obstacle for the provision of high technical training. Training isprovided, where it is required, through mobile actions, to make it more beneficial forparticipants.

1.5 National Policy for Vocational Training

In October 2006, a proposal by the Instituto Salvadoreo de Formacin Profesional(INSAFORP in Spanish), was approved by the Government Economic Committee of PresidentElas Antonio Saca: the National Policy for Vocational Training. (http://www.insaforp.org.sv).This policy identifies the various subsystems which relate the National System to the impact ofits different actions.

For MCA purposes, within the eight Strategic Axes that comprise the National Training Policy,the strategic axis to be taken specifically into account is axis number 2, namely: educationalongside all productive life. Its objective is to deve

RFP Education Training _Human Dev Project_ Final Approved Sep 24 2007

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