Terms of Reference- Invitation to tender Background ... · Terms of Reference- Invitation to tender...

21
1 Terms of Reference- Invitation to tender 1. Background Information 1.1 About the British Council The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Its purpose is to build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people worldwide. It seeks to achieve its aims by working in education, science, governance, English and the arts. In 2012-13, its programmes reached a total audience of 550 million people worldwide and we engaged directly with 10.8 million. The British Council was established in 1934 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1940. It is registered as a charity in England and Wales (charity no. 209131) and Scotland (charity no. SCO37733). It is also an executive non-departmental public body, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as its sponsoring department. Its primary charitable objects are set out in the Charter and are stated to be: Promote cultural relationships and the understanding of different cultures between people and peoples of the United Kingdom and other countries; Promote a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom; Develop a wider knowledge of the English language; Encourage cultural, scientific, technological and other educational co-operation between the United Kingdom and other countries; Otherwise promote the advancement of education. In 2012 to 2013, the British Council had a total turnover of £781 million. Its income included a grant-aid of £171 million from the UK government, £490 million from fees and income from services such as English teaching, exams administration and the management of client-funded contracts, and funding from a wide range of public and private sector partners.

Transcript of Terms of Reference- Invitation to tender Background ... · Terms of Reference- Invitation to tender...

1

Terms of Reference- Invitation to tender

1. Background Information

1.1 About the British Council

The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for

cultural relations and educational opportunities. Its purpose is to build

engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and

ideas between people worldwide. It seeks to achieve its aims by working

in education, science, governance, English and the arts. In 2012-13, its

programmes reached a total audience of 550 million people worldwide

and we engaged directly with 10.8 million.

The British Council was established in 1934 and incorporated by Royal

Charter in 1940. It is registered as a charity in England and Wales (charity

no. 209131) and Scotland (charity no. SCO37733). It is also an executive

non-departmental public body, with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

as its sponsoring department.

Its primary charitable objects are set out in the Charter and are stated to

be:

Promote cultural relationships and the understanding of different

cultures between people and peoples of the United Kingdom

and other countries;

Promote a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom;

Develop a wider knowledge of the English language;

Encourage cultural, scientific, technological and other

educational co-operation between the United Kingdom and

other countries;

Otherwise promote the advancement of education.

In 2012 to 2013, the British Council had a total turnover of £781 million.

Its income included a grant-aid of £171 million from the UK government,

£490 million from fees and income from services such as English teaching,

exams administration and the management of client-funded contracts, and

funding from a wide range of public and private sector partners.

2

The British Council works in more than 110 countries around the world and

employs over 7000 staff worldwide. It has its headquarters in the UK, with

offices in London, Manchester, Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

Further information can be found at www.britishcouncil.org

1.2 Conditions and contractual requirements

The Contracting Authority is the British Council which includes any

subsidiary companies and other organisations that control or are

controlled by the British Council from time to time.

The appointed supplier will be expected to travel to British Council offices

in Mexico City, London or Manchester as required, in the delivery of the

services.

The contract awarded will be for duration of 7 months.

The appointed supplier will only process personal data accessed in

performance of the services in accordance with the British Council ’s

instructions and will not use such data for any other purpose. The

contracted supplier will undertake to process any personal data on the

British Council’s behalf in accordance with the relevant provisions of the

Data Protection Act 1998 and ensure appropriate and legislative consent

is acquired where necessary.

The British Council is committed to equality and to positive action to

promote this. It believes that an Equal Opportunities Policy helps to ensure

that there is no unjustified discrimination in the recruitment , retention,

training and development of staff on the basis of gender including

transgender, marital status, sexual identify, region and belief, political

opinion, race, work pattern, age, disability or HIV/AIDS status, socio-

economic background, spent convictions, trade union activity or

membership, on the basis of having or not having dependents, or any

other relevant grounds. The appointed supplier must agree to operate in

accordance with these principles while undertaking work at or on behalf of

the British Council.

The British Council is committed to open government and to meeting its

legal responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the

3

“Act”). Accordingly, all information submitted to a public authority may

need to be disclosed by the public authority in response to a request

under the Act. The British Council may also decide to include certain

information in the publication scheme, which the British Council maintains

under the Act.

If suppliers considers that any of the information included in their

completed documentation is commercially sensitive, it should identify it

and explain (in broad terms) what harm may result from disclosure if a

request is received, and the time period applicable to that sensitivity.

The suppliers should be aware that, even where they have indicated that

information is commercially sensitive, the British Council might be required

to disclose it under the Act if a request is received.

The suppliers should also note that the receipt of any material marked

‘confidential’ or equivalent by the British Council should not be taken to

mean that the British Council accepts any duty of confidence by virtue of

that marking.

The supplier will comply with all applicable legislation and codes of

practice, including, where applicable, all legislation and statutory guidance

relevant to the safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable

adults and with the British Council’s Child Protection Policy; in addition the

supplier will ensure that where it engages any other party to supply any of

the services under this agreement that that party will also comply with the

same requirements as if they were a party to this agreement.

All relevant policies that suppliers are expected to adhere to can be found

on the British Council website http://www.britishcouncil.org/about/policies.

The list of policies includes (but it is not limited to):

Anti-Fraud and Corruption

Child Protection Policy

Equal Opportunities Policy

Fair Trading

Health and Safety Policy

Environmental Policy

Records Management

Privacy

4

Mandatory due diligence and discretionary rejection information will form

part of your response to this ITT. You are requested to complete Annex 1

Mandatory Information as part of your response.

The British Council’s contracting and commercial approach in respect of

the required services is set out at Annex 3 Draft Contract (the “Contract”).

By submitting a tender, you are agreeing to be bound by the terms of this

ITT and the Contract without further negotiation or amendment.

If the terms of the Contract render the proposals in your tender

unworkable, you should submit a clarification in accordance with Section

11 Clarification Questions of this ITT by November 19th 2014 and the

British Council will consider whether any amendment to the Contract is

required. Any amendments shall be published prior to the deadline for the

submission of bids and shall apply to all tenderers. Any amendments

which are proposed but not approved by the British Council through this

process will not be acceptable and may be construed as a rejection of the

terms leading to the disqualification of the tender.

This document does not constitute an offer to provide goods and/or

services to the British Council.

You are responsible for obtaining all information necessary for preparation

of the tender and for all costs and expenses incurred in preparation of

your tender response. Subject to the final paragraph of this section , you

accept by your participation in this procurement, including without

limitation the submission of a tender, that you will not be entitled to claim

from the British Council any costs, expenses or liabilities that you may

incur in tendering for this procurement irrespective of whether or not your

tender is successful.

By issuing this ITT, entering into the clarifications with tenderers or by

having any other form of communication with tenderers, the British Council

is not bound in any way to enter into any contractual or other arrangement

with you or any other tenderer. It is intended that the remainder of this

procurement will take place in accordance with the provisions of this ITT

but the British Council reserves the right to terminate, amend or vary the

process by notice to all tenderers in writing. Subject to the final paragraph

5

of this Section 3, the British Council will have no liability for any losses,

costs or expenses caused to you as a result of such termination,

amendment or variation.

Nothing in this ITT or any other documentation issued by the British

Council in connection with this procurement is intended to exclude or limit

the liability of the British Council in relation to fraud or in other

circumstances where the British Council’s liability may not be limited under

any applicable law.

The British Council reserves the right to request reference information.

1.3 Confidentiality requirement

All information contained within this document is confidential and is

provided only to give suppliers an adequate understanding of the British

Council’s requirements and under no circumstances should be disclosed

to a third party without the British Council’s consent.

The contents of this ITT are being made available by the British Council on

condition that:

Tenderers shall at all times treat the contents of the ITT and any

related documents (together called the ‘Information’) as

confidential, save in so far as they are already in the public

domain;

Tenderers shall not disclose, copy, reproduce, distribute or pass

any of the Information to any other person at any time;

Tenderers shall not use any of the Information for any purpose

other than for the purposes of submitting (or deciding whether

to submit) a Tender; and

Tenderers shall not undertake any publicity activity within any

section of the media.

Tenderers may disclose, distribute or pass any of the Information to the

Tenderer’s advisers, sub-contractors or to another person provided that

either:

This is done for the sole purpose of enabling a Tender to be

submitted and the person receiving the Information undertakes

6

in writing to keep the Information confidential on the same terms

as if that person were the Tenderer; or

The Tenderer obtains the prior written consent of the British

Council in relation to such disclosure, distribution or passing of

Information; or

The disclosure is made for the sole purpose of obtaining legal

advice from external lawyers in relation to the procurement or to

any Framework Agreement arising from it; or

The Tenderer is legally required to make such a disclosure.

In relation to the above the definition of ‘person’ includes but is not limited

to any person, firm, body or association, corporate or incorporate.

The British Council may disclose detailed information relating to Tenders to

its officers, employees, agents or advisers and the British Council may

make any of the contractual documents available for private inspection by

its officers, employees, agents or advisers. The British Council also

reserves the right to disseminate information that is materially relevant to

the procurement to all Tenderers, even if the information has only been

requested by one Tenderer, subject to the duty to protect each Tenderer's

commercial confidentiality in relation to its Tender (unless there is a

requirement for disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act).

1.4 Proposal Validity

Your response should remain open for acceptance for a period of 60 days.

A response valid for a shorter period may be rejected.

1.5 Payment and Invoicing

The Council will pay correctly addressed and undisputed invoices within

30 days.

The essential information on an invoice for the Council is:

A description of the services supplied.

The Council reference number/Purchase Order number.

Addressed to Accounts Payable.

The costs including VAT (if applicable) and any other charges

7

2. Summary of this Requirement

2.1 About the Research

The British Council wishes to commission an agency to conduct the

research as described in this Request for Proposals and to deliver the

outputs as described in section 4. The primary aim of this research is to

identify what skills or abilities Mexican students are lacking when they start

university and what interventions might be effective to fill this gap. In order

to do this, we would like to consider the experiences of different countries

and particularly of the UK.

This project is one in a series of research projects have been developed in

the Americas region as an attempt to further explore some of the issues

raised at the British Council’s ‘Going Global’ conference in Miami in April

2014 (http://www.britishcouncil.org/going-global ) and is intended to

contribute to the programme for ‘Going Global 2015’. Going Global offers

an open forum for policy makers and practitioners from around the world

to discuss issues facing the international education community. Since its

inception in 2004, Going Global has grown from a bi-annual event in the

UK to an annual event that alternates between the UK and a different

international location. Each year it attracts over 1000 delegates from

across the further and higher education sectors and a variety of other

industries with perspectives on international education. Separate research

projects will be conducted in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Colombia. A fifth

project will be conducted at the regional level.

At ‘Going Global 2014’ several speakers highlighted the fact that

secondary schools did not adequately prepare students for universities. In

order to contribute to ‘Going Global 2015’, we would like the research to

consider what skills or abilities might be necessary for different subjects,

and the different needs of higher education systems around the world.

2.2 Research Question

The research project in Mexico will explore the need to link secondary

school learning outcomes to higher education (post compulsory

education) needs, and possible mechanisms to accomplish this.

8

It should attempt to address the research question:

‘What skills or abilities are necessary for students to be adequately

prepared for higher education and how can they acquire these?’

Though we are open to innovative proposals, we expect any proposal to

address both the academic skills necessary for students to succeed in

higher education and the soft skills, or life skills, which are also necessary.

2.3 Suggested approach

We expect the successful agency to submit a proposal that reflects the

global scope of the British Council whilst simultaneously ensuring that the

research is relevant to the local Mexican context. As such, we recommend

an approach that draws on the following four elements:

A quantitative analysis that provides a clear picture of international

dynamics and trends. This analysis is not expected to be exhaustive,

but to provide an accurate summary of different approaches and

the effects of these.

A focused qualitative element identifying four of five countries who

have implemented particularly interesting or innovative policies and

outlining the rationales and effects of these policies. Once the

provider has identified the relevant four or five countries, the British

Council will provide assistance in contacting initial relevant

stakeholders. Through qualitative interviews with such stakeholders,

it would be expected that the final research output would describe

how individuals or institutions were positively or negatively affected

by policy changes or different approaches.

An analysis of how the identified dynamics and trends are reflected

in British policies, experiences or needs- an analysis of the

approach favoured by the UK government and other institutions

and the results of this.

A detailed analysis reflecting the specific needs and challenges of

the Mexican context- identifying the similarities and differences

between Mexico and other countries and recommending specific

9

changes, programmes or policies that could make a positive

difference in the Mexican education system.

Suppliers may bid for the entire project, or simply for one or several of the

parts of the project. For instance, we would expect British suppliers to bid

for the first three elements (quantitative overview, qualitative analysis and

reflection in British policies and institutions), and for Mexican suppliers to

bid either for the entire project or for the fourth element. However, British

suppliers who wish to bid for the entire project will also be considered. In

the case that two different suppliers are selected, the British Council will

facilitate the necessary communication and collaboration.

2.4 Outputs

We expect the successful agency or individual to submit:

A report and presentation with a detailed description of the

proposed research methodology

A report and presentation with preliminary results

A final report and presentation

On at least two occasions during the research process the successful

agency will be asked to present their work to a wider audience (i.e. not just

British Council but outside stakeholders as well). One of these

presentations may take place overseas. Please include estimated costs for

a visit to the UK in your proposal- costs for such a trip will be covered by

the British Council.

2.5 Use of Outputs

The data, reports and presentations may be used as presentations at

British Council Policy Dialogue events in the Americas Region or in the

United Kingdom.

3. Instructions for Responding

3.1 The Submission Process

Please complete Annex 1 (Mandatory Information) and Annex 2 (Supplier

Response Form). We suggest that you consider also submitting an

10

additional, optional research proposal if you wish to provide further detail.

Submit these documents to [email protected] carbon

copy, [email protected] no later than 17:00 hrs. CST on

the 21st of November 2014.

Please ensure that you send your submission in good time to prevent

issues with technology – late submissions may not be considered.

Supporting evidence (PDF, JPG, PPT, Word and Excel formats only -

other formats should not be used) can be provided to substantiate your

response – please ensure that all attachments/supporting evidence is

clearly labelled with the appropriate question number.

Completion and submission of your response does not guarantee award

of any BC contract

3.2 Clarification Questions

Any questions should be submitted via email to

[email protected] with carbon copy to

[email protected] no later than 17:00hrs CST on 19th

November 2014.

4. Evaluation Criteria

Supplier responses will be assessed using the following criteria and

weightings. A score will be given for each part of the information submitted

that is to be assessed. The qualitative aspects of your response will be

evaluated entirely on your response submitted.

Criteria Weighting

Knowledge and experience 25%

Methodology and approach 35%

Timetable and staffing 15%

Costing and value for money 25%

11

The responses under each sub category will be scored based on the

following matrix:

Points Interpretation

10

Excellent - A comprehensive and strong answer indicating the

provider is fully capable and experienced to deliver the required

outcomes. A detailed response that directly responds to all

requirements with no ambiguity and relevant examples provided.

7

Good - There are slight concerns that the organisation will not be

able to achieve all the outcomes required and response lacked

details of relevant experience. A less detailed response that

broadly responds to the requirement with some ambiguity and

few relevant examples provided.

5

Adequate - There are concerns that the organisation will not be

able to achieve the outcomes required and response

significantly lacks details of relevant experience. A less detailed

response that broadly responds to the requirement with some

ambiguity and no/irrelevant examples provided.

3

Poor Response/Limited Evidence - There are serious indications

that the organisation will not be able to achieve the outcomes

required and has not provided appropriate evidence of

experience to successfully deliver the outcomes required. A

response that is not entirely relevant to the requirement, with

ambiguity and lacking specific detail.

0

Unacceptable - The answer is non-compliant and/or no relevant

information has been received to demonstrate the organisation

can achieve the required outcomes. No response or a response

that is entirely irrelevant.

All scores will be added together to provide an overall total score for each

sub category/section which will then be calculated against the criteria

weightings. Once all the criteria weightings have been calculated, they will

all be added together to provide an overall total score.

12

The pricing evaluation will be based on the response with the lowest

overall cost being assigned 25% and all other responses will be calculated

pro-rata.

Please note that all your responses to the tender requirements and the

pricing schedule will be incorporated into a contractual document.

5. Statement of Requirements

5.1 Research Design

In the supplier response form, please ensure to include details on how you

propose to approach the research question and objectives as well as:

• Evidence of relevant previous research work and experience

• Qualifications/experience of the team members who will be involved in

this project

• Project plan showing utilisation of suggested team members

• Detailed costing of each of the research items.

• Detailed timescale

• Any requested deviations to the Draft Contract, together with reasons for

your request

If you feel that the supplier response form does not allow you to provide

sufficient detail about your research design, you may also submit an

additional detailed research proposal.

5.2 Expertise Required

The British Council is looking to appoint a reputable agency with the

following qualities:

• Strong research and macroeconomic data portfolio, evidenced by

previous projects.

• Expertise in international education and macroeconomic research –

evidenced by previous research projects and consultancy carried out for

education and government establishments.

• Strong dedicated team with suitable experience and qualifications.

13

6. Timeline

The table below shows the key dates for the submission process.

Activity Date

ITT issued October 31th 2014

Deadline of receipt of queries November 19th 2014

Deadline for submission of proposal November 21st 2014

Evaluation of proposals November 24th 2014- November

26th 2014

Decision made on successful

agency

November 27th 2014

Project kick-off meeting November 28th 2014

Project completion date June 30th 2015

7. Disclaimers

7.1 All information contained within this document is confidential and is provided

only to give suppliers an adequate understanding of the British Council’s

requirements and under no circumstances should be disclosed to a third party

without the British Council’s consent.

7.2 The document does not constitute an offer to provide services to the British

Council.

7.3 All costs incurred in the preparation of the proposal are the supplier’s

responsibility.

7.4 The British Council is not obliged to award a contract for this business

Annex 1- Mandatory Information

14

Due Diligence and Discretionary Rejection

Important Notice:

In some circumstances the British Council is required by law to exclude you from

participating further in this procurement. If you cannot answer ‘no’ to every question in

this section it is very unlikely that your response will be accepted, and you should

contact us for advice before completing this form.

Please state ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to each question.

Has your organisation or any directors or partner or any other person who

has powers of representation, decision or control been convicted of any of

the following offences?

Answer

(Delete as

applicable)

a) conspiracy within the meaning of section 1 or 1A of the Criminal Law Act

1977 or article 9 or 9A of the Criminal Attempts and Conspiracy (Northern

Ireland) Order 1983 where that conspiracy relates to participation in a

criminal organisation as defined in Article 2 of Council Framework

Decision 2008/841/JHA;

YES/NO

(b) corruption within the meaning of section 1(2) of the Public Bodies Corrupt

Practices Act 1889 or section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906;

where the offence relates to active corruption;

YES/NO

(c) the offence of bribery, where the offence relates to active corruption; YES/NO

(ca) bribery within the meaning of section 1 or 6 of the Bribery Act 2010; YES/NO

d) fraud, where the offence relates to fraud affecting the European

Communities’ financial interests as defined by Article 1 of the Convention

on the protection of the financial interests of the European Communities,

within the meaning of:

YES/NO

(i) the offence of cheating the Revenue; YES/NO

(ii) the offence of conspiracy to defraud; YES/NO

(iii) fraud or theft within the meaning of the Theft Act 1968, the Theft Act

(Northern Ireland) 1969, the Theft Act 1978 or the Theft (Northern Ireland)

Order 1978;

YES/NO

(iv) fraudulent trading within the meaning of section 458 of the Companies

Act 1985, article 451 of the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 or

section 993 of the Companies Act 2006;

YES/NO

(v) fraudulent evasion within the meaning of section 170 of the Customs and

Excise Management Act 1979 or section 72 of the Value Added Tax Act

1994;

YES/NO

(vii) destroying, defacing or concealing of documents or procuring the

execution of a valuable security within the meaning of section 20 of the

Theft Act 1968 or section 19 of the Theft Act (northern Ireland) 1969;

YES/NO

(viii) fraud within the meaning of section 2, 3 or 4 of the Fraud Act 2006; or YES/NO

Annex 1- Mandatory Information

15

(ix) making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply articles for use in frauds

within the meaning of section 7 of the Fraud Act 2006; YES/NO

(e) money laundering within the meaning of section 340(11) of the

Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; YES/NO

(ea) an offence in connection with the proceeds of criminal conduct within

the meaning of section 93A, 93B or 93C of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 or

article 45, 46 or 47 of the Proceeds of Crime (Northern Ireland) Order 1996;

or

YES/NO

(eb) an offence in connection with the proceeds of drug trafficking within the

meaning of section 49, 50 or 51 of the Drug Trafficking Act 1994; or YES/NO

(f) any other offence within the meaning of Article 45(1) of Directive

2004/18/EC as defined by the national law of any relevant State. YES/NO

Discretionary Rejection

The British Council is entitled to exclude you from consideration if any of the following

apply. If you cannot answer ‘no’ to every question it is possible that your response may

not be accepted. In the event that any of the following do apply, please set out (in a

separate Annex) full details of the relevant incident and any remedial action taken

subsequently. The information provided will be taken into account by the British Council

in considering whether or not you will be able to proceed any further in respect of this

procurement exercise.

The British Council is also entitled to exclude you in the event you are guilty of serious

misrepresentation in providing any information referred to within regulation 23, 24, 25,

26 or 27 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 or you fail to provide any such

information requested by us.

Is any of the following true of your organisation? Answer

(Delete as

applicable)

(a) being an individual is a person in respect of whom a debt relief order has

been made or is bankrupt or has had a receiving order or administration

order or bankruptcy restrictions order or a debt relief restrictions order

made against him or has made any composition or arrangement with or

for the benefit of his creditors or has made any conveyance or

assignment for the benefit of his creditors or appears unable to pay, or to

have no reasonable prospect of being able to pay, a debt within the

meaning of section 268 of the Insolvency Act 1986, or article 242 of the

Insolvency (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, or in Scotland has granted a

trust deed for creditors or become otherwise apparently insolvent, or is

the subject of a petition presented for sequestration of his estate, or is the

subject of any similar procedure under the law of any other state; or

YES/NO

b) being a partnership constituted under Scots law, has granted a trust deed

or become otherwise apparently insolvent, or is the subject of a petition YES/NO

Annex 1- Mandatory Information

16

presented for sequestration of its estate; or

(c) being a company or any other entity within the meaning of section 255 of

the Enterprise Act 2002 has passed a resolution or is the subject of an

order by the court for the company’s winding up otherwise than for the

purpose of bona fide reconstruction or amalgamation, or had a receiver,

manager or administrator on behalf of a creditor appointed in respect of

the company’s business or any part thereof or is the subject of similar

procedures under the law of any other state?

YES/NO

Has your organisation?

a) Been convicted of a criminal offence relating to the conduct of your

business or profession? YES/NO

b) Committed an act of grave misconduct in the course of your business or

profession? YES/NO

c) Failed to fulfil obligations relating to the payment of social security

contributions under the law of any part of the United Kingdom or of the

relevant State in which you are established?

YES/NO

d) Failed to fulfil obligations relating to the payment of taxes under the law of

any part of the United Kingdom or of the relevant State in which you are

established?

YES/NO

Annex 2- Supplier Response Template

17

Response to Invitation to Tender

For the supply of Mexico Education Sector Research to the British Council Company name: _________________________________________ Contact name: _________________________________________ Contact email address: _________________________________________ Contact Telephone number: _________________________________________

Instructions

1. Provide Company Name and Contact details above.

2. Complete Part 1 (Supplier Response) ensuring all answers are inserted in the space below each section of the British Council requirement / question. Note: Any alteration to a question will invalidate your response to that question and a mark of zero will be applied.

3. Complete Part 3 (Checklist) to acknowledge and ensure your submission includes all the mandatory requirements and documentation. Note: Failure to provide your acknowledgement and documentation may result in your submission being rejected.

4. Submit all mandatory documentation to [email protected] carbon copy to [email protected] by 17:00 CST 21st November 2014

Annex 2- Supplier Response Template

18

Part 1 – Supplier Response Scoring Methodology The following methodology for evaluating responses will be applied and weighted for all selection criteria below: 10 points (Excellent) - A comprehensive and strong answer indicating the provider is fully capable and experienced to deliver the required outcomes. A detailed response that directly responds to all requirements with no ambiguity and relevant examples provided. 7 points (Good) - There are slight concerns that the organisation will not be able to achieve all the outcomes required and response lacked details of relevant experience. A less detailed response that broadly responds to the requirement with some ambiguity and few relevant examples provided. 5 points (Adequate) - There are concerns that the organisation will not be able to achieve the outcomes required and response significantly lacks details of relevant experience. A less detailed response that broadly responds to the requirement with some ambiguity and no/irrelevant examples provided. 3 points (Poor Response/Limited Evidence) - There are serious indications that the organisation will not be able to achieve the outcomes required and has not provided appropriate evidence of experience to successfully deliver the outcomes required. A response that is not entirely relevant to the requirement, with ambiguity and lacking specific detail. 0 points (Unacceptable) - The answer is non-compliant and/or no relevant information has been received to demonstrate the organisation can achieve the required outcomes. No response or a response that is entirely irrelevant.

Section 1: Knowledge and Experience Selection Criteria Weighting: 25%

Please list at least four examples of research projects undertaken in the field of either

international education or higher education. Please include a description of any outputs

of these projects, including publications.

Please provide the details of any consultancy or research projects that have involved

any engagement with the Mexican education system.

Please provide details of any other projects recently undertaken that used similar

methodology, and the outputs and effects of these projects.

Please list the relevant qualifications and other experience of your team members

Supplier Response to Section 1:

Annex 2- Supplier Response Template

19

Section 2: Methodology and Approach Selection Criteria Weighting: 35%

Please provide a brief description of the methodology you propose to use, including

which of the four areas of research you propose to cover and how you propose to do

so:

A quantitative analysis that provides a clear picture of international

dynamics and trends

A focused qualitative element identifying four of five countries who have

implemented particularly interesting or innovative policies and outlining

the rationales and effects of these policies

An analysis of how the identified dynamics and trends are reflected in

British policies, experiences or needs

A detailed analysis reflecting the specific needs and challenges of

the Mexican context- identifying the similarities and differences

between Mexico and other countries and recommending specific

changes, programmes or policies that could make a positive

difference in the Mexican education system.

Please ensure that any links between the different stages of research are clear.

We recommend that you submit an additional, separate research proposal if you feel

that the supplier response format is insufficiently detailed. However, you must submit the

supplier response form.

Supplier Response to Section 2:

Annex 2- Supplier Response Template

20

Section 3: Timetable and Staffing Selection Criteria Weighting: 15%

• What timetable do you foresee for the research project? When will different

aspects of the research and what type of preliminary results do you foresee you

will be to share when?

• What will the responsibilities of your different staff members be? How do these

responsibilities relate to tasks they have previously performed?

Supplier Response to Section 3:

Section 4: Costing Selection Criteria Weighting: 25%

• Please provide a detailed breakdown of all costs associated to the project that

you foresee. Please ensure that the cost breakdown is along the lines of the four

identified aspects of the research, in addition to any further breakdown that you

deem relevant.

Annex 2- Supplier Response Template

21

Supplier Response to Section 4:

Part 2 – Submission Checklist Select Yes (Y) or No (N) to acknowledge and indicate that your submission includes all of the mandatory requirements for this tender. Important Note: Failure to provide your acknowledgement and documentation may result in your submission being rejected

1. Annex 1 –Mandatory Information Y / N

2. Annex 2 – Supplier Response Template Y / N

3. Detailed Research Proposal (Optional) Y / N