Overview
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has allocated financing towards the cost of the preparation and development of a Regional Model Special Educational Needs (SEN) Policy and Strategy. CDB intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this financing to eligible payments under a contract for which this invitation is issued. Payments will be made only upon approval by CDB and will be subject in all respects to the terms and conditions of the Contract Agreement. CDB prohibits the purpose of any payment to persons or entities, or for any import of goods, if such payment or import, to the knowledge of CDB, is prohibited by a decision of the United Nations Security Council taken under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.
CDB, the Executing Agency, now wishes to procure consultancy services for the preparation and development of a Regional Model Special Educational Needs Policy and Strategy. The objective of the consultancy is to prepare a gender responsive and socially inclusive model policy and strategy which provide the best options for educating children with SEN in the most appropriate and least restrictive environment, and which provide a framework to guide BMCs in the customisation of national policies, strategies and interventions. The duration of the assignment is expected to be for a period of 12 months, commencing February 2020.
CDB now invites interested eligible consulting firms to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the provision of these consultancy services.
Eligiblity
Firms or Joint Ventures (JV) shall be eligible to participate if:
(a) in the case of a body corporate, it is legally incorporated or otherwise organised in an eligible country, has its principal place of business in an eligible country and is more than 50 per cent beneficially owned by citizen(s) and/or bona fide resident(s) of eligible country(ies) or by a body(ies) corporate meeting these requirements;
(b) in the case of unincorporated firms, the beneficial owners are citizens or bona fide residents of an eligible country; and
(c) in all cases, the firm or JV has no arrangement and undertakes not to make any arrangements, whereby any substantial part of the net profits or other tangible benefits of the contract will accrue or be paid to a person not a citizen or bona fide resident of an eligible country.
Eligible countries are member countries of CDB.
Instructions
In the assessment of submissions, consideration will be given to:
(a) technical competence, validated by references, in the delivery of social research using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, social policy design and analysis, gender and intersectionality analysis, design of results and monitoring frameworks and multi-stakeholder engagement for projects with at least one of the following components: education sector policy design or analysis and/or SEN sub- sector engagement. A minimum of two assignments should be presented on two pages maximum, with the role of the firm or JV indicated;
(b) local, regional or international experience of the firm or JV in the provision of relevant services. Experience with projects funded by Multi-lateral Development Banks (MDBs) and global development organisations would be an asset. A minimum of two such assignments undertaken in the last three years should be presented, on two pages maximum;
(c) capacity to provide the required expertise in social research and education sector policy development and communications and facilitation of multi-sectoral stakeholder fora and use of interactive communication models including via the use of online media.
(d) consultants should be able to demonstrate the ability to mobilise teams with the following qualifications and experience in the below mentioned disciplines:
A.
i. Education: Post graduate qualification in Education Policy and Planning, Education Administration, Special Needs Education or relevant Social Science (or equivalent).
ii. Experience: At least 15 years’ experience in development policy and planning and demonstrated experience working with vulnerable groups, special educational needs communities (both physical and procedural accommodations for persons with SEN), as well as gender analysis are requirements.
B.
i. Experience: Demonstrated experience in multi-sectoral stakeholder mobilisation, civil society engagement, as well as communications and facilitation of participatory and inclusive multisectoral stakeholder fora and use of interactive communication including online media. Work in multi-cultural and multi-lingual contexts an asset.
(e) For each discipline, the total number of available team resources with relevant post-graduate qualifications should be provided. The total number of technical and administrative staff available to support the key personnel should also be provided. Individual CVs are not required;
(f) financial capability, by way of a statement confirming that the firm or members of the JV is/are neither bankrupt nor engaged in bankruptcy proceedings and confirmation, if requested, that financial statements for the past two years shall be provided;
(g) existing commitments, by way of explanation and accompanying provision of a list of current and expected assignments during the length of the project giving the name, stage and size of project and the role being/to be performed by the firm or members of the JV.
Expressions of Interest must be submitted in English electronically by email to procurement@caribank.org in pdf format no later than 16:30 hours, local time on Monday, January 20, 2020. The email subject line should state “Expression of Interest – Consultancy Services for the “Preparation and Development of a Model Special Educational Needs Policy and Strategy” and the email body must state the name and address of the applicant. The Expression of Interest will be deemed to have been received at the time that it is received by CDB. The burden of proving receipt of the e-mail will be on the applicant and will not be met solely by a read receipt or sent items report generated by the applicant’s computer.
The selection method for the award of the consultancy shall be Quality Based Selection (QBS). Therefore, following the assessment of submissions, a short-list of not less than three and not more than six applicants will be provided with a request for proposal (RFP) and invited to submit technical and financial proposals to undertake the assignment.
CDB reserves the right to accept or reject late applications or to cancel the present invitation partially or in its entirety. It will not be bound to assign any reason for not short-listing any applicant and will not defray any costs incurred by any applicant in the preparation and submission of Expressions of Interest.
Further information may be obtained from the address below between 08:30 and 16:30 hours local time, Monday to Friday.
Contact
1. Address one
Attention: Paul Murphy
Social Sector Division
Caribbean Development Bank
P. O. Box 408, Wildey
St. Michael
BARBADOS, W.I.