Overview
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) introduced a new procurement framework that applies to the projects it finances in 2019, which was further updated in 2021. It is harmonised with other Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) operating in the Region and seeks to promote value for money outcomes and enable CDB’s projects to realise their developmental outcomes in a timely manner.
CDB is seeking individual consultants to be included in a Procurement Advisory and Consultancy Roster (PACR) to provide procurement services to CDB and agencies responsible for project execution, under the aforementioned procurement framework, in CDB’s Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs). CDB shall conclude framework agreements, with agreed daily fee rates, with candidates deemed to have the necessary qualifications and experience and these consultants shall form part of the PACR. CDB will compare and select consultants from the PACR for specific assignments and “call down” services under their framework agreements. CDB reserves the right to consider the use of individual consultants outside of the PACR, as necessary, and to share details of consultants on the PACR with CDB client agencies who are seeking to contract individual procurement consultants in their own right under CDB financed projects.
Assignments may include but are not limited to:
- Project Implementation Support: whereby consultants will act on behalf of CDB in providing advisory and capacity building services to Recipients of CDB financing (herein referred to as “Recipients”) to support them to plan and undertake the necessary procurement activities under specific CDB projects in accordance with the relevant financing agreement between the Recipient and CDB and CDB’s Procurement Policy, Procurement Procedures and guidance notes[1]/, including:
- (i) Procurement Planning: support to Recipients primarily at the project design stage, to undertake necessary market research and support the development of appropriate procurement strategies and plans for project execution. This could also include supporting Recipients with private sector engagement activities; and
- (ii) Procurement Implementation: advice/support in areas including the development of prequalification, bidding and request for proposal documentation, evaluation exercises and the development of evaluation reports, negotiations and contract award. This may also include providing support with contract management planning and activities;
- Procurement training and capacity building for agencies in BMCs and regional organisations responsible for the execution and oversight of procurement under CDB-financed projects. This may take the form of “face-to-face” or online sessions and may be blended with CDB’s suite of procurement e-learning modules;
- Procurement assessments, including (a) assessments of the procurement capability, capacity, systems and performance of agencies responsible for procurement execution and oversight and (b) assessments of e-procurement systems proposed for use under CDB financed projects;
- Support to procurement reform initiatives in BMCs and regional organisations which may include legal and regulatory reform, the development of standard bidding documents and associated forms of contract, the drafting of manuals and guides, “hands-on” support to new public procurement institutions, the development and roll-out of procurement professionalisation programs and the introduction of e-procurement; and
- Research and data analytics: this will include market research and sector studies, beyond specific projects, research into emerging issues and data analytics related to regional, national and CDB procurement information.
Successful candidates will be registered on the PACR for an initial period of two (2) years, with the possibility of a further one (1) year extension. Entry into the roster does not provide a guarantee of any work, with assignments dependent on the needs of the Bank and its BMCs.
CDB now invites interested eligible individual consultants to submit Expressions of Interest, which should clearly indicate an interest in providing one or a number of the assignment types detailed under (1), (2), (3)(a), (3)(b), (4) and (5) above.
[1]/ For details of CDB procurement guidance notes, standard bidding documents and other templates see: Procurement Policy and Resources | Caribbean Development Bank (caribank.org)
Eligibility
Citizens and residents of all countries are eligible to express interest, but some assignments may be limited to citizens and bona fide residents of CDB member countries. However, in order to comply with CDB’s integrity requirements, consultants shall not:
- be subject to sanctions invoked by the United Nations (UN) Security Council under Chapter VII of the Charter of the UN;
- have engaged in Prohibited Practices, as detailed in Paragraph 2.02 a) of the Procedures for Dealing with Fraud and Corruption in CDB-Financed Projects[1]/ (October 2014 or as updated from time to time);
- be suspended or debarred by CDB for engaging in the Prohibited Practices referenced in (2) (b) above;
- be publicly debarred by an MDB subject to the Agreement on Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions in their own right, or under abovementioned agreement; or
- be subject to a conflict of interest that would undermine the consultant's ability to provide professional, objective, and impartial advice.
In the assessment of submissions, consideration will be given to the qualifications and experience on similar assignments to those detailed above but generally consultants should have:
- a graduate or post-graduate qualification in procurement, logistics, finance, accounting, or similar qualification. Preferably the consultant will also hold an internationally recognised procurement qualification;
- at least eight (8) years of relevant experience in the field of procurement, including in the context of MDB projects or close equivalent;
- transactional procurement and procurement advisory/consultancy experience, across a variety of sectors, including on infrastructure projects;
- an ability to provide high quality technical advice clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing; and
- a client-centric approach with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional and cultural teams.
Instructions
All information must be submitted in English. Further information may be obtained from the address below between 9:00am and 12:00 noon Barbados time, Monday to Friday.
Expressions of Interest must be submitted electronically by email to procurement@caribank.org in pdf format no later than 11.59 p.m. Barbados time, January 9, 2023. The email subject line should state “Expression of Interest – Procurement Advisory and Consultancy Roster” and the email body must state the name and address of the consultant. 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 consultant and will not be met solely by a read receipt or sent items report generated by the consultant’s computer.
Following the assessment of submissions, the most technically capable and appropriately experienced consultants will be invited to negotiate a framework contract to provide the aforementioned advisory and consultancy services and once signed added to the PACR. CDB reserves the right to accept or reject late Expressions of Interest or to cancel the present invitation partially or in its entirety. It will not be bound to assign any reason for not engaging the services of any consultant and will not defray any costs incurred by any consultant in the preparation and submission of Expressions of Interest.
Contact
1. Address
Procurement Policy Unit