Assignment Title: Hiring of Consulting firm) for Developing Key Messages and Delivering Mobile Voice Services

1.The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has received financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (“the Fund” or “IFAD”) towards the cost of National Poverty Graduation Program (“the client” or “procuring entity”) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the recruitment of consulting services, for which this REOI is issued.

The use of any IFAD financing shall be subject to IFAD’s approval, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the financing agreement, as well as IFAD’s rules, policies and procedures. IFAD and its officials, agents and employees shall be held harmless from and against all suits, proceedings, claims, demands, losses and liability of any kind or nature brought by any party in connection with National Poverty Graduation Programme.

2.           This request for expressions of interest (REOI) follows the general procurement notice that appeared in Brightspyre on November 15, 2024.

3.           The client now invites expressions of interest (EOIs) from legally constituted consulting firms (not individual consultants) (“consultants”) to provide Developing Key Messages and Delivering Mobile Voice Services for the project. More details on these consulting services are provided in the preliminary terms of reference (PTOR) attached as Annex 1. The consultant may sub-contract selected activities provided that said services do will not exceed 20% of the total consultancy work.

4.           Before preparing its EOIs, the consultant is advised to review the preliminary terms of reference attached as Annex 1, which describes the assignment and Annex 2 that details the evaluation of the technical qualifications.

5.           The consultant shall not have any actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest. A consultant with an actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest shall be disqualified unless otherwise explicitly approved by the Fund. A consultant including their respective personnel and affiliates are considered to have a conflict of interest if they a) have a relationship that provides them with undue or undisclosed information about or influence over the selection process and the execution of the contract, b) participate in more than one EOI under this procurement action, c) have a business or family relationship with a member of the client’s board of directors or its personnel, the Fund or its personnel, or any other individual that was, has been or might reasonably be directly or indirectly involved in any part of (i) the preparation of this expression of interest, (ii) the selection process for this procurement, or (iii) execution of the contract. The consultant has an ongoing obligation to disclose any situation of actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest during preparation of the EOI, the selection process or the contract execution. Failure to properly disclose any of said situations may lead to appropriate actions, including the disqualification of the consultant, the termination of the contract and any other as appropriate under the IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Projects and Operations.

6.           All consultants are required to comply with the Revised IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Activities and Operations (hereinafter, “IFAD’s Anticorruption Policy”) in competing for, or in executing, the contract.

a.           If determined that a consultant or any of its personnel or agents, or its sub-consultants, sub-contractors, service providers, suppliers, sub-suppliers and/or any of their personnel or agents, has, directly or indirectly, engaged in any of the prohibited practices defined in IFAD’s Anticorruption Policy or integrity violations such as sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse as established in IFAD’s Policy to Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse  in competing for, or in executing, the contract, the EOI may be rejected or the contract may be terminated by the client.

b.           In accordance with IFAD’s Anticorruption Policy, the Fund has the right to sanction firms and individuals, including by declaring them ineligible, either indefinitely or for a stated period of time, to participate in any IFAD-financed and/or IFAD-managed activity or operation. A debarment includes, inter alia, ineligibility to: (i) be awarded or otherwise benefit from any IFAD-financed contract, financially or in any other manner; (ii) be a nominated sub-contractor, consultant, manufacturer, supplier, sub-supplier, agent or service provider of an otherwise eligible firm being awarded an IFAD-financed contract; and (iii) receive the proceeds of any loan or grant provided by the Fund. The Fund also has the right to recognize debarments issued by other international financial institutions in accordance with its Anticorruption Policy.

c.           Consultants and any of their personnel and agents, and their sub-consultants, sub-contractors, service providers, suppliers, sub-suppliers and any of their personnel and agents are required to fully cooperate with any investigation conducted by the Fund, including by making personnel available for interviews and by providing full access to any and all accounts, premises, documents and records (including electronic records) relating to this selection process or the execution of the contract and to have such accounts, premises, records and documents audited and/or inspected by auditors and/or investigators appointed by the Fund.

d.           Consultants have the ongoing obligation to disclose in their EOI and later in writing as may become relevant: (i) any administrative sanctions, criminal convictions or temporary suspensions of themselves or any of their key personnel or agents for fraud and corruption, and (ii) any commissions or fees paid or to be paid to agents or other parties in connection with this selection process or the execution of the contract. As a minimum, consultants must disclose the name and contact details of the agent or other party and the reason, amount and currency of the commission or fee paid or to be paid. Failure to comply with these disclosure obligations may lead to rejection of the EOI or termination of the contract. 

e.           Consultants are required to keep all records and documents, including electronic records, relating to this selection process available for a minimum of three (3) years after notification of completion of the process or, in case the consultant is awarded the contract, execution of the contract.

7.           The Fund requires that all beneficiaries of IFAD funding or funds administered by IFAD, including the client, any consultants, implementing partners, service providers and suppliers, observe the highest standards of integrity during the procurement and execution of such contracts, and commit to combat money laundering and terrorism financing consistent with IFAD’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Policy.

8.           Procedure: the selection process will be conducted using Consultant Qualification base Selection (CQS) as laid out in the IFAD Procurement Handbook that can be accessed via the IFAD website at www.ifad.org/project-procurement. The client will evaluate the EOIs using the criteria provided in Annex 2. The shortlisted consultant(s) will be provided with the detailed TORs and asked to submit a detailed technical and financial offer. The evaluation will include a review and verification of qualifications and past performance, including a reference check, prior to the contract award.

9.           Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

10.         Any request for clarification on this EOI including the PTOR should be sent to [email protected] no later than 04:30 pm November 20, 2024. The client will provide responses to all clarification requests by 04:30 pm November 22, 2024.

11.         Submission Procedure: please submit your expression of interest using the forms provided for this purpose. Your EOI should comprise one (1) original copy of each EOI form annexed to this document. EOIs shall be submitted to the address below no later than December 02, 2024.

Attn: Programme Director

National Poverty Graduation Program

Ministry of Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety

4th Floor Evacuee Trust Building F-5/1

Islamabad

Tel: 051-9201263-4