RFPs for Technical Assistance to Government & Industry in Their Efforts to Reduce ITFA in Ghee

7273 views

Posted date	29th November, 2023	Last date to apply	10th December, 2023
Country	Pakistan	Locations	Islamabad
Category	Development Sector
Type	Full Time	Position	1
Status	Closed

Attached files

47139_job_RFP -ITFA Elimination in Pakistan_.pdf

Scope of work
Desk review: Undertake a review of the studies conducted by GAIN, WHO, Heartfile, and other relevant organizations/ agencies to explore the current landscape on iTFA in Pakistan, recommend the most feasible iTFA replacement solution(s) in the country context, develop a plan of action for adoption of the same by oil producers by taking into factors like equipment, financial and human resources, etc. Also, review the global guidance on iTFA elimination and evidence from country case studies documenting advocacy efforts for successful iTFA elimination at the national level.
Advocacy: Engage with and conduct advocacy meetings with federal and provincial food regulatory bodies and the National Fortification Alliance at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (MoNHSR&C) and other relevant partners in the country to push for policy changes for revising the standards on iTFA limits at provincial and federal levels according to WHO REPLACE policy. Once the standards are revised and notified, the consultancy firm will provide technical support to the government regulatory bodies in enforcement of the revised standards.
Ensure representation in ITFA Technical Advisory Group: Build synergies with already existing forums/ technical advisory groups (TAG) and if needed help in creating a coordination forum in consultation of National Fortification Alliance / MoNHSR&C, to initiate dialogue with Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturer’s Association (PVMA), PSQCA, Provincial Food Authorities (PFA), and relevant government departments, and agencies/ development partners. Specifically, the consulting firm will:
Present findings from the desk review to this group and identify opportunities for reduction of iTFA in edible oil/ghee supply chain with support from NI,
Undertake an advocacy with the advisory group or other suitable forum to develop a statement of intent and action points specific to their organization/ agency/ department, etc. as well as a joint work plan for iTFA elimination in the country (in accordance with the National Action Plan on iTFA elimination) and ensure commitment to the same, and
Schedule periodic meetings of this forum/ TAG in consultation with group members to update the stakeholders on the latest developments in this initiative.
Invite the oil producers who are producing iTFA free oil/ ghee to the forum and learn from their production processes and experiences and use their learning to build peer pressure for other producers to adopt the recommended replacement solutions to produce iTFA free oil/ ghee in the country.
Undertake assessment visits to the production facilities of these oil producers to gain a deeper understanding of the required equipment, chemicals, human and financial resources to adopt healthier production alternatives.
Develop standard operating procedure (SOP) for adoption of iTFA replacement solutions by oil producers of different scale and capacities based on the learnings from the assessment visits to production facilities. These SOPs will also be reviewed and approved by relevant government authorities to ensure ownership/ buy-in.
Develop training modules and conduct training: Develop a training module on production processes for iTFA free oil/ ghee for oil producers of various production scale and capacities for their capacity building. Train oil producers on SOPs/ guidelines for producing iTFA free oil/ ghee to ensure production of the same.
Recommendations: Develop recommendations for the adoption of these replacement solutions by the oil producers at scale and to the government regulatory bodies for monitoring the same.
TA to Government regulatory bodies: Provide technical support to government food regulatory bodies to implement and enforce standards for iTFA limit by regular testing of ghee samples in the market and production units.
Dissemination: Plan a national-level dissemination of the findings and recommendations of this technical assistance for adoption of the iTFA replacement solutions at scale for edible oil producers and food regulatory bodies.

Apply By:

1.1. RFP Timetable

1.3.1. The estimated schedule for the RFP and contract approval is as follows except for the Closing Date and Time, which is a mandatory requirement.

*Activity*	*Date Required*
RFP available for distribution	November 6, 2023
Deadline for Receipt of Questions	December 4, 2023
*Closing Date and Time*	December 10, 2023 & 17:00 PM PST
Evaluation Process Completion	December 15, 2023
Recommendation and Selection	December 20, 2023
Projected Contract Award Date	January 10, 2024

Note: The above-mentioned schedule is tentative

1.2. Proposal Communications

1.4.1. For the purpose of requesting information and clarification or for any other purpose relating to this RFP including the RFP process, proponents are to contact only the Contracting Authority for this RFP.

Correspondence via e-mail sent to: [email protected]

1.4.2. All communication concerning this RFP is to be in writing clearly marked with the name, title and the number of this RFP. The request will specify the RFP section and page number as applicable.

1.4.3. All communication concerning this RFP is to be sent to the Contracting Authority by e-mail at the above noted e-mail address. NI will not be responsible for the delivery of any communication. NI recommends the Proponent confirm receipt of all communications with the Contracting Authority.

1.3. Proposal Preparation and Submission Process

1.5.1. Questions from proponents

a) All inquiries regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing by the date specified in section 1.3.1

b) All questions posed and answers provided will be shared by email with all proponents and/or posted on the NI website without attribution.

1.5.2. Submission of Proposal

a) Proponents’ complete Technical and Commercial Proposals must be received no later than the date and time specified in section 1.3.1.

b) Submissions must be sent electronically via email as per section 1.4.1.

c) All the attachments must be labelled and referenced corresponding to the document type and Annexes accordingly.

d) Proposals must be clearly marked in the subject line as follows:

PROPONENT’S NAME: TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (RFP: 2306-11)
PROPONENT’S NAME: COMMERCIAL PROPOSAL (RFP: 2306-11)

e) Late proposals will not be accepted under any circumstances. Proposal submissions received after the deadline stated above will be disqualified.

1.5.3. Modifications and withdrawals

a) All modifications to proposals must be received by NI prior to the submission deadline. The proponent must clearly state the changes from the original proposal and indicate that the revised proposal supersedes the earlier version.

b) A proposal may be withdrawn by email by the proponent prior to the submission deadline.

c) Negligence on the part of the proponent confers no right for the withdrawal of the proposal after it has been opened.

d) Modifications and/or withdrawals of proposals must be sent by email as per section 1.4.1.