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Procurement

Request for Proposals (RFP): Timor-Lest Disaster-Resilient Border Processes Project

Published on December 19, 2024 - Closing date: January 7, 2025

1. Background

The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (the Alliance) is a public-private partnership for trade led growth jointly hosted by the World Economic Forum (the Forum), the International Chamber of Commerce and the Center for International Private Enterprise in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

The Alliance’s work is designed to help governments in developing and least developed countries implement the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). It brings together governments and businesses as equal partners to identify trade facilitation issues such as customs delays and unnecessary red-tape at borders, and design and implement targeted reforms that deliver commercially quantifiable results.

The Alliance is supported by the governments of the United States, Canada, Germany, and Sweden and works with private sector partners from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the world’s largest multinationals.

The Alliance is working with the Government of Timor-Leste to improve the robustness of its border processes so that they can adapt to and recover from the impact of natural disasters and health crises.  The Alliance, acting through the Forum, is seeking a consultant to support the planning, implementation and review of scenario-based tabletop tests in Timor-Leste to evaluate and improve emergency border processes.

2. Introduction to the RFP

2.1 RFP Overview

The Alliance, acting through the Forum invites you to respond to tender for Timor-Lest Disaster-Resilient Border Processes Project. You should read and respond carefully to all sections of this tender.  Failure to do so in the required manner and by the due date could lead to your organisation being excluded from any further stages.

The issuance of this RFP is not deemed an offer to contract. The Alliance remains the sole decision maker in the contracting process and may choose to reject any proposals from any supplier received during this RFP process. The Alliance reserves the right to terminate, amend, vary, or supplement this RFP by notice to all potential supplier in writing.

The Alliance will treat as confidential all information submitted as part of this tender.  The tender submitted will become the physical property of the Alliance.

 

2.2 General Instructions

  1. Please clearly provide the following vendor information:
    • Your company name
    • Your company address and country
    • Your Company website
    • Primary contact details (Name and title) for this RFP
    • Your role in the company / for this project
    • Your email address
    • Your (mobile) phone number
    • A brief description of your company’s core specialities
    • Whether your company currently has / had an agreement or contract with the World Economic Forum? (if so please provide details of contact point, scope of services, conditions and expiration date)
  2. Please clearly provide the following sustainability information:
    • Does your company have a sustainability management system?
    • Does your company have sustainability policies?
    • Does your company measure and report its economic, environmental and social impacts?
    • Provide a list of sustainability certifications obtained by your company, including for your data centres.
    • Provide attachments, or links such as sustainability reports or certificates.
  3. Please confirm your acceptance of the terms and conditions described in Section 3 of this document.
  4. Please explain clearly how you will meet the requirements described in Section 4 of this document.
  5. Feel free to add supporting documents to your proposal to the extent that it is specific to the question asked, but please ensure this does not include any marketing collateral.
  6. Provide a Financial Proposal priced in in United States Dollars for the full cost of implementation including:
    • Staffing Costs
    • Indirect Costs (if applicable)
    • International travel to Timor-Leste, food and accommodation in Dili covering a minimum of 2 visits of 2 weeks each
    • Any other applicable costs

 

2.3 Method of Submission and Cut Off Date

Interested consultants should submit a proposal in PDF format to: Christopher Holden (christopher.holden@iccwbo.org) with the subject line: “Timor-Lest Disaster-Resilient Border Processes Project [YOURNAME]” by 11:59pm on 07-Jan-25. Please note that submission of a proposal in the manner described above will deem all terms and conditions of this Request for Proposal have been accepted by the Bidder and incorporated into its proposal unless specifically notified otherwise.

 

3.Terms and Conditions

3.1 Confidentiality of the RFP        

All information provided, including this RFP and all other related documents, either in writing or orally, must be treated in confidence and not disclosed to any third party. You shall not disclose, copy or reproduce any of the information provided other than for the purposes of preparing and submitting a proposal.

 

3.2 Costs Associated with this RFP

All time and expense incurred by the supplier in this project are the responsibility of the supplier and will not be reimbursed.

 

3.3 Amendment of the RFP

The Alliance reserves the right to change this RFP.  Any modification of the RFP terms and conditions shall be notified by the Alliance to the Supplier. Furthermore, prospective suppliers shall take no advantage of any apparent errors or omissions in the RFP documents.  In the event that any errors or omissions are discovered, the supplier shall notify the Alliance immediately using your single point of contact.

 

3.4 Supplier Selection Criteria

The Alliance’s supplier selection process will involve an evaluation based on supplier’s RFP responses (qualitative evaluation) and supplier’s pricing elements.

 

3.5 Proposal Validity

Proposals shall remain valid for a period of 90 days from the date of RFP submission.  A proposal valid for a shorter period may be rejected by the Alliance as non-responsive.

In exceptional circumstances, the Alliance may solicit the Supplier’s consent to an extension of the period of validity. The request and the responses thereto shall be through email correspondence.

 

3.6 Payment Terms  

The services will be delivered on a fixed cost basis payable according to the following milestones:

  1. Signature of a Collaboration Agreement between the consultant and the Forum: 20%
  2. Completion of the Table Top Test Exercise: 30%
  3. Completion of the Project: 50%

Standard payment terms are 30 days.

 

3.7 Subcontractors

It is the supplier responsibility to ensure that any staff, consortium members, sub-contractors and advisers abide by these Terms and Conditions and the requirement of this RFP.

 

3.8 Contacting the Alliance

Any attempt by a Supplier to influence the Alliance’s decisions in the RFP evaluation, comparison or award of contract may result in the rejection of the proposal. The Alliance’s decision will be final and binding on all parties.

 

3.9 Third-Party Verifications

Your proposal is submitted on the basis that you consent to the Alliance carrying out all necessary actions to verify the information that you have provided. The Alliance may decide to include one or more third parties commissioned by the Alliance  for such purposes.

 

3.10 Award Criteria

After the establishment of reasonableness of the proposals submitted, the Alliance will award the Contract to the supplier whose proposal has been determined to be most suitable, as per the Alliance’s requirement, provided that the Supplier is qualified to perform the contractual obligations satisfactorily. The Alliance reserves the right to award the contract completely or partially to one or more Supplier, without assigning any reason.

 

4. Requirements

Consultants are required to provide the following services:

  1. Work with the Alliance to integrate the Tabletop Testing Exercise (TTX) into a wider system strengthening initiative.
  2. Participate in high level kick-off meetings to sensitise stakeholders to approach and benefits of the TTX
  3. Work with stakeholders to develop suitable objectives for the TTX
  4. Create a high level TTX road map for discussion and approval
  5. Help identify suitable members of a TTX planning team
  6. Facilitate and provide technical expertise during TTX planning meetings including developing suitable scenarios and injects
  7. Oversee the development of a detailed TTX plan for approval by the TTX planning team
  8. Advise on suitable arrangements for hosting the TTX
  9. Help identify suitable participants for the TTX
  10. Develop TTX re-usable guides for:
    • Facilitators
    • Participants
    • Evaluators
  11. Provide expert resources to:
  12. Act as the Director of the TTX
  13. Facilitate the TTX
  14. Oversee evaluation of the TTX
  15. Ensure that TTX Is hosted in a smooth and professional manner
  16. Create a draft After Action Report and Improvement Plan for discussion and approval by the TTX participants
  17. Develop a collaborative learning approach whereby capacity is built within the Government of Timor-Leste to run subsequent TTXs with increased levels of autonomy

 

The consultant must:

  1. Demonstrate a track record of TTX delivery in the field of disaster preparedness, supply chain strengthening or trade facilitation
  2. Have experience of working in developing countries, particularly those in South East Asia
  3. Be prepared to work in a manner that collaboratively develops learning within the Alliance team
  4. Possess strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to work in a multi-stakeholder, multi-cultural environment.

The duration of the contract will be approximately 7 months, potentially renewable.

The expected start date: is mid-January 2025.