Request for Procurement and Contract Management Officer
GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA
HOUSING RECOVERY PROJECT
Terms of Reference
Procurement and Contract Management Officer
Introduction
An urgent and critical issue confronting Dominica is the recovery of its housing sector in the wake of Hurricane Maria which struck the island in September 2017. The hurricane devastated the country’s infrastructure, communities and households, along with the main productive sectors – agriculture and tourism. Prior to Hurricane Maria, it was already established that the country’s development was challenged by the vulnerability of its population and economy to natural disasters, which can impose large costs on the country’s fragile economy. The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica has embarked upon a broad range of housing recovery strategies aimed at increasing structural resilience in the housing sector and the built environment, thus reducing the vulnerability of citizens and the economy to natural disasters.
Project Background
The Commonwealth of Dominica has secured financing from the International Development Association (IDA) credit and a Crisis Response Window Grant for the Housing Recovery Project (HRP). The HRP is one of the projects in the GoCD’s National Housing Repair and Reconstruction Programme portfolio. The HRP will contribute both to the recovery of housing for disaster-affected households and to improving the application of resilient building practices in the housing sector. The Project will finance support for housing recovery systems and capacity building, support for the reconstruction of houses, and project management and coordination. The project has a significant construction works component and other activities related to institutional strengthening and capacity building. It has been formulated in keeping with the GoCD’s National Housing Repair and Reconstruction Programme (NHRRP). The HRP is prepared as part of an overall development partner initiative to support medium- and long-term recovery in Dominica, and is part of a broader World Bank recovery portfolio comprised of two other operations: (i) an Emergency Agricultural Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project; and (ii) an Additional Financing to the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project.
A stand-alone Project Implementation Unit (PIU) will be established under the Ministry of Housing, Land and Water Resource Management (MoH) to be responsible for the timely implementation and execution of the HRP program. The PIU will report directly to the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the MoH, and will liaise constantly with the technical divisions of the MoH and the Ministry of Planning (MoP) as well as the Housing Task Force (HTF), responsible for overseeing sector recovery. In the implementation of the Program, the Communications, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist and the PIU staff will have support from a team of international experts, who will form an Implementation Support Team (IST), housed in the Ministry of Finance. This IST will have expertise in areas of World Bank procurement, social/environmental safeguards and financial management, and will serve as a shared resource across all World Bank financed Projects in Dominica.
An essential component of the Project is the establishment of up to seven (7) Technical Assistance Centers (TACs) throughout the country to serve as satellite offices of the Physical Planning Division of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoP). These TACs will be the primary interface between the public/eligible beneficiaries/contractors and the implementing agencies. The PIU will oversee the operations at the TACs while the TACs support the PIU in the collection of the demographic information required for administering eligibility under the project, for undertaking technical assessments and carrying out development control functions. These Terms of Reference have been prepared to assist in the engagement of a Procurement and Contract ManagementSpecialist for the PIU. He/She will be responsible for all aspects of strategic coordination with the IST Procurement Specialist on all fiduciary aspects of the project.
Objectives
The Procurement and Contract Management Officer will be required to perform relevant procurement activities, supervise the international and national bidding process for goods, services and civil works; prepare and submit bid evaluation reports, negotiate contracts and make recommendations for award to the Governmentin keeping with the World Bank Procurement Guidelines.
Responsibilities
The Procurement and Contract Management Officer will assist the Governmentin all contracts and procurement related matters, and provide procurement and contract management services for the various components of the HRP. He/she will assist the Project Managerwith the preparation and negotiation of contracts for all project components and with consulting firms and consultants, suppliers of goods, and contractors.
The Procurement and Contract Officer will develop effective contract administrative and monitoring procedures, train staff to apply them, and be responsible for preparing all periodic reports on project procurement status.
The Procurement and Contract Management Officer will report to the Project Managerand will be responsible for the procurement and contract management aspects of the Project, as well as with the general implementation aspects as needed. This will require, among others, working closely with the PIU Technical Officers, other line ministries and agencies involved in the implementation and coordination of different project components, and the preparation of financial plans and budgets for the implementation of the components.
Main Tasks
- Prepare annual procurement plans and ensure their timely implementation and review/revise as needed, in coordination and cooperation with the Project Manager and PIU Technical Officers and have them approved by the World Bank (WB);
- Regularly review and revise/update the project Procurement Plan (PP) and corresponding budget for approval and monitoring purposes, including all relevant details such as review method, procurement method, market approach, and dates. Revise these in collaboration with the Project Manager, PIU Technical Officers and if required relevant Ministry/Department and submit to the WB for no-objection if necessary;
- Prepare in coordination with PIU Technical Officers and relevant government personnel, Terms of References (TORs) for individual consultants to be engaged within the Project and other Project related consultancy services; Bid Documents, Bills of Quantities (BOQs), Request for Proposals (RFP), and Expressions of Interest and other bidding documents as necessary for procurement of goods, works, consulting and non-consulting services, and transmit the documents to the World Bank for review and no objection;
- Ensure timely publication of General Procurement Notices (GPN), Specific Procurement Notices (SPN), and requests for Expression of Interests (EOI) as required in the national newspapers/Official Gazette, Development Gateway, UN Development Business Online, et cetera for the procurement of goods, works and services required for the project and ensure timely publication of contract awards;
- Organize evaluation of Bids and Consultant proposals; advise and guide the Evaluation Committees and PIU Technical Officers on WB Procurement and Consultants' selection procedures; take part in the Evaluation Committees as necessary and feasible, and assume the role of the Committee’s secretary if required;
- Coordinate and respond to inquiries from bidders and consultants in a timely manner;
- Conduct pre-bid meetings and/or site visits and prepare minutes;
- Conduct the bid opening procedure and prepare minutes of bid opening;
- Prepare the minutes of the evaluation committee meetings;
- Prepare bid evaluation reports and proposal evaluation reports in collaboration with Evaluation Committee and PIU Technical Officers and transmit evaluation documents to the World Bank for review and no objection;
- Undertake contract negotiations if applicable;
- Monitor the progress of contract implementation to ensure that it abides by the stipulated standards, procedures and planned procurement timetable (Items: Project Schedule, Project Budget, Project Reporting, Technical Procedure, Contract Management);
- Establish and maintain an inventory of final destinations of all goods/equipment procured under the projects;
- Maintain a Register of qualified Suppliers, Consultants and Contractors and ensure periodic update of the Register;
- Prepare relevant Contracts for procurement of works, goods, consulting and non-consulting services for the project and ensure timely distribution of all relevant procurement and contract documents to relevant stakeholders (Government, Accounts Department, Technical Officers, Consultants, Suppliers, and the Bank);
- Perform final check-up of the contracts before disbursement;
- In cases of procurement actions requiring the Bank’s “no objection”, coordinate the dispatch of procurement documents to the Bank, monitor the Bank’s response time on issuing “no objections” at different levels of the procurement process and follow-up accordingly;
- Develop and implement administrative and monitoring procedures for effective supervision of works (earned value, application of escalation clauses, payment procedures, technical assessment with performance indicators to be developed and link with financial monitoring, chain of command for required actions with clear responsibilities assigned to individuals) on the basis of a standard spreadsheet or acceptable electronic model for all concerned Implementing Agencies.
- Prepare relevant procurement-related correspondence and coordinate procurement matters with the World Bank, project beneficiaries, contractors and suppliers of goods and services;
- Ensure the forwarding of copies of signed contracts to the World Bank to facilitate disbursement;
- Monitor timely receipt of the goods, provisional acceptance of works and Consultants reports in keeping with contractual requirements before issuing final acceptance certificates;
- Monitor the receipt of the Supplier’s and Consultant’s invoices and ensure the request does not exceed the contract allowance based on work completed or goods supplied;
- Assist in resolving any claims during implementation or any dispute or arbitration arising from performance of the Contractors/Suppliers/Consultants;
- Establish and maintain an efficient procurement and contract management tracking system to ensure quick retrieval of procurement information by the visiting supervisory WB missions, annual audits etc.;
- Develop, update and maintain the Project’s procurement filing system, and ensure timely input of all relevant documents in their respective files;
- Provide procurement training for PIU Staff, Committee Evaluators and staff of Beneficiary Agencies that might be appointed for implementation of the Project;
- Prepare and submit for Bank review periodic procurement progress reports, keep list of completed, on-going and planned contracts and keep updated list of contracts subject to the World Bank post review;
- Prepare a final report of all the works executed;
Specific Responsibilities:
In addition to the above areas, the Procurement and Contract Management Officer will:
- Establish and maintain records of, and monitor schedules and compliance with, procurement procedures pertinent to International Competitive Bidding, Limited International Bidding, National Competitive Bidding and Shopping under the HRP for all goods, works and non-consulting services including training and RFP’s as per applicable method including expert services;
- Establish and maintain records of all schedules and bidding documents on procurement under the HRP, for processing and for the file records of the PIU;
- Prepare and submit to the Project Manager, bidding documents for procurement of goods, works, consulting and non-consulting services under HRP, and prepare for forwarding to the Bank, as appropriate, the necessary documentation for their review.
- Keep up-to-date on all procurement procedures as are outlined by the IDA procedures under the Agreements.
- Work closely with the PIU Financial Management Officer, Project Manager and Technical Officers in preparing budgetary estimates and in ensuring timely and complete documentation of actual expenditures incurred in relation to procurement of works (including professional fees), goods and services.
- Prepare procurement related section for inclusion in the quarterly progress reports, and other reports/information as may be requested by the PIU Coordinator and in any forms [reports/diagrams] that might be required by the Project’s needs.
Minimum Required Qualifications and Experience
- Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Law, Economics, Project Management or a related field.
- Minimum three (3) years experience related to procurement of goods, works and services. Proven experience with donor-funded procurement (WBG, CDB, EU, IDB, etc.) and proven knowledge of procurement regulations/guidelines used by international donors would be an advantage.
- Experience in contract management of goods, services and works contracts, including handling claims.
- Knowledge and training in World Bank or other Multilateral Bank’s Procurement Procedures and Regulations would be an advantage.
Required Skills:
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, organization and time management skills;
- Demonstrated ability to work in teams within a collaborative mode;
- Integrity and confidentiality;
- Advanced computer (PC) skills, especially in Microsoft Office or related software;
- Strong Analytical and Report Writing Skills;
- Fluency in English Language with excellent written and oral communication and listening skills.
Reporting Arrangements
The Consultant will report directly to the Project Manager of the Housing Recovery Project/Project Implementation Unit, Ministry of Housing.
Terms of the Assignment/Contract Duration
The Consultancy is expected to be awarded for a period of duration of one year, and will be renewed subject to satisfactory performance reviews. The assignment is expected to commence in July 2018 and is to be renewable annually as the HRP project continues through its project cycle. The Consultant shall be engaged on full time basis, eight hours a day, and five days a week. A six (6) month probation period will be included.
Expression of Interest
Interested applicants whose qualifications and experience are in line with the Terms of Reference are invited to submit their CV and a letter of motivation / application stating suitability for the position on or before Friday 15th June 2018 to
Fred Esprit
National Housing Coordinator,
Ministry of Housing, Lands and Water Resource Management