Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela

October 2013

In order to ensure that forest cover monitoring continues and remains sustainable in the Member Countries in the coming years, on April 2013 the Brazilian Economic and Social Development Bank (BNDES) through the Amazon Fund extended a non-reimbursable financial collaboration of approximately USD 12 million to ACTO to execute the project "Monitoring Forest Cover in the Amazon Region".

These resources are supplementary to those provided by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and by German and Dutch Cooperation (BMZ/DGIS/GIZ) for the project“Monitoring Deforestation, Land Use and Land Use Change in the Pan-Amazonian Forest" RED-PD 029/09 Rev.1 (F).

1. ITTO-BMZ/DGIS/GIZ

1. Amazon Fund/BNDES

USD 1 = R$ 1.9939 (Total R$ 23,693,641)

Its beneficiaries are the Member Countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), executing agency the Permanent Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (PS/ACTO), and strategic partner the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) through its Amazon Regional Center in Belem.

The ACTO Foreign Ministers emphasized the significance of this contribution through RES/XII MRE-OTCA/9 (El Coca, Ecuador, May 2013), where they determined "... in favor of the project Forest Cover Monitoring developed by the Government of Brazil through BNDES, in the context of the Amazon Fund, in accordance with Decision No. 471/2013 of 30 April 2013.To that extent, they instructed the PS/ACTO to sign the non-reimbursable financial collaboration contract with BNDES in the shortest time possible.

In this regard, it is important to note that the contract between BNDES and ACTO was signed on 3 October 2013, with the participation of the Brazilian Ministries of Environment and Foreign Affairs. Also present were the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research and representatives from ACTO Member Countries.

ACTO's administrative decisions and procedures follow its organizational chart. As such, in the context of the ACTO Monitoring Project all procurement processes for goods and services involving ITTO-BMZ/DGIS/GIZ funds or Amazon Fund/BNDES funds are managed by the PS/ACTO in accordance with the Administrative and Financial Instrument approved by the Member Countries. Adjustments are made on a case by case basis according to the requirements made donors and cooperating parties like ITTO, PRA/GIZ and now the Amazon Fund.

ACTO's Regulations establish the following procurement modalities for goods and services:

-Amounts up to USD 5000: Direct procurement

-Amounts > USD 5000 and < USD 100,000: Invitation to Bid

-Amounts > USD 100,000: International Competitive Bid

Procurement of Goods

Whenever goods are procured from abroad, the PS/ACTO works together with the national focal points designated by the competent national authorities of each country. Among other aspects, NFPs help to identify possible providers, which, all other conditions being equal, are selected based on the lowest price.

Before any procurement can take place, the PS/ACTO prepares Terms of Reference specifying the characteristics of the goods and/or services requested, including who will receive them and who will authorize their payment, which occurs through bank wire transfer.

Professional Services

Like all regional projects of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), the Amazon deforestation monitoring initiative has actions at the national and regional levels. For this next stage of the ACTO Monitoring Project the PS/ACTO will maintain its current operational structure, which has been in place since mid-2011. This decision obeys ACTO's procedures for the execution of regional projects, where the Permanent Secretariat facilitates coordination to execute the project and responds for its administrative and financial management.

To this end, it has a Regional Technical Coordination Unit (RTCU) in the PS/ACTO (Brasilia) and a Capacity-building Unit in the INPE Amazon Regional Center (Belem). Note that the RTCU is guided by the strategic directives established by the ACTO Member Countries for the implementation of regional projects, decisions adopted by the Project Steering Committee (PSC), and any documents and procedures detailed in the project.

As to professional services provided at the national level, this Procurement Plan describes the specialized technical teams[1] that were appointed by the countries themselves to work in Operation Rooms. It is recommended for the countries to consider and propose keeping them in place. The Plan also provides details about the additional technical staffthat will be hired to support the monitoring work done in the Rooms.[2] All new contracts must obey the Terms of Reference proposed by the PS/ACTO and approved by the national competent authorities. In this sense, after conducting a national selection process the countries must send a short list of at least three candidates that are apt for the position, together with the corresponding personal documents. After the PS/ACTO approves the short list, each country will make the final decision as to whom to hire.

• Wages X three months for current team (Regional Technical Coordinator and Administrative Manager).

• Wages x three months for Obs. Room technical teams (01 National Technical Coordinator, 01 Technical Assistant, 01 GIS Expert): USD 6100/month x country

• 02 units x USD 5000 each

• Wages for consultants to prepare the National Plans.
• National validation workshop

• Cost of 01 Regional Workshop

• Wages for 02 instructors and 01 assistant to provide capacity-building and technical advice in deforestation monitoring systems. Total monthly wages: USD 10,000 x 12 months

• 03 Courses at the INPE Amazon Regional Center (Belem):

• 01 course at the INPE Amazon Regional Center (Belem):

• 01 Course at INPE

• Technical support offered by the INPE Regional Amazon Center

• Wages for 01 National Technical Coordinator, 01 Technical Assistant, 05 GIS Experts.
• Total monthly amount: USD 14,100 x 12 months

• (02) Regional meetings of Obs. Room technical teams: one in Paramaribo, Suriname (November 2013) and another to be defined: USD 81,000 per meeting.
• Wages for the RTCU: USD 69,875 x 12 months
• IT equipment for INPE training rooms: USD 60,000

• Costs related to procurement of field verification tools and equipment, and travel expenses. USD 28,250 per country/year

• Inputs to produce the Observation Room deliverables (supplies and broadband)

• Countries (01 VC device, 01 sound system, 02 screens, 01 air conditioner, accessories, supplies, furniture, others): USD 76,000 per country.
• CRA/INPE: USD 76,000
• PS/ACTO: USD 349,000

• 01 Regional Workshop on combating illegal deforestation attended by three delegates per country.

• 01 Regional Workshop on wildfires in the region attended by three delegates per country.

• 3rd PSC Meeting (Brasilia DF, Brazil. October 2013): USD 63,500
• 4th PSC Meeting: USD 63,500

• 01 consultant to support regional project coordination
• 01 consultant for management processes linked to the implementation agreement
• 01 communication expert

1

[1]National Technical Coordinator: coordinates project activities within the country and contributes to developing and implementing the project in the region.

National Technical Assistant: provides technical and administrative support to execute the project in the country.

GIS Analyst: supports the project's execution in the country through technical activities related to geographic information systems.

[2]GIS Analysts