REQUEST FOR TENDER

30 June 2017

Evaluation Study

Community work arrangements in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville

Information for Bidders

TENDER PARTICULARS

1.  Closing time / 5pm (Port Moresby Time), 28 July 2017
2.  Mode of submission / Tenders are to be submitted electronically to the address for submission specified in section 3 below.
The technical proposal and financial proposal are to be submitted in one email as two separate PDF files not exceeding 2MB each.
3.  Address for submission /
4.  Electronic file format / PDF file format not exceeding 2MB
5.  Tender validity period / 120 days
6.  Contact person / For RFT process matters Jeff Morgan at
For RFT technical matters Richard Guy at
7.  Page limits /

Technical Proposal comprising:

§ Statement addressing the Assessment Criteria: 8(eight) A4 pages

§ Annex 1 – one (1) Personnel Schedule Table

§ Annex 2 – CVs of Key Personnel: Max 5(five) pages per person nominated (note – only Key Personnel CVs are required, not all personnel)

§ Annex 3 - one (1) A3 Gantt Chart Work Plan

§ Annex 4 – Letters of Association, one page for each letter (only if associating with another company / sub-consultant)

8.  Currency /

Financial proposals must be expressed in Papua New Guinea Kina (PGK)

9.  Financial limit /

Not specified

Community Work Arrangements in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville Evaluation Study

Invitation to submit a detailed and priced proposal

1. INTRODUCTION

The Papua New Guinea - Australia Transport Sector Support Program (TSSP) continues the Australian Government's long term commitment to the PNG transport infrastructure sector. The shared long term goal of TSSP is a safer, more reliable transport system in place enabling economic and social development in PNG.

TSSP, managed by SMEC, is an Australian aid project, funded by the Australian Government. SMEC, the Managing Contractor, is seeking tenders to conduct an evaluation study of the Community Work Arrangements in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville as described in the Description of Services provided separately as Attachment 1 to this Request for Tender (RFT).

A development priority of the Government of Australia (GoA) seeks to promote economic development with a strong focus on women’s participation in the economic sector in Papua New Guinea.

Community Work Arrangements (CWAs), supported by the GoA funded Transport Sector Support Program (TSSP) provide opportunities for local community groups to participate in paid road maintenance activities.

CWAs are a clear initiative to promote economic opportunities for citizens. TSSP has funded, for example, 4,232 CWAs in 2016 involving 16,439 (11,760 males and 4,679 females) participants and paid out a total of PGK 4.04 million for completed activities in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in 2016.

TSSP is seeking proposals to undertake an evaluation of how CWAs have operated in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in the past and how they are currently operating; the benefits that communities and men and women receive from participation; the effectiveness and the efficiency of the investment; and what can be learned from the investment as a mechanism to promote women’s participation in the economic sector.

SMEC is seeking competitive tenders for implementation of the services. The successful tenderer will be engaged through a contract drafted from that provided separately as Attachment 2 to this RFT.

In seeking international and/or domestic consultants to undertake the specified activities on its behalf, SMEC will comply with the broad principles as outlined in the GoA Commonwealth Procurement Rules (http://www.finance.gov.au/procurement/procurement-policy-and-guidance/commonwealth-procurement-rules/ ), and will adhere to the requirements contained in the TSSP Procurement Guidelines.

2. CONDITIONS OF RFT

2.1 Eligibility to Tender

A Tenderer is ineligible to tender where the Tenderer or any subcontractor of the Tenderer is listed by the World Bank in its “Listing of Ineligible Firms” or “Listings of Firms, Letters of Reprimand” posted at www.worldbank.org (the “World Bank List”).

2.2 Documents that must be lodged:

·  Completed and signed Declaration as specified in Attachment 4 to this RFT;

·  Completed and signed Submission Checklist as specified in Attachment 5 to this RFT;

·  Technical Proposal in a format as specified in Attachment 3 to this RFT; and

·  Financial proposal in a format as specified in Attachment 7 to this RFT.

2.3 Language:

·  All documents submitted as part of this Tender must be in English.

2.4 Extensions:

·  SMEC may extend the Closing Time at its sole and absolute discretion and will issue an Addendum notifying any decision to extend.

2.5 Tender enquiries:

·  Enquiries from Tenderers must only be directed to the Contact Person specified in the Tender Particulars.

·  If a Tenderer finds any discrepancy, error or omission in the terms and conditions of the RFT; or wishes to make any enquiry, including seeking clarification, of the RFT, the Tenderer must notify the Contact Person by email not later than 10 days prior to the Closing Time.

·  SMEC will respond to any Tenderer enquiries no later than 7 days prior to the Closing Time.

·  SMEC will issue or publish answers to any Tenderer enquiries to all Tenderers.

2.6 Late Tenders:

·  A Tender lodged after the Closing Time is a late Tender and will not be accepted.

·  SMEC will admit to assessment a Tender that was received late solely due to SMEC mishandling. SMEC mishandling does not include mishandling by a courier or mail service provider engaged by a Tenderer to deliver their Tender. It is the responsibility of tenderers to ensure that their Tender is dispatched in sufficient time for it to be received by SMEC by the Closing Time.

2.7 Non-conforming Tenders:

·  Tenders will be regarded as non-conforming if they fail to conform to one or more of the requirements of this RFT, with the exception of Late Tenders. Late Tenders will be handled in accordance with Clause 2.6 above.

·  SMEC may, at its absolute discretion, assess or reject a non-conforming Tender. SMEC will not enter into correspondence about a decision to assess or reject a non-conforming Tender.

·  Tender conformity requirement are necessarily strict in order to provide Tenderers with an equal opportunity to tender and to allow SMEC to assess tenders on an equitable basis.

·  Tenderers are advised of the following conformity issues and usual treatment of those issues by the tender secretariat:

Conformity Issue / Treatment by the tender secretariat
Inclusion of covering letter in the proposal / Covering letter removed from tender prior to providing tender to the TAP
Statement addressing the assessment criteria exceeds stipulated page limit / Pages exceeding the page limit removed from tender prior to providing tender to the TAP
CV exceeds stipulated page limits / Entire CV removed from tender prior to providing tender to the TAP
CV lacks personal contact details / Entire CV removed from tender prior to providing tender to the TAP
CV lacks referee information / Entire CV removed from tender prior to providing tender to the TAP
CV includes referee who is employed by a related entity (see Clause 3.2.5) / Entire CV removed from tender prior to providing tender to the TAP
CV not certified / Entire CV removed from tender prior to providing tender to the TAP
Financial proposal contains caveats or uncosted elements / Tender deemed non-conforming and not considered further

2.8 Amendment of the RFT:

·  SMEC may amend the RFT by issuing an Addendum no later than 7 days prior to the Closing Time.

2.9 Contracting Entity with SMEC

The contract shall be between the successful Tenderer and SMEC International Pty Ltd. The contract will include all standard sub-consultancy agreement conditions as included in the standard sub-consultancy agreement at Attachment 2.

2.10 Insurance

·  Tenderers are referred to Clause 10 of the Standard Sub-Consultancy Agreement at Attachment 2, which states:

“The Sub-Consultant will effect and maintain a professional indemnity insurance policy in a form and content reasonably acceptable to SMEC with a reputable insurer for the currency of this Agreement for an amount not less than that stated in Schedule 1.

The Sub-Consultant will maintain a public liability policy of insurance in a form and content reasonably acceptable to SMEC with a reputable insurer for the currency of this Agreement and for an amount not less than that stated in Schedule 1 covering the Sub-Consultant in respect of any claim or loss or damage arising from any negligent act, error or omission of the Sub-Consultant in relation to the Project and the provision of the Services.

The Sub-Consultant will effect and maintain a suitable insurance policy for its employees and agents against any liability, loss, damage, claim, costs and expenses arising at common law or under any statute as a result of personal injury to or death of any person employed by the Sub-Consultant or the Sub-Consultant’s agent in or about the project.

The Sub-Consultant will also effect and maintain a suitable insurance policy covering:

any other risks or events stipulated in the Agreement or required by the laws of the Country in which the Project is being undertaken or the Services provided;

third Party motor vehicle liability insurance in respect of motor vehicles operated by the Sub-Consultant or its personnel in relation to the Project; and

insurance against loss of or damage to equipment purchased in whole or in part with funds provided under this Agreement and the Sub-Consultant's property used in the performance of the Services.

The Sub-Consultant will provide certificates of insurance or other evidence of insurance as may be required by SMEC from time to time.”

·  Tenderers are also referred to Schedule 1 of the Standard Sub-Consultancy Agreement at Attachment 2, which states:

“Professional Indemnity Insurance Cover to a Value of: $100,000

Public Liability Insurance Cover to a Value of: $10,000,000”

·  SMEC may require the successful Tenderer to produce, on demand, evidence of compliance with Clause 10 of the Standard Sub-Consultancy Agreement prior to the award of the Contract.

2.11 Associates and other Sub-contractors

·  Tenders involving two or more parties who have not formed a single legal entity will only be accepted if the Tender is submitted on the basis that one party, the Tenderer, is intended to act as the prime contractor and any other party becomes a sub-contractor known as an “Associate”.

·  Tenders involving Associates will be assessed on the basis of that arrangement. Tenders must include assurance to SMEC from an authorised representative of the Associate of their corporate commitment to and involvement in the Project in the form of a single page Letter of Association in a separate annex (Annex 5 – Letters of Association).

·  In addition to Associates, Tenderers are required to include detailed information on other work to be sub-contracted (excluding Specified Personnel) and proposed sub-contractors, where these are reasonably known at the time of the Tender and have expressed their willingness to be involved in the Project. These details must also be included in Annex 5 of the Technical Proposal.

·  Letters in which organisations express their willingness to be involved with the Tenderer in the Project as a sub-contractor must be limited to a single page per organisation and include details on the broad skills or areas in which the organisation may add value.

·  SMEC contracts assign full responsibility for all sub-contracted Services to the contractor.

2.12 Ownership of Tenders and RFT

·  All Tenders become the property of SMEC on lodgement.

·  The Tenderer authorises SMEC to copy, adapt, amend, disclose, including to SMEC contractors and advisers, or do anything else necessary, in SMEC's sole discretion, all materials including that which contains intellectual property rights of the Tenderer or other parties contained in the Tender.

·  Copyright in this RFT is reserved to SMEC.

2.13 Conflict of Interest:

Tenderers must:

·  Identify any actual or potential conflict between the interests of the Tenderer, its Associates or subcontractors or their other clients and the interests of SMEC, DFAT or TSSP; and

·  Detail the procedures they intend to implement for dealing with any actual or potential conflicts between the interests of the Tenderer, its Associates or subcontractors or their other clients and the interests of SMEC, DFAT or TSSP, which may arise in connection with the submission of their Tender or the conduct of the Services described in this RFT.

If any actual or potential conflicts between the interests of the Tenderer, its Associates or subcontractors or their other clients and the interests of SMEC, DFAT or TSSP arise for a Tenderer before entering into a Contract for the Services, SMEC may:

·  enter into discussions to seek to resolve such conflict of interest; or

·  disregard the Tender submitted by such a Tenderer; or

·  take any other action that SMEC considers appropriate.

2.14 Tendering conduct:

·  The Tenderer warrants that it has not engaged in collusive or anti-competitive practices with any other Tenderer in the preparation of its Tender.

·  If a Tenderer is found to have made false or misleading claims or statements, or receives improper assistance or improperly obtains confidential information, SMEC reserves the right to reject at any time any Tender lodged by or on behalf of that Tenderer.

2.15 SMEC’s Rights:

All SMEC procurement is consistent with GOA Commonwealth Procurement Rules. The core principle of Commonwealth procurement is to achieve value for money. SMEC is also bound to conduct its procurement in an ethical, accountable, transparent, efficient and effective manner. SMEC reserves the right to:

·  seek Tenders from any organisation;

·  accept or reject any Tender;

·  terminate, extend or vary its procurement process for the Services;

·  request clarification in relation to a Tender;

·  terminate negotiations with the preferred Tenderer and commence negotiations with any other Tenderer;

·  evaluate Tenders as SMEC sees appropriate; and

·  negotiate with the Tenderer whose Tender is ranked first. If unable to form a contact with the first-ranked tenderer, SMEC reserves the right to negotiate with the next ranked Tenderer and so on.

2.16 DFAT’s Adviser Remuneration Framework