81272244 - Support to the ECOWAS Commission on Organisational Development

Kurze Beschreibung

The European Union (EU) supports the ECOWAS Commission through the Regional Indicative Programme for West Africa under the 10th and 11th European Development Funds (Regional Indicative Programme, RIP, 2014-2020). Funded by both the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation, the project ‘Support to the ECOWAS Commissions on Organizational Development’ aims to strengthen institutional capacities at the ECOWAS Commission, with a focus on organizational development for increased impact orientation in the areas of strategy, management and organizational culture.
More specifically, the EU-funded ISE (Institutional Support to ECOWAS) component will provide strategic support for the implementation of ECOWAS — EU Partnership to support the institutional reform of ECOWAS. Specifically, the Action will strengthen the ECOWAS Commission and EBID in preparing for the EU pillar assessment. For the ECOWAS Commission and EBID to be able to work in indirect management with EU funds, the requirement in nine pillar areas need to be met: the internal control system, the accounting system, an independent external audit as well as rules and procedures for providing financing from EU funds through grants, procurement, financial instruments as well as exclusion from access to funding, publication of information on recipients, and protection of personal data.
For indirect management of EU funds, the EU Financial Regulation requires that the beneficiary entity demonstrates a level of financial management and protection of the EU financial interests, equivalent to that of the EU Commission. This is verified by carrying out the said pillar assessment to ensure that all systems, controls, rules and procedures comply with international standards and the criteria set by the European Commission.
ECOWAS failed in 2013 its first attempt to go through an EU pillar assessment. As a result of this assessment, the EU Delegation Nigeria, through funding from the 10th EDF, has been supporting the improvement of financial management processes at the ECOWAS Commission. The Programme for Public Finance Management Reforms Result 1 (PFMR1) Phase I implemented by ECORYS has among other things supported the formulation of a revised financial regulation and a tender code which was adopted by the ECOWAS Heads of States and Government in December 2018, draft financial management manuals and accounts management manuals, as well as draft HR Management manuals for recruitment and performance management.
Further support in the form of Technical Assistance was provided by the PFMR1 Phase II under the 10th EDF also implemented by ECORYS. These key institutional reforms and capacity building initiatives have significantly contributed to the estimated current level of entity readiness.
In light of the substantial progress made and in order to prepare for another attempt at pillar certification, the ECOWAS Commission expressed the desire to conduct a mock pillar audit. This last step before applying for the EU-pillar assessment will allow the institution to gauge their readiness to undergo the final assessment. The elements which will be identified as in need of improvement, will have to be supported in a targeted way in order to prepare the ECOWAS Commission for a pillar certification in the near future. The mock audit has commenced in May and first results regarding areas of improvements are to be received by July 2021, the ISE is working on the conditions to provide broad and swift support as soon as it will be requested by the ECOWAS Commission.

Beschreibung der Beschaffung

The European Union (EU) supports the ECOWAS Commission through the Regional Indicative Programme for West Africa under the 10th and 11th European Development Funds (Regional Indicative Programme, RIP, 2014-2020). Funded by both the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation, the project ‘Support to the ECOWAS Commissions on Organizational Development’ aims to strengthen institutional capacities at the ECOWAS Commission, with a focus on organizational development for increased impact orientation in the areas of strategy, management and organizational culture.
More specifically, the EU-funded ISE (Institutional Support to ECOWAS) component will provide strategic support for the implementation of ECOWAS — EU Partnership to support the institutional reform of ECOWAS. Specifically, the Action will strengthen the ECOWAS Commission and EBID in preparing for the EU pillar assessment.
To provide the above-mentioned support, the ISE is recruiting a consultant pool to support the ECOWAS Commission and the EBID in their efforts to prepare for their final pillar assessment (i.e. actual pillar certification). As the assessment covers a broad range of topics, targeted technical expertise to be provided by the consultant pool is needed to complement the strategic advisory services provided by GIZ.
The consultant pool will focus on three main work packages which follow GIZ's capacity building strategy. Three levels (strategic, organizational and individual) are thus targeted to ensure that the envisioned support leads to sustainable change in the organization. The three work packages are outlined below:
Work package 1: The strategic level
— analyse the results of the mock pillar-assessment and develop a strategic orientation on how to implement its recommendations,
— understand the organisational challenges on a strategic level and steer the consultant pool's actions accordingly,
— provide facilitation of meetings with ECOWAS and EBID in which the institutionalisation of materials, concepts and other deliverables of work packages 2 and 3 are discussed,
— remain in constant communication with relevant GIZ ISE project personnel to strategically steer the delivered services,
— advise on strategies to prepare for pillar certification from an organisational development perspective,
— remain in contact with all relevant stakeholders and continuously adapt the overall strategy regarding the delivery of services provided by the consultancy pool under work packages 2 and 3,
— management of the consultancy pool: Creation of ToRs; Quality control of all deliverables; Coordination of assignments.
Work package 2: The organisational level
— support the work on- and establishment of rules, guidelines, policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that address the gaps identified in the mock EU pillar audit,
— create a roadmap for filling the gaps in the areas of accounting, procurement, grants, data-protection, exclusion of access to funding, budgeting, internal control and banking,
— work with ECOWAS, EBID and GIZ staff to assign priorities to each intervention,
— accompany relevant ECOWAS and EBID personnel in the filling of the gaps by providing technical expertise and support,
— provide regular feedback as well as reports on the state of progress,
— flexibly adapt the support as well as planned interventions depending on the results achieved and the lessons learned from the interaction with relevant ECOWAS and EBID departments.
Work package 3: The individual level
— training materials and concepts to sensitize and prepare relevant ECOWAS and EBID staff for the implementation of the new rules, guidelines and SOPs are designed,
— trainings are conducted directly with ECOWAS and EBID staff or through a training of trainers,
— organise and implement webinars,
— results from the trainings are monitored and best practices are identified,
— based on the experiences from both the activities within work package 1 and the trainings conducted in work package 2, training materials and concepts are updated on a regular basis,
— regular updates and reports on activities and trainings conducted are provided to GIZ,
— all materials are handed over to ECOWAS and EBID with a clear strategy for a sustainable continuation of the designed trainings in the future,
— advise on strategies for learning and development of staff so that new processes and procedures can be integrated into the institutions.

Beschreibung der Verlängerungen

GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.

Beschreibung der Optionen

GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.

Liste und kurze Beschreibung der Bedingungen

1) Trading name and address, commercial register excerpt.
2) Eligibility declaration that no grounds for exclusion in Section 123, 124 of the German Act Against Restraints of Competition (GWB) apply.
3) Eligibility declaration subcontractors if applicable.
4) Association clause if applicable.

Liste und kurze Beschreibung der Auswahlkriterien

1) Declaration on the average annual turnover for the last 3 financial years (last-but-four financial year can be included in case of tenders held within 6 months of end of last financial year);
2) Declaration on the number of employees as at 31.12. of the previous year.

Bedingungen für die Teilnahme (technische und berufliche Fähigkeiten)

1) At least 1 reference projects in the technical field of the ‘EU Pillar Assessment’ and at least 3 reference project in Africa in the last 3 years.
2) The technical assessment is only based on reference projects with a minimum commission value of EUR 100 000.00.

Genaue Informationen über Fristen für Überprüfungsverfahren

According to Article 160, Section 3 of the German Act Against Restraint of Competition (GWB), application for review is not permissible insofar as:
1) The applicant has identified the claimed infringement of the procurement rules before submitting the application for review and has not submitted a complaint to the contracting authority within a period of 10 calendar days; the expiry of the period pursuant to Article 134, Section 2 remains unaffected;
2) Complaints of infringements of procurement rules that are evident in the tender notice are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for the application or by the deadline for the submission of bids, specified in the tender notice;
3) Complaints of infringements of procurement rules that first become evident in the tender documents are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for application or by the deadline for the submission of bids,
4. more than 15 calendar days have expired since receipt of notification from the contracting authority that it is unwilling to redress the complaint.
Sentence 1 does not apply in the case of an application to determine the invalidity of the contract in accordance with Article 135, Section 1 (2). Article 134, Section 1, Sentence 2 remains unaffected.