REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS Title: Data Entry Trainers/Operators for Certificate Management Information System for Ministry of Education, Kabul Afghanistan, RFQ #R 001 Issue Date: August 11, 2016 Closing Date: August 31, 2016 at 4:00PM, Kabul time Subject: Democracy International, Cooperative Agreement No. 306-A , Advancing Effective Reforms for Civic Accountability (AERCA), Project Code Enclosed is a request for quotation (RFQ) from vendors to Democracy International (DI). Democracy International invites vendors to submit a best-offer quotation for DI. Democracy International, Inc. is a US based organization working with USAID in Afghanistan on government service delivery and strengthening civil society. The specific requirement for this RFQ begins on page 3. Submission of Quotes: Quotes should be submitted in English and the deadline for responses to this request is Wednesday August 31, 2016 by close of business. Please send your price quotation to the following address or submit hard copy: Tenders@democracyinternational.com All quotations should include taxes and have a copy of the vendor s Updated AISA License attached. Questions: For questions or additional information, please contact Abdul Latif Katawazi at +93 (0) for administrative issues related to this RFQ. For technical issues, please see Section 6 of the Statement of Work on page 6 for the point of contact. Evaluation Criteria: All quotations received in response to this solicitation will be evaluated based on several criteria. The award shall be decided on a best value basis. The following shall be used to evaluate offers: Cost: An analysis of cost reasonableness and competitiveness will be conducted on all bids received. Cost information is to be inserted into Table 1 beginning on page 8. 1

2 Relevant Past Performance: Bidders must complete the information requested in Annex A. Please be specific in the description of the scope of work. Bidders with experience deploying staff countrywide and managing work outcomes are encouraged to apply. References: Bidders should include in Annex B the contact details of individuals who can verify the relevant work listed in Annex A. Approach: The overall approach to managing this engagement must be articulated in Annex C. CV of Project Manager: Bidders are encouraged to nominate a Project Manager to manage this engagement (see on page 7). Accordingly, a CV of the nominated individual must accompany this RFQ. Audited Financial Statement: This is an optional requirement. Bidders can choose to submit past audit reports or audited financial statements. 2

3 Statement of Work Provision of Data Entry Trainers/Operators for 35 Provincial Education Departments Ministry of Education, Afghanistan 1.0 Purpose The purpose of this solicitation is to equip all 35 Certification Units within the Provincial Education Departments 1 (PEDs) of the Ministry of Education (MoE) with a total of 70 (2 per PED) Data Entry Trainers/Operators. MoE has developed a student records platform to facilitate remote data entry of student performance records into the Ministry s Certificate Management Information System (CMIS). The system will assure compliance with graduation procedures, print high school certificates centrally, and allow for its efficient distribution. 2.0 Background 2.1 Education Management Information System (EMIS) and Certificate Management Information System (CMIS) MoE is currently undertaking improvements to print and distribute high school certificates. Central to their solution is an in-house developed application called CMIS (Certificate Management Information System). CMIS is part of MoE s emerging Education Management Information System (EMIS) platform that will eventually integrate other functional areas of the institution including human resources. EMIS seeks to automate business processes to improve services and provide more effective information management services between the Ministry and all education institutions. The CMIS software incorporates all the necessary business rules to track and matriculate a student's progression from 10th to 12 grade upon which eligible students can receive a certificate. As well, there are controls built into the system to validate the information being entered. The Ministry is also using a 3rd party audit team to conduct field-level sampling to attest to the accuracy of the information. 2.2 Impact and Advantage of CMIS Fundamentally, a fully deployed system will significantly reduce exposure to corrupt practices that besieges the current process. Also, CMIS will allow quick distribution of certificates to students in all the provinces which will be a significant improvement to the current situation where the verification of students who meet the requirements to graduate are only determined several weeks after they graduate. Further, the current process imposes a huge burden on all students who are required to 1 PEDs are located in every province including two locations in Kabul province 3

4 journey to Kabul to personally collect their high school certificates. This requirement will be eliminated in CMIS because identity validation is built into the system on the front-end of the process. Over a 3-year period ( ), approximately 1.1 million graduates will benefit from this efficiency. Additional, specific advantages of CMIS include: Corruption will be significantly reduced. The system has validation and verification mechanisms and once data is in locked at a specific level, no changes can be made to the system. Each student is assigned a unique ID number where unique records are created; accordingly, it is impossible to print a certificate for a student who has not studied and passed Grades 10 through 12. The system will take significantly less time to process student results and print certificates Students will not need to come to MoE in Kabul to collect their certificates The system s automated calculation of student results will eliminate calculation errors Data will be synchronized between the provinces and MoE in Kabul. Synchronization will allow data to be retrieved locally and is not dependent on a connection to a central database Certificates will be barcoded to validate its authenticity Information retrieved from CMIS will aid in understanding learning outcomes of students in Grades as well as enhance the decision-making process at all levels Individual student profiles are established in the system including tracking performance Security and redundant system features will ensure that data is not compromised or lost CMIS allows for automatic data exchange between MoE and Ministry of Higher Education for Kankor exam 3.0 Objective The primary objective of this SOW is to provide the necessary training to the PEDs in a timely fashion so that MoE can, via CMIS, rollout the first two batches of printed high school certificates for approximately 258K graduates by the close of the winter school year in December 2016 and an additional 45K (approximately) by the close of the summer school year in June Scope The Certification Units within the Provincial Education Departments need Data Entry Trainers/Operators to train staff as well as assist in the entry of student information into CMIS. Data entry of student records is a precursor to facilitating the printing and distribution of high school certificates. Due to the limited capacity of staff in the PEDs, this solicitation is to provide capacity building services to the Certification Unit staff in all 35 PEDs to use the CMIS application. 2 The start and end of the school year and graduation is not the same in all provinces. Based on data from MoE, out of the 35 PEDs, 20 PEDs offer winter graduation only, 14 offer both summer and winter graduation, and 1 PED only offers summer graduation. 4

5 The particulars of the hiring, placement, and management of the Data Entry Trainers/Operators are detailed in the Specifications section of this solicitation. 5.0 Period of Performance The projected period of performance for this SOW is from September to June 30, Data Entry Trainers/Operators are to be available in Priority 1 PEDs 3 weeks after the issuance of a Purchase Order, contract or legally binding document. Assume September as starting date. - For Priority 2 PEDs, Data Entry Trainers/Operators are to be available 6 weeks after issuance of said document. Assume October as starting date. Priority 1 Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) Balkh Farah Helmand Herat Kabul City Kandahar Laghman Nangahar Nimroz Priority 2 Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) Badakhshan Baghdis Baghlan Bamiyan Daikundi Faryab Ghazni Ghor Jawzjan Kabul Kapisa Khost Kunar Kunduz Logar Nuristan Paktia Paktika Panjshir Parwan Samagan Saripul Takhar Uruzgan Wardak Zabul 6.0 Pre-Bid Conference and Point of Contact 6.1 Pre-Bid Conference A pre-bid conference will be held on the premises of Democracy International, Shaheed Square, Shar-e- Naw on Tuesday, August 16 and again on Tuesday, August 23, Bidders are encouraged to attend one of these pre-bid conferences to get a full brief on the nature and requirements of this solicitation. Alternatively, bidders can schedule a Skype call. To attend the pre-bid conference or arrange a Skype call, please contact Mr. Farid Forozi whose contact details are provided in section 6.2 below. 6.2 Point of Contact The point of contact for all technical inquiries related to this solicitation is Mr. Farid Forozi, Director of Service Delivery Improvements, Democracy International. His contact information follows: (mobile) / ; ( ) aforozi@democracyinternational.com inquiries must include the subject line, Ministry of Education RFP. 7.0 Specifications 5

6 7.1 Data Entry Trainer/Operator Description The Ministry of Education needs capacity building assistance in 35 PEDs to realize the benefits offered by CMIS. The vast majority of staff in the Certification Unit has little to no experience in using computers. The training needs include basic instruction in how to use a computer and how to use CMIS and include data entry, which is the primary focus of the training. On a day-to-day basis, the Data Entry Trainers/Operators will troubleshoot data entry and CMIS issues and is also expected to contribute significantly to entering data into CMIS. Individuals hired for the position of Data Entry Trainers/Operators under this SOW will end their assignment on June 30, There is a strong likelihood that many, if not all the Data Entry Trainers/Operators will become Ministry of Education employees starting on July 1, The hiring of individuals for this position will be done in conjunction with MoE who must approve the hiring. Additionally, MoE in Kabul will provide training for the Data Entry Trainers/Operators in CMIS. On a day-to-day basis, MoE will provide technical supervision of these individuals while administrative supervision will be the responsibility of the Bidder Duties of Data Entry Trainers/Operators and Qualifications The Trainer will be responsible for the following tasks: - Train the Certification Unit staff on the basics of using a computer - Train the Certification Unit staff on how to use CMIS including data entry - On a day-to-day basis, troubleshoot any computer related and CMIS issues - On d day-to-bay basis, enter data into CMIS - As needed, interface with EMIS staff at MoE in Kabul via mobile or messaging app The minimum qualifications for the Trainer is as follows: - Demonstrated proficiency in the use of MS Word, Excel, or PowerPoint - Possesses a university degree. It is recommended that recent university graduates be strongly considered for this position - The selected applicant must possess a mobile phone and account - The selected applicant is recommended to be a resident of the province or a nearby province who is willing to work in that particular province in which the PED is located. - The selected applicant cannot be related to the Bidder who wins this solicitation Hiring and Salary - The hiring of the Data Entry Trainers/Operators must be done in conjunction with MoE staff that must approve the hiring of the Trainer. 6

7 - The recommended salary for this position should not exceed USD $ 400 per month per in Kabul City PED, USD $ 350 in Nangahar, Herat, Kandahar, and Balk PEDs, and USD $ 300 in the remaining PEDs. The Bidder will enter the proposed salary for each PED on Table 1, Column C using the salary guidance provided here One Time Training Costs for Data Entry Trainer/Operator - After the Data Entry Trainers/Operators are hired by the due dates (see for delivery dates), these individuals must travel to Kabul for training by MoE for a period of 5 days. Data Entry Trainers/Operators in Priority 1 PEDs must be ready to travel to Kabul by September (estimated date) while Data Entry Trainers/Operators in Priority 2 PEDs must be ready to travel by Kabul on October (estimated date). - Accordingly, the Bidder must provide one-time costs for the two Data Entry Trainers/Operators in each PED. Training cost includes expenses related to travel, meals, and accommodation only. In Column D in Table 1, the Bidder will insert the total amount for training for both Data Entry Trainers/Operators from each of the PEDs Mobile Phone Credit for Data Entry Trainers/Operators - Each Data Entry Trainer/Operator will be furnished with USD $ 30 phone credit per month. The total amount for all these individuals in all the provinces for period of performance has been calculated to be $ 18,282 and is shown at the bottom of Table 1. Bidders should not change this amount Other Operating Cost - Bidders should include other operating cost at the bottom of Table 1 in the appropriate row. These include and are not limited to hiring and administrative costs. - Bidders are encouraged to nominate and budget for one project manager to manage this engagement. The CV of the nominated project manager must accompany this solicitation Service Fee - The service fee is the premium paid to perform this engagement. Bidders should include this amount at the bottom of Table 1 in the appropriate row Quantity - The Quantity of Trainers is two per PED and is shown on Table 1, Column A. The duration shown on Column B is 9.3 months for Priority 1 PEDs and 8.5 months for Priority 2 PED. 7

8 7.1.9 Delivery - Assuming an overall Contract or Purchase Order execution date beginning September 1, 2016, Data Entry Trainers/Operators in Priority 1 PEDs must be available to MoE for training on CMIS on September 21, 2016 (estimated date) - Data Entry Trainers/Operators in Priority 2 PEDs must be available to MoE for training on CMIS on October 15, 2016 (estimated date) Costs - All costs in Table 1 must be stated in United States Dollars (USD) - The Total Cost Per Province (in Column E of Table 1) is calculated as follows: (Column A * Column B * Column C) + (Column D) Province Table 1: Quantity of Trainers Needed and Associated Costs (Applies to all PEDs) A B C D E Number of Number of Proposed Salary One Time Training Total Cost Trainers Months Per Month Costs Per Province Balkh P R I O R I T Y 1 PEDs Farah Helmand Herat Kabul City Kandahar Laghman Nangahar Nimroz Badakhshan P R I O R I T Y 2 PEDs 8

9 Province Table 1: Quantity of Trainers Needed and Associated Costs (Applies to all PEDs) A B C D E Number of Number of Proposed Salary One Time Training Total Cost Trainers Months Per Month Costs Per Province Baghdis Baghlan Bamiyan Daikundi Faryab Ghazni Ghor Jawzjan Kabul Kapisa Khost Kunar Kunduz Logar Nuristan Paktia Paktika Panjshir Parwan Samagan Saripul

10 Province Table 1: Quantity of Trainers Needed and Associated Costs (Applies to all PEDs) A B C D E Number of Number of Proposed Salary One Time Training Total Cost Trainers Months Per Month Costs Per Province Takhar Uruzgan Wardak Zabul Sub Total - All Provinces (USD) $ Mobile Phone Credit Costs All Provinces (USD) $ 18,282 Other Operating Costs (USD) $ Service Fee (USD) $ TOTAL Cost (USD) $ 8.0 Security Issues Security concerns due to instability in the provinces may impact the implementation of this SOW. This issue will be dealt with after the award of this solicitation. 9.0 Administrations and Management of Data Entry Trainers/Operators The specific issues related to the administration and management of the Data Entry Trainers/Operators will be dealt with after the award of this solicitation. 10

11 ANNEX A Relevant Past Performance Please describe at least two relevant past performance. (Feel free to provide more than two) Relevant Past Performance #1 Client Name: Activity Name and Location: Period of Performance: Funding Total: Describe Scope of Work: (be specific) 11

12 ANNEX A Relevant Past Performance Relevant Past Performance #2 Client Name: Activity Name and Location: Period of Performance: Funding Total: Describe Scope of Work: (be specific) 12

13 ANNEX B References Please provide the name and contact details of 2 references to verify the relevant work listed in Annex A. No Name Title Organization Phone No

14 ANNEX C Overall Approach Please describe how the Bidder will approach the hiring, placement, oversight, and overall management of 70 Data Entry Trainers/Operators in 35 locations given the prescribed timelines to have staff in place in Priority 1 and Priority 2 PEDs. Please be specific. 14