Contracting to Assess Institutional Capabilities and Develop an Alert System At Pan American Development Foundation

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONTRACTING TO EVALUATE INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITIES AND DEVELOP AN ALERT SYSTEM

1. BACKGROUND

The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) is a non-profit organization created in 1962 through a unique agreement between the Organization of American States (OAS) and the private sector. Its mission is to work in partnership with government, non-government and private sector for the benefit of the most disadvantaged populations, creating a hemisphere of opportunities for all. We work throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to make our region stronger – healthier, more peaceful, fair, inclusive, resilient and sustainable for current and future generations.

PADF, within the framework of the Crime-Lab project (Organized Crime-Lab Analytica: Laboratory for the Analysis and Combatting of Transnational Organized Crime), is seeking a contract to evaluate inter-institutional capacities in the fight against organized crime and the development of an alert system on illicit activities by criminal actors integrated into the State.

2. PURPOSE OF THE CONTRACT

Hire the services of a natural or legal person to:

a.) Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the institutional capacities of key entities in the fight against organized crime: the Attorney General’s Office, the National Police, the Comptroller General’s Office, the Financial Analysis Unit, the Judicial Council and other relevant entities in accordance with the analysis conducted. Examine institutional roles, legal obstacles, operational challenges and illustrative case scenarios.

b.) Design and develop inter-institutional mechanisms or tools for the generation and processing of alerts on criminal activities of criminal actors integrated into the State, promoting an articulated and effective response to the dynamics of organized crime.

3. PRODUCTS TO BE EXECUTED

a. Assessment of institutional capacities:

• Review the regulatory framework and public policy applicable to the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases related to drug trafficking, money laundering and migrant smuggling.
• Analyze the available institutional resources, as well as the existing processes and strategies to address these cases of organized crime, from the key public institutions in the fight against organized crime, including the Attorney General’s Office, the National Police, the Comptroller General, the Financial Analysis Unit, the Judicial Council and other relevant entities.
• Conduct interviews with at least 2 officials from each selected institution to gather information on available resources, processes, strategies, institutional roles, and operational challenges.
• Provide practical recommendations to improve the institutional response and promote greater coordination between entities.

b. Development of mechanisms for generating and processing inter-institutional alerts:

• Identify common patterns and indicators of state actors involved in criminal activities, based on public information from the selected institutions.
• Analyze existing internal procedures to identify and manage cases of state actors involved in criminal activities.
• Develop at least 2 inter-institutional workshops to promote the exchange of information and the development of coordinated procedures and, if possible, establish inter-institutional working groups.
• Support the development of internal investigation procedures for the evaluation of public officials related to illicit economies and the protection of criminal actors.
• Generate protocols to coordinate actions with the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office, for the criminal prosecution of identified cases, when necessary.

c. Final report and recommendations:

• Prepare a detailed report summarizing the findings of the evaluation and the development of inter-institutional mechanisms.
• Include practical recommendations to strengthen institutional capacities and inter-institutional cooperation mechanisms.

4. CONTRACTOR PROFILE

The contractor, in the case of a natural person, or the person who leads the work team in the case of a legal person, must meet the following characteristics:

Academic background:

• University degree in law, political science, public administration, criminology, international relations or related disciplines.
• Desirable: postgraduate degree or specialization in public policy, governance, fight against organized crime, institutional analysis or related areas.

Professional experience:

• At least 10 years of experience in institutional analysis, public policy or capacity assessment in the public sector.
• Proven experience in projects related to the fight against organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering or similar phenomena.
• Experience in the design and implementation of inter-institutional mechanisms or cooperation tools between public entities.
• Knowledge in the analysis and review of regulatory frameworks related to security and criminal justice.

Personal skills:

• Excellent analytical, written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to interact with high-level officials in an institutional environment.
• Interpersonal skills to facilitate workshops, interviews and working groups with institutional actors.
• Experience generating technical reports with practical and actionable recommendations.
• Previous experience in handling sensitive or confidential information.
• Desirable: knowledge of the political, legal and operational context of the public institutions mentioned.

5. CONTRACT PERIOD

The contract will be valid from February 17, 2025 to April 18, 2025.

6. BUDGET AND PAYMENT METHOD

The total amount of the contract is $22,500.00 (including taxes), which will be paid as follows:

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Deliverable details: Proposed work plan including methodology, schedule and proposal for the development of activities, approved by Crime-Lab.

Delivery date: March 3, 2025

USD Value: 7,500 (including taxes)

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Deliverable details: Report on institutional capacity assessment

Delivery date: April 4, 2025

USD Value: 5,000 (including taxes)

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Deliverable details: Report on mechanisms for generating and processing inter-institutional alerts

Delivery date: May 15, 2025

USD Value: 5,000 (including taxes)

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Deliverable details: Final report

Delivery date: May 30, 2025

USD Value: 5,000 (including taxes)

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7. RECEPTION OF PROPOSALS

a.) Interested parties must submit: a) a cover letter, b) documents proving the applicant’s academic training and professional experience, c) in the case of a natural person: RUC certificate and a copy of the identity card, d) in the case of a legal person: RUC certificate, appointment of a legal representative, identity card of the legal representative, and company incorporation document. This documentation must be sent to the following email addresses: iserrano@padf.org and jtrujillo@padf.org, by January 29, 2025. Proposals submitted after the established deadline will not be accepted.

b.) Clarifications: Questions can be sent to iserrano@padf.org before 23 January 2025. Answers to questions that may be of common interest to all applicants will be communicated by email.

8. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The professional is prohibited from any type of publication, disclosure or commercialization of the products subject to this contract, since it will be understood that they will become the property of PADF. Likewise, the professional is prohibited from disclosing confidential information that comes to his knowledge as part of the execution of his activities.

9. ABOUT PADF

Founded as a subsidiary and private sector arm of the Organization of American States (OAS), PADF carries out high-impact projects to benefit the most vulnerable populations in Latin America. The Foundation’s activities range from partnering with national and local governments to implement socioeconomic development programs to advancing criminal justice sector reforms. Throughout its more than 50 years of existence, PADF has effectively implemented U.S. Government and other donor programs in countries undergoing major social transitions; many of these programs have supported the building or rebuilding of social ties and democratic institutions, building capacity for advocacy, programming, and policy reform, all of which enhance democratic governance and foster peace and security.

10.TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Result of Agreement

These ToR do not obligate PADF to execute a contract, nor do they obligate PADF to pay any costs incurred in preparing or submitting proposals. In addition, PADF reserves the right to reject any and all offers, if such action is deemed to be in the best interest of PADF. PADF, in its sole discretion, will select the winning proposal and is not obligated to share the results of the individual evaluation.

Confidentiality

All proprietary information provided by the applicant will be treated as confidential and will not be shared with potential or actual applicants during the bidding process. This includes, but is not limited to, price quotes, cost proposals, and technical proposals. PADF may, but is not obligated to, post agreements on its public website after the bidding process has concluded, and the contract has been agreed upon. PADF’s evaluation results are confidential and applicants’ scores will not be shared with each other.

Protection of personal data

The data arising from the execution of the contract subject to this term of reference will be used exclusively for the execution of this contract and taking into consideration the provisions of the regulations of the “ORGANIC LAW ON THE PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA”, ratified on May 21, 2021.