Request for Proposal (Strategic Review and development) At Danish Refugee Council

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid and facilitate access to rights. We work in c/onflict-affected areas, along displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and

durable solutions. The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956, and has since grown to become

an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency. DRC has been operating in the Middle East region for over a decade, running a combination of emergency, livelihood, protection and advocacy programs through Country Offices in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey with a Regional Office in Amman.

The Durable Solutions Platform (DSP) is a joint initiative of the Danish Refugee Council, Norwegian Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, Action Against Hunger, Save the Children, and Oxfam. Founded in 2016, DSP generates evidence and convenes strategic dialogue on durable solutions to displacement in the Syria crisis. The platform conducts research in countries throughout the Middle East region, as well as within Syria itself, and supports policymaking, advocacy, and programming related to durable solutions and adjacent topics. The research described in this TOR will support the work of DSP and its partners to better understand the durable solutions landscape inside the country, as well as opportunities for greater engaging stakeholders beyond humanitarian agencies

Important Note: Additional information containing in-depth background into the research topic as well as anticipated methodologies are indicated in the TOR, which is annexed (E) with the RFP package**

I. TENDER DETAILS

The Tender details are as follows:

Line

Item

Time, date, address as appropriate

RFP published

16 July 2021

Closing date for clarifications

25 July 2021 13:30 GMT

Address for Queries

<sachitra.chitrakar@drc.ngo>

Closing date and time for receipt of Tenders

2 Aug 2021 13:30 GMT

Address for the submission of proposals

tender.ro02@drc.ngo

PLEASE NOTE: NO BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE ABOVE CLOSING TIME AND DATE.

• This RFP is launched for the purpose of establishing a consultancy service contract.

• DRC may choose to cancel the agreement if deemed necessary.

• No advance payment will be paid to the awarded consultant. The consultant is expected to mobilize its own resources

to deliver the agreed material.

II. SELECTION AND AWARD CRITERIA

The selection and award criteria are unique to all tenders. The evaluation process consists of three stages: 1) Administrative,

2) Technical and 3) Financial. Each stage requires information and documents from the bidder that will determine whether

the bidder will progress to next stage or not. Some examples of the documentation requirements are indicated below. However, the exact criteria for the different stages of evaluation will depend on the nature/type of tender.

The criteria for awarding contracts resulting from this Tender is based on ‘best value for money’. For the purpose of all tenders

DRC defines best value for money as:

Best value for money should not be equated with the lowest initial bid option. It requires an integrated assessment of technical, organizational and pricing factors in light of their relative importance (i.e. reliability, quality, experiences, and reputation, past performance, cost/fee realism, delivery time, reasonableness, need for standardization, and other criteria depending on the item to be procured).

For all bids deemed technically compliant as per the specification stipulated in Annex E – Terms of Reference, DRC will give a weighted combined technical and financial score. The weighted score will determine the contract award.

A. Technical/financial Evaluation** Minimum passing technical score 55% Technical/Finance proportion: 80/20

The technical criteria for this consultancy and their weighting in the technical evaluation are:

Technical

cri**teria #**

Technical criteria

Weighting

Technical quality of the bid

1.2

Demonstrated understanding of the methodology and requested deliverables, all important

components of the ToR are sufficiently addressed and considered;

1.3

Style, language, sophistication, and presentation

Expertise

2.1

Experience and engagement with research and policy analysis on Durable Solutions

2.2

Demonstrated skills in developing and leading on strategy processes

Qualifications and references

3.1

At least one of the consultants at a minimum has a Master’s degree or above in development or humanitarian studies, political science, economics, or other relevant fields

3.2

Two positive references

*Financial Evaluation

Total Maximum Score

100

Please note that bids shall respond to all criteria, or their bid may be disqualified.

B. Administrative Evaluation**

A bid shall pass the administrative evaluation stage before being considered for technical and financial evaluation. Bids that are deemed administratively non-compliant may be rejected. Documents listed in the attached TOR shall be submitted with your bid.

Annex #

Document

In**structions**

Technical proposal

Sign, stamp and submit / Mandatory

Financial proposal

Sign, stamp and submit / Mandatory

General Conditions of Contract

Sign, stamp and submit / Mandatory

Tender and Contract Award

Acknowledgement Certificate

Complete ALL sections in full, sign, stamp and submit/

Mandatory

Supplier code of conduct

Sign, stamp and submit / Mandatory

Supplier Profile and Registration

Form

Complete ALL sections in full, sign, stamp and submit

/Mandatory

Terms of Reference -ToR

signed and stamped

Two reference contacts

submit / Mandatory

Two Examples of similar work completed in past

submit / Mandatory

Updated CV of the consultant

submit / Mandatory

Tax registration as a legal entity in

the relevant country

submit / Mandatory

C. Technical Evaluation

To be technically acceptable, the bid shall meet or exceed the stipulated requirements and specifications in the RFP. A Bid is deemed to meet the criteria if it confirms that it meets the conditions, procedures and specifications in the RFP without substantially departing from or attaching restrictions with them. If a Bid does not technically comply with the RFP, it will be rejected.

D. Financial Evaluation**

All bids that pass the Technical Evaluation will proceed to the Financial Evaluation. Bids that are deemed technically non – compliant will not be financially evaluated.

The institution is required to submit a Financial Proposal in separate email OR sealed envelope. The Financial Proposal must provide a detailed cost breakdown in USD.

Bidders must submit an overall firm-fixed price bid in USD. Invoicing and payment will be performed by bank transfer, in USD. All costs will be fixed.

Note: Failure to submit a detailed breakdown may lead to rejection of your proposal.

III. TENDER PROCESS

The following processes will be applied to this Tender:

 Tender Period

 Tender Closing

 Tender Opening

 Administrative Evaluation

 Technical Evaluation

 Financial Evaluation

 Contract Award

 Notification of Contract Award

IV. SUBMISSION OF BIDS

Bidders are solely responsible for ensuring that the full bid is received by DRC in accordance with the RFP requirements, prior

to the specified date and time mentioned above. DRC will consider only those portions of the bids received prior to the closing date and time specified.

Beyond the DRC Bid Form, the following documents shall be contained with the bid:

 Technical proposal

 Financial proposal

 (Annexes A) General Conditions of Contract

 (Annexes B) Tender and Contract Award Acknowledgement Certificate

 (Annexes C ) Supplier code of conduct

 (Annexes D) Supplier Profile and Registration Form

 (Annexes E) Terms of Reference -ToR

 Two reference contacts

 Two Examples of similar work completed in past

 Updated CV of the consultant

 Tax registration as a legal entity in the relevant country

Bids submitted by mail, email or courier by so is at the Bidders risk and DRC takes no responsibility for the receipt of such

Bids.

Bidders are solely responsible for ensuring that the full Bid is received by DRC in accordance with the RFP requirements.

A. Email submission**

Bids can be submitted by email to the following dedicated, controlled, & secure email address: tender.ro02@drc.ngo

When Bids are emailed the following conditions shall be complied with:

 The RFP number shall be inserted in the Subject Heading of the email

 Separate emails shall be used for the ‘Financial Bid’ and ‘Technical Bid’, and the Subject Heading of the email**

shall indicate which type the email contains

o The financial bid shall only contain the financial bid

o The technical bid shall contain all other documents required by the tender, but excluding all pricing

information

 Bid documents required, shall be included as an attachment to the email in PDF, JPEG, TIF format, or the same type of files provided as a ZIP file. Documents in MS Word or excel formats, will result in the bid being disqualified.

 Email attachments shall not exceed 4MB; otherwise the bidder shall send his bid in multiple emails.

Failure to comply with the above may disqualify the Bid.

DRC is not responsible for the failure of the Internet, network, server, or any other hardware, or software, used by either the

Bidder or DRC in the processing of emails.

DRC is not responsible for the non-receipt of Bids submitted by email as part of the e-Tendering process.

Bi**d**s can be submitted in one way only (electronically) V. COMPLETION OF BID FORM**

A. Prices Quoted**

Any discount offered shall be included in the Bid price.

B. Currency**

The currency of the Bid shall be in USD. No other currencies are acceptable.

C. Language

The Bid Form, and all correspondence and documents related to this RFP shall be in English.

D. Presentation**

Bids shall be clearly legible. Prices entered in lead pencil will not be considered. All erasures, amendments, or alterations shall be initialed by the signatory to the Bid. Do not submit blank pages of the Bid Form and/or schedules which are unnecessary for your offer. All documentation shall be written in English. All Bids shall be signed by a duly authorized representative of the Bidder.

E. Split Awards**

DRC reserves the right to split awards.

F. Validity Period

Bids shall be valid for at least the minimum number of days specified in the RFP from the date of Bid closure. DRC reserves the right to determine, at its sole discretion, the validity period in respect of Bids which do not specify any such maximum or minimum limitation.

VI. ACCEPTANCE

DRC reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to consider as invalid or unacceptable any Bid which is a) not clear; b) incomplete in any material detail such as specification, terms delivery, quantity etc.; or c) not presented on the Bid Form – and to accept or reject any amendments, withdraws and/or supplementary information submitted after the time and date of the RFP Closure.

VII. AWARD OF CONTRACTS

This RFP does not commit DRC to award a contract or pay any costs incurred in the preparation or submission of Bids, or costs

incurred in making necessary studies for the preparation thereof, or to procure or contract for services or goods. Any bid submitted will be regarded as an offer made by the Bidder and not as an acceptance by the Bidder of an offer made by DRC. No contractual relationship will exist except pursuant to a written contract document signed by a duly authorized official of DRC and the successful Bidder.

DRC may award contracts for part quantities or individual items. DRC will notify successful Bidders of its decision with respect to their Bids as soon as possible after the Bids are opened. DRC reserves the right to cancel any RFP, to reject any or all Bids in whole or in part, and to award any contract.

Suppliers who do not comply with the contractual terms and conditions including delivering different products and of different origin than stipulated in their Bid and covering contract may be excluded from future DRC RFPs.

VIII. CONFIDENTIALITY

This RFP or any part hereof, and all copies hereof shall be returned to DRC upon request. This RFP is confidential and proprietary to DRC, contains privileged information, part of which may be copyrighted, and is communicated to and received by Bidders on the condition that no part thereof, or any information concerning it may be copied, exhibited, or furnished to others without the prior written consent of DRC, except that Bidders may exhibit the specifications to prospective subcontractors for the sole purpose of obtaining offers from them. Notwithstanding the other provisions of the RFP, Bidders

will be bound by the contents of this paragraph whether or not their company submits a Bid or responds in any other way to this RFP.

IX. COLLUSIVE BIDDING AND ANTI-COMPETITIVE CONDUCT

Bidders and their employees, officers, advisers, agent or sub-contractors shall not engage in any collusive bidding or other anti-competitive conduct or any other similar conduct, in relations to:

 The preparation of submission of Bids,

 The clarification of Bids,

 The conduct and content of negotiations,

 Including final contract negotiations,

In respect of this RFP or procurement process, or any other procurement process being conducted by DRC in respect of any of its requirements.

For the purpose of this clause, collusive bidding, other anti-competitive conduct, or any other similar conduct may include, among other things, the disclosure to, exchange or clarification with, any other Bidder, person or entity, of information (in any form), whether or not such information is commercial information confidential to DRC, any other Bidder, person or entity in order to alter the results of a solicitation exercise in such a way that would lead to an outcome other than that which would have been obtained through a competitive process.

X. IMPROPER ASSISTANCE**

Bids that, in the sole opinion of DRC, have been compiled:

 With the assistance of current or former employees of DRC, or current or former contractors of DRC in violation of confidentially obligations or by using information not otherwise available to the general public or which would provide a non-competitive benefit,

 With the utilization of confidential and/or internal DRC information not made available to the public or to the other

Bidders,

 In breach of an obligation of confidentially to DRC, or contrary to these terms and conditions for submission of a Bid,

shall be excluded from further consideration

Without limiting the operation of the above clause, a Bidder shall not, in the absence of prior written approval from DRC, permit a person to contribute to, or participate in, any process relating to the preparation of a Bid or the procurement process, if the person has at any time during the 6 months immediately preceding the date of issue of this RFP was an official, agent, servant, or employee of, or otherwise engaged by, DRC and was engaged directly, or indirectly, in the planning or performance of the requirement, project, or activity to which this RFP relates.

XI. CORRUPT PRACTICES

DRC has zero tolerance for corruption.

The Bidder represents and warrants that neither it nor any of its potential subcontractors are engaged in any form of corruption, defined by DRC as the misuse of entrusted power for private gain.

This definition is not limited to interactions with public officials and covers both attempted and actual corruption, as well as monetary and non-monetary corruption. The definition includes, but is not limited to, corruption in the form of: facilitation payments, bribery, gifts constituting an undue influence, kickbacks, favouritism, cronyism, nepotism, extortion, embezzlement, misuse of confidential information, theft, and various forms of fraud, such as forgery or falsification of documents, and financial or procurement fraud. No offer, payment, consideration or benefit of any kind, which could be regarded as an illegal or corrupt practice, shall be made, promised, sought or accepted – directly or indirectly – as an inducement or reward in relation to activities funded by DRC, including tendering, award or execution of contracts. DRC reserves the right, without prejudice to any other right or remedy available to it, according to any violation of this clause to immediately reject the submitted offer, and to take such additional action, civil and/or criminal, as may be appropriate.

The Bidder agrees to accurately communicate DRC’s policy with regards to Anti- Corruption to Third Parties. The Bidder furthermore agrees to inform DRC immediately of any suspicion or information it receives from any source alleging a violation of this policy to the contact details of the specific DRC country operations via www.drc.dk/where-we-work, or via DRC’s Code

of Conduct Reporting Mechanism: www.drc.dk/relief-work/concerns-complaints/code-of-conduct-reporting-mechanism. Reports of suspected corruption can also be reported directly to DRC HQ at c.o.conduct@drc.dk.

XII. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

A Bidder shall not, and shall ensure that its employees, officers, advisers, agents or subcontractors do not place themselves in a position that may, or does, give rise to an actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest between the interests of DRC and the Bidder’s interests during the procurement process.

If during any stage of the procurement process or performance of any DRC contract a conflict of interest arises, or appears likely to arise, the Bidder shall notify DRC immediately in writing, setting out all relevant details of the situation, including those cases in which the interests of the Bidder conflict with the interests of DRC, or cases in which any DRC official, employee or person under contract with DRC may have, or appear to have, an interest of any kind in the Bidder’s business or any kind of economic ties with the Bidder. The Bidder shall take steps as DRC may reasonably require, to resolve or otherwise deal with the conflict to the satisfaction of DRC.

XIII. WITHDRAWAL/MODIFICATION OF BIDS

Requests to withdraw a Bid after the Bid Closure Time shall not be honoured. If the selected Bidder withdraws its Bid, DRC shall duly register the said Bid and shall evaluate it alongside all other received Bids. If the selected Bidder has furnished a Bid security, DRC shall withhold such Bid security until the issue has been resolved.

Withdrawal of a Bid may result in your suspension or removal from the DRC suppliers List.

A Bidder may modify its Bid prior to the RFP closure. Any such modification shall be submitted in writing and in a sealed envelope, marked with the original Bid number. No modification shall be allowed after the RFP closure.

XIV. LATE BIDS

All Bids received after the RFP closure will be rejected.

XV. OPENING OF THE RFP

The Tender Opening will take place at the time and location stated above.

Any attempt by a Bidder to influence the Evaluation Committee in the process of examination, clarification, evaluation and comparison of tenders, to obtain information on how the procedure is progressing or to influence DRC in its decision concerning the award of the contract will result in the immediate rejection of the tender.

XVI. CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT

All Bidders shall acknowledge that the DRC General Conditions of Contract for the Procurement of Goods, or Services, or the

Special Conditions of Contract, as applicable, are acceptable.

XVII. CANCELLATION OF THE RFP

In the event of an RFP cancellation, Bidders will be notified by DRC. If the RFP is cancelled before the outer envelope of any

Bid has been opened, the sealed envelopes will be returned, unopened, to the Bidders

The RFP may be cancelled in the following situations:

 where no qualitatively or financially worthwhile Bid has been received or there has been no response at all;

 the economic or technical parameters of the project have been fundamentally altered;

 exceptional circumstances or force majeure render normal performance of the project impossible;

 all technically compliant Bids exceed the financial resources available; or

 there have been irregularities in the procedure, in particular where these have prevented fair competition.

DRC shall not be liable for damages, whatever their nature (in particular damages for loss of profits) or relationship to the cancellation of an RFP, even if DRC has been advised of the possibility of damages. The publication of a procurement notice does not commit DRC to implement the programme or project announced.

XVIII. QUERIES ABOUT THIS RFP

For queries on this RFP, please contact DSP Manager Sachitra Chitrakar

All questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted in writing to the above. On the subject line, please indicate the RFP

number. Bids shall not be sent to the above email.

Yours sincerely