Consulting Services for the Digitalization of Rural Finance Network and Strategic Plan

National Programme Coordination Unit, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security

72 Bo – Kenema Highway, Bo City

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REOI)

Consulting Services for the Digitalization of Rural Finance Network and Strategic Plan

Ref. No SLE-1710-0108-CS-QCBS

Date of Issuance: 14^th February, 2025

The Government of Sierra Leone has received financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) towards the cost of the Rural Finance and Community Improvement Programme AF2 and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the recruitment of consulting services.

The use of any IFAD financing shall be subject to IFAD’s approval, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the financing agreement, as well as IFAD’s rules, policies and procedures. IFAD and its officials, agents and employees shall be held harmless from and against all suits, proceedings, claims, demands, losses and liability of any kind or nature brought by any party in connection with Rural Finance and Community Improvement Programme AF2.

The consulting services (“the services”) will contribute to the structuration of the Rural Finance Network (RFN), through the production of the 3 years strategy and the acquisition of the appropriate management information system. More specifically, the consultant will engage the NPCU, APEX Bank and the IFAD Country Office (ICO) on the following (i) Conduct the diagnosis of the RFN and validate the subsequent recommendations and action plan in the perspective of the structuration and perpetuation of the network. (ii) Produce a sustainable strategy for the rural finance network for the next 3 years. And (iii) Identify and acquire the management information system (MIS) core banking software (CBS) or loan management system (LMS), depending on the needs identified. The assignment shall be carried out in 6months.

The National Programme Coordination Unit, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Sierra Leone (“the client”) now invites eligible consulting firms (“consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services. Interested firms should fill the template for expressions of interest and submit found at the following email info@npcu.org and send it to the address indicated below.

The attention of interested consultants is drawn to IFAD’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Policy[1] and the Revised IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption its Activities and Operations[2]. The latter sets forth IFAD’s provisions on prohibited practices. IFAD further strives to ensure a safe working environment free of harassment, including sexual harassment, and free of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in its activities and operations as detailed in its IFAD Policy to Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.[3]

The consultant shall not have any actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest. A consultant with an actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest shall be disqualified unless otherwise explicitly approved by the Fund. A consultant including their respective personnel and affiliates are considered to have a conflict of interest if they a) have a relationship that provides them with undue or undisclosed information about or influence over the selection process and the execution of the contract, b) participate in more than one EOI under this procurement action, c) have a business or family relationship with a member of the Purchaser’s board of directors or its personnel, the Fund or its personnel, or any other individual that was, has been or might reasonably be directly or indirectly involved in any part of (i) the preparation of this REOI, (ii) the shortlisting or selection process for this procurement, or (iii) execution of the contract. The consultant has an ongoing obligation to disclose any situation of actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest during preparation of the EOI, the selection process or the contract execution. Failure to properly disclose any of said situations may lead to appropriate actions, including the disqualification of the consultant, the termination of the contract and any other as appropriate under the IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Projects and Operations.

A consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Base Selection (QCBS) method set out in IFAD’ project procurement handbook that can be accessed via the IFAD website at www.ifad.org/project-procurement.

The shortlisting criteria are:

Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub-consultancy to enhance their qualifications.

Any request for clarification on this REOI should be sent via e-mail to the address below info@npcu.org  no later than 12:00noon GMT, 21^st February, 2025. The client will provide responses to all clarification requests by 24^th February, 2025 at 17:00hrs GMT.

Please contact the NPCU via info@npcu.org for the Expression of Interest submission documents

Expressions of interest must be delivered in written form using the forms provided for this purpose. EOIs shall be submitted to the address below no later than 12:00noon GMT, 27^th February, 2025 sent via email info@npcu.org

National Programme Coordination Unit, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security

Attn: Programme Coordinator

72 Bo – Kenema Highway, Bo City, Southern Region, Sierra Leone

Tel: +232-76- 615 – 976

E-mail: info@npcu.org 

[1] The policy is accessible at https://www.ifad.org/en/document-detail/asset/41942012.

[2] The policy is accessible at www.ifad.org/anticorruption_policy.

[3] The policy is accessible at https://www.ifad.org/en/document-detail/asset/40738506.