Health Sector Reform Project: Technical Assistance for Institutional Building of Health Technology Assessment Structure Including Training for National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices

Project ID: P145174
Borrower/Bid No: CS/3/24

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

ROMANIA
IBRD Loan No.: 8362-RO
Assignment Title: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING OF HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT STRUCTURE INCLUDING TRAINING FOR NATIONAL AGENCY FOR MEDICINES AND MEDICAL DEVICES
Reference No.  CS/3/24

The Health Sector Reform – Improving Health System Quality and Efficiency Project is an agreed loan, which would be implemented over a five year period and would finance civil works, goods, technical assistance and training activities.
The Project development objective is to improve access to, and quality and efficiency of public health services in Romania.
Component 3. Health sector governance and stewardship improvement aims to support sector governance and stewardship improvement to bridge the gap between policy and practice and to increase the capacity for conducting and improving the quality of medical care services. To this end, among other activities, this component will support the development of Health Technology assessment (HTA capabilities within Romanian Health Sector.

The objective of the mission is to design an institutional framework for the assessment of health technologies and the HTA methodology; such a framework will connect the structures carrying out the assessment of health technologies, the research institutes, National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices, Nation Health Insurance House, Ministry of Health and other relevant institutions, so as to enable smooth information exchange and to support policy-making.  Also, a special training program will be provided to the members of the specialties and national advisory commissions within the Ministry of Health.
The challenge is that of ensuring the transition towards a decision-making process based on the modern principles of evidence-based medicine, on cost effectiveness and on patient-centred services.

The estimated duration of the assignment is of 24 months, with possible extension, to commence within one week from the contract signature.

The consulting services shall be provided by a HTA agency or institute, which is required to provide at least 4 foreign HTA-experts. One of these experts will be the team leader with a university degree in medicine or economics/management and a master degree/PhD in public health, management or public administration; the other 3 foreign HTA experts will be a Public Health Senior Expert, a Training Senior Expert and a Health Economist expert. At least of 2/3 of the service duration should be spent in Romania

Also, the Consultant is encouraged to provide at least 3 local experts of different specialties (public health, health economics, health legislation, etc.) in accordance with the project needs, with very deep knowledge of the Romanian health system.

The Ministry of Health would like to contract an international Consulting firm with demonstrated experience in HTA performing and development and HTA collaboration at European level. The Consulting team (Consultant) should have previous working experience in Central and Eastern Europe. All members of the international Consulting team shall have at least 10 years of experience in the field of HTA.

The Ministry of Health - Health Sector Reform – Improving Health System Quality and Efficiency Project Management Unit 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.

The shortlisting criteria are:

*General qualifications of the Consulting firm – maximum 30 points;
*Specific experience of the Consulting firm in the field of the assignment – maximum 50 points;
*Availability of appropriate specialized staff to fulfill the assignment – maximum 20 points.

It should be noted that at this point of time only a confirmation of availability of staff with the relevant qualification is required. No CVs are required, as they will be evaluated at the time of evaluation of technical proposals of the short-listed consultants.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank's Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by the World Bank borrowers, dated January 2011 ("Consultant Guidelines"), setting forth the World Bank's policy on conflict of interest.  

Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a subconsultancy to enhance their qualifications. In case of a joint venture (JV), all members of the JV will be evaluated jointly for the purpose of short listing and shall be jointly and severally liable for the assignment and shall sign the contract in case of award is made to that JV group. The Consultants should clearly indicate whether the Expression of Interest is submitted as a joint venture or otherwise. Unclear expressions of interests in terms of "in association with" and/or "in affiliation with" and etc. may not be considered for short listing. The experience and references of sub-consultants shall not be taken into account in the evaluation of the Expressions of Interest.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours (i.e. 10:00 to 17:00 hours).

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by fax, or by e-mail) by October 7th, 2015 at 14:00 hour's local time.

Ministry of Health – Health Sector Reform  
Improving Health Sector Quality and Efficiency Project Management Unit
Attn: Mr. Cristian Grasu and Mr. Razvan Vieru
1-3, Cristian Popișteanu Ent., 2nd floor, room 236, Sector 1, 010024, Bucharest, Romania
Tel: 0040213072590
Fax: 0040213072587
E-mail: cristian.grasu@ms.ro and razvan.vieru@ms.ro