UPDATE - Competitivess and Jobs Project: Evaluation of implementation of the Mini and Matching Grants Programs (MGs Program) and Technology Transfer Program (TTF Program)

This notice was posted on 22 February 2019 and has been updated on 21 May 2019. Please note that the deadline has changed from 26 March to 11 June 2019.

Project ID: P152104
Borrower/Bid No: 3A.3.7.

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

 (CONSULTING SERVICES- FIRMS SELECTION) 

REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Competitivess and Jobs Project

Loan No. 8528 YF

Assignment Title: Evaluation of implementation of the Mini and Matching Grants Programs (MGs Program) and Technology Transfer Program (TTF Program)  

Reference No.  (as per Procurement Plan): 3A.3.7. 

Serbia has received a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Bank) to improve the competitiveness and employment through the Competiveness and Jobs Project (Project). The main goal of the Project is to improve the efficiency and coordination of selected public programs to mitigate the constraints for competitiveness and job creation, including investment and export promotion, innovation, active labour market programs, employment mediation and activation of users of social assistance. 

The Project involves three ministries — the Ministry of Economy (MoE) (plus its development agencies), Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, (MoESTD), Ministry of Labour Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs (MoLEVSA) and the Public Policy Secretariat (PPS) in implementation and piloting of the policy planning, monitoring and coordination (PPMC) System. Through the PPMC System, the three Ministries' and participating agencies, with leadership and support from the PPS, are responsible to set performance targets on competitiveness and jobs, monitor and evaluate progress, conduct analysis, and contribute to policy development in the Republic of Serbia. The Project is expected to lead to better designed and better coordinated policies, since it is anticipated that, through piloting the PPMC System, they will become part of a clear, strategic framework with a robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system. The central institution responsible for coordination of the Project is the PPS, with the assistance of Project Implementation Unit (PIU) established in PPS, as a technical coordination unit of the Project. The PPS leads the implementation of the PPMC System, and coordinate the gathering and processing of the results of the monitoring, reporting, fiduciary functions and safeguard procedures, in close cooperation with the institutions participating in the Project.

Inter-Ministerial Policy Planning, Coordination and Monitoring Working Body (IMWB) is established as an instrument of support to planned reforms and monitoring of the implementation of the activities of the Project. IMWB in the competitiveness and jobs creation policy area is mandated to discuss specific questions from its scope of work, provide suggestions and give expert explanations in order to achieve expected results and successfully implement the Project, as well as for successful implementation and functioning of the PPMC system in the field of competitiveness and job creation supported by the Project. 

The Project "Competitiveness and Jobs" is composed of two interconnected parts:

1)    Part A - which uses a results-based financing modality for the results achieved in four thematic components:

a.    A.1. Policy Planning, Monitoring, and Coordination;

b.    A.2. Investment and Export Promotion;

c.    A.3. Innovation;

d.    A.4. Labor,

2)    Part B - includes technical support in project management and implementation, including the procurement of goods, consulting services, non-consultant services, training and operating costs.  

Subject assignment belongs to the Part B of the Project as technical support for implementation of the Component "A3. Innovation" which is implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development (MoESTD). Project Component "A.3 Innovation" supports the implementation of the Republic of Serbia program for strengthening enterprise innovation, enhancing technology transfer and improvement of the performance of the research sector towards economy and society. The focus of this Component is the support to the implementation of the Mini and Matching Grants programs (MGs program) through the Innovation Fund (IF), that demonstrated success in the past in the improvement of the innovation in newly established companies, in development and sales of new innovative products/technologies/services and creation of demonstration effects that attract additional risk financing for early-stage ventures. In addition, Technology Transfer Facility (TTF) was established within the IF, which implements the TTF Program in order to stimulate the transfer of public research results to the private sector to create products and service of benefit to the economy. The TTF has a mandate to demonstrate that commercialization of inventions arising out of Serbian public research institutes and universities is feasible, and to help building capacity of the Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) already established at public universities to consummate technology transfer transactions. 

As stated above, MGs Program and TTF Program are implemented by the IF. The IF works under the supervision of the MoESTD. The IF was established with the purpose of provision of the funds for encouraging innovation in Serbia, in particular with goal to carry out business activities related to the funding of the preparation, execution and development of the programs, projects and other activities in the area of implementation of the innovation policy.

The description and documentation of the MGs Program and TTF Program are available at the following IF links: 

http://www.innovationfund.rs/mini-grants-about-the-program/

http://www.innovationfund.rs/matching-grants-about-the-program/

http://www.innovationfund.rs/ttf-program/

More detailed operations and procedures, including the division of responsibilities for the Project, are further described in the Project Operations Manual (POM) which is publicly available at the PPS webpage – rsjp.gov.rs.

Objective of the Assignment 

The primary objective of this assignment is to conduct evaluation of implementation of the IF ongoing Mini and Matching Grants Programs (MGs program) and the Technology Transfer Program (TTF Program), based on Project Development Objectives (PDOs) defined in the Project Appraisal Document (PAD) and best international practices.

PAD is available at the World Bank webpage: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/258061468189543475/pdf/PAD1176-PAD-P152104-R2015-0173-1-Box393189B-OUO-9.pdf

Second objective is to review and improve the existing monitoring tools for the IF ongoing programs Mini and Matching Grants Programs (MGs program) and to establish the monitoring tools for the Technology Transfer Program (TTF Program), based on Project Development Objectives (PDOs) and the best international practices. The ultimate aim of existing monitoring tools review for the MGs program is to propose new mechanisms in order to generate enhanced outputs and sustainable outcomes and impacts. These mechanisms have to be adjusted and included in proposal of the TTF Program monitoring tools.  

For the purpose of this assignment, the MoESTD wishes to engage the services of a Consulting Firm (i.e. Consultant). 

Experience and Qualifications 

Experience for the Consultant providing the services is as follow: 

• General experience of minimum seven (7) years in designing and conducting M&E   is required.
• Specific experience:

-          Proven experience in conducting monitoring and evaluation of programs in the last five (5) years, including experience in the field of evaluating Research & Development (R&D) and innovation support programs and

-          The Consultant should have capacity to assign a qualified and experienced team that will work on this assignment including at least one Leading Expert, one M&E Specialist and one Junior Associate. Leading Expert and Junior Associate needs to be in house staff of the Consultant. The qualifications and experience of presented staff should to be related to the assignments for developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation for R&D and innovation programs.

Required qualifications for the Lead Expert are as follows:

• At least Master's degree in economics, finance, public policy or relevant field;
• At least 10 years' experience in designing and conducting M&E systems;
• Proven experience in design and implementation of M&E activities pertaining to science, technology and innovation policy and programs and SME support programs;
• Experience in cooperation with private sector SMEs is desirable;
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods, tools, and techniques, such as design and analysis of baseline and evaluation surveys, interviews;
• Experience in cooperation with government officials is desirable;
• Proven record in providing M&E training;
• Experienced in leadership in particular in managing M&E teams;
• Previous experience with World Bank/other international organisations -funded programs is desired;
• Very good computer skills including use of technical software for M&E purposes;
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required; 

Required qualifications for the M&E Specialist are as follows:

• At least Master degree, in economics, finance, public policy or relevant field;
• A minimum of 5 years of practical experience in the design and implementation of M&E activities of similar programs and organizations;
• Proven experience in monitoring and evaluation of science, technology and innovation policy, programs and/or  Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) support programs;
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods, tools, and techniques, such as design and analysis of baseline and evaluation surveys, interviews, sampling techniques, professional use of computer software for statistical analysis, and other relevant applications;
• Previous experience with World Bank/other international organisations -funded programs is desirable;
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

• Very good computer skills including use of technical software for M&E purposes; 

Required qualifications for the Junior Associate are as follows:

• Bachelor's degree in in economics, finance, public policy or relevant field;
• At least three (3) years of experience with quantitative and qualitative research and conducting necessary techniques;
• Extensive experience in sampling methodology and statistical analysis;
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

• Very good computer skills including use of technical software for M&E purposes;

Timing and Duration 

The Consultant is expected to be engaged for approximately 120 man days over a period of 8 months. The assignment is envisaged to start in May 2018. 

The Terms of Reference for this assignment can be find at the following link: http://www.rsjp.gov.rs/malodrvo/tor/REoI_3A.3.7._Evaluation_of_MGP_and_TTF.pdf 

The PPS now invites eligible Consulting Firms to indicate their interest in providing the Services.

Interested Consulting Firms should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. Consulting Firms may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub consultancy to enhance their qualifications.

Expressions of interest from eligible Consulting firms/joint ventures (consortia) should specify the following relevant information:

(i) Short introduction of the firm/joint venture including technical and managerial organization of the  firm/joint venture;

(ii) Core business and years in business;

(iii) Qualifications in the field of the assignment (in case of a "joint venture (consortia)", such evidence is required for all members of the "joint venture (consortia)", while in case of a sub-consultancy, it is required only for the leading firm);

(iv) General qualifications and number of relevant key staff (specific experience, no CVs are required) 

The short list will be based on the information provided on the firm's profile (organization and capabilities) and general experience, specific experience of the firm relevant to the assignment and the capacity to assign a qualified and experienced team that will work on this assignment.

The following selection criteria with corresponding points will be used for the evaluation of Expressions of Interests for the assignment: 

The attention of interested Consulting firms 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 World Bank Borrowers January 2011 Revised July 2014., setting forth the World Bank's policy on conflict of interest. 

A Consulting firm will be selected  in accordance with the Selection Based on the Consultants' Qualifications (CQS) method set out in the World Bank's  Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers January 2011 Revised July 2014.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours: 7.30-15.30 

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form in English by March 12, 2018 12:00 Noon, local time, in electronic format to the following e-mail: piu@rsjp.gov.rs (cc: milena.kostadinovic@rsjp.gov.rs). 

Contact:

Milena Kostadinovic

Project Implemantation Unit

Public Policy Secretariat

10 Vlajkoviceva St

11000 Belgrade

Republic of Serbia

Tel:     +381 11 333 41 19

E-mail: piu@rsjp.gov.rs (cc: milena.kostadinovic@rsjp.gov.rs)