REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Mongolia has received a credit from the International Development Association (IDA) for the Strengthening Fiscal and Financial Stability Project (SFFSP). The Objective of the SFFS Project is to contribute to the Government of Mongolia’s efforts to strengthen fiscal and financial stability and improve the quality of expenditure. The project is designed into five components: (i) Strengthening Macroeconomic and Fiscal Management; (ii) Improving the Efficiency of Public Financial Management; (iii) Enhancing Financial Sector Stability; (iv) Strengthening the Social Protection System; (v) Project Management and Monitoring. The objectives are to strengthen fiscal responsibility and implement the relevant policy measures; improve fiscal discipline; strengthen the resiliency of the banking system; improve public expenditure quality in social protection; and provide support for Project implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, including, inter alia, audit arrangements, reporting requirements, procurement and financial management activities, respectively. For more details, please refer to the Project Appraisal Document Report No. PAD2269  
Under the Component B on Improving the Efficiency of Public Financial Management, there is a subcomponent on strengthening the public financial management institutional capacity. Within this subcomponent, the Financial Information Technology Division (FITD) of the Ministry of Finance (MOF) plans to make an assessment on its current database architecture of all systems to identify possible risks and to implement the solution of a centralized control system as well as to improve automatic backing up of the databases.

OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The objective of the assignment is to assist the Financial Information Technology Division of Public Administration Department of Ministry of Finance in implementing a proper solution for centralized database management.

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Key tasks under the consultancy will include, but not be limited to, the following:

Task 1 – Consulting on configuration and maintenance of the monitoring system
    -    Advise on proper solutions for deploying a centralized control and monitoring system for all databases;
    -    Consult on attaching all databases organized on the oracle database management system to the centralized control and monitoring system
    -    Advise on proper solutions for deploying a monitoring system for managing and monitoring of all virtual servers currently deployed in MOF’s datacenter.
    -    Consult on switchover readiness and dataguard set-up

Task 2 – Consulting on automatic backing up of the following databases
FITD manages and supports the following systems and databases including the BPIS, GFMIS, E-report /specific reporting system for the public sector/, E-balance /specific reporting system for private entities/, ODAMIS /Monitoring and Evaluation system for the ODA-financed loans and grants/, Glass Account Website, E-huulga /e-statement system/, DMFAS /Debt management system/, NES /Bank interface system of GFMIS/,  and other internal systems such as Leader Monitoring and the human resource systems. Each system has at least one database instance and requires automatic backing up in the local and remote storages for future unexpected failure and disaster.

Task 3 – Consulting on configuring FRA, automatic deletion of archive log and on flashback database operation
Some critical databases require point-in-time recovery. So, a flashback database operation has to be implemented on some specific databases such as the one for the GFMIS. An assessment needs to be done to deploy and configure a proper flashback database operation including FRA (Flash Recovery Area) used for a flashback database operation and automatic deletion of database log to prevent from overloading resources.

DELIVERABLES

For Task 1:
    ●    Deployment report of a centralized control and monitoring system;
    ●    Monthly, Quarterly and Annual reports of database maintenance;

For Task 2:
    ●    Configuration documents for automatic backup of databases;

For Task 3:
    ●    Configuration documents of the FRA, automatic deletion of the archive log and a flashback database operation

CONSULTANT’S QUALIFICATIONS/ SELECTION CRITERIA

The consulting firm should meet the following qualification requirements:
    1.    Have experience of developing, supplying and implementing at least 2 oracle database systems in the last 5 years;
    2.    Pay particular attention to the fulfillment of the tasks and requirements assigned to the individual team members; and
    3.    Combine the reports provided by the team individual team members to deliver it to the Client timely.

The consultant firm should have the below specialists as a minimum requirement for the entire assignment:
    1.    Database administrator (1 person-months)
    2.    System administrator (1 person-months)

Database administrator (one person)
    ▪    Education: A suitable candidate should have at least the Oracle Certified Expert /OCE/ certificate. Candidates holding the Oracle Certified Master /OCM/ certificate would have an advantage;
    ▪    Experience:  Incumbent should have at least 5 years' relevant professional experience. Candidates who developed software would be an advantage;
    ▪    Language skills: Good written and spoken skills in English and fluent written and spoken skills in Mongolian;
    ▪    Computer literacy: Be proficient in PC-based applications such as Word, Excel, and have excellent web research and navigation skills to collect information and to process, summarize and prepare reports;
    ▪    Have excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work in a group and multicultural team environment is required to deal effectively with staff at all level;
    ▪    Be able to work overtime if required; and
    ▪    Be fully proficient and have good experiences of database management.

System administrator (one person)
    ▪    Education: A suitable candidate should have at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field: Information Technology and Computer Science or relevant discipline.
    ▪    Experience:  Incumbent must have at least 5 years of experience of working in IT or a related field,
    ▪    Language skills: Must have professional proficiency in English and fluent written and spoken skills in Mongolian;
    ▪    Computer literacy: Be proficient in PC-based applications such as Word, Excel, and have excellent web research and navigation skills to collect information and process, summarize and prepare reports;
    ▪    Have excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work in a group and multicultural team environment is required to deal effectively with staff at all levels;
    ▪    Be able to work overtime if required;
    ▪    Be able to work with Microsoft Windows, Unix and Linux systems, Java EE and Tomcat server configuration; and
    ▪    Be able to work independently, advise others, and work in a team.

SUPERVISION AND REPORTING

The consulting team will work under the oversight of the Director-General of the Public Administration Department of the Ministry of Finance. On a day-to-day basis the consulting team should consult and cooperate with the MOF specialists in charge of the technical issues covered under the consultancy.
The Client shall provide its comments on reports and other project-related deliverables within 7 workdays of receiving these documents from the Consultant. All information provided to the consultant will be regarded as confidential and information will not be shared with any outside individuals or organizations.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

If required, the client will provide an office space and assign the officials to collaborate and monitor progress towards acceptance of the deliverables stated in the contract. The consultant will have access to all necessary data and information. The consultancy shall implement the above tasks under the oversight and guidance and in consultation with officers of the Financial Information Technology Division of Public Administration Department and in line with the Ministry of Finance's vision, mission, mandate, functions and operational framework and implementation policy.

CONTRACT DURATION AND PAYMENT CONDITION

The assignment is expected to commence in May 2019 and continue for 12 months. If any task is not completed and approved by the Client within the agreed-upon timeline, consultants should complete the tasks without any additional cost.

A consulting firm will be selected in accordance with the Consultant’s Qualification-based Selection method set out in the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers (issued July 2016,revised November 2017 and August 2018) and which can be found at www.worldbank.org.

If you possess the above qualifications, please submit the following documents no later than 17:00, April 29, 2019:
       - Expressions of Interest;
       - Company introduction along with a copy of state registration certificate;
       - CVs and copies of diplomas of the specialists; and    
       - Evidence of specific experience and qualification information of the specialists relevant to the assignment.

Email submissions will be accepted in Low Resolution files (each) up to 3 MB only. Expressions of Interest should be clearly marked “Expression of Interest For Consulting firm to build the proper structure and organization of appropriate system databases, Reference number: SFFSP/B31/CS/008.

The submitted documents will not be returned to the applicants. Please be noted that incomplete applications would not be considered for evaluation. Only selected candidates will be contacted. Detailed terms of reference can be requested from procurement@sffs.mn.

Address for submission of Expression of Interest: Attention to Ms.Bayarmaa L, Procurement Specialist, Strengthening Fiscal and Financial Stability Project, email: procurement@sffs.mn.
Address: Room #204, Negdsen undestnii 8/2, 4th khoroo, Chingeltei District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Tel: 70120582.

70120582