REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – CONSULTANT’S QUALIFICATION-based SELECTION)

Project name: STRENGTHENING FISCAL AND FINANCIAL STABILITY PROJECT

IDA CREDIT#6084-MN; IDA CREDIT#6085-MN

Assignment name: Professional entity to conduct English language training for the MLSP and relevant agencies' staff who are responsible for social welfare and social insurance policy (ref no. D1/CS/047)

A. BACKGROUND 

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 designed to improve fiscal policy and sustainability in a mineral-based economy, protect the poor and vulnerable, and restore confidence in the financial sector. 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 Strengthening fiscal responsibility and implementing relevant policy measures, improving fiscal discipline, strengthening the resiliency of the banking system, improving public expenditure quality in social protection, providing 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. 

Subcomponent D of the SFFS Project aims to support the Government’s efforts to improve public expenditure quality in social protection through (a) strengthening the design, targeting, operations, and performance of social welfare programs to protect the poor and vulnerable; (b) strengthening social insurance by supporting the implementation of measures set forth in the State Policy on Pension Reforms and other reform to strengthen social insurance programs; and (c) strengthening the governance and FM aspects of social welfare and social insurance programs. 

Policymakers need to learn from the experience of other countries, read reports from international and relevant research organizations, and improve their policies.  The MLSP operates as the hub for social protection-related coordination within the government and between the government and international partners in Mongolia. The language and communication skills of the staff, therefore, are critical to the organization’s success in fulfilling its mandated duties. Therefore, the English language skills of ministry and agency staff need to be good, but a most staff of MLSP and related agencies' have been below-average English currently. 

MLSP intends to pursue strengthening the English language skills of its employees, which will affect not only the day-to-day operations but also improving social protection policies in Mongolia. Accordingly, the MLSP keen to hire to contract a consulting firm with extensive and proven experience in teaching English to professionals.

B. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The objective of this assignment is to help improve techniques of the English language such as reading, listening, speaking, and writing for the MLSP, and relevant agencies' staff who are responsible for social welfare and social insurance policy.

C. SCOPE OF WORK 

The professional entity or the English language training center shall conduct after work English language training for the MLSP staff in accordance with the international teaching and learning quality and standards. 

The MLSP will responsible for the tuition of one level of English training course for a total of 20 employees.

The MLSP will provide the professional entity with a list of candidates for the training. Candidates must sign a contract with a professional entity after passing the assessment exam and determining their English level. Candidates also should accept the terms of the contract, and attend the training with full attendance. The tuition fee will be transferred according to the number who received a graduation certificate. If the staff did not take the certificate, MLSP will not be responsible for the tuition fee, and that staff will reimburse the tuition fee himself/herself to the training entity. The general principles to be applied to reimbursement of incurred costs by a training participant for non-achievement of a certificate /or incomplete attendance shall be detailed in the contract to be signed with a selected professional entity.   

Candidates should have a basic level of the English language and at least who can recognize the alphabet, who took some initial learning class before. Also, candidates should have must work with the MLSP and relevant agencies' staff who are responsible for social welfare and social insurance policy.

The professional entity will undertake the tasks including, but not limited to, the followings:

• Conduct and English language proficiency test to identify the proficiency level of participants to assign them into the appropriate groups; 

• Develop tailored training programs together with the detailed lesson plans for each target group;

• Conduct the English language classes in accordance with the agreed program on a weekly basis for each group; the following needs to be fulfilled during the training:

  - Identify the appropriate learning software/tools for each group and mentor staff in its use; 

  - Identify the useful online resources and courses for each group and mentor staff in their use; 

  - Identify and provide course materials and literature to the trainees;

  - Keep a record of participation and inform/consult the MLSP management in the case of repetitive staff absence; 

  - Ensure that the lessons are planned and delivered in a highly participatory and interactive manner that is responsive to the requests and suggestions of the students; 

• Keeping attendance record for each trainee;

• Conduct progress tests on a quarterly basis to measure the advancements, identify challenges and recommend needed actions to overcome such challenges; 

• Organize English proficiency tests at the end of the course and verify satisfactory achievement of trainees 

D. DELIVERABLES 

Deliverable 1: English proficiency level assessment of each staff;

Deliverable 2: Finalized training programs and lesson plans for each group; 

Deliverable 3: Individual quarterly evaluation records of each trainee with recommendations; and

Deliverable 4: Final individual evaluation records of each trainee with and copy of the training attendance sheet. 

E. CONSULTANT’S QUALIFICATIONS/SELECTION CRITERIA

The professional entity should have the following qualifications, at the minimum:

• At least 5 years of experience in English language training; 

• Qualified instructors and staff; 

• Ventilated in-house classrooms; and 

• Preferably, located close to the MLSP

The professional entity should have the following personnel:

• Foreign English teacher (English native speaker); and 

• National English teacher. 

Foreign English teacher (Native speaker) should have:

a) At the minimum 5 years of professional experience in teaching English and IELTS;

b) Strong professional communication and interpersonal skills and ability to transfer knowledge to the MLSP staff in an independent, committed and reliable manner; and 

c) Flexibility and ability to adjust to changing circumstances and needs. 

National English teachers should have:

a) At the minimum 5 years of professional experience in teaching English and IELTS; 

b) Excellent written and spoken English language skills; 

d) Strong professional communication and interpersonal skills and ability to transfer knowledge to the MLSP staff in an independent, committed and reliable manner; and 

e) Flexibility and ability to adjust to changing circumstances and needs. 

F. CONTRACT DURATION AND PAYMENT CONDITION 

The consultancy is expected to commence in January 2021 with a total duration of 6 months.  The clients are allowed to choose staff’s starting training time within the contract period. If any of the tasks specified is not completed and/or accepted by the Client within the agreed-upon timeline, the consultant shall complete the tasks without any additional cost within an agreed-upon timeline. 

Payments will be released upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables according to the following schedule:

- Deliverable 1 and 2: 60% of the total contract amount; and 

- Deliverable 3 and 4: 40% of the total contract amount

G. SUPERVISION AND REPORTING  

The professional entity will directly report to the Director-General of the Policy, Planning Department (PPD) and Sub-Component Lead, while simultaneously reporting to the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) coordinator. 

The PPD and PIU of the SFFS Project shall evaluate the professional entity’s performance on an output basis and approve invoices for the delivered outputs. 

The professional entity must prepare and submit interim and final progress reports detailing achievements and when appropriate, details of any impediments in the execution of the entire assignment as requested and/or scheduled. A detailed work plan for the assignment shall be developed and agreed upon by the Client at the start of the assignment in order to facilitate timely reviews of the progress under the assignment. 

All reports shall be prepared in both English and Mongolian, in electronic and hard formats, and be submitted to the PPD and the PIU of the SFFS Project. 

H. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS 

The professional entity will provide a training venue. The MLSP will assign the officials to collaborate and monitor progress towards acceptance of the deliverables stated in the contract. The consultancy shall implement the above tasks under the oversight and guidance and in consultation with officers of the Policy, Planning Department and line with the MLSP’s vision, mandate, functions and operational framework, and implementation policy.

Please submit the following documents no later than 17:00, January 6, 2021:

1. Expression of Interest Letter;

2. Company introduction/profile along with a copy of state registration certificate;

3. Evidence of specific experience and qualification information of the firm relevant to the assignment (please provide relevant information in the table in Annex I);

4. Implementation Plan and Schedule;

5. Proposed consultants’ photo copy of educational diplomas, certificates, and CVs.

Expressions of Interest should be clearly marked “English language training for the MLSP and relevant agencies' staff who are responsible for social welfare and social insurance policy, Reference number: (ref no. D1/CS/047)”.

Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Consultant Qualification-based Selection Method set out in the Procurement Regulations: The following is the link to the World Bank’s website: https://policies.worldbank.org/sites/ppf3/PPFDocuments/Forms/DispPage.aspx?docid=083b3f94-a932-4395-a410-834f8bc14f8c

The submitted documents will not be returned to the applicants. Please be noted that incomplete applications would not be considered for evaluation. Only selected candidate will be contacted.

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

70120582