COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT



COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIATMARLBOROUGH HOUSE, PALL MALL, LONDON SW1Y 5HXIN STRICT COMMERCIAL CONFIDENCERequest for ProposalFor the Provision of Services to the Commonwealth SecretariatJune 2017Tender Number:435-2017Reference:Commonwealth Flagship Diaspora Investor SurveyReturn Date:29 June 2017 17:00Contact Email:FMSProcurement@commonwealth.intContents TOC \o "1-2" \u 1.Introduction PAGEREF _Toc485114284 \h 32.Purpose PAGEREF _Toc485114285 \h 33.Instructions to Bidders PAGEREF _Toc485114286 \h 34.Evaluation Weightings PAGEREF _Toc485114287 \h 35.Tender Timeline PAGEREF _Toc485114288 \h rmation for Bidders PAGEREF _Toc485114289 \h 47.Specification PAGEREF _Toc485114290 \h 4Part 1 – Bidder Details PAGEREF _Toc485114291 \h 10Part 2 - Suitability Assessment Questions PAGEREF _Toc485114292 \h 11Part 3 – Technical Questionnaire PAGEREF _Toc485114293 \h 15Part 4 – Pricing PAGEREF _Toc485114294 \h 16Appendices PAGEREF _Toc485114295 \h 17Appendix 1 - Standard Terms and Conditions PAGEREF _Toc485114296 \h 17Appendix 2 - Code of Ethics PAGEREF _Toc485114298 \h 17 IntroductionThe Commonwealth Secretariat is an inter-governmental agency of the Commonwealth member countries with its HQ on Pall Mall, London. The Commonwealth Secretariat implements decisions agreed by Heads of Government and Ministers through advocacy, coalition–building, information sharing, analysis, technical assistance, capacity-building, and advice on policy development.PurposeThe goal of this work programme is to support member states to unlock additional diaspora finance for high-return investments and savings. This will involve a policy research and action to channel more diaspora finance to Commonwealth countries. The Commonwealth Diaspora Investor Survey will be a flagship publication for the Secretariat’s Diaspora Finance programme.See Specification in Section 7 for details on the services required.Instructions to BiddersThis is a single stage tender process with a written submission to this Request for Proposal (RFP). Bidders must submit all documents in Part1 – Part 4 no later than the return date. The tender documents are to be returned by email to the Commonwealth Secretariat.Email: FMSProcurement@commonwealth.intAll queries must be in writing via the email address above. Following all stages of the tender process, the bid received that is deemed the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT) shall be awarded the contract based on the evaluation weightings below. Evaluation Weightings Quality: 80%Price: 20% The lowest price bid shall be awarded the full points, all other bids shall be awarded a percentage from the benchmark. E.g. (lowest price/other bid)*weighting = Score.Quality will be assessed through responses to the technical questionnaire set out in Part 3. Tender Timeline Please note the following timeline may be subject to change if required. Activity DateDeadline for questions for be asked22 June 2017Return RFP to Commonwealth29 June 2017 17:00Successful bidder notified 7 July 2017Contract commencement 17 July 2017Information for Bidders Unless indicated otherwise, all prices should be quoted in Pounds Sterling. Prices quoted should exclude VAT but must indicate clearly where VAT is applicable and where items might be zero-rated.The bidder must ensure that they have all the information required for the preparation of the tender submission and that they are satisfied about the correct interpretation of terminology used in this documentation. The bidder must also ensure that they are fully conversant with the nature and extent of the obligations should the tender be accepted.Tenders are to be valid for a minimum of 120 days from the closing date for the submission of the tenders.The Commonwealth Secretariat reserves the right to cancel the tender at any time during the process. Bidders shall bear all costs in completing a tender submission. Bidders shall not disclose details of the RFP to third parties without prior agreement from an authorised officer of the Commonwealth Scretariat. Bidders are required to submit transparent pricing with no hidden costs or charges.The Secretariat will carry out an evaluation of the tender bids using the weighted criteria method as described. Follwing both stages the Secretariat will select a preferred bidder which will be taken forward to contract award. The Secretariat reserves the right to appoint a reserve preferred bidder which the Secretariat would take forward to contract award if any contract negotiations with the preferred bidder are unsuccessful. Specification BackgroundThis section explains the rationale for a Commonwealth Flagship Diaspora Investor Survey and why this is a timely initiative for many Commonwealth countries. The Diaspora Finance programme was developed in response to calls at the last two Senior Finance Officials meetings for the Secretariat to take more action in this area (2015, 2016). The goal of this work programme is to support member states to unlock additional diaspora finance for high-return investments and savings. This will involve a policy research and action to channel more diaspora finance to Commonwealth countries. The Commonwealth Diaspora Investor Survey will be a flagship publication for the Secretariat’s Diaspora Finance programme.The international community is now focused on delivering the wide-ranging and ambitious set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) encompassed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, there is a clash between the breadth of this agenda and the quantum of resources that are presently available to support its implementation. Numerous studies have highlighted the considerable SDG financing gap, particularly in sectors such as infrastructure, where an estimated additional US$1 trillion per annum is required. For this reason, it is critical for countries to consider the full range of innovative revenue sources available (especially those with large economic and social returns) to support SDG delivery. In this regard, financial flows from the diaspora have gained increasing prominence in international policy discussions. Given significant intra-Commonwealth migration, these flows are already extremely important for our member states. Remittance transfers, for instance, dwarf other external financial flows for the majority of developing Commonwealth member states, far outstripping aid, foreign direct investment and portfolio flows. Diaspora savings and investments, rather than person-to-person remittance transfers, have an additional promising potential in the Commonwealth - both in terms of the quantity of resources that can be mobilised and the scope to channel these resources to high-return investment priorities. Our analysis suggests that, by scaling up diaspora savings and investments, Commonwealth countries could raise an additional US$180 billion per annum. If allocated efficiently, this would provide Commonwealth member states with much-needed capital to progress their national sustainable development strategies.Some developing countries have made efforts to pull-in diaspora capital, but beyond a handful of countries, these initiatives have failed to attract significant capital inflows. Nevertheless, there is evidence that shows a large gap between the investment interests of diasporas and their activities. For example, in the Caribbean, a survey undertaken by the World Bank found that, while 80 per cent of diaspora members interviewed were interested in channelling capital to build or support an existing business back home, only 13 per cent had done so. Similarly, in a survey examining the business interests of Sierra Leoneans, only 1.3 per cent of respondents claimed to have purchased a diaspora bond, while over 45 per cent indicated an interest in doing so. This is supported by a strong interest in ‘giving back’ to home communities and countries, and suggests there is considerable potential to scale-up diaspora finance. This gap between investment interest and actual practice points to a number of challenges and blockages affecting diaspora investors that need to be better understood and addressed if developing countries are to fully benefit from the vast investment potential that exists in this sector. Few studies have been undertaken to document the business interests of the diaspora, and the obstacles perceived by the diaspora to investing back into their countries of origin. Existing surveys have been carried out on an ad-hoc basis, often examining only one diaspora community and, typically, feature a relatively limited number of respondents. This partial evidence base makes it very difficult for countries planning to develop diaspora finance strategies to target the most rewarding interventions and engagement policies. So better information on the motivations and interests of different Commonwealth diasporas in saving and investment back home can be used to guide our member states on the types of financial products and engagement mechanisms that would be most successful. Objectives and description This project will produce a flagship survey which will examine the opportunities for scaling-up diaspora savings and investments. The survey results will provide robust evidence of diaspora motivations for and interests in saving and investing in their home countries. It will also provide information on the reasons that reduce diaspora appetite for saving and investing in their home country, as well as policy action that could incentivise these financial transfers.The results of this survey, and complementary in-house analytics carried out by the Secretariat, will inform future Commonwealth Secretariat action. In particular, if the findings show there is a clear unmet demand for opportunities to make diaspora savings and investments, the Commonwealth Secretariat will investigate what tangible action it can deliver to directly support countries to unlock more diaspora finance. To this end a survey will be undertaken that covers three main research areas: The current practices and motivations of diaspora communities in channeling finance to their countries of origin for savings and investments. The survey will examine the current practices of diaspora communities to support their home countries, through both financial or non-financial assistance, assessing the type and volume of financial assistance provided. In addition, the survey will examine the motivations for these financial flows and why diasporas choose to save and invest back home. Whether diaspora communities would like to provide greater financial assistance to their home countries, and if so, what financial products they would prefer. The survey will examine the degree to which diasporas would like to provide greater assistance to their home countries, primarily focusing on different types of financial assistance (both in terms of the volume and financial products). For those respondents that are interested in providing greater financial assistance, this section of the survey will examine the financial products that are preferred by the diaspora. In particular, the type of financial instrument; the financial-social return ratio; the type of beneficiary; the purpose and sectoral focus of the investment; the degree of earmarking; the risk-appetite; and whether diasporas prefer to make the investments directly or indirectly through a financial intermediary. According to diaspora communities, the obstacles restricting diaspora savings and investments and the appropriate remedial policy action to incentivise these flows. The survey will examine the reasons that prevent or restrict diasporas from saving and investing in their home country, and if there are different reasons for different financial products. The survey will also be complemented by a set of questions examining the policy actions that could be employed by member states to incentivise and facilitate greater diaspora savings and investments. The research scope of the survey will be finalised after the first Research Steering Committee meetings and any amendments will be included in the hired company’s contract. A Commonwealth Secretariat policy paper on the ‘Motivations and Interests of Diasporas to Invest Back Home’, analyses the current evidence on diasporas saving and investment preferences and will inform the selection and focus of the survey questions. Questions on potential Commonwealth action will also be included in the survey.The survey will be carried out in the UK (as it is the biggest remitter country in the Commonwealth). The following countries have agreed to participate in the survey: Bangladesh, Fiji, Ghana, Jamaica Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan. The survey will cover migrants and diasporas from these countries living in the UK. This survey will cover retail/individual diasporas as well as institutional diaspora investors. Where possible, 1st/2nd/3rd generation diasporas will be included in the survey, in addition to migrants to the UK. The Research Steering Committee (RSC):A Research Steering Committee will be established to oversee the findings. It is important to have a RSC in a project of this nature to ensure the research findings are tailored in a way that adequately responds to the interests of member states and addresses current international policy knowledge gaps. We anticipate that the RSC will also act as a platform for shared knowledge and technical exchange regarding country advancements to attract diaspora finance. The RSC will consist of government representatives from participating countries and technical experts. The Commonwealth Secretariat will manage the RSC, which will meet up to three times during the project cycle. There will also be ad hoc meetings with RSC members during the survey implementation to identify the diaspora investor priorities of the participating country governments and to identify and engage migrants and diasporas in the UK.The role of the hired company:The hired company will design the methodology and the survey in collaboration with the RSC. The hired company will manage the distribution of the survey and will be responsible for following up with those sent the survey. We aim for a minimum sample size of 200 responses for each participating country. If the sample provided by the High Commissions and the Commonwealth Secretariat is insufficient, we may want to contact respondents from the panel data of the hired company or require the survey company to identify additional potential respondents to be included in the survey. This ‘back-up’ methodology should be included in the proposal, with additional costs identified separately. The approximate number of respondents per country from the hired company’s panel data should be included in the proposal. The hired company will be required to attend RSC meetings and present the findings of the survey. The hired company may be asked to attend the ad hoc meetings with High Commissions to explain the social research methods utilised. The hired company is responsible for completing the required deliverables for this project. The role of the Commonwealth Secretariat:The Secretariat will be responsible for managing all engagement with our member state governments, through the Research Steering Committee. The sample of migrants and diasporas will primarily be provided by the High Commissions and the Commonwealth Secretariat.The hired company will receive two rounds of comments on the results report. The first set of comments will be from the Secretariat and the RSC. The Secretariat will have an opportunity to review the revised draft and provide any final comments/edits (if required).Following the completion of the survey, the Commonwealth Secretariat will host two events to disseminate the results. The first will target our member states, through our High Commissioners, and the second will be a briefing event for prominent investors and international policy makers in the UK. These events will be used to disseminate the key findings, with the aim of informing country strategies and positioning the Secretariat as a thought-leader on diaspora finance. Additional opportunities to disseminate the results may be sought. The survey will include the following features:An online survey: It will be approximately 10 minutes. The survey will predominately have closed questions with up to 4 open questions. Please include in the proposed budget the cost for including open questions. A small number of different questions will be asked for retail/individuals and institutional investors. This survey will be sent out to migrants and diasporas based in the UK from all participant countries. Focus group meetings: we would like to have separate focus group meetings for institutional investors and retail/individuals (with approximately 8 to 10 people per focus group). We want to hold one focus group meeting per country for institutional investors (7) and a focus group meeting for retail/individuals in approximately half the countries (3). A different set of questions will be required for both sets of respondents. The focus group will be approximately 90 minutes/2 hours and will be carried out in English with no translation required. Full transcripts will be required. The Secretariat can organise the focus groups i.e. invite participants (guided by High Commissions) and host the events in London. Alternatively, we are willing to host events elsewhere if advisable. Please include in the proposed budget the cost for adding additional focus groups.The survey may include the features above, but it is not restricted to this and alterations can be agreed with the Commonwealth Secretariat. Required Deliverables A comprehensive report with the full use of visuals, graphics and infographics. This should include a technical discussion of the methodology, a short executive summary (that can also be published as a standalone piece) and the results section. The results of the survey should be presented in a way that is easily accessible for our member states. The results should be practical and policy focused. The raw data for the survey in an anonymised form. A summary PowerPoint presentation used to disseminate the results. We will provide two rounds of comments on the report. The first set of comments will be from the Secretariat and the RSC. The Secretariat will have an opportunity to review the revised draft and provide any final comments/edits (if required).Location and DurationThe survey will take place in the UK. ReportingA proposed survey and report structure will be agreed with the Economic Policy Division. The activity schedule for the assignment is foreseen as follows:Indicative time schedule (working days)Simultaneous Activity DescriptionEnd of July 2017Contract signature End of August 2017Research Steering Committee approval of the survey scope and circulation of online surveyEnd of October/Middle of November 2017Finalisation of draft report findings and draft PowerPoint presentationEnd of November 2017Completion and submission of final report, data and PowerPoint presentationEstimated BudgetThe budget for this project is ?50,000 (including VAT). Preferred Company ProfileAn established social/market-research company, or similar institution, with extensive experience of implementing large-scale surveys, with multi-method approaches. Experience of working with diaspora and migrant communities in the UK.Experience of working on sustainable development topics, particularly in Commonwealth countries and the countries in the survey. Experience of working on financial topics related to investment. Experience of working on research projects in close collaboration with clients.Tender Submission Documents (435-2017)Note - Bidders must complete and return all tender submission documents below:Part 1 – Bidder Details Part 2 – Suitability Assessment Questions (with ethics form attached) Part 3 – Technical Questionnaire Part 4 - PricingPart 1 – Bidder DetailsPlease provide details relating to your registered offices, legal status and date of incorporation. Company NameCompany Number?Company Address Date of incorporationPost CodeContact NameJob TitleTelephoneEmailIn the event of utilising a third party, on your behalf for any part of the services, please provide the full details of the secondary supplier:Company NameDuration of working relationship,Company Address Reason for usePost CodePlease provide audited annual turnover for the past three years:Previous yearYear 2Year 3Annual Turnover???Please provide the contact details of two reference clients. The referees will not be contacted until the final stage of the tender process. Please provide references from similar international organisations or public sector bodies if possible.Reference 1Reference 2Company Name Company Address Post CodeTelephoneEmailPart 2 - Suitability Assessment QuestionsGrounds for Exclusion You will be excluded from the tender process if there is evidence of convictions relating to specific criminal offences including, but not limited to, bribery, corruption, conspiracy, terrorism, fraud and money laundering, or if you have been the subject of a binding legal decision which found a breach of legal obligations to pay tax or social security obligations.Within the past five years, has your organisation (or any member of your proposed consortium, if applicable), Directors or Partner or any other person who has powers of representation, decision or control been convicted of any of the following offences?Please Mark ‘X’ In The Relevant BoxYesNoConspiracy as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.Corruption as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.Bribery as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.The offence of cheating the Revenue as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.The offence of conspiracy to defraud as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.Fraud as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.Theft as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.Fraudulent trading as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction. Fraudulent evasion as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.Destroying, defacing or concealing of documents or procuring the execution of a valuable security as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.The possession of articles for use in frauds as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.Any offence considered to be Counter Terrorism as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.Money laundering as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.Any Sexual Offences as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.Drug trafficking as defined by the legislative or judicial bodies in your jurisdiction.Within the past three years, please indicate if any of the following situations have applied, or currently apply, to your organisation.Please Mark ‘X’ In The Relevant BoxYesNoyour organisation is bankrupt or is the subject of insolvency or winding-up proceedings, where your assets are being administered by a liquidator or by the court, where it is in an arrangement with creditors, where its business activities are suspended or it is in any analogous situation arising from a similar procedure under the laws and regulations of any State;your organisation is guilty of grave professional misconduct, which renders its integrity questionable;your organisation has entered into agreements with other economic operators aimed at distorting competition;the prior involvement of your organisation in the preparation of the procurement procedure has resulted in a distortion of competition;your organisation has shown significant or persistent deficiencies in the performance of a substantive requirement under a prior contract with a contracting entity, or a prior concession contract, which led to early termination of that prior contract, damages or other comparable sanctions.Employment and Human RightsFor organisations working outside of the UK please refer to equivalent legislation in the country that you are located. Please delete ‘Yes’ / ‘No’ as applicable.(a)In the last three years, has any finding of unlawful discrimination been made against your organisation by an Employment Tribunal, an Employment Appeal Tribunal or any other court (or in comparable proceedings in any jurisdiction other than the UK)?Yes/No(b)In the last three years, has your organisation had a complaint upheld following an investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission or its predecessors (or a comparable body in any jurisdiction other than the UK), on grounds or alleged unlawful discrimination? If you have answered “yes” to one or both of the questions, please provide, as a separate Appendix, a summary of the nature of the investigation and an explanation of the outcome of the investigation to date.If the investigation upheld the complaint against your organisation, please use the Appendix to explain what action (if any) you have taken to prevent unlawful discrimination from reoccurring. You may be excluded if you are unable to demonstrate to The Commonwealth’s satisfaction that appropriate remedial action has been taken to prevent similar unlawful discrimination reoccurring.Yes/No(c)If you use sub-contractors, do you have processes in place to check whether any of the above circumstances apply to these other organisations?Yes/No/NAEnvironmental LegislationFor organisations working outside of the UK please refer to equivalent legislation in the country that you are located. Please delete ‘Yes’ / ‘No’ as applicable.(a)Has your organisation been convicted of breaching environmental legislation, or had any notice served upon it, in the last three years by any environmental regulator or authority (including local authority)? If your answer to this question is “Yes”, please provide details in a separate Appendix of the conviction or notice and details of any remedial action or changes you have made as a result of conviction or notices served. The Secretariat will not select bidders that have been prosecuted or served notice under environmental legislation in the last 3 years, unless The Commonwealth is satisfied that appropriate remedial action has been taken to prevent future occurrences/breaches.Yes/No (b)If you use sub-contractors, do you have processes in place to check whether any of these organisations have been convicted or had a notice served upon them for infringement of environmental legislation?Yes/No/NA Health and Safety legislationFor organisations working outside of the UK please refer to equivalent legislation in the country that you are located. Please delete ‘Yes’ / ‘No’ as applicable.(a)Please self-certify that your organisation has a Health and Safety Policy that complies with current legislative requirements.Yes/No(b)Has your organisation or any of its Directors or Executive Officers been in receipt of enforcement/remedial orders in relation to the Health and Safety Executive (or equivalent body) in the last 3 years? If your answer to this question was “Yes”, please provide details in a separate Appendix of any enforcement/remedial orders served and give details of any remedial action or changes to procedures you have made as a result. The Secretariat will exclude bidder(s) that have been in receipt of enforcement/remedial action orders unless the bidder(s) can demonstrate to The Commonwealth’s satisfaction that appropriate remedial action has been taken to prevent future occurrences or breaches. Yes/No (c)If you use sub-contractors, do you have processes in place to check whether any of the above circumstances apply to these other organisations?Yes/No/NATerms and ConditionsPlease delete ‘Yes’ / ‘No’ as applicable.(a)Please confirm that your organisation agrees to the Commonwealth Secretariat’s standard terms and conditions (Appendix 1). If not, please state reasons:Yes/No Code of EthicsPlease delete ‘Yes’ / ‘No’ as applicable.(a)Please confirm that your organisation agrees to and has signed, dated and attached the Code of Ethics (Appendix 2) Yes/No Part 3 – Technical QuestionnaireThe following scoring mechansim will be used to score each question in this section:ScoreDescription0Does not meet the specification or has not responded to the question1Low Fit – Meets most of the specification, but is missing in areas2Fit – Meets the specification as required3Good Fit – Meets all of the specification well and exceeds expectations in some areas4Excellent Fit – Exceeds expectations in most or all areasThe questions below are worth 80% of the total score. The indiviudal question weightings are set out in the weighting column. The following formula will be applied for each question:Points Scored ÷ Points Available × % weightingThe scores for each of the questions will be added to give a total Technical/Quality ScoreUnanswered questions or sections that are left blank shall be awarded a 0. Questions that exceed the word count shall be awarded a 0. Please answer all questions in the form of a proposal document with no more than 10 pages. The proposal should cover all the points below and should be submitted as a separate document in PDF format. Question No. QuestionWeighting1Please describe your methodology, vision and strategy for this work.30%2Please outline your proposed timeline for the delivery of the services. 20%3Please explain the methodology behind your fee proposal. 15%4Please describe a similar project you have worked on, detailing any challenges, risks and outcomes. 15%5If you are successful, please describe how you will mobilise the contract and commence the work required, including:Your proposed project teamresource requirement from Secretariat staffpotential risks and mitigationcommunication plankey deliverables and milestones 20%Part 4 – Pricing Transparent pricing must be submitted with no hidden costs. Pricing and cost must be broken down to the different elements of the service and must include all expenses. Please provide pricing exactly as set out below:Activity Fee (ex VAT)Complete the work required as described in Section 7? (fixed cost) If you have a specific payment schedule for the above please provide details:%Due:%Due:%Due: AppendicesAppendix 1 - Standard Terms and ConditionsAppendix 2 - Code of Ethics ................
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