Request for Expression of Interest

Poland

Rural Development Program

Assistance of the individual consultants for the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy in negotiations with the consulting firms selected for providing the technical assistance and training under the Component A: Microcredit and sub-component B-1: Rural Redeployment of Poland Rural Development Project

Loan no 7013 POL

This request for expression of interest refers to the demand for technical assistance to be provided by the individual consultants for the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy in negotiations with the consulting firms selected for providing the technical assistance and training supporting the entities in implementation of the activities aimed on private sector development and human capital development.

The government of Poland has received the World Bank's (International Bank of Reconstruction and Development) assistance in financing a Rural Development Project (RDP). The Project’s objective is to support development of the rural areas thru supporting the increase of the level of off-farm employment, supporting the process of decentralization and regional development, and assisting in building institutional capacity to absorb EU pre-accession and structural funds. The RDP will also support implementation of Medium run strategy of rural development and Cohesive structural policy of agriculture and rural development developed by government. The World Bank partially finances activities aimed at private sector development, human capital development, education improvement, strengthening of local and regional administration, and rural infrastructure investments in rural areas.

The Department of Pre-accession and Structural Programs (DP) of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MOLSP) is responsible to cause the implementation of the two components of the RDP’s namely:

Component A: Microcredit aimed at supporting the off-farm self-entrepreneurship (micro-finance) in the rural areas Sub-component B-1: Labor Redeployment aimed at conducting the labor market surveys and assisting economically disadvantaged and unemployed in rural areas in finding the productive off-farm employment (labor redeployment).

To assure the proper implementation of the mentioned activities from the sources of the Program the technical assistance and training supporting the implementing entities will be financed. The technical assistance and training will be provided by the consulting firms selected in the competitive bidding. Basically the consulting firm will be required to: (a) provide training to representatives of the implementing entities on the thematic areas related to the activities; (b) plan, arrange, organize, and conduct study tours that are intended to provide exposure to international experience in the areas related to the assignment; (c) implement a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system and integrated Management and Information System (MIS); (d) propose methodology and survey instrument to be used in implementing of the surveys and perform the surveys; (e) assist in ongoing monitoring and implementation of labor redeployment services.

According to the above the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy is seeking to procure the services of:

1. A lawyer familiar with the specific of the contracts required by the World Bank to assist MOLSP in negotiations with the consulting firms selected for providing the technical assistance and training under the both components mentioned above. The individual consultant selected for this assignment will be required to:

a. get acquainted with (i) Requests for Proposals submitted to the short-listed consulting firms (ii) technical and financial proposals submitted by the consulting firms;

b. advise the MOLSP during the negotiations with the selected consulting firms prior to awarding the contracts. These required advisory services will be related to the contents that will have to be consistent with the WB rules.

2. An expert in the Project management (in the Projects with familiar thematic scope) who will analyze, taking the specificity of the required services into account, the submitted technical proposals and will analyze the proposed timed sequences of the deliverables. The consultant will assist the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy in negotiations with the consulting firms selected for providing the technical assistance and training under the both components mentioned above.

The individual consultant will be required to:

(a) get acquainted with : (i) Requests for Proposals submitted to the short-listed consulting firms (ii) technical and financial proposals submitted by the consulting firms

(b) advise the MOLSP during the negotiations with the selected consulting firms. These negotiations will include discussions of the TOR, proposed methodology, proposed staff and Management Information System, Monitoring and Evaluation System, and special conditions of the contract.

The selection of the individual consultant will be carried out in accordance to the Guidelines for Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers issued in September 1997 as revised on January 1997 or any other time thereafter (the World Bank Procurement Guidelines). The procurement of these services will be based on the Selection of Individual Consultants (IC), as described in the above mentioned Guidelines.

Ministry of Labor and Social Policy now invites eligible individuals to indicate their Expression of interest in providing one or both of the mentioned the services. Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below from 8.30 a. m. - 4.30 p. m. (Monday – Friday).

Expression of interest must be delivered to the address below by June 6^th, 2001, 4.30 p.m.

Ministry of Labor and Social Policy

Department of Pre-accession and Structural Programs

Project Team of PRDP

Gałczyńskiego 4, Room 1

00-513 Warsaw

Tel. (48-22) 826 12 61, Ext. 151

Fax: (48-22) 828 81 73, 828 68 06

E-mail: Artur_Benedyktowicz@mpips.gov.pl