INVITATION FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

This document is a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from individual consultants. It will be used by the Rule of Law Project in Serbia (ROL), implemented by Development Professionals, Inc. (DPI), to evaluate the possible utilization of consultants with expertise and a proven track record in the disciplines described below. Interested consultants must meet the qualifications set forth in this EOI to pre-qualify for, and later bid on, consulting opportunities issued by ROL. This call is only open to individuals; companies and other entities need not apply.

ROL is a four-year USAID initiative to promote the strategic advancement of Serbia’s judicial reform process, increase judicial efficiency and access to justice through non-judicial services (public enforcement officers), and build capacity of institutions in the judiciary outside of the court system (State Attorney’s Office - SAO). It has two main components. The first component is designed to support the development of the court assistants’ profession; improve mechanisms and systems for service of process; and identify focus areas that can strengthen ongoing reform initiatives within the judiciary, along with supporting their implementation. The second component supports the ongoing improvement of the system for enforcement of judgments, ensuring the timeliness and integrity of enforcement actions, as well as working with the SAO to improve its processes, operations, and skills, identifying opportunities to improve performance and reduce the time and cost associated with cases involving the SAO.

1. Purpose of Solicitation

As noted above, the purpose of this call for EOI is to pre-qualify individual consultants with the required education, skills, and experience to bid on firm fixed-price subcontracts for specific deliverables with ROL. Through this call, DPI will gather information on and assess the qualifications of individual consultants interested in working for ROL. After the information has been reviewed, ROL may invite qualified consultants to respond to Request for Proposals (RFPs) when the need for their expertise arises. RFP documentation will only be made available to those consultants pre-qualified by DPI at its sole discretion.

Individual consultants with experience in one or more of the following disciplines and who meet the qualifications summarized below are encouraged to submit the required information:

ICT Experts

Location: Belgrade

In one or more of the following areas of expertise:

• Database design, database analytics, database optimization and performance, BI, Big Data and “R” programming;
• CMS and DMS systems - designing, implementation, and/or optimization;
• C-based and .Net and .Net Core programming, front-end programming and WCF programming;
• Information Security.

Requirements for eligible candidates:

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in computing, with more than 6 years of hands-on and consulting experience;
• Experience with complex data/DMS/CMS systems implementation;
• Experience providing readable functional and technical analysis of ICT systems;
• Excellent organization and communications skills in English and Serbian;
• Strong report writing skills in English. 

Desired experience:

• Previous experience in public institution/judicial reform preferred;
• Previous experience with consultancy to development projects preferred.

2. Information to be Submitted

Each respondent must submit:

1. a cover letter indicating his/her area of expertise and summarizing his/her qualifications and experience;
2. a curriculum vitae of no more than 7 pages;
3. a summary of relevant work experience describing each related assignment, the client for whom it was performed and the client’s contact details, and the value of the work done (i.e., compensation received by the consultant for the work performed – failure to provide compensation information will disqualify the candidate);
4. three references from individuals who reviewed the consultancy work completed;
5. a writing sample, such as a written deliverable prepared by the respondent in the area applied for; and
6. a certificate or other document evidencing completion of highest level of education.

DPI may require a respondent to submit additional information to better judge his/her application. Failure to provide the requested information in timely fashion will disqualify the respondent from further consideration. Information provided by respondents in response to this EOI will be treated confidentially by DPI.

3. Deadline for Submitting Information

The deadline by which interested consultants must respond to this call for EOI is Monday, April 30, 2018, at 17:00 Belgrade time. Responses received after the deadline will not be reviewed.

4. Method of Submitting Information

Responses must be submitted electronically. Only candidates who send their information in the prescribed manner will be eligible.

5. Evaluation Criteria

DPI will evaluate each respondent based on the following criteria. A respondent must receive a score of at least 75% to be pre-qualified:

6. Notification

Consultants who meet the requirements will be notified by ROL via email of their pre-qualification.

7. Other

The receipt of responses to this call for EOI is non-binding on all parties. Nothing in this document or process should be interpreted to form a binding legal contract or an award of work. DPI reserves the right to identify potential consultants through other means. Procurements of services, if any, will be governed by the rules and regulations of USAID and DPI. DPI will not reimburse respondents for their time or costs associated with their applications. DPI may reject a submission if DPI, in its sole discretion, concludes that the respondent has made false or misleading claims or statements, or has had inappropriate contacts with ROL staff, USAID, or ROL counterparts regarding this EOI.

Deadline for applications: 30.04.2018.