Provision of Consulting services for a front-to-end core process redesign of IFAD’s policies and procedures as they relate to its Non-Sovereign Operations

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations based in Rome, Italy, hereby solicits proposals for the Provision of Consulting services for a front-to-end core process redesign of IFAD’s policies and procedures as they relate to its Non-Sovereign Operations. 

The objective of this bidding exercise is to identify a suitable service provider to deliver phase 1 of this project, and, contingent on satisfactory performance and IFAD leadership decision to proceed with the Core Process Redesign, the same provider may be retained for a subsequent Phase 2, which would involve translating Phase 1 findings into an actionable operating model and implementation platform over the course of 2026.  

Objectives of Phase 1: Benchmark and NSO Diagnostic 

To set the Core Process Redesign up for success, IFAD seeks a consultancy firm   to 1) benchmark and identify gaps, 2) accelerate the refinement or development of key guidelines and operational documents and 3) conduct a diagnostic to inform further enhancements to NSO processes and operating model. This work will achieve three major objectives in service of informing the Core Process Redesign effort: 

1. Benchmark and identify gaps in IFAD’s NSO processes vis-à-vis EBRD, a leading MDB that offers debt, fund investments and catalytic investments, and FMO, a leading bilateral DFI with sector and instrument-relevant portfolios and strong potential to collaborate with IFAD. The benchmarking work should be tailored to IFAD’s context and mandate including its investment strategy prioritising deployment of equity, sub debt and senior debt instruments. In the technical proposal the consultancy firm should assess whether more suitable institutions / DFIs should be selected or added to the benchmarking analysis and reasoning should be given accordingly. It is also possible to suggest different benchmarks only for particular aspects / elements of the Primary Outputs.   
2. Diagnose the current state & Core Guideline Revision/ Development of IFAD’s NSO operating model across policies, workflows, systems, decision rights, capacity and collaboration architecture. Delivery of concrete outcomes (see Primary Outputs below) in supporting optimisation of short-term operating model questions, as well as mapping opportunities to accelerate the pace of operations and time to impact across IFAD’s NSO investment lifecycle. 
3. Deliver a Core Process Redesign Phase 2 roadmap that prioritises challenges, recommends design principles and frames the scope for organisational transformation as well as the expected external and internal resources needed and IFAD departments to be included in the process. Expected outcomes from this phase are, amongst others, the adoption of an impact measurement and management framework, including reporting metrics, management dashboard specifications, and data system integration needs. 

These objectives will deliver concrete outputs at the conclusion of this phase of work to advance IFAD’s NSO work, while laying the groundwork for further organisational transformation through a Core Process Redesign effort.  

Objectives of Phase 2: Core Process Redesign 

The precise deliverables and timeline for Phase 2 will be determined by IFAD at a later stage and agreed with the selected service provider, subject to successful completion of deliverables in Phase 1 and IFAD’s decision to proceed with the Core Process Redesign, all of which at the sole discretion of IFAD.