Multi-country evaluation of UNICEF’s response to the Venezuela Outflow Crisis

1.         Background

The current population outflow from Venezuela is already the largest in the modern history of Latin America and the Caribbean with 5.4 million Venezuelans living abroad, of which approximately 4.6 million are hosted by other Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries,  including an estimated 1.4 million children. Actual figures are likely to be higher considering unregistered flows of population and the lack of consolidated data. As a consequence of this crises, approximately 2.2 million are in need of assistance in the neighboring countries. The Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V) estimates that there will be 5.3 million refugees and migrants from Venezuela by the end of December 2021, in LAC countries.

By 2021, UNICEF estimates that at least 5.7 million people, including 1.2 million children, will require humanitarian assistance in countries receiving the largest influx: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago . Those in need include Venezuelan migrants and refugees, host communities and non-Venezuelans returnees. The high and unpredictable migration flows are stretching the capacities of host countries and increasing demands on already limited services and structures at the host community level. Women and children, particularly unaccompanied children and children with disabilities, as well as indigenous groups, are facing risks of violence, discrimination, trafficking, exploitation and abuse.

Affected people are in urgent need of access to registration, protection mechanisms, inclusive education, integrated health, water supply, sanitation and hygiene, and nutrition services and adequate temporary or permanent housing. The medium- and long-term implications of the migration flows, such as the increase in demand for and costs of already stretched health, education and protection systems, mean that significant financial resources and technical capacities will be needed to carry out policy and programme adjustments. Furthermore, children affected by human mobility are at heightened risk due to the impacts of COVID-19, with limited or no access to safe water, sanitation and essential services. The crisis has also restricted access to international protection and regular migration pathways.

2.         Solicitation

2.1       The purpose of this Request for Proposals for Services (“RFPS”) is to invite proposals for the " Multi-country evaluation of UNICEF’s response to the Venezuela Outflow Crisis " [as fully detailed in the Terms of Reference/Statement of Work attached at Annex B].

2.2       This RFPS document is comprised of the following:

• Solicitation document
• The UNICEF General Terms and Conditions of Contract (Services) which are attached as Annex A
• The full Terms of Reference attached at Annex B
• MDM Vendor Template
• Online registration to UNGM -United Nations Global Market – link: https://www.ungm.org/Account/Registration

2.3       This RFPS is an invitation to treat and shall not be construed as an offer capable of being accepted or as creating any contractual, other legal or restitutionary rights.  No binding contract, including a process contract or other understanding or arrangement, will exist between the Proposer and UNICEF and nothing in or in connection with this RFPS shall give rise to any liability on the part of UNICEF unless and until a contract is signed by UNICEF and the successful Proposer.

PART II – PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS

1.            Proposal Submission Schedule

CONTRACTUAL PROCESS

The schedule of the contractual process is as follows:

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE:

1.            Send Proposal:  26.01.2021

2.            Questions and Answer if necessary: Until February 5th, 2021 before 23:59 (Panama Time)

3.            Consolidates Q & A posted in UNGM: February 08, 2021.

4.            Deadline for Proposals: February 16th, 2021 before 23:59 (Panama Time)

5.            Proposals Review: February 17th – 18th, 2021.

6.            Evaluation Period/Review of Proposals: February 19th – 23rd, 2021. approximately

7.            Award Notice sent and posted in UNGM: February 26th,2021. approximately

8.            Contract begins March 1st, 2021 approximately

1.1 Acknowledgement of receipt of RFPS.  Proposers are requested to inform UNICEF as soon as possible by EMAIL to at lacro-ops@unicef.org that they have received this RFPS. 

IMPORTANT: PROPOSALS ARE NOT TO BE SENT TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS STATED ABOVE – ANY PROPOSALS SENT TO THE ABOVE EMAIL ADDRESS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

1.2 Questions from Proposers.  Proposers are required to submit any questions in respect of this RFPS by email: LACRO-OPS@UNICEF.ORG with LRPS-2021-260121.

1.3 The deadline for receipt of any questions is 5th February,2021 BEFORE 23:59 PANAMA TIME.

IMPORTANT: PROPOSALS ARE NOT TO BE SENT TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS STATED ABOVE – ANY PROPOSALS SENT TO THE ABOVE EMAIL ADDRESS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

Proposers are required to keep all questions as clear and concise as possible.  

Proposers are also expected to immediately notify UNICEF in writing of any ambiguities, errors, omissions, discrepancies, inconsistencies or other faults in any part of the RFPS, providing full details. Proposers will not benefit from such ambiguities, errors, omissions, discrepancies, inconsistencies or other faults.

UNICEF will compile the questions received. UNICEF may, at its discretion, at once copy any anonymized question and its reply to all other invited Proposers and/or post these on the UNICEF website and/or respond to the question at a bid conference. After any such bid conference, a Questions and Answers document may be prepared and posted on the UNICEF website.

1.4    Amendments to RFPS Documents.  At any time prior to the Submission Deadline, UNICEF may, for any reason, whether at its own initiative or in response to a clarification requested by a prospective Proposer, modify the RFPS documents by amendment. If the RFPS was available publicly online, amendments will also be posted publicly online. Further, all prospective Proposers that have received the RFPS documents directly from UNICEF will be notified in writing of all amendments to the RFPS documents. In order to afford prospective Proposers reasonable time in which to take the amendment into account in preparing their Proposals, UNICEF may, at its sole discretion, extend the Submission Deadline.

1.5          Bid conference.  A bid conference will NOT be held.

1.6       Submission Deadline.  The deadline for submission of proposals is as follows:

23:59 Panama City Time. 16th February 2021. At email  lacro-ops@unicef.org

Any proposals received by UNICEF after the Submission Deadline will be rejected.

It is extremely important that you send your technical and economic proposal in separate emails. The title of the mail should start with the reference number of this RFP, that is, LRPS-2021-260121 plus the name of the service or bid, example, LRPS-2021-260121 – Multi country evaluation - Technical proposal and another one with the economic proposal. If this condition is not met, the proposal will be rejected.

1.7     Proposal Opening.  Due to the nature of this RFPS, there will be no public opening of proposals.

2.            Language

2.1          The Proposal prepared by the Proposer and all correspondence and documents relating to the Proposal exchanged by the Proposer and UNICEF, will be written in ENGLISH OR SPANISH. Supporting documents and printed literature furnished by the Proposer may be in another language provided that they are accompanied by an appropriate translation in ENGLISH OR SPANISH. When interpreting the Proposal, the translated version of these supporting documents and printed literature will prevail over the original version of these documents. The sole responsibility for translation, including the accuracy of the translation, will rest with the Proposer.