Consultancy Services Procurement for Third Party Monitoring (TPM)

New clarification added: Dear bidders,Kindly find the clarifications below and UNOPS responses:1. RFQ-Section II-Schedule of Requirements: section '2.2 Specifics' states "The consultant shall cover visits of 30-40% of the total scope of War Damaged Shelters"; however, it then states "At least the minimum one site visit shall be conducted to each ongoing work site on a monthly basis ...". In this case, is it expected that the consulted visits/monitors all 260 housing units? Or does the monthly visit to each ongoing work site refers to the 30-40% selected locations?UNOPS response:  This refers to ongoing works of the (30-40 ) % of the shelter component as stated in the ToR.2. RFQ-Section II-Schedule of Requirements: What is the frequency of the Capacity Building Sessions and Hygiene Promotion Sessions? Consequently, what is the expected frequency of monitoring for those two activities?UNOPS response: Capacity Building sessions are a total of 7 sessions ( duration is 3-4 days per session), while Hygiene Promotion sessions are 2-3 sessions in total so less monitoring focus is required when compared to works.  3. Can we add lines to the budget? Specifically, adding additional personnel as required?UNOPS response: You can as long as it does not affect the overall delivery cost and the minimum staffing requirements stated in the ToR.4. RFQ-Section III-Returnable Bidding Forms: section 3.1, No. 4, states 'insurance requirements as specified under Schedule 3.11'. Where can we find those requirements? UNOPS response: The consultant shall provide a confirmation letter stating that the consultant team, plant, equipment utilized under this consultancy contract will be covered by insurance, however the detailed policy can be submitted once the contract is awarded.5. Will the contract be a Fixed Price Contract or Fee-based contract (i.e. cost-reimbursement)?UNOPS response: The contract shall be fixed price and payments are progress based.  6. Is UNOPS working with local implementing partners? If so, will UNOPS facilitate introductions?UNOPS response: UNOPS works in close coordination with the national Authorities and provides support in facilitating introductions during contract implementation. 7. If we are submitting this as a Joint Venture, is it correct to assume that only the designated lead entity should sign on the documents requiring signature, i.e: signing on behalf of the joint venture?UNOPS response: Correct.8. The ToR refer to a project implementation plan which is to be used for planning visits.  At which stage would this be shared with the TPM? is it available now and can be shared?UNOPS response: The project implementation plan is an internal document and it shall be shared with the contracted entity upon contract signature and throughout implementation when required.9. The ToR are clear on the size of the target samples to be TPM'ed for the shelter component and the WTP conponent, however, there is no mention as to what percentages of the total of 150 sessions should be visited through the TPM services.  Could you expand? shall all sessions be visited, or a sample, or is the focus only on the outcomes as mentioned in section 3.2 of the ToR?UNOPS response: Sample sessions shall be visited with the main focus on the outcomes mentioned in section 3.2 of the ToR.10. Does the one visit per month apply to both the WTPs and the shelter facilities?UNOPS response: Yes11. In case the implementation plan is not ready, can you give some indicative dates and durations for the end/start of works for the various components in relation to the duration of the TPM services as outlined in Section 5 of the ToR?UNOPS response: Implementation plan shall be shared upon contract signature. 12. Does UNOPs expect some of the staff to be contracted on a full time basis?  if so, which ones?UNOPS response: please refer to section 8 Consultant’s Team Composition and Qualifications for staff requirements.  13. One of the requirements of submission is a confirmation letter from an insurer confirming provision of the required insurance policies.  Can you expand as to what type(s) of insurance would be required, and to what thresholds?UNOPS response:  The consultant shall provide a confirmation letter stating that the consultant team, plant, equipment utilized under this consultancy contract will be covered by insurance, however the detailed policy can be submitted once the contract is awarded.14. We would like to seek clarification on who the target communities are for the hygiene promotion sessions. UNOPS response: Please refer to section 11. Location details15. If the visits will have to deal with Quality Control, it has to be incereased to cover all tests reuired. Or the visits has to verify mostly Quality AssuranceUNOPS response: Since this is a third party Monitoring, the visits have to verify Quality Assurance inline with the ToR. Best regards

New clarification added: Dear bidders,Kindly find the clarification below and UNOPS response:Q:We would like to seek clarification on whether a bank guarantee is required under this contract. If so, could you please confirm the applicable percentage?UNOPS response: as stated in the Particulars, Performance security shall be required from the awarded Bidder in the amount of  [5%] Best regards 

New clarification added: Dear bidders,Kindly find the clarification below and UNOPS response: Eligibility of International Firms:Is the call open to international consulting firms?Consortium / Joint Venture Participation:Are consortium bids and/or joint ventures eligible to submit a proposal under this RFP?If eligible, can the mandatory requirements (e.g., relevant experience and technical capacity) be fulfilled collectively across consortium/joint venture partners, or must the lead firm meet all requirements independently?UNOPS response: The tender is open for internal bidders, however any bidder regardless of their nationality must be registered with an Iraqi institution for the purpose, otherwise they won't be able to get a work permit. As mentioned in the criteria - Qualification: "Bidders are required to be registered with the government of Iraq as a formal business entity and possess a valid license for operations within the country." "Joint Ventures in combined must meet the criteria"Best regards