Procurement Consultant

Terms of Reference

 

Position: STTA for Procurement

Available positions: 2       

Reporting to: Senior Director of Finance and Compliance  

Base of work: AMD Project Office in Lahore with travel project-wide

LOE: 120 Days

Period of Performance: 1st September 2017 till 28th February 2018

 

CNFA

Founded in 1985, CNFA is a Washington, D.C.-based, international development organization dedicated to stimulating economic growth around the world by nurturing entrepreneurship, private enterprise and market linkages in the agricultural development sector.

Since its inception, CNFA has actively promoted public-private sector partnerships as a way to jumpstart economic growth. We specialize in engaging private sector investment in training, new technology and marketing as a means to increase overall competitiveness, expand exports and generate higher incomes all along the value-chain for farmers, processors and distributors. CNFA has a successful track record of performance in Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the CIS, and South and Central Asia, and has managed more than $310 million in donor-funded agriculture development programs over the past decade.

 

General Project Description

 The U.S.-Pakistan Partnership for Agricultural Market Development (AMD) project in Pakistan is a four year, $21.2 million activity funded by USAID and implemented by CNFA with the goal of supporting the development of Pakistan’s commercial agriculture, particularly through improving the ability of Pakistan’s agriculture and livestock sectors to meet both international and domestic demand in targeted product lines in citrus, mango, high value/off season vegetables and livestock. AMD aims to achieve this through two complementary objectives:

 

•     Increase the efficiency, quality and profitability of select product lines, through the adoption of production, marketing, and business organization management practices that will transform supply chains of select specific product lines to higher levels of production. AMD will facilitate increased demand for Pakistani agricultural products and foster supply-demand synergies between producers and buyers, thereby complementing supply-side improvements by the USAID Agribusiness Project (UAP);

•     Improve market linkages within targeted product line chains and develop the institutional capacity of catalytic actors within chains. AMD will work with processors, traders, retailers, and ancillary service providers that support the targeted value chains.

 

Values

1. CNFA’s support function is client-oriented with a strong vested interest in the overall success of the project.  All support functions – their development and adjustment – exercise responsiveness to client needs and expectations.
2. Flexibility, adaptation, and innovation are key in CNFA’s proactive stance to systems’ adjustment and problem-solving.
3. Collegial cooperation with all AMD staff, partners, stakeholders, USAID personnel, and government officials towards the overall success and impact of the AMD Project.

Tasks & Responsibilities:

The Short Term Consultant will execute day-to-day procurement and contract administration activities of the Project as per the set procedures, manual, template and guidelines. The short term consultant will assist the Procurement Specialist in implementing tasks related to procurement of large value goods, works, and services. Specific duties include:

• Manage, execute, and coordinate tasks related to the high value procurement of services
• Plan, schedule, and prioritize procurement functions, including plans for the efficient and effective procurement of services
• Monitor receipts of bids and proposals and ensure their safekeeping until bid opening
• Acts as a secretary/supporter/observer to evaluation committees, ensuring that evaluation of bids/proposals received is done on the basis of criteria stipulated in the bidding documentation and performed in accordance with the procurement procedures set forth in procurement manual.
• Preparation of standard bidding documents, procurement processes and reporting templates, procurement plans, procurement implementation plans, and procurement performance reports;
• Assist in the establishment and implementation of a contract administration system;
• Manage the entire procurement process and execute day-to-day procurement functions such as: analyze market conditions, verify technical specifications or terms of reference, prepare and launch tender documents, arrange and facilitate site visits or bidders’ conferences, respond to written queries or requests for clarifications, facilitate evaluation panels, prepare evaluation reports, carry out price reasonableness analysis, facilitate contract negotiations, prepare and award contracts, notify regarding contract award, and conduct debriefings with bidders;
• Provide contract management services including arranging for proper inspection, ensuring compliance with terms and conditions of contracts, addressing delays, troubleshooting problems, assisting in contract amendments, and ensuring completion of works and delivery of goods;
• Ensure that all approvals and procurements records are kept safely and filed appropriately;
• Assist with management and resolution of bid challenges;
• Provide advice on the procurement activities of the Project including reviewing contracts related to procurement of services
• Assure that all procurement activities are performed in a fully professional, transparent, and ethical manner, and that they are in line with procurement regulations and conditions of the grant and implementation agreement;
• Protect the procurement activity from fraud, waste, and abuse;
• Show a willingness to perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Director of Finance and Compliance or Chief of Party

 

Deliverables

• Provide monthly report on AMD’s Business Service Providers procurements;
• Provide update report of progress made on ongoing procurement of all services, goods and business service contracts in execution;
• Monthly status of procurement solicitation documents including RFP/RFQ issuance, their evaluations, GST exemption updates, contract deliverables follow up and invoices processed.

 

Supervision/Reporting

The short term consultant is supervised by and reports to the Senior Director of Finance and Compliance.

 

Working Conditions/Special Considerations

The consultant is expected to comply with the terms and conditions as noted in his/her letter of agreement with CNFA. 

 This assignment is based in Pakistan. Lahore will be the primary duty post.

 

Qualifications

• Pakistani national
• 3 years of relevant working experience
• Master / Bachelors degree with professional qualification is desirable
• Working knowledge and understanding of best practices in procurement procedures, project administration and follow-up, and contract management;

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe applications;
• Knowledge of USAID policies, rules and regulations for procurement is preferable ;
• Previous USAID  project work experience in Pakistan is preferable;
• Team player, with excellent organizational, training design and delivery, time management, and communication skills in English, both written and oral.  Excellent Urdu, with regional language capability desirable.