RFP Issuance Due Date: 18 March 2021 Questions Due Date: 26 March 2021 Proposal Submission Due Date: 2 April 2021 Anticipated Start Date: 15 April 2021 SUBJECT: Request for Proposals (RFP) No. RFP/KZN/RIGO-SS/RFP-0010 To Develop and Implement an e-Procurement System at the East African Community THE KAIZEN COMPANY is seeking proposals from qualified organizations interested in providing the services described in the attached Request for Proposals (RFP). Consultancy for the Development and Implementation of an e-Procurement System at the East African Community The purpose of this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) is to invite qualified organizations to submit a proposal for the development and implementation of an e-Procurement solution for the East African Community (EAC). The RFP should be read together with the User Requirements and the Technical Specification (URD/TSD) document issued separately (Appendix I). The assignment will entail the development, installation, testing, comprehensive training, and capacity building of the EAC staff, and system handover, outlined more fully in Sections III and IV. THE KAIZEN COMPANY intends to issue a fixed-price subcontract to suitable vendors who demonstrate that they have the capacity to deliver quality technical assistance and are the most responsive to the requirements of the RFP. The remainder of this RFP provides additional information that will allow an offeror to understand the scope of the effort and develop a proposal in the format desired by THE KAIZEN COMPANY. Issuance of this Request for Proposal (RFP) does not constitute an award commitment on the part of THE KAIZEN COMPANY. THE KAIZEN COMPANY reserves the right to reject any offer received in response to this request. THE KAIZEN COMPANY shall not be liable for any costs incurred by Offeror in the preparation and submission of proposal. The information presented in this RFP is furnished solely for the purpose of assisting the offeror in making its own evaluation of the Scope of Work and does not purport to be all-inclusive or to contain all the information you may require. This RFP is not an offer by THE KAIZEN COMPANY to contract, but rather an attempt to establish a common framework for THE KAIZEN COMPANY to evaluate potential suppliers. The offeror should make its own investigations, projections and conclusions to verify independently the information contained in this RFP, and to obtain any additional information that it may require, prior to submitting a proposal. All questions, comments, requests for clarifications must be sent in writing to [email protected] no later than the date and time indicated above. Questions will not be entertained after this date. RFP No. RFP/KZN/RIGO-SS/RFP-0010 Page 1 of 14 If substantive questions are received which affect the response to the solicitation or if changes are made to the closing date and time as well as other aspects of the RFP, this solicitation will be amended. Any amendments to this solicitation will be issued and posted on the Kaizen procurement opportunities website. The worldwide web address is www.thekaizencompany.com. Offerors are encouraged to check this website periodically. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to your participation. RFP No. RFP/KZN/RIGO-SS/RFP-0010 Page 2 of 14 Table of Contents SUBJECT: Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 0010 [Develop and Implement an e- Procurement System at the East African Community] ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................................................. 3 Statement of Work (SOW) ............................................................................................................................................ 4 I. Background ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 II. Objectives .............................................................................................................................................................. 4 III. Deliverables ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 IV. Duration and Location ................................................................................................................................... 6 Submission Information .................................................................................................................................................... 6 V. Submission Information ...................................................................................................................................... 6 VI. Evaluation Criteria .......................................................................................................................................... 8 VII. General Terms and Conditions ................................................................................................................. 10 RFP No. RFP/KZN/RIGO-SS/RFP-0010 Page 3 of 14 Statement of Work (SOW) I. Background The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding a 5-year system strengthening activity for three Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (RIGOs) in Eastern Africa: The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); the East African Community (EAC), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The Prime Contractor for the implementation of this activity is The Kaizen Company. The aim of the RIGO System Strengthening Activity (RIGO SSA) is to achieve a demonstrable, evidence-based improvement in the organizational systems of COMESA, EAC, and IGAD. The EAC is a Regional Economic Community (REC) comprising six partner countries, namely, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, and Uganda. EAC has developed and implemented several computer Information Systems to support its operations across several functions – from programs supporting the implementation of the EAC integration agenda, to corporate support functions of Planning, Finance, Human Resources and Administration. However, procurement processes (from requisition, approval, and contract management) guided by the EAC Financial Rules and Regulations, 2012 and the EAC Procurement Procedures Manual, 2020 are currently operated manually. Besides being inefficient and slow, manual procurement systems pose several challenges which include misplaced procurement records and inadequate procurement monitoring and reporting. It is in this context that the EAC management is partnering with the Kaizen to implement a project to automate the procurement function. It is for this reason that the Kaizen Company wishes to invite qualified organizations to submit a proposal for the development and implementation of an e-Procurement solution for the EAC. The purpose of this RFP is to invite qualified organizations to submit a proposal for the development and implementation of an e-Procurement solution for the East African Community (EAC). The RFP should be read together with the User Requirements and the Technical Specification (URD/TSD) document issued separately. II. Objectives The objective of the e-Procurement automation is to develop and operationalize a fully functional automated procurement process. This will include knowledge transfer for user and technical staff in the EAC. It is expected that the automation of the procurement function will yield the following benefits: (a) Improved data capture, processing, and reporting; (b) Improved management of the procurement process and plan; (c) Increased accuracy through systems interface and integration; (d) Improved speed of processing, and RFP No. RFP/KZN/RIGO-SS/RFP-0010 Page 4 of 14 (e) Improved transparency and overall cost-effective use of resources. Activities and Tasks 1 The assignment will involve the following activities: (a) Validating user, technical and interface requirements for the e-procurement system; (b) Designing and developing the Alpha-prototype for the e-procurement system; (c) Developing, testing, and installing the Beta-prototype for the e-procurement system and interface with all relevant current systems; (d) Developing user and systems manuals to support the e-procurement system; (e) Training and rolling-out to all relevant EAC staff the for the e-procurement system; and (f) Hand holding and supporting staff during the operationalization of the of the e-procurement system. 2 Rollout of the e-Procurement system (a) The first phase will cover the EAC Organs of the East African Community: Secretariat (SEC), East African Court of Justice (EACJ) and the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). (b) The second phase will cover the EAC Institutions. This assignment does not cover the 2nd phase, however the system design in the first phase should interface with all relevant current systems in the EAC Institutions. (c) The project will cover the procurement and contract management processes of the East African Community as established in the Procurement Rules, Regulations, Manuals, and other relevant guidelines. The development process of the EAC e-Procurement system will be guided by the User Requirements and Technical Specifications document. The development and validation processes of the