Overview

Westminster Foundation for Democracy (“WFD”) is the UK public body dedicated to supporting democracy around the world. Operating internationally, WFD works with parliaments, political parties, and civil society groups as well as on elections to help make political systems fairer, more inclusive and more accountable.

We are a problem-solving, practitioner-led organisation that offers: 

• Specialist analysis, research, and advice to inform policy makers on a range of democratic governance issues;
• High quality and impactful programmes that directly support the full spectrum of institutions in political systems to develop inclusive political processes, more accountable political systems, protection of rights and freedoms, and more pluralistic societies; and 
• International elections observation on behalf of the UK. 

Delivered in partnership with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), WFD has been engaged as the primary partner to deliver the Democratic Governance Centre of Expertise (CoE). The purpose of the Centre is to help the FCDO network by serving as an authoritative source of expertise and insight, drawing on WFD’s accumulated knowledge and evidence, and on input from our networks of partners and collaborators.

Aim of this invitation to tender 

WFD is issuing this Call for Experts (“Call”) to a range of potential experts and we would welcome a proposal from you/your organisation based on the present ToR. This Call constitutes an Invitation to Tender.

We seek to enter into an agreement with a single supplier (individual or organisation) who is a senior and experienced expert in English law and/or regulatory systems. This expert, preferably a respected academic, professional, or political figure, foundation, or business equivalent, should specialize in legal reform aimed at improving the economic and administrative environment, or economic reform, which is a key area of interest to Kyrgyz counterparts. The expert will undertake a scoping visit to establish strong networks in Bishkek, identify areas for policy advice and support, and provide substantive advice and mentoring to Kyrgyz counterparts in consultation with the Embassy during and after the visit.

The budget range for the Call is between £11,000 and £18,000

Proposal submission

All proposals or quotes should be submitted by 23:59 (GMT) on Sunday 7 July 2024, in writing, must comply with the requirements of this Call, and must include the information requested in the proposal requirements below. 

The proposal or quote should be sent electronically and addressed to: Ketevan Goletiani (Ketevan.Goletiani@wfd.org) using the subject heading: “EOI - CoE/Kyrgyzstan Enquiry”; cc. Tobi Ayeni (Tobi.Ayeni@wfd.org) and Camila Maciel (Camila.Maciel@wfd.org).

The same email address should be used for any questions related to this Call. 

By submitting a bid, you agree to comply with WFD’s standard terms and conditions for tendering and key policies and WFD’s Code of Conduct.

Terms of Reference

Objective

Kyrgyzstan is a young democracy. While there has been a recorded decline in openness and democratic space, the UK and other international partners have continued to encourage civic and political freedoms. Political leadership is interested in attracting international investment without compromising stability. It is important for Kyrgyzstan to demonstrate democratic successes and convince key internal stakeholders of the benefits of remaining open and internationally engaged. Prime Minister Japarov has requested UK support to improve economic governance, highlighted in his recent UK visit and a December Op-Ed calling for reforms. The UK has an opportunity to support key reforms in Kyrgyzstan through external expertise that can build rapport with the Kyrgyz leadership and promote an open society. 

This assignment aims to provide the Kyrgyz Government with experienced and senior advice on reform, including legal reform, that builds strong UK-Kyrgyz relations on democratic governance issues.

Scope of work

A senior and experienced UK expert, most likely a respected academic, professional or political, foundation or business equivalent, should have an expertise in a key area of interest to Kyrgyz counterparts, such as legal reform aimed at improving the economic and administrative environment, or economic reform.  They will: 

• Familiarise themselves with Kyrgyz reform issues through reading and briefings (up to 2 days); 
• Undertake a scoping visit to establish strong Bishkek networks and identify areas of policy advice and support (up to 6 days); 
• Provide substantive advice and mentoring to Kyrgyz counterparts in consultation with the Embassy during and post visit (visit plus up to 4 days of follow-up engagement); 
• Develop an advisory note for the Embassy setting out recommendations on further UK engagement and support, with rationale (up to 2 days). 

Further visits may be agreed as needed. 

Deliverables

• Strong UK-Kyrgyz policy relationship on reform and open societies
• Direct advice/mentoring to Kyrgyz counterparts
• Advisory note on further UK support of no more than 5 pages
• A summary of recommendations for Kyrgyz counterparts of no more than 4 pages

Timeline

The initial scoping phase will require up to 14 days of support, with the visit taking place no later than September/beginning of October 2024.   

The indicative timeline is as follows, but subject to change (based on availability of the British Embassy Bishkek and the selected expert):

Reporting

The supplier will report to WFD’s Programme Manager, Expertise and Compliance and FCDO’s Senior Governance Advisor at an interval to be agreed upon contract. Documents and draft notes will be submitted to FCDO’s Senior Governance Advisor for circulation with partners.

Working arrangements

The preparatory work for the visit will be carried out remotely; Travel to Bishkek is required to deliver direct consultations/mentoring/advice to Kyrgyz counterparts; Additional consultations may be required post-visit, virtually. Final deliverables will be developed and submitted remotely. 

Further visits may be agreed as needed.   

Payments

The Consultant will submit invoices which (i) state the number of days worked during the relevant period, (ii) include a timesheet with detailed description of the tasks completed, and (iii) attach receipts for any agreed expenses. Payments will be made monthly in arrears within 30 days of receipt by WFD of a valid invoice.

Minimum experience and expertise

The individual should have experience conducting similar visits/consulting services and possess the following qualifications and skills:

• Advanced degree (Masters equivalent or higher) in social and political sciences, law, or another related field;  
• A senior figure (a respected academic, professional or political, foundation or business equivalent) with an experience of working with high-level officials, governments, Embassies, international organizations, etc.; 
• Previous experience of working on FCDO assignments will be an asset; 
• Conceptual and practical expertise in legal and/or economic reforms aimed at improving the economic and administrative environment; Preference will be given to candidates with a solid background in English Law/Regulatory systems. 
• Experience of working in//on Kyrgyzstan or Central Asia would be a strong asset but is not mandatory. 
• Strong speaking, writing and analytical skills in English. Good interpersonal skills.  Conversational Russian or Kyrgyz would be an asset. 
• Proven ability to provide consulting and mentoring to high-level officials, and to prepare advisory notes and briefings; 
• Proven track record in delivering similar assignments, supported by references and/or previous consulting/advisory roles. 

Proposal process

Timescale

Please submit your proposals by 23:59 (GMT) on Sunday, 7 July 2024.

Proposal requirements

The proposal should include the following (details provided below):

1. Profile 
2. Proposed solution and how it meets the specification (scope and deliverables) 
3. Financial proposal 
4. References 
5. Confirmation of compliance with General Terms and Conditions of tendering

Individual profile:  

• If the expert is currently registered with WFD’s Expert Roster, the expert should refer to this in the proposal and no further information is required. 
• If the expert is not currently registered with the Expert Roster, the expert should provide a C.V. or information in the proposal document including: 
  • A summary of their professional biography and relevant career history/record of assignments; and any credentials demonstrating relevant experience and skills profile.  

Proposed solution:

• A description of the service to be provided and clear explanation as to how this meets the specification in this Call; a brief methodology, outlining how they will approach and complete the assignment, including assumptions and dependencies, resourcing, and risks.  

Financial proposal:

A transparent quotation of the charge for the service(s) in sterling, to include: 

• a clear breakdown of all costs, including any daily rate to be applied.
• any proposed discount applied for WFD as a not-for-profit organisation;
• and a separate identification of any VAT charges (and/or any other applicable tax, excise or other charges). 

References: 

• If the expert is currently registered with WFD’s Expert Roster, the expert should refer to this in the proposal and no further information is required. 
• If the expert is not currently registered with the Expert Roster, the expert should include details of at least three references relating to relevant expert services provided in the last three years. 

Confirmation of acceptance of general terms and conditions: 

• All proposals should include a signed copy of the Confirmation of Compliance form as annexed to this Call. 

All experts should also note the following: 

• all proposals should be submitted in English; 
• all proposals should be submitted in electronic form; 
• this Call and the proposal in response may be incorporated in whole or in part into the final contract;
• only information provided in response to questions set out in this documentation will be taken into consideration for the purposes of evaluating the proposal; 
• proposals which are poorly organised or poorly written, such that evaluation and comparison with other submissions is notably difficult, may exclude the expert from further consideration; and 
• any proposals which do not fully comply with the requirements of this Call may be disregarded at the absolute discretion of WFD. 

Evaluation criteria

WFD does not provide a mathematical formula by which bids will be weighted evaluated, but the procurement committee will consider the following criteria, among others in the evaluation of all responses: 

• Quality of bid document 
• Service offer and solution fit to specification 
• Quality, capacity, and track-record of bidders based on references
• Value for money and pricing factors
• Professional profile, track record, and references
• Relevant experience, including case studies

WFD will score each criterion using the following table:

Evaluations will be coordinated by a committee of at least three, including members of the Centre of Expertise and FCDO.

Funding 

Financial support for the assignment will be provided by Democratic Governance Centre of Expertise. The individual or organisation is asked to submit a financial proposal (inclusive of all costs and as requested above) in response to these terms of reference of between £11,000-18,000.

Queries about this Call

Any questions related to this Call should be addressed to Ketevan Goletiani at Ketevan.Goletiani@wfd.org.

Equal Information

Should any potential expert raise a question that is of general interest, WFD reserves the right to circulate both question and answer to other respondents, either via WFD’s website or by email. In this event, anonymity will be maintained.

Annual reports

If you operate a personal services company, please provide a link or copy of your company’s latest audited annual accounts with the proposal.

Other information

If the potential expert believes that there is additional information that has not been requested in the Call but is relevant to your proposal, please include that information as a separate attachment and explain its relevance to this Call.