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STATEMENT OF WORK

Land Administration Information Technology Systems Consultant

A. INTRODUCTION

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has a requirement for land information technology advice and analysis services to support MCC’s oversight of land administration and land-tenure related investments in MCC-eligible countries. The MCC will obtain the required services through a competitive procurement to provide professional expertise.

On January 23, 2003, the United States established the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), an innovative foreign assistance program designed to reduce poverty by promoting sustainable economic growth. MCC, a U.S. government corporation, is based on the principle that aid is most effective in countries that promote good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people. For more information on the MCC, please visit www.mcc.gov.

MCC’s overriding objectives are to promote economic growth and a significant reduction in poverty in our partner countries. MCC does not take it for granted that programs that stimulate growth will invariably reduce poverty. MCC looks at the likely distributive effects of projects and, to the extent that data are available to perform such an analysis, identifies the beneficiaries and estimates the impact on poverty reduction. Ultimately, MCC seeks significant and measurable increases in incomes of large numbers of poor people and significant reductions in poverty.

MCC analyzes the likely impact on economic growth of its programs by analyzing whether they are consistent with international and country evidence on drivers of economic growth and by use of economic rate of return (ERR) analysis. The essence of such an analysis is a straightforward comparison of costs and benefits, where the costs are the MCA grants, other front-end project development costs, and associated project life cycle operating and maintenance costs, and the benefits are increases in incomes in recipient countries.

B. SCOPE

The overall objective of this contract is to support the MCC Land and Agricultural Economy Practice Group in their efforts to (i) assess proposed land administration and land-tenure related investments as part of MCC Compacts and Threshold Programs and (ii) provide implementation oversight, technical guidance, and assessment of implementer and project performance of land administration and land-tenure related investments in on-going Compacts and Threshold Programs.

Specifically, the selected consultant shall provide expertise in the field of land administration information technology systems to support MCC’s assessment of potential investments and implementation of approved investments in MCC-eligible countries. These services shall include assessment of the existing land administration information technology systems landscape and system fitness and functionality; participating in due diligence of proposed new Land IT systems investments, design of new proposed investments, and recommendations on the appropriate scope, scale, complexity and functionality of land administration IT systems; review and recommendations for improvement of Land IT systems terms of reference and technical specifications; review of implementation plans, risks to achievement of program objectives and mitigation measures, and project implementation progress toward agreed upon technology-related outputs and objectives. The consultant shall be required to solve problems during project implementation – identify specific corrective actions when a project encounters challenges and provide an action plan for implementation of such actions.

C. COUNTRY

Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, and any other MCC eligible country.

D. TASKS

The consultant shall provide technical advisory services to support MCC’s Compact and Threshold Program due diligence, project development and oversight of project implementation and results achievement. The consultant’s assignments may include the following:

· Complete desk review of background materials to obtain understanding of the country context and IT-specific issues in the land sector.

· Assess the status of existing land IT systems and their effectiveness in maintaining land information – such as registry information, cadastral information, or land-based tax and revenue information - and delivering land administration services.

· Identify key issues in need of analysis by MCC as part of sector and project due diligence.

· Review and assess options, plans, or proposals for project investments, with specific focus on investments in Land IT systems.

· Prepare design recommendations for information technology dimensions of proposed projects, including suggested improvements where proposals exist, in order to maximize the viability, usability, demand for and sustainability of such systems.

· Provide recommendations related to appropriate, viable, and sustainable, registry/cadastre information and transaction system investments specifically relevant to institutional environments with limited financial and technical resources and limited electricity/internet.

· Prepare reports that include analysis of progress in project implementation and identify risks, mitigation measures, and other obstacles to achievement of project objectives.

· For challenges and obstacles identified, develop corrective action plans and monitor their implementation.

· Review and provide comments on project IT vendor and contractor deliverables to ensure satisfactory work product quality.

· Review and provide comments to or drafting support to partner country IT system and component TORs and technical specification to ensure that procured goods and services meet project objectives.

· Provide recommendations and drafting as needed in relation to budget/financial plans and work plans.

· Conduct research on IT related topics, as needed, to inform project design and project implementation decisions.

· Contribute to ensuring coordination – or integration as appropriate – between land programming and other related or overlapping sector programs.

· As appropriate, plan and conduct missions to MCC partner countries, and maintain communications as necessary with pertinent MCA staff from consultant’s home facilities.

· Participate in project oversight missions and project related meetings, as needed.

· Other tasks as assigned by the COR

E. DELIVERABLES

Deliverables may include written reports or communications containing analysis and recommendations and oral presentations and associated written materials. Specific deliverables, their required detailed contents, and their delivery date will be established via Technical Directives, each time the consultant is mobilized under the call order to be awarded.

F. TECHNICAL DIRECTIVE

The consultant shall provide services to MCC on an as needed basis, as required. To support MCC in the flexible and timely manner needed to meet the evolving needs of Threshold Program or Compact development, negotiation, implementation and evaluation, technical directives under this statement of work shall be issued by the COR/PM and the consultant deployed each time the consultant’s services are needed over the course of this contract. These technical directives may require use of specific tools or methods of analysis, for example application of MCC’s own land IT assessment and investment decision tools. No additional directive shall imply any additional costs to the United States Government (USG) beyond the amount allowed for in the initial statement of work; however, this this statement of work may be amended to reflect additional costs associated with implementation planning and oversight requirements.

In each technical directive, the COR/PM will define the specific tasks, dates and location of services, and assignment deliverable(s) at least one week prior to date of consultant deployment. The technical directive will, in one paragraph to two pages, provide clear and concise instructions on tasks and deliverables requested of the consultant. Upon acknowledging acceptance of the technical directive by the consultant to MCC in writing (email to the COR/PM is acceptable), the consultant will be deployed by MCC to conduct the specific tasks described therein. The consultant shall not conduct any specific work under this contract unless such a technical directive is issued and acknowledged in writing. The consultant will notify the contract officer if the tasks appear to fall outside the scope given herein. The consultant is expected to submit electronic copies of all written deliverables in English and to brief MCC staff verbally upon request.

Acceptance Criteria The deliverables will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

· Thoroughness and timeliness in complying with all of the elements in the tasks specified.

· High quality finished products in a timely manner, and clarity of analyses and work produced.

· Timeliness and efficacy of communications with relevant counterparts at MCC, MCA, and other relevant organizations.

· All reports are to be submitted in English (unless otherwise specified) in electronic copy (in MS Word), with tables, data and calculations in MS Excel.

G. PERIOD AND PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

All work will be completed between the dates of the award through a period of up to five years, consisting of a base year and up to four option years.

The estimated level of effort is estimated at up to 1,200 hours for the first year, 1,150 for the second, 1,250 for the third year, 1,050 per year for the fourth and fifth years for a total of 5,700 hours with an estimated up to 9 trips per year. MCC anticipates this level of effort but does not guarantee this level of effort as it may increase or decrease.

The consultant shall perform the services and tasks generally identified above at the consultant’s own home/office facilities, in MCC’s Washington DC offices, when requested, and in MCC-eligible countries.

H. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The consultant would be precluded from bidding on work and services (design, assessment, construction and supervision) to be procured by the local MCA accountable entity or using funds advanced under a Threshold Program or Compact in the relevant country, unless the consultant submits a mitigation plan sufficient to ameliorate any conflict of interest pursuant to the rules applicable to the procurement process.

I. SUBCONTRACTING

The consultant is authorized to subcontract data collection, data preparation, and related services as needed. The overall costs for subcontracting shall not exceed 25% of the consultant’s total negotiated unloaded direct labor cost.

J. EVALUATION CRITERIA

· Demonstrated experience and expertise in land administration IT systems in developing countries, and in key factors and approaches to ensure usability, viability, and sustainability of such systems.

· Demonstrated experience with the design and implementation of complex land IT system projects.

· Demonstrated experience and expertise in review, critique, and improvement of proposed IT solutions to address the maintenance of land information, functionality for land-related transactions, and delivery of land administration and other land-related services

· Demonstrated ability to assess, troubleshoot and identify corrective actions for both spatial and alphanumeric dimensions of a land administration IT system;

· Demonstrated experience with the provision of technical analysis and recommendations related to land administration technology to donor institutions (such as MCC or the World Bank).

· University degree in computer science, geography, or other field relevant to use of information technology in land tenure and land administration.

· Fluency in spoken and written English.

K. TIMING AND REPORTING

All formal communication with MCC, including reports, will be submitted to the COR/PM. The COR/PM for this requirement will be identified via separate correspondence.

The COR/PM will have technical responsibility for monitoring the contractor’s performance. The COR/PM will review and evaluate the contractor’s performance, and also will coordinate any communications with relevant counterparts and other donor agencies and organizations.

Any changes in the terms of the Call Order will be made in writing and approved by the Contracting Officer. No representation of the COR/PM shall serve as a basis for an alteration in the general scope of this Call Order or of the terms and conditions of the Call Order unless confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. The contractor must communicate with the Contracting Officer on all matters that pertain to the Contract terms. Proceeding with the work without proper contractual coverage could result in nonpayment for that work.

The designated consultant would be expected to coordinate with local authorities responsible for MCC Compact implementation as well as other donors, where relevant. However, designated consultant would report directly to the designated COR/PM.

L. OTHER REQUIREMENTS

International travel may be required. The consultant may be requested to mobilize on a short notice and will be expected to deliver high quality finished products in a timely manner based on the instructions of the COR/PM.