Nepal Rastra Bank

NEPAL – ACCESS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES PROJECT
TERMS OF REFERENCE for
PROCUREMENT OFFICER

Background:

The World Bank, UNDP and UNCDF are supporting the Government of Nepal (GON)’s efforts to increase access to financial services especially for urban micro and small enterprises (MSEs) and urban and rural low income households through a USD 30 million Access to Financial Services Project. The project consists of five closely interrelated components:

• A technical assistance fund to strengthen the capacity of financial institutions to expand access to new underserved market segments and to carry out a financial literacy campaign.
• Technical assistance to support reforms of the legal/regulatory and supervisory framework for microfinance, and the implementation of a secured transactions registry.
• A line of credit for financial institutions interested in serving urban MSE, especially previously unbanked ones.
• Technical assistance to reform state-owned microfinance institutions, i.e., the Rural Self-Reliance Fund and the Regional Rural Development Banks.
• Technical assistance to fund a public information campaign, project implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Component (I) will be managed by a private firm, components (II) to (V) will be implemented by the Advisory Services Team of Nepal Rastra Bank. These TORs refer to the procurement officer who will make up part of the AST.

The AST at NRB has overall responsibility for implementing the project including carrying out the acquisition of goods and services to be financed under components 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the project and for all financial management activities, including periodic financial reporting to the World Bank. The AST is staffed by three dedicated NRB staff (a Director, a Deputy Director with CPA – to look after financial management issues, and a secretary), supported by an externally-hired procurement expert and procurement assistant. Changes to the AST Staff will be undertaken by NRB in consultation with the World Bank.

Terms of Reference:

The Procurement Officer shall have at least five years’ hands-on experience of carrying out procurement using procedures of multilateral donor agencies such as ADB or the World Bank. S/he will be responsible for taking all actions to ensure implementation of agreed procurement arrangements as follows:

1. Undertake procurement activity as per the draft Procurement Plan which provides the estimated costs and the basis for the procurement methods for each procurement item under the project,
2. Prepare technical specifications for procurement of good and services,
3. Prepare bidding documents,
4. Prepare tender notices, and invitations for bids,
5. Receive, open, and evaluate bids, and finalize contracts,
6. Administer contracts to ensure compliance with the contract conditions, payment terms, variations, dispute resolution, and monitoring etc.
7. Maintain all the records relating to procurement,
8. Maintain a separate record relating to complaints and their redressal,
9. Periodically update the Procurement Plan in agreement with the Project Team to reflect the actual project implementation needs and improvements in institutional capacity,
10. Ensure implementation of agreed procurement arrangements,
11. Prepare procurement implementation reports in accordance with the reporting requirement acceptable to the World Bank,
12. Ensure that the procurement capacity of AST staff is developed.

Conditions of Employment:

The Procurement officer (PO) will work under the following terms and conditions:

• The PO will be based in Katmandu but will be expected to travel to the field.
• The PO will be under the direct supervision of the head of AST and will have one staff designated as his/her assistant.
• The PO will be provided a salary commensurate with her/his experience and salary history and similar to what would be provided in the private sector. The PO will also be provided per diems, travel allowances, and transportation, as per the rules of the Project.
• The PO will initially be recruited for one year with a probationary period of six months, and depending upon his or her satisfactory performance, the term might be extended. Based on AST need, the contract may be extended beyond one year.
• Inappropriate use of equipment, vehicles, or funds provided by NRB or the Bank, or other partners, as well as abuse of authority, will constitute grounds for immediate dismissal and recovery of funds.
• In respect to other aspects of employment, they will be bound by the rules and conditions of the Project.

Qualifications and Criteria for Selection:

The candidate for the PO position should possess a strong background and experience in successfully carrying out procurement using similar procedures, methods, specifications etc. S/he should have a demonstrated capacity to establish and run a procurement system efficiently. He or she should be willing and able to develop the capacity of AST staff. Knowledge of internationally accepted ‘best practice’ systems, newly applicable GoN procurement procedures and experience in working with donor funded projects would be essential qualifications. He or she should be fluent in oral and written English and have good computer skills. During the selection process, the following criteria will be utilized:

• Overall procurement experience
• Experience in procuring software
• Knowledge of procurement systems in South Asia
• Experience in donor funded projects or donor agencies
• Educational background

Selection Mechanism:

The recruitment process will generally follow World Bank guidelines. Advertisements will be placed in major circulation newspapers and in UNDB inviting applicants to submit in English their CV and a letter outlining their qualifications related to the above 5 criteria. Applications will be screened by the AST. The top candidates will be invited for interview. The project steering committee will approve the appointment. The committee will make the selection of the PO and will forward its choice to the World Bank for a no-objection.

Schedule:

Recruitment of the PO is an urgent priority. Application, including a CV and any other satisfactory documentary evidence (e.g., contract letter, satisfactory completion letter) should be submitted by August 17, 2007. It is anticipated that the PO will be on board by September 2007.