Supporting Public Procurement Efficiency and Value for Money in Moldova

Project: P507197 - Supporting Public Procurement Efficiency and Value for Money in Moldova Financing: World Bank GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA SUPPORTING PUBLIC PROCUREMENT EFFICIENCY AND VALUE FOR MONEY IN MOLDOVA PROJECT Public Procurement Area GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE Loan No./Credit No./TF No./ Grant No. TF0C7801 Project ID No. P507197 The REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA has received a grant in the amount of US$ 3,600,000 equivalent from the World Bank toward the cost of the Supporting Public Procurement Efficiency and Value for Money in Moldova Project, and it intends to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, works, non-consulting services and consulting services to be procured under this Project. The Project will include the following components: Component 1: Redevelopment of the electronic procurement system (US$2.5 million). Activity 1. Mapping and re-engineering the business processes; development of technical specification; and preparation of bidding documents : The activity includes the analysis of all main business processes, encompassing all stages of the procurement cycle, including planning, tendering, awarding, contract management and monitoring, supporting both classic procurement and centralized procurement. The eGP system will include functionalities to capture, monitor and report on sustainability criteria (green, social, innovation) and on competition, including access of different groups to public procurement such as SMEs, women-owned businesses, social businesses, and others. The activity will inform the development of the functional requirements for the development of the eGP system, preparation of technical specifications, requirements and the bidding documents. A phased approach for implementation will be considered to ensure that the priority requirements are developed. Activity 2. Development of the e-procurement system : This activity provides for the development and roll-out of the eGP system which will, as a minimum, include all the functionalities to fully match the requirements of the PPL and Open Contracting Data Standards. Based on the lessons learned from the current and previous systems, the new system will be developed as an open-source system to avoid vendor lock-in. It will be a unified system rather than a multi-platform one. It will solely be owned by the MoF and technically supported by the CTIF, ensuring independence from private sector. Activity 3. Communication and training : Communication and training plan will be developed to support the roll-out of the newly developed system at the national level. This will consider the needs of the different users of the system, including public and private sector, oversight authorities, civil society, and communities. Citizen engagement is an essential aspect of the eGP system and plays a significant role in promoting transparency, accountability, and efficiency in public procurement processes through: • Access to information: Providing citizens with easy access to procurement information; • Participation in Monitoring: Engaging civil society in monitoring procurement processes by providing access to procurement data for analysis; and • Awareness Campaigns: Conducting awareness campaigns to inform citizens about public procurement which help foster a culture of transparency and accountability. The implementation of the component will require an active consultation of the main stakeholders of the public procurement system in Moldova to ensure that their needs are adequately reflected in the system functionalities. Component 2: Promoting a unitary policy and conducting procurement in conditions that prioritize economic and social efficiency (US$0.9 million). Activity 1. Feasibility study to inform the most efficient procurement centralization model. The activity will assess various centralization models to inform the development of a similar model in Moldova. The activity will analyze the options for implementation of centralization model in Moldova by reviewing selected existing centralization models within EU as well as the local applicable regulatory and institutional framework. The Moldovan authorities will be in charge with the analysis of the feasibility of the options, the selection of the operational model for centralization and its dissemination and communication at central and local level. Activity 2. Implementation of the selected centralization model . The selected centralization model will be implemented as a pilot at the Central Public Authorities and/or Local Public Authorities levels. The Ministry of Finance will lead the implementation process, including: (i) Identification of the authorities or organizations which will act as centralized procurement units for the selected categories of goods, services and works; (ii) Setting up the legal and institutional framework for the operationalization of the centralized procurement units; (iii) Definition of the organizational strategy, including obj