Introduction

CLASP serves as the leading international voice and resource for appliance efficiency policies and market acceleration initiatives. Since 1999, CLASP has worked in nearly 100 countries, collaborating with key stakeholders to design and implement high-impact policies and programs that catalyze markets for efficient on and off-grid products that deliver a higher global standard of living for everyone. From international collaborations to local markets, we draw on best practices and leading technical and policy expertise to help decision makers identify and implement the most appropriate and cost-effective policies and market interventions. CLASP is based in Washington DC, and has offices and teams in India, Kenya, Europe, and are establishing a permanent presence in Indonesia to serve our growing portfolio of projects and programs in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and South and Southeast Asia.

The Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) is a philanthropic initiative to support the Kigali Amendment of the Montreal Protocol. K-CEP focuses on the energy efficiency of cooling to increase and accelerate the climate and development benefits of the Kigali Amendment to phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). CLASP has received a grant from K-CEP to support the development and implementation of compliance policy in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Most ECOWAS member states have not implemented policies, standards, and programs (PSPs) for cooling efficiency, but harmonized standards, labels and testing have been developed or are under development. Investing in robust compliance frameworks in parallel can enable these member states to start protecting and guaranteeing the anticipated energy and CO₂ savings from the outset. This project builds on ongoing efforts– for example, the ECOWAS Energy Efficiency Policy which aims to implement measures that will save up to 2GW of power generation capacity by 2020 and the general ECOWAS mandate to promote the establishment of a common market.

National compliance programs can be significantly strengthened through regional collaboration and coordination, especially where standards are aligned and products are sold across borders. Regional collaboration results in increased efficiencies when testing products, and authorities can work together to identify non-compliant products, target their market surveillance activities, and strategically allocate their resources. Data collected at a regional level can feed back into national PSPs to improve their operation. Even in countries with no PSP framework, there is the potential to limit inefficient cooling products entering the market. The high level of product imports in the ECOWAS region means that there is also the potential to adopt low cost compliance methods focusing on port of entry verification.

The activities of this program are to 1) lay the foundation for a regional cooling efficiency compliance network supported by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), 2) build a regional product database, and 3) assess regional capacity of air conditioner testing labs. These activites will help build compliance capacity in ECOWAS member states, increase regional collaboration, accelerate regional harmonisation of air conditioning testing and performance standards, and safeguard expected savings from cooling efficiency PSPs.

As part of this program, CLASP is developing a regional product database and online information sharing platform to enable enforcement of appliance energy efficiency regulations at customs. This will integrate legislative requirements, databases and standards of ECOWAS trade partners to enable inefficient and unlawful cooling products to be restricted cost effectively reducing the need for governments to conduct expensive market surveillance activities. The regional product database will provide a registration portal for importers and manufacturers to register their products in one or more countries; enable government authorities within ECOWAS to notify each other when non-registered or non-compliant products are found on national markets; and enable national customs authorities within ECOWAS to communicate with and alert each other of non-compliant products entering borders. For examples of similar tools, refer to the Pacific Appliance Database, the Australian Energy Rating Label Tool, and the Indian Star Label product database.

CLASP is seeking a contractor (ideally based in West Africa) to build and potentially maintain the online software and components necessary for the ECOWAS regional product registration database.

Scope of Work

The software developer will lead implementation of the tasks below with advisory support and guidance from CLASP and the database expert from Energy Efficient Strategies (EES).

Task 1: Project kick-off meeting and detailed work plan

The software developer will participate in a kick-off meeting with CLASP and EES within two weeks of contract inception. During this meeting, the contractor will present a clear, detailed plan for delivering the database in the timeframe, including work plan, methodology, etc. This will be based on more detailed information provided by CLASP at contract inception.

Delivery Requirements and Outputs of this task:

• Kick-off presentation
• Detailed project work plan
• Organizational chart showing who will be responsible for each aspect of the work

Task 2: Build beta or prototype ECOWAS Regional Product Database

Building on the database concept, specifications, and architecture provided by EES and CLASP (see links below), the software developer will construct the beta regional product database. The software developer will then stage the beta database on a platform for use during beta testing.

Click here to view and download the ECOWAS Registration Database System Specifications (draft issue).

Click here to download the ECOWAS Registration Database Field Specifications (draft issue).

The following list briefly describes some features that the database is expected to contain and support:

• Central application portal, accessible by manufacturers and product importers to register their products and enter/upload information to the regional database.
• Internal, automatic reviews of applications that check the claimed product performance information against the regional standards, and denying those that are non-compliant.
• Various permission levels or user types, e.g. Administrator, Regulator, Customs, and Applicant.
• A space for each user type to access detailed instructions for how to use the database, additional programme and compliance information, and links to external resources, such as the regional standards, import duties details, S&L and/or compliance programme contacts.
• Functionalities or linked capabilities to support import checks by customs and market surveillance activities.
• Translation into French and Portuguese integrated into the software
• Collaboration and information sharing platform for participating ECOWAS Member states.
• The database should, as far as practical, be built from and integrate, connect to, or be compatible with relevant existing databases and mobile applications in the region. (e.g. Ghana’s refrigerators and air conditioners database and mobile app; customs databases or records for import company registration)

Delivery Requirements and Outputs of this task:

• Step 1: Presentation of the initial wireframes
• Step 2: Production of a beta database for review and testing
• Step 3: Link to the beta database for testing and review

Task 3: Develop User Guidance for Beta Testing of the Regional Product Database

The software developer will support CLASP in the development of administrator operating instructions. The operating instructions must include any details specific for the beta testing process, such as specific pages, architecture, or specification that may be revised or changed for the final version of the database.

CLASP will lead the development of the Administrative user guide, with support from EES and the software developer. The key aspects that the software developer will be expected to support are as follows:

• Guidance for ongoing management and maintenance, including best practices
• Technological or software instructions and guidance
• Programmatic guidance for the administrator of the regional database.
• Detailed information about the automated monitoring and threshold notifications, and how the administrator can update these
• Guidance on annual budgetary requirements to sustain the software and web hosting Information on integration of existing registration systems, or how regulatory user can download data for programmatic assessments or market analysis
• How to add new product types to the database
• How to add or approve new Member State regulator or customs users
• Other operating instructions as needed

The software developer will also support any technical issues with the database during the testing process. EES will conduct the initial user acceptance testing of the beta test site with future users of the tool from the ECOWAS region. EES will furnish the developer with a list of required rectifications to complete based on the beta testing. The software developer shall undertake the required rectification works prior to CLASP undertaking a second round of user acceptance testing.

For the second round of user acceptance testing, CLASP will organize 3 to 5 group webinars or teleconferences to introduce, instruct, and discuss testing of the beta database with test users in West Africa. The software developer may be required to support and participate in these webinars and teleconferences to address any technical issues and answer questions from test users.

At the end of the second round of user acceptance testing EES will furnish the developer with a second list of required rectifications to complete. The software developer shall undertake the required rectification works and make the amended facility available for final checking against the UAT list.

Delivery Requirements and Outputs of this task:

• Written inputs to CLASP which will feed into the development of the administrator operating instructions
• Support for and participation in beta testing webinars or teleconferences, including inputs on materials or presentations to introduce, instruct, and discuss testing the database
• Undertake all necessary rectification works as identified during the user acceptance testing process

Task 4: Deliver Final Regional Product Database and support transition to ECREEE or alternate host

Following successful completion of beta testing, the software developer will rectify any remaining issues and make the necessary updates or changes to the database software, as advised by EES and CLASP. Multiple rounds of changes and quality assurance will occur as necessary until CLASP is prepared to finalize the database.

Based on feedback and findings received through the beta testing activity, the software developer will also support CLASP in revising and finalising the database user guide.

The software developer will then support the host in transferring the final database software to a host to be determined with CLASP or otherwise making it available on an agreed online platform. There may be potential follow on work to support the host with ongoing maintenance for a set period of time.

Delivery Requirements and Outputs of this task:

• Written inputs to CLASP to finalize the administrator user guide
• Link to the final ECOWAS Regional Product Database for CLASP testing and review
• Successful delivery and transfer of management of the final database software to the host

General Project Requirements

• Provide regular (every two weeks) project update emails and/or participate in check-in calls with CLASP through the duration of this contract
• Provide feedback, guidance, and relevant resources via email
• Provide timely and detailed responses to questions and comments from CLASP team members, software developer, and the Institutional Advisor related to this project.

Key Milestones and Deliverables

• Database wireframe presentation
• Beta database and final/updated database
• Successful delivery and transfer of the final database software to the host

Timeline

The project is expected to commence in August 2019 and be concluded by April 2020.

 

Evaluation Procedure

A committee appointed by CLASP will evaluate proposals received from respondents. Selection of qualified companies or organizations will be based upon the following criteria:

• Technical Evaluation Factors
• Cost Evaluation Factors

All bids will be evaluated and ranked using Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS), with 80 percent of the score accorded to the technical proposal, and 20 percent to the financial proposal. The detailed evaluation criteria can be found in Annex A.

SUBMITTAL

Interested parties must:

1. Register as a CLASP Implementing Partner (click here to register).
2. Complete the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire using the online form. Note: Organizations that have already completed the PQQ do not need to complete it again

This project seeks to build capacity in the ECOWAS region. Therefore, applicants should ideally be incorporated in a West African country. Proposals received from other African countries will also be considered.

Interested parties should submit separate technical and financial proposals as electronic files (preferably in PDF format). The file should be named as per the following example:

• [CONTRACTOR_NAME]_TechnicalProposal_RFP10-19
• [CONTRACTOR_NAME]_FinancialProposal_RFP10-19

The deadline for application is August 7, 2019. Proposals must be submitted via the form link above. Proposals must be submitted online via the CLASP website, filling out all the requested information and attaching both a technical and financial proposal.

The proposal length should not exceed 20 pages total.

The technical proposal should include:

• Detailed approach and methodology for the design, build, implementation, and management of a database.
• Detailed timeline for all project activities, tasks, milestones, and deliverables for the project within the timeframe indicated above.
• Detailed work plan and methodology, considering the outcomes required.
• Background and experience of conducting similar activities.
• Identification of the team that will execute the project, including an organizational chart and accompanying brief description of key team members and their qualifications and relevant work experience.
• Country in which the company is incorporated.

CVs and related summaries of experience and qualifications of proposed project team staff should be included in an Annex. (Annex is exempt from the 20 page limitation)

The financial proposal (in USD) should include:

• Detailed budget that includes all direct and indirect cost estimates for executing the project, including a breakdown (in days) of the level of effort and costs associated with each team member that will be engaged in the project.

All questions may be addressed to amccrum@clasp.ngo. The last date for submission of questions related to this RFP is August 6, 2019. We request all inquiries be made by e-mail and not by phone.

 

ANNEX A: Evaluation Criteria

Technical Approach (35 points): The technical approach described in the proposals will be evaluated on:

• The demonstrated understanding of the overall project context (15).
• The detailed work plan and approach clearly defining the target objectives and the strategy to achieve the objectives as outlined in the scope of work (20).

2. Management Structure and Staff Qualification (25 points): The proposed management structure and staff will be evaluated on:

• The professional qualifications and the extent to which the requisite expertise and experience of the key personnel will directly contribute to the completion of the tasks (25).

3. Past Performance and Corporate Experience (20 points): The experience and capacities of the contractor will be evaluated based on:

• The past performance, familiarity, and experience in understanding policies and program related to standards and labelling (10).
• Extent of local expertise including experience, qualifications, and track record in implementation of similar programs (10).

4. Cost Evaluation Factors (20 points): While the overall Technical Evaluation is the key factor in reviewing the proposal, the cost evaluation will be an essential factor in determining the final contract award and ability to remain in the competitive range and will be evaluated for feasibility, completeness, and practicality.