Call for Tenders. Restricted procedure. OJ 2015/S of 15/07/2015

Transcription

1 EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL HUMAN RESOURCES AND SECURITY Directorate HR.R - Shared Resource Services and HR Modernisation Finance and Internal Control Ref. Ares(2015) /08/2015 Call for Tenders Restricted procedure Reference N o HR/R3/PR/2015/003 OJ 2015/S of 15/07/2015 Belgium-Brussels: Consultancy services to support the learning and development of staff employed by the institutions, agencies and bodies of European Union Answers to questions of potential tenderers concerning the contract notice OJ 2015/S of 15/07/2015 Version 6 (26/08/2015)

2 Questions and Answers Questions of general interest have been sent to Please find herewith the answers to these questions. Please note that any information, questions or observations, of whatever kind, contained in this correspondence can in no way be regarded as a commitment on the part of the European Commission. No binding commitment will be entered into until after completion of the procurement procedure, with the signing of the relevant contract Question 1: We need to foresee a CV for a project manager for the lots we are applying. If we bid for 3 lots, do we need to foresee one project manager, or three project managers? Answer 1: The candidate is free to submit one person's CV as reply to several lots. It is up to the candidate to evaluate the capacity of the project manager to manage several projects in parallel in case several lots are awarded to the candidate. Question 2: The CV s we need to foresee per lot, do this need to be unique CV s or can we use one CV for two lots (because a person has expertise in both lots)? Answer 2: Candidates can use one person's CV for more than one lot. Question 3: II.2.1- quantity and scope: we understand that the quantity expressed in number of intervention days is 4000 days, for lot 6. Can you please clarify the number of HR Staff, the levels and grades of operation that the intervention would concern over the 4 year period and if available annually. Answer 3: We understand that you would like to know how many staff will be required to deliver the 4000 days of work. The minimum number of staff likely to be necessary is specified per lot in III.2.3) point 2). Question 4: can you please clarify whether the intervention would only concern consultancy intervention in terms of process design, or whether training or relevant qualifications is what is required in line with II.1.5? Answer 4: All services included in the contract are indicated in point II.1.5. Question 5: can you please provide an indicative or approximate start date for this intervention within the Commission and the length of time that will be given to approved providers for the set up, project set up, negotiation and establishment of cooperating technical and professional teams. Answer 5: The estimated start date of the contracts is end of 2015 or beginning of Once the contracts are signed by both parties, the contractor should be able to deliver. 2

3 Question 6: can you please clarify whether training materials also need to be provided in other languages (e.g. French) in hard copies and/or online. Answer 6: Training materials (and all other services) need to be provided in English and in French, when required (see point II.1.5) Question 7: can you please clarify whether the training interventions (if this is the case) would need to be accessed by relevant staff through a Commission HR portal or the provider s portal. Answer 7: Staff has access to training interventions through the portal/learning Management System(s) of the European Institutions concerned. Question 8: We ask you the specifications of the call HR/R3/PO/2015/003 "Consultancy services to support learning and development of staff employed by the European Union institutions, bodies and agencies " Official Journal 2015/S , because we don t see the estimated cost/ amount at auction for a single lot of the tender. Answer 8: In case of a restricted procedure, the technical specifications of the call for tenders are sent out at a second stage, to selected candidates only. For more details, please consult the explanations provided on our web site under the point "Running calls for tenders" ( ) However, for the current procedure, the volume of each lot is indicated as a maximum number of days over 4 years under section II "Information about lots", point 3 "Quantity or scope". No estimates cost is provided. Question 9: In II.1.5 the services required are indicated as identification of training requirements, development of learning pathways, coordination of training activities etc. However in LOT6, point 1 the description refers to the design and implementation of HR policies. Can we therefore assume that the summary in LOT6 (description) is what the Commission intends to achieve and II.1.5 is how the Commission intends to achieve it? Answer 9: Indeed the services requested represent a support to the Commission to achieve its objectives in the context of learning and development of its staff. Question 10: Is professional recognition and accreditation an objective important to this project as part of learning? Answer 10: Further information on the content of all lots and description of the services required are provided in the tender specifications. The tender specifications (and related annexes) will be sent out exclusively to the selected candidates, in the second phase of this procedure. Question 11: II.1.5 (administrative support): can you please clarify the expectations from vendors around candidate management including booking, administration of materials, prepost sales support? Answer 11: See answer 10 3

4 Question 12: Can you please clarify the average number of days x year for training are estimated if known? Answer 12: See answer 10 Question 13: Can you please clarify whether trainers/consultants can be replaced during the 4 year period in agreement with the Commission if necessary? Answer 13: Trainers/consultants can be replaced during the 4 year period upon agreement of the contracting authorities (including the Commission). Question 14: what proportion of training should be carried out by e-learning modules? Answer 14: See answer 10 Question 15: Can you please provide an indicative number of the overall HR population, level and grades according to the EU system that this project would concern? Answer 15: See answer 10 Question 16: How many copies must we submit along with the originals? Answer 16: Only one copy of the documents listed up in section III of the contract notice need to be provided. The candidates are invited to clearly number all the documents provided, including CVs requested in point III.2.3. Question 17: How many operators will be selected to continue to the next stage? Answer 17: The number of operators/candidates to be selected is not limited. All the candidates who pass successfully the selection phase will be invited to tender. Question 18: We would like to apply for more than one lot. In this case should we provide the documents listed under sections III.2.1) Personal situation of economic operators and III.2.2) Economic and financial ability just once or we need to have them for each separate lot we are about to submit? Answer 18: Applicants can provide only one copy of documentary evidence required under sections III.2.1) and III.2.2) even though their request of participation is related to several lots. In this case, the request of participation should clearly mention the lots concerned by the application. 4

5 Question 19: In the absence of technical information related to the tender specification, can potential tenderers decide whether or not to participate as a consortium group and what percentage of services to sub-contractors later on in the process? Answer 19: Whatever the form of participation is (one entity, several entities submitting a joint request to participate (grouping/consortium) or by including subcontractors), it must be clearly outlined in the request to participate. Please note that a change in the composition of the grouping/consortium at the request of the candidate, after submission of the request to participate, may lead to the rejection of the corresponding request. Indeed, a request to participate provides the composition of the candidate and if this composition is modified, the candidate can be considered a "different candidate who submits the request to participate. This will be the case if its economic and financial ability (ref. point III.2.2)) and/or its technical capacity (ref. point III.2.3)) are/is undermined by this change. In case of subcontracting, the candidate may inform the contracting authority of a change of the subcontracting during the procedure. However, the contracting authority may reject the change if the conditions mentioned in the contract notice are not met, in particular the exclusion and selection criteria, and/or if the subcontracting entails a substantial change in the request. For further information, please see point III.2.1) of the contract notice. Question 20: In point III.2.1., B, it is stated: "The grouping as a whole must comply with the selection criteria stated in points III.2.2 and III.2.3. In this case, the documents and information must be provided separately by each partner concerned." Does this mean that every partner must provide the entire number of CVs and references foreseen for every Lot, or that technical capacity can be proved by the consortium as a whole? Answer 20: As for the selection criteria, the grouping (group of economic operators) must provide information in its request to participate in order to prove the required level of economic, financial, technical and professional capacity as stated in points III.2.2 and III.2.3. In this respect, it is the combination of the capacity of all members of the group, taken as a whole that will be considered. It is therefore not necessary for each member to fulfil each selection criterion on its own. Regarding the economic and financial capacity as stated in points III.2.2, each member of the group must provide separately the information requested whatever is his role in the group. Regarding the technical and professional capacity as stated in points III.2.3, each member of the group has to provide separately the information required according to his role in the group. Therefore, it is not required for each member of the group to "provide the entire number of CVs and references foreseen for every Lot". 5

6 Question 21: With reference to: III.2.3 (Technical capacity) point 2 a) Curriculum Vitae of experts: can you please clarify whether an equivalent postgraduate degree qualifications and Masters degree would be an acceptable course and whether this would meet the criteria of University degree qualification where it is possible to demonstrate that the courses taken lasted 3 years and over? Answer 21: Candidates are requested to indicate in each expert's CV a university degree awarded after successful completion of a course lasting 3 years, as a minimum. If, in addition to the mentioned degree, the experts also have a masters, postgraduate, and/or doctorate diploma they are free to refer to them. Question 22: With reference to: III.2.1 (Personal situation of economic operators, including requirements relating to enrolment on professional or trade registers) Could you confirm whether a department of a public body, founded by national law of an EU member state, is eligible for participation in the above mentioned procurement procedure? The entity acts as an economic operator, has its own annual balance sheets and profit and loss accounts and its own VAT number. However, due to its legal status, it has not been entered into the trade register of the country concerned and thus cannot show a registration number nor an extract from a company register. And could you please also let us know which other documentary evidence you may accept instead of an extract from a company register? Answer 22: According to Article 119(1) of the Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (OJ L 298, , p. 1), participation in tendering procedures is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons falling within the scope of the Treaties (this includes all economic operators registered in the EU and all EU citizens) and to all natural and legal persons in a third country which has a special agreement with the EU in the field of public procurement on the conditions laid down in that agreement. As such, public law bodies whether they want to participate as a sole tenderer or as a member of a consortium, are free to participate in this tendering procedure. Regarding the documentary evidence, the Identification form (Annex I to the contract notice) to be filled in by the candidate states in point 5 (Details of other members of the group in case of consortium/joint request to participate) that "your member must also attach proof of legal status, VAT number and a copy of enrolment on professional or trade registers or equivalent as detailed in the form downloaded and filled in". This form refers to the Legal Entity form and should be downloaded and completed by all members of a consortium. Please note in this respect that the registration number and respective registration proof is optional. Thus if you are not obliged by national law to have a registration number you do not have to provide documentary evidence in this respect. However, all other requested documentation that you are able to provide in order to prove your legal status should be submitted. 6

7 Question 23: In relation to point III.2.3)1. When it is mentioned the list of technical skills used, could you please clarify if you refer to skills employed by the facilitator/trainer or if you refer to skills acquired during the training by the trainees? Answer 23: We refer to the skills used by the candidate and his experts in implementing the project, including the technical skills and knowledge mastered by the experts, which were passed on to the client. Question 24: regarding point III.2.3) Technical Capacity: an the designated project manager be also part of the expert team for one or more lots if he meets the requirements as in points III.2.3.2) and III.2.3.3)? Answer 24: Yes. See also answer 2. *** All information related to the above mentioned call for tenders including the present document and its attachment must be treated as confidential. 7