REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT SELECTION)

Republic of Liberia

Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project (IPFMRP); Ministry of Finance

Credit No.: IDA50260

Reference No.: IPFMRP/C/IC/44

Assignment Title: ITAS International Consultant

The Republic of Liberia has received Financing from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Development Association (IDA) and theAfrican Development Bank (AfDB) toward the cost of an Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project (IPFMRP), and it intends to apply part of the proceeds of this financing for consulting services.

The consulting services ("the Services") include the following:

1.     General responsibilities:

·        Deliver a quality Standard Integrated Government Tax Administration System (SIGTAS) project on time and within budget to the project owner.

·        Document fully all project decisions and progress.

·        Prepare business case justification for steering committee consideration.

·        Prepare, implement and update the project plan.

·        Manage the project according to the project plan.

·        Be the full time counterpart and technical support to the local Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) project leader.

·        Provide professional assistance to the Revenue Department.

·        Provide technical support and training to the technical team.

·        Provide SIGTAS support to functional and technical teams

2.     Specific Responsibilities:

a.     Project management—the  Consultant shall:

·        Be well acquainted with the project objectives and coordinate the roles of the different actors.

·        Inform the Project Owner of the project's status and progress.

·        Identify the key processes by which SIGTAS deployment objectives will be achieved.

·        Obtain allocation of the resources necessaryfor managing the project.

·        Be acquainted with the technical standards, specifications, policies and legislation relevant to SIGTAS.

·        Meet project time, cost and quality targets in the peripheral module deployment.

·        Examine cross-cutting SIGTAS initiatives andissues and pursue their resolution.

·        Proactively identify any SIGTAS issues, risks or opportunities as they develop and take necessary steps to manage them.

·        Liaise with the Data Center Manager to ensure the development and implementation of SIGTAS IT infrastructure.

·        Build Custom SIGTAS Reports for Management decision making.

·        Train Technical Team to build and manage reports.

·        Train technical team in building Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) tools for SIGTAS reporting

·        Prepare minutes for the ITAS Steering Committee

b.     Team Leadership—the Consultant shall:

·        Lead the team proactively, providing guidance necessary to ensure the project achieves its agreed objectives.

·        Encourage team members to take ownership andaccountability for their identified responsibilities.

·        Promote a team approach to the management ofthe project and provide timely feedback to team members.

·        Seek (constructive) feedback throughout the project.

·        Work with the Functional Team to ensure effective sensitization and training so as to fully equip end-users to appreciate the benefits of automation and to help ensure the utilization of all aspects of the software, and also to provide users support services.

·        Work with the Functional Team to ensure proper testing and transition from current software in order not to minimize interruptions in the tax payment process.

c.      Communication—the Consultant shall:

·        Promote the project and its benefits at every opportunity;

·        Identify any resistance to proposed changes and sensitize affected staff and stakeholders in a timely manner;

·        Build and maintain key stakeholder relationships.

·        Share experiences with other Project Managers.

·        Communicate change management initiatives atevery stage.

d.     Vendor Management—the Consultant shall:

·        Ensure vendor quality plans comply with contractual obligations.

·        Perform contract management services to ensure that vendors deliver supplies in a manner that is consistent with contract specifications.

·        Ensure vendors comply with their quality plans.

·        Perform due diligence on all key deliverables before acceptance.

·        Meet vendor expectations in regard to timelines, counterpart support and quality of revenue agency inputs.

·        Lead and coordinate to ensure secured interfacing with the banking software of the Central Bank of Liberia.

·        Lead and coordinate to ensure secured interfacing with the Customs administration software.

·        Lead and coordinate to ensure development ofthe necessary standard operating procedures to support the automated environment's new processes.

The assignment is initially forone (1) year.

The Ministry of Finance now invites eligible individuals ("Consultants") to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting criteria are:

(i)                Holder of a Master Degree in Business Administration,Project Management, Accounting, MIS or related area with a minimum of10 years of experience in Project Management. Certificate in Project Management will be an added advantage;

(ii)             Strong certificated knowledge and experience in project management system (software), technical competence and knowledge with Oracle, SQL and MS Office.

(iii)           Competent and proficient understanding of Taxation and SIGTAS;

(iv)           Have 5 years experience of working in a hands on capacity, preferably as technical team lead in configuring, customizing and developing Tax administration system of a central government; and

(v)             Must have experience in working in a developing country.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank's Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants [under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants] by World Bank Borrowers , January 2011 ("Consultant Guidelines"). 

The Consultant will beselected in accordance with the Individual Consultant Selection method set out in the Consultant Guidelines.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0900 to 1600 hours GMT.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person,or by mail, or by fax, or by e-mail) by1700 hours GMT on 5^th June, 2014.

Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project (IPFMRP)
Attn: Mr. Bernard Jappah,  PFM Reforms Coordinator
Ministry of Finance, 4^th Floor
Broad and Mechlin Streets
Monrovia, Liberia
Tel: +231886512462

E-Mail: bjappah@liftliberia.gov.lr

Cc: ivanofei@hotmail.com