1. Introduction:

CRS began working in Liberia in 1957, with a permanent country program office opening in 1990 to provide life-saving relief in response to emergencies and to address issues of chronic poverty and injustice through innovative and sustainable development programs. CRS Liberia has since developed programs in peacebuilding, youth livelihoods, health systems strengthening, and urban water, sanitation, and hygiene. Key partners include the Catholic Church and local faith-based organizations.

CRS Liberia is seeking an independent consultant/group or institution, to conduct income-generating life skills training for HELINA III project participants in Montserrado County, precisely WestPoint and New Kru Town Communities.

2. Background:

The Catholic Relief Services with support from The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints (CHC) is implementing a project titled ‘Healthy Living through Integrated Nutrition Activities’ (HELINA). This is a one-year project beginning June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024. The goal of the project is to improve the nutrition of AGYW, and their children aged 0-23 months. This will be achieved through nutrition outreach education and in-home counselling to AGYW (pregnant/ages 25 and under) in the WestPoint and New Kru Town Communities in central Monrovia.

3. Objectives

The livelihood component of the HELINA project seeks to empower adolescent girls and young mothers through vocational and life skills. This is to ensure that project participants acquire income-generating skills to be able to support the nutrition and healthcare of their children.

This Scope of Work is intended to hire a vocational skills training organization/institution to train project participants in basic income-generating life skills trade/activities. This intensive training will last for 4 months.

4. Purpose:

Conduct income-generating vocational skills training which includes, pastry/catering, Cosmetology, Hair braiding, tailoring, and nutrition education for 80 HELINA III project participants in WestPoint and New Kru town Communities at the youth center.

Key Activity

• Basic Life Skills/vocational Training Programs for 80 adolescent girls in Westpoint and New Kru town (40 participants in WestPoint and 40 participants in New Kru town)
• Connect participants with on-the-job training to establish themselves independently/for job opportunities.

5. Methodology

The consultant is expected to propose a methodology that best executes the assignment. However, it is expected that the selected methodology will be a blend of several methods, but not limited to the following:

• PowerPoint Presentations
• Practical Demonstrations
• Hands-on Activities

6. List of Outputs / Deliverables:

7. Reporting Format

The final report is expected to be organized as follows:

1. Executive Summary
2. Introduction
3. Overview Training Program
4. Detailed activity summary
5. Training Outcomes/Achievements
6. Conclusion and Recommendations
7. References
8. Annexes:
   1. List of participants
   2. Training Evaluation
   3. Terms of Reference

8. Timeline:

9. Project Location: Westpoint and New Kru Town Communities

9. Qualifications and Experience required for the Team Leader and Key Staff:

• Team Leader: Bachelor of Science Degree (BSC).
• Key Staff: Bachelor of Science Degree (BSC).
• Previous experience in the conduct of a similar analysis (minimum of 3 of such assignments in the last 5 years). Evidence of conduct of similar works shall be copies of award letters, interim payment certificates, completion certificates, and signed agreements. Include a list of related assignments completed with names of clients, period of the assignments, and contact details of the clients (official email addresses and phone numbers). CRS also reserves the right to demand copies of documents previously developed by the consultant for review.
• Familiarity with the beneficiary communities is an added advantage
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English are desired.

10. Applications

Interested consultant(s), organizations/institutions are requested to submit the following documentation to CRS, C-140, 16th Street, Gardner Avenue, Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia by the deadline of August 30^th, 2023, at 4:00 pm. Late bids will automatically be rejected.

• Cover letter
• Technical Proposal (including methodology and detailed work plan)
• Proposed budget for the assignment (consultancy fee, logistics, reporting, etc.) in US Dollars.
• CV(s) of consultant(s)
• At least 2 examples of previous work undertaken within the last 5 years
• References
• Business Registration Certificate for firms

11. Evaluation Criteria

Responsiveness/document check

Bids shall be examined to determine their responsiveness. Any bid, which does not satisfy all the requirements of this section under the evaluation, shall be considered non-responsive and shall be eliminated and not be considered for further evaluation.

Technical proposals will be evaluated according to the criteria outlined below.

Any bidder who scores lower than 52.5% out of the maximum 70 marks allocated under technical evaluation shall not have their financial proposal considered in part 2 of the evaluation (The Final Decision will be made by the Evaluation Committee).

12. Financial proposal (detailed budget)

CRS will evaluate the proposals and award the assignment based on technical and financial feasibility. Subsequently, short-listed institutions MAY be invited for an interview. The Catholic Relief Services reserves the exclusive right to select the candidate it considers suitable for the assignment.

NB: A Proposal shall be eliminated if any false or deliberately misleading information is given in relation to the tenderer’s qualifications, capacity, current or past references, or in any of the documents submitted by the bidder in any lot.

13. Payment schedule

Payment to the Consultant under this assignment shall be made in four (4) separate tranches and subject to statutory deductions, such as withholding tax.

First tranche – 30% of the total contract sum shall be paid to the consultant after signing of the contract, participation in an inception meeting, submission of an inception report and revised work plan to CRS.

Second tranche – 30% of the total contract sum shall be paid to the consultant after submission of the first draft of the training report to CRS which should contain accomplishments, lessons learned and recommendations to CRS.

Third tranche – 30% of the total contract sum shall be paid to the consultant after completion of the technical and life skills training of the participants and submission of the second draft of the training report to CRS which should contain updates on retainment and dropped out, accomplishment, lessons learned and recommendations to CRS.

Fourth tranche – 10% of the total contract sum shall be paid to the consultant as final payment after completion of the assignment, successful placement of trainees in existing businesses as per the Scope of Work and submission of all final technical documents as listed in the deliverables to CRS.