Type of Contract : Individual Consultant/Firm
Invitation to a Tender : MEF/ENV-4/5/23/2024-2025
Post Level : National / International Consultant
Duration : The assignment will be up to 10 months
SECTION 1
- PREABLE
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry, through the Department of Environment in collaboration with the Bureau of Statistics, is implementing the Global Environment Facility (GEF) project on Natural Capital Accounting (NCA), titled 'Integration of Natural Capital Accounting into Lesotho's Policy and Decision-Making for Sustainable Development.' The objective of the project is to mainstream Natural capital into integrated watershed management through application of NCA in Lesotho and the project will be implemented into four components as follows: 1. Building institutional capacity on NCA, 2. Mainstreaming NCA into integrated catchment management, 3. Outreach and knowledge management for promotion of NCA and 4. Monitoring and evaluation. The focal area of the project is Upper Senqu catchment (USC) piloting two sub-catchments (Khubelu and Senqunyane). One of the main project outcomes is development of land and water accounts and integrate NCA into national policies for informed decision-making in sustainable development.
The Upper Senqu Catchment plays a crucial role in water supply, biodiversity conservation, and land resource management. However, challenges such as land degradation, water scarcity, and ecosystem deterioration require informed decision-making to promote sustainability. Developing SEEA Water and Land Ecosystem Accounts will provide data-driven insights to support natural resource management and policy development.
The terms of reference will be obtained from the Procurement Office at Post Office Building, 6th Floor, Procurement Office during office hours on the 17th March, 2025. Submission of the proposals should be on or before 09:00 am on the 14th April, 2025 in the tender box located on the 7th Floor, Ministry of Environment and Forestry Board Room entrance. Sealed Proposals Should Be Clearly Marked as per instructions in section 2. The opening of the Proposals shall be at 09: 30 am on the 14th April, 2025at the Ministry’s boardroom in the presence of the bidders or their representatives. All bidders are expected to comply with all the requirements.
The Ministry does not bind itself to accept the lowest or any tender nor assign reasons for acceptance or rejection of any tender. Pre-bid meeting is on the 02ndApril, 2025 at 10:00 am in the PS Boardroom, 7th floor. (For any enquiries call 22315491
2. The key minimum requirements and supporting mandatory documents that must accompany the proposals are to include the following:
Key minimum requirements
- Technical Capacity: Evidence of the bidder’s ability to deliver the consultancy services, including relevant experience to effectively complete the scope of work.
- Past consulting experience in related topics will be ana added advantage.
- Financial Capability: Proof of financial stability to undertake the project, such as audited financial statements (if national, from Lesotho Institute of Accounts (LIA); if International, from recognised audit firm) for the past 2-3 years or a bank reference letter.
Supporting Mandatory documents
- Technical Proposal: Detailed technical methodology and approach showing how the bidder intends to execute the consultancy. This includes timelines, project plans, staffing details, and equipment to be used.
- Proof of Past Experience: Copies of contracts, certificates of completion, or client references for similar projects completed, demonstrating the bidder’s experience and ability to deliver.
- Financial Proposal: A detailed financial proposal, including a breakdown of costs, pricing schedules, and any necessary justifications for the quoted prices.
- Company profile and company registration documents including copies of the company’s registration certificate or equivalent proof of legal status.
- Tax Compliance Certificate
- Organizational Structure and Key Personnel: A description of the bidder’s organizational structure, along with resumes/CVs of key personnel who will manage or lead the project as well as other members of the team. Individual experts qualifications must be supported by certified copies of educational certificates and professional references; two (2) with valid contact details).
- Power of Attorney: A document authorizing a representative to submit the bid and engage with the contracting entity on behalf of the bidder.
SECTION 2
INSTRUCTIONS TO CONSULTANTS
DATA SHEET
| Paragraph reference | |
| 1. | Introduction |
| 1.1 | Name of the Client: Ministry of Environment and Forestry Method of selection: Quality and Cost Based Selection |
| 1.2 | Financial proposal to be submitted together with technical Proposal: YES Name of assignment is: Consultancy Services for the Development of SEEA Water and Land Ecosystem Accounts for Upper Senqu Catchment |
| 1.3 | A pre-proposal conference will be held: Yes, On the 02ndApril, 2025,10:00 A.M. The client representative is: Procurement Manager
Address: Ministry of Environment and Forestry Procurement Unit P.O Box 10993 Maseru 100 Lesotho Situated at the 7th floor Post Office Building, PS Boardroom
Telephone: 22315491 |
| 1.4 | The client will provide the following inputs and facilities: As Provided in Terms of Reference. |
| 1.5 | The client envisages the need for continuity for downstream work: YES |
| 1.6 | Proposal must remain valid 90 days after the submission date. |
| 2. | Clarification may be requested not later than 5 days before submission date:
Address and Telephone: Address: Ministry of Environment and Forestry Procurement Unit P.O Box 10993 Maseru 100 Lesotho Situated at the 7th floor Post Office Building, PS Boardroom
Telephone: 22315491 |
| 3. | Proposals shall be submitted in: English In addition to the above indicated language, this Request for proposal has been also issued in the following languages: N/A |
| 3.1 | Shortlisted Consultants/Firms may associate with other shortlisted Consultants/Firms: No |
| 3.2 | The format of the Technical Proposal to be submitted is: N/A |
| 3.3 | Training is a specific component of this assignment: Yes |
3.4
| Amount payable by the Client to the Consultant/Firms under the contract to be subject to local taxation: Yes
|
| 3.5 | Consultants must have their tax status cleared: Yes |
| 3.6 | Consultant to state local costs in national currency: Yes |
| 3.7 | Financial Proposals must be inclusive of taxes, travel, accommodation, communication etc.: Yes |
| 4. | Consultant must submit the original and five (5) copies of the Technical Proposal, and the original of Financial Proposal: Yes |
| 4.1 | The Technical Proposal MUST be placed in a sealed envelope clearly marked “Consultancy Services for the Development of SEEA Water and Land Ecosystem Accounts for Upper Senqu Catchment for Natural Capital Accounting in Lesotho - Technical Proposal”. Similarly, the Financial Proposal MUST be placed in a separate sealed envelope clearly marked Consultancy Services for the Development of SEEA Water and Land Ecosystem Accounts for Upper Senqu Catchment for Natural Capital Accounting in Lesotho - Financial Proposal”.
The two envelopes containing the Technical and Financial Proposals must be placed into an outer envelope and sealed. This outer envelope must be clearly marked “Consultancy Services for the Development of SEEA Water and Land Ecosystem Accounts for Upper Senqu Catchment for Natural Capital Accounting in Lesotho”, the submission address, Procurement Reference Number (provided on page 5 of this document) as well as bearing No Company/ Consultancy Name. If the Financial Proposal is not submitted in a separate sealed envelope duly marked as indicated above, this will constitute grounds for declaring the Proposal non-responsive.
Proposals should be submitted to the address below, no later than the date and time of the deadline below. Late proposals will be rejected.
The proposal submission address:
Ministry of Environment and Forestry Procurement Unit P.O Box 10993 Maseru 100 Lesotho Situated at the 6th floor Post Office Building, Room D609
Telephone: 22315491
The proposals must be submitted and deposited in the tender box situated at The above address not later than 14th April, 2025 |
| 5. | Criteria, sub criteria and points system for the evaluation of Technical Proposals are
Points
Total points for criterion (ii): (40)
a. Team Leader - 20 b. Other Team Members -15 (35)
Total points for the three criteria - 100
The minimum technical score required to pass is 70 points. ONLY Financial Proposal of Consultants/Firm who have scored 70 points and above will be Opened.
|
| 5.1 | The formula for determining the financial score is the Lowest Responsive Proposal |
| 6.0 | The expected address for contact negotiations: Refer to Subsection 2.0 Above. |
SECTION 3
- BACKGROUND
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry, through the Department of Environment in collaboration with the Bureau of Statistics, is implementing the Global Environment Facility (GEF) project on Natural Capital Accounting (NCA), titled 'Integration of Natural Capital Accounting into Lesotho's Policy and Decision-Making for Sustainable Development.' The objective of the project is to mainstream Natural capital into integrated watershed management through application of NCA in Lesotho and the project will be implemented into four components as follows: 1. Building institutional capacity on NCA, 2. Mainstreaming NCA into integrated catchment management, 3. Outreach and knowledge management for promotion of NCA and 4. Monitoring and evaluation. The focal area of the project is Upper Senqu catchment (USC) piloting two sub-catchments (Khubelu and Senqunyane). One of the main project outcomes is development of land and water accounts and integrate NCA into national policies for informed decision-making in sustainable development.
The Upper Senqu Catchment plays a crucial role in water supply, biodiversity conservation, and land resource management. However, challenges such as land degradation, water scarcity, and ecosystem deterioration require informed decision-making to promote sustainability. Developing SEEA Water and Land Ecosystem Accounts will provide data-driven insights to support natural resource management and policy development.
2. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The primary objective of this consultancy is to develop SEEA-compliant Water and Land Ecosystem Accounts for the USC. The consultant will among others assess ecosystem conditions, water flows and stocks, land use changes, and ecosystem services, ensuring alignment with SEEA Land and Water Accounting Standards and SEEA guidelines.
3. SCOPE OF WORK
The consultant will be responsible for the following key tasks:
Task 1: Data Collection and Review
- Identify and compile existing data on water resources, land use/ cover, extend and condition and biodiversity.
- Engage with key stakeholders, including government agencies, research institutions, private sector, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and local communities, to access relevant datasets.
- Assess data quality, consistency, and alignment with SEEA framework requirements.
Task 2: Development of Water Account
- Identify, map and classify water bodies, water stocks, flows, and uses within the selected sub-catchments in USC.
- Quantify water supply, extraction, consumption, and returns by different sectors (agriculture, mining, construction, households and industries).
- Assess water availability and quality, wetland and river health, ecosystem contributions, and sustainability trends.
- Develop and compile SEEA-compliant water account, integrating water resources and economic data.
Task 3: Development of Land Account
- Map and classify ecosystems within selected sub-catchments in USC, including wetlands, forests, rangelands, and croplands.
- Assess land use/cover changes, soil health, water quality and biodiversity trends over time to track land degradation and restoration efforts.
- Evaluate ecosystem services including provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural services e.g. biomass production, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling and recreational/ eco-tourism respectively.
- Develop and and compile SEEA-compliant land account, integrating land use, land change and ecosystem service provisioning to inform Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices.
Task 4: Integration of Water and Land Accounts
- Establish linkages between land use changes and water resource trends.
- Identify key ecosystem functions influencing water regulation and land productivity.
- Recommend indicators and policy-relevant insights based on accounting results.
Task 5: Capacity Building and Stakeholder Engagement
- Conduct workshops and training sessions for government officials and technical experts on SEEA framework methodologies.
- Facilitate discussions on data gaps, institutional roles, and policy applications.
Task 6: Reporting and Finalization of Accounts
- Prepare preliminary SEEA Land and Water Ecosystem Accounts for review.
- Present preliminary SEEA Land and Water Accounts, incorporate stakeholder feedback and finalize the accounts.
- Develop a summary report with key findings, policy implications and recommendations.
4. DELIVERABLES
The expected outputs of the assignment are as follows:
- Briefing to the technical team and the Department of Environment on methodologies and work plan.
- Inception report detailing methodology, work plan, and data sources.
- SEEA Water Account report that includes water stocks, flows, and use analysis.
- SEEA Land Account report that entails land cover/ use, ecosystem services, and condition assessments.
- Integrated Water and Land Accounts report that links ecosystem functions with water and land use trends.
- Stakeholder workshop report summarizing the capacity-building activities and feedback.
- Final Report detailing key findings with policy recommendations.
5. QUALIFICATIONS AND WORK EXPERIENCE
The consultant should meet the following criteria:
- Master’s Degree in Environmental Science, Statistics, Economics, Water Resource Management, Ecology, or a related field.
- Minimum 7 years of experience in natural capital accounting, water resource management, or ecosystem services assessment.
- Proven expertise in SEEA frameworks (SEEA-CF, SEEA-EA) and GIS-based ecosystem mapping.
- Strong analytical skills in data integration, modelling, and ecosystem valuation.
- Experience in stakeholder engagement, policy analysis, and capacity building.
- Excellent report writing and presentation skills.
6. REPORTING AND SUPERVISION
The consultant will report to the Department of Environment, ensuring alignment with project objectives. Regular progress meetings will be held to review deliverables and address challenges.
7. DURATION OF THE CONSULTANCY
The consultancy is expected to be completed within 10 months, following this tentative schedule:
- Inception report within two (2) weeks of contract signing.
- Development of SEEA-Water Accounts within four (4) months of contract signing.
- Development of SEEA Land Accounts within six (6) months of contract signing
- Integration of Land and Water accounts linking ecosystem functions with water and land use trends within eight (8) months of contract signing.
- Capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and final reporting within 10 months of contract signing.
8. EVALUATION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Relevant experience and qualifications of a team leader and sectoral experts.
- Understanding of the project scope and objectives.
- Previous successful completion of similar projects in the region (Africa Region), evidenced by references or case studies.
- Methodology and approach.
- Proposed timeline and deliverables.
- Cost-effectiveness.
9. Technical Criteria:
The technical proposal is allocated a maximum of 70%
Proposals shall be awarded scores out of the maximum number of points indicated below for each of the following criteria:
| Criteria | Score |
Qualification and Competence a. Team Leader (20 points) b. Other Team Members (15 points)
| 35 points |
Proposed Methodology and Work Plan
| 40 points |
| Experience in Similar Assignments | 25 points |
| Total: | 100 points |
The minimum technical score required to pass the technical evaluation is 70 points. ONLY Financial proposals of Consultancy firm who have scored 70 points and above will be opened.
10. Financial Criteria (QCBS):
The financial proposal is allocated a maximum of 30% and a lowest cost formula will be applied for candidates that pass the technical evaluation.
The lowest evaluated Financial Proposal (Fm) will be given the maximum financial score (Sf) of 100 points. The financial scores (Sf) of the other Financial Proposals will be computed as indicated below. The formula for determining the financial scores is the following:
Sf = 100 x (Fm / F), where
- Sf is the financial score,
- Fm is the lowest amount amongst financial proposals under evaluation and
- F the price of the proposal under consideration.
- Total Score
Proposals will be ranked according to their combined technical (St) and financial (Sf) scores using the weights (T = the weight given to the Technical Proposal; F = the weight given to the Financial Proposal; T + F = 1) indicated in the Data Sheet: S = (St x T)% + (Sf x F)%. The firm achieving the highest combined technical and financial score will be invited for negotiations.
- The weights given to the Technical and Financial Proposals are: T= 0.7, and
F = 0.3
