Request for Expressions of Interest

(Open Competitive Selection of Local/National Individual Consultant)

Date: February 28, 2022

REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA

Moldova Agricultural Competitiveness Project (MACP)

Assignment Title: Local Consultant to assist and provide support to the International Consultant in conducting capacity building trainings on ABPs unintended for human consumption management for all project stakeholders and developing Guidelines on ABPs management for all ABPs operators and NFSA inspectors

Reference No. (as per Procurement Plan): MD-CAPMU-279741-CS-INDV

Moldova has received an Additional Financing (AF) from the International Development Association in the amount of US$15.0 million for the Moldova Agriculture Competitiveness Project (MAC-P). The AF will be used for scaling up project activities under Component 1: Enhancing Food Safety Management aimed at strengthening human, institutional, and technical capacities of the country’s food safety and quality management systems and ensuring regulatory and system compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards on premium food export markets (primarily European Union [EU] and EU-aligned markets). To this end, the AF will finance a series of activities and investments aiming to establish a comprehensive, EU-compliant system for the management of animal by-products (ABPs) unintended for human consumption.

The safe management and/or disposal of animal waste, particularly ABPs, is one of the biggest challenges in the current Moldovan food production context - both for the public and the private actors. The current methods and patterns of disposal of animal waste are not compliant with international best practice, resulting in high public health and environmental risks. To this end, safe management of ABPs is one of the key priorities identified in the framework of the Moldova-EU Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (concluded in 2014) in relation to required institutional and technical enhancements of the country’s food safety management system.

A pre-feasibility study in this respect has been carried out under the EU-funded ENPARD technical assistance (project reference EuropeAid/137050/DH/SER/MD) in 2017-2018. Its findings are based on 2015-2016 data and propose several options to be considered in terms of creating the relevant ABP management infrastructure.

Following up on the conclusions and recommendations of the pre-feasibility study, the Government is currently carrying out a feasibility study that will further help decide on the best technical solution and on the operational/business model to be adopted, including on the private sector participation in the ABP management system. Subject to identifying a suitable location, a flow and traffic study shall be developed, as well as technical designs and full tender documentation for construction works and their supervision.

National Food Safety Agency (NFSA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) are the key policy making and policy implementation authorities in the area of food safety in Moldova. On behalf of the Government of Moldova, these institutions are the key beneficiaries of this assignment.

The first objective set forth within this scope of work is to provide support to the International Consultant in preparing and conducting capacity building trainings for project stakeholders on ABPs management. The second objective is to provide support for the development and coordination with the NFSA of two Guidelines on ABPs management: one guideline for all ABPs operators, including collection and transportation and the second one for inspectors on ABPs management. Ultimately, the local consultant will provide support in organizing and conducting of six regional trainings for ABPs operators and NFSA inspectors.

Consolidated Agricultural Projects’ Management Unit (CAPMU) on behalf of MAFI now invites local/national individual consultants (“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 Consultant to be selected shall have the following qualifications:

• University degree in veterinary medicine, food safety, livestock or another relevant field;
• Minimum 7 years of experience in one of the areas: food safety / veterinary medicine / livestock / policy development;
• Excellent knowledge and expertise with regard to national and EU requirements and practices in the area of animal by-products not intended for human consumption and their processing/disposal;
• Excellent knowledge of Romanian and Russian languages;
• Good English speaking and writing skills.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016, Revised November 2017 and August 2018 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

Individual Consultants will be selected in accordance with the „Open Competitive Selection of Individual Consultants” method set out in the above-mentioned “Procurement Regulations”.

Expressions of interest must include updated CV reflecting consultant's qualification and experience, recommendation letters, if any, and must be submitted by email to the address below by latest March 20, 2022, cob.

Consolidated Agricultural Projects’ Management Unit (CAPMU)

Attn: Cornel Bordeianu, Procurement Officer

of.  215,  50 Capriana  str., (ASEM, Bloc C, 2nd floor)  

Chisinau,  MD-2005,  Republic  of  Moldova

E-mail: office@capmu.md; capmu@capmu.md, with copy to: cbordeianu@capmu.md.