Beach Bidder to This Rfpis Expected To

Request for Proposal (RFP)
HRD 03 2016T
Enhancing Mutual Recognition and Regional Cooperation for Skills and Job Qualifications in the APEC region

Introduction

AThe APEC Secretariatis seeking proposals for the provision of the Services described in RFP Schedule 1 – Statement of Requirement.

BEach Bidder to this RFPis expected to:

(i)fully inform themselveson all aspects of the work required to be performed;

(ii)submit its proposal on the template provided atRFP Schedule 2 –Proposal, including the signed Declaration by Bidder at the end of Schedule 2; and

(iii)submit itsproposal in accordance with RFP Schedule 1 – Statement of Requirementand with due note of RFP Schedule 5 – Evaluation Criteria.

CEach Bidder, by submitting its proposal, agrees that the proposal is subject to the RFP Schedule 4 – Standard Conditions of Proposal, and agrees to comply with those conditions. Acceptance of a proposal will occur only when a contract is executed. Any Contract will incorporate the APEC policies and guidelines identified in RFP Schedule 3 - Special Conditions of Proposal and the contract at RFP Schedule 6 - Standard Contract Conditions.

DBids from contractors based in non-member economies and bids from international organisations may be considered. However, priority is given to suitably qualified tenders from member economies.

Structure of the RFP

The RFP has six parts:

Schedule 1: Statement of Requirement
Schedule 2: Proposal Template
Schedule 3: Special Conditions of Project Proposal
Schedule 4: Standard Conditions of Request for Proposal
Schedule 5: Evaluation Criteria
Schedule 6: APEC Standard Contract Conditions

RFP Schedule 1 – Statement of Requirement

Key Dates and Details

Event / Dates
Closing Time for submission of Proposals / 23December 2016, 17:00 hours(Tokyo time).
Method to Submit Proposal / Proposal must be submitted to the following 4 personnel by the closing time specified above.
(1) Project Overseer
Harumi MURAKAMI (Ms)
Assistant Director, APEC Office
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
Email:
Mailing address:
1-3-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8901, Japan
Tel: +81-3-3501-1407
Project Organizer
Shuichi HARIMA (Mr)
Deputy Director, HRD Dept.
Institute for International Studies and Training (IIST)
Email:
Mailing address:
Toranomon Jitsugyokaikan 2F, 1-1-20 Toranomon,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, JAPAN
Tel: +81-3-3503-6621
Note: Please submit softcopy only (electronic version in PDF format) via email to the Project Overseer and Project Organizer by the closing time specified above.
(2) APEC Secretariat
Program Director
Romy TINCOPA (Ms)
Email:
Program Executive
Yasmin MOHAMED AMIN (Ms)
E-mail address:
Mailing address: 35 Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore 119616
Note: Please submit (i) softcopy (electronic version in PDF format) via email and (ii) one hardcopy by mail. Please ensure that the softcopy is submitted to the APEC Secretariat by the closing time specified above.
(PROPOSAL: Project No. HRD 03 2016T)
Proposals lodged in any manner other than as detailed in this paragraph, or are submitted after the deadline shall be deemed to be invalid and may be excluded from consideration.
Number of Copies to be Submitted / The Bidder shall submitone original hard copy and one electronic version (in PDF format) of its detailed Proposal as follows:
• one softcopy (electronic version in PDF format) via email to the Project Overseer and Project Organizer; and
• one softcopy (electronic version in PDF format) via email and one original hard copy by mail to the APEC Secretariat
Decisions will be taken on the basis of the original hard copy written Proposal. In the event of any discrepancy between the original and copy thereof, information contained in the original hard copy shall be accepted as correct and shall prevail over any statements contained in the copies.
Contact Officer / Project Overseer (PO)
Harumi MURAKAMI (Ms)
Assistant Director, APEC Office
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
Email:
Mailing address:
1-3-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8901, Japan
Tel: +81-3-3501-1407
Project Organizer
Shuichi HARIMA (Mr)
Deputy Director, HRD Dept.
Institute for International Studies and Training (IIST)
Email:
Mailing address:
Toranomon Jitsugyokaikan 2F, 1-1-20 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001, JAPAN
Tel: +81-3-3503-6621
Expected execution date of Contract / 15 January 2017
Date Servicesare to be completed / The Services are required to be completed on or before 30 November 2017.

The Services

The APEC Secretariat is seeking proposals for Enhancing Mutual Recognition and Regional Cooperation for Skills and Job Qualifications in the APEC region.

Background

Many preceding studies have pointed out that more open and region-wide skill mobility is necessary to address the shortage of skilled labours, which are caused by demographic changes exemplified as an aging-society, in the Asia-Pacific region. The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC)presented a paper entitled “The “Earn, Learn, Return” Model”to the APEC leaders in 2014 and it pointed out that the mismatch of labour supply and demand is also reflecting to the labour shortage in the region.

To address these challenges, APEC has encouragedthe mutual recognitionof skills through initiatives such as “APEC Engineer project” and “APEC Architects project”. A number of bilateral Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) were already signed for the respective professions between and among the economies.

The important role of the MRAs is also emphasizedin the APEC Connectivity Blueprint 2015-2025 that’s endorsed in the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM) in November 2014.APEC leaders committed to strengthen people-to-people connectivity through human capital development. It’s also noted that APEC can undertake work to help expand the number of bilateral and multilateral MRAs in the region and mutual recognition of skills and credentials can play an important role in facilitating skilled labor mobility.

The APEC leaders also affirmed the importance of facilitating the mobility of service suppliers and business persons in the APEC Services Cooperation Framework (ASCF) endorsed at AELM 2015. These similar priorities were repeatedly highlighted in 2015 AMM Joint Ministerial Statement as well.

"Promoting quality employment and strengthening people-to-people connectivity" were highlighted in the Joint Ministerial Statement of HRDMM 2014. In line with the statement, three priority areas were identified in HRDMM Action Plan 2015-2018. The project contributes to the priority area that “facilitatingmobilityoflaborandskillsdevelopment” and “enhancing human resource quality to meet supply chain demands”. This is aligned with HRDWG and CBN objectives, which specify “develop[ing] common understandings about qualifications, skills, and professional recognition”, as it stated in TOR of HRDWG. Those elements of the action plan and TOR have been incorporated into Strategic Plan 2014-2016 and annual work plan.

Based on these recent priorities and precedent achievements in APEC, this project aims to develop best practice case studies of skills or job qualifications recognitionthat is currently in place within the APEC economies. The best practices will be explored and identified in the priority areas of manufacturing, civil engineering, automotive, ICT and service industries. The outputs of the project are expected to deepen the understanding of the current status of the mutual recognition of skills and job qualifications among APEC member economies.

The study also includescase development of best practices of capacity building cooperationin both public and private sector,that is contributing to enhanceskills and job qualification development and which will be potentially turnedinto an industry standard or even contribute to future expansion tonew recognition initiativesamong the economies.

The output of this studycould provide greater insights into various discussions in APEC such as “enhancing labor mobility”, “ensuring quality of labor skills” and “promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation” through elaborating the up-to-date status of the mutual recognition and related cooperation in the area of job qualifications.

Objectives of the project

The key objectives of this project are as follows:

1) To better understand the achievements and challenges of existing mutual recognition arrangements of “skills and job qualifications”, as well as to explore good examples of capacity building efforts that contributing for skills & job qualification development practices from both public and private sectors in APEC region.

2) to raise awareness of their possible functions such as enhancing skilled labor mobility, cultivating labor quality and contribute for improving the local business environment, through conducting and sharing case studies such as APEC Engineer, APEC Architects, Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) in the ASEAN, IT engineers examination and other related cooperation.

3) to develop implications/recommendations for further enhancing skills and job qualification recognitions and related regional cooperation activities in the area of skills and job qualifications, and provide new insights with HRDWG and other related fora through discussing/sharing the studies’ outputs.

Scope of Services

3.1 Description of Services

The Contractor shall undertake the overall research activities and logistical managementin each phase of the project.

The project shall be initiated from bibliographical surveyin order to grasp the up-to-date current picture and trend of skill mobility issues and its mutual recognition arrangement in the APEC region, followed by full-scale field studies, data analysis, and writing of the interim report which includes developing case studies of the identified best practices. Minimum of eight (8)cases are targeted to develop with synthesis, which summarize and principles and meta thoughts.The interim report will be used as a basis for the discussion in the scheduled workshop in May 2017. The output identified by then will be further consolidated with the suggestions or additional inputs contributed by the participants to the workshop and finally compiled in a final report. The report will be circulated to the member of HRDWG, CTI and other fora whomever, show their interests on that topic. It is also expected to seek an opportunity to introduce the summary of the study in the upcoming Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) which will be scheduled in Nov 2017.

(1)Preparatory Study Phase (January - February2017):

The Contractor shall undertakepreliminary studies on the reports of thepastAPEC projects that implemented in the relevant areas (as shown in below) and thus explore any lessons from those studiesto incorporate into the studies and seek anypossible build upand linkages with this project.

Integrated Referencing Framework for Skills Recognition and Mobility ( Australia / HRD 05 2015S)

Strengthening Mobility and Promoting Regional Integration of Professional Engineers in APEC Economies ( Chinese Taipei / HRD 03 2014T)

Skills Mapping Across APEC Economies – A Tool To Promote Regional Economic Integration and Address Skill Shortages ( Australia / HRD 02 2012A)

Comparability and Benchmarking of Competencies and Qualification Frameworks in APEC Region ( China; Philippines / HRD 02 2009)

Mapping of Qualifications frameworks across APEC economies ( Australia / HRD 04 2008)

The Contractor shallalso undertake literature research on reports and paperspertaining to skill mobility and recognition of skill and job qualification. The sources of the reports and papers expect from well recognized international organizations (such as ILO, UNESCO, ADB, OECD, etc.), think tanks, relevant NPOs,APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), and accrediting authorities of the certain skills or job qualification standards that is effected within the APEC regions.

Through the studies, the Contractor shall formulate a hypothesis for picking upthe potential best practices of any recognition mechanismthat will be surveyed with the prospect of making case studies in the followingfield study phase. The priority sectorsfor the case studies will be focused onmanufacturing, civil engineering, automotive, ICT and service industries. Any exception case may be considered depending on thecircumstances and consultation with the PO.

The Contractor shall also explore for good examples of capacity building efforts that enhance the skill and job qualification within the APEC economies through the business and investment practices or bilateral or multilateraldevelopment assistancesbetween the governments (s) /in the public sector. This means that the case studiesis not limited to only the established or recognized skills recognition mechanism, but it include contributiveefforts that enhancing certain skills and the efficiency of the workforce, hence it will lead to the human capital development in the region.Thoseactivities were chosen which might potentially turn out the skills to the recognized new industry’s standard or even make it as a new qualification standard thatpotentially enhance the regional trade, investment environments and skill mobility.

Through this preparatory study phase, the Contractor shall narrow down the areas/sectors for the following field studies.By the end of this phase, the Contractor shall present an “Inception Report” to PO. The report will be considered as the first milestone deliverablethat indicate the orientation of the next study phase.

The Contractor shall bear in mind to look into the implication with services trade in order to seek for any cross cutting synergy with the other fora particularly the Committee for Trade and Investment (CTI) in view of the relevance with the funded source of TILF.

(2)Full-scale field research (February - April 2017)

Based on the identified information in the preparatory study and with the given directions from the PO, the Contractorsexecute intensive field studies which will include field trips to the survey destination economy and interviewing the key persons of accrediting authorities, regulating government officials, or international organizationsin the respective areas.

The below shown organizations are expected to be interviewed as a potential organization where useful information can be expected for the case studies. It is subject to change depending on the analysismade in the “Inception Report”.The contacting organizationsshall be finallydetermined through the consultation with the PO.

APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC)

ILO (in Bangkok)

UNESCO (Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and the Pacific) ,

Workforce Development Agency (WDA) Chinese Taipei,

TradesRecognition Australia (TRA),

The Institute of Professional Engineer of Japan,

The Japan Architectural Education and Information Center (JAEIC)

Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan (IPA)

The output of the field research together with previous report will be compiled into an “Interim Report” as the second milestone deliverable. The interim report will be compiled in close consultation with PO and necessary instruction will be given to the Contractors. The “Interim report” shall be compiled and presented to PO by the end of April 2017.

(3)Organizing Workshop (May 2017)

A workshop will be scheduled in May in one of the member economies (tentatively proposed at Viet Nam, in the margin of the annualmeeting of HRD Working Groupand Senior Officials Meeting (SOM2) of APEC. The aim of the scheduled workshop is to share the findings in the Interim Report and based on that output, and to discuss the implication and to elaboratefurther inputs from the invited experts and speakers. The specialists and policymakers who are engaging with the related issues in respective economies will be invited and their valuable thoughts will be shared.

The Contractor will administrate the preparation for the workshop, including making agenda, selection of the experts and speakers, call for the participation, venue arrangement under the supervision of PO in due course.

(4)Consolidating the Workshop Outputs and Carrying out Supplemental Studies (June - September 2017)

Following the workshop, the contractor shall review the outputs as well as insights obtained from the workshop and consolidate those into the draft final reportas the third milestone deliverable. Supplementary studies may be carried out during this phase if the PO finds any necessity in view of achieving the objectives or in response to obtained input from the workshop.

(5)Finalization of the report (October - November 2017)

The Contractor shall make the best effort to compile the Final Report, not only binding the best practice cases but also come up with a constructive and reference-worthy analysis that include decisive aspects and experiences of breakthroughs from those best practices that made the overall recognition mechanism more attractive so that the cases could be also useful lessons for other sectors.The report should be a useful and easierreference even for the policy makers, relevant industries of the APEC economies, as well as to the accrediting authorities of skills, especially in the sectors of manufacturing, civil engineering, automotive, ICT and service industries. The Contractor shall also prepare the abridged version of the report in both printed and electronic formats as it will be introduced and disseminates in the upcoming APEC Ministerial Meeting (AMM)and/or APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM)as they are scheduled to be held in November 2017.

The Final Report need to be finished in electronic format by the end of November 2017and the abridged version in both printed and electric format shall be prepared by the end of October 2017 respectively. The abridged report shall be extracted from the full report and compiled in less than 30 pages withsynthesis and executive summary chapters.

3.2 Expected Outputs and Timelines

The milestone deliverables are followings;

Inception Report (by the middle of February 2017)
Interim Report, which compiled the findings and analysis obtained from thefield studies (by the end of April 2017)
Organizing a Workshop (in May 2017) and integrate the workshop outputs and insights into Draft Final Report (by the end of September 2017)
Final Report (by the AEMM to be held in November2017)

3.3 Expected Milestone Payments Schedule

# / Services / Format / Quantity / Means of Verification / Due Date / Payment Due
(in USD, inclusive of taxes)
1 / Inception Report / Electronic copy in MS Word and PDF.
In A4 size.Letter size is not accepted. / Each one
Word(1). Pdf(1), / (i) Written acceptance and certification from the Project Overseer for submission of report. / by the middle of February 2017 / 7,180
2 / Interim Report / Electronic copy in MS Word and PDF.
In A4 size.Letter size is not accepted / Each one
Word(1). Pdf(1), / (i) Written acceptance and certification from the Project Overseer for submission of report. / by the end of April 2017 / 21,540
3 / Conducting / facilitating a Workshop
and
Draft Final Report / (i)Written acceptance and certification from the Project Overseer for submission of report.and;
(ii) Endorsement of report by the fora. / Workshop: inMay 2017
Drafting Final Report: the end of September 2017 / 21,260
4 / Final Report (in both full version and abridged version) / Electronic copy in MS Word and PDF of complete version.
Hardandelectronic copies (in MS Word and PDF) of abridged version in A4 size.
Letter size is not accepted / Each one
Word (1). Pdf(1)
Hardcopy(30) / (i) Written acceptance and certification from the Project Overseer for submission of report.
(ii) Endorsement of report by the fora.
(iii) Approval of the report by the APEC Secretariat / by the AEMM in November 2017 / 29,000

3.4Qualifications of Bidder