Background

Relations between the Republic of Moldova (RM) and European Union (EU) formally started with the signing of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) in 1994 that entered into force in 1998. The PCA established the basic principles of cooperation between the RM and EU and was designed for a 10 year period. With the formal expiration of the term, i.e. July 1st 2008, the Agreement is being prolonged automatically if none of the parties requests its formal cancellation. Formally, the PCA agreement is presently the framework of relations between the RM and EU.
In 2005, in the context of the new European Neighbourhood Policy, RM and EU signed an EU-Moldova Action Plan (EUMAP) for a period of 3 years, which included a series of actions aiming to deepen the cooperation between the two parts. At the end of the Action Plan implementation period, the European Council adopted in February 2008 a decision expressing the readiness in principle of the EU to initiate new negotiations with the RM with the goal of singing a new agreement. 
 
In parallel with the Action Plan, RM has signed with the EU a Visa Facilitation Agreement, and received a preferential trade regime with the EU for most of the goods produced in Moldova. In the framework of the Eastern Partnership and the European Neighbourhood Policy, Moldova has been negotiating an Association Agreement with the EU since 2010.
 
Twenty three out of twenty four chapters of the AA have been provisionally closed. On December 2, 2011, European Union decided to launch the negotiations on the establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the Republic of Moldova. The official opening of negotiations was held in Brussels on December 12. The launch of the negotiations was possible due to the fact that Moldova succeeded in implementing the key recommendations submitted by the European Commission in December 2010, but also thanks to the constructive dialogue carried between Moldova and the EU institutions /Member States. The very first round of negotiations was a technical one, held in Chisinau on 18 January, 2012. Two rounds of negotiations have been successfully concluded so far. The third round is scheduled for September 2012. During this round, EU and MD will start to negotiate tariff offers, which is one the key elements of the future DCFTA.
 
The DCFTA is set to include the following chapters: Trade with goods (Rules of Origin, Standards, SPS); Services and Investments; Horizontal aspects (Competition, Intellectual property, Geographical Indications, public); Institutional provisions, including a dispute settlement mechanism.
 
The Project „Building Institutional Capacity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration” aims at strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration in the process of achieving its European Integration goals and commitments. The Project also aims to contribute to the development of the capacities of the MFAEI and the Negotiation Team, including also representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) for European Integration, with an immediate focus on the negotiation and post-negotiation phase of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova and implicitly its implementation.
 
One of the key EU recommendations required for DCFTA negotiations is the modernization of the handling and disposal system for animal by-products not intended for human consumption (hereinafter as – animal by-products) and the harmonization of the related legal framework to existing EU regulations. While an important part of this would involve the reconstruction of the animal by-products disposal facilities, a crucial element of the process is the alignment of legislation and procedures with EU requirements and best practices. The MAFI addressed the project with the request for provision of international consultative assistance in this regard.

Duties and Responsibilities

An Inational Consultant on veterinary and animal food safety legislation, including animal by-products will consult MAFI and its subordinated Veterinary Agency with the aim to evaluate the current animal by-products handling and disposal system and its compliance with EU requirements. In addition, the International Consultant will propose concrete activities (legal proposals, operational, and eventually technical actions) for more efficient restructuring of existing animal by-products disposal sector and animal by-products rendering plants.
This objective should be met through the following activities:
 
Key activities:  
  • Undertake a gap analysis and needs assessment of national veterinary and food safety legislation which is directly linked to animal and public health rules for the collection, transport, storage, handling, processing and use or disposal of all animal by-products (including site visits where appropriate).
  • Draft a report with comments and proposals on the current legislation and its convergence with the EU legislation regulating animal by-products disposal system,
  • Draft a report on the functionality and current capacity (technical, infrastructure, procedural, methodological and human resources) of services and stakeholders involved in all animal by-products disposal and management processes as well as official controls.
  • Prepare a market study for collection, processing, use, trade in and disposal of animal by-products by identifying a feasible option taking into consideration not only necessary investments, but also the long-term costs of operation and maintenance of the system.
  • Evaluate the most suitable technologies for disposal of all animal by-products adopted for the Moldovan case and assess the needs for their successful implementation and draft a report on the findings identifying a feasible option(s) for disposal of animal by-products in line with the specifications of the EU legal framework, including concrete activities to be undertaken in this regard (drafts of key legislation, procedural documents related to operational / technical actions)
  • Deliver one final presentation of key findings and recommendations, drafted legislation and procedural documents. Discuss the outcomes with the Beneficiary and key stakeholders (including representatives of the Centre for Legal Approximation).
Mission Schedule:
 
Deliverables, activities, and milestones follow this tentative schedule:  
  • Preparatory Work - Inception study of available information and preparation of detailed work plan to be applied for respective assignment; Indicative timeframe: 1 day, by September   18, 2012
  • Report on the gap analysis and needs assessment of the national veterinary and food safety legislation which is directly linked to animal and public health rules for the collection, transport, storage, handling, processing and use or disposal of all animal by-products with comments and proposals on the current legislation and its convergence with the EU legislation prepared, submitted for approval and discussed with key stakeholders; Indicative timeframe: 6 days, by September 26, 2012
  • Report on the current market capacity (technical, infrastructure, procedural, methodological and human resources) of the services and stakeholders involved in all animal by-products disposal and management processes as well as official controls drafted and submitted for approval; Indicative timeframe: 4 days, by October 2 , 2012
  • Market study on safe and secure methods of disposal for animal by-products elaborated and submitted for approval; including Report on the assessment of needs specifying the results of the evaluation of most suitable technologies for disposal of all animal by-products, identifying feasible options for disposal of animal by-products in line with EU legal framework provisions prepared and submitted for approval. Indicative timeframe: 11 days, by October 17, 2012
  • One two-day workshop on the practical implementation of drafted legislation and produced procedural documents delivered. All deliverables discussed with the beneficiary and key stakeholders. Indicative timeframe: 2 days, by October 19 , 2012
  • Final report with mission findings and final recommendations drafted, submitted for approval and discussed with stakeholders. Indicative timeframe: 1 day, by October   22, 2012
All deliverables should be agreed with the UNDP’s counterpart at the MAFI und UNDP and be provided in English, hard and electronic copy.
 
The timeframe for the work of the International Consultant is tentatively planned through September 17 – October 22, 2012. The Consultancy should involve about – 25 working days of work ensuring at least 20 days of presence in Moldova, in one or two missions coordinated in advance with the beneficiary.

Competencies

  • Experience of assessing the compliance of a national food safety and veterinary legislation with the EU acquis;
  • Proven experience of undertaking data gathering, analysis, reporting, drafting of market research studies in the agri-food and veterinary sectors;
  • Experience of reforming and restructuring an official veterinary controls system of a EU member state in accordance with the EU requirements and international standards will be a very strong advantage;
  • Knowledge of and experience in the region of Central and Eastern Europe (experience in countries of transitional economy would be an asset);
  • Similar experience in assisting governmental institutions within projects funded by international organizations will be an asset;
  • Credibility in dealing with policy makers and other governmental officials, excellent analytical and communication skills;
  • Fluency in written and spoken English, knowledge of Romanian or Russian will be a strong advantage.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:
Master’s degree in Veterinary medicine, Public health, EU Law or other relevant field. Bachelor and at least 10 years of relevant experience will also be acceptable.
 
Years of experience:
Minimum 7 years of working experience in the area of lawmaking and / or implementation of legal framework in food safety and veterinary legislation including animal by-products, especially during the pre-accession and post-accession periods to the EU.
 
Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
  • Proposal explaining why they are the most suitable for the work;
  • Financial proposal in US Dollars;
  • Duly completed P11 form (and Personal CV) including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.
Financial Proposal:
 
The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount in US Dollars, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).  
 
All envisaged travel costs (one mission to Moldova ensuring a presence in the country of at least 20 days) must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.
In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.
 
Evaluation:
 
Initially, individual consultants will be short-listed based on the following minimum qualification criteria:
  • Master’s degree in Veterinary medicine, Public health, EU Law or other relevant field. Bachelor and at least 10 years of relevant experience will also be acceptable;
  • Minimum 7 years of working experience in the area of lawmaking and / or implementation of legal framework in food safety and veterinary legislation including animal by-products, especially during the pre-accession and post-accession periods to the EU;
  • Experience of assessing the compliance of a national food safety and veterinary legislation with the EU acquis;
  
The short-listed individual consultants will be further evaluated based on the following methodology:
 
Cumulative analysis:
The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
  • Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
  • Technical Criteria weight – 70% (350 pts);
  • Financial Criteria weight – 30% (150 pts).
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 245 points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
Technical Evaluation – Criteria and maximum obtainable points: 
  • Master’s degree in Veterinary medicine, Public health, EU Law or other relevant field. Bachelor and at least 10 years of relevant experience will also be acceptable – 30 points
  • Minimum 7 years of working experience in the area of lawmaking and / or implementation of legal framework in food safety and veterinary legislation including animal by-products, especially during the pre-accession and post-accession periods to the EU – 100 points
  • Experience of assessing the compliance of a national food safety and veterinary legislation with the EU acquis – 50 points
  • Proven experience of undertaking data gathering, analysis, reporting, drafting of market research studies in the agri-food and veterinary sectors – 50 points
  • Experience of reforming and restructuring an official veterinary controls system of a EU member state in accordance with the EU requirements and international standards will be a very strong advantage – 30 points
  • Knowledge of and experience in the region of Central and Eastern Europe (experience in countries of transitional economy would be an asset) – 20 points
  • Similar experience in assisting government institutions within projects funded by international organizations will be an asset – 20 points
  • Credibility in dealing with governmental officials, excellent analytical and communication skills – 20 points
  • Fluency in written and spoken English, knowledge of Romanian or Russian would be a strong advantage – 30 points
Maximum Total Technical Scoring – 350 points
 
Financial evaluation:
  • Evaluation of submitted financial offers will be done based on the following formula: S = Fmin / F * 150
  • S – score received on financial evaluation;
  • Fmin – the lowest financial offer out of all the submitted offers qualified over the technical evaluation round;
  • F – financial offer under consideration.
  • Winning candidate
  • The winning candidate will be the candidate, who has accumulated the highest aggregated score (technical scoring + financial scoring).
Important notice:
The applicant who has the statute of Government Official / Public Servant, prior to appointment will be asked to submit the following documentation:
  • a no-objection letter in respect of the applicant received from the government, and;
  • the applicant is certified in writing by the government to be on official leave without pay for the duration of the Individual Contract.
A retired government official is not considered in this case a government official, and as such, may be contracted.