Background

Relations between the Republic of Moldova and 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 a10 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 presently constitutes the framework of relations between the RM and EU.
 
In 2005, in the context of the new European Neighborhood Policy, RM and EU signed an EU-Moldova Action Plan (EUMAP) for a period of 3 years, which included a series of actions aiming at deepening the cooperation between the two parties. 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 signing a new agreement. 
In parallel with the Action Plan, Moldova has signed with the EU a Visa Facilitation Agreement, and received a preferential trade regime (Autonomous Trade Preferences) with the EU for a majority of the goods produced in Moldova.
 
Since 2010, the Republic of Moldova has been successfully carrying out negotiations with EU for an Association Agreement and has undertaken concrete steps towards a deeper relationship with the European Union.
 
On December 5, 2011, the EU decided to launch negotiations on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) with Moldova, with the purpose of boosting economic growth and investment within its Eastern European partner. These negotiations will tackle a broad range of trade and economic issues in order to ensure a closer economic integration with the EU for Moldova. The future DCFTA will be part of the Association Agreement, which strives, also in line with the EU’s Eastern Partnership objectives, to closely associate Moldova to the European Union both in the economic and political dimensions. Three rounds of negotiations have been successfully concluded so far. During the last round, which took place on September 11-13 in Chisinau, EU and Moldova agreed to begin the negotiation of tariff offers, one of the key elements of the future DCFTA.
 
The Building Institutional Capacity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Project aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) in the process of achieving its European Integration goals and commitments. In this context, the Project seeks to contribute to the development of the capacities for European Integration of the MFAEI and the Negotiation Team (also including representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry), with an immediate focus on the negotiation and post-negotiation phases of the Association Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova and implicitly its implementation.
 
In the EU, the main objective of plant health legislation is to protect the safety of food derived from plants and to secure the health and quality status of crops in all member states, regulating also the trade of plants and plant products within the EU as well as imports (including those from Moldova) in accordance with international plant health standards and obligations. Alignment to the EU standards in the plant health and food safety area is a priority for the Moldovan Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, with the aim to transpose and implement specific rules for the sale and use of plant protection products, preventative measures to safeguard against the introduction and spread of organisms harmful to plants or plant products but also ensure quality conditions for the sale of seeds and propagating material within Moldova and, in time, within the EU.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project will contract an International Consultant to support the newly-created Food Safety Agency (NFSA) of the Moldovan Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) in defining and drafting its internal procedural documentation in the sphere of plant health and safety of non-animal origin food, based on EU requirements and best practices.
 
This objective should be met through the following activities:
Key activities
  • Assess current national procedures and documentation in the sphere of plant health and safety of non-animal origin food, based on EU requirements and best practice;
  • Elaborate, based on the analysis of the new legislation and normative acts ( e.g. Law 113 and the Regulation on the functioning of the NFSA) that are currently coming into force ,and the new structure thus created, the following specific procedures: Official control on plant health; Official control of how plant protection products are used and marketed;
  • Elaborate a draft normative act to regulate the registration of food operators in the field of non-animal origin, in order to implement the new Moldovan legislation on the subject matter;
  • Elaborate specific procedures on how to perform the official control on the safety of food of non-animal origin;
  • Draft a presentation on the specific control procedures in the field of plant health and non-animal products food safety, submit it to the Beneficiary for approval, and deliver the presentation during a one-day workshop with representatives of key stakeholders.
Mission Schedule:
Deliverables, activities, and milestones follow this tentative schedule:
  • Preparatory Work. An inception study of available information and preparation of a detailed work plan to be applied for the respective assignment, submitted to and agreed with the Beneficiary. Indicative timeframe: 1 day, by 16 November, 2012;
  • One report carrying out an assessment of current national procedures and documentation in the sphere of plant health and safety of non-animal origin food, based on EU requirements and best practice prepared and submitted for approval. Indicative timeframe: 3 days, by November 23, 2012;
  • One set of specific procedures on official control on plant health and on how plant protection products are used and marketed prepared and submitted for approval. Indicative timeframe: 10 days, by December 5, 2012;
  • One draft normative act regulating the registration of food operators in the field of non-animal origin prepared and submitted for approval. Indicative timeframe: 4 days, by December 11, 2012;
  • One set of specific procedures on how to perform the official control on the safety of food of non-animal origin prepared and submitted for approval. Indicative timeframe: 5 days, by December 19, 2012;
  • One presentation on the specific control procedures in the field of plant health and non-animal products food safety drafted, submitted for approval, and delivered during a one-day workshop with representatives of key stakeholders. Indicative timeframe: 1 day, by December 20, 2012;
  • One final report with mission findings and final recommendations drafted, submitted for approval and discussed with key stakeholders. Indicative timeframe: 1 day, by December 21, 2012
All deliverables should be agreed with the UNDP counterpart at the Ministry, the Agency, and UNDP and be provided in English, hard and electronic copy.
 
The timeframe for the work of International Consultant is tentatively planned through November - December 2012. The Consultancy should involve about – 25 working days in maximum 4 (four) missions in Moldova, coordinated in advance with the beneficiary.

Competencies

  • Knowledge of and experience in the region of Central and Eastern Europe (experience in countries of transitional economy would be an asset);
  • Similar knowledge and experience in assisting government institutions within projects funded by international organizations;
  • Qualification and/or proven skills in project coordination, credibility in dealings with governmental officials, excellent analytical and communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Master’s degree in Agriculture, EU Law or other relevant field. Bachelor and at least 10 years of experience would also be acceptable;
Experience:
  • Minimum 5 years of work experience in the area of plant health and food safety;
  • Experience in transposing of EU requirements in the area of plant health and food safety into national procedures;
  • Specific experience in food safety and plant health inspection or auditing would be an advantage;
Language Requirements:
  • Fluency in written and spoken English, knowledge of Romanian or Russian would be an asset.
Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
  • Proposal, explaining why they are the most suitable for the work, and providing a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work;
  • Financial proposal;
  • 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, 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). 
Travel:
All envisaged travel costs (up to 4 missions to Moldova) 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 Agriculture, EU Law or other relevant field. Bachelor and at least 10 years of experience would also be acceptable;
  • Minimum 5 years of work experience in the area of plant health and food safety;
  • Experience in transposing of EU requirements in the area of plant health and food safety into national procedures;
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:
a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
b) having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
* Technical Criteria weight – 60% (300 pts);
* Financial Criteria weight – 40% (200 pts);
 
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 210 points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
 
Technical Evaluation – Criteria and maximum obtainable points:
  • Master’s degree in Agriculture, EU Law or other relevant field. Bachelor and at least 10 years of experience would also be acceptable – 30 points;
  • Minimum 5 years of work experience in the area of plant health and food safety – 70 points;
  • Experience in transposing of EU requirements in the area of plant health and food safety into national procedures – 60 points;
  • Specific experience in food safety and plant health inspection or auditing would be an advantage – 50 points;
  • Knowledge of and experience in the region of Central and Eastern Europe (experience in countries with economies in transition would be an asset) – 20 points;
  • Similar experience in assisting government institutions within projects funded by international organizations – 20 points;
  • Qualification and/or proven skills in project coordination, credibility in dealings with governmental officials, excellent analytical and communication skills – 20 points
  • Fluency in written and spoken English, knowledge of Romanian or Russian would be an asset – 30 points.
Financial evaluation:
Evaluation of submitted financial offers will be done based on the following formula:
  • S = Fmin / F * 200
  • 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.