Consultancy services: Recruitment of a Consultant to design and develop an Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (ISAC) for the Global Postal Sector regulated by the Universal Postal Union (UPU)

The Universal Postal Union (UPU) is committed to improving the safety and security of the global postal sector. To achieve this goal, the UPU intends to establish an Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) that will facilitate the sharing of critical information among its members and stakeholders. The ISAC will serve as a centralized platform for sharing information about security threats, incidents, and best practices in the postal sector.

The deadline for the submission of tenders is 4 September 2023 at 16.00 CET.

1. There appears to be an internal inconsistency in the posted RFP documentation. On page 13 the document states that the period for the project shall not exceed 80 days. Assuming a normal work day of 8 hours per day this would equate to approximately 640 hours for this project.  However, in the same paragraph, there is a statement that Vendor needs to be available for "at least 20 hours per week." Given the stated start date of 16-October-2023 and a completion date of 16-July-2024 that equates to 39 weeks. Using this 39 week baseline and projecting "at least" 20 hours per week that equates to over 780 hours for the duration of the contract. This deviation of 140 hours will have a material impact on any proposals. Can the UPU please state what is the project number of hours per workday?

   - The stated start and end dates are described as "target dates". The anticipated calendar end date assumes there will be breaks for holiday periods and other natural calendar breaks. In other words, this date is a targeted outer limit. We anticipate the Consultant should propose a feasible timeline that will bring the project in WITHIN this stated target timeframe. In direct response to your question re: "can the UPU please state what is the project number of hours per workday", we leave this up to the Consultant to define in the proposal, taking the above into consideration. Kindly note however, that we would expect that your estimate should assume a workday in which a typical 8-hour day includes non-working time (lunch, breaks etc.)

2. What is the process by which multiple companies would go about submitting a joint/unified response to the aforementioned RFP.  Specifically, would it be permissible to have a lead contractor with those contributing subcontractors listed in the RFP response?

   - Note compliance with section 2.4  - Use of subcontractors of the tender document.  It is not anticipated that this Tender would necessitate a response from multiple companies. It ideally envisages the deployment of a single consultant to deliver the stated scope of work. However, if multiple consultants are required by the proposing firm it would be preferable to clearly identify a Lead Expert, with supporting Subject Matter Experts, as required. In this scenario, ALL CVs must be provided for review and evaluation.

3. Section 3.3 of the RFP states that Bidder needs to provide three professional references.  In my previous inquiry (#1), I inquired about how multiple companies could potentially work together in submitting a response to the RFP. If three companies submit a joint bid do all three companies need to provide three references each? If one company submits a bid but references one or more subcontractors how many professional references does the subcontractors need to provide?

   - Note compliance with section 2.4  - Use of subcontractors of the tender document.  As per our previous response, it is not anticipated that this Tender would necessitate a response from multiple companies. It ideally envisages the deployment of a single consultant to deliver the stated scope of work. However, in the case where multiple consultants are proposed, it is expected that each consultant should furnish three professional references.

4. In Section 4.3 (pg 12) the document states, "Bidders are required to provide the CVs and diplomas of the said consultants, as well as a letter of motivation and a brief write-up (maximum 1,000 words) of the consultants’ approach and methodology with regard to the project, for further verification and evaluation by the UPU."

In Section 3.3 Bidder Information (pg 8) the document in connection with the technical proposal states it shall include a "brief description" of why the Bidder considers itself the most relevant AND a methodology setting out the approach toward the assignment.

Can the UPU please clarify if this 1,000 word write-up in Section 4.3 applies to the text of the response in Section 3.3?

Could the UPU confirm if there is any word and/or page limitation in connection with the Bidder's response to Section 3 in its entirety?

   - No, the 1,000 word limit does not apply to the text of the response in Section 3.3. We do advise, however, that you keep your response as focused, relevant and "filler-free" as possible so as to ensure the Evaluation team is able to quickly, effectively and accurately assess the items requested.