19.06.2023
(Uniquement en anglais)
This call for tenders concerns the provision of consultancy services to the UPU from September 2023 to April 2024 to conduct an analytical study on extraterritorial offices of exchange (ETOEs), ETOE-related policy and the designation of multiple operators in UPU member countries.
The deadline for the submission of tenders is 31 July 2023 at 18.00 CET.
Regarding the 1,000-word limit stated in Section 4.3, can you please confirm which components of the tender response this applies to (with reference to the format stated in Section 3 and the other requirements in Section 4.3 to include CVs and a letter of motivation)?
– The aim behind the 1,000 word limit in section 4.3 is to receive concise information specific to the consultant(s) of the bidder’s respective roles and experience relate to the project and/or project methodology.
The substantive part of the bid itself, i.e. the detailed methodology/ approach of bidder X in relation to the analytical study, is not limited to 1,000 words. So the word limit only concerns the information about the individual consultants’ (and possible subcontractors) involvement in the study and does not apply to the methodology/ approach itself, pricing and delivery/schedule information, executive summary, bidder’s responses to the terms and conditions in the call for tender document, etc.
In terms of access to the UPU’s data on designated operators and ETOE’s to assist with the study, will it be possible for the successful bidder to be given "temporary" full IT access to all relevant UPU systems for research and data analytics purposes or will the successful bidder need to request all data downloads, reports etc from the UPU’s central administration teams?
– No temporary blanket access will be given to all systems, database and other services. The International Bureau (IB) will make available any relevant information and can, subject to the needs, give access to a particular system or data-set. The different directorates at the UPU IB, in particular the DPRM (policy and markets directorate), DOP (operations directorate) and DPTC (postal technology centre) are committed to support the contractor in the conduct of its work and make available any non-confidential data. The IB and contractor will meet in the beginning and throughout the project and identify the needs for data and information and discuss the ways in which the UPU/IB can respond to those needs.
Can you please give a clear and full definition of the term “multiple designated operators (DOs)” in the context of the scope of work outlined in the RFP document?
– Article 2 of the UPU Convention provides the possibility of designating multiple operators to fulfil the obligations arising from the Acts of the Union. Designated operators are those postal operators that were designated by the responsible Ministry to fulfil the obligations arising under the Acts (Convention, Regulations, etc.) on their territory. In some countries, more than one operator has been designated by the Ministry which presents a number of technical, operational and policy questions.
Can you please confirm that any UPU member questionnaires requested and designed by the successful bidder will be managed solely by the UPU and not the successful bidder?
– UPU member wide surveys should be developed by the contractor and managed by the UPU/IB, which includes reviewing, formatting and distributing it. The IB will also collect the responses from the member countries. Should confidential data be part of the study, then the IB could anonymize the data, should there be a need. The contractor will analyse the survey responses
However, the contractor may of course perform deep dive and targeted surveys with a sub-set of the UPU membership. Surveys that are sent to less than 192 member countries may also be “managed” by the contractor, including the distribution and collection of responses.
Can you please confirm if you expect site visits to existing ETOE’s to be an essential part of the study’s key requirements?
– The call for tender document does not specify the conduct of ETOE site visits as a requirement. Nevertheless, it is possible that a bidder considers such site visits useful to obtain a better understanding of the operational, technical, regulatory and logistical concerns and issues around ETOEs. This is to be specified in the bid and consideration will be given by the IB as part of the assessment of the bids.
Is this study different from the 2015 advertised exercise? If yes, please provide us with the link to access it
A copy of the UPU's ETOE regulatory & operational policy document or the link to it -copies of the different UPU member countries' ETOE regulatory & operational policy documents or the link to access them -a listing of those locations & the operatives where there are currently operational ETOEs?
– The ETOE and multiple DO study is a new study and no similar type of study has been conducted in the past. The study is required to identify the regulatory, operational and technical concerns arising from the current practices regarding ETOEs and multiple DOs, and the lacunae in the UPU’s current regulatory, operational and technical frameworks that at present leave these concerns unaddressed.
The UPU collects, on an ongoing basis, information on national ETOE policies as well as the names of operator(s) officially designated to operate postal services and to fulfil the obligations arising from the Acts of the Union on their territory. Both matters have been discussed at various times at the Council of Administration and, at occasions, resulting in proposals amending the Acts, notably article 2 of the Convention as such amendments were adopted by the Istanbul Congress in 2016, and Doha Congress resolution C 6/2012, which in its turn refers to the conditions previously laid down in Congress resolutions C 44/2004 and C 63/2008).
The current/ existing documentation can be found here: https://www.upu.int/en/Members-Centre/Policies-Regulation/Extra-Territorial-Offices-of-Exchange-(ETOEs)
-international mail processing centres, their registration, codes, any recent studies regarding them
IMPCs are defined as processing facilities for international mail exchanged, either to generate or receive mail dispatches or to act as transit centres for international mail exchanged between other designated operators. – Extraterritorial offices of exchange (ETOEs) are offices or facilities established for commercial purposes and operated by DOs or under the responsibility of DOs on the territory of a member country or territory other than their own. – For coding purposes, ETOEs are identified by a special type of IMPC code. – Each IMPC registered with the UPU International Bureau is identified by a globally unique six-character identification code, referred to as the IMPC code. – IMPC codes are used to facilitate the movement of mail from one country to another; they are used on UPU forms, to facilitate settlement of accounts and to enable tracking and tracing of items in the postal supply chain.
No recent studies have been conducted although the matter is discussed at POC meetings
-identification of all those countries where multiple operators are located
The UPU maintains a list of all operators designated by their government to fulfil the obligations under the UPU Acts: https://www.upu.int/UPU/media/upu/files/membersCentre/statusOfPostalEntities/EN-List-of-entities.pdf
-identification of those 18 countries where the 141 ETOEs are operational
Information can be found here: https://www.upu.int/en/Members-Centre/Policies-Regulation/Extra-Territorial-Offices-of-Exchange-(ETOEs)
-a copy or the link of that external consultant's study report on the impact of the new postal market players on the UPU mission activities together with the bilateral agreements between the designated operators & non-designated operators
No external consultant has been contracted by to conduct such a study. Bilateral agreements are confidential and only available as a contract between those two parties.
Furthermore, we require copies of the following documents:
-International System Applications(IPS,IPS light),POST*Net & POST*Clear
-Resolutions C44/2004, C63/2008
-IB Circular Nos. 192 of 20/06/2005, 206 of 20/12/2015, 103of
20/07/2020, 56 of 2004, 61of 6/05/2017, 372/2004
-Universal Postal Convention
- ABA & ABC remailing details & format separation of mails into E,P & G
-UPU Terminal Dues
-CN 22 Customs Forms & CN 38 Delivery Bill
-UPU Multilateral Data Sharing Framework Agreement
-ITMATT & Electronic Advance Data Compliance
The above information is contained in the UPU Acts or in the decisions by Congresses: https://www.upu.int/en/Universal-Postal-Union/About-UPU/Acts
Terminal dues, ITMATT, CN forms, etc. are solutions by the UPU provided to its designated operators and implemented on the basis of provisions that are laid down in the aforementioned Acts of the Union