Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation in Malawi

MINISTRY OF ENERGY 

 

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANTS)

 

 

COUNTRY	MALAWI
NAME OF PROJECT	ACCELERATING SUSTAINABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY ACCESS TRANSFORMATION IN MALAWI (ASCENT MALAWI) PROJECT
PROJECT ID	P502464
ASSIGNMENT TITLE	PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST
DATE OF ISSUE	24TH FEBRUARY 2025

1. Introduction

The Government of Malawi is currently implementing the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation in Malawi (ASCENT Malawi) Project with funding from the World Bank. The project development objective is to increase clean and sustainable energy access in Malawi, aligning with ASCENT’s Program Development Objective of increasing clean and sustainable energy access in Eastern and Southern Africa. The project has five components but, the Ministry of Energy (MoE) will implement components 2,3,4; Off-grid Connection through Solar Home System; Energy Access for Schools and Health Facilities; and Clean Cooking Solutions, respectively; and Sub-component 5.1, Technical Assistance and Capacity Building. The MoE intends to apply part of the proceeds of this financing to eligible payments under the contract for hiring a Procurement Specialist.

 

 

Position Title             :  Procurement Specialist (Individual Consultant One ( 1) Position)

Time Commitment    :  100%

Reporting                   :  To the Project Manager

Counterpart               :  Procurement Officer

 

1. The Objectives of the Assignment

 

The objective of the assignment is to manage the procurement activities under the project in adherence to the Government of Malawi and World Bank procurement procedures and guidelines, including the planning and implementation and supervision of all procurement operations under the project.

 

3.         Duties and Responsibilities

 

The Procurement Specialist will be responsible for the management of Project procurement activities as part of the Project implementation arrangement, in accordance with Government of Malawi and World Bank procurement procedures and guidelines. The Procurement Specialist shall, inter alia, undertake the following tasks:

 

1. Coordinate the preparation of Project’s Annual Procurement Plan, detailing contract packages for works, goods and services, the estimated cost for each package, the procurement or selection methods and processing times till completion of each procurement activity;

 

1. Monitor procurement implementation and update the procurement plans annually and whenever it becomes necessary to do so;

 

1. Prepare procurement documentation for goods including the preparation of Specific Procurement Notices (SPNs), Invitation for Bids, advertisements, Request for Quotation documents, organizing and conducting bid openings, evaluation reports, obtaining the necessary approvals and No Objection Letters from the World Bank where required, arranging for the contract signing, and distribution to the appropriate authorities;

 

1. Prepare procurement documentation for consulting services including liaising with the technical teams on the preparation of Terms of References, the preparation of requests for Expressions of Interest (EOI), advertisements, evaluating EOIs, preparing Request for Proposal documents, evaluating proposals, obtaining the necessary clearances from the World Bank where required, assisting in contract negotiations, preparing minutes of negotiations, draw-up draft contracts and making arrangements for contract signing, and distributing to the appropriate authorities;

 

1. Coordinate and ensure timely responses to clarifications sought by bidders or shortlisted consultants as may be required;

 

1. Ensure all procurement activities are carried out in accordance with the agreed procedures, including the Financing Agreement; the ESMAP Grant Agreement; the World Bank Procurement Guidelines; and Government of Malawi Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act 2017, where applicable;

 

1. Ensure compliance with procurement methods and prior review thresholds applicable to the project;

 

1. Coordinate responses to inquiries and communicate the results of the evaluation process to bidders or consultants, in keeping with appropriate guidelines;

 

1. Establish and maintain procedures for the receiving, inspecting, testing and acceptance of goods;

 

1. Coordinate the acquisition of Bank’s No Objections using the World Bank procurement tracking system STEP (Systematic Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement) where applicable and make follow-ups where necessary;

 

1. In addition to STEP (the Bank’s procurement tracking system), set up a simple procurement management tracking system that would monitor the implementation of procurement activities;

 

1. Establish and maintain a Project procurement filing system, and ensure all related documents are included in the respective files, to ensure ease of retrieval of information and the ease of following the paper trail of procurement by external auditors, other authorised agents and/or the World Bank staff during post-procurement reviews (PPRs);

 

1. Assess procurement risks regularly and implement mitigation measures as necessary

 

1. Train and provide technical guidance to project staff on procurement policies and procedures.
2. Supervise the Procurement Officer to ensure he/she is able to document all Procurement and other activity processes in the project.

 

1. Carry out any other relevant periodic duties that may be assigned by the Project Coordinator from time to time.

 

1. Qualification and Experience

 

The Procurement Specialist will have experience in international procurement, management of public procurement and project management. Working experience of at least five (5) years executing procurement functions of which three (3) years must be in World Bank funded projects will be required. Educational and professional qualifications will include:

 

1. A Bachelor’s Degree in Procurement or any other relevant discipline (e.g. Project Management, and Engineering with minimum five (5) years post graduate experience in procurement, and contract management in the public sector). A Master’s Degree will be an added advantage.
2. A professional qualification in procurement from recognised institutions (such as the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).
3. Minimum three (3) years work experience on donor funded projects is a must
4. Must have good knowledge of procurement policies and procedures of the World Bank; as well as good knowledge of the institutional, technical, and commercial aspects of procurement.
5. The candidate must have knowledge of the Malawi Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Law, Regulation and Desk Instructions.
6. Excellent skills in project management, negotiation, written and oral communications, and team work demonstrated in previous jobs; and
7. Strong familiarity with procurement software and tools.
8. Ability to work under pressure and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
9. High degree of integrity, accountability, and transparency.
10. Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

 

 

4.0       Performance Assessment Criteria

 

1. Quality and Timeliness of Technical Reports
2. Quality of Documentation Submitted for Post and Prior Reviews
3. Quality of Technical Records and Reports Filing
4. Successful deployment and reliable operation of SHS 
5. Effectiveness in managing contracts with service providers,
6. Efficient Oversight of Independent Verification Agent (IVA) Reports
7.  Improvement in the Capacity of Project Staff

 

1. Location of Employment

 

The Procurement Specialist will be based at the PIU Office in Lilongwe which is located within the Ministry of Energy where ASCENT is implementing its activities.

 

6.0       Duration of Employment

 

The Contract is a period of five years renewable annually subject to satisfactory performance, need and availability of funding.

 

7.0       Reporting Requirements

 

As part a member of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), the Procurement Specialist shall report to the Project Manager.

 

8.0       Services and facilities to be provided by the Client

 

The client will provide the following services and facilities to the Consultant

1. Office space
2. Office equipment
3. Communication facilities
4. Logistics for field work

 

9.0 The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” dated September 2023 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

 

10.0 A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

 

11.0 Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 7:30hrs to 12:00hrs and from 13:00hrs to 17:00hrs except on Weekends and Public Holidays

 

12.0 Expressions of interest including detailed updated curriculum vitae and copies of professional and academic certificates must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by 03RD APRIL, 2025.

 

The Chairperson-Internal Procurement and Disposal of Assets Committee

Attn: The IPDC Chairperson

Ministry of Energy,

Private Bag 309,

Lilongwe 3.

Tel: +265 1 770 688

Fax: +265 1 770 094

Email : info@energy.gov.mw or

E-mail: victor.lombola@energy.gov.mw ; misheck.maweru@energy.gov.mw