Framework Agreements
The Framework Agreements for Conflict-Affected Environments
What are these and why might they be useful? The Department for International Development, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Stabilisation Unit have set up three framework agreements for the provision of consultancy services for the use of any UK Government Department in conflict-affected environments. These cover services in Governance, Justice and Peace-building; Social Development; and Public Administration Reform. Framework agreements are arrangements whereby providers are selected in advance to be able to provide a range of services over time, and with many of the conditions (such as fee rates and quality standards) pre-defined, from which specific projects can then be quickly commissioned as they are required. There are a number of reasons why these framework agreements might be useful to you: · The agreements have been specifically set up so that they can be used by any UK Government Department to obtain high quality consultancy services in conflict-affected countries. · The agreements allow you to rapidly mobilise experts at short notice to work in some of the most difficult locations in the world (a key requirement of the agreement is for each supplier to be able to respond quickly to requests for services). · Because the providers have already been selected through a rigorous open competition there is no need to go through time-consuming tendering procedures. · All of the framework agreements deliberately cover a broad range of themes and types of work so it is highly likely that your proposed projects in conflict-affected environments will fall within their remit. · The providers have been selected for their experience, procedures, pool of expertise and willingness to work in partnership with the UK government in conflict affected environments. As a user you can be confident that the providers can find relevant experts and get them into place quickly, safely and effectively. · Three framework agreements have been set up each covering up to £20 millions worth of work over up to four years. What sort of work can be commissioned through the Framework Agreements? Three framework agreements have been set up to cover: · Governance, Justice and Peace-Building · Social Development · Public Administration Reform For each framework agreement two providers have been selected. This gives a choice of provider for any piece of work. For larger projects ‘mini-competitions’ can be run inviting both providers to tender for a piece of work and allowing departments to select a preferred provider and ensure value for money. All of the providers head up a consortium of other consultancies and thus can draw not just on their own expertise but that of many other specialist organisations. The work that can be undertaken can include, but is not restricted to: · Technical assessments/studies · Project and programme design work · Project implementation · Monitoring and evaluation · The design and delivery of training activities · Provision of technical assistance · Policy support work Work commissioned under the framework agreements will probably be located in the relevant conflict-affected country or region but can equally be conducted in the UK. The providers also have access to consultants with a wide range of language skills, cultural sensitivity and experience in the environments in which you are working. Commissioning work under the framework agreements is straightforward. Having determined a piece of work or project you are looking to be completed you should make contact with your procurement department and with one or both of the framework providers and request the provider to make a proposal on how they would fulfil your requirements (specified in Terms of Reference). Should this meet your requirement and at a suitable price your procurement department should rapidly be able to contract your chosen supplier. For larger pieces of work you will need to run a mini-competition between the two providers. Nonetheless the latter can still be completed rapidly. Note that the whole process can and should be done directly between yourselves and your procurement department; there is no need to work through the Stabilisation Unit (though we would welcome being kept informed on your usage of the agreements). Further detail on the process for commissioning work, including detail on the mini-competition process, is covered in the Frequently Asked Questions. It is important to note that whilst the procurement of the framework agreements legally gives great flexibility in their application, DFID, FCO, MOD, and Stabilisation Unit have agreed some ground rules for how we will use them in practice, in order to ensure that Departments have fair access to them and that good procurement practice is followed. What is covered under each of the Framework Agreements and who are the Providers? Details of the work that can be covered under the framework agreements and the two providers that have been selected for each are set out below. 1. Governance, Justice and Peace-building Areas of work covered can include: · Political processes and political accountability; · Peace-building; · Security sector reform; · Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration; · Justice sector reform; · Transitional justice and promoting and ensuring the implementation of human rights; and · Facilitating multi-track dialogue, peace and reconciliation processes and conflict analysis.
Work that can be covered falls under key social development themes, for example participation, accountability, rights, social protection and citizen empowerment. This could include: (i) Civil society strengthening, including: · Organisational capacity building and sustainability of NGOs; · Advocacy, media and communications skills; · Promoting government accountability and responsiveness; · Service delivery models in partnership with government; · Conflict management and mitigation; · Reducing vulnerability and addressing risk; · Promoting gender sensitivity, inclusion and participation; · Combating social exclusion; and · Promoting social cohesion. (ii) Use and application of analytical tools, including:
3. Public Administration Reform Areas of work covered include: · Public Financial Management and Accountability, including procurement; · Management of natural resource concessions and revenue; · Civil service management; · Central and decentralised government institutions; and · Support to anti-corruption programmes The two providers awarded the Framework Agreement are:
Further information and contact details We have tried to provide answers to many of the questions that you may have in the FAQs document at the top of the page. Should your question not be covered in this document or the FAQs and/or you would like further advice on the framework agreements please contact either of the following at the Stabilisation Unit:
Contact details for the contacts in department’s procurement groups who are responsible for dealing with the framework agreements are:
Contact details for each of the framework agreement providers are as below Governance, Justice and Peace-building Coffey International Development:
PricewaterhouseCoopers:
Social Development British Council:
COWI:
Public Administration Reform Adam Smith International:
Stabilisation Unit, February 2008 |
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