Procurement Specialist at Colleges and Institutes Canada

CONTEXT/ BACKGROUND

The Kenya Education for Employment Program (KEFEP), an Education for Employment (EFE) program of Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) working in collaboration with the Kenyan Ministry of Education will support Kenya in the revitalization of the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system, which has historically run on low capacity and minimal interest from potential students.

KEFEP is a five-year (2016-2021) program funded by the Global Affairs Canada. The program will work at the national level with the Directorate for TVET of the Ministry of Education and at the institutional level with the ten national polytechnics across Kenya. It will also engage industry stakeholders in the identification of skills gaps, the development of relevant occupational standards and curricula, and the improvement of training facilities to improve the capacity of Kenyan institutions and agencies to implement TVET reform initiatives; increase the effectiveness of partner institutions to deliver industry-response skills training; and strengthen the quality of industry-responsive skills training programs.

KEFEP’s ultimate outcome is to provide increased economic opportunities for male and female graduates from TVET institutions in Kenya.

The three intermediate program results are:

• Improved quality and relevance of skills training programs at partner institutions
• Increased effectiveness of partner institutions in delivering accessible and gender responsive skills training programs that meet private sector needs to trainees
• Increased effectiveness of national Kenyan agencies in implementing TVET reform

CURRENT SITUATION

CICan has begun the implementation phase of KEFEP and is hiring a Procurement Specialist to support the procurement of project-specific equipment for 10 Kenyan National Polytechnics. Currently, KEFEP is reviewing options for how to move forward with the procurement, which will include purchasing technical training equipment at TVET institutions and associated tools/ supplies but will not include capital works. The Procurement Specialist will act as the principal resource on procurement of goods in Kenya and will provide options and recommendations on how to structure this process for KEFEP.

This consultancy will focus on defining the various parameters necessary for managing the purchase of equipment and material for KEFEP. Management of purchases must be in accordance with the requirements of the Treasury Board of Canada (TBC), as well as with procurement requirements of the Government of Kenya (GOK) and Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), where there is no conflict with TBC National Joint Council (NJC) requirements. Equipment may be procured in Kenya, Canada or elsewhere based on needs, costs, quality, availability, and other considerations.

The mandate will take into account acquisition regulations, planning of purchases, management of the various stages of procurement, follow up of purchases, distribution of material and equipment according to needs analysis and procedures for transfer of equipment to the Kenyan Ministry of Education (MOE) and KEFEP partner institutions.

PROPOSED WORK PLAN

Specific activities will include:

• Analyzing policies, rules and functioning of the GOK and MOE of Kenya in relation to the potential procurement of equipment and material for KEFEP
• Analyzing relevant policies and procedures of CICan, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the TBC
• Making recommendations for a KEFEP procurement process to meet the requirements of the TBC, GAC, GOK, MOE, and CICan
• Analyzing procurement options, including but not limited to:
• Procurement through the GOK
• Procurement through CICan-Kenya
• Procurement through a third-party and/or turn-key provider
• Presenting suggested options for an operational procurement model, detailing suggested roles and responsibilities of CICan, MOE and other Kenyan partners related to financial management, training and reporting
• Presenting estimated costs for each option and tax/ duty/ financial considerations for each
• Making a recommendation for the suggested procurement model to be implemented by CICan for KEFEP
• Presenting a list of risks and mitigation strategies linked to implementing the suggested operational model

REPORTING

The Consultant will work under the direction of the Director, Caribbean and Anglophone Africa, CICan or their designate. The Consultant is expected to work with a high degree of independence and autonomy.

LEVEL OF EFFORT

15 days

CONSULTANT FEE

Please provide a suggested price per day in Kenyan shillings when applying.

DURATION

The deadline for submissions is September 29, 2017. It is expected that the contract will be awarded and that the consultant will begin work on October 13, 2017 and that the contract will be completed no later than November 10, 2017 with report submission to CICan.

LOCATION

The Procurement Specialist will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

DELIVERABLES

• Consultant workplan (submitted with the application)
• Final Report, to include the following:
• Details on different procurement process options for KEFEP
• Cost estimates for each option
• An analysis of advantages/ disadvantages
• Recommendation for how to proceed with the procurement process for KEFEP

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivelant in a related subject area.
• At least eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience working on procurement in development settings, preferably in Kenya.
• Experience in the preparation and operationalization of procurement plans.
• Demonstrated experience working with government and public sector institutions in Kenya.
• Experience working with international organizations or donors will be an advantage.
• Familiar with development programming and working with inter-governmental organizations.
• Strong problem-solving and adaptability/flexibility capabilities.
• Fluency in English
• Good knowledge of TVET or the higher education sector is highly desirable.