TPMA for the Project (for Component 1.1 and 2)

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES - FIRMS SELECTION) Lebanese Republic Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) GREEN AGRI-FOOD TRANSFORMATION FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY (GATE) Ref: GC4C1a Assignment Title: Third Party Monitoring Agent (TPMA) Services. The Lebanese Republic (hereinafter called “Borrower”) has applied for financing in the amount of 200 million US Dollars from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) (the “Bank”) in the form of a “loan” (hereinafter called “loan”) toward the cost of the Green Agri – food transformation for economic recovery (GATE) Project. The Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), an implementing agency of the Client, intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this loan to eligible payments under the contract for consulting services to be procured under this project. The Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR - hereinafter referred as Client), acting as executing agency for and on behalf of the GOL, intends to engage a Third Party Monitoring Agent (TPMA). The TPMA will be responsible for reviewing, verifying and reporting on the compliance of project activities under the components (sub-component 1.1 and sub-component 2.1 & 2.2) of the project with the World Bank’s operational, fiduciary, environmental and social framework. This includes: to carry out an independent verification on the execution of the project including verifying and confirm that selection criteria and processes and use of funds are done in full compliance with the Legal Agreement (between the Government of Lebanon and the World Bank) and the Project Operational Manual (POM). The full TOR version can be found on CDR website www.cdr.gov.lb , click on the Procurement tag for more info. The Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. Consultant Brochures may also be included in the EOI. The shortlisting criteria are:

• General Qualifications:

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• At least 5 years of demonstrated experience in monitoring, evaluation, and verification (MEV) of international donor–financed projects.
• Proven track record in working with international financial institutions (IFIs) and bilateral/multilateral donors such as IFAD, FAO, UN Agencies, EU, USAID, GIZ, AFD, or others.
• Experience in Lebanon or the MENA region, with strong knowledge of local institutions, rural/agricultural systems, and infrastructure development.
• Ability to mobilize a multidisciplinary team of experts covering agriculture, engineering, financial management, and environmental & social safeguards.
• Strong capacity in field monitoring and data collection methodologies, including use of digital tools (GIS, remote sensing, KoBoToolbox, mobile-based surveys, beneficiary perception tracking).
• Demonstrated ability to prepare high-quality analytical and verification reports in English, with clear findings and actionable recommendations.
• Adequate administrative and logistical capacity to support field missions across Lebanon (fleet management, safety/security arrangements, data collection systems).
• Specific Experience

The firm should have specific experience in:

• Agriculture and Climate-Smart Agriculture Monitoring: Experience in verifying farmer support programs or similar agricultural initiatives.
• Rural and Agency-Managed Infrastructure: Experience in technical verification of infrastructure projects such as irrigation, wastewater management and other public works.
• Financial Oversight and Audit: Proven ability to review disbursement processes, grants management, and fiduciary compliance under donor-financed projects.
• Safeguards Monitoring: Familiarity with international donor environmental and social safeguards and gender/social inclusion approaches.
• Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) Assignments: At least two completed TPM or independent verification assignments with a total cumulative value of USD 0.5 million, in in the past 10 years, in agriculture, infrastructure, or similar community-based development projects.

EOI shall be limited to 50 pages’ maximum. Pages beyond 50 may not be reviewed. Please note that at this shortlisting stage: Technical and financial proposals are not requested. Key Experts, if proposed for the assignment, will not be evaluated. Request for clarifications on the REOI or TOR may not be replied to at this time, as the allocated time for submission of EOI does not permit for such exchanges. The shortlist will contain 5 to 8 firms. 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 for Goods, Works, Non-Consulting services” dated February 2025 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. Shortlisted Consultants will be invited to submit their proposals, upon which a Consultant will be selected in accordance with the (QCBS) described in the “World Bank “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers for Goods, Works, Non-Consulting services” dated February 2025. The Deadline for receiving EOIs is to be on Friday, January 9th, 2025 at 12:00 o’clock noon Beirut local time Expressions of Interest (EOI) must be delivered to the address below by hand or carrier including one original, one hard copy and one electronic CD ROM. Address: Council of Development and Reconstruction (CDR) Tenders Department City: Beirut Beirut - Lebanon Telephone: (+961-1-980096),Facsimile number: (+961-1-981255) Agency: Council for Development and Reconstruction Procurement method: Quality And Cost-Based Selection Notice type: Request for Expression of Interest Status: Published Value: 1000000.0 USD