Consultancy Services for the Establishment of a National Digital Government Implementing Agency

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (REoI)

(CONSULTING SERVICES – FIRMS SELECTION)

Country: Kingdom of Lesotho

Project: Public Sector Foundations for Services Delivery Project (P174171)

Loan No./Credit No./ Grant No.: 07492

Assignment Title: Consultancy Services for the Establishment of a National Digital Government Implementing Agency and the Chief Digital Office to Drive Digital Transformation in the Government of Lesotho

Activity Reference No.: LS-MOFDP-435716-CS-CQS

The Kingdom of Lesotho has received financing from the World Bank for the Public Sector Foundations for Service Delivery project and intends to use part of these funds for consulting services to design the organizational structure, governance instruments, and funding strategy of a National Digital Government Implementing Agency and the Chief Digital Office, a unit within the Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation. The agency will be responsible for providing information and technology as a service to the Government, to drive digital transformation across the Government of Lesotho and throughout society. The CDO will be responsible for strategic planning, policy formulation, legislation initiation, change management, and coordination across government and society, while overseeing digital government implementation, cybersecurity, and innovation functions to drive national digital transformation. The Consultant will be required to complete the assignment in four (4) months. The expected commencement date will be 15th May 2025.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following website: ……https://www.gov.ls/tenders-2/….

The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning 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. The shortlisting criteria are:

• Relevance and suitability of core business area of the applicant firm with the subject assignment.

• At least ten (10) years of relevant experience in the fields of Digital Governance and Public Sector Consulting, focusing on government technology (GovTech) and Digital Transformation, with successful delivery of at least three (3) similar assignments within the past five years. (The applicant firm must provide relevant completion certificates and/or letters of recommendation from clients).

• Registration with a relevant professional consulting body, if applicable, and with an updated certificate is an added advantage.

• The applicant firm’s overall institutional, managerial, and technical competence in terms of financial strength, institutional quality management system, Size of experts within its command and goodwill in the industry are also considered during short listing qualifying firms for the assignment.

• Key-experts’ CV will not be evaluated at this stage.

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” Fifth edition, September 2023 (“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.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with Consultant Qualification Selection Method as set out in the World Bank Procurement Regulations 2023.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 0900 to 1600 hours.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by 11th April 2025. In case of in person delivery, the EoIs may be deposited in the Tender Box located at the reception area of Ministry of Finance and Development Planning 3rd Floor, Finance House, Government Complex , Kingsway , on or before 11thth April 2025.

Public Sector Foundations for Service Delivery Project - Coordinating Office

Attn: Keneng Motjamela, Project Coordinator

Address: P.O. Box 395, Maseru 100, Lesotho

Finance House, Third Floor

Lesotho

Tel: +266 22321357

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]