Tenders, Expression of interest & RFQ’s

Ref: RfQ01/2021 – Request for Quotations for the procurement of consultancy services related to the write-up of the 2022 National Productivity and Competitiveness Annual Report

The results of the procurement procedures undertaken by the Malta National Productivity Board has been published, as per following notice

Award Notice

Request for Quotations for the procurement of consultancy services related to the write-up of the 2022 National Productivity and Competitiveness Annual Report

Issued by the Malta National Productivity Board

 

Ref: RfQ01/2021

Background

Following the Council Recommendation of 20th September 2016 on the establishment of National Productivity Boards (2016/C 349/01), Euro Area member states were invited to set up a productivity board with the scope of analysing developments and policies in the field of productivity and competitiveness, thereby contributing to fostering ownership and implementation of the necessary reforms at the national level, and hence promoting a more sustained economic growth and convergence.

Article 8, sub-article ‘b’, of Subsidiary Legislation 431.03 which regulates the National Productivity Board, stipulates that the board shall be tasked with ‘preparing an annual report outlining the main competitiveness and productivity challenges facing Malta, and the policy responses required to meet them and any recommendations thereto’.

This report shall be used for the improvement of local policy, as required, and the Commission in the context of the European Semester and the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure.

It is for this purpose that the National Productivity Board is issuing a call for quotations for the procurement of consultancy services related to the write-up of the 2022 National Productivity and Competitiveness Annual Report.

Terms of Reference

The Consultants are to prepare the 2022 National Productivity and Competitiveness Annual Report in line also with the Council Recommendation highlighted earlier, specifically, by presenting:

  • the diagnosis  and  analysis  of  productivity  and  competitiveness developments in Malta, taking into account euro area and European Union aspects and addressing the long-term drivers and  enablers  of  productivity  and  competitiveness,  including innovation,  and  the  capacity  to  attract  investment,  businesses and human capital, and to address cost and non-cost factors that can affect prices and quality content of goods and services including relative to global competitors in the short term;
  • an analysis based on transparent and comparable indicators; and
  • an analysis of policy challenges in the field of productivity and competitiveness and assess the effects of policy options, making trade-offs of policy explicit.

Objectives to be reached by the consultants:

  1. Develop a focused annual 2022 report on local productivity and Malta’s competitiveness vis-a-vis euro area and European countries.
  2. Ensure continuation with the 2021, 2020 and 2019 annual reports by selecting the most pertinent priority area from these reports and delving into deeper analysis.
  3. Follow-up of recommendations made in the 2021, 2020 and 2019, in the selected sector/priority area, and ascertain status of implementation.
  4. Present in a format which allows for comparability in future editions.
  5. Liaise with peer reviewers as identified by the National Productivity Board or its representatives and take on board their feedback.
  6. Present a set of S.M.A.R.T. recommendations which have also been discussed with relevant entities, authorities and Ministries as necessary.
  7. Present the findings of the report to the members of the National Productivity Board and thereafter to the audience of the National Productivity Board annual conference.

Timeframes for implementation

The annual report for 2022 is to be finalised by May of 2022. The finalisation of this report needs to take into consideration revisions to the report as directed by the peer reviewers and the full status update of recommendations made in the 2021, 2020 and 2019 reports.

Requirements

The consultants interested in this RfQ are to submit a detailed proposal, outlining:

  • their academic background, research competence and experience in the subject area;
  • a list of similar publications researched or authored;
  • the proposed methodology to be adopted;
  • their understanding of the process; the work of the National Productivity Board and also an awareness of the style and type of reports prepared by other Members States’ productivity boards;
  • a draft table of contents for the 2021 annual report, indicating also the priority area of focus;
  • the proposed timeframes of implementation;
  • the team of experts who would be involved in drafting of this document and their various roles in the report; and
  • the proposed fee and breakdown thereof.

Quotations are to be sent to Ms Adriana Chircop on [email protected] by the 15th of October 2021.