Heading here

1
International Technical Cooperation Project
Opportunities Trends and the Competitive
Environment
Walid Madhoun Director, Technical Cooperation
Division March 7, 2008
2
Introduction

• The presentation is divided into three major
  sections
• What is International Development
• The Competitive Environment
• Trends in International Development

3
What is an International Development Project?

• International development is a concept that
  lacks a universally accepted definition, but it
  is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary
  context of enhancing the quality of life of
  people living in unfavourable conditions.
  International development projects can take on
  many forms
• Engineering projects (dams, bridges, roads)
• Economic development projects (economic zones)
• Social Sector projects (Education, Governance)

4
Who Funds International Development?

• The World Bank Group
• Asian Development Bank
• Inter-American Development Bank
• African Development Bank
• National governments through their development
  agencies (CIDA)
• Smaller multi-national organizations like OPEC,
  Kuwait Bank for Development, Islamic Development
  Bank etc

5
How is International Development Funded?

• Sole source rare
• International shopping rare
• Competitive bidding the norm QCBS

6
International Development
Granting Councils

• Pricing is a determining factor in International
  Development
• Relationship to funder is client supplier
• Proposal is owned by funding agency (client)
• Output is owned by funding agency (client)

• Financial proposals do not determine success
• Relationship to funder is NOT client-supplier
• Granting councils make no claim on IP
• Output is owned by researcher

7
Why is International Development Relevant to
Universities?

• Important direct and indirect academic benefits
  for Canadian universities are evident, but these
  are of no importance to the client and need to be
  proactively reaped rather than assumed.
• How?

8
The Competitive EnvironmentRequest For
Proposals (RFP)

• The RFP is the guiding document. It contains
• - Instructions
• - Requirements
• - TORs
• - Background information
• - Financial instructions
• - Scoring grid and formula for determining
  scores

9
The Technical Proposal

• The technical proposal must be responsive. This
  means
• - The technical proposal must respond to the
  needs articulated in the RFP
• - The technical proposal should use the language
  of the RFP and to remain consistent with its
  presentation
• - The technical proposal will not contain
  proprietary material such as formula or
  processes
• - The technical proposal should not
  underestimate or enlarge the scope of the
  assignment

10
The Experts

• These are the professors, consultants and
  specialists put forward on a proposal.
• Experience in the sector, usually a minimum of 10
  yrs
• Experience in the region or country
• - Experience with the funder and/or other
  development agencies

11
The Financial Proposal

• The financial proposal can be complicated
• Management costs are embedded in the daily rate
  of each expert
• You have to ensure that you have all costs
  included but you also have to be competitive
• The competition is against experienced
  international organizations who may not have the
  overhead demands at universities

12
The Public Opening of Bids

• IFI results of technical proposals are shared
  with all bidders
• IFI total bidding price is shared with all
  bidders
• CIDA minimal information

13
Are Bids IP Protected?

• No, bids become the property of the funder as do
  outputs and products
• We use the 4 principles of the Access To
  Information and Privacy Act
• Transparency public announcement of total price

14
Trends in International Development

• The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness
• What is it exactly?
• How does it affect International Development
  projects?
• What are the observable trends based on its
  implementation?

15
Trends and Actions

• Recipient countries are receiving donor funds
  directly from the Donors either through sole
  source to key Government agencies or through
  competitive bidding.
• When the funds are received the Executing Agency
  in the recipient country will often run a
  competition for International Consultants to
  deliver certain packages of the project where
  national experience may be lacking.
• Required Action Marketing Canadian University
  expertise in recipient countries to companies and
  governments agencies who will be receiving donor
  funds. This is an important step to working in
  international development.

16
Trends and Action

• Evolving Trends with the ADB
• The ADB is not tendering entire projects as often
  as it has previously, instead it is managing
  individual consultants on an assignment basis.
• The ADB is developing and testing a new model for
  working with International EA and has been
  seeking partnership agreements and is looking for
  in-kind contributions by the EA
• Required Action Marketing Canadian Universities
  and expertise to the ADB, through the regional
  offices and the main office in Manila

17
Marketing Trends

• There has been a gradual change from a reactive
  ad hoc approach to bidding for international
  development projects to a more proactive planned
  approach.
• Increasingly the clients (donors or recipient
  countries) are not satisfied with paper based
  marketing and we need to be creative with our
  marketing approach and the results of our
  activities.
• Required Action Market Canadian Universities
  expertise to recipient country, ensure marketing
  visits are meaningful and focused with a clear
  benefit to the client.

18
Questions

• Should development donors fund our research?
• Is the universitys interest in research only?
• How can we work better together to ensure that we
  derive the maximum benefit to our community?
• What can we do to better serve the University
  communitys interest while at the same time
  ensuring compliance to contractual obligations?