Requisitioner’s Guide to Drafting Terms of Reference (TOR)

for an Assignment Requiring the Services of an Individual  

to be Engaged Through an Individual Contract (IC)

 

 

 

In the TOR process, you must take seriously the prospect and status of a proposal that may not have any prior knowledge of the project and its requirements.

 

When PSA bids have already been received, it is not fair for the PSA to look for components that were not initially searched for in the TOR, so it is important to take the time to ensure that this TOR is accurate and complete. The more complete the TOR, the better the chances of responsive bidding and the selection process becomes more transparent.

 

Required individual audit units are expected to respectfully produce the TOR’s proposed content to generate responsive proposals that meet the project’s needs. Additional information may be added beyond what is suggested here

 

RECOMMENDED MINIMUM CONTENTS OF TOR FOR AN IC

 

A.      Project Title

 

B.      Project Description 

 

1. Briefly describe the project rationale / background and the objectives of the project
2. Briefly describe the context of the required services
3. Emphasize the relevance/purpose of the work required and how it is linked to the project context
4. List and describe the stakeholders for the project.
5. If applicable, explain thoroughly the peculiarity of the setting of the project or the work required, if any (e.g., security risks involved in conducting the work in certain communities, certain cultures and practices unique to the stakeholders, etc.)

 

C.       Scope of Work

 

A) List the results that the IC should achieve and most of the work expected to be done by the contractor.

B) Summarize the nature of the required activities (domain, location, topics, etc.) and other information that offers you prospective help.

C) If possible, it would be advisable, in each activity, to have the existing literature / data / information / policy framework already in place and can be used by the PSA as a reference / entry point. Get active.D.        Expected Outputs and Deliverables

 

1. List down the outputs and specific deliverables in sequence, corresponding to the work and their corresponding target delivery dates.
2. If the specific dates are contingent on too many variables and cannot yet be defined, the span of time from the commencement of the work could be indicated (e.g., 2^nd week from contract signing, within 2-3 months from contract signing, etc.).
3. If there are multiple reviewers/certifying authorities for each output/deliverable, they shall be properly identified and indicated in this section.
4. If feasible, a table similar to the one below is desired in order to clearly summarize the above details:

 

Deliverables/ Outputs	Estimated Duration to Complete	Target Due Dates	Review and Approvals Required (Indicate designation of person who will review output and confirm acceptance)

 

 

1. Institutional Arrangement
2. a) Identify the specific authority/ies who will directly supervise the PSA, and to whom he/she will be directly responsible to, reporting to, seeking approval/acceptance of output from (e.g, the Project Manager, or National Project Director, etc.)
3. b) Indicate the frequency of progress reporting, if required (e.g., weekly, monthly, fortnightly, etc.), the recommended formats, if any. If any of the reports must be presented, indicate the audience/body and expected location and venue.
4. c) Identify institutions/organizations/individuals with whom the PSA is expected to liaise/interact/collaborate/meet with in the course of performing the work (e.g., other agencies, project co-implementers, donors, communities, local government units, etc.)
5. d) Define roles / extent of participation of entities involved in the management/implementation of the contract (e.g., as respondents to survey, resource persons to confer with, approving authority, evaluating performance, etc.)
6. e) Specify if the project will be able to provide (or not) any facilities, support personnel, support service, or logistical support, what they will be, and at what stage of the work.
7. Duration of the Work
8. a) State expected duration of work / total no. of days/weeks/months of the assignment including effective person-days, if applicable. Emphasize the expected date of full completion, if time is of the essence, indicate the consequences of any delay
9. b) Indicate target date for the start of work and expected completion date, including conditions to determining both dates, if any
10. c) Provide the estimated lead time for PSA
11. d) or Project Implementing Partners to review outputs, give comments, certify approval/acceptance of outputs, etc.
12. e) Explain special reason for urgency, if any, and serious consequence/impact of any form of delay in the completion of the work (e.g., deferment of the succeeding phase to the following year, cancellation of the budget allocation for the project, other potential losses to any party involved, etc.)
13. Duty Station
14. a) Identify the PSA duty station/location for the contract duration, mentioning ALL the possible locations of field works/duty travel in pursuit of other relevant activities, specially where traveling to locations at security Phase I or above will be required
15. b) State whether or not the PSA will be required to report regularly or be present at a certain office during the work, including frequency of reporting, even if intermittent

 

1. Qualifications

 

Clearly define and indicate the following:

 

1. a) The area of specialization, field of expertise, and other qualities of the ideal individual to perform the services/work satisfactorily;
2. b) The minimum level of education acceptable and the fields of studies preferred, if any
3. c) The minimum number of years of work experience on the preferred field of practice, if there is any preference
4. d) Special skills / experience and other qualifications which will prove to be advantageous and vital to the success of the work implementation, especially if the assignment’s setting/situation is unique or has peculiarities (e.g., experience in working with indigenous people, familiarity with the key issues confronting a certain region, understanding of and ability to relate with a specific culture/religion, knowledge of a local dialect, etc.)

 

1. Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

 

In order to have a fair basis for comparison, requesting units must clearly state in the TOR that all proposals must be expressed in one of the following pricing options:

 

1. a) Daily Fee– this option is only suited when the duration of engagement is definitive and the possibility of any extension is either very low/minimal, or manageable, if at all expected. This approach must be re-considered if the assignment has a high likelihood of extension or prolonged engagement, as it can create serious cost implications, and may undermine value-for-money.  

 

When using the daily fee option, TOR should clearly state that:

 

(i) the daily cost must be “inclusive.”

(B) An IC Time Sheet must be sent by the Company, properly approved by the Supervisor of the Personal Contractor, to be used as a basis for payment.

 

1. b) Amount Amount Amount – This approach is preferred because it represents IC payments closely related to the delivery of goods. If using this approach, the requesting entity should also provide the following:

 

1. i) Make it clear that the sum of one should be “comprehensive”.
2. B) Make it clear that the contract price is constant regardless of the change in cost components.

(iii) If duty trips are anticipated, provide the daily allowance rate, which is prevailing at the time of procurement, for providers, for the duty station and other cities listed in TOR as Part L. Attachments to TOR.

 

Existing literature or documents that help applicants have a better understanding of the status of the project and the work required should be provided as an attachment to the TOR, especially if such literature or documents are not confidential.

.

 

1. Approval

 

This TOR is approved by : [indicate name of Approving Manager]

 

 

Signature                                                                                                          

Name and Designation                                                                                

Date of Signing