REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR CONSULTING FIRMS
Country : Uzbekistan
Project name: "Modernizing Uzbekistan National Innovation System" Project
Credit No.
: IDA-67840
Assignment Title: Consultancy services for the provision of services to design and conduct the "AI-Enhanced Academic Research and Writing Assistant" Program in Uzbekistan
Reference No.: MUNIS/CS/CQS/21
The Republic of Uzbekistan has received a credit from International Development Association (IDA) toward the cost of the "Modernizing Uzbekistan National Innovation System (MUNIS)" Project, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for Consulting services on extended technical support, training, and expansion of the information system functionality.
The Project Implementation Unit under the Agency for Innovative Development 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.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATION (EVALUATION CRITERIA)
The Consulting Firm will be selected in accordance with the Consulting Firm’s qualifications based selection (CQS) Methodology, according to the Bank’s "Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers" Procurement of Consulting Services is carried out in accordance with the Procurement Manual of Procurement Regulations for IPF Projects (2016) revised and updated September 2023 ("Procurement Regulations"), which can be found at the following website:
www.worldbank.org
An applying Consulting Firm shall meet the following qualification requirements:
• Consulting firm must have experience implementing a similar project over the past 3 years with not less than 6 months per program.
• The consulting firm and its team must include scholars from different scientific backgrounds who are familiar with Uzbekistan’s research and higher education policy agenda.
• The consulting firm must have a team member with 35 hours of project management education/training certified by the authorized institution.
The technical proposal shall meet the following methodology/work plan requirements and key personnel.
The following range of scores should be defined considering three sub-criteria and corresponding percentage weights:
• Adequacy and quality of the proposed development methodology with a description of the system design of the entire project and an action plan per the terms of reference - 30 points.
• Relevant experience and qualification of key personnel - 70 points.
The team composition should include the following key experts with the required qualifications. Numbers in parentheses show the number of individuals estimated for the engagement:
Team Composition
The consulting firm’s team should include:
Project Manager (1 person) - Experienced in managing technology-based educational or research projects.
AI Specialist (1 person) - Knowledgeable in the use and customization of market-ready AI tools for academic applications.
Trainers (3 persons) - Conducts workshops and provides ongoing support.
Support Coordinator/Supervisor (1 person): This person facilitates the integration of AI tools into the researchers' workflow and gathers feedback for evaluation.
Team members shall possess the following qualifications:
Project Manager
- Master’s or higher degree in project management, education, business administration, or a related field.
- Minimum 3 years of experience managing complex, multi-phase projects, ideally within education, research, or technology sectors.
- Certified with 35 hours of project management education/training by the authorized institution (an advantage).
- Strong familiarity with Uzbekistan’s education and research policies, especially in relation to academic and scientific development.
- Excellent organizational, planning, and resource management skills to maintain project milestones and budget constraints.
- Ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders across government, academia, and technology.
- Proficiency in English is required, with fluent knowledge of Uzbek and/or Russian.
AI Specialist
- Bachelor’s or Master’s in computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, or a related technical field.
- At least 3 years of relevant experience in AI development, including machine learning, natural language processing, and/or computer vision.
- Experience with deep learning techniques, reinforcement learning, or generative AI models is a significant advantage.
- Familiarity with market-ready AI software relevant to academic writing, data analysis, and literature review.
- Proven ability to analyze complex problems, propose AI-driven solutions, and effectively implement them.
- Background in providing training or support in AI applications is preferred.
- Proficient in implementing and customizing AI solutions for research and academic environments.
- Strong analytical skills, including experience with AI tool evaluation, usability testing, and optimization.
- Ability to communicate complex AI concepts in a clear and accessible way for non-technical users.
- High proficiency in English, with Uzbek or Russian proficiency beneficial for training delivery.
Trainer
- MSc/PhD in natural/social and environmental sciences or relevant discipline.
- Publications in Scopus / Web of Sciences listed journals.
- Minimum 3 years of experience in delivering training programs, preferably in higher education or research environments.
- Prior experience with AI-assisted learning, academic writing training, or data literacy initiatives is highly desirable.
- Strong presentation and public speaking skills, with experience in conducting workshops or seminars for diverse audiences.
- Knowledge of online learning platforms and educational technology tools to deliver hybrid or virtual training sessions.
- Proficient in English for training and content development, with working knowledge of Uzbek or Russian as an asset.
Support Coordinator/Supervisor
- Bachelor’s or higher degree in management, education, or a related field.
- At least 2 years of experience in research support or academic project coordination.
- Background in research training or supporting research productivity improvements, especially in an academic or scientific setting.
- Strong organizational skills to coordinate training sessions, manage participant inquiries and handle day-to-day operations.
- Ability to collect, analyze, and report on feedback from researchers to refine AI tool utilization and training effectiveness.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, with excellent communication skills for researcher interaction and reporting.
- Proficient in English, with Uzbek or Russian proficiency preferred to enhance communication with local researchers.
The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14ASqmLp9sm9EiVJ1iAZ0obgSxQa8bf5-/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103319065924197421654&rtpof=true&sd=true
To confirm the compliance of specialists/experts with the above requirements, a potential Consultant provides letters of recommendation or resumes of specialists/experts, copies of diplomas, certificates, and other documents confirming the professional qualifications of specialists/experts and their work experience, as well as copies of other documents, confirming work experience.
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" July 2016 (revised
in 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.
Further information can be obtained at the address below from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during working days.
Expressions of interest of the Consultant must be delivered in a written form to the address below by the 5th of February, 2025, 3:00 p.m. Tashkent time.
Attn: Mr. Dilshodbek Azgarov - Manager of the Project Implementation Unit
No.7, Universitet Street, Tashkent 100174, Uzbekistan
Tel: +998-97-170-67-84
E-mail: [email protected]
As part of the EOI, the Consultant should include the following information:
Consulting Firm Information
Date:
Country of Incorporation:
Consultant Name:
Acronym:
EOI Submission Authorized by:
Position
Associations (Joint Venture or Sub-consultancy)
Consultant
Acronym
Country of Incorporation
Joint Venture (JV) or Sub-consultant
EOI Submission Authorized By
Position
Present the rationale for and benefits of working in association (JV or Sub-consultant) with others rather than undertaking the assignment independently (as appropriate). Describe the proposed management and coordination approach of the association and the role of each firm .
Technical competence
Project References - highlight the technical qualifications of your entity/consortium in undertaking similar assignments. Provide details of past experiences working with similar project authorities
Geographical experience
Project References, present experiences in similar geographic areas.
Management Competence
Describe standard policies, procedures, and practices that your entity has to assure quality interaction with clients and outputs. Please state if your company is ISO certified.
How your firm/consortium handles complaints concerning the performance of experts or quality of the reports submitted for previous and future assignments? What internal controls are in place to address and resolve complaints.
How you ensure the quality of your firm’s/consortium’s performance over the life of assignments.
Projects references
Present relevant projects to demonstrate the firm’s technical qualifications and geographical experience (maximum 10 projects).
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Project
Period
Client
Country
Firm
1
2
3
4
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Summary for the Projects listed above
Project Title
Country / Region
Start Date
Completion Date
Continuous / Intermittent
Client
Funding Source
Description
(indicate your role and input in man-months)
Eligibility
We, the undersigned, certify to the best of our knowledge and belief:
We have read the advertisement, including the terms of reference (TOR), for this assignment (YES/NO)
Neither the consulting firm nor its JV member or sub-consultant or any of its experts prepared the TOR for this activity (YES/NO)
We confirm that the project references submitted as part of this EOI accurately reflect the experience of the specified firm/consortium. (YES/NO)
Ensuing assignment resulting from our work product under this assignment, our firm, JV member or sub-consultant, and the expert(s) will be disqualified from short-listing and participation in the assignment.
The lead entity and JV member or sub-consultant are NOT currently sanctioned by or other MDBs. Neither the consulting firm nor the JV member or sub-consultant has ever been convicted of an integrity-related offense or crime related to theft, corruption, fraud, collusion or coercion.