Request for Quotations
Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN) Project Evaluation
National Museum of Ireland
1. The National Museum of Ireland seeks quotations for the facilitation of an
evaluation of a key community engagement project.
2. Terms of Reference
The successful candidate will be supported by an Evaluation Steering Group as
they undertake a collaborative review that will evaluate the development and
achievements of the Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN) project, and
construct a road map for its future.
Please read all documentation. The project brief is attached at Appendix 1.
3. All queries or requests for clarification in relation to this request for quotation
and any of the requirements specified therein must be directed to the Lorraine
Comer, Head of Education, National Museum of Ireland at lcomer@museum.ie.
Queries or requests for clarifications will be accepted no later than 17.00hrs on
Thursday 28st April 2016 and answers to queries received will be issued to all
invited Companies by 10am on Monday 2nd May 2016.
4. Three hard copies and one electronic copy of your quotation documentation
clearly marked "Quotation for Project Evaluation at National Museum of
Ireland” should be sent by post/courier to Lorraine Comer, Head of Education,
National Museum of Ireland, Block 19, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street by
12noon on Friday 6th May 2016.
5. The National Museum of Ireland intends to award the contract on the basis of
the Most Economically Advantageous Quotation.
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An outline of how the marks are to be allocated is defined at Paragraph 11
below.
Quotations must outline all and any costs associated with the provision of all
services required pursuant to this invitation to quote and specifically proposals
should clearly state:
(a) A single fixed project price based on fixed blended daily rates for the
personnel assigned to undertake the Review. The quoted price shall be that
amount which is necessary to carry out all of the work required to satisfy the
requirements set out in this invitation to quote.
(b) The rates quoted must be all-inclusive to include all ancillary costs and all
other costs/expenses. The quotation must be expressed in Euro only and
exclusive of VAT. The appropriate VAT rate(s) must be shown separately.
6. Quotations must be provided in the following format.
Service Description
Personnel
Number of
Fixed Blended
VAT
Professional
days
Daily Rate
Rate %
grade
€ (Exl VAT)
*€
2
*Companies must provide a breakdown of the blended daily rate by professional
grade.
7. Fees quoted in your quotation cannot be increased during the currency of the
contract and cannot exceed the daily fee quoted by the Company in their response
to this invitation to quote.
8. The successful Company shall be required to hold for the term of any Services
Contract awarded the type and to the level specified below:
Type of Insurance
Indemnity Limit
Employer’s Liability
€12.7 million
Public Liability
€6.5 million
Professional Indemnity
€200,000
Companies are asked to provide, as part of their Quotation documentation, written
confirmation that they hold or will hold, if successful, the above types and levels of
insurance. A formal confirmation from the Company’s insurance company or broker
to this effect will be requested from the successful Company prior to the award of
(and shall be a condition of) any contract.
9. Prior to the award of any contract pursuant to this Invitation to quote, the
successful Company will be required to produce a Tax Clearance Certificate from the
Irish Revenue Commissioners. Alternatively, the Company may supply the certificate
and registration numbers, as they appear on the Tax Clearance Certificate, to
facilitate online verification of their tax status by the Client.
10. The National Museum of Ireland of Ireland reserves the right to withhold
payment where the successful contractor fails to meet his/her contractual
obligations in relation to the delivery of services to an acceptable level of quality.
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11. The contract for the requested services will be awarded on the basis of Most
Economically Advantageous Quotation. Marks will be awarded according to the
award criteria outlined in the table below.
Criteria
Marks Available
1. Cost
(Fixed Project Price based on blended daily rate)
400
2. Service Delivery Methodology,
200
3. Understanding of Brief,
200
4. Technical Merit of the proposed Resources.
200
Total Marks
1000
Marks for Cost will be allocated using the following formula:
Cost
Score
=
Lowest Quotation Rate
Quotation Rate under Evaluation
Scoring Methodology (Award Criteria 2, 3 and 4)
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x
Number of Marks
Available
Please note if the evaluation results in a tie between two or more quotations, then
the Quotation with the highest overall ‘Qualitative’ score shall be deemed the Most
Economically Advantageous Quotation.
The National Museum of Ireland reserves the right to request the preferred
contractor to attend a presentation meeting to verify the contents of their proposal.
If the National Museum is not satisfied that the preferred contractor’s proposal
meets their specified requirements, they will not be considered further for award of
the Contract. The National Museum will then proceed to select the next highest
ranked quotation as the preferred Contractor.
12. This Invitation to Quote contains no contractual offer of any kind. Any quotation
will be regarded as an offer by the contractor and not as an acceptance by the
applicant of an offer made by the National Museum or Ireland. No contractual
relationship will exist except pursuant to a written Service Level Agreement signed
by a representative of the Museum and any successful contractor for the specified
services.
90-100%
80-89%
60 - 79%
40 - 59%
20 - 39%
0 - 19%
Excellent response with very few or no weaknesses that fully meets or
exceeds requirements, and provides comprehensive, detailed, and
convincing assurance that the Contractor will deliver to an excellent
standard.
A very good response that demonstrates real understanding of the
requirements and assurance that the Contractor will deliver to a good or
high standard.
A satisfactory response which demonstrates a reasonable understanding of
requirements and gives reasonable assurance of delivery to an adequate
standard but does not provide sufficiently convincing assurance to award a
higher mark.
A response which you have reservations about. Lacks full
credibility/convincing detail, and you feel that there is a significant risk that
the response will not be successful.
A response which you have serious reservations about. This may be
because, for example, insufficient detail is provided, and you feel that the
response has fundamental flaws, or is seriously inadequate or seriously
lacks credibility with a high risk of non-delivery.
Response completely fails to address the criterion under consideration.
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13. Companies are advised that the National Museum of Ireland is subject to the
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, 1997. If a Company considers that any of the
information supplied in their Quotation response is either commercially sensitive or
confidential in nature, this should be highlighted and the reasons for it sensitivity
specified. In such cases the relevant material will, in response to a request under the
FOI Act, be examined in the light of the exceptions provided for in the Act.
14. Any conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest on the part of a service
provider must be fully disclosed to the National Museum of Ireland as soon as the
conflict or potential conflict becomes apparent. In the event of any conflict or
potential conflict of interest, the National Museum may invite the service provider to
propose means by which the conflict might be removed. The National Museum of
Ireland will, in its absolute discretion, decide on the appropriate course of action.
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NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND
Project Evaluation Brief
The Irish Community Archive Network
(iCAN)
Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 8
The iCAN Project .................................................................................................. 8
Key Stakeholders.................................................................................................. 8
Project Participants .......................................................................................... 8/9
Evaluation Steering Group .................................................................................... 9
Reporting Structure .............................................................................................. 9
Purpose................................................................................................................ 9
Evaluation Objectives ......................................................................................... 10
The Evaluation Process ...................................................................................... .11
Copyright……………………………………………………………………………………….....................11
Timeframe ......................................................................................................... 11
Budget ............................................................................................................... 12
Eligibility Criteria ........................................................................................... 12/13
Application Requirements.………………………………………………………………………………….13
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Introduction
The National Museum of Ireland (NMI) is seeking a qualified individual to facilitate
an evaluation of one of its key community engagement projects.
The successful candidate will be supported by an Evaluation Steering Group as they
undertake a collaborative review that will evaluate the development and
achievements of the Irish Community Archive Network (iCAN) project, and construct
a road map for its future.
The iCAN project
iCAN is a unique and innovative digital heritage project that encourages and
supports communities in the collective curation of their public history, through the
development of contributory ‘community archive’ websites. This long-term project is
underpinned by an ethos of collaboration, inclusivity and access and aims to
empower communities so they can present vernacular histories that reflect the
experience of their people and place.
Through practical training and mentoring, participants are equipped with the skills
necessary to collect and preserve local material; to develop and maintain a
participatory website, and to encourage local and global audiences to contribute to
and engage with, their collections. The ongoing process of enabling participants to
achieve their personal and collective goals is as important and fundamental to the
project as the end product: the community archive websites.
ouririshheritage.org1 is the home of the iCAN project and a platform for interactive
and participatory Museum projects. This website and the overall iCAN project is
facilitated and coordinated by the Education & Outreach Department of the National
Museum of Ireland – Country Life, Co. Mayo.
Key Stakeholders
The National Museum of Ireland – Country Life
Galway County Council/Heritage Office
iCAN Network Trainer and Administrator
Community Websites Ltd, UK.
Project Participants
Oughterard Culture & Heritage Group, Co Galway
Ballinrobe Archaeological, Cultural & Historical Society, Co. Mayo
Louisburgh-Killeen Heritage Group, Co. Mayo
1
Visit http://www.ouririshheritage.org/category/about to find out more about the iCAN
project.
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Wicklow Heritage Forum, Co. Wicklow
Abbey & District Heritage Group, Co. Galway
Killererin Heritage Group, Co. Galway
Milltown Heritage Group, Co. Galway
Moylough Heritage Group, Co. Galway
Skehana & District Heritage Group, Co. Galway
Moycullen Heritage Society, Co. Galway
Woodlawn Heritage Group, Co. Galway
Claregalway Heritage Society, Co. Galway
County Galway Heritage Office
Galway Community Archaeology
The County Galway Biodiversity Project
Galway Decade of Commemorations
Evaluation Steering Group
The project evaluation will be managed by a steering group comprised of:
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Evaluation Sponsors National Museum
Evaluation Coordinator National Museum
Evaluator - The successful candidate
Community Liaison & Technical Advisor
Project Partner
Community Representative
The Steering Group will meet regularly to review progress, and will meet with the
evaluator on appointment. The client will be the National Museum of Ireland on
behalf of the project partners and stakeholders. The day to day contact will be Ms
Lorna Elms, iCAN project Coordinator, NMI.
Reporting Structure

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The Evaluator will liaise with the Evaluation Coordinator.
The Evaluator will report on a regular basis to the Evaluation Steering Group
The Coordinator will regularly liaise with, and report to the Evaluation
Sponsors
Purpose
The initial ‘community archive’ project was piloted in 2008 by the Education
Department of the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life. Since the pilot, the
project has evolved incrementally - dynamically responding to the diverse needs of a
range of participants, despite the limited human and financial resources allocated to
it.
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In 2011, four websites2 were consolidated into the Irish Community Archive
Network. This development officially acknowledged the achievements of the
members, branded and promoted the project and improved accessibility in respect
of reduced costs to participating groups.
In subsequent years, iCAN has expanded its membership to 12 communities that
have online archives at various stages of development. There is also an important
and strategic partnership in place with the County Galway Heritage Office. Currently,
there are 17 websites in the Irish Community Archive Network.
Due to iCAN’s success to date, its current scope, resourcing and the potential for
expansion the timing for a project review is appropriate. Consequently, NMI is
seeking an experienced person with a suitable skills base to evaluate the iCAN
project - with the ultimate goal of mapping out options for its short and long term
futures, and the role of the NMI within these.
The successful candidate will work closely with the iCAN coordinator to familiarise
themselves with all aspects of this multi-dimensional project. Working with the
Evaluation Steering Group, they will cooperatively devise an appropriate evaluation
process based around key themes and questions. They will collect, collate and
analyse data and present this and their recommendations in a report with an
executive summary. As part of this process, the candidate will provide a synopsis of
the iCAN project from its inception, mapping its progress to date.
Evaluation Objectives
1. To identify and evaluate the impacts, benefits, outputs and outcomes of the
iCAN project for the stakeholders (as listed on Page 1); including any
achievements and stories of success that illustrate the value of the iCAN
project to NMI, the partners, participants and communities.
2. To identify any challenges facing the project and show how these have
influenced and shaped the evolution of iCAN to date, and how this
knowledge can inform any subsequent development.
3. In collaboration with the stakeholders, make recommendations regarding the
potential future direction, capacity, management and resourcing of the
project for the short and long term. To specify how these can be
accomplished in a way that is realistic, achievable and sustainable.
4. To assess the potential impacts and risks associated with the National
Museum of Ireland’s long-term involvement and commitment to the iCAN
project.
5. To assess the iCAN project as a collaborative community engagement and
learning model in the context of the community archive field nationally and
internationally.
2
2011 community archive websites
oughterardheritage.org; historicalballinrobe.com; louisburgh-killeenheritage.org;
ouririshheritage.org
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The Evaluation Process
Reflecting the core values which underpin the iCAN project, the evaluation process
will be inclusive, collaborative and participatory, and should respect the opinions and
input of the project stakeholders and participants.
The process for the evaluation will be developed by the candidate in conjunction
with the Steering Group, and will:

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

Identify the key themes and questions to be explored through the process,
with regard to achieving the objectives outlined above.
Develop meaningful measurement tools that can reflect qualitative and
quantative data
Devise appropriate inclusive methodologies for gathering data
Determine the most appropriate format for the final report
The Evaluator will:

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


Facilitate the development of the evaluation process
Carry out data and information collection
Undertake data analysis and interpretation of results
Provide evidence that is objective, valid, reliable and quantifiable
Compile the evaluation report in digital format
Copyright
All documents prepared by the evaluator on foot of this appointment and submitted
to the contracting Authority will be considered the property of the contracting
authority. The person(s) appointed will be required to assign their copyright of the
report and any materials generated under this project to the National Museum of
Ireland. The contracting authority reserves the right to use said materials at any
time, including for use in other projects, without the prior approval of the
consultant.
Copyright for any third-party illustrations or other material used should be cleared
by the evaluator. The evaluator will be duly credited in any reports, publications or
works that may emanate from this tender.
Timeframe
April to May 2016
Candidates will be shortlisted and interviewed
The successful candidate will be awarded the tender for the evaluation of the iCAN
Project and will be expected to commence immediately.
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May to August 2016
Undertake research on the iCAN project and other relevant background material
Collaboratively establish the parameters of the evaluation
Collaboratively develop the evaluation process
Facilitate the evaluation including the delivery of agreed methodologies, data
collection and analysis.
August to October 2016
Compile Report
Present draft report to the Steering Group (September)
Undertake feedback process with Steering Group
Make final edits to draft report
The process and final report signed off by the Steering Group
The successful applicant will be expected to have the necessary skills to bring the
project to implementation within the scheduled timeframe. It is required that this
project be completed by Friday 28th October 2016.
Budget
The budget for the project is set at €7,000 (to include all project costs, equipment,
travel, printing, consumables and VAT). This project will be subject to withholding
tax. A current tax clearance certificate will be required.
The contract will be awarded on the basis of a fixed price contract, and as such, all
costs must be quoted (and clearly indicated) as a fixed price in euro (€). No other
amount over and above the negotiated contract amount will be paid to the
appointed person(s).
Eligibility Criteria
Those wishing to submit a quotation for the role of Evaluator should meet the
following criteria:
Essential
 Professional experience in project evaluation
 A proven track record in
o facilitating a collaborative review process
o Research, data gathering and analysis
 To hold relevant advanced university degree (MA or PhD), or can
demonstrate at least 3 years’ experience in a similar role, or carrying out
collaborative project evaluation
 To demonstrate excellent oral communication and report writing skills in
English
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Desirable
 Knowledge and experience in the areas of:
o community engagement
o the cultural heritage sector
o the community archive/vernacular history movement
o digital heritage platforms
Application Requirements
Please also refer to pages 1 – 4 of this document.
When submitting a quotation, the following should be included:

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
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A clear indication of who will be undertaking the role of evaluator.
A letter of application outlining this person’s experience relevant to the role
A current CV, which references previous work experience relevant to the
application
The names of two referees who can vouch for work undertaken in this area
An indication of availability and current workload
A contingency plan for sick leave or holidays
The amount tendered to complete the evaluation as outlined in this
document.
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