Support for VET Sector
in the Republic of Moldova
EuropeAid/133700/C/SER/MD/12
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
SUPPORT FOR VET SECTOR IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
EUROPEAID/133700/C/SER/MD/12
Mission Report No 1
Marian Nenita
Start: 18 May 2015
Finish: 29 May 2015
1. Results of previous missions
National Non-key Procurement Expert
AO:
32
Working Days 10 Per diems
0
Mission 1: Chisinau, Moldova, Inception Mission
Mission 2:
1. Description of the Mission 1
Mission Objectives:

In cooperation with the MoE, CoE’s and the SSTE Civil Engineer (AO12) elaborate a draft Public
Procurement Plan for minimum 10 Centres of Excellence and capital investments under the VET
2020 strategy;

Assist the MoE elaborate Terms of Reference, organise tenders and evaluation processes for
upgrading of minimum 5 Centres of Excellence;

In cooperation with the MoE and the SSTE Civil Engineer (AO12) elaborate Terms of Reference,
organise tenders and evaluation process for refurbishment of dormitories and supply of
equipment and furniture for specialisation of fields in 3 Centres of Excellence
Activities / Meetings
Date
1 May 2015
2 May 2015
3 May 2015
Not activity
4 May 2015
Not activity
5 May 2015
Not activity
6 May 2015
Not activity
7 May 2015
Not activity
8 May 2015
9 May 2015
10 May 2015
11 May 2015
12 May 2015
13 May 2015
14 May 2015
15 May 2015
16 May 2015
17 May 2015
Activity /meeting
Not activity
Not activity
Not activity
Not activity
Not activity
1
Support for VET Sector
in the Republic of Moldova
EuropeAid/133700/C/SER/MD/12
18 May 2015
19 May 2015
20 May 2015
21 May 2015
22 May 2015
23 May 2015
24 May 2015
25 May 2015
26 May 2015
27 May 2015
28 May 2015
29 May 2015
Met the Project team and held some introductory discussions with the project
management and other staff. Examined the project documents. Examined the
equipment lists scheduled for procurement, from 4 colleges; prepared a summary table
with comments; sent findings to the team for reference. Examined national legislation on
architectural design and works.
Worked on the list of questions to be discussed with the Project Team and with the Civil
Engineer. Discussed with the office manager on the meetings and arrangements.
Discussed with the civil engineer and scheduled a meeting. Examined draft Terms of
Reference prepared for 2 Centers of Excellence’ architectural design; prepared a list of
questions. Met with the representatives of the National Agency of Public Procurement
and discussed the requirements and conditions for tendering services for architectural
design, as well as other issues.
Examined draft Terms of Reference prepared for the Construction College's CE
architectural design; prepared a list of questions. Met with project staff and discussed
the findings on the 3 ToRs for design services for the 3 CEs, as well as issues related to
equipment lists. Met with the Civil Engineers who worked on the 3 ToRs and discussed
the issues / findings/ plans. Met with the representative of the MoE (Silviu Gincu) on the
design and construction plans. Sent a detailed comment to Civil Engineer for finalizing
the current 3 draft ToRs for CEs.
Prepared a list of issues to be discussed at the MoE in relation to the design services for
5 CEs. Met with the MoE procurement and technical staff, discussed the pending
activities, plans, way of collaboration, responsibilities, expectations etc. Discussed with
the Project Key Expert on the outcome of the meeting and agreed on further actions to
focus upon. Worked on the Tender Documents for the design services. Correspondence
with the Engineer on the format of Terms of Reference for the design services.
Visited the College No.1 with the engineer and the project expert to see the list of
required works, held discussions on the matter. Worked on the format of specifications
for different types of equipment and sent to all 4 colleges for reference in finalizing their
lists and specs. Discussed with the project staff on the situation with the equipment lists,
agreed on the work plan for the next week. Discussed with the engineer and agreed on
the soonest submission of the ToRs for design services (6 centers of excellence).
Sent a request for clarification to Public Procurement Agency on the standard bidding
document for construction design. Discussion with the project colleagues regarding the
equipment lists and the way to handle them through ME or directly. Examined the
documents sent by the Engineer in relation to the design services. Correspondence.
Met the Engineer and discussed about the qualification requirements and their
quantification, for the Bidding Document for design services (6 centers of excellence),
as well as on other issues. Discussed with the Public Procurement Agency on some
bidding requirements. Studied the terms of reference’ formats used by other contracting
authorities for the repair works design services.
Worked on the Bidding Document for design services required for rehabilitation of 6
centers of excellence. Discussed with the Public Procurement Agency on some bidding
requirements, in line with the Regulation #352 on the Design Services for the
Construction Works.
Participated in the visit to the Construction College Chisinau, having a meeting and
discussions with the representatives of main stakeholders over the investment plans,
works and equipment. Examined the revised Terms of Reference prepared and
submitted by the Engineer after repeated discussions. Discussed with the project staff
on the results of the visit to the Construction College.
Finalized the first draft of the Bidding Documents for procurement of design services for
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Support for VET Sector
in the Republic of Moldova
EuropeAid/133700/C/SER/MD/12
construction works at the 6 colleges and professional schools. Agreed with the project
staff and the engineer on the way to finalized the terms of reference for all 6 schools
and integrate them into the bidding documents during my absence (mission 1 ends May
29). Prepared the timesheet for the Mission 1 and submitted to the project management.
30 May 2015
31 May 2015
2. Results achieved
 The draft bidding document for designing the works at 6 colleges/schools developed (Annex 1)
 The link between the Project and the MoE’s procurement department established
 The expected procurement procedures clarified
 The way of collaboration on procurement between the Project and the MoE agreed
 Few schools / colleges visited for physical inspection of the intended works
 The format of Terms of Reference for the design of works agreed with Engineer (Annex 2)
 Lists of equipment from 4 potential CoEs reviewed, summarized and commented (Annex 3)
 Sample technical specifications, for equipment to be procured, developed (Annex 4)
3. Problems / open questions to be addressed
 Accelerate the finalization of ToRs for 6 colleges/schools (currently only 1 submitted by the
project’s Engineer).
 Try to ensure that the 6 lots for works design services set out through the bidding are distributed
among firms based on their capacity and qualification (i.e. realistic volume of works for each firm
taking into account the time constraint). Otherwise the risk is high that the subsequent works
cannot be contracted by end of 2015.
 Ensure the bidding for selection of design firms for works at 5 CoEs takes place as soon as
possible.
 Agree with the MoE on the target date for having the lists of equipment finalized for 5 CoEs
 Work with colleges and schools on drafting the appropriate technical specifications for the
equipment and furniture.
 It is not clear whether the construction supervision function is delegated to the colleges and
schools themselves or this will be outsourced.
4. Conclusions
1. The local practice in public procurement is to award the contracts based on least price or the
MEAT criterion (simple formula), but rejecting less qualified firms (from taking more lots than
they can effectively perform) through a post-qualification process is rather problematic and could
generate complaints and rejection of bidding results by the Public Procurement Agency (PPA).
Thus there is a problem that cheap firms could get several lots at the same time and delay the
design services beyond the intended 4-month timeframe. The current draft bidding document for
works design services contains recommendations on using the qualification criteria for
distributing the lots among firms at the last phase of evaluation process, based on the firms’
ability and qualification, but this may not be accepted by the MoE who would rather prefer to use
only the score as main criterion for award.
2. Colleges and schools are not experienced in preparing the technical specifications for the lists of
equipment and furniture they are going to procure. Although the sample specification format has
been provided, people who work with those tables do not have enough skills to properly
elaborate the requirements (often they simply indicate the model/brand or indicate the link from
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Support for VET Sector
in the Republic of Moldova
EuropeAid/133700/C/SER/MD/12
Internet to the desired item). There will be need to assist the colleges in finalizing the specs and
to ensure that they approve what has been drafted by the project as the final version of
specifications, especially for the specialized equipment (to avoid any misinterpretation in the
future).
3. Plans seem to be not used for procurement, as many times decisions depend on budget
availability, approval mechanism and other factors (even political).
4. There is need to ensure that the construction / repair works at all 6 CoEs are up to standard and
compliant to the contract conditions. The beneficiaries may not have enough time, resource or
even skills to observe the quality of the works. At most of CoEs the works will be scattered
throughout their territories and so it will be extremely hard for the CoE to observe and monitor
the works execution.
5. Recommendations
1. There is need for further discussions with the MoE and PPA on the way of “safe” application of
qualification criteria in the award of multiple lots.
2. Assist the colleges and schools in developing of specifications. Further, it will be necessary to
group the equipment in lots (e.g. IT, furniture, other) and procure them within a bidding or two, to
the extent possible (though smaller lots of very specialized items e.g. equipment for physics
classroom etc. might be even purchased through Request for Quotation, separately).
3. There is a need for procurement plans, as a reference document for the MoE in implementing
their procurement, especially in connection with works. Planning the equipment to be delivered
to CoEs by the end of the repair works is also crucial.
4. The issue of works’ implementation supervision should be seriously considered and planned in
advance, as the practice shows the works are often below the expected standard, different
materials, higher quantities claimed etc.
6. Proposals for next mission(s)
1. Assist, if necessary, with procurement planning
2. Assist, if necessary (or even possible, as MoE has their own bidding panel), with evaluation of
bids for works design services
3. Assist on finalizing the lists of equipment, specifications, packaging lots etc.
4. Assist in drafting the procurement plans
5. Assist the international Procurement expert on the outstanding issues
7. Annexes
Annex 1: Draft Bidding Document for Works Design Services (6 Lots) [will be provided as soon as all
ToRs are submitted by the Engineer; available in Romanian]
Annex 2: Terms of Reference for the Works Design Services [available only for 1 lots, in Romanian]
Annex 3: Review of 4 equipment lists summary [available in Romanian]
Annex 4: Sample Specifications Format distributed to colleges and schools for use in drafting their
requirements [available in Romanian]
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