AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GROUP

BANQUE AFRICAINE DE DEVELOPPEMENT

Date : 15th April 2021

Avenue Joseph Anoma

01 BP 1387 Abidjan 01

Côte d’Ivoire

INVITATION TO SUBMIT EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI) FOR THE SELECTION OF AN INDEPENDENT CONSULTING FIRM TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BANK’S LONG-TERM STRATEGY

EXPRESSON OF INTERST (EOI)

 

 

  1. The African Development Bank hereby invites Consulting Firms to indicate their interest in the following Assignment : “Development of the Long-Term Strategy of the African Development Bank Group” ;
  1. The services to be delivered are covered in the Terms of Reference (TORs) herein attached ;
  1. Interested Consulting Firms should provide information on their qualifications and experience, demonstrating their ability to provide the services in both French and English (documentation, references for similar services, experience in comparable assignments, availability of qualified staff, etc.) ;
  1. The eligibility criteria and the selection procedure shall be in conformity with the Bank’s Rules and Procedures for the Use of Corporate Consultants. Please, note that responding to this EoI does not imply any obligation on the part of the Bank ;
  1. Additional requirements: Adherence to the Bank’s Code of Ethics and Core Values1 are necessary requirements for this assignment. The Bank will severe its relationship with the Consulting Firm, without any encumbrances, if there is any deviation from those standards ;
  1. The estimated duration of services is 12 months subject to renewal and the estimated starting date is 1st June 2021 ;
  1. Expressions of interest must be received electronically at the address below no later than 3rd May 2021 at 17:00hrs Abidjan time ;
  1. For the attention of :
  • The Bank has five Core Values: Excellence; Team Spirit; Integrity; Professionalism; and Transparency.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

DEVELOPMENT OF A LONG-TERM STRATEGY FOR THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GROUP

  1. OBJECTIVE :

The African Development Bank Group wishes to engage the services of a Consulting Firm to assist in the preparation of a new long-term, corporate strategy that will set the course for Bank’s efforts to respond effectively to Africa’s changing needs. The new strategy will replace the current Ten-Year Strategy, 2013-2022.

  1. ABOUT THE BANK :

Established in 1964, the African Development Bank Group (“The Bank” or “AfDB”) is the premier pan-African development institution promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 82 member states, including 54 from Africa (Regional Member Countries – RMCs) and 28 Non-Regional Member Countries. The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group comprises three entities: The African Development Bank (the Bank or ADB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). The Bank’s development agenda is mobilizing resources to deliver financial and technical support for transformative programs and projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive growth and sustainable development of its RMCs.

  1. BANK GROUP STRATEGY :

The Bank’s long-term strategic framework is articulated in its Ten-Year Strategy (2013-2022) with the twin objectives of achieving inclusive growth and transitioning to green growth through five operational priority areas, namely, infrastructure development, regional economic integration, private sector development, governance and accountability, and skills and technology. In 2015, the Bank charted a new way forward for Africa by refining its focus through certain key areas to accelerate the delivery of the TYS. These are known as the High Fives, namely: Light up and Power Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa; and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa, referred to as the High 5s. The High5s have taken hold on the continent to become fundamental levers to accelerating Africa’s development. According to the UNDP, achieving the High5s will lead to the achievement of 90% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Agenda 2063 of the African Union.

Over the last 5-years, the High5s have been successfully implemented with speed and rigor to deliver impressive results. The Bank doubled its lending to the ADB countries and increased 17-fold the value of its loans to ADF countries. Similarly, it increased private sector lending from 40% (from $1.5 billion) in 2015 to $ 2.1 billion in 2019, with the highest level of $ 2.5 billion achieved in 2016. For instance, about 18 million people now have access to electricity on the continent, about 141 million people have access to improved agricultural technologies for food security and over 15 million people can now access finance from private investments. In so doing, the Bank has driven significant development impacts on the ground, including job creation, and building resilient and sustainable economies in Africa.

To deliver on the bold aspirations of the High5s, the Bank sought and obtained an unprecedented General Capital Increase (GCI-VII) of $115 billion (representing 125% increase) and an African Development Fund (ADF-15) replenishment of $7.6 billion in 2019 (up 32% from the previous cycle).

As the current TYS comes to an end in December 2022, the Bank is strengthening its institutional mechanisms to scale up the High 5s, enhance coherence and build synergies in the implementation of its flagship initiatives under the High 5s, as well as the implementation of policy commitments made as part of its General Capital Increase and the African Development Fund (ADF) replenishments. The expiration of the strategy also comes at a critical time for Africa when the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is threatening to erode the development gains of the last decade.

  1. PRESIDENT’S VISION :

The President of the Bank has outlined his vision over the next few years to build a stronger institution; strengthen its human capacity; enhance its effectiveness; accelerating the quality of its impact; and strengthen its financial sustainability. The vision also touches on assisting RMCs to address the impact of exogenous and endogenous shocks, such as COVID-19. In this regard, the Bank anticipates balancing development objectives with financial sustainability in both the lending and non-lending programs, with integrated tailored options against the effects of future shocks.

With increasing calls on the Bank to do more in light of the widespread impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Bank would like to develop a successor corporate strategy to deliver even greater results on the High 5s so that RMCs can build back boldly, but smartly, with greater emphasis on the quality of growth. Since the pandemic has exposed the Africa’s vulnerabilities, it is important for the new strategy to provide guidance and set the direction on how the Bank could deepen its engagement in the areas of health, agriculture, climate change and the environment, while building on its comparative advantage in infrastructure to finance quality economic physical and health infrastructure.

With COVID-19 presenting new challenges and opportunities, it is imperative for the successor strategy to also reflect on how to accelerate industrialization by building manufacturing capacity and industrial value chains; paying attention to regional industrial value chains and strengthening financial markets for the expansion of intra-regional trade and competitiveness, as well as boosting the Africa Continental Free Trade Area. Furthermore, the Bank intends to reposition itself for enhanced policy dialogue with RMCs, especially on advancing green growth and addressing youth unemployment. These will be done in partnerships with other development partners, private sector and civil society, inter-alia, which the upcoming strategy should reflect.

In light of the strategic context outlined above and to operationalize its priorities, the Bank introduced a new Development and Business Delivery Model (DBDM) to spur innovation and enhance responsiveness to its clients in 2016. At the heart of the DBDM is the quest to make the Bank nimbler and more efficient. The successor TYS will therefore take cognizance of the recent developments both internally and externally. Significant external developments include the adoption of AU Vision 2063 and the SDGs, the outcomes of the Conference of Parties (COP) 21 of the UN and the Addis Ababa Action Plan and other commitments relating to the Financing for Development agenda.

  1. THE REQUIRED SERVICES :

The consulting firm is therefore expected to work with the team developing the Bank’s new strategy and assist in the various processes for its successful completion. Working with the Bank team, the consultants will help develop and crystalize the long-term strategy to leverage the institution’s brand value, knowledge and resources to scale up financing over the medium-term, as per the President’s vision articulated at the beginning of his second mandate. The consultants will also help articulate the associated theory of change, a results framework, as well as monitoring and evaluation arrangements.

Key issues for consideration/reflection : 

Key issues for consideration/reflection :

  • Management’s views as well as an independent evaluation of the extent to which the TYS has achieved its objectives, along with lessons learnt ;
  • The changed and uncertain continent from a decade ago (demographics, socioeconomic performance, fragility, trade and global supply chains, digitalization, etc.) ;
  • The significant changes in the global development finance architecture and their implications for Africa ;
  • The Bank’s comparative advantage, business model and position within the MDB system ;
  • The impact of COVID-19 on RMC economies (including, on public debt and fiscal space; sustained long-term productivity and growth) ;
  • The implications of COVID-19 on the Bank’s work in new areas, including in health infrastructure and systems; pharmaceutical manufacturing, etc. ;
  • The entry into force of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement for Africa and its implications for the Bank’s work ;
  • Understanding Africa’s pockets of fragility and their drivers, and the implications for the Bank’s work in the medium-term.

Potential Areas for Bank Intervention: ‘What’ 

  • Scaling up financing for the High5s ;
  • Cross-cutting issues: Gender, private sector development, fragility, governance and climate change ;
  • Transformative and integrated initiatives within the High5s and cross-cutting areas: Desert to Power Initiative ;
  • Green Wall Initiative  ;
  • Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) Jobs for Youth initiatives (JfYA) ;
  • Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Banks (YEIBs) ;
  • The Africa Investment Forum platform (AIF).

Other compelling areas for Bank intervention : 

  • Building quality health infrastructure/systems and pharmaceutical sector. – Enhancing manufacturing capacity and industrial development ;
  • Leveraging the AfCFTA to expand intra-regional trade and boosting competitiveness ;
  • Financial sector development, including capital markets integration to expand range of instruments and boost domestic savings ;
  • Digitalization and the 4th Industrial revolution.

Institutional Arrangements for Implementation: ‘How’ 

Institutional Development and Financial Sustainability :

  • Building a stronger institution ; 
  • Business model for private sector operations ; 
  • Strengthening human capacity ; 
  • Enhancing effectiveness ; 
  • Accelerating quality Impacts ; 
  • Financial sustainability (including strengthening the Bank’s capital by reviewing its financial model). 

“One Bank Approach” and its implications for governance and management. 

New financing instruments and approaches to increase leverage of the Bank resources. 

Repositioning the Bank to be an effective knowledge institution. 

Smarter partnerships for stronger impact, including with non-traditional partners.

  1. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES :

The consulting firm will provide support to the Bank’s task team in charge of drafting the (a) approach paper and (ii) the new TYS (2023-2032). Specifically, the consultant(s) will collate the required data from internal and external sources, including benchmarking against peers operating in the region, to inform the analysis of where the Bank and Africa are, especially in relation to the key issues detailed out under section 5 above. The data will be used to guide the strategic options and general orientations of the new TYS.

  1. TEAM COMPOSITION :
  • The consultancy team working on this assignment will include at a minimum;
  • A Team Leader – A senior executive or manager at the firm. ▪ 3 core team members with expertise in the following ;
  • Strategy/Policy analyst – with at least 10 years of experience in all or many of the TYS/High5 priority areas, encompassing public and private sectors ;
  • Economist – with at least 10 years of experience, with excellent quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills in the public and private sectors ;
  • Financial Analyst – with at least 10 years of experience.
  1. QUALIFICATION OF CONSULTANTS TEAM MEMBERS :

Firms that express interest in this assignment must have :

  • Diverse and extensive experience on African development issues ;
  • Excellent understanding of multilateral development banks ;
  • Excellent drafting skills, experience in high level consultations with multicultural teams ;
  • Experience in drafting corporate strategic visions and development of strategy documents for international organizations ;
  • The Consultant’s team will be comprised of individuals with minimum of a Master’s Degree in international economic development, finance, business administration or any other ;
  • Relevant qualifications related to the tasks to be performed under this assignment ;
  • Capacity to work in both English and French languages will be an advantage.

 

  1. EVALUATION PROCESS :

The prospective Firm’s expression of interest will be evaluated based on the following criteria and weights :

(1) General qualifications and adequacy for the assignment to be undertaken 30
(2) Similar experience in the area of expertise of the assignment 40
(3) Availability of skills within the personnel of the firm during the period planned 20
for the execution of the contract.
(4) Language Proficiency 5
(5) Experience with MDBs and DFIs in the development of corporate strategies 5

Only firms who will score more than 70% will be short-listed and will be contacted for the next stage of the recruitment process.

  1. TIME SCHEDULE FOR DELIVERABLES AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS :

The time frame for this assignment is 20-months with key timelines as shown below.

Task Date
Commencement of assignment 1st June 2021
Submission of Approach Paper finalization 1st  July December 2021
Submission of Draft successor TYS 30th September 2021
Revisions of paper based on consultations with: October 2021 – October 2022
– Board of Governors
– Board of Directors
–  High-Level Advisory Panel
– Key Government stakeholders
– Civil Society
– Bank Senior Management

 

– Bank staff
– Other partners
–  Independent Evaluators of TYS (20130-22)
Submission of Final successor TYS 1st November 2022

6.2 The consultant shall report to the Director, SNSP. Day-to-day management of the consultancy shall be assured by a person designated by the Director. Reports and all correspondence will be sent to : Thierry Kangoye,       Principal       Strategy        and        Policy       Officer        (SNSP) : [email protected]

Hajer Majoul, Team Assistant (SNSP) : [email protected]

  1. LOCATION OF ASSIGNMENT :

The service will be rendered at the Bank’s Headquarters. Senior Management, however, reserves the right to change the location of the assignment, as necessary. In the interim, however, the assignment will be rendered virtually due to the COVID-19 context. Once the Bank goes back to the office, physically, the consultants will be expected to be in Abidjan, as and when required by Management.

  1. SPECIFICATIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF EOI :

All EOI must be submitted in Electronic format to the email address above no later than 3rd May 2021 at 17:00hrs Abidjan time.