Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers

January 1997
Revised September 1997, January 1999, and May 2002

Copyright 1997
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
The World Bank
1818 H St. NW
Washington, DC 20433, USA

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CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction
    1.1 Purpose 
    1.4 General Considerations 
    1.7 Applicability of Guidelines 
    1.9 Conflict of Interest 
    1.10 Eligibility 
    1.11 Advance Contracting and Retroactive Financing 
    1.12 Associations Between Consultants 
    1.13 Bank Review, Assistance, and Monitoring 
    1.17 Reserved Consultant Services 
    1.18 Misprocurement 
    1.19 References to the Bank 
    1.20 Training or Transfer of Knowledge 
    1.21 Language 
    1.23 Evaluation of the Performance of Consultants 
    1.25 Fraud and Corruption 

II. Quality- and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS)
    2.1 The Selection Process 
    2.3 Terms of Reference (TOR) 
    2.4 Cost Estimate (Budget) 
    2.5 Advertising 
    2.6 Short List of Consultants 
    2.8 Preparation and Issuance of the Request for Proposals (RFP) 
    2.9 Letter of Invitation (LOI) 
    2.10 Information to Consultants (ITC) 
    2.11 Contract 
    2.12 Receipt of Proposals 
    2.13 Evaluation of Proposals: Consideration of Quality and Cost 
    2.14 Evaluation of the Quality
    2.19 Evaluation of Cost 
    2.22 Combined Quality and Cost Evaluation 
    2.23 Negotiations and Award of Contract 
    2.27 Rejection of All Proposals, and Reinvitation 
    2.28 Confidentiality

III. Other Methods of Selection
    3.1 General 
    3.2 Quality-Based Selection (QBS) 
    3.5 Selection under a Fixed Budget 
    3.6 Least-Cost Selection 
    3.7 Selection Based on Consultants' Qualifications
    3.8 Single-Source Selection 
    3.12 Commercial Practices 
    3.13 Selection of Particular Types of Consultants 

IV. Types of Contracts and Important Provisions
Types of Contracts
    4.1 Lump Sum (Firm Fixed Price) Contract 
    4.2 Time-Based Contract 
    4.3 Retainer and/or Contingency (Success) Fee Contract 
    4.4 Percentage Contract 
    4.5 Indefinite Delivery Contract (Price Agreement) 
Important Provisions
    4.6 Currency 
    4.7 Price Adjustment 
    4.8 Payment Provisions 
    4.10 Bid and Performance Securities 
    4.11 Borrower's Contribution 
    4.12 Conflict of Interest 
    4.13 Professional Liability 
    4.14 Staff Substitution 
    4.15 Applicable Law and Settlement of Disputes

V. Selection of Individual Consultants

Appendix 1: Review by the Bank of the Selection of Consultants
    1. Scheduling the Selection Process 
    2. Prior Review 
    3. Modifications of Contract 
    4. Post Review 
    5. Translations

Appendix 2: Information to Consultants (ITC)

Appendix 3: Disbursements

Appendix 4: Guidance to Consultants
    1 Purpose 
    2 Responsibility for Selection of Consultants 
    3 Bank's Role 
    5 Information on Consultant Services 
    7 Consultants' Role 
    10 Confidentiality 
    11 Action by the Bank 
    15 Debriefing