Technical Assistance To The Administrative Simplification Project

Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform

1. OBJECTIVE, PURPOSE & EXPECTED RESULTS

1.1. Overall objective
The overall objective of the project of which this contract will part is to contribute to public administration reform in the Republic of Lebanon through improving quality and accessibility of public services.
1.2. Purpose
The project purpose of this contract is to improve the responsiveness of the administration to the demands of the general public and business community by Simplifying/Re-engineering Administrative Procedures and business processes making maximum use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in four ministries: Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Public Health and Ministry of Industry.
Simplified/Re-engineered Administrative Procedures will allow the administration to operate in a transparent, efficient, cost effective, and timely manner and reduce Administrative Burdens on citizens and businesses

2. SCOPE OF THE WORK

2.1. Project description
Complex, non-transparent, time consuming, and incomprehensible administrative procedures result in low quality of public services and in inefficiencies in the public administration. This causes citizens and businesses unnecessary administrative burdens that cost time and money, undermine the image of the public service, distract managers from the achievements of the results, and give rise to unofficial payments. Furthermore, the public administration does not have an effective complaints mechanism to help facilitate complaints management. The project aims to streamline and simplify/reengineer regulatory processes and administrative procedures making maximum use of Information and Communications Technology. This will allow the administration to operate in a transparent, efficient, cost effective, and timely manner and reduce Administrative Burdens on citizens and businesses namely in 4 line ministries: Social Affairs, Tourism, Public Health and Industry

The components of the project are outlined as such for each of the four beneficiary ministries:

Collect and assess all existing legislation and corresponding Regulatory Processes and Administrative Procedures;
Review and diagnose all existing legislation and corresponding Regulatory Processes and Administrative Procedures in view of their relevance, simplification, ease of control, and predictable outcomes;
Define the strategic directions pertaining to the beneficiary Ministry regulatory roles and functions in light of legitimate policy objectives and taking into consideration successful international experiences.
Conduct a systematic baseline measurement of administrative burdens in line with the Standard Cost Model (SCM) to determine Identify the outcomes expected from the proposed reforms;
Map the processes related to targeted administrative procedures and identify the legal and regulatory framework governing them;
Use the process maps and the quantified administrative burdens as further indicator of current obstacles in the administrative procedures and as an additional baseline to assess progress and impact of the simplification project;
Assess the organizational structure, functions, roles and responsibilities, functions description and job descriptions for the targeted Regulatory Processes and Administrative Procedures;
Involve the stakeholders through consultations to identify main (high cost) constraints, bottlenecks, inefficiency areas, and barriers;
Assess and analyse Information Technology components such as existing information systems, exchange of information, e-services, existing web portals, and technology platforms;
Make recommendations in terms of legislation, decisions to be taken, organizational structure, Information Technology, components to simplify/re-engineer regulatory processes and administrative procedures;
Design new simplified/re-engineered administrative procedures in light of the policy objectives, international good practices and adjusted to the Lebanese context, promoting the use of Information Technology;
Propose an organizational structure, functions, roles and responsibilities, functions description and job descriptions for the streamlined Regulatory Processes and Administrative Procedures;
Adjust the legal and regulatory framework accordingly, in the form of proposed changes in relevant law(s) and/or decree(s), and the appropriate form of Government decision to enforce the proposed changes (i.e. decisions, ministerial decree or Council of Ministers decree, laws etc...).
Develop a strategy and an action plan to implement the new streamlined and simplified/re-engineered administrative procedures;
Standardize input government transaction forms and output documentation for the targeted Regulatory Processes and Administrative Procedures;
Develop customized methodology, guidelines, manuals, templates and toolkits for Administrative Simplification, drafting of regulations and business process re-engineering;
Develop and implement a training plan;
Develop and implement a knowledge transfer plan;
Implement action plan

3. SPECIFIC WORK

It is envisaged that the project will be structured in a phased manner represented through the following five phases to be executed at each of the four beneficiary ministries. The phases are:
•   Phase 1: Assessment
•   Phase 2: Analysis and Diagnosis
•   Phase 3: Design
•   Phase 4: Implementation
•   Phase 5: Closure
3.1.   Phase 1: Assessment
Background: This phase includes an assessment of existing legislation, corresponding regulatory processes, and administrative procedures. This phase also includes an Information Technology assessment in terms of existing information systems, information sharing, e-services, portals, and platforms.
Requested Activities: The main activities of this phase include among others :
3.1.1.   Identify project stakeholders;
3.1.2.   Organize a kick-off meeting of the project;
3.1.3.   Identify and collect all needed documentation and information for the project;
3.1.4.   Agree on work procedures;
3.1.5.   Conduct Legal Assessment
3.1.6.   Assess Administrative Procedures Government Transaction forms
3.1.7.   Administrative Burdens Measurement
3.1.8.   Conduct Administrative Procedures Detailed Mapping
3.1.9.   Conduct Organizational Assessment
3.1.10.   Conduct Information and Communication Technology Assessment
3.1.11.   Exchange of information With Other Administrations Assessment
3.1.12.   Draft a Strategy Paper

3.2.   Phase 2: Analysis and Diagnosis
Background: This phase includes a review and analysis of the existing legislation , corresponding regulatory processes, and administrative procedures in view of their relevance, simplification, ease of control, and predictable outcomes by conducting an “as is” or “baseline” analysis. This phase encompass the identification of the regulatory processes and administrative procedures bottlenecks and inefficiency areas. It also includes making recommendations applicable to the Lebanese environment and to a large extent must be incorporated in the design phase.
Requested Activities: The main activities of this phase include:
3.2.1.   Conduct all laws Review and Analysis:
3.2.2.   Conduct Consultations and SCM Results Analysis
3.2.3.   Conduct Administrative Procedures Analysis
3.2.4.   Conduct Administrative Procedures Legal Analysis
3.2.5.   Conduct Organizational Analysis
3.2.6.   Conduct Information Technology Analysis
3.2.6.1.   Interoperability
3.2.6.2.   Information Systems
3.2.6.3.   E-Government Portal and E-Services
3.2.6.4.   Technology platform
3.2.7.   Exchange of information With Other Administrations
3.2.8.   Standardization of Government Transaction forms
3.2.9.   Bottleneck identification and Simplification Recommendations

3.3.   Phase 3: Design
Background: Once there is a clear picture of the existing regulatory processes, the next phase involves developing a strategy and an action plan to simplify/reengineer the existing business procedures taking into consideration the use of the assessed and analysed Information Technology components in prior phases. It is important to emphasize that this phase requires thinking in terms of “business process re-engineering” to improve the performance indicators that have been determined as being important to the administration.
Requested Activities: The main activities of this phase include:
3.3.1.   Simplify Application Submission
3.3.2.   Simplify Identification of the citizen/business
3.3.3.   Examine Time Frames for steps
3.3.4.   Design The Process (To-Be)
3.3.5.   Legal drafting
3.3.6.   Organizational Reengineering
3.3.7.   Information and Communications Technology
3.3.7.1.   Interoperability
3.3.7.2.   Information Systems
3.3.7.3.   E-Government Portal and E-Services
3.3.7.4.   Technology platform
3.3.7.5.   Legal Database
3.3.8.   Exchange of information With Other Administrations
3.3.9.   Standardization of Government Transaction forms
3.3.10.   Business Requirements Document
3.3.11.   Assess the Proposed Process
3.3.12.   Involve Stakeholders through Consultations
3.3.13.   Finalize Action Plan

3.4.   Phase 4: Implementation
Background: After the successful conclusion of the design phase, The Contractor must begin implementation according to the action plan. Implementation must begin of the simplifying proposal, including training of the entity officials, elaboration of an operational manual and amendments to beneficiary ministry regulations.
Requested Activities: The main activities of this phase include:
3.4.1.   Develop Operations Manual
3.4.2.   Capacity Building
3.4.2.1.   Develop capacity building reference material
3.4.2.2.   Knowledge Transfer
3.4.2.3.   “Front Line” staff Training
3.4.2.4.   Study Tours
3.4.3.   Make the Process Accessible and Convenient
3.4.4.   Establish Service Standards
3.4.5.   Ensure Inspections Are Structured
3.4.6.   Communicate to Clients, government entities, Employees and Other Stakeholders

3.5.   Phase 5: Closure
Background: the Contractor must draw up interim reports and a final report during the period of implementation of the tasks.

Requested Activities: The main activities of this phase include:

3.5.1.   Compile a final progress report

4. START DATE & PERIOD OF IMPLEMENTATION

The intended start date is two (2) weeks from contract signature and the period of implementation of the contract will be twenty four (24) calendar months from this date. Please see Article 19.1 and 19.2 of the Special Conditions for the actual start date and period of implementation.

5. KEY EXPERTS

Key expert 1: Lead Regulatory Reform Expert/Team Leader
Key expert 2: Regulatory Reform Expert
Key expert 3: Business Process Re-Engineering Expert
Key expert 4: Expert in Lebanese Law

6. DELIVERABLES OF THE PROJECT

Phase	Deliverable	Deliverable Language	Approval Period (upon receipt of deliverable)
Phase 1: Assessment	Inception Report	English	2 weeks
	Project Plan	English	2 weeks
	Quality Assurance Plan	English	1 weeks
	Risk Analysis Document	English	1 week
	Determination of Administrative Burdens and SCM Electronic Storage	English & Arabic	3 week
	Process Maps and Process tables Electronic Storage	English & Arabic	2 week
	Strategy Paper	English & Arabic	2 week
	Assessment Report	English & Arabic	3 week
	Workshop(s) to discuss the finding of the assessment phase	Arabic	1 week
	End-of-phase report	English	2 weeks
Phase 2: Analysis and Diagnosis	Analysis and Diagnosis Report	English & Arabic	3 weeks
	Workshop(s) to discuss the finding of the Analysis and Diagnosis phase	Arabic	1 week
	End-of-phase report	English	2 week
Phase 3: Design	Legal Database Functional Design	English	2 weeks
	Design Report	English and Arabic	3 weeks
	Standardized Input Forms and Output Documentation	Arabic	2 weeks
	Filled out Business Requirement Document	English and Arabic	2 weeks
	Workshop(s) to discuss the finding of the design phase	Arabic	1 weeks
	End-of-phase report	English	2 weeks
Phase 4: Implementation	Operations manual	Arabic	1 week
	Training plan	English	1 week
	Training materials	Arabic	2 weeks
	Selected employees coaching and training	Arabic	2 weeks
	Frontline staff training	Arabic	2 weeks
	Knowledge transfer plan and implementation	Arabic	2 weeks
	Train the trainers	Arabic	2 weeks
	Study tours	English	2 week
	Study tours evaluation report	English	2 week
	Statement of service standards	Arabic	1 week
	Capacity building reference material	Arabic	2 weeks
	“One-Stop” Shops incorporation in the implementation	English & Arabic	2 weeks
	Structured inspections	Arabic	1 week
	Workshop(s) to discuss the finding of the implementation phase	Arabic	week
	End-of-phase report	English	2 week
Phase 5: Finalization and Closure	Verification of Deliverables	English & Arabic	2 weeks
Phase 5: Finalization and Closure	End of Project Report	English & Arabic	2 weeks