Financial Modelling Training for Natural Gas Sector

Financial Modelling Training for Natural Gas Sector

January 9th, 2018

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL – Financial Modelling Training for Natural Gas Sector

Closing date of RFP:                                     January 24, 2018

Implementing Organization:                       United States Energy Association

Funding Agency:                                           United States Agency for International Development

Award Ceiling:                                               $50,000

The United States Energy Association (USEA) is inviting prospective organizations or individuals through this Request for Proposal (RFP) to submit proposals for conducting a program on “Financial Modelling for the Natural Gas Sector” for the Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM), the Tanzania Development Corporation (TPDC), and other sector stakeholders in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.  This is an activity implemented by USEA under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Power Africa Initiative.

Proposals are due by 17:00 hours EST of the closing date.  Please forward your proposal in soft copy (PDF form) to Ms. Sarah Thorne, Senior Program Coordinator, at [email protected].

As this is a USAID-funded program, the RFP follows USAID Procurement Regulations and Laws.  All bidder details will be kept confidential.

I. INTRODUCTION

The U.S. Energy Association (USEA) is the U.S. Member Committee of the World Energy Council (WEC). Headquartered in Washington, DC, USEA is an association of public and private energy-related organizations, corporations, and government agencies.

Through a cooperative agreement with the USAID Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment (E3), USEA implements the Energy Utility Partnership Program (EUPP), available to all USAID-assisted countries and USAID Missions.  EUPP supports the efforts in USAID-assisted developing countries to increase environmentally sustainable energy production and to improve the operational efficiency and increased financial viability of their utilities and related institutions, with the goal of increasing the access of these countries to environmentally sound energy services.

USEA conducts a number of activities under the EUPP mechanism for Power Africa - a U.S. Government-led partnership to increase Sub-Saharan Africa’s access to energy.  Power Africa uses a wide range of U.S. government tools to support investment in Africa’s energy sector. From policy and regulatory best practices, to pre-feasibility studies and capacity building, to long-term financing, insurance, guarantees, credit enhancements and technical assistance, Power Africa provides coordinated support to help African partners expand their generation capacity and access.

II. SCOPE OF WORK

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit proposals from various candidate organizations, conduct a fair evaluation, and select the organization deemed most suitable to conduct the training course.

USEA plans to arrange a single ten (10) day training course from March 5 – 16, 2018 for twenty to twenty-five (20-25) mid-level personnel to take place at the Ramada Resort in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The training will focus on financial modelling for the natural gas sector to provide participants with the knowledge and tools to work with and interpret models. Participants will be armed with strategies to understand a variety of models they may be presented.

The training should be a mix of theoretical and practical hands-on instruction with non-proprietary modelling software (including Excel) including but not limited to the following topics:

  • Best practices in financial modelling
  • Finance basics
  • Data collection, management, and integrity
  • Coding of data
  • Model design
  • How to interpret and analyze models (such as those presented by IOCs)
  • Gas and LNG pricing
  • Demand forecasting

Participants will be from several different departments that encompass all levels of the natural gas value chain (up-, mid- and downstream) and will have beginning to intermediate knowledge of modelling.

At the end of the course, the participants should be able to demonstrate solid understanding of main concepts of modelling for natural gas including model analysis.

The training course will include pre-training and post-training exams administered to all participants.  A pre-training exam will be designed to assess participants’ baseline knowledge and competencies and to identify knowledge gaps and weak areas, so that the course can be modified as necessary. A post-training/skill assessment exam will be designed to measure participating trainees’ progress.  A program evaluation instrument will also be developed to measure the overall effectiveness of the program, as well as to identify areas for improvements for future capacity building programs.

III. BACKGROUND

Tanzania has an estimated 57 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas reserves offshore in the south of the country. Since discovery in 2010, production was initially limited but has since increased to 0.8 billion cubic feet (bcf) per day. The Government of Tanzania plans to generate revenue through exporting liquefied natural gas; plans for the Tanzania LNG project are in the early stages. 

Tanzania Development Corporation Overview: Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) is the National Oil Company of Tanzania through which the Ministry of Energy and Minerals implements its petroleum exploration and development policies. TPDC employs about 400 and is organized into seven directorates and three Units, namely: Directorate of Upstream, Directorate of Downstream, Directorate of Finance, Directorate of Legal Services, Directorate of Cooperate Strategy and Planning, Directorate of Corporate Management, Directorate of Internal Audit, Communication Unit, Procurement Unit and Risk Management Unit. TPDC was established through the Government Notice No.140 of 30th May 1969 under the Public Corporations Act No.17 of 1969. The Corporation began operations in 1973. TPDC is a wholly owned Government parastatal, with all its shares held by the Treasurer Registrar.

IV. SCHEDULE

The training course is scheduled to take place March 5-16 for a total of ten (10) days with a weekend break.

V. Deliverables

The following deliverables are anticipated:

  • Financial Modelling Training outline with contents specified in Section II;
  • Pre-training and post-training exams;
  • An overall program evaluation instrument;
  • Final training curriculum, including manuals and all other training materials distributed to the participants;
  • Conduct training program in Dar es Salaam for ten (10) days;
  • Final report to include the following:
    • Summary of major outcomes of the training program;
    • Challenges encountered and knowledge/skills acquired by participants;
    • Summaries of the administered pre-training and post-training surveys, and an overall program evaluation instrument;
    • Recommendations for additional training as appropriate.

USEA will be responsible for all logistical arrangements, including:

  • All travel related logistics and costs for the participants;
  • All travel related logistics and costs for the trainers, in compliance with Fly America Act and the Federal Travel Regulations; this is includes:
    • Roundtrip economy airfare;
    • Per diem calculated according to the Federal Travel Regulations, and using U.S. Department of State rates;
    • Visa costs;
    • Airport transfers;
    • Lodging;
    • Health and accident coverage.
  • Training venue and meals.

VI. PROPOSAL CONTENT

The proposal must contain the following:

  1. A cover letter to the proposal;
  2. A technical proposal outlining the proposed work plan and methodology;
  3. A financial proposal, including:
    1. Detailed justification (i.e. line item budget);
    2. Labor, other direct costs, indirect costs, and level of effort for each employee proposed for this project.
  4. Short CVs/bio sketches of proposed trainers;
  5. Summary of the work to be performed by each employee proposed for this project;
  6. Company/ organization Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and confirmation of current status in the System of Award Management (SAM);
  7. Completed USAID Contractor Employee Biographical Data Sheet forms for each employee proposed for this project (https://www.usaid.gov/forms/aid-1420-17)

VII. EVALUATION CRITERIA and CONTRACT MANAGEMENT/OVERSIGHT

Selection of an offer for contract award will be based on an evaluation of proposals against technical merit and budget justification. Proposals shall first be evaluated from a technical standpoint based on the training proposal without regard to proposed budget justification.  For those proposals determined to be technically acceptable, budget justification will be evaluated.

Bidders are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and maintain a current registration in the System of Award Management (SAM).

Contract management, oversight and payment will be carried out by USEA.

VIII. QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

For all questions and clarification requests please contact Ms. Sarah Thorne, Senior Program Coordinator, at [email protected].

Energy Category: 
Oil & Gas