1 Context
In order to improve the quality and reliability of the reading of the water consumption of CAMWATER subscribers, and consequently of the billing, the Cameroon Water Utilities Corporation (CAMWATER) has undertaken actions aimed at strengthening the technical and operational capacities of the External Services.

In order to resolve the pitfalls and complaints from users relating to incorrect invoicing of drinking water consumption, on the one hand, and to improve the quality and reliability of invoicing and hence CAMWATER's turnover, on the other, it is necessary to develop an IT solution for reading the water consumption of subscribers.

This IT solution will eventually enable better monitoring of reading and billing activities in CAMWATER's External Services. What's more, the automation of reading operations and the integration of data into an IT application will considerably reduce the risk of data entry or reporting errors.

Ultimately, this project will make it possible to effectively monitor the water consumption of CAMWATER's subscribers, which will be a determining factor in setting targets for production, service and coverage of drinking water demand in urban and semi-urban areas.

      In order to draw up a shortlist of service providers to take part in the Restricted National Invitation to Tender relating to the recruitment of a company responsible for the design, development and installation of the water monitoring system, CAMWATER has decided to issue a call for tenders.

 

 

2 Purpose
The purpose of this Notice of Expression of Interest is to pre-qualify approved Companies and/or groups of Companies to carry out the design, development and commissioning of an IT solution for reading and billing CAMWATER's subscribers, with funding from CAMWATER's budget, for the financial years 2024 and thereafter.

3 Scope of services
This assignment will consist of the design, development and commissioning of an Integrated Management Software Package whose modular architecture is based on Odoo:

- Management of requests ;

- Management of work estimates and invoices;

- Management of subscriptions and connections;

- Management of meters (conventional and intelligent)

- Management of cash transactions

- Customer account management;

- Billing management;

- Daily and monthly closing management;

- Management of service quality and complaints;

- Reporting;

- Electronic payment management.

- Integration of the accounting interface.

In addition, the IT solution will have to be deployed on 130 separate but interconnected sites.

4. period of performance
The period of performance of the service will be proposed by each tenderer and will constitute one of the elements of the tender.  It must not exceed twenty-four (24) months.

5 Participation and origin
Participation in this Call for Expressions of Interest is open to Cameroonian companies or groups of companies with proven experience in the fields of telecommunications and networks, information systems security and database management.

6 Financing
This service is financed by CAMWATER's Public Investment Budget for the years 2025 onwards.

7 - Submission of tenders
The application files will include volumes: 1 and 2, written in French or English. They must be submitted in five (05) copies, including one (01) original and five (04) copies marked as such, in a closed and sealed envelope to CAMWATER's Head Office located at KOUMASSA - Douala (Legal Affairs and Contracts Division, Door A05) no later than 25/02/2025 at 12:00 noon at the latest (local time), with the words:

 ‘AVIS D'APPEL A MANIFESTATION D'INTERET N°000002/AAMIN/CAMWATER/DG/DAJM/2025 DU 25/01/2025 POUR LA PRE QUALIFICATION D'ENTREPRISES EN VUE DE LA CONCEPTION, DU DÉVELOPPEMENT ET DE LA MISE EN SERVICE D'UNE SOLUTION INFORMATIQUE DE RELEVÉ ET DE FACTURATION DES ABONNES DE LA CAMWATER

‘TO BE OPENED ONLY AT THE OPENING SESSION’.

Tenders will be examined on 25/02/2025 at 12:30 p.m. in the meeting room on the 2nd floor of the CAMWATER headquarters building, located in Koumassi - Douala.

8 Composition of the file
Companies wishing to express their interest in carrying out the services described above must provide the following documents presented in two (02) volumes:

VIII.1 Volume A (Administrative documents)
Volume A’ will contain the following administrative documents dated less than three (03) months before the opening of the bids:

1.    A letter of expression of interest from the candidate showing his company name, address and, where appropriate, the powers delegated to the signatory or signatories;

2.    A valid certificate of non-redeemability;

3.    A certificate of non-exclusion from public contracts (ARMP);

4.    A certificate of non-bankruptcy issued by the Registry of the Court of First Instance of the applicant's place of residence;

5.    An extract from the trade register;

6.    A declaration on honour that they have never abandoned a service.

In the case of a grouping, a certificate of non-bankruptcy must be provided by each of the candidates making up the grouping.

VIII.2 Volume B (Technical File)
VIII.2.1 Experience of the firm
The technical file must include:

1.    Presentation of the firm or the design office;

2.    A list of the key personnel to be used for the assignment and their responsibilities.

3.    The applicant's references (the firm will present its references in a summary table showing the date of completion, the service provided, the cost and the beneficiary);

4.    Contracts or order forms and acceptance reports relating to the services provided, as well as any other documents likely to facilitate a better understanding and justification of the services provided.

 

NB: for each member of staff, please provide a copy of the diploma and the signed and dated CV.

 

VIII.2.2 Profile of key personnel

The tenderer must have, or undertake to recruit before the start of the services, the competent technical staff necessary for the proper execution of the assignments. The minimum team to be mobilised is as follows:

Ø Project Manager: Network and telecommunications engineer (at least 5 years‘ higher education) with at least 15 years’ experience, and 04 projects;

Ø Project Manager: Software engineer (at least 5 years‘ higher education) with 10 years’ experience and 04 projects, certified in scrum master;

Ø Two Expert Programmers: Works Engineer (Bac+3) in Software Engineering with at least 07 years' experience and 04 similar projects;

Ø Computer systems engineer (at least 3 years‘ higher education in networks and telecommunications) with at least 05 years’ experience and 02 similar projects, with certification in artificial intelligence; 

Ø Expert in statistics and data collection: (at least 3 years‘ higher education in statistics) with at least 05 years’ experience and 02 similar projects.

Ø Two developers: Higher Technicians (minimum Bac+2) in programming/software engineering or related fields with 03 years of professional experience.

In addition to the key personnel, the applicant must also provide a non-exhaustive list of the staff it intends to deploy during the assignment. This must include at least three of the following personnel:

- GIS expert ;

- Cybersecurity expert

- Change management consultant

- UX/UI specialist.

9 Evaluation criteria
The bidder must meet the following criteria:

1.    Be a Cameroonian company;

2.    Demonstrate the required administrative and technical capacities, in particular:

- Present an administrative file that complies with the specifications in point VI.1 below;

- To have carried out at least two (02) similar services (implementation of computer applications for reading subscriber consumption and billing);

- Have staff in accordance with points VI.2.

VI.1 Eliminatory criteria
- Administrative file missing or not compliant after 48 hours ;

- False declaration, falsified documents;

- Absence of key project personnel;

- Technical score below 70 points out of 100

VI.2 Essential criteria

The technical offer will be evaluated out of 100 points according to the following criteria:

- General presentation....................................05 points

- References...................................................20 points

- Personnel.....................................................45 points

- Methodology and understanding of the assignment and presentation, methodology, timetable and work organisation ....................................................................25 points

- Logistical and technical resources......................05 points

Only candidates who obtain a technical score of 70 points or more out of 100 will be considered.

10.additional information
Additional information and the terms of reference relating to this call for expressions of interest may be obtained during working hours from the Legal Affairs and Procurement Division (Gate A05).

11 Evaluation and publication of results
The evaluation grid is composed of the following elements:

a) General presentation (05 points)

Bound document, paginated, different parts separated by dividers.

b) Company experience and references: (20 points)

The applicant, who must have an established business and present at least two references (10 points/reference), must have an average annual turnover of at least 10,000,000,000 (ten billion) CFA francs over three years and/or a customer portfolio of at least 20,000 subscribers.

 

In order to be taken into account in the evaluation, each reference must be justified by an extract from the contract including the first and last pages, certificates of service rendered or acceptance reports or corresponding technical receipts issued by the competent bodies (the documents must be clear and legible).

 

c) Methodology and understanding (25 points)

The methodology and understanding of the assignment include :

- The overall presentation of the assignment including the understanding and a summary of the methodological approach; (05 points) ;

- Description of the solution to be deployed (10 points);

- A description of the hardware and IT infrastructure to be set up (05 points);

- The timetable and organisation of the work (05 points).

 

d) Personnel: (45 points)

 

1.    Head of Mission: network and telecommunications engineer (7 points)

1.1	Formation (Bac+ 5 en réseaux et télécommunication)
	Niveau		≥Bac+5
	Point	0	03
1.2	Expérience dans les travaux similaires
	Niveau	<15 ans	≥15 ans
	Point	0	02
1.3	projets		0,5 points par projets

1.1

Education (Bac+ 5 in networks and telecommunications)

Level

≥Bac+5

Point

0

03

1.2

Experience in similar work

Level

≥15 years

Point

0

02

1.3

projects

 

0.5 points per project

 

2.    Project manager, software engineering design engineer(6 points)

2.1

Education (Bac+ 5 in software engineering)

Level

≥Bac+5

Point

0

02

2.2

Experience in similar work

Level

<10 years

≥10 years

Point

0

01

2.3

projects

 

0.5 points per project

2.4

Certification

Scrum master certification

No certification

certification

Point

0

1

 

3.    Two (02) Pogrammeur Experts, (7points)

3.1

Education (Bac+3 in Software Engineering)

Level

≥Bac+3

Point

0

01.5

3.2

Experience in similar work

Level

<10 years

≥10years

Point

0

01

3.3

projects

 

0.5 points /project

 

4.    Computer systems engineer, (5 points)

4.1

Education (BAC+2 in IT)

Level

≥Bac+2

Point

0

02

4.2

Experience in similar work

Level

<05 years

≥05 years

Point

0

01

4.3

projects

 

0.5 point /project

4.4

Certification in artificial intelligence

Certification

no

yes

Points

0

1

 

5.    Expert in Statistics, (5 points)

4.1

Education (BAC+3 in Statistics)

Level

≥Bac+3

Point

0

02

4.2

Experience in similar work

Level

<05 years

≥05 years

Point

0

02

4.3

projects

 

0.5 point /project

 

6.    Two (02) Developers, (5 points)

4.1

Education (BAC+3 in Statistics)

Level

≥Bac+5

Point

0

1

4.2

Experience in similar work

Level

<05 years

≥05 years

Point

0

0.5

4.3

projects

 

0.5 point /project

 

 

7.    Other personnel (10 points)

The Applicant must propose at least three other staff from among the following profiles:

- GIS expert ;

- Cybersecurity expert

- Change management consultant;

- UX/UI specialist.

e) Logistical and technical resources of the company: (05 points)
The company must have :

- Complete laptops: 02 points (0.5 point per item) ;

- scanners, printers and photocopiers: 02 points (0.5 point/equipment);

- pick-up or other liaison vehicle: 01 point (0.5 point per vehicle).

 

Source : ARMP

 

Vanessa Ntoh