The Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) approved a $698 million Compact with the Government of Tanzania to stimulate economic growth, increase household incomes, and raise the quality of life in program areas through targeted infrastructure investments in transportation, water, and energy. Crown Agents USA, Inc. (CA-USA) acts on behalf of Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) -Tanzania as Procurement Agent and Procurement Oversight Advisor.
In the capacity of Procurement Agent, CA-USA manages the procurement of a broad range of goods, works and services that are requested by MCA-Tanzania to implement the activities funded with MCC Compact Funding of approximately $238 million in value, thus ensuring optimum value for money.
As Procurement Oversight Advisor, CA-USA:
- Implemented a comprehensive system of procedures that has standardized the procurement process carried out by the implementing entities who are serving as Procurement Agents;
- Implemented a Capacity Enhancement Program which communicated, educated and "rolled out" MCC Program Procurement Guidelines to the Procurement Agents and related MCA-Tanzania staff in a structured and practical manner. The objectives of the training were to enable key stakeholders to understand the organization of the procurement process under the MCC guidelines and to enhance procurement knowledge and skills of the staff to ensure efficiency and compliance with the guidelines; and
- Continues to provide monitoring and mentoring services to MCA-Tanzania and implementing entities.
Project highlights include the following:
Procuring for Infrastructure Development - As Procurement Agent CA-USA has been working on a number of complex Design and Build works contracts aimed at improving the energy capacity of Tanzania. On April 30th, 2010, the contract signing for the Design Build Submarine Cable to Zanzibar took place. This high profile $28,210,400 contract was signed in Zanzibar in the presence of His Excellency, Amani Abied Karume, President and Chairman of the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government and the US Ambassador, Alfonso E Lenhardt.
Supporting Government Entities - As Procurement Advisor, CA-USA has been supporting Implementing Entities by providing mentoring, monitoring and guidance services. The CA-USA Advisory team has been assisting TANROADS, who are the procurement agents for some road projects, for example, which will serve to address transportation network inadequacies by improving roads that will increase commerce by helping connect communities with markets, schools, and health clinics.
Helping Protect Tanzania's Interests - In order to mitigate against some of the potential negative impacts of infrastructure developments, MCA-Tanzania proposed the development and implementation of two Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). Establishment and operation of WMAs is an incentive-based wildlife conservation tool that seeks to provide rural communities with the responsibilities, rights, knowledge, and skills to promote wildlife and tourism as competitive and legitimate land-uses. As Procurement Agent, the CA-USA Team has been responsible for conducting the Procurement Exercise to contract with the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) to help run this important program.
Building Local Capacity - The CA-USA Team developed a procurement Capacity Enhancement Program aimed at introducing MCC procurement philosophy to Program Implementing Entities and increasing transparency in the use of public funding.