The Government of Jamaica (GOJ) has received a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) toward the cost of the Primary Education Support Project (PESP), and it intends to apply part of the loan proceeds to payments for the procurement of the services of international consultants to work with national consultant(s) to undertake an evaluation of the rationalization process of Teachers= Colleges in Jamaica. Implementation of the rationalization process started in 1999, whereby colleges became specialists in the delivery of curricula, offering programs which best match their resources.

A complete set of bidding documents, in English, may be purchased by interested bidders, from 25 June to 26 August 2001, Monday through Friday, from 0900 to 1600 hours, on the submission of a written application to the Project Manager, PESP (same address), and upon payment of a non-refundable fee of US$ 100 or J$ 4,500, per package, by a banker=s check or demand draft in favor of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture. Payments in any other form will not be accepted. The bidding documents will be sent by FedEx or DHL to bidders outside Jamaica, but the Ministry will not be responsible for delays in delivery, if any.

The instructions to bidders and the general conditions of contract contained in the bidding documents comply with the IDB=s Standard Bidding Documents for the Procurement of Services. Bids must be presented in two separately sealed envelopes, one containing the technical proposal, exclusive of cost, and the second containing the proposed cost for the services.

All bids must be accompanied by a security of US$ 1,000, or its equivalent in Jamaican dollars on the date of payment, and be delivered to the address below by 1200 hours on 27 August 2001. They will be opened at 1205 hours, on the same day, in the presence of the bidders= representatives who choose to attend at the same address.