Safe Cities on the hunt for legal consultant

Documents reveal firm will assist with the agreement for engineering, procurement and construction

LAHORE: The Punjab Safe Cities Authority has started the hunt to engage a legal firm’s help in the bidding process for upcoming projects which include the establishment of Integrated Command and Control Centers (PPIC3) in Multan, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad and Gujranwala.

The Legal consultant shall help prepare, revise, comment on and finalise the request for proposals to select a contractor for the project.

This was revealed through documents obtained by The Express Tribune. The consultant will also assist with the agreement for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), under the supplier’s credit mode, and operation and maintenance services.

The agreement will be signed between PSCA and the successful lowest evaluated bidder for the project. Meanwhile, the consultant will also assist with the evaluation of bids received in response to request for proposals.

The firm will help the client with any grievances during the bidding stage and provide advice on legal matters arising out of or during the execution of the project, including the construction.

The hired firm will attend meetings related to legal matters of the project, the document added.

“The legal consultant shall be given reasonable prior notice before attending such meetings,” it further said.

PSCA does not require provision of assistance/advice by a consultant in any litigation/arbitration proceedings or advice in relation to any environmental, criminal, technical, tax, insurance and commercial matters relating to a project.

For such matters, separate consultant(s) will be engaged.

The duration of the contract to be signed between PSCA and the legal consultant shall be 18 months after the signing of the agreement.

According to the criteria for the evaluation of the consultant, two grounds have been specified; technical and financial. Around 90% marks are related to technical criteria and 10% marks will be for financials.

As far as evaluation of technical criteria was concerned, 45% marks will be related to experience. A legal consultant must have a minimum of 10 clients with a summary of legal services. Five marks will be awarded for each additional client and up to 15 clients will be awarded.

The evaluation criteria also considered experience when it comes to working on complex projects. It said all partners of the legal consultant must be registered with the bar council. The consultant should have at least three partners/senior associates who have either an LLM or a bar-at-law degree from a reputed foreign university.

As far as the financial criteria were concerned, the documents stated that 50 marks would be awarded to the legal consultant with an average annural turnover of Rs5 million for the last three years

Any applicant that scores less than 65% marks will be removed from the list.

PSCA has asked the interested professionals to send their applications by January 10, 2018.

A PSCA Spokesperson said they have announced a bid to engage a legal consultant for seek help in the establishment of PPIC3s in five major cities of Punjab.

The interested legal consultants will send their applications. These applications will be evaluated, shortlisted and finalised by a procurement committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2017.