Request for Proposals for Consulting Services: NRO Strategy Plan Review

The Number Resource Organization (NRO) is calling for proposals for an independent review of its Strategy Plan for the next five years.

Deadline for applications: 9 July 2021
Deadline announcement of the selected bid: 23 July 2021

Full details of the Call for Proposals are included below.

NRO Strategy Plan Review Request for Proposal Document

Re: Call for Proposal for NRO Strategy Plan Review

The Number Resource Organization invites proposals from individual consultants or consultancy groups to facilitate and propose a strategy plan review for the NRO. The following RFP includes backgrounds of the organisation and describes the desired purpose and specific requests relating to the proposal.

Table of Content

1. Guide to this RFP
2. Organisation Background and Project Overview
3. Project Goals and Desired Outcomes
4. Scope of Work
5. Budget
6. Project Timeline
7. Criteria for Selection

1. Guide to this RFP 

1.1 This guide suggests an outline for organising the NRO strategy plan review proposal. The ideal and preferred facilitator/s will bring an inter-disciplinary approach based on industry expertise, technical capability and stakeholder relations.

1.2 Please feel free to email chair [@] nro.net with questions or comments.

2. Organisation Background and Project Overview

2.1 The Number Resource Organization (NRO) was established in 2003 as a coordinating body for the world’s Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). The RIRs manage the distribution of Internet number resources (IP address space and Autonomous System Numbers) within their respective regions.

The mission of the NRO is to actively contribute to an open, stable and secure Internet, through:

• Providing and promoting a coordinated Internet number registry system.
• Being an authoritative voice on the multi-stakeholder model and bottom-up policy process in Internet governance.
• Coordinating and supporting joint activities of the RIRs.

The NRO MoU was signed in 2003 by the four existing RIRs – APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC and the RIPE NCC. AFRINIC signed the MoU in 2005.

In August 2020 the NRO EC signed an addendum to the NRO MoU.  In this addendum the NRO EC agrees:

• Not to take action that would violate Internet Number Registry System uniqueness.
• To take effective measures to promote Internet Number Registry System accuracy.
• To publish Internet Number Registry System entries publicly, so as to enable timely global Internet operations.
• To cooperate together in the provision of consistent, effective global Internet Number Registry Services.

The NRO is a coordination point for joint RIR activities and projects, including Resource Certification (RPKI), global RIR statistics reports, global Internet governance activities and global policy coordination.

2.2. The NRO Executive Council (NRO EC) has identified the need to create a strategic review plan to guide its efforts over the next 5 years. Through consultation with key stakeholders, the NRO EC will determine the mission of the Number Resource Organization, its future vision, strategic imperatives, and ecosystem relationship priorities.

3. Project Goals and Desired Outcomes

3.1. The strategic review shall include all functions undertaken by the NRO in support of their mission and vision, and in particular with regards to the content of the NRO MoU and its current relevance.

3.2. Expected Deliverables in the NRO Strategic Plan Review:

• Current Organization Situational Review
• NRO Strategic Retreat Meeting Plan or a Virtual Meeting Version
• Facilitate the definition of mission, vision and organisational values of the NRO
• Facilitate the definition of the industry ecosystem relationship priorities
• Facilitate the development of a 5-year strategic plan for the NRO, including actionable recommendations on structural and organisational needs

3.3. All work to be undertaken in close consultation with and under direction of the NRO Executive Committee (NRO EC)

4. Scope of Work

The hired facilitator/s are expected to provide the following services:

4.1. Review

Review the organisation’s key documents, relating to the history, structure, goals and activities.

Aim: To identify opportunities and risks, and the overall current situational status of the organisation.

 4.2. Interviews

Activity: Consultations with RIR staff participating in NRO Coordination Groups and other NRO activities (present and past where appropriate) and other relevant stakeholders, either by in-person interview, phone-interviews or email.

Aim: To identify current status, future challenges and individual recommendations.

 4.3. Retreat or Virtual meeting

Activity: In coordination with the NRO EC, organise an organisational meeting retreat (2-3 days) or a virtual meeting retreat if a face to face meeting is not possible.

Aim: To draft the organisational mission, vision, organisational values, ecosystem relationship priorities and strategic goals for the next five years.

 4.4. Reporting

Activity: Provide the NRO EC with monthly progress updates.

Aim: To have a solid reporting mechanism based on the proposed methodology and data analysis so that priorities can be immediately actioned.

 4.5. Recommendations

Activity: Development of the Strategic Plan (in close consultation with the NRO EC) and provide recommendations and actionable tasks to the NRO EC on structural and organisational needs.

Aim: To have a Strategic Plan in place by the last quarter 2021 and to provide concrete recommendations to the NRO EC for the organisation’s immediate and future requirements.

5. Budget

5.1. Interested facilitators should provide a detailed estimate of the costs to produce this strategic plan review.

5.2. An estimation of the time involved for the NRO strategic plan review can be taken from the Project timeline.

6. Project Timeline

6.1. The RFP will close on 9 July 2021 23:59 UTC. All submissions must be received by this deadline and should include a timeline and methodology for conducting the review.

6.2. Proposals will be evaluated over a period of 2 weeks to be concluded around 23 July 2021. Results will be announced at that time.

6.3.  It is expected that the strategic review will take place over 3 months and ideally completed at the end of November 2021, but the final timeline will be discussed and agreed with the selected facilitator.

7 Criteria for Selection

7.1 To be eligible for consideration, please provide a proposal including the following:

• Brief cover letter summarizing the applicant’s qualifications.
• Profile of the facilitator or firm, including relevant domain experience.
• Summary of similar projects for similar organisations.
• Description of proposed approach and methodology and data analysis.
• Overview of workplan activities and schedule.
• Provisions for ensuring timelines for completion.
• Detailed budget.
• Proof of professional liability insurance.

7.2 Proposals will be assessed by the NRO EC with the use of the assessment grid enclosed as Annex-1 to the present document.

7.3. Each member of the NRO EC will score each proposal received, and a final average grid will be produced for each proposal.

7.4. At the end of the evaluation process the NRO EC will publish the proposal of the winning bid and the names of all bidders.

7.5. Deadline for selection of the winning bid is 23 July 2021.

7.6 Requests for clarification can be addressed until 6 July 2021 only to the Chair of the NRO (chair [at] nro [dot] net). Requests for clarification and their answers will be made anonymous and published at the NRO website [www.nro.net] in order to ensure equal treatment of all bidders.

7.7. Any other direct contact with the RIRs’ staff during the bidding period related to the present Request for Proposal is strongly and expressly discouraged, will not be answered and might lead to disqualification of the bidder.

7.8. All proposals must be submitted to secretariat[@] nro.net in MS Word/PDF format by 9 July 2021 at 23:59 UTC. A confirmation email will be sent for each proposal received before the expiration of the deadline.

ANNEX-1: Proposal Assessment Grid

OVERALL SCORE [M=155] [S=0] [T=75]

Last modified on 14/06/2021