This acquisition applies to the entering of a three-year contract for the process guidance and ongoing evaluation of The Directorate of Integration and Diversity's (IMDi) work with municipal development funds during the period of 2013-2016. The purpose of the new grant scheme is to develop and demonstrate methods that increase the quality of and improve the implementation and achieved results within the municipality's integration efforts. The national budget for 2013 has set aside 32 000 000 NOK for the grant scheme. In total 66 projects in 59 municipalities have received funding this year to strengthen their work with providing introductory programme and Norwegian language and social studies tuition.

The procurement shall ensure that The Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi) is a competent cooperation partner for the municipalities through predictable grant management, working methods that promote municipal ownership and leadership, and also differentiated services and products to meet the different needs of the municipalities. It is a goal that the acquisition of ongoing evaluation and process guidance carried out in relation to municipal development funds will have transfer value for other grant schemes and IMDi's monitoring and follow-up activities and guidance of the municipalities in general.

Based on the new grant scheme, the purpose of the acquisition is that the supplier in close cooperation with the Awarding Authority does the following:

— supplies the IMDi staff at the regional offices process guidance competence to professionalize cooperation and monitoring of the project municipalities,

— develops a systemic foundation for the management and professional development of the project municipalities across the IMDi regional structure as a basis for the analysis and strategic decisions during the project period,

— develops systems and tools for documentation, reporting and systematization of new knowledge from the individual projects and groups of projects,

— develops external forums and channels for knowledge dissemination and exchange of experiences between the project communities.

The total value of the acquisition is estimated at 2 400 000 NOK including VAT. A standard agreement for research and assessment assignment will be used for this acquisition.