RUSSIAN FEDERATION JUDICIAL REFORM SUPPORT PROJECT CONSULTING SERVICES

Loan No. 4849-RU
Project ID No P089733
Expressions of interest

The Russian Federation has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Judicial Reform Support Project, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for Consulting Services to Assess the Needs of Arbitration Courts for Improving Processes of Judicial Record Management Using Modern Information and Communication Technologies (Package No. JRSP/2/D.5.ii).

In the frameworks of the planned works, a survey should be held of functional operations of subdivisions of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation (SAC), federal arbitration courts of districts (arbitration cassation courts), arbitration courts of appeal, arbitration courts of RF subjects; a questionnaire poll of judges, assistant judges and individuals involved in judicial cases should be carried out with the aim of revealing areas for improving technological solutions in automation of judicial record management processes and developing terms of reference for implementation of the solutions; and the current automation level should be assessed of tasks of data provision to individuals involved in judicial cases about court operations and adopted judicial acts. 

Analysis of efficiency of operated information support systems and services of operations of arbitration courts should be carried out; completeness level of automation of judicial record management processes should be determined; and adequacy of the operated systems should be determined for present-day needs of arbitration courts and individuals involved in judicial cases.  

Terms of reference should be developed for building a unified automation system of judicial record management processes.

Special attention should be paid to forming requirements and recommendations for further implementation of the following tasks:

• ensure efficient and prompt conversion of documents coming to arbitration courts into an electronic form using advanced scanning instruments, including stream scanning and scanning of documents that do not allow unbinding (book scanning);
• elaborate organizational and methodological regulations on the order of document receipt from parties in an electronic form, including creation of an electronic case;  
• improve the document receipt procedure of documents on paper from parties (streamline the procedure, help in composing applications and complaints, organize an electronic queue, etc.);
• provide participants in judicial cases with advanced on-line instruments for tracing the case consideration status, including prompt receipt of notifications about procedural events, e.g., setting a date for a hearing, awarding a judgment, and for receiving judicial documents;
• elaborate organizational and technological versions of judicial record management with regard to special features of permanent judgment seats of arbitration courts of the RF. Possible organization versions of judicial case management process automation in specialized arbitration courts (e.g., bankruptcy ones) to be established should be studied and analyzed; 
• refine organizational and technological versions of judicial record management with regard to special features of considering various types of disputes;
• support informational interaction with information systems of the Interagency Document Circulation of the Russian Federation (MEDO), the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Pochta Rossii (Russian Post), the Federal Bailiff Service of the RF, the Federal Tax Service of the RF, the Pension Fund of the RF, the Ministry of Economic Development of the RF and other government organizations and agencies (with the list to be determined as a result of the works).  

Estimated work duration under the assignment is 28 weeks, including: stage 1 – 12 weeks; stage   2 – 10 weeks; stage   3 – 6 weeks.

The Foundation Bureau of Economic Analysis appointed as Project Implementation Unit of the Judicial Reform Support Project now invites eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.). Consultants may associate to enhance their qualifications.

A consultant will be selected in accordance with the QCBS (Quality- and Cost-Based Selection) procedures set out in the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers (May 2004).

Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below from 10:00 to 17:00 hours Moscow time.

Expressions of interest must be delivered to the address below by August 23, 2010.

Foundation Bureau of Economic Analysis
Judicial Reform Support Project
Attn: Mr. Sergey N. Lavrov, Executive Director
Cc: Mr. Sergey Kirnos, Head of Procurement Department
27, bld. 3, Zubovsky blvd., Moscow 119021, Russia
Tel: (+7 495) 937-67-50
Fax: (+7 495) 937-67-53
E-mail: skirnos@beafnd.org

August 02, 2010