Central Govt Social welfare & Empowerment

Information, Monitoring, Evaluation and Social Audit (I-MESA): Evaluation and Studies

This central government scheme funds qualified research organizations to conduct independent evaluations of social welfare programmes run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, typically every two years. Funding covers staff, travel, consultancy, printing, and equipment costs, disbursed in three installments. Organizations apply through a competitive tender process initiated by the Ministry.

Department of Social Justice & Empowerment For: Individual Official Source

About This Scheme

Full official description

The scheme "Information, Monitoring, Evaluation and Social Audit (I-MESA)" was launched by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India. The "Evaluation and Studies" component of the scheme aims to establish institutionalized mechanisms for achieving transparency and accountability, generating lessons learned for real-time program improvement, and ensuring effective knowledge dissemination among stakeholders and targeted beneficiaries. The scheme provides for evaluation studies to be undertaken at regular intervals, preferably every two years, by reputed Agencies/Organizations or other Institutes.

Benefits

Project funding covering: staff salaries, travel, consultancy fees, printing, equipment, books, computer costs, and overhead (up to 5% of total)
Disbursed in 3 installments: 20% after Performance Bank Guarantee submission, 50% on draft report, 30% on final accepted report
Performance Security: 8% of contract value via bank guarantee required

Who Can Apply (Eligibility)

Must be a qualified organization, agency, or institute with experience in social sector evaluation studies
Must not be blacklisted by any government body
Must accept all Notice Inviting Tender terms and conditions
Project Director must have at least 5 years of experience in social sector evaluation and statistical tools
Must be willing and able to complete the assignment within the agreed timeframe

How to Apply

Offline

Step 1: Initiation and Invitation of Bids

The process begins when the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment invites E-Bids/Bids or willingness from qualified Organizations, Agencies, or Institutes to undertake evaluation studies of its schemes and programmes.
The Department may also consider limited tendering or selection on nomination basis depending on the specific need.

Step 2: Preparation and Submission of Technical and Financial Bid

The Project Director/In-charge of the project must prepare the proposal, ensuring they possess the required experience (at least 5 years in social sector evaluation and experience in statistical tools).
The proposal must be submitted through the head of the Organization or the Registrar of the University.
The bidder must submit all necessary documents, including the Technical Bid, Financial Bid, Earnest Money Deposit (or proof of exemption), and an undertaking accepting all terms and conditions of the Notice Inviting Tender.

Step 3: Bid Evaluation and Notification of Award

A Committee evaluates the received proposals, utilizing technical criterion parameters indicated in the Tender document to shortlist qualified bidders.
Offers received without the Earnest Money Deposit are summarily rejected (unless exempted).
The Department issues a Letter of Award (LoA) in duplicate to the successful bidder, briefly mentioning the rates, terms, and conditions.

Step 4: Contract Finalization and Initial Compliance

The successful bidder must return one copy of the LoA duly signed as a token of acceptance, along with a contract bond and the Performance Security (Performance Bank Guarantee for 8% of the contract value) within the stipulated time indicated in the LoA.
The Ministry then issues a sanction letter for the approved project, detailing the sanctioned amount for each sub-head of the evaluation study.
The first installment of 20% of the funds is released after the Ministry receives the Performance Security.

Step 5: Project Execution and Progress Monitoring

The Organization proceeds with the project execution, maintaining separate accounts for the sanctioned funds.
The Project Director must submit progress reports to the Ministry along with certified statements of expenditure actually incurred and estimates for the remaining period.
The Ministry conducts a monthly review of the project's progress. If the Organization delays the submission of the report by the due date, a penalty of 0.5% of the cost of the study per week will be levied.

Step 6: Draft Report Submission and Second Fund Release

The Organization must prepare and submit the draft report to the Ministry upon completion of the preliminary findings.
The Organization is also required to make a presentation of the draft report before the Ministry.
Upon the submission and presentation of the draft report, the second installment of 50% of the funds is released.

Step 7: Final Report Acceptance and Final Fund Release

The Ministry examines the draft report, and the Project Director is responsible for revising it if discrepancies are noted.
After acceptance of the report, the Project Director submits eight copies of the final report, 20 copies of the summary report (along with soft versions), the audited Statement of Accounts, and the Utilization Certificate.
The third and final installment of 30% of the funds is released after acceptance of the final report and submission of these required documents.

Step 8: Project Conclusion and Fund Settlement

The Organization must preserve all collected raw data (such as filled in schedules, reports, photographs, etc.) in electronic form and transfer all raw data and ownership of the data to the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Any unspent balance from the sanctioned funds must be refunded by the Organization within 30 days from the date of completion of the Project.
The Organization should save a copy of all correspondence, reports, and financial documentation for its records.

Frequently Asked Questions

What experience does the Project Director need to have in order to lead an evaluation study under this initiative?

The Project Director should possess at least 5 years' experience of evaluation studies in the social sector and must have necessary experience in the use of statistical tools.

If our organization has been exempted from paying the Earnest Money Deposit, what proof do we need to submit with our bid?

Organizations exempted from payment of Earnest Money Deposit must submit scanned proof of exemption along with their bid submission documents.

What are the different types of costs that will be covered by the Ministry if our evaluation project proposal gets approved?

The Ministry covers salaries and allowances of project staff, travel expenses, consultancy charges, printing costs, equipment and books, computer and tabulation costs, and contingency and overhead charges (calculated up to 5% of specified cost heads).

Within what time period must any unspent balance from the sanctioned funds be returned to the authorities after the project ends?

Any unspent balance out of the fund must be refunded within 30 days from the date of completion of the Project.

How many copies of the final report and summary report need to be submitted upon completion of the evaluation study?

Eight copies of the final report and twenty copies of the summary report must be submitted, along with soft versions of both.

What happens if our organization delays the submission of the report beyond the specified due date mentioned in the contract?

A penalty of 0.5% of the cost of the study per week will be levied if the Organization delays the submission of the report by the due date.

Is our organization required to maintain separate financial accounts specifically for the funds received under this evaluation project?

Yes, the Organization must maintain separate accounts for this fund, which will remain open to inspection by representatives of the Government of India, including the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

What percentage of the total contract value must be submitted as Performance Bank Guarantee after being selected for the project?

The successful bidder must submit a Performance Bank Guarantee issued by any scheduled commercial bank for 8% of the contract value.

At what stage of the project will the second installment of funds be released to our organization by the Ministry?

The second installment of 50% is released on submission and presentation of the draft report before the Ministry.

What interest rate will be charged if we fail to refund unspent balance or funds due to non-compliance with conditions?

Any unspent balance not refunded within 30 days, or funds required to be refunded due to failure to abide by conditions, will attract a penal interest of 15% per annum.

Can organizations that have been blacklisted by government authorities apply for undertaking evaluation studies under this programme?

No, the applicant must not have been blacklisted to be eligible for undertaking evaluation studies under this programme.

What kind of authorization letter needs to be submitted along with the bid documents to prove signatory authority?

An Authorization Letter from the firm must be submitted, certifying that the person who signed the bid is an authorized person to sign on behalf of the firm.

Are we required to submit audited financial statements and if so, for how many years should these statements cover?

Yes, scanned copies of audited annual accounts along with audit report of last three financial years must be submitted with the bid.

What happens to all the raw data, photographs, and filled schedules that our team collects during the evaluation study?

All raw data compiled during the study, including filled in schedules, tabulation or working sheets, reports, and photographs in electronic form, must be transferred to the Ministry and the ownership of the data transfers to the Department.

Ready to apply?

Visit the official government portal to apply for this scheme.

Apply on myScheme.gov.in

Documents Required

##### ***Required with Bid Submission***
Scanned Copy of Earnest Money Deposit.
Proof of Exemption (If Organization is Exempted From Payment of Earnest Money Deposit).
Scanned Copies of Registration Certificate / Memorandum & Articles of Association (And Any Other Documents To Certify the Nature of Existence of the Organization).
Scanned Copies of Audited Annual Accounts Along with Audit Report of Last Three Financial Years.
Annual Report Account of Last Three Years.
Scanned Copy of Valid Permanent Account Number (PAN) of the Organization / Tax Account Number (TAN) and Service Tax Number (STN) / Goods and Services Tax (GST) Number.
Executive Summary of Three Study Reports Completed During Last Five Years (And Documents of Acceptance of the Reports By Sponsoring Authority).
An Authorization Letter From the Firm (Certifying That the Person Who Signed the Bid is An Authorized Person To Sign On Behalf of the Firm).
A Declaration That the Organization Has Not Been Blacklisted (From the Authorized Signatory of the Organization).
Copies of Certificates and Proofs of Previous Engagements of the Project Director.
Copies of Certificates/ Proofs of Previous Engagements of At Least Two Post Graduate Professionals Involved In the Project.
Technical Bid.
Financial Bid.
Technical Evaluation Format.
Tender Acceptance Letter.
Undertaking (In Support of the Authenticity of Declarations Regarding Facts, Figures, Information and Documents Furnished By the Bidder).
Copies of Certificates and Proofs of Earlier Engagement (Of the Project Director In the Social Sector with At Least 5 Years’ Experience of Evaluation Studies).
##### ***Required Upon Selection/Contract***
Performance Bank Guarantee (Issued By Any Scheduled Commercial Bank For 8% of the Contract Value).
Duly Signed Letter of Award (LoA) (As A Token of Acceptance).
Contract Bond.
Bond In Favour of the President of India (To Abide By Terms and Conditions and Refund Funds with Penal Interest If Failed).
##### ***Required At Project Completion/Closure***
Eight Copies of the Final Report.
Twenty Copies of Summary Report.
Soft Version (Of Final Report and Summary Report).
Audited Statement of Accounts (As Per General Financial Rules, 2017, To Be Submitted Within Six Months of Report Acceptance/Termination).
Utilization Certificate (As Prescribed In General Financial Rules, 2017, To Be Submitted Within Six Months of Report Acceptance/Termination).
Statement Showing Equipment Purchased (With Its Price).
Electronic Form of Data Collected (Such As Filled In Schedules, Tabulation Or Working Sheets, Reports, Photographs, Etc.).
All Raw Data Compiled During the Study (To Be Transferred To the Ministry).