Maldives
Request for Proposal
To find a competent Proficiency Testing provider / program
The National Health Laboratory of the Maldives Food and Drug Authority is interested in participating in a Proficiency Testing Scheme accredited to ISO 17043 and would like to find a competent Proficiency Testing provider / program. All the information regarding this is included in the Terms of Reference given below.
Interested parties are to submit their proposals before 14:00 hours of 02ndMay 2016, Monday as mentioned in the terms of reference. For further clarifications please contact 3014346.
Terms of Reference
PARTICIPATION of NATIONAL HEALTH LABORATORY IN A PROFICIENCY TESTING SCHEME ACCREDITED TO ISO/IEC 17043
25th April 2016
1. Introduction
National Health Laboratory (NHL) is a division of Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) with the main mandate of safety, quality control and hygiene verification of food and pharmaceuticals. NHL is divided into two main sections namely, Chemistry and Microbiology laboratories. The matrices tested include water, food and swabs and brought from food establishments, factories and resorts etc. and pharmaceuticals.
NHL has been accredited to the international standard ISO/IEC 17025 since December 2008. For the maintenance of its accreditation status it is compulsory to assure quality of tests. To fulfill this obligation of ISO/IEC 17025;2005, NHL intends to participate in a Proficiency Testing (PT) scheme.
Thus this “Terms of Reference” (TOR) has been developed to find a suitable PT provider/ program.
2. Scope and Objectives
The objective of this TOR is to find a competent PT provider/program accredited to the international standard ISO/IEC 17043 for NHL to participate for the assurance of the quality of tests.
The chosen party should provide PT services including but not limited to the following:
- Send PT samples to NHL
- Evaluate the test results by comparing the test results with assigned or nominal value or harmonized value obtained with all participating laboratories in the program
- Provide a report for the score of NHL’s test result
The details of the parameters for which PT are required are included in the list 1 attached. Testing of the PT samples will be carried out at NHL.
3. Requirements / Qualifications
3.1. The PT providers intending to offer PT services to NHL shall have the following qualifications and requirements.
a) The PT provider offering the PT services must be accredited to the standard ISO/IEC 17043.
b) The program shall cover all the tests in the list 1 attached and in the given ranges.
c) The PT provider must have at least 3 years’ experience of providing to PT and must be currently engaged in the service.
d) The PT program must have at least 5 laboratories participating in its program.
e) Submission of test results should be available via electronic method or electronic correspondence.
f) Time for the submission of results should allow sufficient time for transport of the sample/ material, processing and testing. The time taken for processing and testing for different parameters are included in the list 1.
g) A schedule of the PT program for a year should be available prior to the start of the year’s program.
h) Provision of transport/courier services for the sample materials to NHL.
i) Reports of evaluation of the test results shall be available via electronic media.
j) Statistical method used for the evaluation of each test result must be sent along with each report.
k) Full charges for one year program/cycle should be stated.
3.2. Documents to prove conformance to the points numbered 3.1 a), b), c) and d) of above criteria should be submitted along with proposals and proof to show conformance to the rest of the criteria should be submitted either by submitting relevant documents or statements in the proposals. Submissions without these documents and statements will be cancelled. Proposals submitted by parties not conforming to the above criteria will be cancelled.4. Submission of applications
4.1. Interested qualified parties should submit a quotation for charges of PT services inclusive of :
- Prices of the PT pack for the tests in US Dollars
- Charges for courier/delivering the PT materials (for each test or pack of test ) for each round of the test parameter to the following address:
National Health Laboratory,
Maldives Food and Drug Authority
Ministry of Health
Roashanee Building, Sosun Magu,
Male’ 20184
Republic of Maldives
4. Time allowed for postage and testing.
Quotations /proposals not stating the above will be cancelled. Any other charges that would incur must be included.
4.2. In addition to the quotation interested parties should submit:
a) A copy of the accreditation certificate to ISO 17043.
b) Schedule of the PT program
c) Criteria used to evaluate and decide acceptable test results
d) Brief profile
e) List of clients/ laboratories which had participated in the past 3 years.
f) Details of ways to submit test results and sending reports of evaluation of test results
g) Payment conditions
h) Any other terms and conditions subject to the process
i) Contact details including full address, email address and phone numbers with country codes
Proposals/ quotations not accompanying the above documents/information except for 4.2.(h) will be cancelled.
5. Selection: An appropriate party shall be chosen by evaluating the quotations/proposals using the following grading system.
Price: 80 (Eighty) points; the highest point will be given to the least quoted party and the rest will be graded by ratio.
Experience: 20 (Twenty) points; External documents stating the duration of proficiency testing scheme. The longest duration gets the highest point and the rest will be graded by ratio.
6. Duration: All required test rounds to be covered within a year of start date.
7. Contact: Thooma Adam/ Maldives Food and Drug Authority
8. Deadline for submission:
Interested parties are to submit signed quotations and other required documents on or before the official time of 02nd April2016 to
Maldives Food and Drug Authority, Ministry of Health,
Roashanee Building,
Sosun Magu,
Male’ 20184
Republic of Maldives.
Electronic versions of the quotations and documents can be emailed to [email protected] before the above due date. Late submissions cannot be considered under any circumstances.
List 1- Details of parameters for which PT is required.
# |
Parameter |
Matrix |
Number of rounds (at least) |
Time taken for processing and testing |
FOOD CHEMISTRY |
||||
Moisture |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Ash content |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Total nitrogen |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Sodium |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Chloride |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Arsenic |
Fish |
Once in a year |
8 days |
|
Cadmium |
Fish |
Once in a year |
8 days |
|
Mercury |
Fish |
Once in a year |
8 days |
|
Protein |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Fibre |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Peroxide Value |
Oil |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Iodine value |
Oil |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Total Volatile Nitrogenous Base (TVB-N) |
Fish |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Total sugars |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Acidity / acid value |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Histamine |
Fish |
Twice in a year |
2 days per round |
|
Lead |
Food |
Once in a year |
8 days |
|
Mercury |
Food |
Once in a year |
8 days |
|
Cadmium |
Food |
Once in a year |
8 days |
|
WATER CHEMISTRY |
||||
Sodium |
Water |
Twice in a year |
4 days per round |
|
Potassium |
Water |
Twice in a year |
4 days per round |
|
pH |
Water |
Twice in a year |
1 day per round |
|
Electrical Conductivity |
Water |
Twice in a year |
1 day per round |
|
Sodium |
Sea Water |
Once in a year |
4 days per round |
|
Potassium |
Sea Water |
Once in a year |
4 days per round |
|
pH |
Sea Water |
Once in a year |
1 day per round |
|
Electrical Conductivity |
Sea Water |
Once in a year |
1 day per round |
|
Chloride |
Water |
Once in a year |
1 day |
|
Calcium |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Magnesium |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Alkalinity |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Total Hardness |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Phosphorus |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Fluoride |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Sulphate |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Nitrite |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Nitrate |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Ammonium |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Total Organic Carbon |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Colour |
Water |
Once in a year |
1 day |
|
Turbidity |
Water |
Once in a year |
1 day |
|
Cadmium |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Lead |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Iron |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Manganese |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Aluminum |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Zinc |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Copper |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Nickel |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Chromium |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Mercury |
Water |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Chromium |
Sea Water |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Mercury |
Sea Water |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Barium |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Boron |
Water |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Arsenic |
Water |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Selenium |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Silver |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Lithium |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Cobalt |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Tin |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Cyanide |
Water |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) |
Water |
Once in a year |
7 days |
|
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) |
Water |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Suspended solids |
Water |
Once in a year |
1 day |
|
Total Dissolved Solids |
Water |
Once in a year |
1 day |
|
Oil and grease |
Water |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Taste and Odour |
Water |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
FOOD MICROBIOLOGY |
||||
Enumeration – Coagulase positive staphylococcus |
Food |
Twice in a year |
3 days |
|
Enumeration – Escherichia coli |
Food |
Twice in a year |
3 days |
|
Enumeration – Coliforms |
Food |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Enumeration- Aerobic Plate Count |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Detection test - Listeria monocytogenes |
Food |
Once in a year |
5 days |
|
Detection test - Salmonella spp. |
Food |
Once in a year |
5 days |
|
Detection test - Staphylococcus aureus |
Food |
Once in a year |
5 days |
|
Detection test - Vibrio parahaemolyticus |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Enumeration- Clostridium perfringens |
Food |
Once in a year |
2 days |
|
Enumeration- sum of yeast and mould |
Food |
Once in a year |
6 days |
|
Enumeration- Bacillus cereus |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Enumeration- Aerobic plate count |
Swab |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Enumeration - Enterobacteriaceae |
Food |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Enumeration- Aerobic plate count |
Milk |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Enumeration – Escherichia coli |
Milk |
Once in a year |
3 days |
|
Enumeration – Coagulase positive staphylococcus |
Milk |
Twice in a year |
3 days |
|
WATER MICROBIOLOGY |
||||
Total Coliforms |
Water |
Twice in a year |
2 days |
|
Escherichia coli |
Water |
Twice in a year |
2 days |
|
Enterococci |
Water |
Twice in a year |
3 days |
|
Clostridium perfringens |
Water |
Twice in a year |
2 days |
|
Colony counts (22oC/ 3days and 37 oC / 2days) |
Water |
Twice in a year |
4 days |
|
Pseudomonas aerogenosa |
Water |
Once a year |
5 days |