Vendor for Procurement of a Digital Platform for Component 2 Implementation.

Source: World Bank — Ethiopia Education and Skills for Employability Project

Request for Expression of Interest

(Consulting Services – Individual Consultant Selection)

Selection of Strategic Education Consultant to support the Program Implementation Unit at the Education for Skills and Employability, Office of the Ministry of Labor and Skills Services (P177881)

Terms of Reference

Education and Skills for Employability (EASE) Project

Vendor for Procurement of a Digital Platform for Component 2 Implementation

1. Project Background and Objectives

The EASE project aims to address the pressing need for skill development among youth and women, focusing on short-term, market-driven training programs tailored to meet the demands of various sectors. Recognizing the importance of empowering these demographics with relevant skills, the project seeks to bridge the gap between available training opportunities and the evolving needs of industries, particularly in areas such as digital skills and entrepreneurship. With a focus on inclusivity and economic empowerment, the project endeavors to provide accessible training avenues that enable participants to pursue both wage employment and self-employment opportunities. It aims to achieve this by:

• Facilitating the delivery of short-term training programs that align with market demands, enhancing participants' employability and entrepreneurship prospects.
• Fostering partnerships between public and private training providers to leverage expertise and resources for the effective delivery of training programs.
• Incentivizing private sector provision of skills through establishment of a payment scheme that contracts training providers based on performance
• Promoting gender inclusivity by prioritizing the participation of women in traditionally male-dominated sectors and ensuring equitable access to training opportunities.
• Creating sustainable pathways for youth and women to enter and excel in the workforce, contributing to socio-economic development and poverty alleviation efforts.

1. Objective of the Assignment

The main objectives of the assignment are as follows:

• Provide, customize or develop a digital platform to streamline project management processes, including onboarding, application submission, proposal management, and monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Create an intuitive and user-friendly platform to engage stakeholders, including public and private training providers, project staff, and beneficiaries, facilitating active participation and collaboration.
• Implement robust data management features to collect, store, and analyze project-related data, enabling real-time monitoring, reporting, and decision-making.
• Introduce automation workflows to automate repetitive administrative tasks, reducing manual effort and increasing operational efficiency.
• Incorporate stringent security measures to protect sensitive project data and ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and industry standards in harmony with the pertinent ICT policy of the nation.
• Integrate with payment systems to support payment disbursement mechanisms based on monitoring and evaluation results, facilitating transparent and timely fund allocation.
• Design the platform to be scalable and flexible, capable of accommodating future expansion, evolving project needs, and technological advancements.
• Develop comprehensive training materials and provide ongoing technical support to project staff and stakeholders, ensuring effective platform utilization and addressing user needs.
• Foster a culture of innovation by regularly updating and enhancing the platform based on user feedback, emerging technologies, and best practices, driving continuous improvement and optimization.
• Promote transparency and accountability by providing stakeholders with access to relevant project information, progress updates, and performance indicators through the digital platform.
• Create opportunities for knowledge sharing and learning among project stakeholders by facilitating communication, collaboration, and resource sharing through the digital platform.
• Ensure the sustainability of project operations by providing a reliable and resilient digital platform that supports long-term project objectives and outcomes.

1. Scope of Work

Duties and Responsibilities

• Platform Development and Customization: Design, develop, and customize the software or digital platform to meet the specific requirements of the project, including features for onboarding, application submission, proposal management, data gathering, and monitoring and evaluation.
• User Interface and Experience (UI/UX) Design: Create an intuitive and user-friendly interface that facilitates easy navigation and seamless interaction for both project staff and training providers.
• Database Management: Implement a robust database structure to securely store and manage data related to training provider applications, proposals, participant information, and monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Application Process Automation: Develop automated workflows and processes for gathering applications, expressions of interest, and full proposals from public and private training providers, ensuring efficiency and accuracy in data collection.
• Data Collection and Reporting: Incorporate features for collecting and analyzing data on training provider activities, outputs, and outcomes, enabling real-time monitoring and reporting of project progress and performance indicators.
• Integration with Payment Systems: Integrate the platform with payment systems to facilitate the disbursement of funds based on the results achieved by training providing institutions, as determined through monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Security and Data Privacy: Implement robust security measures to protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with data privacy regulations. This includes encryption protocols, access controls, and regular security audits.
• Training and Support: Provide comprehensive training and technical support to project staff and training providers on how to use the platform effectively. This may include user manuals, tutorials, and helpdesk services.
• Scalability and Flexibility: Ensure that the software or digital platform is scalable and flexible to accommodate future expansion and evolving project needs. This may involve regular updates, enhancements, and customization as required.
• Quality Assurance and Testing: Conduct thorough quality assurance testing to identify and address any bugs, glitches, or usability issues before the platform goes live. This includes functional testing, performance testing, and user acceptance testing.
• Documentation and Documentation: Prepare comprehensive documentation outlining the platform's features, functionalities, technical specifications, and troubleshooting guidelines. This documentation should be easily accessible to users and administrators.
• Continuous Improvement: Collaborate with the project implementation unit to gather feedback from users and stakeholders, identify areas for improvement, and implement enhancements to optimize the platform's performance and usability over time.

1. Deliverables and Expected Output

• Platform Design and Development:
  • User interface (UI) design mockups and wireframes.
  • Fully functional (addressing the functional requirements as verified by a technical unit expert in the area )digital platform tailored to project requirements.
• Customization and Configuration:
  • Customized features(With future extensibility and customizable to our local needs) and functionalities to support project activities, including onboarding, application submission, proposal management, data gathering, and monitoring and evaluation.
  • Configuration settings for platform customization and scalability.
• Database Setup and Management:
  • Structured database architecture to securely store and manage project-related data.
  • Data migration plan and execution for importing existing data, if applicable.
• Automation Workflows:
  • Automated workflows for gathering applications, expressions of interest, and full proposals from public and private training providers.
  • Workflow documentation outlining processes and logic.
• Data Collection and Reporting Tools:
  • Data collection forms and templates for capturing training provider activities, outputs, and outcomes.
  • Reporting tools and dashboards for real-time monitoring and reporting of project progress and performance indicators.
• Integration with Payment Systems:
  • Integration with payment systems to facilitate the disbursement of funds based on monitoring and evaluation results.
  • Payment processing functionality with transaction tracking and reporting capabilities.
• Security Features:
  • Implemented security measures such as encryption protocols, access controls, and regular security audits.
  • Data privacy features to ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
• Training and Support Materials:
  • Training materials (e.g., user manuals, tutorials, training videos) for project staff and training providers.
  • Helpdesk support services for addressing user inquiries and technical issues.
• Quality Assurance Documentation:
  • Quality assurance testing reports documenting testing processes, results, and any identified issues.
  • Bug fixes and patches for addressing identified issues before platform deployment.
• Documentation:
  • Comprehensive documentation outlining platform features, functionalities, technical specifications, and troubleshooting guidelines.
  • Regular updates to documentation as platform evolves or new features are introduced.
• Continuous Improvement Plan:
  • Recommendations for platform enhancements and optimizations based on user feedback and stakeholder input.
  • Roadmap for future platform development and improvement initiatives.
• Project Handover and Transition Plan:
  • Handover documentation outlining platform ownership, responsibilities, and support arrangements.
  • Transition plan for transferring knowledge and administration of the platform to project stakeholders.

1. Duration of the Assignment

The expected total duration of the assignment to conduct the customization will be for one year with 1 month trial period. Starting from signing the contract. Time may be extended in order to conduct supervision, monitoring and evaluation of the Systems after development The digital platform will be purchased for a minimum of one year to be processed on a license renewal basis subject to performance.

1. Implementation & Reporting Requirements

The Consultant will directly report to the project coordinator of the project or the lead of the technical committee of EASE project. Frequent interactions with the key persons/consultants of the project and relevant stakeholders will be an essential part of the task. The firm will also make close liaison with EDI Ethiopia, MOLS and it’s associated personnels.

1. Selection Criteria for Evaluation of EoI

• The Consultant Firm will demonstrate experience of at least 5 years in similar assignments.
• Designing, Developing, Installation, Integration of IT system. The EOI should contain the following information and documents to demonstrate its legal status, qualification and experience:
  • Professionals with a mixed set of skills, educational background, and experience in the relevant fields that included in the field of assignment.
  • Name and background of the firm with general and similar experiences including testimonies and certifications.
  • Copy of the registration certificate with professional body.
  • List of relevant professional staff with mentioning their qualification and experience
  • Summary on experience of the firm in similar assignment completed during last 5 years, client name, contract value, and details of the task.
  • Availability of resources and demonstration of capacity to carry out the assignment should be mentioned in the EOI.
  • Submission of the copies of all legal documents that the firms hold to carry out business including VAT/IT registration certificate.
  • The Consultant Firm will submit audit reports of previous three financial years to demonstrate financial capacity.

How to apply: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of Labor and Skills building Address: Around Lamberet bus station Opposite to Ministry of Mines, Near to Federal Technical Institute, former Federal TVET Agency 5th floor room no 503.

Interested applicants shall submit physically with the original documents and a non- returnable other relevant documents to the above address during working days and hours from 8:00 A.M to 5:00 PM

Contact phone No: +251 913603899

Email: abrahamasratbe@gmail.com or haftomease@gmail