INTRODUCTION
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) was launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. GAIN is a global, Swiss based foundation that mobilizes public-private partnerships and provides financial and technical support to deliver nutritious foods to those people most at risk of malnutrition. GAIN’s purpose is to advance nutrition outcomes by improving the consumption of nutritious and safe food for all people, especially those most vulnerable to malnutrition. GAIN aims to improve the consumption of safe and nutritious foods for—at a minimum—1 billion people over the next five years and target major improvements to food systems, resulting in more diverse and healthier diets for vulnerable people in countries where it works.
BRIEF ACCOUNT OF E-PLAN PROJECT
The Postharvest Loss Alliance for Nutrition (PLAN) was designed and launched to bring together a multitude of public and private sector actors addressing this issue to collectively reduce loss of nutritious foods throughout the supply chain. PLAN’s mission is to coordinate measurable actions to address losses in perishable and nutritious food supply chains and increase access to these foods for populations, particularly low-income households. And hence, E-PLAN project strives to support small-medium sized businesses working along Ethiopia’s fresh fruits and vegetables (FFVs) supply chain to adopt improved postharvest management practices and technologies to minimize loss and wastage of these nutritious foods thereby making them more available and affordable in the market.
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE WORK
The purpose of the desired work it to build and operationalize a dynamic and fully interactive web portal with elegant features which is easy to navigate, equipped with multi linguistic capabilities and responsive from different IT devices thereby to create an online platform which serve as a central hub for accelerated connection, communication, knowledge and resource sharing, business to business engagement (B2BE) and leverage access to improved postharvest loss reduction approaches, technologies for enhanced postharvest food loss/wastage reduction in Ethiopia. The following listed are specific objectives of designing and developing this web portal:
To accelerate interaction and dynamics by linking to various communication and interaction channels such as websites, the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc and other relevant online platform for lesson and knowledge sharing;
Create access to catalogue of improved postharvest management (PHM) technologies, consult with developers, compare and comment on technologies available for reducing postharvest losses/wastage and ensuring food safety;
Avail online tools that allow members to post their updates, news, view, read, upload and download resources, publications;
Enable online contracting by paving easy access and deployment of forms ready for users so that they can make deals easily by using the provided resources,
Provide access to information such as newly released publications, reports, articles, research papers, online learning, galleries, play media tools such as videos;
Create path to interactive regional and global map displaying information about relevant projects implemented by relevant partners working in different countries;
To safely store repositories of galleries such as photos and videos documentations online
SCOPE OF THE WORK
The company/firm receiving the contract to design and develop the web portal will directly report to GAIN Ethiopia country office as specified under the mutually endorsed contract agreement to accomplish the work. As it is required from the bidding organization to provide key operations expected to be executed by the recipient firm, here below described and discussed are the main tasks desired to accomplished in provided time frame with superior quality:
This a planning phase activity which will take place right after contract agreement is signed with selected firm for the job. During this meeting, it is expected that lead professionals from the contracting firm will reveal their plans for the project, top-level objectives, suggest milestones, assign homework, and submit their proposal for review. At this stage, the developer creates the data that allow GAIN to judge how the entire site will look like.
Following the strategic planning and CMS analysis workshop, the contracting firm is expected to start to give due shape to the aspired web portal based on the agreed visual content, such as images, photos, and videos. At this stage the primary function of the layout representing the information structure, visualize the content, and demonstrate the basic functionality will be organized.
At this phase, it is expected to put in all writings which are the very essence we would like to communicate to the audience through the online media platform. At this web portal make up stage the creation of catching headlines, text editing, writing new text, compiling the existing text, etc. are accomplished.
The key output of this phase the website design and development work that corresponds to the stated objectives is realized. The contracting firm is supposed to carryout implementing the CMS, Expression Engine, in order to meet the specified requirements. During this design and development stage the contracting firm is expected to accomplish the following key activities:
Implement design elements, load contents and add simple editor functions in the CMS
Testing, Reviewing and Training the Recipient Administering IT Team
At this point the contracting web portal design and development firm will test the Website Design and Development internally and provide a link to GAIN and Ethiopian Society of Postharvest Management (ESPHM) IT team to test the website before launching. Side to side with conducting the testing process, training will be provided for ESPHM IT team to prepare them to efficiently run and manage the developed web portal after it is handover to them. And hence, the contracting firm is expected to dedicate a professional team to provide an in-depth practical training both on site, as well as via remote communication tools so as to enable the succeeding IT team to upload content, format page, change the existing page content and layouts by adding new links and meta-tags to pages.
Officially Launching and Handing Over the Web Portal to ESPHM
Once the Website Design and Development has been properly tested jointly by the contracting firm, IT and technical team from GAIN and partnering institutions will evaluate its design standard, functionality, content and compliance to GAIN policies and related international regulatory laws before setting the web portal live and handing over administrative rights to the ESPHM.
At this stage it is required from the contracting firm to make sure that everything works fine, and everybody is satisfied and always be prepared to make changes in case it is needed. Feedback system added to the web portal during its coding stage will allow the supporting IT team in GAIN, ESPHM and the firm which developed the web portal, to gather required information and detect possible shortcomings limiting the capacity of the web portal to satisfy the desires of the target end users. The highest priority task, in this case, is to fix the problem as fast as it is possible before our target users start to prefer using another website rather than put up with the inconvenience. At this stage, another important case is keeping the developed web portal up to date and competent in a dynamic IT system.
PLAN OF OPERATION TO ACCOMPLISH PLANNED ACTIVITY
To be decided based on discussion and agreement reached according to the proposed work plan provided by the contracting firm.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
To be selected as best competitive bidder, the candidate web development firm/company should demonstrate and provide evidences for previous work experience and recognition for successful accomplishment of similar assignments for the successful accomplishment of similar services. The best candidate should have desired qualities described as follows:
Be a reputable firm with at least 5 years of prior experience designing visually appealing and navigation friendly web sites;
Familiarity and relevant experience in using different Content Management Systems (CMS), particularly WordPress;
Have a broad knowledge of current web development technologies and design tools in the field, and new software and other web programming languages and programs including use of HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML, XSLT, Macromedia Flash, Java;
Have excellent knowledge of recent trends in graphic design, web sites, including online video publishing, and social media networking;
Demonstrate the ability to create innovative and visually appealing design;
KEY PROFESSIONAL STAFF QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCE NEEDED FOR THE ASSIGNMENT:
Lead developer:
The lead developer is responsible for the overall development process and assures that all code contributed is in line with coding standards. The lead developer must have the following professional qualifications:
Possess an extensive experience (at least four years) in programming and CMS development, including versioning of which at least two years are specific to Word Press CMS;
Expert in the below scripting and coding languages and standards: PHP, AJAX, Java Script, HTML (including version 5), CSS (including version 3);
Expert in the use and configuration of the below applications: Word Press CMS, MySQL Database, Apache web server, Experience with other related applications is an advantage
Expert in the use and configuration of the below products and techniques: Search engine optimization, Google Webmaster tools, Google developer tools, Mobile device adaptation.
Assisting developers:
These are team members that support the lead developer with the overall development process. They are expected to have the following professional expertise and experience:
At least 3 years of work experience in programming and CMS development, of which at least one year is specific to Word Press CMS.
Graphic designer:
The graphic designer should have prior experience on designing websites with a solid track record of at least 3 years of experience;
The graphical integrator:
The graphical integrator supports the development team with the integration of graphic design and CSS elements must possess the following experience and expertise:
At least three years of experience with the CMS integration of responsive CSS and graphic design of which at least one year is specific to Word Press CMS;
The graphical integrator is an expert in the below scripting and coding languages and standards: HTML (including version 5), CSS (including version 3), PHP, Java Script (including JQuery).
Junior migration expert:
The migration expert who supports the development team with the execution of manual and/or automated content migration and works to assure the correct redirection of webpages after migration has to possess the following expertise and experience:
Has at least two year of work experience in CMS publishing and configuration of which at least six months are specific to Word Press CMS:
has an eye for detail and a basic understanding of content development;
has the capacity to write and read fluently in English and Amharic;
has experience with the below applications, scripting and coding languages and standards are also an advantage: PHP, Java Script (including JQuery), HTML, CSS, MySQL Database.
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