BACKGROUND

The National Democratic Institute (NDI or the Institute) has actively supported Ukrainian efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and advance democratic reforms through supporting good governance and citizen engagement, political party strengthening and civil society development, election monitoring and strengthening the political participation of women.

From September 2018 to March 2021, with the support of the United Kingdom’s Good Governance Fund (GGF), NDI implemented the “Ukraine: Amplifying the Voices of Citizens in Policy Making through Public Consultation” program aimed at supporting the Government of Ukraine in making public consultation an integral part of policy and decision-making. In particular, the Institute started to support the Ministry of Digital Transformation (MoDT) and Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers (SCMU) in developing a government platform for citizen engagement online - VzaemoDiia, by conducting various research, both qualitative and quantitative, of user expectations, as well as by analysing international experience in citizen engagement and public consultation online platforms. The online platform, currently being developed by the government, will include online participation sections and tools, including sections on online public consultations, e-petitions, e-appeals and others.

In April 2021, NDI began Phase II of the public consultation program, supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). In this phase, NDI plans to support the development of the public consultation section of VzaemoDiia platform, including development of the concept, technical development, communications support, research and training. 

SUMMARY

In this context, NDI seeks consultancy services from qualified individuals to support the development of the public consultation section of the VzaemoDiia platform. The selected individual will apply knowledge of and experience with business analysis and product ownership to all stages of Vzaemodiia public consultation section development. Under NDI’s direction and in close collaboration with MoDT, the selected consultant will also liaise with the vendor to be contracted to develop the public consultation section of VzaemoDiia platform.

TIMELINE

Submissions are due by August 2, 2021. Early submissions are encouraged. 

The consultancy contract is expected to start in late August, 2021 for approximately 10 months. 

NDI reserves the right to contact bidders to seek additional information and clarifications based on the submission of proposals following the submission deadline. 

GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK

The selected consultant will manage the product requirements and support the collaboration among NDI, the MoDT, selected vendor and other stakeholders during the planning and execution phases of the public consultation section of VzaemoDiia platform.

In close collaboration with NDI and the MoDT, the consultant would:  

• Participate in the development of the concept for the VzaemoDiia public consultation section led by NDI with participation of the MoDT and other project stakeholders;

• Contribute to the development of the implementation plan for the development and launch of the VzaemoDiia public consultation section;

• Based on the concept and meetings with the MoDT and other stakeholders, develop the technical specifications/functional requirements that will be included in the RFP to identify a vendor that will develop the section of the platform; 

• Ensure that public consultation section is integrated and synchronized with the other existing functions/features of VzaemoDiia;   

• Communicate with the development team for quality control, deadlines, and compliance and status reporting; facilitate communication among all relevant stakeholders and perform periodic reporting/updates.

• Plan and oversee the testing of the section by relevant state authorities, providing recommendations on improvements based on the outcomes of testing.

  The anticipated weekly workload is up to 25 hours. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Due to the nature of this project, interested consultants should have substantial experience with IT project management and business analysis  in order to meet the anticipated responsibilities in the Scope of Work. The selected individual should be able to understand and articulate functional requirements/technical specifications and limitations to interlocutors with different levels of technical expertise  for the purpose of concept design and during module development. 

Qualified individuals should submit proposals that include the following to NDI by the aforementioned deadline for full consideration: 

1. CV  that describes the individual’s previous experiences related to this project, including:

   1. Substantial experience as business analyst/product owner (at least 5 years);

   2. Excellent understanding of  software development process;

   3. Experience with web-applications development, preferably in the public sector; 

   4. Familiarity with e-democracy tools;

   5. Demonstrated experience of developing business processes and ToRs, functional requirements/technical specifications, wireframes for complex products;

   6. Experience in coordinating with diverse stakeholders and finding balanced decisions;

   7. Good analytical, organizational and communications skills; and

   8. Fluency in Ukrainian and working proficiency in English.

2. Reference letters or contact details for at least two referees who, if contacted, can attest to the professional background of the candidate.

3. Hourly rate in USD inclusive of all expenses.

NDI may contact potential vendors for additional clarifications on submitted documents or an interview to discuss an individual’s background and technical experience.

Due to the Covid-19, all work under this RFP will begin remotely until the pandemic situation improves; however, some exceptions may be granted with NDI’s explicit approval as necessary. 

CONTACT DETAILS AND SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Please submit all documents in English via email to [email protected]. The deadline for submission is August 2, 2021. 

NDI will evaluate bids based on the vendor’s ability to meet the description of services needed, experience and price. NDI reserves the right to reject any and all bids. NDI reserves the right to consider bids for modification at any time before a contract is awarded. NDI should not be liable for any costs associated with the preparation, transmittal, or presentation materials submitted in response to the RFP. NDI makes no certification as to the accuracy of any item and is not responsible or liable for any reliance on or use of the information or for any claims asserted therefrom. Bids are expected to be valid for up to six months from the publication date of the RFP.

Bidders must provide disclosure of any known past, present or future relationships with any parties associated with NDI. For example, applicants should disclose if a member of their Board is also a member of NDI’s Board currently or in the past. The bidder also certifies that the prices offered were arrived at independently and without the purpose of restricting competition with other offerers, including but not limited to subsidiaries and that prices have not been and will not be knowingly disclosed to any other offerer unless required by law. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in NDI having to re-evaluate the selection of a potential bid.

INFORMATION ABOUT NDI

The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. NDI has been supporting local democratization efforts in Ukraine since 1992. 

For more information about NDI, please visit: https://www.ndi.org/.