Development of the Knowledge and Information Hub Mobile Application at Local Government Association of Zambia

1. Introduction

Under the Knowledge Management and Information Sharing (KMIS) Grant, the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) requires the services of an experienced Service Provider to develop a mobile application to serve as a knowledge and information hub for local government practitioners and stakeholders.

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1.1. Background

The need for local authorities to embrace effective knowledge management in their daily operations particularly as the country moves towards decentralization cannot be overemphasized. The local government landscape in Zambia has kept evolving due to changing dynamics brought about by numerous forces such as – political, legal, social, economic, demographic, globalization, and digitization among others – which require local authorities to reinvent themselves by embracing nuanced approaches in their operations. To this effect, acquisition of new knowledge by functionaries in local authorities is imperative for them to effectively cope with ever increasing demand for municipal services. Exchange of ideas, innovations, and best practices in the local government sector is key in addressing the citizenry needs and priorities.

Local authorities experience a host of challenges which affect their access to knowledge products: poor record management systems and information is hardly documented; there is poor uptake of Information and Communication Technology (ICT); and very low motivation and innovation among personnel to enhance service delivery.

This gap in knowledge encumbers the implementation of decentralization in general and operations of local government specifically. To bridge the knowledge gap, the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) intends to develop a Knowledge and Information Hub which will serve as a center for knowledge and information on local government.

The Hub will be implemented under the KMIS Grant supported through the Local Impact Governance Project. The overall goal of the Grant is to ‘enhance knowledge management and learning, capacity building and collaboration in local government for effective and efficient service delivery and development’. The following are the three (3) specific objectives:

i. To set up a virtual learning lab for local government and its stakeholders

ii. To facilitate continuous learning to inform planning, implementation, monitoring and Evaluation

iii. To promote effective advocacy and sensitization campaigns and citizen engagement with local authorities

The Knowledge and Information Hub will be an online one-stop resource centre that will include an open-source information repository for local authorities, practitioners, civil society organizations (CSOs), researchers, and experts to collaborate, share lessons, and gain access to useful resources to improve policy implementation, advocacy, and open and accountable local governance in Zambia.

To enhance sustainability, the Knowledge and Information Hub will be anchored on the LGAZ website (https://lgazambia.org.zm/knowledge-hub/) with interface to the Local Impact internal communication platform (https://integrationpoint.webflow.io/), website for Caritas, and the e-learning platform of Chalimbana Local Government Training Institute (CLGTI). Further, the hub will have a mobile application that will help end-users to access and download the content of hub on their mobile phones. The information uploaded on the hub will provide data and analysis to inform socially inclusive planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning in these areas. It will further encourage collaboration and cooperation for increased leverage and impact Share best practices and lessons learned.

2. Objectives of the Assignment

Under the overall guidance of the Executive Director, the Consultant will work closely with the project manager to develop and deploy a mobile application which will allow local government practitioners and stakeholders to access services and information provided under the Knowledge and Information hub.

3. Scope of Work

The detailed roles and responsibilities of the consultant will be to:

a) Develop the detailed framework of the Application

b) Develop the prototype version of the Application

c) Develop the interface of the Application and

d) Deploy the application

4. Key Deliverables

The consultant will be required to provide the following outputs during the execution of the assignment

1. Inception report detailing the proposed methodology and agreed workplan submitted within five (5) days from the date of signing the Contract

2. Detailed Framework for the Application

3. Mobile application for both Android and Apple (ios) mobile devices

4. Standard security SSL for the application to be inbuilt.

5. Implementation timeframe

The consultancy shall be undertaken over a period of thirty (30) days that will start running from the date of signing the consultancy agreement.

6. Competencies Required

A. Academic Qualifications

• Minimum of a master’s degree in software Engineering, Computer Science or any other relevant field

B. Experience

• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in the field of Mobile application development, bias to capacity building will be an added advantage;
• Knowledge of local government and decentralisation

C. Functional Competencies

• Demonstrated understanding of mobile application development and data base management
• Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results
• Strong analytical skills

7. Payment Schedule

All payment in relation to this assignment shall be in Zambian Kwacha (ZMW). Payment for the expected deliverables will be made upon the endorsement of work by a reference group for the Grant. The Service Provider shall be paid in accordance with the following indicative schedule, depending on the proposed methodology:

a) 25% of fees upon approval of the Inception Report on the content and methodology the strategy development process

b) 25% of fees upon completion of the Framework for the Application

c) 50% of fees upon submission of final Application complete with domain and access information

8. Mode of Application

Service Providers interested in the assignment should submit the following documents:

8.1. A short Technical Proposal, no more than 5 pages (excluding annexes), demonstrating the candidate’s suitability for the assignment. The proposal should, amongst others, include the following:

• Profile of the Service Provider, including a summary of recent experience on assignments of a similar nature and links to the products.
• The Service Provider’s interpretation and/or understanding of the assignment as specified in the TOR
• A clear and succinct description of the methodology and work plan the consultants will use to execute the assignment

8.2 A Financial Proposal indicating the consulting rate per day and the number of days anticipated to complete the assignment. Financial proposal must be in Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) and inclusive of taxes

8.3. Detailed personal CV’s and at least three (3) client references.

All applications should be addressed to addressed to the Executive Director, Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) Independence Avenue, Civic Centre, 4th Floor, New Wing, P.O Box 33718 Lusaka, Zambia and submitted electronically to info@lgazambia.org.zm with the subject line “KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION HUB” no later than Wednesday 21st September 2022.

9. Evaluation Criteria

Offers shall be evaluated based on the “Lowest price and technically compliant offer” approach as follows:

a) An offer is responsive/compliant/acceptable if it scores a minimum of 70% on the criteria outlined below and fully meets the qualifications and language requirements.

b) Proposals scoring below 70% on the technical criteria will not qualify to be evaluated for the next stage of the assessment.

Relevant qualifications Yes

English language competency Yes

1. Understanding of the Assignment (Methodology) 30%

2. Experience in Mobile Application Development 50%

3. Experience in carrying out similar assignments 20%

Total 100%

Note

This RFP is only an invitation for proposals and no contractual obligation on behalf of LGAZ whatsoever shall arise from the RFP process unless and until a formal contract is signed.

LGAZ reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received, to revise the RFP, to request clarifications or to cancel the process in part or whole.