EXPRESSION
OF INTEREST
Consultancy
to support further development and capacity building for the Teacher Management
and Information System in Rwanda
Position Title:
Consultancy firm to support the Teacher Management Information System
Level:Expert level ICT Software
Firm
Duration:18 months
Start Date:15/04/2015
Reporting
to:Chief
of Education, UNICEF Rwanda
Re:
Invitation For Expression Of Interest And Request For Information–
Pre-Qualification Of A Consultancy Firm For The Provision Of ICT Support To The
Rwanda Education Board Teacher Management And Information System
1.
Background and Purpose
In collaboration
with the Rwanda Education Board, The United Nations Children’s Fund- UNICEF
seeks to recruit a qualified ICT software firm to further develop the Teacher
Management Information System-TMIS, adding to the range of functions it can
perform, migrating the system to a web-based platform, adding functions among
which are a teacher appraisal system, teacher development system, and updated
software to enable central level, real-time connection to all district offices,
and eventual full operationalization of the system.
3.
Objectives
UNICEF seeks to
recruit an expert level ICT software firm to support further development of the
TMIS and to develop the capacity of Rwanda Education Board staff for effective
usage. By the end of the consultancy, the system should be effectively
operational and REB’s TDM and District level officials should have capacity to
manage the TMIS (user setup, security management, data updates and validation,
security and back up etc., support users and new staff into posts, create
queries, new built-in reporting functions, conduct ad hoc searches of the data,
and train new users at all levels- from central level to district level.
4.
Methodological Approach & Expected Output
This consultancy
will operationalize the TMIS by focusing on 4 main tasks. Task 1 will
be Technical improvements to the system include recoding,migrating the system
to a web-based platform, data cleaning, updating the teacher licensing function
of the system, reconciling TMIS teacher records with other public teacher data,
bug fixing- enhancing the system, upgrading report generation, aligning TMIS
with current teacher polices, and miscellaneous changes and updates that will
be identified by REB as the task progresses. Task 2 will include Added
functionalities among which are, PDF generation, modification of the output –
filtering results by desired categories, enhancing system security against
hacking and possible encryption of the data, provision of the possibility for
web-based registrars to update their data in case of mistakes. Task 3 will
include capacity development of stakeholders to effectively manipulate and
maintain the system through an agreed upon capacity development plan,
establishment of a cohort of staff trained to maintain the system within the
TDM and support departments of REB, development of a complete user manual and
technical documentation on operating the system, development of TOR for TMIS
focal points, mentoring staff during development and implementation,
undertaking joint training and refresher sessions with REB/ TDM staff and with
district staff, carrying out ongoing data quality reviews, provision of
technical support to additional functionalities of TMIS, liaison with Education
for Change-EfC
to facilitate the handover to REB/TDM, which may include preparing a handover
plan, handover of application source codes, building REB capacity to manage the
system and develop longer term systems to continue support to TDM. Task 4will
include support for rollout through, Consultation with DEOs on usability and
support needs, facilitation of refresher training for DEOs on the system
including updates and changes, supporting TDM and districts during operational
roll-out of TMS, responding to any technical or user issues, updating data as
necessary, setting up TDM as technical support to districts including help-desk
management protocols, on-line response systems and FAQs, monitoring issues with
newly introduced functionality, finalization of a help system, FAQs etc. and
complete conversion to new development language. The pre-qualified consultancy
firm will be given detailed Terms of Reference for this task for financial
bidding.
5. Major
Tasks, Deliverables & Timeframe
The table below
gives a list of proposed deliverables, however the actual contract deliverables
and payment schedule will depend on the technical and financial proposal.
TasksDeliverables Timeframe Review
existing TMIS Summary report of capabilities of the current TMIS vis-à-vis
revised teacher management policy and original ToR. Action plan for remedial
tasks on the system with particular focus on requirements for updating of codes
used in developing the system and/or reconstruction. March- May 2015 Added
functionalities to the TMIS Technical improvements on system including software
updates, systems upgrading, data cleaning, recoding, harmonizing TMIS records
with REB/TDM records, bug fixes and other miscellaneous changes and updates
main of which is transferring the system to a web-based platform. June-
December 2015 Capacity development of stakeholders to effectively manipulate
and maintain the system. Train REB/TDM staff on usage and management of the
system.
Train all DEOs and
SEOs on usage of the system to manage teacher data, and to manipulate teacher
data at district and local levels in communication with the central system at
REB. Jan – March 2016 Support for rollout Support ongoing technical and
capacity support to the rollout of the TMIS. Using in-built features of the
system, support full functionality of the system. Submit report with user guide
for TMIS. April- October 2016
7.
Qualifications and Requirements
Applying institutions
must meet the following qualifications:
· 5-10 years of
working experience in software development and data management systems and/or
demonstrated technical expertise in a relevant field.
· Proven technical
expertise in software development and data management and information systems;
experience in the public sector an asset.
· Experience in
Education data systems preferred.
· Proven experience
in working in partnership with governments and in developing the capacity of
national public institutions.
· Significant
technical experience in working specifically with large data and information
systems– both web based and non-web based.
· Capable of
recruiting national and international experts with a high level of relevant
expertise.
· Capable of
organizing and facilitating trainings on data management systems.
· Knowledge of the
Rwandan context an asset.
· Must be legally
certified and registered institution.
Individual experts
to be working on the project with the applying institutions must meet the following
criteria:
· 10+ years of
working experience in software development and data management systems and/or
demonstrated technical expertise in a relevant field.
· Demonstrated
technical expertise and work experience specifically in the development of national
data management systems in the public sector, preferably in education.
· Demonstrated
ability to work productively with government and national systems.
· Fluency and
excellent writing skills in English required.
· Advanced
university degree in software development, information technology, data
management or other relevant areas.
· Knowledge of the
Rwandan context would be an asset.
· Good communication
and advocacy skills.
If possible, the
team of experts should be gender balanced (mixed) and with proven experience on
equity issues. Applications by teams with multidisciplinary skills are
encouraged.
8.
Supervision
In support ofREB/TDM, UNICEF Rwanda
will be responsible for selection of the institution to conduct work described
herein and will administratively supervise the consulting institution.
The consulting
institution will report to UNICEF on all contractual and technical issues and
will work closely with REB on a day today basis.
Qualified
institutions are requested to submit a technical proposal detailing their
relevant experience for this assignment, a description of the institution and
its prior work portfolio, list of portfolio of previous related work,
analytical reports or other documents to demonstrate previous related work and
other relevant documentation of relevant previous assignments, CVs of all
individuals who will work on the project, and a list of two service references.
Only shortlisted
firms will be contacted for the financial and detailed technical proposal.
Please
submit applications to UNICEF Rwanda Human Resources at:rwasupply@unicef.org by 31
March 2015 with subject: Support to the Rwanda Education Board Teacher Management
and Information System – application.
Local
Institutions may also submit hand delivered applications to the UNICEF Rwanda
Office in Kacyiru, Kigali, Rwanda.