Upgrade of AU-IBAR Website

Background

The African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) is a specialized technical Office of the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) of the African Union Commission (AUC). AU-IBAR’s mandate is to support and coordinate the utilization of livestock, fisheries and wildlife as a resource for both human wellbeing and economic development in the Member States of the African Union (AU). The mission of AU-IBAR is to provide leadership in the development of animal resources in Africa through supporting and empowering AU Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

AU-IBAR maintains its website to provide information about its vision, mission, objectives, activities, projects, opportunities, publications, events and news. The website also serves as a platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration and communication among various stakeholders involved in animal resources development in Africa. A need has arisen to upgrade the AU-IBAR website in order to enhance its security; increase traffic and conversion; improve user experience; staying relevant to market demands and stakeholder feedback; develop a better site structure and send a positive message to stakeholders and partners through a new design that reflects AU-IBAR’s brand identity and values.

AU-IBAR therefore seeks the services of a professional web design firm that has a combination of technical, artistic, and soft skills to upgrade its existing website. The website upgrade and development services for the AU-IBAR Website will focus on enhancing visibility of AU-IBAR Projects and outcomes, and associated work being undertaken by key stakeholders, such as work pertaining to the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Centres of Excellence, and Non-State Actors.

Aim

Enhance the visibility of AU-IBAR’s mandate and Projects through the upgrade of its current website.

Objectives

• Strengthen usability efforts of the AU-IBAR Institutional website among stakeholders
• Act as a primary source of information and one-stop shop to the public about AU-IBAR and its interventions.
• Strengthen the role of AU-IBAR as a broker of knowledge through clearer visibility on its research and knowledge outputs and daily activities.
• Promote AU-IBAR’s and Project brands that create impression of the institution and help build trust with stakeholders.

Consultancy Timeline and budget

The assignment is to be undertaken over a 90-day period. The selected firm should be available to undertake this assignment as soon as the contract is signed.

The total fees payable for the services under the contract shall be US$ 6,000 which is inclusive of all costs, levies and taxes.

Supervision and Reporting

The web development firm will be under the direct supervision of the Senior Knowledge Management Officer and the Webmaster.

A working team among AU-IBAR staff will be established to ensure dialogue, feedback and reporting from the initiation stage to the prototyping stage of the website.

Tasks

The assignment will entail undertaking four distinct tasks, notably:

Initiation

The web development firm will be expected to participate in an initiation meeting with AU-IBAR prior to commencement of the assignment to discuss the existing website content management modalities. This will involve obtaining further information about the website’s objectives, target audience, content strategy, content creation and existing navigation structure, content editing, content approval, content publishing, content maintenance, and content governance in place.

Development of Navigation Outlines

The web development firm will be expected to design sketches or navigation outlines of the website’s structure and layout to demonstrate means of the proposed website’s functionality, navigation, and user interface.

Redesign and Development

The web development firm are expected to be involved in the full range of tasks associated with technical, security and creative development aspects using Drupal 10; such as customised theme as per AU-IBAR’s specifications; Creating content types (such as articles, blog posts, knowledge products, events, etc.) with fields, labels, formats, and validations as agreed with AU-IBAR; Creating views to display content in different ways, such as lists, grids, tables, slideshows, etc.; and integration to existing AU-IBAR information tools and social media profiles, and Demonstrating how content maybe added to various modules to a select number of AU-IBAR staff.

Prototyping, Transfer and Handover

A working prototype will be presented to AU-IBAR to test and evaluate the website’s usability, performance, and user experience.

Expected Outputs/ Deliverables

The expected outputs or deliverables of a web design consultancy will be limited to the following scope:

1. Creative brief: That summarizes the assignments goals, objectives, audience, scope, and timeline. It will serve as an overview and a guide for both AU-IBAR and the web development firm.
2. Wireframes: Wireframes/sketches or navigation outlines of the website’s structure and layout. The firm will be expected to show how the content and elements will be arranged on each page, without focusing on the visual details. This will help to demonstrate the website’s functionality, navigation, and user interface. *The brief and navigation outline will be developed after the initiation meeting.
3. Mockups: Provide visual representations of the website’s appearance and style. This will provide an illustration of how the website will look like with colors, fonts, images, logos, and other graphics. This will further help to convey the website’s mood, tone, and branding.
4. Prototype: Provide a working model of the website that simulates its interactivity and behaviour. It will show how the website will respond to user actions, such as clicking, scrolling, or filling out forms.
5. Final product: The final product will be the completed and polished website that meets the client’s requirements and expectations. This will be the result of applying feedback and revisions to the previous deliverables.
6. Consultancy Report: A report to document the activities of the assignment, including suggestions and recommendation that would enhance SEO and maintenance.

Requirements

The prospective firm and associated staffing are expected to have the following credentials:

Pre-qualifying

1. Accessibility and proximity of the web design firm to enable easier interaction with AU-IBAR (Local Based)
2. Registered company of at least 7 years of proven experience in web designing for clients involved in sustainable development.

General Experience of the Firm

1. A strong portfolio of web design projects that showcase the firm’s skills and creativity. The portfolio should include examples of websites that have been worked on, and details on which aspects of each project the firm has contributed to.
2. Experience working with international governmental organisations is highly desirable.
3. Adherence to timelines.

Staff Qualifications and Skills

1. Staff composition with a mix of qualifications at higher diploma or degree level in a related-fields, such as web design/ information science, graphic design, or computer science/ Information Systems.
2. Staff with proficiency in Open Source Content Management Systems
3. Staff with proficiency in graphic design software, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or XD, Adobe After Effects, Adobe XD, Figma, and other visual design tools to create mockups and graphics for websites.
4. Good experience in user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, which involves creating layouts, navigation, menus, buttons, and other graphics that are intuitive and appealing for users.
5. Familiarity with search engine optimization (SEO) principles, to ensure the AU-IBAR website is optimized through relevant keywords, speed, and credibility to rank higher on search engines.

Specific Professional Experience

1. Knowledge of Twig Drupal template engine.
2. Experience in using Drupal Page builder like Gavias or DXPR
3. Experience in multilingual websites development and design
4. Familiarity with the Drupal user interface, such as the toolbar, dashboard, content types, modules, blocks, and layout builder.
5. Ability to customize the appearance and functionality of Drupal websites using themes, modules, and blocks.
6. Proficiency in web design graphic software, such as
7. Skills in web development languages, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP, to modify Drupal themes.

Other Skills and Competencies

• Communication skills: The staff members of the firm require good communication skills, which will enable them to work with AU-IBAR staff. Communication skills will also involve giving feedback effectively.
• Collaboration skills: The staff members of the firm require to have good collaboration skills, which will enable them to work in teams and coordinate with a diverse of professionals. Collaboration skills will involve sharing ideas, respecting opinions, meeting deadlines, and following guidelines as provided by AU-IBAR to enable the firm to work with AU-IBAR staff in meeting the requirements and expectations.
• Language: Working knowledge of English is a must. Knowledge of knowledge would be advantageous.

Selection Process

The proposals received will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Criteria Scores

Pre-qualifying 5%

General Experience of the Firm 20%

Staff qualifications and skills 30%

Specific Professional Experience 30%

Other skills and competencies 10%

Working language(s) 5%