Expression of Interest For Consulting Firm (National) (Lump-Sump)

Expression of Interest are invited for Consulting Firm (National) (Lump-Sump) Title Of Service: Selection of Consulting Firm for Development of a Portal-based Information Management, Monitoring, and Reporting Mechanism for the EARN Project Brief Description of Assignment: 1. The Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Economic Acceleration and Resilience for NEET (EARN) Project (P178077). In alignment with the Financing Agreement (FA) between the International Development Association (IDA) and the Government of Bangladesh (GoB), a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been established between the Department of Youth Development (DYD) and the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) to ensure robust Management Information System (MIS) support for the EARN project. LGED will select a consulting firm for the development of a portal-based information management, monitoring, and reporting mechanism for the EARN project. 2. The consulting services (the Services) will include, but not be limited to, the following tasks: a) Design, develop, deploy, and maintain an innovative, robust, secure, and flexible app-based tool along with a web-based portal following the Microservice Architecture. These systems will capture and analyze records of the project beneficiaries, including data collection, input validation, authorization and authentication controls, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, feedback channels, and real-time report generation. b) Implement a centralized Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication gateway to enable users to access the web portal and mobile applications using unique credentials. c) Design and develop multiple mobile applications to facilitate Household Survey data collection and internal monitoring. These applications will include features for collecting and managing biometric attendance data, center visitation records, and other relevant information to enhance operational efficiency and the projects data collection objectives. d) Design, develop, and manage a centralized database system that consolidates data collected from the web and mobile applications across various modules and services. e) Develop a comprehensive platform/framework to enable seamless integration of various software, applications, and services associated with the EARN project and external services as needed. The platform should support integration with external services such as the NID and Birth Registration Number (BRN) databases for beneficiary authentication, Mobile Financial Services (MFS) for disbursement, SMS Gateway for communication, Google Maps for geolocation, and other relevant systems. f) Develop and implement RESTful APIs using ASP.NET Core to exchange critical event data with client applications. These APIs should be registered with an API gateway, and the clients should be authenticated through an identity server. g) Outline the prerequisites for hosting the applications within the Bangladesh Governments National Data Centre (NDC) and provide ongoing technical support to ensure adherence to quality standards throughout the hosting period. h) Ensure the instant and modular expansion of cloud computing resources, supported by a dedicated resource control and configuration panel. i) Develop comprehensive training materials for web and mobile application users and conduct a Training of Trainers (TOT) program for officials from the Project Management Unit (PMU), EARN MIS Support Cell (EMSC), and other key project stakeholders. j) Maintain strict adherence to data protection policies as per Section 26 of the Digital Security Act, 2018. k) Facilitate the handover of the system to the EMSC, LGED upon the successful completion of development, deployment, and operational phases. This includes transferring all necessary technical documentation for system maintenance and comprehension. l) Provide extensive post-development/maintenance support for a period of twelve (12) months following the development phase." Experience, Resources and Delivery Capacity Required: "3. The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) invites eligible consulting firms (Consultants) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. Eligible Consultants means any Information Technology (IT) or Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) or software development industry duly recognized as a registered company/entity within Bangladesh, having a minimum of ten (10) years of operational experience and/or Joint Venture (JV) of any of the entities mentioned above. The shortlisting of the Consultants will be contingent upon a set of criteria encompassing factors such as the firms relevance to the scope of work, relevant experience, portfolio size, outreach capabilities, etc. Interested organizations/agencies must meet the following eligibility criteria to be shortlisted: i. Relevant Experience: a) In the case of a Single Entity, the agency/firm should have- Demonstrated experience in the design, development, and maintenance of a minimum of five (5) web-based applications, including at least one (1) national-level MIS or equivalent project for the Government of Bangladesh, serving a substantial user base and completed within the last seven (7) years. Submission of completion certificates and accessible links to the applications is mandatory. Proven track record in the design, development, and maintenance of at least one (1) mobile application for the government of Bangladesh, featuring data encryption and secure communication protocols, completed within the last seven (7) years. Evidence through completion certificates and links to the applications is essential. b) In the case of JV, the Lead Partner should have the above skill set. The total number of Partners in the JV shall be at most three (3), including the Lead Partner, and each must have at least five (5) years of experience in the software development industry and be recognized as a registered company/entity within Bangladesh. c) In a JV scenario, each non-Lead Partner must exhibit involvement in at least two (2) web-based and one (1) mobile application projects either for the Government of Bangladesh, the private sector, or any international development partner within the past three (3) years. Evidence must include completion certificates and links to the applications. d) The Single Entity or the Lead JV Partner must have demonstrable experience in software development, adhere to the compatibility standards set by the Software Quality Testing and Certification (SQTC) Centre, and be certified by the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC). Proposals must accompany the relevant BCC certifications as part of the submission. e) The Single Entity or the Lead JV Partner should have prior experience developing software for donor-funded projects. Supporting documentation to verify such experience is required with the proposal. ii. Technical and Managerial Capability: a) Operational Office: The Single Entity or the Lead JV Partner must maintain a fully functional office in Dhaka, equipped with a ready-to-use testing environment and facilities demonstrating the companys expertise, operational strength, and capacity to manage the project. b) Certification Standards: The Single Entity or the Lead JV Partner must possess, at a minimum, CMMI Level 3 certification, along with ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications. Proposals must include copies of these certifications as part of the submission. c) Project Management Experience: The Single Entity or the Lead JV Partner should have a proven track record of managing at least one (1) web/mobile-based application development project in the last three (3) years, with a contract value of no less than BDT five (5) crore for the Government of Bangladesh, the Private Sector or any international development partner. Relevant documentation of ongoing, completed, or performance-certified projects must be provided. d) Financial Turnover: The applicants must demonstrate a minimum average annual financial turnover of BDT five (5) crore over the past three (3) years, substantiated by an audit report from a recognized auditing firm. e) Human Resources (HR): The applicants should have at least two hundred (200) full-time ICT professionals on the company payroll, skilled in system analysis, design, development, integration, testing, quality assurance, training, and deployment of web and mobile-based applications. In the case of JV, combined ICT HR will be considered. Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage." Other Details (if applicable): "Regional/Country Experience : Bangladesh. Date of Commencement : April 2025. Assignment Period : From April 2025 to April 2027 (24 months). 4. The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment and the Prescribed Format for Submission of EOI (Form-A) can be found at the following website/link: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AjmGAViAcP0Sh6osGB1Y096PWEdo1g?e=tvMcuy 5. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Banks Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers (July 2016, revised in November 2020) (Procurement Regulations), which sets forth the World Banks policy on conflict of interest. 6. Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should clearly indicate whether the association is in the form of a Joint Venture and/or a Sub-Consultancy. In the case of a Joint Venture, all the partners in the Joint Venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract if selected. 7. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) Method described in the Procurement Regulations Tender Link : http://cptu.gov.bd/advertisement-services/details-8978.html