[consulting] Fwd: [Allmembers] Consultancy to Develop Virtual Networking Platform

Mon Jan 17 14:22:15 UTC 2011

FYI
Joe Murray, PhD
President, JMA Consulting
joe.murray at jmaconsulting.biz
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416.466.1281

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mary Tangelder <marytangelder at sympatico.ca>
Date: Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 7:35 AM
Subject: [Allmembers] Consultancy to Develop Virtual Networking Platform
To: allmembers at lists.socialinnovation.ca

This may be of interest to some of you. Requires some international travel.

 The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
On behalf of: African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services
(MDTF Grant No. TF095130)

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
TERMS OF REFERENCE
FOR A CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP AN AFAAS VIRTUAL NETWORKING PLATFORM
Ref: 3.3.1

1- BACKGROUND
The African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) is the umbrella
organisation for Agricultural Advisory Services (AAS) in Africa. Its
objective is to create efficient, effective and synergistic linkages and
partnerships between AAS of member countries to improve the delivery of
these services to farmers. It operates within the framework of the Pillar IV
of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP),
which has the objective of enhancing the livelihoods of African farmers and
pastoralists and is spearheaded by the Forum for Agricultural Research in
Africa (FARA). Hence FARA is supporting the institutional development of
AFAAS as well as strengthening its linkages with other umbrella bodies
contributing to CAADP Pillar IV.

Continental in scope, AFAAS operates via Country Fora that bring together a
wide range of actors involved in supporting agricultural development in its
member countries. The Fora provide a mechanism for the diverse actors –
including the farmers - to exchange information, share lessons, identify
opportunities for providing services to each other, and for innovating on
how to provide advisory services in their domains of work. The formation of
the Fora is initiated within the countries. The role of AFAAS is to
facilitate the Fora in the different countries and to ensure the
accessibility of appropriate and up-to-date knowledge on advisory services
from a range of sources within and outside Africa.

At all levels AFAAS is embedded in broader development agendas supported by
very diverse stakeholders and organizations. It is essential for AFAAS that
these stakeholders are linked to one another. AFAAS' role is facilitating
the development and sustaining a network for these stakeholders, and to go
beyond the information flow provided by the website. Therefore, AFAAS plans
to develop a virtual, continent-wide platform in order to ensure that this
information flow leads to an interaction between AFAAS and its stakeholders
so that they can identify issues for collaboration, exchange information,
discuss problems and develop and innovative approaches.

2- OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The objective of this assignment is to design a virtual networking platform
that users and providers of AAS can use for networking and collaborating in
developing innovations that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of AAS.

3- SCOPE OF WORK
a. Conceptualize a virtual networking platform that:
i.Has a blog or discussion forum with capabilities for the discussions being
private or public but with no need to subscribe;
ii.Has capabilities that enable users to post comments, ask questions and
receive responses;
iii.Enables the diverse actors in Country Fora to form social networks and
form virtual communities, and to collaborate in innovating solutions or
approaches for advisory services-related problems.
iv. Is linked to other virtual networking platforms and relevant
institutions AFAAS is working with;
v.Takes into account the fact that various users have different levels of
ICT technological capabilities and competencies. In particular the platform
should have a mobile phone-internet interface;
vi. Is managed at Country Fora level, and monitored and aggregated at
continental level;
b. Use open-source software to develop the platform;
c. Develop a beta version (to be piloted in two countries which are to be
agreed upon with AFAAS Management); based on the results and on user
feedback using an interactive approach, developing the final version;
d. Recommend an appropriate host and organize the hosting;
e. Train selected personnel within AFAAS and the Country Fora who in turn
will ensure that the different stakeholders are enabled to use and manage
the platform, involving the private sector (having an additional incentive
to use the platform for e.g. establishing social enterprises);
f. Integrate a monitoring system of the platform for the use and relevance
of the platform;
g. Develop a manual for using the virtual social networking platform.

4- METHODOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGIES
All the relevant Web 2 platform development technologies, principles and
standards will be used to ensure an attractive and accessible networking
platform. The technological requirements have to include elements of a
social network, a marketplace, an information aggregator and a collaboration
system. In choosing the methods and technologies for developing these
functionalities, the developers would, to the maximum extent possible, be
expected to use open source software. The developer are also expected to be
innovative in adding functionalities that allow rural users in the African
setting to engage in the network using the information and communication
technologies available to them most notably mobile telephones.

5- OUTPUTS OF THE ASSIGNMENT
a. A functional virtual networking platform;
b. Trained users (in the AFAAS Secretariat and in the Country Fora);
c. Manual for using the virtual networking platform.

6- QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
a. A firm with a profile that shows technical capability in software
development;
b. At least 5 years of experience in developing software, including the use
of web2 technologies;
c. Extensive experience in developing virtual networking platforms with
social networking capabilities, appropriate for the conditions in Africa.

7- REPORTING AND DELIVERABLES
The Consultant shall report to the AFAAS Management Consultant/ ED.

8- DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT
80 days (approximately: 50 days for the development of the platform, 25 days
for piloting the platform in two countries and train the users, 5 days for
writing the user manual), to be agreed upon with AFAAS Management. The work
can be spread, on an agreed schedule with finalization latest by May 2011.

9- APPLICATIONS
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) now invites eligible
consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested
consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to
perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments,
experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among
staff, etc.).
A consulting firm will be selected under the Quality and Cost Based
Selection method in accordance with the procedures set out in the World
Bank's Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank
Borrowers, (May 2004 revised May 2006 and May 2010).
Deadline for the submission of expressions of interest: 15 days from the day
of publication of this advert. They should be addressed to:

Prof. Monty P. Jones
Executive Director
FARA
PMB CT 173, Cantonments
Accra, Ghana
Email: afaas at fara-africa.org <afaas%40fara-africa.org>;
Fax: +233 0302 773676

In case further information is needed, you may contact AFAAS directly:
Dr. Dan Kisauzi Management Consultant
Email: dankisauzi at nida.or.ug <dankisauzi%40nida.or.ug>
4

 __._,_.____,_._,___

    Mary Tangelder
Spire Consulting

tel: (1) 416.476.1901
fax: (1) 416.979.3936
skype: Mary Tangelder
email: marytangelder at sympatico.ca

Spire has a home at the Centre for Social Innovation
http://socialinnovation.ca/

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