Consultancy for the Development of Childfund Africa Websites Contract

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

• Developing up to 9 websites, on WordPress, prioritize user experience by creating a visually appealing website that’s easy for visitors to navigate and engage with.
• Mobile Optimization, make sure that the website is fully responsive and optimized for devices especially considering the growing use of smartphones for browsing.
• Ensure security all security aspects are embedded in website.
• Provide a prototype for user testing and acceptance before going live.
• Provide onsite training to the ChildFund staff and system administrators to perform content upload, system maintenance, and administration.
• Support and maintenance: Administrative and technical support, and quality control for a period of 3 months after the website is launched.
• Source code handover: Full source code including all developed libraries shall be handed over to the ChildFund Kenya IT and Communications staff.
• Prioritize user experience by creating a visually appealing website that’s easy for visitors to navigate and engage with.

CONTENT

• ChildFund will be responsible for providing all content required for the website.

WORK SETTING

• The work setting for the assignment will include different aspects:
• Timing and duration of the assignment
• The duration of the contract will be 15 months, and the expected starting date is 3rd February 2025. The development of the sites should be completed within 15 months starting from the contract’s signing date.
• Briefing/debriefing arrangements
• first meeting call will be scheduled to brief the firm on the background information to develop each of the requested deliverables.
• Reporting relationships and identification of responsibility for assessment of the services/outputs
• The company will work in close consultation and under the supervision of ChildFund’s communications team and IT Officer. The ChildFund communications and IT team will assess the services and outputs of the firm. This will include weekly and bi-weekly catch-up meetings as agreed by both parties.

WORK PLAN DELIVERABLES

• New ChildFund websites
•  Following ChildFund’s branding guidelines, design new websites capturing the different functionalities outlined in this TOR.
• Ensure a consistent visual language on the new website by introducing fixed styles in templates ensuring consistency in fonts, formatting, icons, images, and layout techniques.
• The exciting and interactive feel should be adapted to all pages including the homepage, sections, subsections and the following components of the site: article template, resource, project and programs pages, webpage template, publication/guidance webpage template etc.
• Standard page elements including header, footer, tabs, persistent navigation, contact us, email and page print options should be included in the new templates.
• The new templates should guarantee that most recent content on the site is captured automatically in the homepage in an organised way following specific categories, tags or other custom taxonomies.
• All section and subsection webpages should incorporate functionalities to guarantee the latest information on that section and sub-section is displayed (news, resources, publication/guidance, country stories, and events).
• Functionalities to include
• Add feed links;
• Responsive design;
• Social media integration—including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram share by text selection and handles.
• Multiple page styles and custom post types;
• Search function by news, type of publication/guidance, type of resource, events, county and issue;
• Search resources by free text;
• Interactive map;
• Contact forms and Signup for latest updates/news;
• Search and Site Map Design: design an easy-to-navigate site map for the website to make it easy and convenient for users to find information and articles within the site.
• Link the site with other platforms such as www.childfund.org, www.chilfundalliance.org
• Search Engine & Content Optimization: The consultant shall optimize the site using ChildFund’s keywords, phrases & tags relevant to your target audience for higher rankings on search engines and for faster loading to give the visitor a better viewing experience.
• Document Download management and Online Forms: design feedback, contact and request forms. This includes implementing a captcha system to reduce spam and unwanted email messages and for use in the collection of information, feedback and inquiries.
• Payment features for fundraising: PCI Compliance/GDPR Compliance, Payment gateway such as Bank, etc

WEBSITE HOSTING

• The consultant shall also support the provision of these services:
• Domain name registration.
• Webserver hosting through identified local hosting providers.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

• Develop a user manual and deliver training for the ChildFund communications and IT staff to perform content upload, system maintenance, and administration.

SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE

• Support and maintenance: Administrative and technical support for 3 months.
• Source code handover
• Full source code including all developed libraries shall be handed over to ChildFund Communications and IT staff.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• The vendor should demonstrate and provide examples of previous experience in the performance of similar services as follows:
• Be a reputable individual or firm with at least 5 years of prior experience designing visually appealing and navigation-friendly websites for NGOs;
• Familiarity and relevant experience in using different Content Management Systems (CMS), particularly WordPress.
• Have a broad knowledge of current web development technologies and design tools in the field, and new software and other web programming languages and programs including use of HTML, XHTML, CSS, XML, XSLT, Macromedia Flash, Java;
•  Have excellent knowledge of recent trends in graphic design, websites, including online video publishing, and social media networking;
• Demonstrate the ability to create innovative and visually appealing web designs.