Portal developer

1. Objectives and desired results

 

1. 1. General objective

       The Civil Service Board (CSB) seeks to establish a modern, user-friendly, and secure portal to enhance its online presence. The portal will serve as a critical platform for disseminating statistical information, reports, and resources to the public, businesses, public entities, and other stakeholders.

1. 1. Specific objectives

• • Promoting CSB leading role in the Lebanese public administration
  • Providing an easy-to-navigate modern Web Portal.
  • Ensuring Portal security and scalability.
  • Managing via an Open-Source CMS: Drupal or WordPress with preference yet not mandatory for Drupal based proposals.
  • Allowing CSB Team to independently manage and update specific content.

1. 1. Anticipated results

Delivery of the required needed Portal by April 30, 2025.

 

 

1. Technical Requirements

 

1. 1. Scope of Work

The selected provider will be responsible for:

• Conducting requirements analysis and documenting functional and technical specifications.
• Developing a responsive multilingual web portal with intuitive user interface as depicted in the UI/UX wireframes. The wireframes were developed by an independent UI/UX Expert and are available in Figma format for the selected provider thus providing an UI/UX services is strictly out of this TOR scope and deliverables.
• The supported languages are Arabic (as the default portal language), English and French thus the portal should be delivered conforming to these languages.
• Providing full-fledged CMS implementation for all pages, in the 3 proposed languages as defined in the annex 1 supporting document entitled “Annex 1 -CSB Sitemap”
• Creating an HTML-based template that utilizes the same assets (CSS, JS, and others) as the CMS template. This template will be provided to the CSB Team, who will use it to develop dynamic pages.
• Coordinating with the CSB Team to integrate the pages they develop into the portal. Integration will focus on ensuring that the portal menus include accurate links to the CSB-developed sections.
• Installing the Portal at CSB chose hosting provider along and configuring the hosting environment for proper functioning of the portal. The successful provider will be shadowed by CSB Team during installation with no liability or action from CSB Team.
• CMS implementation should cover the pages defined in annex 1 supporting document entitled “Annex 1 -CSB Sitemap” in the 3 proposed languages (Arabic, French and English) seamlessly.
• Providing Content Management System (CMS) training sessions, documentation and user support.
• Providing detailed documentation for CSB Team possible installation at a different hosting site.
• Optimizing the Portal for search engines.
• Offering ongoing maintenance and support services post-implementation for 2 years including proposed CMS regular updates and community support conforming to the suggested below SLA.

 

1. 1. CMS Requirements

 

Proposals involving custom-built content management systems (CMS) will not be considered. Only established, open-source CMS platforms such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, or similar widely supported solutions are acceptable. As outlined above, our preference leans toward Drupal-based submissions; however, we remain open to other options provided they meet the requirements.

 

                         General Requirements

• • • • User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive dashboard with minimal learning curve for non-technical users.
      • Multi-Site Capability: Manage multiple websites or microsites from a single CMS. (Desirable but not mandatory)
      • Cross-Browser Compatibility: Ensure full functionality across all major browsers (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
      • Multitenancy Support: Ability to host multiple tenants (if needed) with isolated data. (Desirable but not mandatory)

 

Content Creation and Editing

• • • • Rich Text Editor: Support for bold, italic, headers, and lists. Hyperlinking with no-follow options for SEO purposes.
      • Inline Editing: Make content changes directly on the page layout.
      • Dynamic Content Blocks: Pre-designed content blocks that can be reused across multiple pages.
      • Template Management: Ability to create and manage custom page templates.
      • Preview Mode: Real-time previews to see how content appears across devices (desktop, tablet, mobile).
      • Autosave and Draft Mode: Automatically save content during editing to avoid data loss.

Content Management

• • • • Hierarchy Management: Organize content in a tree structure for better navigation (e.g., parent-child pages).
      • Archiving: Automatic or manual archiving of old content, with retention periods.
      • Content Expiry: Set expiration dates for specific pages or assets, triggering alerts or automatic removal.
      • Tagging System: Customizable tags for organizing content by topics, authors, dates, etc.
      • Advanced Search and Indexing: Full-text search with keyword suggestions, support for synonyms and stemming.
      • Bulk Content Management: Bulk uploading, editing, and publishing features for large-scale operations.

 

User Roles and Permissions

• • • • Granular Permissions: Define permissions at module, page, or section level.
      • Approval Workflow: Create multi-step workflows (e.g., draft, review, approve, publish). Notifications for pending tasks.
      • Activity Monitoring: Track changes by users with timestamps. Alerts for unauthorized access attempts.

 

Integration and Extensibility

• • • • Social Media Feeds: Embed live social media feeds or automated sharing features.
      • Headless CMS Capabilities: Support for headless architecture using REST or GraphQL APIs.

 

Performance and Security

• • • • Caching: Support for server-side and client-side caching. Integration with CDNs like Cloudflare or Akamai.
      • Scalability Features: Auto-scaling support for high traffic, load balancing across servers.
      • Data Protection: Encryption for data at rest and in transit (e.g., TLS/SSL).
      • Compliance Features: Cookie consent management, audit trails for legal and compliance reviews.

 

SEO and Marketing

• • • • SEO-Friendly URLs: Automatically generate and edit clean, descriptive URLs.
      • Metadata Management: Title, description, and keywords per page. OG (Open Graph) tags for social media sharing.
      • Redirect Management: Easy 301 and 302 redirect setups.
      • Heatmaps and Behavior Analytics: Monitor user behavior on pages to optimize content placement.

 

Compliance and Accessibility

• • • • Accessibility Testing Tools: Check for color contrast, ARIA labels, and keyboard navigation.
      • Localization: Right-to-left (RTL) language support.

 

 

• 1. Testing and Quality Assurance
• Conduct comprehensive testing to ensure all CMS features and functionalities are working as intended.
• Perform cross-browser testing to ensure compatibility across different web browsers.
• Test the website for performance, security, and accessibility.

 

1. 1. Agile Methodology and Sprint Delivery requirements

                            CSB requires the selected provider to utilize Agile methodology for the development and delivery of the analytics dashboard project. Agile methodology promotes iterative development, collaboration, and flexibility, allowing for rapid adaptation to changing requirements and stakeholder feedback. Additionally, the provider is expected to adhere to a two-week sprint delivery cycle, where each sprint spans a duration of two weeks. This approach enables incremental delivery of functionality, early validation of features, and continuous improvement throughout the project lifecycle.

 

Agile Methodology Implementation

The provider shall adopt Agile principles, practices, and processes for the development, delivery, and maintenance of the Portal with all its features.

Stakeholder involvement and feedback shall be solicited throughout the development process to ensure alignment with business objectives and user needs.

 

Two-Week Sprint Delivery

        The provider shall commit to a two-week sprint delivery cycle, with each sprint comprising planning, development, testing, and review activities.

        Sprint planning sessions shall be conducted at the beginning of each sprint to select and prioritize user stories or features for implementation.

        The development team shall deliver a demonstrable increment of functionality at the end of each sprint, adhering to the agreed-upon scope and acceptance criteria.

 

1. 1. Portal Development Timeline

The following timeline serves as a guideline for the development and delivery of the CSB portal. The project will be executed in defined phases to ensure adherence to quality standards and timely completion. Providers are expected to adhere to this timeline while maintaining flexibility for minor adjustments as required by portal development dynamics.

 

Phase

Timeline

Discovery and Planning

Week 1–2

Development Setup

Week 3–4

Backend & Front-end Development

Week 5–8

Quality Assurance (QA)

Week 9

Training & Content Finalization

Week 10–11

Deployment and Launch

Week 12

 

 

1. 1. Project Plan 

As part of the technical proposal submission, we require the selected provider to include a detailed project plan outlining the approach, timeline, milestones, and deliverables for the development of the portal. The project plan serves as a roadmap for project execution, providing clarity on project scope, resource allocation, and project dependencies. The following requirements apply to the submission of the project plan.

Comprehensive Overview

•     The project plan should provide a comprehensive overview of the project, including the objectives, scope, and high-level requirements.

•     It shall outline the proposed solution architecture, technologies, and methodologies to be used in developing the analytics dashboard

Timeline and Milestones

•     The project plan shall include a detailed timeline with specific milestones, deliverables, and dependencies identified for each phase of the project.

•     Milestones should align with key project activities such as requirements gathering, design, development, testing, deployment, and training.

Resource Allocation

•     The project plan shall specify the resources required for each project phase, including personnel, hardware, software, and any other necessary resources.

•     It shall identify roles and responsibilities for project team members, stakeholders, and any external parties involved in the project.

Risk Management

•     The project plan shall address risk management strategies, including identification, assessment, mitigation, and contingency planning for potential risks and challenges.

•     It shall outline procedures for monitoring and addressing risks throughout the project lifecycle.

Communication and Reporting

•     The project plan shall define communication channels, frequency of communication, and reporting mechanisms for project updates, progress tracking, and issue resolution.

•     It shall identify key stakeholders and their respective roles in project communication and decision-making processes.

 

 

Change Management

•     The project plan shall include a change management process to address scope changes, requirements modifications, and any deviations from the original project plan.

•     It shall outline procedures for documenting, assessing, and implementing changes while minimizing disruption to project timelines and objectives.

Submission Requirement

•     The provider shall submit the detailed project plan as part of the technical proposal, providing sufficient detail and clarity to demonstrate the feasibility and viability of the proposed solution.

•     The project plan shall be reviewed and evaluated by the evaluation committee to ensure alignment with project objectives, requirements, and timelines.

 

1. 1. Staging Environment

The selected provider should provide, during the portal development, an accessible by URL staging environment thus ensuring the seamless deployment and quality assurance of the CSB web portal before it goes live. The staging environment will serve as a replica of the production environment where the steering committee can thoroughly test and validate developed features, updates, and configurations in a controlled setting.

 

1. 1. Hosting deployment

 The expected hosting package will be Microsoft Windows based VPS hosted by OGERO; the selected provider is expected to:

• Set up the CMS environment, including server configuration, database setup and any other necessary configurations.

 

1. 1. Out of Scope

The following are considered out of scope of this TOR and are not required nor desired:

• Providing a hosting plan.
• Hosting specific services namely backup and Disaster recovery.
• Domain name management includes registration and DNS services.
• Email hosting services.
• Pages content creation and population.
• Professional translation services for creating and maintaining multilingual versions of the website. This responsibility will lie with the CSB Team if multilingual support is required.
• Providing direct support to end-users of the portal, such as responding to inquiries or providing helpdesk services for portal’s visitors.
• Social Media campaigns, plans or packages.

 

 

1. TOR Management

 

1. 1. Governance

A project steering committee, comprising representatives from relevant departments and stakeholders, will oversee the project's progress and provide guidance thus regular progress updates and reports will be presented to the steering committee for review and decision-making. Successful provider will be required to submit bi-monthly reports on the development advancement and make sure the staging environment is always up to date with the latest phases releases.

 

1. 1. Evaluation Criteria

The best value for money is established by weighing technical quality against price on a 60/40 basis. The quality of each technical and financial offer will be evaluated in accordance with the following award criteria and the weighting:

 

CRITERIA

WEIGHTS

Technical requirements & experience

60

Provider Experience & References

(25)

Technical proposal detailing proposed CMS, technology stack and the development milestones

(25)

Proposed delivery timeline

(10)

Price (including TCO)

40

 

Submissions will be appraised and given a score of up to 100 points according to these criteria.

 

NB:

• Only submissions with scores of at least 45 points on technical evaluation qualify for the financial evaluation.
• No other award criteria will be used. The award criteria will be examined in accordance with the requirements indicated in the Terms of Reference.

 

1. 1. Confidentiality

The entire evaluation procedure is confidential, subject to Expertise France’s legislation on access to documents. The Evaluation Committee’s decisions are collective, and its deliberations are held in closed session. The members of the Evaluation Committee are bound to secrecy. The evaluation reports and written records are for official use only and may be communicated neither to the tenderers nor to any party other than Expertise France.

 

• 1. Disqualification criteria
• Incomplete Proposals: Proposals that do not fully address all the requirements outlined in the Terms of Reference (TOR), including both technical and financial aspects, will be rejected.
• Lack of Understanding: Proposals that demonstrate a lack of understanding of the project’s objectives, scope, and deliverables.
• Insufficient Experience: Service providers that do not have proven experience in developing websites using Open-Source CMS platforms such as Drupal or WordPress.
• Lack of Relevant Portfolio: Proposals lacking a portfolio of similar projects or case studies that demonstrate the provider’s capability to deliver a project of this nature and scale.
• Inadequate Technical Solutions: Proposals offering solutions that do not meet technical specifications, such as CMS requirements, security, scalability, or performance requirements.
• Non-Compliance with Hosting Requirements: Proposals that do not include adequate hosting deployment strategies, OS Environment, security measures, or performance optimization as outlined in the TOR.
• Failure to Address CMS Integration: Proposals that fail to adequately address the integration of an Open-Source CMS for the management of the designated section of the website.
• Inadequate Project Management Plan: Proposals that do not include a robust project management approach, including clear milestones, deliverables, and quality assurance processes.
• Insufficient Post-Launch Support: Proposals that do not offer adequate post-launch support, training, and maintenance, particularly during the critical transition period after the website goes live.
• Inadequate Training Provisions: Proposals that fail to include a comprehensive training plan for CSB personnel on managing the CMS and sections of the website.

 

1. Maintenance and Support

 

1. 1. Service Level Support

The provider shall describe the support procedures that are to be during & followed the end of the Warranty period, according to the below table summarizing the levels of severity and corresponding Response/Resolution times

 

Level of urgency & specification

Response time

Priority A

Failure of CMS software that causes service interruption

within 4-6 hours

Priority B

Error or problem that has caused loss of some functionality and/or may lead to service interruption

Within 1-2 Business days

 

Priority C

Problem during live operation that is clearly due to faulty behaviour; problem that shall have a long-term effect on production, although it shall not lead to immediate service failure

Less than 2-3 Business days

Priority D

Technical Queries from the Customer not related to a System fault and not affecting the operation and functionality of the system

Within 2-3 business days