Development of Interactive Municipal Websites

1.  Entity Background

About Smart Municipality Academy (SMA),

At SMA, our vision of "Empowering Lebanon: A Vision of Sovereign Governance and Strong Local Communities" guides our mission to advocate for sovereign, strong, and fair governance at the national level, simultaneously empowering and strengthening local communities. Our commitment to inclusivity, reflected in initiatives like an interactive website, training programs, and educational sessions, actively involves youth, persons with disabilities, women, and the elderly.

Our objectives encompass a broad spectrum, from promoting sovereign governance and strengthening local communities to advocating for fairness and justice, capacity building, public awareness, municipal empowerment, community-centric governance, citizenship, inclusivity, civic engagement initiatives, local initiatives development, transparency, and fighting corruption.

2. Project Background

ATM project brief

Implemented under the BINA’ project sub-grants, funded by the European Union and managed by the Transparency International (TI) Secretariat and TI-Lebanon, the ATM (Accountable and Transparent Municipalities) project aims to empower civil society actors to play an active role in enhancing governance, accountability, and transparency in Lebanon. The main objective of ATM is to foster engagement between citizens and their municipalities regarding local government issues.

ATM is a comprehensive initiative designed to strengthen governance, transparency, citizen engagement, and digital transformation across various regions of Lebanon. This multifaceted project includes two key components: developing interactive websites for three municipalities and facilitating targeted workshops, including training and roundtable sessions.

3. Scope of Work

SMA is seeking a website developer for  3 online platforms facilitating interaction among municipalities, residents, and stakeholders.

Duration:

The duration is 5 months, starting 10th of August 2024.

The platform encompasses key features such as:

• User Authentication and Profiles:
  • Secure user authentication for municipalities, local societies, and citizens.
  • Individualized profiles for users with relevant access permissions
• Engagement Modules:
  • Municipal Dashboard:

• Streamlined interface for municipal authorities to disseminate information.
• Notification system for important updates and announcements.
• Integration with multimedia content to enhance communication.
  • Local Society Pages:
• Dedicated pages for each local society to showcase services and publications.
•  Customizable profile sections for local societies to highlight their mission, events, and achievements.
• Document repository for sharing publications and resources.
• Mechanism for citizens to request a query, raise an issue, and to provide feedback on municipal services and projects.
• Anonymous feedback option for sensitive matters.
• Integration with multimedia content to enhance communication.
  • Citizen Feedback:
• Each citizen user is attached to a specific and single municipality.
• Mechanism for citizens to request a query, raise an issue, and to provide feedback on municipal services and projects.
• Anonymous feedback option for sensitive matters.
  • Interaction with Municipality:
• Raise Queries:

• Citizens or local societies can submit queries to the municipality through the platform.
• Trackable status updates on submitted queries.

• Escalations:

• Mechanism for escalating issues or concerns to the municipality or the union municipalities as the higher authority.

• Proposal Submission:

• Citizens or local societies can submit proposals for community projects or initiatives.

• Additional Platform Services:
  • Agenda:

• Comprehensive agenda feature highlighting upcoming events, municipal meetings, and community gatherings.
• Integration with the event calendar for a unified view of civic activities.
  • Touristic Maps:
• Interactive maps showcasing local points of interest, historical sites, and tourist attractions.
• Layers for different categories of places to facilitate exploration.
  • Tenders:
• Section dedicated to displaying and managing tenders related to municipal projects.
• Detailed information on tender specifications, submission deadlines, and relevant documentation.
  • Media Hub:
• Centralized repository for multimedia content related to municipal and local society activities.
• Galleries, videos to provide a visual and auditory perspective on community events.

• Event Management:
  • Event Calendar:

• A dynamic calendar system integrated into the platform to display upcoming local events, municipal initiatives, and community gatherings.
• Filter options for users to view events based on categories, keywords, and dates. feature for scheduling and promoting local events and initiatives.
• Clickable events for detailed information and registration links.
  • Registration and attendance tracking functionalities.

• Technical Specifications:
  • Web Development Technologies:

• Frontend Framework:

1. React JS for the development of the platform's dynamic and interactive user interface.
2. Responsive design principles to ensure optimal user experience across various devices and screen sizes.

• Backend Framework:

1. PHP for server-side scripting and backend development.
2. Utilization of modern PHP frameworks for efficient code organization and scalability.

• Database Management:

1. SQL Server as the relational database management system (RDBMS) to store and manage data efficiently.
2. Database design to ensure normalized structures for seamless data retrieval and manipulation.

• API Integration:

1. Utilization of public APIs for specific functionalities such as maps.
2. Secure API key management and adherence to best practices for data retrieval and integration.

• Security Measures:

1. Implementation of HTTPS protocol to encrypt data transmitted between the server and users.
2. Input validation and data sanitization to prevent security vulnerabilities.
3. Regular security audits and updates to address emerging threats.

• Scalability and Performance:

1. Deployment on a scalable infrastructure to accommodate increasing user loads.
2. Caching mechanisms and optimization techniques for improved performance.

• Cross-Browser Compatibility:

1. Compatibility testing across major web browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge) to ensure consistent functionality.

• Mobile Responsiveness:

1. Responsive design implementation for seamless user experience on mobile devices.
   • Documentation:

• Comprehensive documentation outlining the architecture, code structure, and API usage for future reference and team collaboration.
  • Testing:
• Rigorous testing procedures, including unit testing, integration testing to ensure robust functionality and identify and rectify any issues.
  • Deployment:
• Automated deployment processes for streamlined updates and releases.
• Rollback procedures in case of deployment issues.
  • Continuous Monitoring:
• Implementation of monitoring tools to track system performance, identify potential bottlenecks, and address issues proactively.
  • Backup:
• Implementation of a scheduled and automated backup system to regularly capture the entire database, application code, and any relevant configuration files.
• Secure storage of backup files in an offsite location to prevent data loss.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The selected developer will be tasked with:

1- Develop and implement the front-end and back-end architecture of the three interactive municipal websites.

• 2- Ensure secure user authentication and manage user profiles.
• 3- Create engagement modules including municipal dashboards, local society pages, and citizen feedback mechanisms.
• 4- Integrate additional platform services such as agendas, touristic maps, tenders, and media hubs.
• 5- Implement robust security measures including HTTPS protocol, input validation, and regular security audits.
• 6- Ensure cross-browser compatibility and mobile responsiveness.
• 7- Provide comprehensive documentation and conduct rigorous testing.
• 8- Manage automated deployment and continuous monitoring.
• 9- Implement a reliable backup system with offsite storage.
• 10- Collaborate with the solution architect.
•  11- Coordinate with SMA staff (Project Manager) to ensure that the work met our expectation.

Requirements

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.

Professional Experience

• Proven experience in web development using React JS and PHP.
• Experience with SQL Server or similar RDBMS.
• Experience in creating secure, scalable, and responsive websites, ideally for municipal applications.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React JS).
• Proficiency in back-end technologies (PHP, SQL).
• Knowledge of API integration and management.
• Familiarity with security protocols and best practices.
• Experience with automated deployment processes and continuous monitoring tools.