Background

Efficient, resilient, and well-planned road networks ensure that no one is left behind in the drive for inclusive growth. This is why roads are considered an important foundation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a prerequisite for bringing communities together. In 2016, only 24.6% of all provincial roads in the Philippines are of acceptable quality. Out of the 12,726 kms. of provincial core roads, 57.2% are unpaved and in need of upgrade; while 20.2% are in poor condition and in need of rehabilitation. The situation is similarly dire for the 19,098 kms. of non-core roads with 67% needing upgrade and 7% in need of rehabilitation.

To address this situation, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) launched the Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP) Program to improve the quality of the local road network across the country, by providing both financial investment for capital outlay, as well as strengthening the governance processes so that provincial governments are able to effectively plan, design, implement, and maintain their road networks.

The CMGP Program is not only a road engineering intervention, but is also a governance reform program in local roads management (LRM) and public financial management (PFM). Thus, in partnership with DILG, UNDP launched the project “Paving the Roads to SDGs through Good Governance (Roads2SDGs)” which aims to provide support to the governance reform and quality assurance components of CMGP through the ‘Roads2SDGs’ framework. This framework will anchor the prioritization, planning, design, implementation, and maintenance of infrastructure projects to the achievement of the SDGs, incorporating the elements of partnership building, climate change, and disaster risk reduction, gender mainstreaming, and citizen participation for transparency and accountability. 

Part of the local governance reforms initiated under the partnership with CMGP Program is enhancing capacities of DILG and Provincial LGUs (PLGUs) on government procurement using Republic Act No. 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA). Various difficulties were observed particularly in the areas of procurement planning, bidding process, and contract management, which resulted in delays in project implementation and delivery of basic services. One of the priority recommendations to improve on these areas is the development of a web-based Procurement Monitoring System (PMS) that aims to facilitate the monitoring of procurement activities of the PLGUs and at the same time to provide appropriate technical assistance to the Provinces. This web-based system seeks to expedite the PLGUs’ process of generating procurement-related reports such as the Project Procurement Management Plan (PPMP), Annual Procurement Plan (APP), Procurement Monitoring Report (PMR), and the Agency Procurement Compliance and Performance Indicator (APCPI) Report and endeavors to improve the oversight and monitoring function of DILG over procurement activities of PLGUs.

In view of the aforementioned, the Roads2SDGs Project needs to engage an Individual Consultant with expertise on web-based systems development.

Duties and Responsibilities

To achieve the above objectives, UNDP Philippines requires the services of a qualified web-based system developer for the following tasks, in close coordination with the UNDP Road Sector Manager, National Expert on Government Procurement, and the DILG CMGP:

1. Consult with the relevant UNDP and DILG CMGP stakeholders.

2. Develop the e-PMS web application with the following minimum features, in close coordination with, and subject to the approval of, UNDP and DILG CMGP

   ITEM	DESCRIPTION
   System Architecture	Architectural design, information flow, institutional arrangements, and process design.
   Account Registration	Manual account registration is supported and accomplished by registering an email and password but requires Administrator’s approval to activate the account.
   User Access	All users (e.g., DILG Administrator, DILG CO users, DILG RO users, Head of Procuring Entity users, Bids and Awards Committee users, Bid and Awards Committee Secretariat users, LGU End-user Unit users) can access the system, subject to their role’s restrictions, using their registered email address and password.
   DILG Administrator Role	Activate/deactivate accounts and assign roles for DILG CO, DILG RO, LGU Administrators.
   LGU Administrator Role	Activate/deactivate accounts and assign roles for LGU Users such as, but not limited to, Head of Procuring Entity, Bids and Awards Committee, Bids and Awards Committee Secretariat, and End-user Units (e.g., Departments, Project Management Units, etc.)
   Account Import	One time account import will be executed, and imported users need to follow the reset password flow to change their password.
   Forgot Password	Use token generation and email notification for forgotten password requests.
   Dashboard	Displays summary of lodged procurements depending on the hierarchy of user role. For users with multiple roles or department assignments provide manual selection of role and department.
   Project Procurement Management Plan (PPMP) Form	LGU End-user Unit Users can encode project procurement details following the form provided by DILG and attach supporting documents. PPMP can be exported to PDF and MS Excel or similar formats.
   Annual Procurement Plan (APP) Form	BAC and BAC Secretariat Users can select and edit from the data encoded in the PPMP Form to generate the APP in accordance with the form provided by DILG, and subject to the approvals required under the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA). APP can be exported to PDF and MS Excel or similar formats.
   Procurement Monitoring Report (PMR) Form	Data from the approved APP is automatically pushed into the PMR Form. The BAC, BAC Secretariat, and LGU End-user Unit Users can encode/edit/update the PMR Form.  Data from the approved APP is automatically pushed into the PMR
   Agency Procurement Compliance and Performance Indicator (APCPI) Report	Data from APCPI-related forms is automatically pushed into the APCPI scoring criteria in order to generate the APCPI Report in accordance with the form and formula provided by DILG and subject to the approvals required under existing Government Procurement Policy Board policies.APCPI Report can be exported to PDF and MS Excel or similar formats.
   APCPI Questionnaire Form	Relevant LGU users can encode data on the APCPI Questionnaire Form provided by DILG.
   APCPI Action Plan Form	Relevant LGU users can encode data on the APCPI Action Plan Form provided by DILG.
   Consolidated Procurement Monitoring Report (CPMR Report)	Data from APCPI-related forms is automatically pushed into the CPMR form to generate the CPMR Report. CPMR Report can be exported to PDF and MS Excel or similar formats
   Data update	Any amendment to PPMP, APP, and PMR data should trigger notification to Bids and Awards Committee and Head of Procurement Entity users.
   Data update logging	Tracks and logs all data updates and made accessible to users with access authority provided by DILG Administrator.
   Transaction logging	Event logs are viewable by the Administrator
   Error logging	Error logs are viewable by Administrator.
   View Mode	Users in the same LGU without authority to edit the corresponding report (e.g., PPMP, APP, PMR, APCPI) can view the PPMP created by an LGU End-user Unit User. DILG RO Users can view the reports for LGUs within their respective jurisdiction, as approved by DILG CO.
   Historical Data	Import of historical data with the import file format provided by DILG.
   System Requirements	Compatible with the following browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla, Internet Explorer 11, Microsoft Edge, and Safari. Built in accordance with the DILG Policy on the Development of Application Systems and Data Administration (DILG Circular No. 2015-08, dated 23 November 2015), related issuances and updates as authorized by DILG;

3. During the system development, the consultant shall be responsible for development server for three to six months; s3 AWS or any cloud storage subscription, email service subscription for email notification and OTP service;

4. Provide needed documentation of the system architecture and schema and produce a user’s manual;

5. Assist and responsible on the full turn-over and migration of the system from the development environment to DILG server;

6. Attend meetings and serve as a resource person in activities, such as orientations, pilot testing, demonstration, etc., as determined necessary by the UNDP Roads Sector Manager; and

7. Provide at least two (2) training activities on the use of the application to DILG and select LGUs.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

1. Inception Report which shall detail the approach, methodology, and timelines for the development of the ePMS, including the proposed system architecture of the system based on discussions with the UNDP and DILG CMGP stakeholders.

2. Progress Report which documents the activities undertaken in the development of the ePMS, as well as the details and results of the soft launch/pilot testing and quality assurance testing. 

3. Draft User’s Manual which provides instructions and step by step guide on the use of the ePMS and its functionalities.

4. System Go-Live Report which documents the activities undertaken in the finalization of the ePMS, including user acceptance testing results and documentation of implementation and maintenance issues encountered.

5. Software/Technical Documentation which describes the ePMS functionalities and provides the technical details that will aid developers in understanding the requirements for future upgrades and linkages. 

6. Final User’s Manual which provides instructions and step by step guide on the use of the ePMS and its functionalities of the final ePMS.

7. End-user Training on the ePMS designed and conducted to instruct identified DILG and LGU participants on the use of the functionalities of the ePMS.

Institutional Arrangements

• For the duration of the contract, the e-PMS Specialist shall report to and with the direct supervision of the Road Sector Manager (RSM). 

• An office space shall be provided at the DILG or UNDP building when necessary. 

• All other expenses such as communication and transportation to and from the DILG Central Office in performance of the duties of the e-PMS Specialist shall be at his/her sole expense, except for the transfer of knowledge/technology such as e-PMS pilot testing and roll out, which will be charged against Program funds

• The e-PMS Specialist may not necessarily be required to be physically present everyday but may be required to attend scheduled meetings, and other procurement-related activities as may be deemed necessary. 

• These arrangements may be further discussed during the contract negotiation.

Duration of Work

• To undertake the tasks, procedures, and expected outputs, the e-PMS Specialist shall be engaged for 72 working days spread over three (3.5) months inclusive of review by UNDP and DILG as applicable. Effectivity of the engagement will be upon signing of the contract and will be valid until all outputs are delivered and accepted. 

The engagement may be extended as determined and agreed by both parties.

Duty Station

• The duty station is in Manila to allow accessibility and availability for discussions and reporting on progress of activities as may be required by the UNDP. 

• The e-PMS Specialist will not be required to report regularly at the Country Office, but shall agree with the UNDP Roads Sector Manager on a regular schedule to report on status and provide feedback on the outputs.

• No travel is required outside duty station

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The e-PMS Specialist should send a financial proposal based on a lump-sum amount for the delivery of the outputs identified below. The total amount quoted shall include all cost components required to deliver the services identified above, including professional fees and any other applicable costs (e.g., supplies, materials, communications, etc.) to be incurred by the e-PMS Specialist in completing the assignment.

The contract price will be a fixed output-based price. Any deviations from the outputs and timelines will need to be agreed upon between the e-PMS Specialist and UNDP. Travel shall be included in the financial proposal, consistent with the areas mentioned in the previous sections.

Payments will be made upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables by target due dates. Outputs will be reviewed and certified by the UNDP Road Sector Manager prior to release of payments.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN mission, vision, values, and ethical standards
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Promotes UNDP’s agenda in meetings

Other Competencies

• Ability to work in close collaboration with a group of national and international experts, to meet strict deadlines and plan the work according to priorities;
• Demonstrates capacity to plan, organize, and execute effectively;
• The initiative, good analytical skills, mature judgment, and ability to work under tight schedule while respecting deadlines achievement, ethics, and honesty;
• Ability to establish effective working relations in a diverse environment
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Builds strong relationships with internal and external clients;
• Demonstrated ability to function in a team environment and to deal with the complex multi-stakeholder environment
• Good ability to use information and communication technologies as tools and resources;
• Excellent written communication and presentation/public speaking skills focus on results, ability to interact productively in a teamwork environment

Required Skills and Experience

The successful Individual Contractor should meet the following minimum qualifications

Education

• At least Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or any related field;

Experience

• At least five (5) years’ experience in web application development through programming language and open-source platforms that are interoperable with the following technologies: PHP, My SQL, Yii2 PHP framework, Bootstrap Front-end Framework, or JQuery;

• At least five (5) years of relevant work experience in system database and analysis in government systems;

• At least three (3) years of relevant work experience in developing applications specific to project monitoring and feedback consolidation;

Language 

• Excellent communications skills (written and oral) in Filipino and English.

Criteria for selection of the best offer

Applications from qualified candidates will be desk reviewed by the UNDP Philippines’ selection panel.

The offer will be evaluated based on a Combined Scoring method where the qualifications will be weighted 70% and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30%.

The CV will be evaluated based on the following criteria. Only applications that will obtain a minimum of 70 points from the review of the CVs will be qualified for the financial evaluation.

Application Procedure

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications including the following:

• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP.

• UNDP Personal History Form (P11) or detailed Curriculum Vitae indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;

• Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.  Medical/health insurance must be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense, and upon award of contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during contract duration.

Interested applicants should also note that personal medical/health insurance (to be purchased by the individual at his/her own expense) is mandatory for the issuance of contracts. Upon award of the contract, the consultant must be ready to submit proof of insurance valid during the contract duration.

Criteria for Evaluation of Proposal:  Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated. Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the educational background and experience on similar assignments will be weighted at 70% and the price proposal will weigh as 30% of the total scoring. Only applications with minimum 70 points will be qualified for the financial evaluation.  The applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score that has also accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.

Incomplete submission of required documents may result in disqualification. Please see deadline of submissions above. In view of the volume of applications UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.