Background

Enhanced Manufacturing of Protective Wear and Equipment for COVID-19 Response in the Philippines (EMPOWER PH)

Project Description

The unprecedented spread of COVID-19 in the Philippines has resulted in a shortage of medical personal protective equipment (PPE) across the healthcare system. Hospitals have begun publicly requesting donations to help solve this problem. While several individuals and organizations have responded to the call to help, there is a pressing need to coordinate these actions to ensure that the supplies are delivered to the right hospital at the right time, quantity, and quality.

UNDP Philippines, in line with UNDP’s global offer on COVID-19 response, has partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to create a digital solution called “Enhanced Manufacturing of Protective Wear and Equipment for COVID19 Response in the Philippines” (EMPOWER PH). The initiative provides a collaborative platform between various stakeholders to facilitate and accelerate production and distribution of essential items in order to meet the increasing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE), ensure product quality standards, democratize knowledge and resources, provide livelihood opportunities, and facilitate an effective supply chain.

The UNDP is handing over the EMPOWER PH platform (https://empower.dti.gov.ph/) to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and this initiative will create a database of both medical and non-medical grade manufacturers and suppliers that will go through a vetting process to ensure quality goods that can be accessed by consumers and hospital beneficiaries.

The engagement of a Platform User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) Design Consultant is needed to enhance the current design of the EMPOWER PH platform according to the additional portals and features that will be integrated.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Programme Analyst of Institutions and Partnerships Team and in close coordination with the EMPOWER PH Data Platform Consultant and other stakeholders in the initiative, the Consultant shall deliver the following scope of work:

Perform a comprehensive audit of the incumbent UX/UI design of the EMPOWER PH platform portals and features (e.g., Resource Center, FAQ, ) for different types of users (i.e., General Public, Manufacturer, Supplier, Buyer, Beneficiary, and Platform Administrator) and recommend areas for improvement to achieve better:

1. Integration of different portals and features;
2. Standardization of design components across different sections;
3. Synchronization of experience across different types of users; and
4. Replication of design for future expansion/sustainability efforts

Develop the UX/UI workflow and design (Version 1) for the following, taking into consideration its alignment with the design and data collection standards and guidelines of DTI and general government websites, and applying the human-first approach to product design and designing the visual and aesthetic experience of the users and/or clients:

1. Recommended improvement areas in the incumbent portals and features;
2. Additional new portal for manufacturers of medical use PPE;
3. Additional data visualization in the incumbent public portal for Beneficiaries;
4. Dashboard updates in the Platform Administrator portal; and
5. Standard replication design framework for expansion of the EMPOWER platform to other types of products / services and users

Focus on the application of digital products and user experience needed to complement the proposed UX/UI design with special emphasis on:

1. The visual touchpoints that will allow the site users/visitors to interact seamlessly and enjoyably with the products and offerings of the platform
2. The creation of typography combination, buttons, icons, banners, vectors color palettes, animation, visualization, and imagery following the DTI and UNDP branding
3. The creation of structural design solutions to assist the users’ journey in the platform and ensure that their pain points are highly considered
4. The provision of effective digital marketing of the products that delight users

Facilitate the review and approval of the UX/UI design with DTI counterparts to ensure that the proposed design is aligned with the design and data collection standards and guidelines before they are translated into the actual platform;

Collaborate with and guide the EMPOWER PH Data Platform Consultant in translating the UX/UI design into the actual platform and provide clearance that the resulting platform is aligned with the proposed UX/UI design;

Conduct test-run of the revised platform, gather feedback from the test-run participants, perform the necessary adjustments in the UX/UI workflow and design (Version 2) and obtain feedback and approval from DTI counterparts;

Collaborate with and guide the EMPOWER PH Data Platform Consultant in reflecting the post-test adjustments in the platform design and provide clearance that the result is aligned with the proposed UX/UI design and is ready for handover to DTI; and

Develop the end-of-engagement report, including accounts of activities undertaken and recommendations for the sustainability of the platform’s UX/UI design.

Expected Output and Deliverables

            The Consultant is expected to accomplish the following activities with corresponding deliverables:

Institutional Arrangements

The Consultant will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the Programme Team Leader of Institutions and Partnerships and in close coordination with the Programme Analyst of Institutions and Partnerships Team, EMPOWER PH Data Platform Consultant and other stakeholders in the initiative.

UNDP Philippines shall be entitled to intellectual property and other proprietary rights over all materials that have a direct relation to the initiative.

The Consultant shall already possess the hardware and software tools (e.g. iPad/Laptop or Adobe Photoshop) needed to carry out the work.

Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and declaration of State of Public Health Emergency in the Philippines, all work of the Individual Consultant shall be done within the guidelines and protocols set by the local and national government.

During the entire duration of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, this consultancy shall be performed remotely and will be a home-based assignment. The Consultant is expected to have his/her own equipment, office space, internet connectivity, and various software licenses needed to perform the outlined scope of work. The Consultant shall not engage in any meetings or activities outside their homes. Coordination/meetings shall be done through phone or online communication until such time that the quarantine is lifted.

UNDP and the Consultant shall assess, once the Enhanced Community Quarantine is lifted if it is safe and necessary to have in-person meetings and collaboration.

Duration of Work

The Contractor will be engaged from April 5, 2021, to June 30, 2021, unless revised in a mutually agreed-upon timetable by UNDP and the Contractor. The consultant is expected to render a total of 40 person-days spread for 3 months from April 2021 to June 2021.

Duty Station

The duty station is Manila but the Consultant can work remotely during the contract, provided he/she is able to attend meetings if needed and as scheduled.

Competencies

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor

The consultant should meet the following minimum qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Communication, Visual Arts and Design, Development Communication, Communications Technology, Information Technology, Computer Science, or related disciplines

Experience

• Minimum of two (2) years of prior experience in UX/UI website or online platform design
• Minimum of two (2) years in the product development process and design discipline
• Minimum of two (2) years of prior experience in using UX/UI design software (e.g., Adobe XD) and other media production software (e.g., Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop)
• Minimum of one (1) year of experience with national/local government and/or international development organizations

Language

• Proficiency in English and Filipino

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

The financial proposals from possible candidates should be expressed in lump sum amount inclusive of all financial costs related to this engagement (i.e., professional fees multiplied by the number of person-days, required applications for UX/UI design, graphic design and other necessary platform subscriptions, communications including internet, etc.).

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 the contract duration.

Payments will be made when specific outputs have been submitted, as outlined below:

Recommended Presentation of Offer

The following documents may be requested:

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

Personal CV or P11, 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.

Submission of two (2) sample outputs from previous UX/UI workflow and design development engagements (provided in PDF format or online link, whichever is more convenient and appropriate for the portfolio);

Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology, if applicable, on how they will approach and complete the assignment.

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

The Combined Scoring Method shall serve as the basis for evaluating offers. The technical qualifications will be weighted 70% (49% for qualifications based on CV and 21% for evaluation of 2 sample outputs from previous UX/UI workflow and design development engagements and their relevance to current requirement) and combined with the price offer which will be weighted 30%.

The CV / P11 shall be evaluated based on the criteria below. Only those who will obtain a minimum of 49 out of 70 points will be considered qualified and shortlisted.

Offerors must upload in one (1) file the aforementioned documents.

Templates for a) P11 Personal History Form and b)  Offeror's Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal (Annex 2) are available through the link below. UNDP General Terms and Conditions for Individual Contractors  are also available:

http://gofile.me/6xdJm/bE9TCw8fU

Incomplete submission of required documents may result in disqualification.

Please see the deadline of submissions above.

In view of the volume of applications, UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.