REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK Avenue Joseph Anoma, 01 B.P. 1387, Abidjan, CÔTE d'ivoire Department of Gender, Women and Civil Society (AHGC) E-mail: b.jones@afdb.org; d.elhassan@afdb.org; e.gregorio@afdb.org; r.ijimbere@afdb.org Telephone: (+225) 20 26 2472/ (+225) 20 26 4246 1. The African Development Bank hereby invites Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in the following Assignment: Recruitment of Business Analyst. 1. The Business analyst will perform detailed analysis and produce associated functional/technical specs to ensure successful development of the Fashionomics Africa online platform and its related mobile applications. The scope of this consultancy and main outputs consist in designing and building the Fashionomics Africa online platform and mobile application Minimum Viable Product (MVP) along with the required bidding documents to hire specialist firms for the purpose. 2. The rationale supporting this project comes from the Feasibility Study 1 performed in 2016 by the Department of Gender, Women and Civil Society of the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the development of an online B2B and B2C platform ( Fashionomics Africa platform ) during April-August 2016, and the feedback collected from potential users during the testing period of the Fashionomics Africa prototype. 3. Based on the findings of the study, a prototype of the online platform (http://www.fashionomicsafrica.org/) has been developed that is currently being refined through consultations with different actors in the value chain, including fashion designers, textile producers, investors, governments, development partners, etc. The Bank aims to successfully design and execute a full scale Fashionomics Program to: Create jobs in the Fashion industry in Africa, especially for women and youth. Develop the skills and capacity of African creative industries. Advance regional integration and intra-trade. Improve access to finance for African entrepreneurs, start-ups and MSMEs. Forge strategic relationships with key stakeholders that can contribute to the Program. Involve private sector actors to own and manage parts of the program. 1 AfDB s Fashionomics Africa Feasibility Report: https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/documents/generic- Documents/Final_Report_AFDB_Fashionomics_- _Investing_in_the_African_Creative_Industries_for_the_Continent_s_Inclusive_Growth.pdf
4. The goal of the Fashionomics Africa platform is to enable African designers and fashion entrepreneurs to create and grow their businesses. The specific objectives of the platform are four-fold: (i) increase access to markets: by developing for the full scale platform a wholesale and retail platforms (B2B and B2C); (ii) increase access to finance: The platform will, among other things, facilitate access to finance, not only by connecting designers with commercial banks and established investors but also by tapping into alternative financing channels, such as crowdfunding mechanisms, linking them to angel, impact and venture capital investors; (iii) provide mentorship and networking opportunities; and (iv) develop skills and qualifications (tutorials/training on produce high-quality garment but also business acumen on how to prepare business plan, etc.) of the target group in the five pilot countries: Côte d Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa. 5. More specifically, the consultant will: Review and confirm the business requirements as per the feasibility study and the lessons learnt from the pilot website www.fashionomicsafrica.org, design the platform architecture and define the solution in adherence with the infrastructure challenges, accessibility, global security concerns of the target users. Lead and Participate in requirements and scoping discussions with internal and external stakeholders in order to provide an assessment on the final planning of the project and build on a state-of-art architecture for the web and mobile applications to support the objectives of the Fashionomics Africa Platform; Build the required bidding documents to hire the expert consulting firms to develop the actual online Platform and the mobile applications. Define with the internal team the quality standards for the final products along with the acceptance criteria and defined user acceptance test cases. 2. The Gender, Women and Civil Society Department (AHGC) invites Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in providing the above-described services. Interested Consultants shall provide information on their qualifications and experience demonstrating their ability to undertake this Assignment (documents, reference to similar services, experience in similar assignments, etc.;). 3. The eligibility criteria, the establishment of a short list and the selection procedures shall be in conformity with the Bank s procedures for the acquisition of consulting services funded by the administrative or capital expenditure. Please, note that interest expressed by a Consultant does not imply any obligation on the part of the Bank to include him/her in the shortlist. 4. The estimated duration of services is 1 month, and the estimated starting date is 27 August 2018. The work will be carried on at the Bank s Headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d Ivoire,
5. Interested Individual Consultants may obtain further information at the address below during the Bank s working hours: from 08:00 to 17:00 hours, Abidjan Local Time. 6. Expressions of interest must be received by email at the address below no later than Monday 30 th July 2018 at 17:00 hours, Abidjan local time and specifically mentioning Business Analysts. For the attention of: Basil Jones Gender Program and Policy Coordinator African Development Bank Gender, Women and Civil Society Department (AHGC) Avenue Joseph Anoma, 01 B.P. 1387, Abidjan, CÔTE d'ivoire Tel: (+225) 20 26 5836 Email: b.jones@afdb.org; d.elhassan@afdb.org; e.gregorio@afdb.org; r.ijimbere@afdb.org ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SHORT LIST 8. A shortlist of three to six individual consultants will be established at the end the request of expressions of interest. The consultants on the shortlist will be judged on the following criteria on the basis of their updated resume. Level of education in general 20% Educational level compared to the field of mission 20% Years of experience in general 20% Number of years of experience relevant to the mission 40%
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) Short-term Individual Consultancy BUSINESS ANALYST FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FASHIONOIMCS AFRICA DIGITAL MARKETPLACE AND MOBILE APPLICATION BACKGROUND 6. The African Development Bank (AfDB) under the leadership of the Gender, Women and Civil Society (AHGC) and in collaboration with the Industrial and Trade Department (PITD), is starting to support the growth of African MSMEs operating in the creative industries, notably the fashion, film and food value chain. 7. By using technology as a driver for the development of the skills and capacity of the African creatives, the Bank would like to stimulate job creation in the continent, especially for women and youth. Developing the creative industries would draw on African culture as a unique selling point and can help African countries capture more of the value within global value chains. The initiative is in line with the High-5 agenda, specifically: (i) Feed Africa; (ii) Industrialize Africa and (v) Improve the lives of African people through the Jobs for Youth Strategy 2016-2025 and the AfDB s Gender Strategy 2014-2018. RATIONALE 8. This term of reference defines the tasks needed to comprehend stakeholder requirements and translate them into IT deliverables, in order to design, build and start operations of the Fashionomics Africa digital marketplace and mobile application, in order to operationalize a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). 9. The rationale supporting this project comes from the Feasibility Study 2 performed by the Department of Gender, Women and Civil Society of the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the development of an online B2B and B2C platform ( Fashionomics Africa platform ) 2 AfDB s Fashionomics Africa Feasibility Report: https://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/documents/generic- Documents/Final_Report_AFDB_Fashionomics_- _Investing_in_the_African_Creative_Industries_for_the_Continent_s_Inclusive_Growth.pdf
during April-August 2016, and the feedback collected from potential users during the testing period of the Fashionomics Africa prototype website during the period August-December 2016, which included five launching events in Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Lagos and Johannesburg. 10. The AfDB intends to implement the Fashionomics Africa Platform aimed at improving the ability of African MSMEs operating in the textile and fashion sectors to access to markets, finance, mentorship and networking. The objective is to help them to find relevant financial and business information that will assist them to grow and sustain their businesses. A unique feature of this platform is that it will be technology and data driven and will be more than just an information gateway. Its broader purpose is to create a dynamic and engaging exchange of ideas among entrepreneurs, connecting them with one another in ways that will foster peer-topeer learning, mentoring and the sharing of information and knowledge within communities, and access to market opportunities, across borders and countries. 11. The goal of the Fashionomics Africa platform is to enable African designers and fashion entrepreneurs to create and grow their businesses. The specific objectives of the platform are four-fold: (i) increase access to markets: by developing for the full scale platform a wholesale and retail platforms (B2B and B2C); (ii) increase access to finance: The platform will, among other things, facilitate access to finance, not only by connecting designers with commercial banks and established investors but also by tapping into alternative financing channels, such as crowdfunding mechanisms, linking them to angel, impact and venture capital investors; (iii) provide mentorship and networking opportunities; and (iv) develop skills and qualifications (tutorials/training on produce high-quality garment but also business acumen on how to prepare business plan, etc.) of the target group in the five pilot countries: Côte d Ivoire, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa. 12. The Bank, in addition to using its traditional public and private sector financing instruments to support the growth of the textile and fashion industry, the feasibility study recommended to develop an online interactive market place for textile, apparel and accessories MSMEs and relevant stakeholders in the sector in Africa. This will address the lack of sophistication and information asymmetries regarding this nascent sector that is characterized by fragmented support from private, public and non-profit entities. 13. Based on the findings of the study, a prototype of the online platform (http://www.fashionomicsafrica.org/) has been developed that is currently being refined through consultations with different actors in the value chain, including fashion designers, textile producers, investors, governments, development partners, etc. AfDB aims to successfully design and execute a full scale Fashionomics Program to: Create jobs in the Fashion industry in Africa, especially for women and youth. Develop the skills and capacity of African creative industries.
Advance regional integration and intra-trade. Improve access to finance for African entrepreneurs, start-ups and MSMEs. Forge strategic relationships with key stakeholders that can contribute to the Program. Involve private sector actors to own and manage parts of the program. 14. Building on this study, the Bank is now seeking to engage a Business Analyst to comprehend stakeholder requirements and translate them into IT deliverables, in order to operationalize a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in the form of a fully functioning mobile application as well as web-based landing page that can perform similar functions. Technologies will be key to support this growth and tap into global and regional value chains. OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT 15. The Business analyst will perform detailed analysis and produce associated functional/technical specs to ensure successful development of the Fashionomics online platform and its related mobile applications. The scope of this consultancy and main outputs consist in designing and building the Fashionomics Africa online platform and mobile application MVP along with the required bidding documents to hire a specialist firm for the purpose. More specifically, the consultant will : 1. Review and confirm the business requirements as per the feasibility study and the lessons learnt from the pilot website www.fashionomicsafrica.org, design the platform architecture and define the solution in adherence with the infrastructure challenges, accessibility, global security concerns of the target users. 2. Lead and Participate in requirements and scoping discussions with internal and external stakeholders in order to provide an assessment on the final planning of the project and build on a state-of-art architecture for the web and mobile applications to support the objectives of the Fashionomics Africa Platform; 3. Build the required bidding documents to hire the expert consulting firms to develop the actual online Platform and the mobile applications. 4. Define with the internal team the quality standards for the final products along with the acceptance criteria and defined user acceptance test cases. 16. DELIVERABLES The followings are the list of expected deliverables during and at the end of the supervised projects: 1. Provision of expertise in information gathering and soliciting from the various stakeholders in order to properly analyse design the Fashionomics Africa IT Platform;
2. Leverage experience with the latest Collaboration, content, web technologies and tools to adapt, build and enhance the applications and components to support the Fashionomics Africa business objectives; 3. Provide business requirement and functional specification document for the Fashionomics Africa Online Platform and Mobile Applications; 4. Plan and design the tests of final products (Web, Mobile) by documenting the acceptance criteria and define user stories and test cases acceptance test cases for the Fashionomics Africa Platform to verify and validate the functionalities as specified in the business requirements documents; 5. Define the methodology, standards and best practices for implementing different solutions including process follow, content, portal and knowledge solutions and development of appropriate documentation on projects to ensure that business requirements are adequately understood and documented; 6. Develop terms of references for the consulting firms that AHGC will hire to implement the platform s development and maintenance activities; 17. PROFILE OF THE CONSULTANT a) The consultant should have a Master/Engineering degree or equivalent in computer sciences (or software Engineering/ Business Analysis) with a significant experience in business analysis and project management skills; b) The consultant should have at least 5 years working experience in Business Analysis with a significant functional implementation experience in different IT domains and Web and Mobile Development Platforms such Android Studio, Ionic, Java SDKs,.Net, PhP, Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, Oracle, SharePoint, SAP, IBM, etc., business analysis and other IT domains; c) Require significant leadership, planning & communication and problem-solving skills and experience; d) Professional certifications in project management, in Business Analysis/Architecture certifications is desirable, plus good background in software development life cycle (SDLC), tools and software project planning, quality assurance process; and change management and deployment procedures and mechanisms for delivering new project systems; e) Professional expertise in conceptualizing, gathering complex business requirements, planning and architecting IT solutions that will help guide for designing and developing complex IT systems. This will require analytical, technical and leadership skills for the creation and evolution of the Bank s different platforms. In that respect, the business analyst should be capable the analysis of key business requirements and articulate corresponding their positive impacts on Bank s main business drivers; f) Specific expertise in analysing and implementing projects in areas such: collaboration tools and platforms, Business Intelligence and reporting solutions, Knowledge and content management systems, development operations, project procurement workflows, Dashboards and tracking systems, etc;
g) Ability and expertise in organizing kick-off meetings, workshops, Demos in different project analysis phases; h) Experience in writing concept notes, business cases, business process models, requirement management documents, etc. i) Ability to lead and work in a multi-tasks, multi-platforms, and large and mid-sized platform solutions. DURATION The assignment duration is one (01) month renewable if required. The consultant will be contracted by the AfDB and will be expected to carry out the assignment duties within a period of 1 month. Tentative Commencement date: 27 August 2018. LOCATION The work will be carried on at the Bank s Headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d Ivoire, REPORTING REQUIREMENTS The Consultant shall prepare and submit the following reports. All reports shall be in English language: (i) (ii) Inception Report including methodology and approach to the services, within 5 days of contract signature Final Outputs: The consultant shall submit the full report acceptable to the Bank at the end of the assignment alongside a fully designed MVP. Duration and Payment schedule The consultant will be contracted by the AfDB and will be expected to carry out the assignment duties within a period of 1 month expected to be spread between August 2018 and September 2018. Tentative Commencement date: 27 August 2018. The outputs and reports have to meet the quality standards of the Bank. Travel and accommodation expenses will be reimbursed to the consultant according to the Bank s rules, upon justification. THE BANK S OBLIGATION
The Bank undertakes to facilitate the consultants' task by providing the means necessary to successfully carry out their mission as well as the documentation, information, and any other elements in its possession. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSULTANT The consultant shall make available all reports, presentations, databases and platforms which shall be the exclusive property of the Bank.