Terms Of Reference Recruitment Of A Training Provider For The Provision Of It Executive Trainings For Ict Ministry, And Regulatory Agencies Under A Framework Agreement
Client Smart Africa Secretariat
10th Floor, Career Center Building
KG 541 ST, Kigali, Rwanda,
PO Box: 4913
Tel: +250784013646| +250 788-300-581
Email: tenderenquiries@smartafrica.org www.smartafrica.org
RFP#: 085/S. A/SADA/RFP/02/2023
Release date: 06th, February 2023
Closing date: 06th, March 2023 at 05:00 PM (Local time, Kigali)

Contact For any questions or enquiries, please write to: tenderenquiries@smartafrica.org
For Proposal Submissions: procurement@smartafrica.org
1. ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND
Smart Africa is a bold and innovative commitment from African Heads of State and Government to accelerate sustainable socio-economic development on the continent, ushering Africa into a knowledge economy through affordable access to Broadband and usage of Information and Communications Technologies.
The Smart Africa Manifesto aims to put ICT at the center of national socio-economic development agenda of member countries and promote the introduction of advanced technologies in telecommunication, as well as leverage ICT to promote sustainable development.
The Smart Africa Initiative is geared towards connecting, innovating and transforming the continent into a knowledge economy thereby driving global competitiveness and job creation. The initiative also aims at enabling Member States to become more competitive, agile, open and innovative smart economies with the most favorable business climates that attracts large- scale investments, rewards entrepreneurship and enables fast growth and exports, leveraging ICT innovations to transform African nations into smart societies. The Smart Africa Secretariat (SAS) is based in Kigali, Rwanda.

2. Project Background
Digital technologies offer a leapfrogging opportunity for rapid economic growth for many African countries by unlocking new pathways and avenues for innovation, job creation, access to services and increased productivity. Smart Africa and it’s 32 members are working to develop new technologies for tackling some of the numerous socio-economic challenges. These projects range from broadband, digital ID, digital economy, blockchain, data governance, Cybersecurity, Smart cities, Artificial Intelligence, Digital payment, and more which will be economically viable, socially needed, relevant and accepted.
As a result, the Smart Africa Digital Academy (SADA in short) was launched as the driving vehicle for implementing Smart Africa's capacity building and skills development activities across the digital skills spectrum. SADA is a pan-African dynamic learning ecosystem in which African citizens of all ages and social classes can gain or improve their digital skills, gain qualifications, and meet the emerging talent needs of employers, industry or be self-reliant.
For a successful implementation of the digital transformation agenda, it is essential to equip African policy and decision makers with the right capacity and tools to design and implement policies and regulations that are fit for the digital economy.
The present consultancy will recruit an experienced consulting firm to deliver executive trainings to High-level and senior executives in the ICT Ministry, Regulatory Bodies and ICT agencies across the continent.


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3. Objectives And Scope For The Consultancy
The overall objective of the consultancy is to deliver under two years framework agreement executive trainings sessions to the following beneficiaries on Digital transformation and advanced topics in the field of Information and Communication and Technologies:
• High level executives (Ministers or Deputies)
• Heads of Regulators or Agencies
• Mid-management (Directors, Senior Division heads, ICT Ministry advisers)
The goal of the courses delivery through the consultancy are as follows:
• Provide accurate insights on key policy consideration in chosen digital transformation areas.
• Present potential solutions for policy makers and regulators to help develop informed policies.
• Share best practices on policy and regulatory principles from successful case studies on the continent and globally,
• Recommend to policy makers new approaches for regulating a complex digital environment.
• Identify the specific policy topics based on the context of Africa and current challenges faced by regulators

4. Expected Courses
Executive Training On Digital Economy
This course should be thought by highly experienced policy experts and provide the latest regulatory principles and best practices to consider for an emerging digital economy. Digital Economy areas to be covered must include all the various pillars as referred to within the Smart Africa Digital Economy blueprint including a module on the use of the Smart Africa Digital Economy Index. The DEI is designed as a monitoring and planning tool to support countries make decisions on how to transform their national digital economies. DEI will give countries a snapshot of market conditions in the digital economy.
In-depth knowledge will be provided on the following questions:
• Current situation in the digital economy regulation,
• The Digital Economy Index (DEI): a tool to better measure the strength and weaknesses of our countries,
• Current challenges/top priority for Digital Economy sector policy and decision-makers
• Regulation in a dynamic digital environment,
• Call for action / Way forward

Innovative And Regulatory Sandboxing Environment
This course should be thought by highly experienced telecommunication regulatory expert and provide an understanding how a regulatory sandbox environment works, what are the key elements and benefits. The course will investigate the problems, pitfalls, issues and solutions in the creation, adoption and utilization of regulatory sandboxing environments. In-depth knowledge will be provided on the following questions:
• What constitutes proper oversight and enforcement?
• What is the interaction between a regulatory sandbox and data classification: particularly those countries that have localization requirements for some categories of data would wish to ensure that the sandbox allows relaxation of the rules within some parameters?
• How to build an application template to tease out the data requirements in a sandbox environment.
• Applying firms are encouraged to include additional topics within the scope of the above courses, as required by the latest development in each of these fields.

Digital Financing
The main objective of the training it to familiarize stakeholders with available, practical financing models and mechanisms for digital development. The specific objectives are as follows.
• Understanding donor interests and the donor landscape
• How to build your development partner database/network
• How to successfully target potential development partners
• Understanding development partner financing models
• How to assess and select the best potential development partner financing model.
• Alignment of digital projects/initiatives to specific development partner requirements
• Expressing cost benefit and incorporating sustainability
• Tracking, reporting and visibility essentials
• Key success factor to securing development partner funding in the current environment.
• Mitigation of operational and implantation risks (i.e. political interference, bureaucratic delays etc.)

E-Government Policy And Strategy
E-Government is ultimately about realizing the benefits of technology for transforming the way services are delivered to citizens and improving their experience through a ‘Citizen Centric’ model. This course will lay a foundation for an understanding of policy and strategy with regards to e-enabled services in government and in other sectors of the economy and introduce the ways inwhich information and communication technology (ICT) is affecting access to information and how governments, in turn, are using and managing these technologies to better provide information and services to the public.
Objectives:
• Have a clear appreciation of the role e-government in government, business, and the public with regards to service delivery
• Understand the policy process and strategy related to e-government
• Formulate effective e-government strategy
• Implement e-government projects
• Effectively use ICT in delivery of public services
• Recognize the opportunities e-government can bring and Identify and prioritize where technology can be best applied to drive efficiencies, enable change and improve service delivery for Citizens
• To understand, analyze and where to apply technologies appropriately, to enable a digital transformation that serves the Department and citizens
• Develop and implement a ‘Channel Shift’ strategy to encourage Citizens to take up and move to the most efficient e-enabled services
• Ask the right questions and have the confidence to engage in conversations when seeking support to deliver policies, e-enable existing services or seek to improve the citizens experience
• Recognize the needs of the ‘Citizen’ in all areas of work whether writing policy, creating a communications plan or creating or improving a service

Cybersecurity & Ict Legal Frameworks
The fourth Industrial Revolution is unfolding at full speed and is prompting governments to optimize current IT systems by adopting new technologies for the re-engineering of processes, as well as to provide new public services. Cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and new technologies are changing the modus operandi of government systems that are in charge of public finance management, human resources, and government service delivery. Cybersecurity risks, in particular, cannot be disregarded, as they may affect lives, assets, trust, and social stability if not prevented or effectively mitigated. Vulnerabilities of government IT systems that are exposed to the cyberspace even for a short period of time may lead to sizeable financial losses and malicious intrusions in the public governance system, with far-reaching consequences. The lack of government resources, awareness, and capacities worsens this issue and is often a major concern for policymakers.

This course should address the following key issues:
• Awareness of Cybersecurity and the fight against cybercrime
• Role and Impact of Cyber security in Digital Transformation
• Cybercrime for Law Enforcement Officers
• Cybercrime for Judicial Officers
• ICT legal development frameworks for cybercrime
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The transformative nature of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires prompt action by governments and collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are implemented and that no one is left behind. The main objective of this course is to provide the participants with a platform to share experiences and good practices of how to apply digital technologies to build sustainable and resilient societies through improving public service delivery and enhancing citizen engagement and partnership building to effectively implement the SDGs.

This course should address the following issues:
• Awareness of the potential of digital, and the need for digital transformation
• Raising awareness of decision makers on the importance of ICT
• Awareness of the potential of digital, and the need for digital transformation
• Introducing decision-makers to the benefits of digital and development
5. MISSION DURATION EXECUTION AND LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
Implementation will be carried out according to this term of reference and according to a two-year contractual framework agreement between the Smart Africa Secretariat and the selected Consultancy firm. The Smart Africa Secretariat will support as far as possible in logistics, and in seeking contacts and possible authorizations related to decision makers in member states.
The execution will be face to face in locations within Africa in French and English speaking countries(tentatively in Ghana, Mali, Niger, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and other African countries to be determined by the Smart Africa Secretariat).
It is also required that content is made available in French ( For French Speaking Countries) and English (English speaking Countries)to Smart Africa both in PowerPoint and e-learning formats after the first execution of the training.

There will be no cost of interpretation.
The following user groups and numbers should be considered in the proposal:
User Groups Beneficiary numbers Estimated Duration
High level executives (Ministers or Deputies) 30 - 40 1 days
Heads of Regulators or Agencies 30 - 40 3 days
Mid-management & Technical experts (Division heads, advisers, Project Managers) 30 - 40 5 days
The trainers travel and accommodation logistic costs will be reimbursed by Smart Africa.
Certificates of completion need to be provided to the participants upon the completion of the training.
6. FIRM PROFILE AND EXPERIENCE
In addition to the human resources required to assemble its team, the firm must meet specific requirements.
The detailed requirements for the ideal firm and the required qualification of the ideal consultant(s) / expert(s) for each course assignment can be found in Annex “A” below.

2) Technical Requirements
• Duly signed and stamped submission Letter.
• Firms corporate profile/Executive summary.
• Understanding of ToR and the need to tailor the same topic to different categories of person.
• Detailed description of Training Approach, plan and relevant Infrastructure description for performing this assignment.
• A Detailed outline of the training material per user group, taking into account their level and time availability.
• Team composition and specific responsibilities per staff.
• Training schedule
• Consultancy references with contacts.
• Detailed Curriculum Vitae for the proposed staffs with valid Industry certifications.
• Firms Recommendation letters signed and stamped
3) Financial Requirements -
Summary of Costs.
• Break down of fees per training course for each user group on daily rate:
User Groups Beneficiary numbers Estimated Duration COURSES
A.
Executive Training On Digital Economy B.
Innovative & Regulatory Sandboxing Environment C.
Digital Financing D.
e-Government Policy And Strategy E.
Digital Transformation For Sustainable Development
High level executives (Ministers or Deputies) 30 - 40 1 days
Heads of Regulators or Agencies 30 - 40 3 days
Mid-management & Technical experts (Division heads, advisers, Project Managers) 30 - 40 5 days
• Reimbursable expenses user group applicable ;
• Miscellaneous Expenses if any
Notes:
1. Indicate your preferred payment terms under financial proposal
2. A withholding tax of 15% will be deducted from payments for Firms not VAT-registered with Rwanda Tax Administration (RRA) and 18% VAT will be applicable for registered firms in Rwanda.
• All Financial Proposals/offers should be password protected and Smart Africa will request for it for bidders who have been qualified in the technical evaluation
1. All Financial Offers should be quoted and submitted in USD Currency.

4) Submission Process
Soft copies of both Technical and financial proposals must be sent to: procurement@smartafrica.org showing each the nature of the offer concerned (technical or financial offer) not later than 06th, March 2023 at 05:00 PM (Local time, Kigali) .
Notes:
• Late submissions will be automatically disqualified.
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