Call For Expressions of Interest:
Cape Gateway Portal and Content Management System
Bid Number: FMA0010/05
CeI - Centre for e-Innovation
CG - Cape Gateway
CGDP - Cape Gateway Development Project
CMS - Content Management System
Custom-built solution - a solution that is custom made (designed
and programmed) in order to meet all the requirements. Also known as tailor-made.
DB - database
Enterprise scale portal - a portal that dynamically publishes
web pages using at least 15 templates, and capable of dealing with over 200,000
server requests per day.
Hybrid solution - a solution that is based on a package solution
but also incorporates custom-built elements in order to meet all the requirements.
Package solution - a solution, fitting the requirements, that
is ready made. Also known as off-the-shelf
PGWC - Provincial Government of the Western Cape
RFP - Request for proposal
Spec - Specification
UI - User interface
The Centre for e-Innovation (CeI) invites expressions of interest by qualified suppliers, to develop a portal and content management system for the Cape Gateway service.
Cape Gateway is a government service aimed primarily at citizens of the Western Cape, providing information on local, provincial and national government, and presented from a user's perspective. An initiative of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC), in partnership with national and local governments, it gives easy access to government information and services.
There are three ways to access the information Cape Gateway offers:
These three channels aim to make the Cape Gateway service accessible to the widest possible audience. This is also addressed by providing access to the information in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa (the official languages of the Western Cape).
The Cape Gateway Development Project (CGDP) is a key project of the CeI, and a part of the Cape Online programme. The CeI, a component of the PGWC, aims to improve the quality and efficiency of government service delivery and increase public participation in government by driving Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) within the Provincial Government.
Phase 1 of the CGDP (Jan 2002 - Mar 2004) produced, amongst other things, a content management system and a portal. These came out of the CGDP team designing and specifying requirements, and then managing the development process. The CMS and portal were developed by separate companies. Both are custom-built solutions.
Phase 2, amongst other things, seeks to improve (redevelop/deploy) the CMS and portal.
Broadly, the main deliverables to be supplied are:
Packaged, custom-built or hybrid solutions, that meet our specifications, will be accepted.
The CGDP seeks a partnership relationship with the selected supplier. The CGDP team consists of experts in government content, as well as in usability and ICTs. The team has developed a set of specifications for CMS v.2 and portal v.2 based on the objectives and strategy for phase 2 of the project. The supplier will build/implement a solution for these specification as well as project manage the overall development/deployment. We believe success will only be achieved if our skills and knowledge, particularly in government content, are used in combination with your development/deployment skills.
The process for selecting a supplier is described below.
Timeframes noted after 2.1 may change. They are proposed dates only, and are provided to give potential suppliers an indication of our timeframes.
13 - 24 May 2005
The CeI invites suppliers to express their interest in providing a solution. Interested suppliers to respond by documenting how they meet our qualifying conditions (see section 3. Qualifying Conditions below).
Please supply one original (which includes an original tax clearance certificate) and four paper copies of your submission.
All submissions must reach us by 11am, 24 May 2005. (If posting, please ensure adequate time for delivery.)
Mark as "FMA0010/05 Call For Expressions of Interest: Cape Gateway Portal and Content Management System".
Deposit in the FMA Bid Box, situated on the Ground Floor of the Leeusig Building, 4 Leeuwen Street, Cape Town (close to the High Court).
Or
Post to: The Director, Financial Management, PO Box 659, Cape Town 8000
Any queries for this stage of the process: Katherine de Tolly (CGDP Leader), tel 021 483 5461, kdetolly@pgwc.gov.za
25 - 26 May 2005
The CeI adjudicates the responses, and shortlists qualified suppliers, who will be then invited to submit proposals.
1 June - 5 July 2005
On the 1 June the short listed suppliers will be given the Request for Proposal documents, including detailed specification documents:
A compulsory information session, outlining our requirements and the specifications, will be held for short listed suppliers, on 7 June, 9.30 - 11.30am, at Cape Gateway (142 Long Street, Cape Town). We expect you to have skimmed the issued documents by this point.
Suppliers are invited to perform due diligence on us and the available architectural environment/platform.
Suppliers to submit their proposals for their solutions by 11am on 5 July 2005.
6 July - 2 August 2005
The CeI reviews proposals, and interacts with suppliers on their proposals. CeI performs due diligence on suppliers.
3 Aug - 17 August 2005
The most suitable proposal is selected, and the supplier selected.
Please confirm and provide evidence of meeting each of the following conditions in order to be shortlisted as a qualifying supplier. Only qualifying suppliers will participate in the RFP process (point 2.3 above).
Each point must be answered. Please use our numbering. Failure to do so could result in your submission not being considered.
This section outlines the minimum experience required. Where you are to deploy a solution (e.g. packaged solution) then your experience must be in deploying. If you are to develop a solution (e.g. custom-built or hybrid solution) then your experience must be in development.
For each of the requirements (3.1.1 - 3.1.7):
You must have deployed/developed a network-based CMS, with:
You must have at least three years’ experience in using XML in information-application development.
You must have deployed/developed at least one database- and template-driven, enterprise-scale portal (see definition under Acronyms & Terms above). This portal must have used:
You must have a deep understanding of search algorithms and technologies, and experience in deploying or developing effective and sophisticated search solutions – which return search results extremely quickly, with results having a high relevance to the search term (i.e. there is intelligence beyond word matching). Please indicate where you have developed or deployed a search and how you ensured that it met the speed and relevance criteria.
You must have experience in configuring web servers to accept various and multiple domain names at different levels.
You must have experience in web server logs, and the use of log analysis software.
(Only applicable if you are doing development.)
You must have a minimum of two years’ experience in using a formal development
methodology. Please name the methodology used.
Due to the partnership requirements, key staff need to be available for regular interaction with CGDP staff at the CGDP offices (142 Long St, Cape Town). Please indicate whether you can meet:
The contracting company must have a valid, original tax clearance certificate. Click here to download the form to request a tax clearance certificate. Please make sure that you submit this form to SARS as soon as possible to give them enough time to issue you with a certificate before 24 May.
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