Update (05-Apr-2018): We’ve posted the actual RFP today. Thanks for the feedback 🙂
OTF is sharing a draft Request for Partners (RFP) for public review and comment. We are looking for good software development firms to help us continue building out our Django based proposal system (and website). If you have any questions or comments, please post them on the discussion thread for this RFP on our online forum, we.opentech.fund. Any and all comments, questions, and/or RSVP to participate in a group question and answer call should be posted here. Direct emails may not be responded to.
Here is the current RFP schedule:
- 26-Mar-2018: Draft RFP up for review
- 02-Apr-2018, 09:00 and 16:00 ET (UTC -4): Public voice chats to discuss RFP (post here requesting call in info or email [email protected])
- 04-Apr-2018: Post of actual RFP for review and application
- 18-Apr-2018, 23:59 UTC: Close of RFP application
- 02-May-2018: Awarded applicants notified
RFP: Ongoing support of OTF’s proposal system
Introduction
Radio Free Asia’s (RFA) Open Technology Fund (OTF) is soliciting proposals from professional organizations, agencies or individuals to support the ongoing development and maintenance of our online submission application. Engineering Lab services are only provided to those efforts advancing global internet freedom, within OTF’s mission and core focus areas. To this end OTF seeks services toward three different objectives.
RFA is a private nonprofit District of Columbia corporation, qualified as an organization exempt from federal income taxes under Internal Revenue Code Section 50l(c)(3). RFA was established under the International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to broadcast news and information in 13 languages and dialects to listeners in Asia who primarily have access to state-run media. RFA is funded by the U.S. government through an annual federal grant administered by the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
The OTF program at RFA supports technology-centric projects and research which empower world citizens to have access to modern communication channels which are free from restrictions, and allows them to communicate without fear of repressive censorship or surveillance.
Objective 1: Additional development for existing proposal system release candidate
Specific services sought for this objective to support those efforts performing software development, testing, deployment, and project management to augment the existing release candidate with newly OTF defined and prioritized features for improved handling of all the proposals OTF receives. See the following “Scope of Services Requested” section for more detailed information on services.
Objective 2: Support major feature development for new releases of the proposal system
Specific services sought for this objective intend to support those efforts performing discovery, design, development, and implementation of major new functionality required by OTF to advance the proposal system’s utility. OTF ideal development schedule is to cycle between two months of discovery and feature definition (with minor development continuing in the background) into at least two months of major build, testing, and implementation sprints, allowing for at least three major releases with new features annually. See the following “Scope of Services Requested” section for more detailed information on services.
Objective 3: Provide ongoing feature development and maintenance of online assets
Specific services sought for this objective intend to support minor feature development, implementation, and ongoing maintenance required by any of OTF’s online websites, including the proposal system. See the following “Scope of Services Requested” section for more detailed information on services.
We expect to offer a request for service partners annually for the stated above objectives and the below services or additions that prove to advance our goals and global internet freedom the most. We expect to accept multiple applications to become Engineering Lab service partners. As such, applicants may apply for one or more of the above listed areas of work.
Background information
OTF currently maintains multiple websites for different purposes. Our primary website and proposal management was built on Drupal 7 with a mix of contributed and custom modules. In 2017, we began an effort to migrate from Drupal to our own Python/Django/Wagtail based application (see the code on Github here). This application serves two purposes. First, it maintains the public facing website providing informational pages, news, funded projects, the team and advisory council members. Second, the website manages all aspects of our proposal submission and review workflows.
Objective 1’s effort is solely on the proposal system, with services focused on extending the existing working functionality of the new application to include additional features required by OTF before the first major release. Objective 2’s effort is focused solely on the proposal system, with services focused on supporting subsequent major feature releases over the course of a 12 month period. Objective 3’s effort is broader, for services that support minor development and ongoing maintenance of the proposal system and also the other Drupal, WordPress, and static HTML web sites OTF operates.
Scope of services requested
An applicant could be applying to support one or more of the stated objectives. Applicants do not have to provide all of the listed requested services and can include additional services not listed, if included with a demonstration of how they will advance our stated goals. The following are a list of services we believe we need to accomplish the stated goals but encourage additional ideas outside these examples:
Objective 1: Additional development for existing proposal system release candidate
- Software development for furthering core and sub-components
- Updating technical needs discovery
- Review of existing architectural decisions
- Implementation of additional features considered part of coming release
- Implement additional UI/UX elements
- Data migration
- Updating test suite
- User-Interface/User-Experience Development
- Updating design needs discovery
- Updating existing wireframes and skins
- Implementation of updated designs
- Updating documentation & training materials, including
- Developer documentation
- User documentation
- Training curriculum
Objective 2: Support major feature development for new releases of the proposal system
- Discovery activities
- Research and reporting out on renewed user / stakeholder consultation
- Wireframes defining the new application features, process, and workflows from research
- Finalize any new system architecture changes including any implementation and migration details
- Document proposed information architecture changes
- Updated design brief and concepts documenting any changes
- Updated statement of work document containing:
- A prioritized feature list containing clearly defined content types and features, both those you have already defined and those that emerge from discovery activities, for the Design and Build activities
- Updated detailed project plans for coming Design and Build activities
- Updated estimates for Design and Build activities
- Providing plans for further discovery and development activities
- And any other information requested
- Design and build activities
- To be completed in accordance with the statement of work agreed between the parties during discovery activities.
- Software development for furthering core and sub-components
- Updating technical needs discovery
- Review of existing architectural decisions
- Implementation of additional features considered part of coming release
- Implement additional UI/UX elements
- Data migration
- Updating test suite
- User-Interface/User-Experience Development
- Updating design needs discovery
- Updating existing wireframes and skins
- Implementation of updated designs
- Updating documentation & training materials, including
- Developer documentation
- User documentation
- Training curriculum
Objective 3: Provide ongoing feature development and maintenance of online assets
- Be available for the day-to-day technical support requests from the OTF team;
- Monitor both the public and private topics on OTF managed support forums, responding to and resolving bugs and other serious issues;
- Actively participate in the discussion and scoping of new features;
- Triage and lead continual development of features;
- Provide support for other external developers and designers assigned to work on OTF apps; and,
- Stay up to date on the core and module our apps run upon, provide timely support and maintenance ensuring OTF code bases are up-to-date and secure.
Misc requirements
Applicants
OTF seeks multiple individual consultants or organizations – from anywhere – with experience and ability to work with technology-centered communities to accomplish similar goals. Collaborative applications with more than one individual or organization are encouraged. Organization or individual submitting must be able to demonstrate a track record of integration, deployment, and/or maintenance of the specific service areas.
- An understanding of the internet freedom community demographic, their culture, and preferences and/or previous working experience in the community strongly preferred;
- Must agree to use our standard contract, including standard provisions for all USG-funded work (see language and contract).
Pricing
OTF awards are performance-based contracts signed directly with the applicant. Payment is issued on completion of work on agreed upon services outlined in a contract. OTF reserves the right to award less or more than the funds requested as deemed in the best interest of OTF’s priorities.
Schedule of activities
Acceptable applicants will offer to provide the requested services within a 24 month or less contract term.
- DD-MM-2018: Deadline for any posted questions (feel free to keep up but no promises we’ll get you answers)
- DD-MM-2018: Deadline for applications
- DD-MM-2018: Estimated date for issuing contracts
Note, we can and may change these at any time. We’ll update this page and the topic here (link to we.otf post) as changes occur.
Selection process
Applications must be submitted no later than 23:59 (11:59PM) GMT on the date of deadline stated on the OTF website. We do not accept applications submitted via email, Fax, the U.S. postal system, FedEx, UPS and similar delivery companies, or courier. Only applications submitted through this online form will be considered. Applicants that do not meet any of these requirements may not be considered.
Ideal applicants are making use of, support, or develop open and accessible technologies, have a history of promoting human rights and open societies, and/or help advance inclusive and safe access to global communications networks. In addition, the following criteria must be met:
- Individuals of all ages irrespective of nationality, residency, creed, gender, or other factors, with the exception that OTF is not able to support applicants within countries that the United States has trade restrictions or export sanctions as determined by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC);
- Non-profit organization/non-government organization, including U.S.-based NGO, PIO, or foreign NGO;
- For-profit organization or business in any country;
- Consortia of multiple people or organizations with one individual or organization designated as the lead applicant;
- Have demonstrated experience administering successful projects, preferably targeting the requested program area, or similarly challenging program environments where OTF reserves the right to request additional background information on organizations;
- Ideal applicants must not reflect any type of support for any member, affiliate, or representative of a designated terrorist organization, whether or not elected members of government.
Pre-selection engagement
While we will not be able to review any applications until after the deadline, we very much encourage and hope to support as much public engagement with potential applicants as possible. Here’s how:
- A public discussion forum is being maintained here (link to we.otf);
- A draft version of this Request for Partners will have been posted for review and comment, documented on the discussion forum.
- Once the final Request for Partners is posted, anyone at any time can post any questions you may have on the discussion forum. We’ll do our best to answer as many of them as we can before the application deadline.