Call for tenders: External Service Contract for project evaluation

Within the LIFE Preparatory Project, ‘LIFE e-Natura2000: supporting e-learning and capacity building for Natura 2000 managers‘, we are looking for an external service to produce a consultancy advice and to secure technical development expertise support and advice that can be delivered to consolidate and link the project’s technical tools

Purpose of the tender

The primary aim of the external services to be provided is to enable the project’s digital platforms and tools to continue to be available for a minimum of 5 years post-project end on 31 July 2021. These digital products of the LIFEedu project must continue to be accessible by partners, participants, observers, contributors and funders to understand the project’s impacts and the progress achieved towards the goals and objectives of the project.

Consultancy advice

First, the contracting authority is looking to engage an experienced external service provider to produce a consultancy advice that will underpin the long-term legacy of the LIFEedu project. The consultancy advice required will be represented by the appointed contractor in the form of a concise, informative and visually appealing report: it should be ‘light’ on text and provide clearly presented visual and graphic information, specifically to be accessible to non-technical audiences. The report will inform the formally required LIFE Programme reports:

• Guidelines for Replicability,
• the After-LIFE Plan, and the
• Socio-Economic Impact Assessment Report.

Where relevant and as part of the post-LIFE reporting legacy, the content of the consultancy report will be incorporated in to the final version of these required project documents to assist with the reporting and dissemination of the project actions and results.

Technical development expertise, support and advice

Second, the contracting authority is looking to secure technical development expertise, support and advice that can be delivered to consolidate and link the project’s technical tools (the LIFEedu Moodle and smartphone app) to establish an integrated digital learning environment for users and trainers alike. This part of the contract will require the contractor to provide an element of training support for the contracting authority’s staff (and that of one other partner). The training should focus on enabling the contracting authority (and partner) to be able to further develop and easily upload content and visuals as the app continues to be maintained post project. In addition, an essential further element of the integrated technical development of the project’s tools to be delivered by the external service contractor will be to result in the integrated management of content for the two project tools. This will include:

• Evaluation of the current Moodle and existing smartphone app data results.
• Recommendations of alternative Moodles/ learning platforms that could be used in place of the current Moodle, as well as recommendations about how the current Moodle could be changed and improved.
• Essentially, the recommendations of other learning platforms must also take into account technical issues – for example, these should include but are not restricted to:
  o Storage capacity
  o Ability to make content translatable and available in multiple languages
  o Flexibility and ability to accommodate increased numbers of users
  o How to issue access permissions and registration processes for users
  o Administration requirements, rights and procedures etc.
• An analysis of the project Moodle’s current reporting elements in order to build a more streamlined (mini-) data platform.
• Creating ways to structure new and more accessible data reports for integrated management of the project’s Moodle and smartphone app.
• Some technical development of the app to improve its functionality and links with other digital platforms – for example, a plug-in function for webinars organised by the contracting authority.

The outputs required from this external service contract and the two areas of work described must be complementary and enhance the digital experience of all users, in particular, project participants and project staff. The results should provide for an enhanced and personalised data-driven experience for all users.

Find the tender specifications here

Please consider the tender specifications carefully. The deadline for applications is 12.00 noon on 17th of March 2021.