Server Configuration and Procurement Expert

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 has exposed the weaknesses in resilience of the education system in Serbia, but at the same time accelerated innovation and digitalization process. Since mid-March 2020, schools in Serbia have been closed until the end of the school year 2019-2020, and the entire education system was switched overnight to remote teaching and learning. The pandemic has deeply exacerbated the education system and forced all actors in the system to quickly adapt to distance learning and adopt digital tools as the “new normal”, but it has also brought forward the existing social inequalities and weaknesses related to the resilience of the education system.

According to the data from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (MoESTD), as much as 25% of children belonging to vulnerable groups (including Roma children in need of additional educational support and children with disabilities) have not been able to participate in the distance learning due to the lack of appropriate equipment and lack of learning support.

UNICEF in Serbia and the MoESTD with support from the European Union is aiming to bridge the digital divide between the general population and those most vulnerable children across the country.

The overall objective of the action is to strengthen the resilience of the education system to equitably serve all children’s access to learning during times of emergency, with a particular focus on Roma children. At the national level, further development of an inclusive e-learning system and institutional capacity strengthening for effective delivery, management and monitoring of digitalized learning among vulnerable children will be supported. This includes further development of technical capacities of the distance learning platform and supporting content development.

Work Assignment Overview:

The purpose of this assignment is to design, define and prepare a technical specification and documentation for the procurement of a redundant server system with central storage that is going to be installed in the state data centre to support further development of conditions for distance learning and inclusive on-line learning in Serbia.

The consultant will be responsible for preparing a detail server system technical specification through close cooperation with the MoESTD and under the guidance and supervision of UNICEF Education and ICT Team. The MoESTD will ensure a technical focal point who will directly facilitate all related tasks and regularly closely cooperate with the consultant. The MoESTD will provide all the necessary information to the consultant during the realization of the task. Coordination and cooperation will be conducted through the established communication lines.

The consultant will be provided with the estimated minimal technical specification that will be used as a baseline, in line with the initial requirements from the MoESTD. Additionally, the detailed technical specification should include an optional proposal for adequate enterprise virtual server software environment (VMWare, Citrix, MS HyperV, etc.).

The consultant is also expected to provide an advisory service during the procurement process itself, as well as during the installation of the server at the designated location.

The consultant must not be engaged in companies that are representatives of any vendors of server and storage equipment in Serbia.

Duration of the assignment: November – December 2020 (up to 10 working days)

Detailed task description:

1. Perform the initial analysis of the existing documentation provided by UNICEF and MoESTD. These documents will include related project documentation, description of the current and the future software system and estimated number of users.
2. Conduct initial consultations with MoESTD and UNICEF and collect views and needs of MoESTD in order to obtain and define minimal and optimal technical specification for the procurement of server infrastructure.
3. Design, define and prepare a detail technical specification and documentation for the procurement of a redundant server system with central storage.
4. Provide advisory role during the bidding process and follow-up on the implementation and server installation at the state data centre.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Minimum secondary education degree is required. Advanced degree will be an asset;
• Minimum three years of experience in managing hardware procurements in Serbia;
• Minimum three contracts for consulting services for the design or development of an information system (preferably delivered in public sector);
• Familiarity with various operating systems and platforms;
• Experience with enterprise virtual server software environment is an asset;
• Ability to listen to the client and create high-quality specifications;
• Ability to independently and objectively assess the capacity needs of server and storage devices;
• Fluency in Serbian is essential, knowledge of English is an asset;
• Technical background in hardware development and knowledge of the basis of the LMS platforms (like Moodle) are additional assets.

How to apply:

The application must include a financial proposal in RSD as a separate document, providing the following information:

• Daily rate (all costs included, e.g. usage of mobile phone).

Important notes:

Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

For every child, you must demonstrate UNICEF's core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNICEF’s office is accessible to a certain extent, and employees are entitled to reasonable accommodations that are needed for ensuring equitable working conditions.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, and on any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will therefore undergo reference and background checks.