The Development Co-operation project "Improved Governance to Support Jordanian Reform Projects" (PARtner) aims at enhancing the capacities of public administration in Jordan. Thereby, relations between citizens and the public administration shall be improved. Administrative action shall become more efficient, effective, and responsive to citizens" needs. GIZ has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) to implement the project. Its Jordanian political partner is the Prime Ministry, alongside a number of implementation partners from the public sector. PARtner runs from April 2022 to March 2026.

This tender focuses on the fourth intervention area of PARtner project: enhancing the institutional and personnel capacities of the Jordanian public authorities to improve government-to-citizen service delivery. In this area, the project co-operates mainly with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE) and the Digital Transformation Unit (DTU) at the Prime Ministry of Jordan which assumes an overarching responsibility for all government-to-citizen services in Jordan.

In this context, the services tendered are aimed at developing Jordanian governmental digital services standards in line with the good international practices and standards in place. Additionally, the services tendered will be enhancing the User Interface (UI)/ User Experience (UX) and provision of new informational services on the Official Jordanian Public Services Mobile Application and Web Portal (SANAD). The objective is to enhance accessibility, efficiency, and easiness in accessing government services by citizens.

Description of the procurement (type and scope of services)

The project comprises two service work packages aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative services in Jordan through digital transformation and citizen-centric approaches.

Work Package I: Developing Comprehensive Governmental Digital Services Standard (DSS) for Jordan

This work package aims to establish a unified Digital Services Standard (DSS) for Jordan, providing a clear framework for the design, development, and implementation of digital government services. The DSS, overseen by the Digital Transformation Unit (DTU) at the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE) , will guide government entities, particularly in creating user-friendly, secure, and accessible digital services.

Key components include:

Review and Assessment: Conduct a thorough evaluation of existing digital services, user feedback, current legal and regulatory frameworks, compliance with laws like data protection and cybersecurity regulations, and internationally adopted standards and good practices in that regard including some benchmarking with other countries.

Development of Standards: Build comprehensive standards for digital service delivery, covering areas such as API architecture, data integration, accessibility, security, and performance. These standards will ensure services are modular, interoperable, and aligned with international best practices.

Stakeholder Engagement: Engage MDAs, citizens, the?private sector, and other non-governmental stakeholders to gather feedback and ensure the DSS is tailored to meet user needs and regulatory demands.

Implementation and Rollout: Propose a methodology for continuous DSS updates and a structured rollout plan for new and existing digital services.

Capacity Building: Develop training materials and conduct capacity-building sessions for DTU, MoDEE and other public entities to ensure compliance and effective use of the DSS.

Overall, the DSS will standardize digital services across ministries, improving user experience and operational efficiency while ensuring compliance with both local and international regulations.

Work Package II: Enhancing the User Interface (UI)/ User Experience (UX) and Provision of New Informational Services on the SANAD Mobile App and Web Portal

This work package aims to enhance the UI/UX design of the SANAD mobile app and web portal while introducing new informational services.

Key components include:

Review and Evaluation: The process begins with a comprehensive review and evaluation of the current UI/UX, involving user surveys and consultations with various user groups, including citizens, businesses, and government agencies. This phase will also assess compliance with accessibility standards, such as WCAG, to ensure inclusivity. The findings will be documented in a detailed report, which will also include recommendations for improvement.

Desing Phase: a user-centered approach will guide the development of intuitive and visually appealing interfaces for both the mobile app and web portal. Automated shortcuts and processes will be designed to simplify user tasks while maintaining clarity and usability. Prototypes will undergo usability testing, and a design enhancement kit, complete with templates and guidelines in both English and Arabic, will be produced to support future improvements.

Coding and Implementation Phase: will focus on transforming the design into functional, high-quality low-code front-end builder in close collaboration with MoDEE teams. Regular code reviews and quality assurance processes will ensure adherence to the established standards, and new features will be seamlessly integrated into the app"s existing architecture.

In the Refinement Phase, MoDEE developers will be supported in testing the implemented UI/UX enhancements, verifying their functionality and usability across different scenarios. Continuous user feedback will be gathered to inform further improvements, ensuring the app evolves in line with user needs

Assignment of experts
In this tender of services, the contractor is expected to assign 1 team leader with international expertise, 1 national project coordinator with national expertise, 1 DSS and digitisation expert with international expertise, 1 UI/UX design expert with international expertise, and a pool of minimum 4 maximum 10 technical/software development experts with national experience.

GIZ may optionally commission contract amendments and/or increases based on the criteria in the tender documents to the successful bidder of this tender. For details, please see the terms of reference.

According to Article 160, Section 3 of the German Act Against Restraint of Competition (GWB), application for review is not permissible insofar as
1. the applicant has identified the claimed infringement of the procurement rules before submitting the application for review and has not submitted a complaint to the contracting authority within a period of 10 calendar days; the expiry of the period pursuant to Article 134, Section 2 remains unaffected,
2. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that are evident in the tender notice are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for the application or by the deadline for the submission of bids, specified in the tender notice.
3. complaints of infringements of procurement rules that first become evident in the tender documents are not submitted to the contracting authority at the latest by the expiry of the deadline for application or by the deadline for the submission of bids,
4. more than 15 calendar days have expired since receipt of notification from the contracting authority that it is unwilling to redress the complaint.
Sentence 1 does not apply in the case of an application to determine the invalidity of the contract in accordance with Article 135, Section 1 (2). Article 134, Section 1, Sentence 2 remains unaffected.

All communication takes place in English via communication tool in the project area of the procurement portal.