Develop an Integrated Digital Information System

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT) Name of Project: Eastern Africa Regional Statistics Program-for-Results (EARSPforR) Grant No: P176371 Assignment Title: Individual Consultant (IC) to perform the Consultancy services to Develop an Integrated and Digitalized Statistical Information System for STATAFRIC. Reference No.TN-STATAFRIC-AUC-481115-CS-INDV. • Background

The African Union (AU) is committed to strengthening African statistical systems across the continent to support evidence-based policy-making, regional integration, and sustainable development. African statistical systems encompass national statistical offices (NSOs), regional economic communities (RECs), and continental institutions. However, data management systems across these entities are frequently fragmented, heterogeneous, and insufficiently interoperable. These structural challenges constrain the efficient exchange, consolidation, and dissemination of reliable and timely statistics at the continental level Key challenges include: • Lack of standardized data formats and metadata schemas across NSOs and RECs. • Weak or absent automated data exchange mechanisms between national and continental systems. • Limited data governance frameworks governing quality assurance and access management. • Inadequate tools for real-time data visualization and dissemination to end-users. • Insufficient technical capacity within STATAFRIC to manage and maintain digital platforms. To address these gaps, STATAFRIC intends to develop an integrated and digitalized statistical information system connecting national statistical systems, regional data platforms, and continental-level repositories. The system will support improved data collection, integration, analysis, and dissemination while ensuring interoperability and compliance with international statistical standards. STATAFRIC therefore seeks to recruit a qualified individual consultant to design, develop and implementation of this integrated digital statistical information system at STATAFRIC. • Objectives of the assignment

The consultancy specifically aims to: • Conduct a structured diagnostic assessment of existing data management systems and information flows at STATAFRIC and within key partner institutions. • Design a scalable, modular, and interoperable architecture for the integrated statistical information system. • Develop and deploy a functional digital platform incorporating data ingestion, integration, governance, visualization, and dissemination capabilities. • Establish secure and standards-compliant mechanisms for data exchange between NSOs, RECs, and STATAFRIC, developed in alignment and coordination with the parallel consultancy for the Continental Statistical Database (CSD), to ensure technical and data compatibility between the two systems. • Define and implement data governance policies, metadata management standards, and quality assurance procedures. • Build institutional capacity through structured training, technical documentation, and knowledge transfer. • Expected Deliverables

All deliverables must be submitted in English and/or French, as agreed with STATAFRIC. Deliverables are subject to review and approval by STATAFRIC management before payment of the corresponding instalment. | # | Deliverable | Description and Minimum Content | Number of Days | D1 | Methodological report and inception Report. | Detailed methodology; work plan with milestones; stakeholder engagement strategy; risk register; tools and data sources to be used. | 10 days | D2 | Diagnostic Assessment Report. | Documented review of existing systems; data flow maps; gap analysis across infrastructure, interoperability, security, and governance; prioritized system requirements; stakeholder consultation summary. | 20 days | D3 | System Architecture Design Document. | Architecture diagrams (high-level and component-level); technology stack with justification; data model and entity-relationship diagrams; integration architecture; security architecture; hosting strategy. | 30 days | D4 | Prototype / Operational Platform. | Deployed and functional platform with all modules (see Section 3.3); UAT (User Acceptance Testing) report signed off by STATAFRIC; source code repository with documentation; deployment guide. | 20 days | D5 | Data Exchange Framework & Interoperability Guidelines. | Exchange protocols and standards documentation; API specifications and documentation; integration connectors for ≥3 priority systems; testing and validation results. | 20 days | D6 | Training Materials & User Documentation. | Training programme agenda; presentation materials and exercises; administrator manual; end-user manual; maintenance and sustainability plan. | 10 days | D7 | Final Implementation Report. | Summary of all activities and outputs; lessons learned; recommendations for Phase 2 enhancements; handover checklist. | 10 days • Required Qualifications and Experience • • Academic Qualifications • An advanced university degree (Master's level minimum) in one of the following fields: Information Systems, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, or a closely related discipline. • • Professional Experience The following experience is required: • A minimum of ten (10) years of professional experience in the design, development, and implementation of large-scale information systems or data platforms. • Demonstrated experience in statistical information systems, open data platforms, or national/regional data management initiatives. • Proven experience in data interoperability, including the design of data exchange protocols, APIs, and automated pipelines. • Practical knowledge of metadata standards (SDMX, DDI, or equivalent) and data governance frameworks. • Experience conducting needs assessments and gap analyses in ICT or data management contexts. • Experience in capacity building, including the design and delivery of technical training for institutional users. The following experience is an asset: • Prior experience with African Union institutions, regional economic communities, or national statistical offices in Africa. • Experience in cloud infrastructure management (AWS, Azure, GCP or equivalent). • Familiarity with international statistical standards frameworks (IMF SDDS, UN SDG data architecture, etc.). • Proficiency in both English and French. • • Technical Competencies Candidates should demonstrate proficiency in at least the following areas: • Database design and management (PostgreSQL, MySQL, or equivalent relational/NoSQL systems). • API development and web services (REST, SOAP). • ETL pipeline design and data transformation tools. • Data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, D3.js, or equivalent). • Security best practices for web-based information systems. • Version control and documentation (Git, Confluence, or equivalent). • Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated using the following evaluation criteria. Only candidates achieving a minimum technical score of 70 out of 100 will be considered. | No. | Evaluation Criterion | Sub-criteria | Max. Points | •

| Technical Approach & Methodology. | Clarity, relevance, and feasibility of proposed approach; quality of work plan; understanding of assignment. | 25 | •

| Relevant Professional Experience. | Depth and quality of experience in large-scale information systems and statistical data platforms. | 20 | •

| Demonstrated Technical Competencies. | Evidence of skills in key technical areas (databases, APIs, ETL, visualization, security). | 20 | •

| Experience with International/Regional Organizations. | Prior work with AU, UN, RECs, NSOs, or equivalent bodies. | 15 | •

| Qualifications. | Academic qualifications and professional certifications relevant to the assignment. | 10 | •

| Language Proficiency. | Demonstrated proficiency in English and/or French (bilingual capacity an advantage). | 10 | Minimum passing score: 70/100 | 100 • Application (Expression of Interest) EoI requirements:

Interested candidates should submit the following documents: • A technical proposal (maximum 15 pages) including: understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology, work plan, and relevant experience. • An updated curriculum vitae (CV) highlighting relevant qualifications and experience, with at least three (3) professional references. • At least two (2) samples of similar work previously undertaken (e.g., system architecture documents, diagnostic reports, or deployed platform documentation). • Copies of relevant academic and professional certificates. The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment are attached to this request for expressions of interest. The African Union Commission now invites eligible individuals (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Individual Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016, revised November 2020 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours i.e. 0900 to 1700 hours. Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form following the above shortlisting criteria to the address below (in person, or by mail) before 05th August 2026 at 15:00 Hours Local Time, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Only submitted Expression of Interests (EoIs) mentioning the reference number “TN-STATAFRIC-AUC-481115-CS-INDV “ in the sub