Recruitment of a consulting firm to conduct Specialized Training for National Cybersecurity Coordinating Center/NCSIRT and Civil servants

Date of Issue: 20th January 2025

Country: Republic of Sierra Leone

Name of Project: Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project

Consulting Services: For Recruitment of a Consulting Firm to conduct specialised training for National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre/National Computer Security Incident Response Team (NC3/NCSIRT) and civil/public servants. Reference No: SL-MOF-470197-CS-CQS .

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• Introduction

The Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) has committed to transforming its economy based on a more inclusive and human-centric digital growth and development approach. A high-level vision for the digital economy is articulated in the new National Digital Development Policy (NDDP), which was approved by the Cabinet in December 2021 setting the GoSL’s vision to transform Sierra Leone into an inclusive digital economy and society and to leverage digital technology to support the GoSL to deliver on its national development plan effectively and efficiently. The Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project (SLDTP) aims to expand access to broadband internet, increase digital skills, and improve government capacity to deliver public services digitally. The project will support the development of a strong enabling environment for the nation’s digital transformation and digital development agenda as articulated in the National Digital Development Strategy.

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• Objectives

General Objectives

A consulting firm is required to implement specialised cybersecurity training for NC3/CSIRT staff and civil servants, focusing on developing a pool of ethical hackers and penetration testers within the country. This training will include ten (10) lecturers from five (5) universities aspiring to start lecturing cybersecurity courses in tertiary institutions, ten (10) from NC3 and forty (40) civil servants. The consulting firm will create a comprehensive training plan outlining a clear roadmap for continuous learning, starting with cybersecurity foundations and advancing to intermediate ethical hacking skills. This assignment aims to build a cyber-awareness and resilient workforce within Sierra Leone's public sector by developing a team of skilled pen-testers and ethical hackers capable of addressing emerging cyber threats and safeguarding critical national infrastructure. Through comprehensive training and capacity-building, it seeks to empower participants to effectively defend against cyberattacks, respond to incidents, and protect sensitive data within Sierra Leone's evolving digital landscape.

Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of this assignment include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Develop a highly skilled cybersecurity workforce to protect national infrastructure, sensitive data, and public sector systems from cyber threats by increasing the amount of certified cybersecurity expertise nationwide.

• Equip lecturers with the skills to teach future professionals, thereby promoting cybersecurity knowledge transfer to the next generation of the workforce.

• Encourage civil servants and lecturers to adopt innovative approaches to addressing cyber threats, contributing to improving national cybersecurity policies and practices.

• Strengthen the cybersecurity posture of government ministries, agencies, and educational institutions, ensuring they can prevent, detect, and respond to cyber incidents effectively.

• Train public servants to think like hackers, equipping them with knowledge of standard attack methodologies and tactics malicious actors use.

The Project Coordination Unit of the Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting criteria are core business and years in business, relevant experience, and technical and managerial capability of the firm. Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016 Revised November 2017, August 2018, November 2020, September 2023, and National Public Procurement Act 2016, setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Base Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

Further information and detailed Terms of Reference can be obtained at the link below: https://mocti.gov.sl/tor-for-specialised-training-for-staff-of-the-national-cybersecurity-coordination-centre-nc3-and-civil-public-servants/

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below by e-mail on or before 4th February 2025 at 12:00 GMT.

Project Coordination Unit

Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project

Attn: The Project Coordinator

8th Floor,

Youyi Building

E-mail: [email protected] CC: [email protected]

Please indicate clearly the Name of the Assignment in the email subject heading and attachment as only electronic submission will be considered.