Procurement of EMIS System

Description

The Republic of Suriname has requested financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the program "Consolidating Access to Inclusive Quality Education in Suriname."

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (MINOW) intends to apply part of these funds to hire a technical consulting firm to develop, implement, and operationalize a national, open-source Education Management Information System (EMIS). This system is critical as the Ministry currently lacks an EMIS and requires a solution to enable real-time data collection and evidence-based decision-making across all levels of education.

Project Overview and Phases
The project involves adopting and implementing a robust, functional open-source platform customized to meet the Ministry's specific requirements. The development is structured into five sequential phases to be completed over 6 months:

- Phase 1: Foundational Identity, Access, and Examination.
- Phase 2: Student Academic and Welfare Data.
- Phase 3: Personnel and Institutional Data Management.
- Phase 4: Operational Programs and Support Services.
- Phase 5: Analytics and Integration Core.

Key Consulting Services
The selected firm will be responsible for a comprehensive technology stack (including Node.js, React, and PostgreSQL) to deliver 33 modules. Core services include:

- System Architecture: Designing API architecture, database schemas, and security frameworks following OWASP guidelines.

- Multilingual Interface: Implementing full functionality in both Dutch and English with seamless language switching.

- Data Migration: Auditing, cleaning, and migrating legacy data from Excel and paper records into the new system.

- Offline Functionality: Ensuring the system remains usable in areas with limited internet connectivity.

- Open-Source Commitment: All source code must be committed to a centralized GitHub repository under open-source licensing (MIT, Apache, or GPL).

- Training and Support: Establishing a help desk from Phase 1 and conducting knowledge transfer sessions for Ministry personnel.

Qualification Requirements
Interested firms must demonstrate the following:

- Experience: At least 5 years of experience in EMIS implementation, with a minimum of three (3) successfully completed projects in the education sector. Experience in the Caribbean or similar developing contexts is highly desirable.

- Key Personnel: A qualified team including a Project Manager (10+ years experience), Technology Architect (8+ years experience), Database Expert, and a Local Liaison fluent in both Dutch and English.

- Technical Proof: Evidence of high-quality open-source projects on GitHub and a clear approach to achieving at least 85% test coverage.

Nota: The bidding documents and terms of reference are available in English.