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Ref.
2024/EIEIC/11521

Job offer type
Experts

Type of contract
Service contract

Deadline date
2024/08/01 23:55

Duration of the assignment
Short term

Contract
Freelancer

Duration
3 months

Mission description

REQUESTED SERVICES

 

1.     Status assessment and needs analysis

Based on the concept note presented by the MPCT and the CDGP analysis, consolidate an ecosystem analysis focusing on the following elements:

  • Status assessment and analysis of the legal/institutional framework, including a list of official texts (laws, decrees, regulations, and directives in force related to digital governance as well as relevant national, regional, and international texts), public policies on digital, cybersecurity, data protection;
  • Analysis of the state of infrastructure in terms of data centers, communication networks, IT equipment, etc., and of the condition, capacity, and security of existing infrastructure;
  • Analysis of existing information systems (software and platforms used) as well as their functioning, integration, and interoperability, and the needs for updates, maintenance, and development of new systems;
  • Identification of needs (including in terms of digital public services) and evaluation of the capacities (resources, technologies, etc.) of different public entities to integrate and operationalize digital governance tools;
  • Mapping of relevant government actors as well as the governance framework necessary for the implementation of national-scale data management systems;
  • Identification of other key stakeholders (civil society organizations, the private sector, academic institutions, and international partners) and their expectations in the planning of digital governance systems;
  • Identification of major technological, legal, financial, and organizational risks, cultural, institutional, and political obstacles to the implementation of digital governance strategies, and constraints to implementing innovative public strategies.

 

2.     Priority action areas for the future feasibility study

 

Based on the elements highlighted by the contextual analysis, the activities of the second phase will be conducted as follows:

 

Workshops/meetings for co-construction with government actors and other stakeholders to validate the conclusions of the diagnosis and identify priority themes for ecosystem actors:

  • Organize co-construction workshops/meetings: identify participants, agenda, logistics, etc.;
  • Conduct the workshops: working methodology, technical inputs;
  • Report: collect elements justifying the smooth running of the workshops.

 

Definition of priority areas:

·       Analyze and synthesize the conclusions of the various workshops into priority intervention areas for the future e-Government project, considering the prior analysis.

 

3.     Propose a Structure for the Future Project

 

Based on the conclusions of phases 1 and 2, the third phase will define the following elements:

 

Technical Offer Structuring

·       General presentation of the project in light of the analyses carried out during phases 1 and 2 of the study:

(i)             Target beneficiaries and partners;

(ii)            Major components/axes of the project (maximum of 4) and their operational mode;

 

Proposal of a logical framework for the project by work components (general and specific objectives, results and impacts of the project, activities arising from the objectives to be achieved, assumptions, risks, monitoring indicators);

o   Synthesis of the social and environmental impacts of the project with a risk analysis;

o   Proposal for a diagnostic study on gender equality to meet an AFD CAD 1 level rating.

 

·       Financial Offer Structuring

    • By components, propose a financial estimate and financial tools for the different actions;
    • After validation of a draft financial estimate consistent with the program's objectives, propose a project budget.
  1. Draft the Terms of Reference for the Feasibility Study

Finally, based on the previous proposals, the last phase includes the proposal of terms of reference for conducting a feasibility study to prepare the project design, which should include:

  • Update of the technical documentation prepared during pre-feasibility studies (including project design, formulation of components including component 2, detailed description of capacity-building activities and TA, logical framework of the project);
  • Consolidated and final budget required for each project component: equipment, infrastructure, human resources, etc. (Capex, Opex);
  • Complete risk analysis, and mitigation measures;
  • Analysis of E&S risks (including with regard to national regulations);
  • Identification of positive and negative impacts in terms of climate change mitigation and adaptation, identification of measures to maximize climate co-benefits, and the project’s carbon footprint if applicable;
  • Formulation of potential technical assistance needs to support project implementation;
  • Project procurement plan;
  • Technical assistance for drafting the tender dossier and job descriptions for the PMU (Project Management Unit) for the duration of the project.

DELIVERABLES

Phase 1:

  • Synthetic presentation of the conclusions and key elements of the diagnosis carried out. This deliverable will take the form of a Word document accompanied by a presentation (PowerPoint).

Phase 2:

  • Report on the co-construction workshops/meetings, including programs, list of participants, minutes of each meeting, and a general conclusion.
  • Synthetic report presenting the final intervention axes selected and other conclusions from the co-construction workshops.

Phase 3:

  • Pre-feasibility study of the e-Government project in Cambodia to prepare the project for AFD's instruction.
  • PowerPoint presentation (PPT) of the study's conclusions.

Phase 4:

  • Terms of reference for the future feasibility study (in English).

 

MODALITIES

Phase

Indicative number of days

Responsabilities

Diagnostic et analyse des besoins

10 days

-       Coordonner avec Expertise France et l’AFD les besoins ;

-       Définir la méthodologie de travail et planning des activités ;

-       Identifier les acteurs clé ;

-       Réaliser un premier état des lieux et analyse des besoins (en ligne) ;

-       Produire et soumettre le document final.

Identification des axes prioritaires

17 jours (dont au moins 10 sur le terrain)

-       Planifier et organiser la mission ;

-       Préparer le matériel et animer les ateliers et réunions nécessaires à la production des livrables ;

-       Analyser les conclusions des ateliers à la lumière de l’état des lieux réalisé ;

-       Produire et soumettre les comptes rendus de réunion et le rapport final.

Structuration du projet

5 jours

-       Rédiger les grandes lignes du projet, sur la base de l’analyse et des missions effectuées ;

-       Produire et soumettre la proposition de projet finale.

Cahier des charges

3 jours

-       Rédiger et soumettre la proposition de cahier des charges pour l’étude de faisabilité.

*The distribution of days per task is indicative and can be adjusted according to the expert's capabilities and operational needs.

 

Provisional Schedule: The study must be conducted between August and October 2024 (to be defined according to AFD's instruction schedule and stakeholders’ availability).

Project or context description

CONTEXT

The Royal Government of Cambodia has achieved its ambition for digital transformation in government, economy, and society through the adoption of two innovative public strategies: the "Cambodia Digital Economy and Society Policy Framework (CDESPF) 2021-2035" and the "Cambodia Digital Government Policy (CDGP) 2022-2035." Implementing these strategies requires significant efforts from national public administrations, including the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications.

The CDGP strategy includes a comprehensive analysis of the state of e-government in Cambodia and highlights major challenges, such as the need to strengthen intra-institutional connectivity, the lack of infrastructure and software for common data storage, and the necessity to create an adequate regulatory framework.

In this context, the AFD (French Development Agency) in Cambodia has expressed its support to the Royal Government of Cambodia in operationalizing these two strategies, and discussions are ongoing to develop a digital project promoting the digitization of the Cambodian government.

Specifically, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) has proposed a project (concept note) aimed at contributing to the digital transition of the Royal Government of Cambodia by promoting the development of public e-government infrastructures, improving interoperability and service platforms, digitizing public services for businesses and citizens, and fostering the emergence of a digital innovation ecosystem. At this stage, the proposed project would have two main components:

1.     A component on digital public infrastructure aimed at supporting the RGC in its transition to digital administration and improving the delivery of public services to citizens and businesses on an inclusive and sustainable scale. This will involve building an architectural framework for digital administration and funding fundamental, interoperable, and secure digital public infrastructures, such as an inter-governmental network, a government cloud infrastructure, an authentication system to improve access to public services, the development of common management systems, a regulatory framework (particularly around data) conducive to the emergence of digital uses, and digital services for users.

Furthermore, discussions are ongoing for a digitalization project for the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT), which includes three organizations: TVET, the National Employment Agency, and the National Social Security Fund.

2.     An innovation component focused on advanced digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data science. On one hand, the project aims to support the emergence of a digital innovation ecosystem around these advanced technologies, from education to research, from applied research to innovation (universities, research institutes, startups, companies, etc.), and on the other hand, to foster the development of sectoral digital innovations and the creation of innovative businesses. The project will thus support the deployment of a National Center for Artificial Intelligence as well as a Data Science laboratory (inspired by the model of INP Grenoble). Specifically, it will involve funding a shared high-performance computing platform (storage capacity and very high-speed network connectivity, operating system, and appropriate tools) capable of hosting machine learning and data science projects.

Preliminarily, the needs expressed by the MPTC are estimated to be at least around 20 million euros (estimated amount to be refined).

The current study focuses on component 1 only. Component No. 2 is subject of another feasibility study. However, this mission should consolidate the elements from the two studies in order to structure a single project that the AFD would finance.

FRAMEWORK OF INTERVENTION

Expertise France has been commissioned by the AFD to conduct a pre-feasibility study within the framework of the FEXTE Digital for Development Asia-Pacific instrument. This initiative aims to identify investment and intervention opportunities for the AFD group to support the digital transformation of partner countries through the extension of connectivity infrastructure, the improvement of access to digital public services, and the promotion of sustainable digitalization in line with global climate goals.

The project targeted by the pre-feasibility study intends to pursue three objectives:

(i)             Establishment of a data governance framework between the various entities of the Royal Government of Cambodia;

(ii)            Development and improvement of technical frameworks, including infrastructure, legislative, and institutional frameworks for a digital government;

(iii)          Development of access to and use of e-government services for citizens and businesses.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the pre-feasibility study are to:

  • Deepen the priority areas of the future e-Government project in Cambodia based on the concept note proposed by the MPTC;
  • Clarify the digitalization needs of the MLVT;
  • Propose a structure for the future project (components, amounts, governance scheme, operational mode, risks, logical framework);
  • Prepare the terms of reference for the feasibility study.

STAKEHOLDERS

It is essential that government actors, as well as civil society and private sector actors, are involved in the activities and fully associated with the study conduction. To this end, the pre-feasibility study should be designed in consultation with the following stakeholders:

  • The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC), considered the ministry responsible for implementing the future project;
  • The Digital Government Committee (DGC). This committee, chaired by the Minister of the MPTC, has an inter-ministerial mandate in the digitalization of the domains entrusted to it;
  • Given the cross-cutting nature of the subject, the mission may also need to engage with the Digital Business and Economy Committee (DBEC), chaired by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), as well as the Digital Security Committee (DSC);
  • Other ministries that may be consulted include the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Labor;
  • Private companies;
  • Civil society organizations (CSOs);
  • The French Development Agency in Cambodia, who is funding the feasibility study as well as the future e-Government project.

In a broader circle, other technical and financial partners in the sector (such as the European Union Delegation) may also be consulted.

Required profile

EXPERT’S PROFILE:

 

·       University degree or equivalent experience related to digital transformation in the public sector, information technology, digital law, or an equivalent field;

·       At least 10 years of experience in digital transformation in the public sector with a specialization in public digital infrastructure, digital governance, public policies, or equivalent;

·       Knowledge of French experiences in state digital transformation is a plus;

·       Proven experience in Cambodia and knowledge of public actors and local dynamics related to the topic;

·       Organizational and diplomatic skills, ease of relationship-building, especially in a multicultural environment;

·       Proven experience in managing and writing technical studies on public digital infrastructure, digital data governance, data protection, cybersecurity, and information system interoperability, etc., or similar;

·       Knowledge of AFD (operations, external policies, financial programming);

 

The study can be conducted by a single expert or a team of experts for a total of 30 days. The person(s) in charge of the study will need to travel to Phnom Penh to organize and facilitate meetings with stakeholders.

 

Travel expenses (airfare, hotel, visa, local transportation) are included in the total contract budget.

 

Total Budget: €39,999 excluding VAT.

Selection criteria for applications

The selection process for candidates will be based on the following criteria :

  • Candidate’s training/skills/experience
  • Candidate’s skills linked with the expert mission
  • Assessment of the candidate's skills in the sought-after domain

Deadline for application : 2024/08/01 23:55

Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :

  • democratic, economic, and financial governance ;
  • peace, stability, and security ;
  • climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;
  • health and human development ;

In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results. 

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