Data Portal Development and Support (Албания - Тендер #62773825)

The methodology for developing the digital data portal will follow an agile approach, allowing for flexibility and adaptability throughout the project. The process will be iterative, with regular feedback loops to incorporate changes and improvements as needed. The methodology will consist of the following key components:

Agile Principles: Embrace the core principles of agile development, including iterative development, collaboration with stakeholders, and responding to change over following a plan;

Sprint Planning: Divide the project into short development cycles (sprints), with a focus on delivering incremental, usable functionality;

Collaboration and Stakeholder Involvement: Engage with stakeholders, including the Office of the Deputy President and other key partners, throughout the development process to ensure their needs and feedback are incorporated;

Adaptability: Be prepared to adapt plans and priorities based on feedback and changing requirements, ensuring the portal meets the evolving needs of the stakeholders.

Scope:

Design Phase: The design phase will include conducting discussions and workshops to understand data portal user needs, preferences and goals. This also includes conducting a needs assessment and technical design. During the design phase, discussions and workshops will be conducted to achieve the following:

Gather user requirements of the data portal, with an aim to understand the data portal users needs and expectations;

Identify the various types of data the data portal would require, to meet the users needs and expectations;

Identity and define user personas of the data portal. This may include further identifying their goals, preferences, skills and tasks they want to accomplish using the data portal;

Creation of wireframes, user stories, or technical design documents.

Needs Assessment and Technical Design: Assess data sources and develop a streamlined technical design document focusing on essential functionalities. The assessment should also take into consideration all the features highlighted above to maximize the usage and sharing of the data. Additionally, the needs assessment and technical design will also focus on functional and non-functional requirements of the data portal. The technical design will involve key focus on User Interface (UI) design, User Experience (UX) design, information architecture, data visualization, responsive design and accessibility, security and privacy.

Prototype: Develop a simple prototype focused on core features. The prototype should have basic features for a data portal such as search and filter functionality, data preview and exploration feature, user registration and authentication, data download and export, data visualization and it should have responsive design and accessibility of the user interface.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Development: Develop an MVP with core features such as data consolidation and basic visualization. Consider using open-source or low-cost tools to reduce development costs. The MVP should have basic features for a data portal such as search and filter functionality, data preview and exploration feature, user registration and authentication, data download and export, data visualization and it should have responsive design and accessibility of the user interface. Besides it should integrate different data types and basic data visualization, including geo-based data and maps as a form of visualizing geo-based data.

Testing and Quality Assurance: Prioritize testing for functionality and usability, addressing critical issues first. The testing and quality assurance should incorporate the following: usability testing, functional testing, security testing, accessibility testing, compatibility testing, regression testing and performance testing.

Capacity Building: Develop a basic capacity building plan focusing on essential training for project staff.

Final Data Portal Development: Develop the final data portal iteratively, focusing on adding additional features based on feedback and available resources.

Post-launch Support: Limit post-launch support to critical issues and bug fixes, user feedback collection, ensuring the portal remains operational.

Documentation: document the development process, architecture, and key decisions for future reference and scalability of the portal.

Sustainability Plan: The firm to prepare a handover plan with detailed documentation, training manuals, and a governance framework for the hosting organization.