Development of Ghana Child Labour Monitoring System (GCLMS)

Established in 2002, the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) is a leading organisation promoting child protection in cocoa-growing communities. ICI works with the cocoa industry, civil society and national governments in cocoa-producing countries to ensure a better future for children and contribute to the elimination of child labour. In May 2022, ICI mandated a baseline survey of child labour prevalence in 42 cocoa growing communities in Ghana.

Background to Terms of Reference

In 2010, Ghana government initiated the development of a Ghana Child Labour Monitoring System (GCLMS) as a means of monitoring child labour issues in the country. GCLMS is a holistic and dynamic process for eliminating all forms of Child Labour. It involves direct observations, repeated regularly, to identify child labourers and to determine risks to which they are exposed to, refer them to appropriate social protection and child development services, and monitor them regularly to verify that they have been removed and, or benefiting from the required services. It is a direct action aimed at protecting boys and girls; enhancing better socio-economic planning of child labour-related activities at the community, district, regional and national levels; for a better and targeted national policy in the fight against child labour, and for better implementation and monitoring of child labour related interventions at the national and international levels. Inherent in GCLMS are tools to help collect data on all households, identify the situation of children and their households and assess their needs to have specific interventions that meet their needs. 

 The GCLMS was piloted by the government through the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) in six districts under the National Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour in Cocoa (NPCLC). One of the recommendations from the pilot was that the community register and working children/children at risk be reviewed and merged into one composite GCLMS tool, accompanied by an online database application. 

Over ten years after the pilot, no remarkable improvements have been made to the system, making it redundant. In view of this, including new trends and dynamics of child labour and related issues such as data interoperability with other systems like the Social Welfare Information Management System (SWIMS), there is the urgent need to construct and develop a new GCLMS application that can meet current and future needs in monitoring working children /children at risk of child labour and other interventions being implemented.  This will help to streamline efforts and management of resources within the public and private sectors. 

1. 1 Purpose of Terms of Reference

There is a need to engage Consultants/ consulting firm to develop a new Ghana Child Labour Monitoring System for effective and efficient monitoring of children at the community level including interventions being carried out by partners.

2.      Objectives of the Assignment

• The Consultant or consulting firm develops and designs a mobile application and a web-based dashboard that can support online and offline data collection, synchronisation, collaboration, disaggregation, aggregation, and visualisation. The platform should also be able to document, monitor, and report on child labour cases and integrate with other systems. 
• Given the contemporary emphasis on sustainability and ethical considerations, the Consultant or consulting firm should incorporate these aspects into both the development process and the subsequent operation of the application. This inclusion would align the GCLMS application more closely with current industry best practices. 

    3.       Scope of Work 

• The Consultant or consulting firm shall conduct a system analysis and develop an    online and offline mobile GCLMS data management application and its architecture with a web-based dashboard and other associated issuances using licensed software/programming language and ensure compatibility to both Android and IOS platform smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, downloadable from Google Play and Apple Store respectively. 
• Develop the standard API Service to extract the data from other data management systems such as the SWIMS, share and create a scope for further service integration and data visualisation. 
• Assist in the implementation of the interoperability of the systems.
•  Develop a multiple dashboard for generating different standardised reports.
• The system should be able to document data, receive and reports on child labour cases including children at risk of child labour and inter-operable with other systems dealing with child labour and other child protection issues. 
• Develop and update data collection tools to ease data collection into the GCLMS.
• The system should be able to analyse, disaggregate and aggregate data from project-level to national or global level. 
• The developed GCLMS online and offline application should be user-friendly, easy to use, and concise for users and not consume data. 
• Ensure updating and debugging the online and offline tool remotely. 
• Conduct extensive testing to ensure errors and bugs are addressed and fixed. 
• Set up and maintain a continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipeline that supports automated testing, building, and deployment of the mobile and web applications. This should include integration with version control systems, automated unit and integration tests, and deployment to staging and production environments. 
• Detail the tools and technologies to be used in support of DevOps practices, including source code management, configuration management, automation servers, and monitoring tools. This ensures that the project leverages the best-in-class tools for efficient development and operations. 
• Specify the technology stack to be used, considering the adoption of open-source technologies where appropriate to reduce costs, enhance transparency, and facilitate future customisation. 
• The Consultant or consulting firm shall submit the backend and source code of the GCLMS System, the Website, and CRM Software to the Client upon the completion of the assignment. 
• Develop a Training Manual / Module and conduct training for Administrators and concerned ICI and Labour Department officials on how to use the online and offline GCLMS application as well as simple troubleshooting in case of an error in the application.
• Provide a two (2) year warranty period after official turnover and acceptance by the Labour Department Child Labour Unit during which, any system problem encountered shall be fixed free of charge. 

 4.        Expected Deliverables  

During the execution of this TOR,  

• The Consultant/ consulting firm is expected to submit an inception report. 
• The online and offline GCLMS Application with web-based dashboard is developed and functional. 
• Develop Manual on the GCLMS Application with the backend to facilitate updating of the data. 
• Train CLU/Labour staff on the use of the GCLMS application. 
• Present a final technical report with the backend and source codes submitted to the Child Labour Unit/Labour Department. 

5.       Institutional Arrangement

• The Consultant/service provider will report directly to the Chief Labour Officer of the Labour Department of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) or his representative. 
• The Consultant or consulting firm will continually interact with the team from the Labour Department and ICI Project Team throughout the stages of developing the product to seek approval. 
• The Consultant/ service provider will share the progress report on a weekly basis with the task team from the Labour Department/ Child Labour Unit and ICI Project Team.

6.       Duration of the Work 

Services delivered by the Consultant/service provider will be 6 months. The Consultant/service provider is expected to start no later than the 1st of May 2024.

7.       Data Security and Upholding Data Privacy Regulations

• If personal data are gathered and processed during the GCLMS development process, the process must comply with the Ghana legal requirements for data protection that is Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) and the Consultant will have to sign the necessary data protection agreement as part of the contract. The principles of data protection, such as purpose limitation, data economy and avoidance, transparency, and necessity must be considered.
• The requirements of data protection law, such as the obligation to provide proof, retain, and delete data, must be fulfilled. Furthermore, the Consultant/ consulting firm shall ensure compliance with the data protection rules/or local formalities and shall include the necessary information in a protocol for processing activities. Company internal data and documents should be stored and processed in a secure environment that prevents unauthorised access.

8.         Security

Given the sensitive nature of data involved in monitoring child labour, the highest levels of data protection and security is crucial. To ensure the system implement a robust security measures, the system's architecture and development lifecycle should include the following:

• Encryption: Ensuring data is encrypted both at rest and in transit to protect against unauthorised access. 
• Access Control: Implementing strong authentication and authorisation mechanisms to control access to the system and its data. 
• Vulnerability Management: Regularly scanning for and mitigating security vulnerabilities within the application and its infrastructure. 
• Data Privacy: Detailed protocols for how personal data will be handled, ensuring compliance with applicable data protection laws (e.g. GDPR, Data Protection Act 2012 Act 843) beyond mere acknowledgment. 
• Security Audits and Penetration Testing: Conducting security audits and penetration testing to identify and address potential security threats. 
• User-Centric Design and Accessibility: The Consultants/ consulting firm should use centric design approach, involving end users in the design process through surveys, interviews, and usability testing. This ensures the system is intuitive and meets the actual needs of its users.

9.            Qualifications of the Successful Service Provider at Various Levels

• The Consultants/ consulting firm should be a Web and Mobile Application Development Experts or a technology firm with a proven record of innovation in the web and mobile platform and application field. The company should have a proven record of applications on the market in both Android and Apple OS and other mobile devices.
• The company should have a team of experts that includes Management Information System and IT technology experts and software programmers, coders, social media experts, and mobile platform innovation experts. Working knowledge of international development issues and agendas is an asset. 
• The Consultant should have at least 5 years of relevant technology and innovations experience and hold a minimum degree in a relevant field.

10.       Scope of Proposal Price and Schedule of Payments 

The consultancy fee will be paid in four (4) instalments as agreed in this contract and is based on deliverables and commensurate with contractual requirements and deadlines.      

1. 20% payment after presentation and acceptance of the inception report. Inception detailing how the assignment shall be executed with timelines and work plan. The initial payment of 20% will be made once the provider develops product requirements and presents initial wireframes.
2. 30% payment after developing the online and offline application with web-based visualisation dashboard and demonstrating it to the Labour Department and ICI. 
3. 30% payment after the corrections made after the demonstration to the Client and other partner presentative, and training users on the use of the application.
4. Final payment of 20% after trial running of the GCLMS application and corrective actions undertook assurance that the system is running, and the learners are successfully using the system without challenges.

11.        Recommended Presentation of Proposal 

The following documents will be requested:

a) A Concept proposal for the App, which should include (a) a description of the online and offline mobile platform with the web-based visualisation dashboard, and (b) how the proposed approach will better deliver the Labour Department’s GCLMS development mandate.

b) Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price for the project.

c) Estimated timeline, for the completion of each step of the App as well as a breakdown of the costs. 

12.        Criteria for Selecting the Best Offer 

The Consultant would work closely with the Child Labour Unit/Labour Department and ICI Project Team to achieve the desired objectives. The mobile application development should be in stages or designed to fit the requirements of the Child Labour Unit/Labour Department. The GCLMS Application Developer’s methodology must make provision for testing of the application and requires the completion and testing of each stage completed. Areas not adequately spelt out in this TOR and operational documents should be discussed and implemented as part of the deliverables.   

In essence, each stage of activities completed shall be reviewed by the Child Labour Unit/Labour Department in a timely manner to enable the smooth implementation of the planned activities. 

13          Tasks Duration

The development of the offline mobile application is expected to be completed in five (5) months from the date of the signature for this consultancy contract.  

 14.        Maintenance and Support 

Five (5) months of free maintenance and support for the GCLMS (Application) after training (training must be done within a month after the final presentation or upload or submission of the GCLMS application to the Child Labour Unit/Labour Department)

 15.         Resources 

The following materials will be made available to the Consultant as reference resource materials:

• Monitoring Tools 1 (Working Children / Children at Risk)
•  Monitoring tool 2 (Children Identified for Support).
• Existing Data Collection tools with indicators.
• Old Ghana Child Labour Monitoring System manual data collection tools.  
• Monitoring Reports 
• Hazardous Activity Framework (HAF) etc. 

16.          Assignment location:  

The assignment will be carried out either remotely or physically. However, the consultant(s) will be required to interact regularly with designated Labour Department staff based in Accra. Meetings between the Consultant(s) and Labour Department and ICI team may take place online provided there is a good internet connection or in person at the Labour Department Office. This requires availability during working hours in GMT.

How to apply

Consultants/ consulting firms are expected to submit technical and financial proposals with the following components:

• CV and cover letter, in English, setting out how they meet the requirements above and including links to examples of relevant work. 
• Technical and financial proposals (quoted in United States of America Dollars- USD), based on the above terms of reference.
  • Introduction
  • Proposed methodology
  • Workplan 
  • Proposed budget
  • CVs of Consultant(s); and

  • Demonstrable experiences in undertaking similar assignments.

     

Three hard copies each of the technical and financial proposals and a softcopy of the proposals shall be submitted on 15th April 2024 on or before 16:00pm to the Human Resource Manager, International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) Accra Office located at No. 16, Ashie Djanie Street, East Legon-Accra with the title “Consultant, Development of a Ghana Child Labour Monitoring System (GCLMS)” in the subject line. The soft copies of the proposals shall be sent to the following email address:  recruitment-gha@cocoainitiative.org

The bid documents (technical and financial proposals) shall jointly be evaluated by the technical teams from both the Labour Department (Ministry of Employment & Labour Relations) and the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) Office in Accra, Ghana.

ICI Core Values

All ICI staff members and partners are expected to adhere, respect and always promote at any time ICI Core Values: HUMANITY, INTEGRITY, NEUTRALITY, PARTNERSHIP, INNOVATION. Please refer to the ICI website for more details (https://www.cocoainitiative.org/about-us/our-organisation/our-values)