Terms of Reference

Please fill out the Request for Proposal document here to submit your application

ABOUT ASEAN FOUNDATION

Three decades after ASEAN was established, ASEAN leaders recognised that: there remained inadequate shared prosperity, ASEAN awareness and contact among the people of ASEAN. It was of this concern that ASEAN leaders established the ASEAN Foundation in Jakarta, Indonesia, at ASEAN's 30^th Anniversary Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 15 December 1997.

The ASEAN Foundation is an organisation from and for the people of ASEAN. The Foundation exists because of one vision: to build a cohesive and prosperous ASEAN Community. As an ASEAN body, the Foundation is tasked to support ASEAN mainly in promoting awareness, identity, interaction, and development of the people of ASEAN. For more information, visit: https://aseanfoundation.org

BACKGROUND/PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

 AI Ready ASEAN is a three-year programme supported by Google.org, aimed at increasing the involvement of youth, educators, and parents in promoting responsible AI use. The programme includes a regional campaign to highlight AI as an essential future-ready skill, with the objective of improving basic AI literacy across a wider audience. The campaign seeks to inspire people to recognise the vast opportunities AI presents while empowering them to use it responsibly.

To achieve these objectives, AI Ready ASEAN focuses on five key activities, which includes capacity-building through training of trainers, in-depth training, the AI Ready ASEAN regional campaign, national and regional convenings, and regional-scale research on AI. These activities are currently underway, with the e-learning platform being a key step toward ensuring the sustainability and accessibility of AI literacy for all ASEAN citizens. Through these activities, the Foundation expects to have at least 5,500,000 youths, educators, and parents exposed to AI, 8,000 of whom are empowered through more in-depth training.

As part of the AI Ready ASEAN programme, the Foundation plans to create an e-learning platform offering courses and modules on a wide range of AI-related topics. The goal is to equip ASEAN citizens with the knowledge and skills needed to seize opportunities in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

In connection with the above, the ASEAN Foundation is seeking a Consultant to develop an e-learning platform for the AI Ready ASEAN programme, with an expected launch in April 2025.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

The e-learning platform is also intended as a gateway to learning resources/knowledge assets as well as for knowledge dissemination and sharing for the ASEAN Foundation. The e-learning platform also aims to promote ASEAN identity and upskill the AI literacy knowledge for the ASEAN citizen. The said platform should include the ASEAN information and the general data impact of the AI Ready ASEAN programme. The e-learning platform is expected to be accessible in ten ASEAN languages.

Hence, we seek capable and qualified Consultant to develop an e-learning platform that can utilise as a platform to provide AI literacy courses, modules, and documentation of the AI Ready ASEAN’s activities. In addition, the e-learning platform will also feature success stories of the initiative. Any update in the e-platform should notify all subscribers/beneficiaries.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONSULTANT

In close coordination with the Project Manager, Project Officers, and Communications Officer for the AI Ready ASEAN and under the guidance of the Head of Communication of ASEAN Foundation, the consultant will undertake the following assignment:

1. Planning and developing content
2. Planning and developing the e-learning platform
3. Providing training for AI Ready ASEAN team to manage and optimise the platform
4. Providing one-year support and maintenance service after the platform is launched

For content planning and development, the Consultant is expected to:

• Create and manage the backbone/outline of the content in close consultation with the AI Ready ASEAN team.
• Gather materials from AI Ready ASEAN’s working partners and stakeholders.
• Map out how to include the materials into the platform, setting up assignments, quizzes, tests and tracking student progress by considering user learning journey on e-learning platform.
• Provide a question bank feature that allows instructors to quickly generate quizzes or assessments by selecting questions from a pre-populated list

For platform planning and development, the Consultant is expected to:

• Create user journeys in close consultation with the AI Ready ASEAN team.
• Design the platform’s interface and interactivity.
• Generate multiple sets of questions in a few clicks, eliminating the need for manual question generation each time
• Develop information structure according to the approved learning journey for the platform.
• Provide at least three design recommendations that are best fit for the e-learning platform and comply with the branding guideline of the ASEAN Foundation and Google.org.
• Create visual elements that are inclusive, gender responsive, and include the ASEAN colour elements. The visual elements should also include accessibility features for audiences with visual impairment (including for colour blind people).
• Ensure the performance, quality and responsiveness of the platform.
• Ensure the subscribers (registered beneficiaries) are feasible automatically on the website interface.
• Enable report generation on student performance, course completion rates, and other metrics. Include a dynamic dashboard offering real-time insights into learner progress and course outcomes to enable personalised learning experience
• Enable seamless integration with other platforms, allowing for data exchange and extended functionality across systems.
• Provide at least 5 admin accounts to the e-platform with full access to publish, edit and delete content.
• Identify and fix bottlenecks and bugs.
• Integrate effective search and aggregate functions that interact with social media platforms.
• Provide 12-month warranty of performance and troubleshooting for the website after launch that covers any kind of error caused by client use or system failures, including appearance/interface error. Provide training for the staff who are going to oversee the website maintenance after a 12-month warranty. (Quality Assurance and Testing)

By the end or the consultancy, the platform/website is expected to have the following features:

1. Provide an Open Source/Learning Management System (LMS) that incorporates AI Ready ASEAN’s branding, logo, and visual identity, allowing for a fully customised and brand-aligned user experience.
2. Responsive, easy-to-update, interactive website layout design with mobile friendly features
3. Provide AI Ready ASEAN platform key activities that consist of but not limited to:

1. Learning Courses

• Main module by ASEAN Foundation
• Course enrolment (including batch settings, certification and mark)
• Adjusted Courses/Toolkit by working partners, already available in local languages
• Gamified portion of the learning modules (to be advised)
• Discussion room, enabling the users to discuss with other users across the 10 AMS.
• Integrate the AI translation tool in the discussion room, allowing users who are not fluent in English to participate in discussions using their native language.
• Notification and alert for the learners

1. About AI Ready ASEAN

• A brief of AI Ready ASEAN’s main activities
• Impact map
• Success stories from the beneficiaries

1. Gallery/library

• Photos of AI Ready ASEAN activities

1. Assist in designing and generating certificates upon learners’ course completion
2. Reporting and dynamic dashboard (learners reports, course wise reports)
3. Open API integration capability
4. In-site search field displayed across all pages
5. Compatibility with PC Windows/Mac, mobile devices iOS/Android and tablets internet browser
6. Seamless platform access on low bandwidth
7. Open Source LMS enabled with all required features and services for approximately 800,000 users within stipulated time
8. Robust data security and privacy
9. User Support

METHODOLOGY AND TASK TO BE PERFORMED BY CONSULTANT

The Consultant is responsible for the design, development, testing and finalisation of the learning platform until it is live.

Project Management

We will require the Consultant to work closely with the AI Ready ASEAN programme team to discuss the e-platform development, validate critical objectives, and develop a plan to guide the e-learning platform through completion.

Not all meetings will require being face-to-face. They could be done using virtual meetings, which the ASEAN Foundation or Consultant will set up. Also, we will expect at least one status meeting each week, which may require more touchpoints, given the pace and importance of this e-learning platform.

The Consultant will provide access to an online issue/bug tracking system for posting deliverables, receiving feedback, and reporting issues once the e-learning platform goes live.

We also expect the design and interface to be simple, attractive, and visually compelling. The e-learning platform should be user-friendly for all users and should not require training or tutorials.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS, DELIVERABLES AND TIME FRAME

The following table outlines deliverables which the Consultant is required to achieve along with their timelines:

The above time frame is subject to adjustments and shall be discussed between the ASEAN Foundation and the Consultant.

DUTY STATION AND DURATION OF ASSIGNMENTS

This consultancy can be done remotely. The duration of the consultancy is from 1 January 2025 to 30 July 2026.

TERMS OF PAYMENT

The payment will be disbursed in three tranches as follow:
1. 30% upon the signing of Agreement and after Deliverable 1 (one) is completed.
2. 40% after Deliverables 2 – 4 are completed
4. 30% after Deliverables 5 – 8 are completed

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

All information pertaining to this assignment belongs to the ASEAN Foundation. Meanwhile, duties under this assignment shall remain the property of the ASEAN Foundation and Google.org who shall have exclusive rights over their use. Except for purposes of this assignment, the information shall not be disclosed to the public nor used in whatever manner without written permission of the ASEAN Foundation in line with the national and International Copyright Laws applicable.

QUALIFICATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

The Consultant should have:

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in delivering Open Source/LMS solutions to educational institutions. Preferred qualifications include expertise in e-learning platform development, a strong understanding of online learning delivery, and experience working with diverse user groups such as youth, parents, teachers, and employees.
• Working experience with philanthropies’ programmes
• Strong expertise in training digital skills especially computer science for adults/youths both in-person and online training
• Proven experience in web development, design, and support in the international development sector
• Strong experience in developing well-known and widely used open-source platforms, especially WordPress
• Knowledge and strong track records in website design including interface and navigation
• Experience at regional/international level is preferrable
• Ability to customise solutions to meet specific client needs on an ongoing basis
• Commitment to providing excellent, responsive customer support to clients
• Ability to implement robust security measures to protect clients' sensitive data

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Interested applicants are required to submit a proposal and team personnel CV/profiles outlining relevant experience (portfolio) and proposed fee to [email protected] with a copy to [email protected] , [email protected], and [email protected] by 22 November 2024.

QUERIES 

All inquiries pertaining to this application are addressed to [email protected] and [email protected]