Questions to date:

Design

• How much do you expect the new design and information architecture to be different from the existing design and information architecture?

Answer: Not defined.

• Do you want to be completely free for the design task or would it be possible to take a Drupal free or commercial theme as a starting point?

Answer: Theme is fine as a starting point.

• You ask for 3 proposals and 2 iterations for the graphical design. Do you mean 2 successive variations on the 3 proposals or 2 successive variations on 1 proposal?

Answer: We wish to receive 3 proposals, 1 will be chosen with 2 variations.

• Will project sponsors and representative of users be available to participate to design workshops?

Answer: yes

• What king of deliverables do you require at the end of the design task?

Answer: Screen shots.

• What kind of activities and deliverables do you expect under “Usability and information structure analysis”?

Answer: Screen shots / Information Architecture.

Project organization

• Who will be in charge of the project management? The supplier or USSA?

Answer: The supplier.

• Do you expect a fixed price offer or a time and material offer?

Answer: Fixed price

• Shall our offer include a warranty period? If yes, how long?

Answer: Yes. 3-6 months.

• Where is the project work supposed to take place? At the supplier’s premises? At USSA in Geneva?

Answer: Supplier’s premises

Users

• How many different users do you have on your different web sites to migrate?

Answer: Approximately 150

• How many different user roles/groups should be migrated?

Answer: All

• Can you provide information about the purpose of the roles/groups?

Answer: To facilitate security / confidentiality.

• Do you need to integrate this development into a single sign-on architecture for internal users?

Answer: No

• Do users have associated profile information (phone, address, …) ?

Answer: Yes, limited information

• Shall the new website strictly replicate the current user registration process or be based on the standard Drupal registration which is slightly different?

Answer: Standard Drupal is fine

Content management

• Do you have workflows specific to USSA in your current web site?

Answer: No

• Do you expect your website to be only in English? If no, which other languages?

Answer: Yes – English only.

• Do you expect your website to be a strict instanciation of a Drupal distribution and selected module without specific development?

Answer: yes

• Do you have newsletters for non-registered or registered users ? How many subscribers?

Answer: yes, the newsletter is called In Touch and has 450 subscribers.

• What are the statistics, information, tools needed to report site activity/traffic?

Answer: Joomla module is used

• Do you want to preserve a search interface? Is search inside attached documents necessary?

Answer: Yes. No.

• Do you manage categorization schemes? Single-valued or multi-valued? Hierarchical or flat values? Based on free tagging or a controlled vocabulary?

Answer: No

• Do you plan to preserve the forum in the new website?

Answer: Yes

• Are all existing pages represented as static HTML pages or structured content?

Answer: Both

• One post in the current blog is protected by password. Is that a needed feature for the new website?

Answer: Yes

• Do you have some custom features that were developed specifically for UNAIDS and that are not part of the standard distribution / modules of JOOMLA and WordPress?

Answer: No

Content with restricted access

• What kind of contents are available to registered users?

Answer: Documents and forum.

• What kind of specific features are available to registered users?

Answer: None

• Can you provide us with a user account to examine what is available to restricted user?

Answer: No

• Do you have newletters, calendars, event, survey management and display used by registered users?

Answer: Yes to all, apart from display.

• Can registered users comment information, see comments, manage comments?

Answer: Yes to all, apart from manage comments.

Hosting of the platform / Traffic

• Where is the site supposed to be hosted?

Answer: Dreamhost.com

• How many deliveries do you expect before going into production? We usually do 2 deliveries for tests and content migration before going live. Does this proposal match your expectations?

Answer: Yes

• Who will be in charge of the production installation? The supplier? USSA?

Answer: The Supplier

• Is the web site hosted on a private or shared server?

Answer: Shared

• How many anonymous users do you usually have connected?

Answer: Approximately 30

• How many authenticated users do you usually have connected?

Answer: Approximately 10

• What are the average and peak traffics?

Answer: Low

Tender

• Will there be a short list of suppliers, each supplier invited to present their offer?

Answer: No

• When do you plan to have selected the shortlist? the selected supplier?

Answer: Early October

Migration / Training

• We usually propose migration of unstructured content as activities performed by the customer with our support on a time and material basis. Is that approach ok for you or do you want the supplier to take charge of all content migration activities?

Answer: The Supplier

• Do you want to migrate the forum?

Answer: No

• Do you want to do a one-to-one migration of the content or content will have to be re-organized or removed?

Answer: Re-organized according to information archived analysis.

• We usually propose an initial half-a-day training of users. Is that enough?

Answer: Yes

• How many users shall we train?

Answer: Up to 5.

• QUESTION: In reviewing the RFP, one question we had was with regard the process you are outlining.  The Requested Work outlined on page 2, Parts 1 – 4, seem to suggest that you would like the website, in it’s current form, to be converted over to Drupal and all content to be migrated PRIOR to an examination of usability / usability redesign.
  Typically our process would follow the following pattern (using the same breakdown as in the RFP):  Part 3, followed Part 1, followed by Part 2, Followed by Part 4.  This allows for analysis of site architecture and visual design prior to the development effort.
  We are happy to work our proposal around your requested need, but would be curious as to the rational for approaching the project in this manner.
  Any insight you could provide would be quite helpful.

Answer: The process as outlined on the RFP under “Requested work” does not reflect  a timeline but a list of tasks that are grouped in a logical way (installation, migration of content, redesign, training). The tasks can be undertaken in the order the provider feels is the more efficient but the proposal must split costs and number of days estimates as per the RFP.

• QUESTION: We would like to know if our location would hinder us from being competitive in bidding for this project?

Answer: No, there is no necessity to be a local company.

A request for propopsal is available for any company or individual wishing to help the USSA and make an offer or services.

To access the document that outlines the specifications of such work in order for companies to be able to provide a project plan and present a bid, please click here to download the file in pdf format :

USSA Website Redesign – RFP – August 20101

RFP Will be opened until Friday 24th September 2010 5pm Geneva time

While we are looking to the world’s leaders to make bold decisions at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (http://www.sealthedeal2009.org/),

WE can make a small and convenient decision to reduce greenhouse gases:

 By CARPOOLING to work, we can

• Reduce traffic and thus commuting time 2x and more,
• Save money by sharing commuting costs,
• Meet new people,
• AND reduce pollution!

 Go to the carpooling website of the UN and International Organisations:

https://www.covoiturage.ch/annonces/entreprises/nations_unies_et_organisations_internationales

 Or use the carpooling board in the Red Ribbon Café:

It will also help you find colleagues who live in the same area to organize a carpool.

Check it out and if you have any comments or ideas please let us know.

 Go ahead and be green!

 UNAIDS Environmental Working Group

Want to know more about: 

UNAIDS Green House Rules?

Participants at the WCA Region AA Training Workshop, Dakar

At the recent training workshop in Dakar for AAs in the WCA Region, Sophie Diadhiou Keita (the elected USSA representative in the WCA Region) made a presentation on behalf of the Staff Association.

Sophie was happy to clarify the role of the USSA to her colleagues in the region and informed them about what issues we have been concentrating on recently, including monitoring regional responses to the SOS. Staff were particularly interested in how USSA interacts with the administration at HQ level and she explained that we represent staff on the SMT, MRC and APC as well as through our regular meetings with the EXO, DXD, DRM and HRM.

The session was a great opportunity to answer questions about the exact role of USSA at country level, particularly with regard to the benefits of adhering to the Staff Association from the point of view of national staff on UNDP contracts. Sophie was happy to clear up participants concerns in this regard, so much so that all of the participants unanimously by agreed to fill in the USSA membership form and comply with rules and regulations of the Association such as paying 2/1000 of their salaries to an AIDS Association in their respective countries.

Participants actively participated in the session and discussed issues of real concern in their daily work, such as:

-          UNAIDS/SSA contracts: There is an ongoing discussion with Finance and TOS to render such contracts more “humane” and find a more suitable solution.

-          Participation of local GS Staff in the New Staff Orientation: An issue which USSA is pursuing with the People Development Unit in Geneva.

-          Harmonization of UNDP/WHO contracts: Again this is an issue which USSA is following at all levels and hope to have some clarity soon

-          Access to UNDP E-learning facilities:  An issue which USSA is pursuing with the People Development Unit in Geneva.

In June this year the competency framework project was launched by HRM and the Executive Office.  Two months of consultations were held with focus groups at HQ, regional and country offices for data collection and analysis.  The first draft of the core and managerial competencies from these consultations was used to design an all staff survey which was rolled out in September.

As mentioned by Executive Director in the all staff message it is imperative that the competency framework reflect our work. Your opinion of UNAIDS and its requirements will be critical to ensure that the framework is valid and defines what counts as effective behaviour.

You have been asked for your opinion – it woudl be a shame to let this opportunity pass by!

Go to: https://intranet.unaids.org/index.php?q=node&page=1 to learn more about competencies and the methodology for developing this framework.

Before the core and managerial competencies are finalised the final results of the survey will be shared with all staff on the UNAIDS intranet.

If you have any questions or ideas about this initiative, please do not hesitate to contact People Development Unit.

The regional management meeting of MENA RST provided UNAIDS country offices, the RST, and cosponsors country focal points an opportunity to develop their 2010-2011 work plans under the global Outcome Framework and finalize their six-month monitoring and evaluation action plans for quality UNGASS reporting. The meeting was followed by a three-day skills building sessions on gender, difficult conversation skills and Human Rights based approach for HIV programming.

 USSA interactions with MENA staff was not only limited to the staff association session that took place in the afternoon of the third day, but USSA also had several one-to-one conversations with staff who wanted to reflect on particular concerns and enquire about certain information.

In its presentation, the staff association clearly and proactively articulated the key concerns of staff in MENA, presenting to staff, the upcoming RST Director, and senior HR management a list of persisting common concerns in 2009. These include the unresolved issues of short term contracts and the implications of retroactive signing of contracts; the understaffing in MENA compounded by the heavy workload; difficulties in implementing the work life balance policy and lack of time to explore training opportunities; as well lack of clear terms of reference and division of tasks and responsibilities.

USSA also referred to some HR-related problems, such as the insufficient training opportunities for staff, which HR management has already taken action to resolve.

In presenting achievements of the staff association in 2008, USSA urged staff to be more responsible and active in the implementation of policies they had earlier called for, including the work life balance and diversity policies and provide feedback and comments on strategies they had earlier requested and that were realized through the engagement of the staff association such as the communication strategy.

Dr Hind Khatib, new Director of MENA RST, emphasized commitment to work with the staff association, diffuse current anxieties related to the new management of RST and willingness to communicate on decisions transparently, timely and in consultation with staff.

After a successful launch and on-going ICDL Learning programme currently delivered in Geneva, the Information Technology and Systems (IMT) is preparing to rollout the ICDL Learning Programme to all staff members globally.  The UNAIDS ICDL global rollout will begin with a pilot phase soon to be launched in Africa and will steadily be making its way to ALL UNAIDS staff members over the course of 2009/2010.

All staff members will have the opportunity to achieve and obtain the internationally recognized computer proficiency certification “ICDL” that is supported and sponsored across the globe in over 148 countries with over nine (9) million registered members. Before long all staff members will have the opportunity to obtain their passport to a higher level of IT education enhancing mobility, marketability and career prospects.

ICDL is the most widely recognised International IT literacy qualification in the world.  The ICDL Learning and Certification programme is a test and validation of up-to-date practical computer skills and competencies covering seven (7) subject matter areas (Essential Concepts of IT, Using the computer and managing files, Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Databases, Presentations, Information and Communication).

Find out more about ICDL

To find out more about the ICDL Programme, please go to the ICDL home page on the UNAIDS Intranet at: https://intranet.unaids.org/index.php?q=page/190 or send an email to the IMT Geneva Learning Team at (LearnIT@unaids.org) LearnIT (at) unaids (dot) org

Watch these inspiring ICDL Videos:

ICDL Promotional Video 1

ICDL Promotional Video 2

Share your ICDL Story with us

Do you have any comments, ideas or opinions on ICDL you would like to share with us?
Use the comments box

Are you already an ICDL Member? We invite you to share your ICDL story with us and who knows? You might just win the “ICDL Story of the Year” award. Check back regularly for details on the “My ICDL Story” competition coming soon.

Most recently, we have sent a letter to the EXD on the subject of the various review processes currently taking place. Like you, we feel that some clarification is required on the function of these working groups and how the vairous processes will be coordinated for the greater good of the organisation and its staff. We also wanted to ensure that the voice of staff is heard at each step in the process.

To read this letter, along with other recent correspondence to the administration, follow the link to our website: http://www.ussa-unaids.org/cms/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=34&Itemid=85

Your feedback on this issue is most welcome and we will keep you informed of any reply we receive from the administration.

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