A. BACKGROUND

The World Bank (WB) and the European Union (EU) has been implementing a Trust Fund (TF) financed project called Strengthening Governance in Mongolia aimed to support the efforts of the Government of Mongolia (GOM) to improve fiscal discipline, public financial management (PFM), and transparency and accountability processes for strengthened governance in the public sector in Mongolia.   

This TF, through both Recipient Executed (RE) and Bank Executed (BE) interventions, serves two main purposes. Firstly, it complements and expands the ongoing technical assistance the WB is providing through the Strengthening Fiscal and Financial Stability (SFFS) Project. Secondly, this TF supports the GOM in advancing the current efforts toward increasing transparency, participation and accountability in fiscal matters as well as in strengthening its capacity to deal with non-technical drivers of the reform process that prevent state agencies from implementing policies and regulations as intended.  

The Component 2 of the TF primarily focuses on supporting the specific needs of the GOM to establish sound fiscal discipline, to improve expenditure management by strengthening the budget credibility, to establish the foundations for medium-term budgeting, and to re-orient public investment to strategic projects linked to the diversification of the economy. Five priority areas constitute the core of the component: (i) development and implementation of a public financial management reform plan and inter-agency coordination; (ii) strengthening budget preparation and execution towards results-based medium-term budgeting; (iii) improving budget reporting and transparency by increasing the comprehensiveness of fiscal and financial information and reporting; (iv) improving the management of contingent liabilities, through enhancing the existing governance framework for recognizing, managing, and disclosing contingent liabilities; and (v) strengthening public investment management, through the development and implementation of mechanisms for prioritizing capital project proposals and cost-benefit analysis.

To establish an information system for transparent, open and clear process of decision-making and activities for budget governance and public oversight thereunder, the Glass Account Law (GAL) was initially approved in 2014 and came into effect from 2015. For its implementation, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) administers and manages the Glass Account Platform (GAP), which is used for the purposes of reporting and publication of data and information in the formats prescribed in the relevant regulations. Additionally, the GAP serves to monitor compliance of reporting obligations of budgetary entities within the deadline specified in the Law.

While the GAP has been relatively successful in fulfilling the above-mentioned legal tasks, it presents challenges that need to be addressed, both for the reporting and publication objectives, as well as to facilitate monitoring the compliance with reporting responsibilities. The MOF has conducted a survey in this regard involving the different stakeholders with the different responsibilities and objectives related to the GAP—data providers , reporting controllers , data users — to identify the main issues they face in the process with a view to improving the efficiency and quality of reporting, as well as providing the citizens with publication adapted to their user needs. 

Regarding the reporting tasks, according to the results of the survey and from observing the process, the main issues that the data providers encounter is the need for manual reporting i.e. with some overlapping and duplicate reporting requirements in other systems . frequent error messages, and slow upload speed. Even though the GAP is already linked to some government systems, it is necessary to improve and upgrade the existing connections due to the updates took place for the systems. Also, when such connection is not available, it is necessary to enable connectivity of the most essential systems to the GAP.

Figure 1. Problems encountered in relation to the portal usage as reported by data providers

Source: Report on the survey of data providers, data users and controllers conducted in 2019.

Finally, in the GAP survey, users of the public front-end of the GAP also reported that they were facing accessibility issues with the data disclosed in the reports, as well as concerns about the quality of the data. Hence, within this context, the information should be published to meet different users’ needs considering that the key information required to be displayed in more user-friendly formats including data comparisons and open data formats. Moreover, the public front-end of the GAP should allow users not only to get timeseries and comparable data but also have other users’ supporting features such as a glossary for explaining standard language and specific terminology, disclosing the reporting and publication processes to clarify timelines and responsibilities, self-learning materials and communication channels. 

Figure 2. Top suggestions of improvement for the GAP by potential external users

Source: Report on the survey of data providers, data users and controllers conducted in 2019.

The key objectives of this assignment are to:  

a) redesign the GAP reporting system to ensure it becomes able to: i) compile the data required by the GAP regulation, ii) when necessary and possible, be interoperable with other internal and external systems and connect with them through APIs, and iii) be open by default - containing only structured data and prepared for timely and automated publication in open formats.

b) develop dashboards with programmed algorithms that allow reviewing and auditing of the timeliness, quality and consistency of the reported data by internal auditors, the Mongolian National Audit Office and the public.

c) design and develop a GAP front-end in which users can access financial data, with consideration to the user-experience, allowing them to consult and reuse the data according to their needs and abilities.

C. OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT GAP

Under the SGM project, the MOF has performed a functional analysis of the current system and produced technical requirements and recommendations, which will serve as a guiding framework for the revamp of the current GAP. 

The GAP has two main sections, namely the front-end and the back-office. In the back-end, authorized users from public entities are authenticated to fill out reports according to specifications of the GAL, and audit and control officers review the reporting process. The front-end is the public view of the reported data.

As mentioned in the background above, the system has largely allowed fulfillment of the legal requirements related to reporting and publication of information. However, both the back-office and front-end have limitations that restrict the potential internal and external use of the data. The key weaknesses of the current system to be addressed through the proposed consultancy service include:

• Back-end

- Data providers report that the biggest problem of the GAP reporting system is the manual input of data and 21% of the data providers report that they also report the same data in both the GAP and other systems. Therefore, it is a priority to integrate the GAP with internal /MOF/ and external information systems through development of data exchange services/APIs in accordance to the systems’ capabilities. 

a. The key information systems used at the MOF include the GFMIS, DMFAS, E-Balance, E-Report, E-Tailan, ODAMIS, Local Development Fund (LDF) MIS and PIMIS.

b. The external systems used at other public organizations include the Public Procurement System (www.tender.gov.mn), National Social Insurance system, Health insurance system and systems used for the Government special funds etc. 

For the data fields required by the law and regulation, that are deemed necessary but are not contained in internal and external systems, the GAP should be able to collect and report through flexible structured data schemas with harmonized catalogues put in place that consider the necessary differences among budget entities.   

- Currently the data providers face problems with constant error messages from the system disrupting the smooth operations of the system. The system, once revamped, should ensure that the GAP provides a user-friendly, efficient and convenient interface for data providers. It should be designed to minimize data entry effort with controls to improve accuracy.

- The database structure is currently fragmented for the different reported topics, entities and periods, which make it difficult to use the data for analytics from the sources. Therefore, the new system should be based on an efficient and integrated data architecture that allows management, reporting and analysis. This will include development of reporting and filtering capabilities and inclusion of all required data fields in a structured format.

- The current system lacks proper documentation for maintenance and improvements that has limited the possibility of iterating in a modular form. Additionally, the system is based on technologies that are not the standard for the Financial Information and Technology Division (FITD) of the MOF, creating complications for maintenance. The new system should ensure sustainability by: making technology choices that take advantage of the available facilities of government IT, including government investments in nationwide communications and available internal skills and capacity; minimize recurrent operating costs, including hardware requirements and license costs; a high standard of documentation, including design and program documentation, that is designed to support ongoing maintenance; and conformity to government policies and standards for information systems.

- The data providers of the current system report slow data upload, which is also linked with the multiple error messages. The revamped system should provide efficient and secure web services that allow processing and responding fast to each request. 

- The current system only provides validation for the timeliness of the reporting, however there are no mechanisms to validate the data quality and consistency. Therefore, the revamped system should include dashboards with algorithms that present general aggregates that allow auditors and comptroller officers to validate the data quality and consistency.

• Front-end

- The users of the public interface report difficulty in using the information provided in the GAP, primarily related to the lack of options for downloading the data in formats that enable reuse. Additionally, they report issues with layout of the site and the search engine response. The new front-end should be designed for a positive User-Experience (UX), including the information design, visual design and technology choices for efficient response.

- The new technological trends and requirements push for an optimized presentation for mobile users and different screen sizes. The new platform should be fully responsive to desktop and mobile access, providing optimized bandwidth consumption. 

D. SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The selected provider will be expected to develop a new back-end for reporting the data required by the GAL, as well as a front-end where the reported data is made publicly available—the specific modules of the desired system are indicated in section F below. The system shall be developed using an adaptation of Agile principles. An outline set of modules will be identified, each designed to produce a useful output within approximately 2 months (or less in the case of some preparatory design tasks). The Consultant may propose further division into shorter "sprints" within these modules. 

The development process follows these steps. 

Task 1. Prepare a plan for the revamp of the GAP according to the following technical requirements:

a. Receive current source codes and documentations.

b. Review and analyse relevant reports and recommendations available;

c. Prepare and introduce a detailed work plan /schedule the full task list /;

d. Discuss and obtain approvals on the work plan from the MOF, PIU and WB.

The development plan as it is fleshed out will be reviewed regularly in consultation with the MOF in order to address the issues encountered during the implementation of the contract (e.g. changing the sequence and, within reasonable limits, the scope of Modules when needed). The scope of each module together with the estimated consultant staff time will be broadly agreed at the commencement of each module. Confirmation of detailed information and operational requirements is likely to be the first task of given modules. 

Task 2. Revamp the GAP (front-end and back-end) according to the specified technical requirements detailed under section F. The use of prototypes to verify requirements, to test certain processes in operation, and to ensure support for certain time-bound events within the GAP cycle is available, is expected to be enabled for each of the modules. 

Task 3. Installation and configuration of software tools for the revamped GAP

a. Check specifications of each server.

b. Check network, firewall, operation system settings of each server and configure if necessary.

c. Prepare the environment for each server; install database management system, software development kits, platforms and tools.

d. Cooperate and do destructive, performance and security tests. This may include other tests.

Task 4. Migrate the data available in the current GAP database. 

Task 5. Prepare documentation including manuals and users’ specifications, among others, to support the use and maintenance of the revamped GAP (front-end and back-end). While clear and detailed documentation is required for the FITD, MOF, user manuals for each type of user role will be required. The use of graphical, video (screen casting) and audio materials is expected where appropriate, in the documentation process to reduce resource inputs and to ensure that material is maintained up to date alongside the system development. 

Task 6. Organize trainings.

Task 7. Launch the modules in Beta version and address technical issues raised by the different users and/or problems encountered during the testing phase and fix. 

Task 8. Maintain and support for 2 years for any bugs or errors. 

E. OUTLINE OF WORK PROCESSES AND USERS

The system will be divided into a) the back-end with its administration and b) the front-end with content management system (CMS), which have related processes and users. The core activities of the GAP are summarized below which will need to be analyzed in detail and modified as necessary as part of the assignment, in order to ensure that new features of the GAP developed will fulfill to the needs of the Administrator (MOF), data providers of the budget entities, reviewers of the data and end users of the published data.

1. Back-end

a. Functions

i. The back-end is the interface through which the MOF consolidates the data of the different requirements established in the GAL, Data Providers upload or review their data, and controllers review the data reported. 

ii. Provide general data validations in the uploading process to support data quality.

iii. To decrease manual operations, the GAP shall interact with internal and external systems and download the data according to the GAP report formats as configured on user action or imported from excel files. These excel template files should be preconfigured and downloadable from the GAP.

iv. The reports will be stored independently in the database and categorized as decimal or string. Categorizations of cells will be used to check cell value, summarize and add.

v. Notify data providers on whether reporting duration is expiring or has expired.

vi. Provide open data formats for the various report data.

b. User roles

i. MOF (Administrator)- With regard to the back-end of the GAP, the MOF has a dual role: i) as a reporting budget agency and ii) as the main administrator of the platform. 

Administrators create/modify dynamic report templates according to regulations of the GAL. The template may include data or text fields with/without attached files.   

Administrators adjust which report templates the organizations fill out upon agreement with budget entities.

ii. Data providers- Reporting users will be able to propose to add/remove themselves or organizations via the portal including ID and documentations. These proposals will be reviewed and approved by an Administrators.

The organizations with the same entity type or classification can fill out different templates based on their activity.

Reporting users should be able to attach any type of documents e.g. other than PDF or Excel to support budget data and information. Administrator configures file size limit and users will be notified when the file limit is exceeded.

After reporting users review and validate their report data, those will be public and can be seen from the public section.

iii. Reviewers- Reporting users fill out or download reports according to regulations following the GAL. Depending on how and when a user saved the data, the corresponding status on each report will be shown.

2. Front-end

a. Functions

i. Publish the information provided in the GAP for the general public in a user-centered approach considering specific target audiences.

ii. Allow citizens’ feedback on reports.

iii. Allow citizens to subscribe and get notifications on future reports.

iv. Connect to the government data portal to maintain the same updated data in both platforms.

v. Allow citizens to search smartly from registered entities through the available public information e.g. name, phone number, entity type, location etc. 

vi. Collect information about the users that would be useful for analytics. User actions including search history, feedback and user agents including the device, operating system, and browser used as well as the geographical locations.

b. User roles

i. Content administrator- Will be in charge of managing the contents of the website, including the update of messages and text, as well as verification of the correct update of the data coming from the back-end.

ii. User of the GAP- Should be able to consume data in different formats that enable reuse and respond to target audiences.

F. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The system will largely need to be custom developed. However, inclusion of existing modules with the required functionality, including open-source products, will be preferred when available, subject to free licensing provisions that are consistent with government needs and policies. 

Browser-based user interfaces operating on the government data networks are to be prevalent and will be preferred. The following technologies are preferred due to skills and capacity currently available at the MOF: Oracle database management system, ASP.Net Core (or .Net Core), Java, PHP Angular and JavaScript. 

Specific requirements with respect to the information needs and technical specifications/requirements, have been identified in Annex 1. This is intended to serve as a guide for the assignment. The detailed functional, non-functional and technical requirements shall be further developed and confirmed during the software development process as previously indicated.

The GAP, currently operating normally, consists of modules described below. In the development task, the desired consultancy firm shall revamp the system according to these modules.

Table – 1 Modules

G. DELIVERABLES

As indicated in Section E above, the system development will follow Agile principles, suitably adapted to the context. As such, the outputs of each Module and/or each Sprint with a Module, will be confirmed at its commencement. Some of the deliverables listed below may therefore be individual outputs of a single Sprint while other may be required in some form as part of every Sprint. The use of prototypes, sample outputs and other material that would help non-technical users understand and confirm various aspects of the design, are expected whenever possible. 

Task 1:

Deliverable 1. Preparation of development plan based on the technical requirements approved by the MOF.

Task 2: 

Deliverable 2. Working software developed and fully tested according to the schedules agreed at the commencement or during each module. 

Task 3:

Deliverable 3. Installation and configuration of software tools for revamped GAP and Administration guide for each servers and tools, possibly in multi-media format, including video. 

Task 4:

Deliverable 4. Imported registration and report data, mentioned registrations in technical requirements, to the new GAP database since 2015, when the GAP was launched. To import report data, consultancy firm does not have to parse it to corresponding new tables. Allow public interface or data provider to review old report data.

Task 5:

Deliverable 5. Designed documentation at the level of detail required to resolve ambiguity during development of the GAP and to provide guidance for future maintenance. This may also include data glossaries, data models, diagrams and test results and other documentation produced during development such as Use Case, Activity, Sequence, Entity Relation Diagram, or Data Flow Diagrams.

Deliverable 6. The source code of all the software modules developed, and the correct versions and configuration settings of all technology platforms and tools that may have been used and are necessary for continued operation of the software.

Deliverable 7. User guides in Mongolian language, including all user roles, which may also consist in whole or part of multi-media materials, of sufficient detail and clarity so to serve as day to day references for users. Additional training materials developed as needed. 

Task 6:

Deliverable 8. Reports on trainings delivered for the MOF back-end users in Mongolian language, as well as technical (systems operation and administration) staff, delivered at national and local venues and through on-site and on-line methods based upon discussion and agreement in advance on the delivery modalities.

Task 7: 

Deliverable 9.  Normal system operations of each user roles, including administrators, budget entities and citizens, on both ends after launching the revamped GAP. Report on the bugs and errors identified and fixed.

Task 8:

Deliverable 10. Reports on the revamped GAP operating normally approved by the FITD, MOF.

Suitable acceptance criteria together with the testing procedures, if required, as well as persons authorized to accept deliverables as being completed for the purposes of the contract, will be set out in advance of the first or other modules as required.

H. WARRANTIES AND SUPPORT

All software modules delivered shall be considered to be under warranty at least 2 years and possibly for a further period to be negotiated at contract award. 

- Any errors reported (defined broadly as unexpected system behaviors that would have caused the system to fail acceptance testing) shall be resolved promptly during this period. 

- For purposes of this assignment, critical errors that halt operation of the system shall be addressed within one day and resolved, or a work around provided, within two days. 

- Non-critical errors for which a procedure for avoidance has been proposed and successfully adopted, shall be resolved within two weeks at the maximum. 

- Timely and necessary operational support to all users across the country shall be provided under the warranty through a dedicated help desk, to be maintained at the Consultant's premises. 

- Amendments and enhancements to software shall be negotiated under the terms of warranty. 

I. SUPPORT TO BE PROVIDED BY THE CLIENT

The client will provide all the information, documentation, access and co-operation that may reasonably be expected under this assignment including, but not limited to, the following: 

- Legal documents that govern the state and local budgets as well as the GAP implementation.

- Regulation and guidelines on the GAP implementation. 

- Full access to assess the current GAP system.

- Assistance in obtaining information regarding past implementation of the GAP from the current GAP system and local municipalities.

- Any other support needed within the scope of this assignment.

J. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS

The consulting firm should have the following qualifications, at the minimum: 

- At least 5 years of experience in designing, developing and implementing a web-based information management system of similar nature.

- Have successfully developed similar two or more software systems in terms of cost and complexity within the last 2 years to ensure the use of the latest technology and IT based solutions available in the market and when possible in open and reusable formats.

- Have successfully developed one or more software systems in Agile development within the last 2 years.

- Proven record of maintaining software development professionals on the regular payroll of the firm. 

- Current skills in relevant technologies including Angular, Oracle Database management, Java, PHP, JavaScript, PLSQL.

Key professionals and their qualifications

The assignment will require several types of professional skills and varying levels of input, depending on the Module and the overall progress of system development and implementation. The main roles anticipated, and the minimum qualifications required for those roles are listed below (Table - 2). 

Subject to timing and availability, it is possible that some team members of the selected firm may be able to perform more than one role and offer multiple skills. Such combined roles will be accepted subject to feasibility, at the discretion of the Client and will be agreed at appropriate times during the contract. The implementation schedule will be a key criterion when evaluating the feasibility of such combined roles. 

The team members should meet the following requirements in addition to the detailed qualification requirements included in table 2:

- Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to work in a group and multicultural team environment is required to deal effectively with staff at all levels.

- Be able to perform the task at high quality in timely manner.

- Experience on the similar systems development.

Table - 2 Key Roles, Skills and Qualifications of the project team 

K. SUPERVISION AND REPORTING

- The consulting firm represented by the Project Manager will report directly to the Director-General of the Public Administration and Management Department, the Head of the Financial Information Technology Division (FITD) and will work on a day-to-day basis with the officials appointed by the Head of the FITD and Head of the Payment and Settlement Division (PSD) of the Treasury Department to review progress with the work program and to resolve any outstanding issues.

- The consultancy firm is expected to revamp the GAP using Agile software development approach. This means the consultancy firm shall carry out Agile ceremonies and include in the Sprint review meetings the officers of the FITD and PSD.

- The consultancy firm will prepare monthly progress reports detailing the achievements and impediments in executing the entire work plan effectively. These progress reports shall be submitted to the FITD of Public Administration and Management Department and the PIU (SGM).

L. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

As required, the client will provide an office space and assign officials to collaborate and monitor progress towards acceptance of the deliverables stated in the contract. 

The consulting firm, through its authorized staff, will have access to all the data and information necessary for each module/task to be completed. All information provided to the consulting firm/project manager will be regarded as confidential and information shall not be shared with any outside individuals or organizations.

M. CONTRACT DURATION AND PAYMENT CONDITION

The assignment is expected to commence in December 2020. The total duration of the consultancy service is estimated to be 12 months with a possible extension of the due dates for the deliverables, if necessary, with prior agreement of the contract parties.  

Please submit the following documents in sealed envelope no later than 17:00, November 4, 2020. Please submit the documents in English:

- Letter of Expressions of Interest;

- Company introduction along with a copy of state registration certificate;

- Audited financial statements for 2018 and 2019;

- Evidence of specific experience and qualification information of the firm relevant to the assignment (Annex I below).

Expressions of Interest should be clearly marked “Consulting firm to revamp the current Glass Account portal to help citizens better understand fiscal and financial information by presenting data in easy and user-friendly formats, Reference number: 23/CS/013”.

Any clarification regarding the REOI shall be in a written form and to be sent to the below address or email to procurement_sgm@sffs.mn no later than 7 calendar days prior to the submission deadline. 

The submitted documents will not be returned to the applicants. Please be noted that incomplete applications would not be considered for evaluation. Only selected candidate will be contacted. 

Address for submission of Expression of Interest: Attention to Ms.Oyunyam.M, Procurement Specialist, Strengthening Governance in Mongolia Project, Address: Room #204, Negdsen undestnii 8/2, 4th khoroo, Chingeltei District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Tel: 70120582.

ANNEX-I

DETAILS ON SIMILAR ASSIGNMENTS UNDERTAKEN

Name & Place of Consultant Firm: ……………………………………………………

(Name & signature)

70120582