GLOB@L LIBRARIES - BULGARIA PROGRAM
Terms of Reference
Position:
Web Design Consultant (WDC)
Timeframe: Up to 6 months based on interim outcomes
I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Glob@l Libraries–Bulgaria Program strives to enhance access to information and
e-services for Bulgaria‟s general population. The program‟s portal is a vital part of the program,
serving as a resource for information, collaboration and training to all stakeholders of the
program.
In order to become more attractive, interesting and usable, the portal needs to be upgraded,
technologically as well as visually. The portal which is currently online was developed
without special consideration of usability issues, but as it has grown quickly, the need for
usability consultation has become more obvious. Due to the fact that the portal is actively
used by people with various levels of web experience and computer literacy, expert
consultation in usability is necessary for upgrading the portal in order to achieve optimal
visual structure and functionality, and the redesign of the portal vision must be done by a web
design expert in compliance with the results from usability testing.
A Web Design Consultant (WDC) shall be hired to develop a new vision for the program
portal, working in close consultation with the Usability Testing Consultant (UTC), providing
each prototype of the vision for usability testing, and incorporating the testing results into the
next prototypes if needed, in order to provide an updated, user-friendly vision for the program
portal.
The following usability tests shall be conducted by the UTC and the Portal
Associate/Translator (PAT) in the Program Management Unit (PMU) working in close
cooperation:
Card sorting;
Testing of prototype(s) of the upgraded vision of the portal during the new vision
development.
II. OBJECTIVES OF THE WEB DESIGN CONSULTANT’S ASSIGNMENT
a/ Design and develop an updated design vision of the program portal in close cooperation
with the PAT and UTC based on a portal structure developed by the UTC and PAT on the
basis of card sorting;
b/ In the process of vision design, provide up to 2 design prototypes for usability testing and
comply with usability testing results in further development of prototypes if needed;
c/ Develop (“slice”) the design vision into a design theme/skin compatible for installation on
the program portal‟s content management system (CMS), and compliant with World Wide
Web Consortium (W3C) web standards.
III. INTERACTION WITH THE USABILITY TESTING CONSULTANT
1. Upon receiving the hierarchical tree structure generated by the card sorting session
from the PAT, the WDC will design and provide to the PAT the first prototype of the
new portal vision and structure.
2. The first prototype shall be tested for usability by the UTC and PAT, and the test
results shall be provided to the WDC by the PAT.
3.
On the basis of the first usability test results, the WDC shall design a second prototype
if necessary (in case test participants have reported any difficulty in using the first
prototype).
4.
The second prototype shall be tested by the UTC and PAT in the manner described
above, and changes shall be made in the design if necessary.
IV. TERMS FOR PROVISION OF THE SERVICES / LINES OF REPORTING
The work and products of the WDC should comply with the Country Grant Proposal, with the
Concept for Development of a Portal Site for „Global Libraries Program‟ in Bulgaria (Annex
1) and with the Web Portal Development Guidelines (Annex 2).
The WDC will work in close consultation with the PAT, who will report to the Program
Manager (PM).
V. SCOPE OF WORK, OUTPUTS AND DEADLINES
Within 20 calendar days of contract signature:
Work in close cooperation with the PAT in order to design the first prototype of an
upgraded portal vision based on the portal structure provided by the PAT after the card
sorting session, and featuring the following types of pages:
o Portal home (index) page;
o Home page of a main section if usability tests suggest to divide the portal into
several main sections targeted to different user needs;
o Internal page (predominantly with text content);
o Search page with advanced search options;
o Search results page;
o Forms for user registration, for retrieving a lost password, and for contacting the
PMU (sending a message to a predefined e-mail address through an online form);
o User interface for browsing a database of Bulgarian libraries containing their
contact information and other data on libraries depending on the needs of the
program;
o Multimedia gallery of images and video files;
Upon approval by the PMU, design the updated portal vision with consideration of the
following:
o The vision must represent an original designer‟s project for interactive
communication in a network environment, the design must not be reused in
existing or subsequent web projects for other companies, persons or organizations,
and no web design templates must be used;
o Composition elements must correspond to the colors and composition of the
program logo, and must be consistent with the visual concept of the existing
program brochures, posters and web banners, in order to ensure a consistent visual
concept both of print and internet products;
o The user interface and navigation must be user-friendly and logically consistent
across different sections of the portal, in order to be efficiently perceived by users;
o Design elements must not require installation of additional software or browser
plug-ins on users‟ workstations, except a standard web browser;
o The design, fonts, color combinations, etc. must enable users to pay continuous
attention to communication units without causing tiredness or visual noise
(stemming from decorative or functional elements);
o Each page of the design must feature the following functional units in a prominent
place, consistent in vision and positioning throughout all pages and sections of the
portal:
Login/logout: user name and password fields, link to user registration form,
link to page for retrieving lost password; must be replaced by a logout link
and a link to the user‟s profile and settings when a user is logged in;
Search field and link to detailed search page allowing for search options to
be set, thereby allowing for advanced search to be performed;
o The name of the WDC or any of their employers, employees, partners,
subcontractors or any other persons or companies related to the WDC in any way
may not be referred to on any part of the design or markup.
Within 6 calendar months of contract signature, in compliance with the deadlines specified in
the Web Design and Usability Testing Schedule prepared by the PAT and agreed with the
WDC and UTC:
Work in close cooperation with the PAT and UTC in order to implement the results of
usability testing into a maximum of 2 subsequent portal prototypes if results of usability
testing of the first prototype indicate such necessity;
Upon approval of the final prototype by the PMU, develop (“slice”) the design vision into
a design theme/skin ready for installation on the program portal‟s content management
system (CMS), and compliant with World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) web standards
for web design and applications, and with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) version 2.0 (available at
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/
). All theme/skin
markup, including Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), must pass validation without errors or
warnings upon check at
http://validator.w3.org/
or
http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/
,
respectively, with default settings of the validators applied;
Develop the design theme/skin with consideration of the following:
o The theme/skin must be fully compatible with and functional under the Microsoft
Internet Explorer 7.0 and Mozilla Firefox 2.0 web browsers and their newer
versions, and gracefully degrade in order to retain at least the minimum
functionality and navigational components of every web page under any browsing
software capable of rendering HTML markup;
o All web pages‟ layout and components should be styled with external CSS files;
HTML styling of text and HTML tables for defining pages‟ layout must not be
used, and internal CSS declarations inside pages‟ markup should be avoided;
o A liquid design composition must be used, optimally viewable under a screen
resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels but compatible with other resolutions as well,
avoiding the need for horizontal scrolling on screens with smaller resolutions;
Provide to the PAT the full set of source files for the theme/skin in their entirety on CD or
USB memory stick, as follows:
o The full set of source files containing the theme/skin markup in their entirety in
HTML, PHP, CSS and any other markup languages as applicable, as well as any
development files in the file format of web development software if such was used
in the development process;
o All photographs used in the design as files in *.jpg, *.png or other file formats
suitable for publishing on the world wide web with a resolution of at least 96 dpi,
in the RGB color model;
o Source files of all photographs used in the design with high resolution in *.psd,
RAW or another applicable file format if source files are available;
o All drawings and illustrations used in the design as files in *.jpg, *.png or other
file formats suitable for publishing on the world wide web with a resolution of at
least 96 dpi, in the RGB color model;
o Source files of all drawings and illustrations used in the design in native vector
format of the application which was used for creating the drawing/illustration, with
two versions of each file: one with text as is, and one with all text converted to
curves, if source files are available;
o Model release of all photographs if applicable;
o Description of each file and of its placement and function in the theme/skin,
allowing for the theme/skin to be reinstalled, reconstructed and further developed
independently by the PMU;
Assist the PUC and the PAT in installing the theme/skin onto the portal CMS, and in
applying it to all pages, sections and modules of the portal.
VI. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
thorough knowledge, understanding of and experience with web design proved through
portfolio of designed products
outstanding graphic design skills
at least 2 years of experience in designing visions and layout for web portals
experience with CMS – open-source, proprietary and custom solutions
knowledge of and experience with designing, developing and implementing themes/skins
for Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress CMS, as well as for proprietary and custom CMS
solutions
familiarity with W3C web standards for web design, development, content and
accessibility
knowledge of DHTML (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ajax), XHTML, XML
university degree or relevant traning and/or experience in Graphic Design and/or Web
Design
Annex I
Concept for Development of a Portal Site for ‘Global Libraries Program’ in Bulgaria
1. General Concept
The web portal of “Bulgarian Libraries – Access Point to Information and Communications for All” Program will present a unified access point to information and information exchange related to the activities of providing no-cost public access to Internet services and training of the Bulgarian population through the public libraries network. The portal will include files, databases and links to external websites. The main functions of the portal during the program planning phase (2008) and the program implementation phase (2009 – 2011/2013) will be implemented in the following directions: 1.1. The portal will be a program medium and will contain current information about program
progress in order to create and maintain its positive public image. The portal will also provide feedback and exchange of specialized information.
1.2. The portal will act as a storage place for collection and storage of operative data for the program management needs of the key partners during all phases of its progress;
1.3. The portal will serve as a learning platform for the libraries‟ staff and visitors during the implementation phase of the program;
1.4. The portal will present the program target libraries;
1.5. The portal will provide feedback about the results of program progress locally during the program implementation phase.
During the one-year program planning phase, the portal will assist the creation of a good public image of program activities and the accomplishment of the planning phase goals. The next stage of portal development will include the transition to presentation of program implementation activities during the program implementation phase when the portal should win recognition as an effective medium of library environment in Bulgaria. Through the portal, public libraries not included in the initial list of local needs assessment sites will be able to express their intent / readiness to participate in the program at a later stage.
2. Portal goals
2.1. To contribute to the creation and support of the contemporary face of Bulgarian public libraries as an access point to information, training, communication and services. To revive Bulgarian libraries‟ image as centers for communication and information exchange;
2.2. To promote the activities and outcomes of the “Bulgarian Libraries – Access Point to Information and Communications for All” Program;
2.3. To assist the collection, storage, analysis and exchange of operative data among the institutions involved in program implementation activities and program impact tracking.
3. Portal Structure
3.1. Portal Content
The portal content will include both permanent and variable information. New data will be uploaded in the portal database and then classified. The database will be updated with operative information on an ongoing basis – news, messages and explanatory information. Links to the updated content will be part of the home page.
The public data structure will provide options for information search and export. The search results will be represented in a list format through hyperlinks. The calendar of events will be included as a separate section in a table format. The portal will feature sections presenting the experience of libraries in other countries involved in Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation “Global Libraries” Initiative. The portal will contain links to specialized information and instructions on project design and search of financial resources; detailed information about Bulgarian and international donors as well as contact information. The portal will also provide legislative information about the status and activities of libraries.
Information in English – due to the need of popularizing program ideas, goals and implementation among the international audience, all portal sections will be presented both in Bulgarian and in English.
3.2. Portal Organization
From an organizational and technological perspective, the portal will be organized in two sections – administrative and information/public.
The information section of the portal will be updated through the databases which in turn will be updated through the administrative section of the portal using the Content Management System. The access to the administrative section will require a username and a password. This portal section requires the development of a user identification and registration tool. Only registered users will be able to access the administrative section. Users‟ access rights will depend on their roles in program management and/or implementation.
Each target library will be able to access its own data generated through the entered questionnaires (except for interviewers‟ opinions).
3.3. Portal Management
During the planning phase, the Project Management Unit (PMU) will have a key role in the management of the portal. Its obligations will include as follows:
- Supervision of portal developer‟s performance (subcontractor) with regard to ensuring conformity with the Terms of Reference and this Concept;
- Content development and update in Bulgarian and English;
- First-level supervision of the information entered into the portal by interviewers; the supervision will be conducted by 28 regional coordinators.
- Ongoing collection of feedback information (opinions and suggestions on portal improvement).
By end-September 2008, the PMU will develop and present a plan for the sustainable development of the portal during the program implementation phase.
The Ministry of Culture, in its capacity of a program executing entity, will be able, at any time, to comment on the users‟ section of the portal. All suggested changes will be reflected by the PMU further to consultations with the other key partners, if necessary.
4. Portal Users
4.1. Key Program Partners
- Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria – program executing entity; - United Nations Development Program – program implementing agency; - Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications; - Bulgarian Library and Information Association;
- National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria.
4.2. Involved Formal Program Supporters - NGOs;
- Professional and other business associations; - Local and national institutions;
- Other civil society organizations, etc.
4.3. International Community
- Teams implementing the “Global Libraries” Program in other countries;
- International and/or foreign associations of librarians and information services specialists; - Potential EU and global partners;
4.4. Citizens and civil organizations will have access to information materials reflecting the progress of the program and to an option for sending feedback and making information requests.
4.5. Librarians will have the opportunity to participate in and influence the decision making process with regard to program activities.
4.6. The management team (PMU) will use the information collected through the portal for preparation of program documentation and internal data exchange.
5. Stages in Portal Development
5.1. 1st Stage – until the middle of the program planning phase (end-July 2008)
Information section – The portal will publish program related information – goals, progress, key partners, and target libraries. Links to sources of information about the program donor, existing websites of Bulgarian and foreign libraries included in the “Global Libraries” Program will be set up. The portal will feature information about program events and will archive this information. Feedback functionality will also be created.
Administrative section – A database will be developed corresponding to the questionnaire and serving as a needs assessment tool for target libraries. A remote data collection tool will be created so that interviewers could enter local needs assessment data. An electronic archive of questionnaires will be set up. The different user profiles will be defined and technically implemented for the administrative section of the portal and the access and data entry rights will be identified. A functionality enabling database export into text format will be created. The administrative section will be integrated with the information section of the portal. When registered users log in the system, they will have access to menus and links inaccessible to external users.
5.2. 2nd Stage – until the end of the program planning phase (January/March 2009) Information section – the portal will feature and update detailed information about:
- The purpose and course of the program – clarification and promotion of program ideas, goals and implementation. User friendly information about the program planning phase progress will be publicized. The partner institutions will be presented through hyperlinks to their websites or through special presentations. The persons who organize and implement all program activities will also be presented and an opportunity for establishing easy and efficient contacts with them will be provided. Examples and practices related to the implementation of the program in other countries will be showcased.
- Activities implemented within the library network – the libraries will be presented by publishing news generated by them or by other sources; a general presentation of libraries and their communities will be publicized. The active participation of libraries in the process of portal creation and development will be encouraged. Training in accessing and utilizing offered resources will be planned. The provision of access to library resources will be encouraged. Registered libraries will have the right to publicize its publications in the portal. Administrative section – The opportunities for feedback and communication effect assessment will be improved by providing:
- Electronic access to target libraries;
- A mechanism for generating analytical reports on the interest shown in the portal and in its content elements (indicators resulting from automatically generated portal visit reports; users‟
active usage of the feedback option). A list of all active users‟ email addresses will be maintained;
- A database of target libraries – it will be developed to a maximum degree and will include information that was not mandatory during the field needs assessment.
5.3. 3rd Stage – during the program implementation phase (2009 – 2011/2013)
Information section – the portal will provide:
- information about the program progress as a whole and the extent of achieving planned results;
- information about good practices with regard to program implementation locally; - any news related to program implementation;
- information about the web-based content offered by the libraries.
Administrative section – it will include as follows:
- document templates (questionnaires; training plans; technical specifications, etc.); - an enhanced report generating functionality;
- a technical opportunity for libraries to publish their own information and provide feedback to the PMU about program activities;
- a technical option for publishing e-learning training courses.
6. Technical Aspects
During the program planning phase (2008), the portal will use external hosting and external technical maintenance. During the program implementation phase, the PMU will provide the administrative support of the portal. The technical support (hosting services, Internet connectivity, correction of technical malfunctions, archiving) will be provided under a subscription contract with a subcontractor. Depending on the progress of the program and the availability of technical and professional capacity of partner institutions, after the end of the program implementation phase, the web portal may be transferred to own-server hosting and technical support provided by the lead organization or another key partner.
The portal should be easy to update and maintain – the Content Management System should enable the fast modification (content or functionality addition and deletion, error correction).
The proposed portal platform should be either standard (developed by a recognized world-level producer) or independent. If the selected portal developer offers an independent platform, both detailed technical documentation and a functional description of the proposed platform will be required in order to ensure the contractor’s independence during the further development of the
portal. The technical support of the system is expected to span until the end of the program planning and implementation phases.
7. Block Scheme
Information Section Administrative Section
Archive Events Questionnaire Data Archive Questionnaire Registered Users Feedback Data Archive News Calendar of Events News Archive Library Information Links to Key Partners’ Websites Key Partners Legislative Framework Links to Legislative Framework Library Information Login to Administrative Section Feedback Functionality Search Engine Export Functionality Statistics Functionality
