ARIAS SOCIETY

Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services Society (An Autonomous Body under Govt. of Assam) Project Management Unit (PMU) of the World Bank financed Assam Citizen-Centric Service Delivery Project (ACCSDP) Agriculture complex, Khanapara, G.S. Road, Guwahati-781022 (Assam, India) Tel: +91 361-2332125; Fax: +91 361-2332564; website: www.arias.in; email - spd@arias.in

Draft Indicative Terms of Reference (ToR) or ICT Infrastructure Specialist (ICTIS) Background and Objective of the Project:

1. The Govt. of Assam has created the Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services (ARIAS) Society in November 1998, as an autonomous body, headed by the Chief Secretary, Assam as its President (Project Guidance Council) and the Agriculture Production Commissioner, Assam as the Chairman (Governing Body). The Project Management Unit (PCU) is headed by a State Project Director. The key mandate of the Society is to function as an apex autonomous body of the Govt. of Assam for monitoring, coordination and/or implementation of World Bank or any other externally financed/aided Projects or other Projects of any department as may be authorized by Govt. of Assam from time to time.

2. The Society has successfully completed two World Bank aided projects (ARIASP: 1995-2004 and AACP: 2005-2011 including AACP-AF: 2012-2015) and the World Bank has rated performance of these projects as Satisfactory. The Society contributed in mainstreaming many of the good practices that emerged from the projects into various schemes of the State Government. ARIAS Society has proved to be a path finder and innovator in the areas of targeting the intended beneficiaries, employment generation, reaching out to the vulnerable and the disabled and overall good governance and social accountability.

3. The Government of Assam (GoA) is committed to improve governance in the state and public sector performance. It has already embarked upon a number of specific initiatives to support this objective. They include: the Right to Public Service Act (RTPS), RTI, a public grievance redress system, e-District, Common Service Centers, and establishment of State e-Governance infrastructure.

4. Affordable access to public services, especially for the poor people, is one of the key imperatives for inclusive growth. The Government of Assam (GoA) is committed to improve governance in the state and public sector performance and has recognized the need to strengthen the delivery of citizen-centric service, and had therefore enacted the Assam Right to Public Services Act, 2012 (ARTPS) to ensure citizens access to public services in timely, efficient and accountable manner. The Act enables the citizens of Assam to get notified public services within a stipulated timeframe and also fixes responsibilities on public servants to provide these services in a time-bound manner. GoA has also embarked upon a number of specific initiatives to support this objective, a public grievance redress system, e-District, Common Service Centers, and establishment of State e-Governance infrastructure.

5. To strengthen and deepen these initiatives, GoA has received a $39.20 million loan from the World Bank financed towards the Assam Citizen-Centric Service Delivery Project (ACCSDP) *Project ID: P150308, IBRD Loan No. 8754-IN]. The ACCSDP aims to improve citizen access to targeted services under the ARTPS, particularly in remote areas. Citizens, especially the rural communities who are heavily dependent on government services, will be the principal beneficiary group of the project. The project will place citizens at the center of the service delivery process by strengthening feedback mechanisms and grievance redress.

6. ACCSDP will facilitate implementation of the ARTPS Act with efficiency and accountability for better delivery of citizen-centric services under ARTPS Act and will support the line Deptts. A high-level delivery unit will be established to monitor the implementation of the ARTPS Act. A blend of technological interventions and administrative reforms for 18 key services will be taken-up initially under the project in four Govt. agencies, viz. Transport, Revenue & Disaster Management, and Welfare of Plain tribes & Backward Classes (WPT&BC Deptts) and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation. The project will assist implementing line departments/agencies in restructuring business processes so that citizens can access services digitally within the given timeline of ARTPS Act.

7. The Project Development Objective is to improve access in the delivery of selected public services in Assam. ACCSDP also aims to strengthen institutional operations and improve citizen awareness and participation in order

to expand access to services to benefit the rural poor. This inclusive approach will contribute to access improvements in four key ways: (i) by expanding the number of Right to Public Services Act (RTPS) services which are digitized and available on-line; (ii) by improving connectivity infrastructure to the Public Facilitation Centers especially in underserved areas to enhance citizen access to services; (iii) by engaging local populations in service delivery (through both participatory and digital approaches) so that targeted priority services for the rural communities are accessible; and (iv) by rationalizing and strengthening service delivery by front-line institutions. This project design is pivoted around four interrelated components: (i) strengthening RTPS implementation; (ii) improving service delivery processes in targeted departments; (iii) setting up Public Facilitation Centers (PFC) to receive requests for RTPS services and electronically deliver select services to the citizens closer to their homes; and (iv) promoting citizen engagement.

8. These key components of the project namely digitization of services, ICT infrastructure, citizen engagement, front-line delivery institutions, and change management would be managed through the Project Management Unit (PMU) under the ARIAS Society, led by a State Project Director (SPD) and would have inter alia the following staff/consultants:

Business Process Re-engineering and IT Specialist

ICT Infrastructure Specialist

Social Development and Communication Specialist

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) Specialist

Citizen engagement and Change management

Procurement & Contract Management Specialist

Financial Management Specialist

PMU Support Staff

9. The PMU of the ACCSDP is seeking an interested and qualified professional for the position of ICT Infrastructure Specialist hereinafter referred as ICTIS to lead activities related to improving information and communication technology infrastructure to improve public service delivery.

Job Summary

10. To provide support towards the objective the ACCSDP for improved citizen access to the selected services notified under RTPS Act, as well as those services not yet notified by the GoA but are considered of significant importance; Provide advisory support to the SPD and other Lead Specialist Consultants in the PMU of the ACCSDP , in respect of design, planning, implementation and monitoring of the ACCSDP, including activities concerning - change management, assessing the challenges and opportunities for change, creating a ambience for change and setting strategies to address resistance to change, help in reinforcing the change process, citizen information, information and education campaign (IEC), citizen engagement, social accountability activities, etc.

11. The ICTIS would - (i) coordinate with the non-consultancy service provider agency to be hired under the project for ensuring reliable network connectivity to the identified Public Facilitation Centers (PFC) and backend of departments and monitor the performance of the service provider as per the provisions of the contract agreement and report to the SPD; (ii) develop the technical specifications for procurement of the ICT Hardware for OSSCs and line Departments/Agencies of ACCSDP in consultation with the Stakeholder Departments/agencies of ACCSDP and the World Bank and assist in the procurement process to select the vendor(s) and monitor the performance of selected vendor(s) as per the provisions of the related contract agreement(s).

12. Develop detailed Technical Specifications to procure goods and develop TORs for services/ consultancies related to procurement of ICT equipment and connectivity; assist the procurement unit of the PMU in vendor/contractor/consultant selection process; and manage and monitor the performance of the selected agencies/consultants responsible for detailed design and implementation of all infrastructure leveraging and strengthening activities.

13. The ICTIS will work closely with the participating government departments/agencies of ACCSDP, and other specialists hired for ACCSDP like for BPR&IT, Change Management, etc. and Senior Management of ACCSDP to ensure effectiveness of design and implementation of infrastructure related solutions for the project. In consultation with other PMU colleagues and with advice from senior management, ICTIS will ensure alignment of infrastructure solutions with ACCSDP objectives; quality and timeliness in delivery of goods and services procured;

and necessary upkeep and continual updating of systems set-up. He/she will support senior management with infrastructure solution specific inputs on planning, management, capacity building, and institutional mechanisms for intermediate and long-term success of citizen-centric public service delivery by GoA.

14. The ICTIS will have to supervise, coordinate and monitor the activities of the vendor engaged for ICT Infrastructure under the project and report to the SPD if there is any slippages; The ICTIS shall closely monitor and track the ICT connectivity status to all the PFCs and other key sites where connectivity is provided under the project, monitor the connectivity speed and quality through the Network Monitoring Software (NMS) of the vendor as well as that of the PMU and take corrective actions as necessary in association with the vendor engaged for ICT Infrastructure under the project.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

15. Support Coordination and Management: The ICTIS shall report to the Senior Advisor, ACCSDP (under the overall command of the State Project Director, ARIAS Society) and his/her key tasks and responsibilities include-

a) Ensure alignment of infrastructure related activities with ACCSDP objectives and spearhead the design, planning and implementation of solutions leveraging the existing ICT (including equipment and connectivity) infrastructure of the Public Facilitation Centers (PFC) and where necessary improve it;

b) In consultation with other PMU colleagues and with advice from senior management, he/she will ensure alignment of the ICT infrastructure solutions with project objectives and ensure quality and timeliness in delivery of goods and services procured; and necessary upkeep and continual updating of systems set-up.

c) supervise, coordinate and monitor the activities of the vendor engaged for ICT Infrastructure under the project and report to the SPD if there is any slippages;

d) Monitor closely the ICT connectivity status to all the PFCs and other key sites where connectivity is provided under the project, monitor the speed and quality of connectivity through the network monitoring software (NMS) and take corrective actions as necessary in association with the vendor engaged for ICT Infrastructure under the project;

e) He/she will support senior management with ICT infrastructure solution specific inputs on capacity building and institutional mechanisms for intermediate and long-term success of the project;

f) In consultation with other Lead Specialists hired under ACCSDP, the ICTIS will provide overall support in infrastructure related assessment, planning, budgeting and technical evaluation of bids during IT procurement;

g) Work closely with Procurement Unit of the PMU for procurement of ICT infrastructure related goods and associated services; and monitoring the performance of the select vendors

h) Work closely with all the members of the PMU team, concerned GoA departments, other partners, consultants, service providers and provide support for smooth implementation of the project and support the PMU in its endeavour towards achievement of the Disbursement Link Indicators (DLI) of the Project;

i) Lead design and implementation of related capacity building activities

j) Manage and direct contractual vendors/consulting resources

k) Monitor progress of infrastructure related activities through well-defined indicators embedded in the monitoring framework under the overall principle of results based management

l) Provide necessary inputs to senior management to inform the project Steering Committee

m) Support development of various TORs as and when required;

n) Lead dialogues on infrastructure solutions with partners in the Line Departments/agencies of ACCSDP and those representing citizens including civil society institutions

o) Represent the PMU at internal and external forums on issues relating to ICT infrastructure solutions to support delivery of service as per objectives of ACCSDP

p) Document regularly all ICT infrastructure related works accomplished for continuity planning

q) Lead communications with government and other partners in sharing relating to improvement in design and implementation of ICT infrastructure solutions

r) Identify and participate in opportunities for cross-learning with projects similar to ACCSDP

s) Provide clarifications to partners on ICT related project issues as and when needed

t) Any other tasks assigned by the Senior Advisor, ACCSDP and/or by State Project Director, ARIAS Society.

16. Technical Support: Takes technical leadership on issues related to ICT and IT connectivity/ telecommunication infrastructure needed to support ACCSDPs objectives including:

a) Current status and need assessment of the state ICT infrastructure of the PFCs, line Departments/Agencies of ACCSDP, State data Center, SWAN, as well as ARIAS Society including horizontal and vertical connectivity, telecom infrastructure; future models and transition steps to the optimal level

b) Ways to secure horizontal connectivity required for back-end processing of targeted departments/agencies of ACCSDP to support digitization of targeted RTPS services/other electronic services

c) Approaches to improve connectivity and access to service in those parts of the State that face unique connectivity issues

d) Critical inputs required to ensure high-quality and reliable infrastructure operability to support effectiveness of the overall service delivery solution

e) Appropriate solution to achieve optimal performance and scalability

f) Develop a core ICT Infrastructure Team in the line departments/agencies (with their existing staff) to ensure that it is able to meet the requirements of ACCSDP in implementation of the Infrastructure component

g) Technical Specifications for all ICT Infrastructure contracts under the project

h) Monitor the progress of Infrastructure Implementation against the Project Implementation Plan through appropriate monitoring indicators.

17. The ICTIS will have to attend PMU, ARIAS Society on all working days from 10 AM to 5 PM unless he is on official tour as approved by SPD or allowed to work from home by SPD. He may also be required to attend office on holidays as and when so desired by SPD for disposal of urgent matters. However, no separate remuneration will be paid for attending office on holidays.

18. Duration of Assignment

a) The contract period with ICTIS is intended for entire duration of the project and coterminous with the project period of ACCSDP. However, continuity of the ICTIS beyond one (1) year from the date of signing the agreement will depend upon his performance. The decision of the SPD will be final and binding in this regard.

b) The contract with ICTIS may be terminated by either side at any point of time during the contractual period by serving a 30 days notice without assigning any reason and without thereby incurring any liability to the Govt. of Assam/ PMU/ ARIAS Society. The assignment is purely contractual in nature and will not, under any circumstance, be extended beyond the ACCSDPs closing date. The ARIAS Society or the Government of Assam will not undertake any responsibility for subsequent deployment of the consultant.

c) The ICTIS shall not assign or sub-contract, in whole or in part, his obligations to perform under this Contract, except with the SPDs prior written consent. The ICTIS will have to serve the ARIAS Society on full time basis under overall command of State Project Director, ARIAS Society and provide services from the PMU at Khanapara, Guwahati. The resignation/termination shall be as per HR Policy of the ARIAS Society.

d) The ICTIS will be required to undertake field-visits and tours as per the project requirements, with prior approval of the SPD.

19. Qualifications

A. Essential Qualifications & Experience:

a) Post Graduate in Electronics/Computer Science/IT/Information Systems/ICT Infrastructure from any Govt. recognized university; Atleast 7 years of experience in managing ICT infrastructure in public/reputed private sector agency(ies) at leadership position.

However, Graduates (BE/B.Tech etc.) in Electronics/Computer Science/IT/Information Systems/ ICT infrastructure with experience of over 10 years in managing ICT infrastructure at managerial/ leadership position may also be considered, but at a reduced CTP.

b) Demonstrable knowledge and experience in managing and overhauling ICT Infrastructure

c) Experience in managing ICT infrastructure of state or national level e-governance projects will be an advantage

d) Proficiency in Computer Skills including experience of using Internet based applications, Network Monitoring applications, MS Word, MS Excel and MS Power Point etc.

e) Must possess initiative and the ability to work independently as well as team;

f) Good command over English language, written and spoken

g) Good communication and report writing skills are necessary

20. Age: The candidate shall not be of more than 45 years of age as on 1st August2017. However, in case of exceptionally talented candidate having wide relevant experience this requirement may be relaxed.

21. Remuneration and payment terms:

a) Depending on the qualifications, experience, competency, and also the remuneration/ CTC of the last assignment, the consolidated fixed annual Cost to project (CTP) of the ICTIS will be determined and mutually agreed with the successful candidate, which would be in the range between Rs.11.40 lakh to Rs.19.20 lakh per year. The agreed annual CTP shall be inclusive of remuneration, performance-linked-incentive, communication allowance, health/service related allowance, all taxes, cost of accommodation and food at Guwahati, conveyance to attend the PMU, etc.

b) The remuneration will be given in equal monthly installments and the performance-linked-incentive will be given on quarterly basis based on the performance and achievement against the mutually agreed deliverables by the ICTI Specialist. Taxes as applicable shall be dealt with as per applicable laws. The remuneration may be enhanced on an Annual Basis, based on the HR Policy of the ARIAS Society.

c) Travelling, Boarding, Lodging and Food expenses for approved official tours outside Guwahati will be reimbursed as per the HR Policy of ARIAS Society and as provided in the contract agreement. For travel outside the State, the Travelling and Boarding & Lodging expenses will be reimbursed as per the HR Policy of the ARIAS Society and as provided in the contract agreement.

22. Travel Requirements: The ICTIS may be required to undertake field-visits as per the project requirements, with prior approval of the SPD and the travel costs will be reimbursed as per the HR Policy of the ARIAS Society

23. Reporting and Performance Review

The ICTIS shall report to the Senior Advisor, ACCSDP (under the overall command of the State Project Director, ARIAS Society). The quality of service and performance of the ICTIS will be reviewed by the SPD as per the HR Policy of the ARIAS Society

24. Facilities to be provided by the PMU: The PMU, ARIAS Society

a. Will be given access to all documents, reports, correspondence, contacts available and any other information as deemed necessary for smooth accomplishments of tasks assigned.

b. Will be provided with one office cubicle in the PMU along with computer, printer, computer/office consumables, and internet access.

c. Will pay the fixed monthly remuneration as per the contract agreement. No house rent allowance or any other allowance shall be paid by the PMU. No other payment whatsoever (except reimbursement of travelling expenses and project allowance) shall be paid, except as agreed with the ICTIS and by the SPD, ARIAS Society.

d. Will not be provided with any clerical assistance.

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