<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Thank you for your questions. many have written to me directly to seek clarification.</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><br></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">I have received a flurry of questions on the status report and I will respond to those that are of a recurring nature directly on this list while pointing listers to the website <a href="http://www.ict.go.ke">www.ict.go.ke</a> for more information and updates on aspect of the projects. </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><b><span style="line-height: 115%; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><br></font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><b><span style="line-height: 115%; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Objective
of the assignment</font></span></b><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">The objective of this assignment is to recruit a leading
international academic institution or standards body to develop and implement
an internationally recognized and sustainable software developer certification
program (Certification Program) for Kenya. The Certification Program will have
multiple components, including content and processes for local software
developers to prepare, register and be certified; an Internet enabled
credentialing program; and an initial pilot testing, evaluation and fine tuning
of the Certification Program. The program should be underpinned by a
sustainable business model.</font><b><span style="line-height: 115%; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"></font></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:0in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><br></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:0in;line-height:115%"><b><span style="line-height: 115%; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-weight: normal; "><b><span style="line-height: 115%; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Scope of services</font></span></b></span></font></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;line-height:115%;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;mso-hyphenate:auto;tab-stops:list .5in"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">i.</font><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 14px; "><i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Inception Report and Business Plan:</font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">
Provide an Inception Report that contains a description of start-up
activities, the detailed work plan, methodologies, and an estimate of the time
allocation for involved personnel from both the Government of Kenya and the
organization’s team. In addition, to provide a business plan that spells out
the resources to be deployed and the results proposed to be achieved. The
business plan should also propose long term, sustainable business model options
for the Certification Program.</font></span></span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;line-height:115%;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;mso-hyphenate:auto;tab-stops:list .5in"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">ii.</font><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></font></span><i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Content Development:</font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"> Develop appropriate content for
certification in close collaboration with relevant partners; including leading
international and local IT companies, academic institutions, governments,
international standards bodies and industry/trade associations. The developed
content should have their explicit support in terms of relevance and quality,
be based on the latest technologies and extensible to address the major
languages (C, C++, Java), operating systems, language combinations, and
software development tools and environments.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;line-height:115%;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;mso-hyphenate:auto;tab-stops:list .5in"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">iii.</font><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></font></span><i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Certification Process Development: </font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Develop an internationally recognized,
authentic, secure and valid process for software developer certification. This
process should be developed in consultation with leading IT companies and
academic institutions as well as have the buy-in of at least two industry
associations of established countries in the area of BPO, and two countries
aspiring to establish themselves in this domain. Countries should be chosen to
be representative of at least three regions out of the following: Latin America
and the Caribbean, Europe and Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa, South
Asia, East Asia and other parts of Sub Saharan Africa. In addition, the
processes should be based on proven experiences in similar certification
programs. The testing process should be representative of real-life,
professional software development. The examinations should also be refreshed
annually; and extendable to address the full software development life cycle
(including post-deployment maintenance) and modern issues (including the
development of secure software systems). The examination must be developed
using recognized techniques for validation and verification of quality.
Linkages may be established with one or more organizations with leading testing
and certification mechanisms to ensure that the certification will be conducted
in a secure and proctored setting.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;line-height:115%;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;mso-hyphenate:auto;tab-stops:list .5in"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">iv.</font><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></font></span><i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Provision of Internet-Enabled
Credentialing Program:</font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">
Provide a web-enabled credentialing program, including functions for online
registration, preparation and certification.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;line-height:115%;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;mso-hyphenate:auto;tab-stops:list .5in"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">v.</font><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></font></span><i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Piloting:</font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"> To pilot the Certification Program with
an initial batch of at least 50 enrollees, comprising of local software
developers who should be benchmarked against a control group.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;line-height:115%;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;mso-hyphenate:auto;tab-stops:list .5in"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">vi.</font><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></font></span><i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Evaluation Reports:</font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"> Conduct an evaluation of the pilot to
prepare a detailed report to recommend strategies and action plans for
improving the Certification Program. An evaluation should also be conducted on
gaps and weaknesses in software development skills, so as to recommend changes
in curriculum and pedagogy required as part of broader education reforms in
Kenya.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;line-height:115%;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;mso-hyphenate:auto;tab-stops:list .5in"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">vii.</font><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></font></span><i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Program Refinement and Local Capacity
Building:</font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"> Refine the Certification Program based on
the agreed recommendations of the Evaluation Report, and develop capacity
within the country to conduct the assessments for certification.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;line-height:115%;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;mso-hyphenate:auto;tab-stops:list .5in"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">viii.</font><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></font></span><i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">‘Live’ Rollout:</font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">
Commence ‘live’ rollout of the Certification Program with assessment of
certification by local institutions, with the target of testing at least 200
local software developers. In addition, to obtain the commitment of leading
companies operating globally and locally to use the results as a necessary
pre-requisite for their hiring decisions.</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:2.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:2.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.5in;line-height:115%;
mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;mso-hyphenate:auto;tab-stops:list .5in"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">ix.</font><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">
</span></font></span><i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Mass Rollout and Marketing, and Business
Model Implementation: </font></i><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif">Implement mass rollout and marketing
campaign for the Certification Program across Kenya, with a target to test at
least 500 local software developers. In addition, to implement a business model
for the Certification Program that is internationally recognized, financially
self-sustaining and affordable for local software developers by the end of this
consultancy service (24 months after contract signature). A final report is to
be prepared to highlight the next steps to be taken by Kenya for the
Certification Program, including future steps on training content development,
certification process and local capacity building.</font></p><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><br><br>Paul Kukubo<br>Chief Executive Officer, Kenya ICT Board<br>PO Box 27150 - 00100<br>
Nairobi, Kenya<br><br>12th Floor, Teleposta Towers Koinange Street<br><br>Tel +254 20 2089061, +254 20 2211960 <br><br>Fax: +254 20 2211962<br>Cell: + 254 735 180001<br><br>website: <a href="http://www.ict.go.ke">www.ict.go.ke</a><br>
skype: kukubopaul<br>googletalk: pkukubo<br>____________________<br>Vision: Kenya becomes a top ten global ICT hub<br><br>Mission: To champion and actively enable Kenya to adopt and exploit ICT, through promotion of partnerships, investments and infrastructure growth for socio economic enrichment <br>
Sent from Nairobi, Kenya
<br><font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'trebuchet ms', sans-serif"><br></font></font></font>