This publication is made pursuant to Point 3.1 of Annex 1 to Financial Regulation 2018 that provides for an ex-ante publication on the Institutions' websites of contracts with a value up to 138.999,99 EUR.
The European Commission will soon launch a call for tenders for a service contract of a maximum value of EUR 40.000.
Description of the 2 tasks:
Task 1 Development of an Assessment Framework
This task will be based on desk research, complemented by expert interviews. The contractor will bring together different existing concepts, models, framework, guidelines and principles on user centricity, user experience and related concepts. The contractor will compare the elements considered in these frameworks with the indicators covered in the eGovernment Benchmark assessment and will only consider those that are not already included. The contractor will compare, map and integrate the different elements considered as relevant by the frameworks identified and not yet covered by the Benchmark exercise to propose a coherent, consistent and complete assessment framework on which to base a new usability indicator. The contractor will proceed to translate the items of the framework into survey questions, on which the pilots (Task 2) can be based. If there are different equally feasible ways to translate the framework into practice, the contractor may propose to include these as options to be compared in the piloting phase (Task 2).
Task 2: Piloting of Assessment Framework
The assessment framework developed in Task 1 will be piloted in 3 countries volunteering to participate among the countries represented in the eGovernment Benchmark working group (36 countries in total: 27 Member States; the UK; EEA countries and candidate countries). To align with the existing eGovernment Benchmark methodology, duly trained mystery shoppers will be charged with applying the questionnaire developed in Task 1 to all relevant websites considered in all eight-life events. The mystery shoppers will be provided with an explicit testing methodology, advising them on how to document problems in the interpretation and application of the questionnaire items. Mystery shoppers shall also be invited to note other “usability” problems that they encounter with a website and that, in their (subjective) opinion are not sufficiently addressed by the proposed methodology.
Interested economic operators can express their interest to participate in the call for tender until 23/02/2021 in writing to DG CONNECT at the European Commission at the following functional mailbox CNECT-VIGIE-2020-0828@ec.europa.eu
No evaluation is performed at this stage. All the economic operators who have expressed their interest to participate in this procurement procedure within the above-mentioned deadline will be subsequently invited to submit a tender. The contracting authority reserves the right to also invite economic operators not included in the list of interested economic operators who responded to this ex-ante advertisement.
An economic operator may consider submitting a tender as a single entity or in collaboration with other service providers: either by submitting a joint tender with (a) partner(s) (assuming joint and several liability towards the contracting authority for the performance of the contract) and/or through subcontracting. In case of a joint tender with (a) partner(s), all partners must be identified in the expression of interest and cannot be modified at a further stage of the procurement procedure.
Only the candidates invited by the contracting authority to participate in this procurement procedure will be admissible.
Processing your reply to the ex-ante advertisement will involve the recording and processing of personal data (such as your name and address). Such data will be processed pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Community institutions and bodies and on the free movement of such data. Unless indicated otherwise, any personal data requested are required to register your interest to participate in the call for tender and will be processed solely for that purpose by the Data Controller. You are entitled to obtain access to your personal data on request and to rectify any such data that is inaccurate or incomplete. If you have any queries concerning the processing of your personal data, you may address them to the Data Controller.
Details concerning the processing of your personal data are available on the privacy statement.
You have the right of recourse at any time to the European Data Protection Supervisor for matters relating to the processing of your personal data.
For the purpose of this ex-ante advertisement, the Data Controller shall be the Head of the Unit "Administration and Finance", Directorate "Resources and Support", Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology. Any queries concerning the processing of personal data of the Candidate can be addressed to the data controller by using the e-mail address mentioned under Point "Purpose of this call for tenders" of the present ex-ante advertisement and by indicating the reference of the ex-ante advertisement.