It is against this background that ZEC is in the process of establishing information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and systems to enable implementation of the aforementioned roles efficiently and effectively. During the period 2011-2012, ZEC with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), established a data center at its Head Office in Harare and an ICT infrastructure connecting its 10 Provincial offices through internet and intranet systems. ZEC has offices in 10 Provinces and 68 Districts. The project will be implemented through the ZEC-IFES Memorandum of Agreement.

ZEC requires the services of a consultant conversant with the design and development of data centers which meet international standards and in conformity with the establishment of highly secure and efficient voter registration systems with a capacity to store and process +- 7 million voter records.

1.       Identify ICT requirements for the physical and technical expansion of the data center.

2.       Draw up specifications that can be used to procure the hardware and software required.

3.       Identify training needs and recommend an appropriate training methodology and timeline.

4.       Develop an estimated budget for these improvements and training.

The consultant will be responsible for providing technical support and advice related to an assessment of and requirements for upgrading the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) data center. The ZEC data center will be the repository for a new Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) system database. The consultant will need to assess the hardware and software needs, connectivity, and security improvements. The consultant will work under the direct supervision of IFES Zimbabwe and in close collaboration with the ZEC Information Services (IS) Department.

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

·         Perform a technical assessment of the status of the current data center in relation to the additional/future systems for the ZEC, paying particular attention to the hardware equipment, servers, storage and software needed to support the storage and processing of a voter registration database system which contains biometric data and come up with recommendations for any additional equipment that may be needed (i.e. server memory, processors, etc.).

·         Perform physical assessment of the data center building infrastructure; paying attention to firefighting equipment, cooling equipment, power requirements (including adequate backup power), general state of the building, physical security etc.

·         Conduct a security assessment of the data center to reduce its vulnerability to external threats and potential catastrophic failure.

·         Develop technical hardware and software specifications for an off-site disaster recovery system equipment.

·         Assess the training needs of the ZEC IS staff and recommend training programs to enhance their ability to manage the data center and systems contained therein in a sustainable manner.

·         Assess ZEC data center readiness for receiving and transmitting election results.

·         Draw up an estimated budget for the identified requirements.

·         Produce and submit progress reports on the outlined activities.

·         Master’s Degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Software Engineering or Information Technology from an accredited university.

2.       Experience

·         At least 7 years’ practical experience in developing, maintaining and designing software systems.

·         Knowledge or experience in Biometric Voter Registration Systems required

·         Previous experience working on election related projects and software systems required.

·         Experience working with databases such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL etc. required

·         Extensive experience in programming languages and tools such as C#, VB.NET, Java, .NET Framework, Crystal Reports, Web based systems is required.

·         Experience working on SMS/USSD based interactive systems an added advantage.

·         Knowledge or experience setting up data centers would be an added advantage.