Database Project Manager

Eurasia Foundation seeks a highly qualified consultant for the USAID State-Owned Enterprises Reform Activity in Ukraine

Position: Database Project Manager

Deadline: November 1, 2021

Job Type: Consultant

Estimated Period of Performance: November 15, 2021 – November 14, 2022

Location: Kyiv, Ukraine

Terms of Reference

A. Eurasia Foundation

Eurasia Foundation (EF) is a US-based non-profit, nonpartisan organization committed to helping citizens in countries in transition realize their full potential and transform their societies. EF supports governments and citizens to enhance responsive, accountable, and transparent governance, and helps citizens build a stronger, more resilient civil society. EF is committed to supporting meaningful and lasting change at the community, regional, national levels. Its work is based on the principles of inclusiveness, collaboration, and locally sourced solutions. 

B. SOERA Description

Launched in 2021, the USAID State-Owned Enterprises Reform Activity in Ukraine (SOERA) strengthens the role and capacity of the Ukrainian state as an informed and active owner of its SOEs; increases the effectiveness, quality of service delivery, governance, transparency, and accountability of Ukrainian SOEs; improves SOE governance; and advances privatization of SOEs, where appropriate. These objectives will help reduce opportunities for corruption, political meddling, and graft in the SOE sector at the top level, increase private sector participation, and stimulate economic growth. SOERA is implemented by Deloitte Consulting LLP (USA), and Eurasia Foundation (EF) is a member of Deloitte’s implementing consortium.

 C. Background

To enable active SOE oversight and develop effective reform strategies, the Government of Ukraine (GOU), municipalities, and other stakeholders need accurate and timely information on state-owned enterprise/municipality-owned enterprise (SOE/MOE) operations, financial management, and corporate governance. These stakeholders need to be able to effectively use this data to develop reform policies and strategies. 

In recent years, the GOU has made significant progress in collecting SOE information with the establishment in 2019 of ProZvit as an online repository for SOE financial and other data. This advance was further supplemented by other open-source initiatives to collate Ukrainian company data, such as YouControl. However, these disparate SOE data sources are not always accurate, compatible, or stored in a systematic manner. 

 The next step toward capturing comprehensive SOE/MOE information is to develop a unified, data-validated, cyber secure, and personal-data-protected platform designed to support oversight of SOEs/MOEs. In addition to developing the platform, stakeholders will need to be trained in how to access and use such a platform, and the data/analytical needs for effective corporate governance structures, sustainability, self-reliance, anticorruption, and transparency for SOEs/MOEs. SOERA is expected to establish a pilot database, then continue to expand and populate the database with additional SOE and MOE information during the period of performance for the Activity. 

This consultancy assignment is expected to contribute to the following outcome: GOU decision makers and managers, potential private investors, and civil society organizations (CSOs) have access to up-to-date, accurate, and complete information on SOEs based on their specific needs and can use it for management and investment decisions and public oversight. 

 D. Scope of Work

The consultant is expected to manage and oversee an external team that will be contracted by Deloitte to update and expand the ProZvit database and portal interface (available: https://prozvit.com.ua/). The ProZvit platform currently includes an interactive map of SOEs and MOEs in Ukraine; several filters for sorting SOE/MOE data; and a search function. The external team is expected to include a business process analyst, a database engineer, a technical writer, and others as needed. In close coordination with SOERA management, the consultant will be responsible to establish the strategic direction for the external team, coordinate their efforts, advise on tactics, and provide quality control.

The consultant will work closely with the busines analyst to conduct a series of in-depth consultations with representatives of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU), Ministry of Economy, the Cabinet of Ministers, the President’s Office, select committees of the Verkhovna Rada, select municipalities and other stakeholders to determine their information and management needs and their expectations for the database and website. Following the consultations, the business analyst will draft a summary report and the consultant will be expected to review it, offer further input, and ensure a high-quality final product.

Based on the GOU consultations, the consultant will develop detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) for an updated and fully featured database and publicly accessible website (the platform). The ToR will be included in a tender Deloitte is expected to announce to identify an external software development firm.

Following competitive selection of the software development firm, the consultant will be asked to oversee (1) the development of the platform and (2) a training program on the use of the platform. The consultant will be responsible to establish the production schedule together with the beneficiary institution and the vendor, closely track the firm’s achievement of software development milestones, ensure that the firm is regularly consulting with the beneficiary institution, monitor budget execution, and troubleshoot issues as they arise. The consultant will also offer input and guidance on the design and implementation of the training program.

E. Deliverables

• Together with business process analyst, summary report on information and management needs of relevant GOU institutions – December 15, 2021
• Terms of Reference (ToR) for the platform (database and website) – February 28, 2022
• Assistance in selecting a minimum 15 SOEs/MOEs whose data will be included in the pilot version of the database and data collection supervision – March 31, 2022
• Oversight and monitoring of database design and development – ongoing
• Supervision of final pilot database and website testing – March 31, 2022
• Review of report on bugs and improvements to pilot database – May 31, 2022

 F. Qualifications

• Software design expert with at least five (5) years of experience with developing publicly accessible database platforms
• Demonstrated ability to lead a technical team and deliver innovative IT solutions
• Experience working in an Agile environment (Scrum, Kanban)
• Strong understanding of the software development life cycle (SDLC) as well as familiarity with business process modeling notation (BPMN) and unified modeling language (UML)
• Recent experience in e-Governance reform, stakeholder engagement, and capacity building, preferably as part of international donor-funded technical assistance project
• Previous experience working with some or all the state institutions referenced above
• Demonstrated ability to succeed in an interdisciplinary environment and to work in challenging political situations requiring good judgment, discretion, and political savvy, strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong writing and written and verbal communication skills
• Advanced English (C1) and professional Ukrainian language proficiency required  

G. Application Process 

To apply, please submit the following (in English): 

• A summary (max. 3 pages) of the applicant’s expertise and experience, highlighting those aspects that are particularly relevant to the assignment
• Resume (5 pages maximum)
• Contact details of at least three relevant professional references

No phone calls, please.