REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE PROVISION OF A COMMUNICATIONS SECTOR ADVISORY

1.   INTRODUCTION

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) was established in 2013 by the Uganda Communications Act of 2013 as an independent Communications sector regulator, with oversight of telecommunications, broadcasting, radio communication, postal communications, data communication, and infrastructure. Among others, the Commission is mandated to monitor, inspect, license, control, and regulate communication services in Uganda.

In pursuit of this mandate as provided under the law, and in line with its Vision of “An Inclusive Digital Economy”, the Commission aims to achieve the following:

1. Enhancement of national coverage of communication services
2. Provision of modern and innovative communication services in Uganda
3. Competitively priced, quality services provided across the country
4. Safeguarding critical assets, consumers, and the public from the different forms of communications-related harm

Considering the above, the Commission seeks to collaborate with Academia to develop a Communications Sector Advisory, as provided for under Section 7.2 of the Research Support and Collaboration Framework.

2. OBJECTIVES

The objective of this project is to develop a communications sector advisory, including among others, advice on technical and non-technical regulatory issues.

More specifically, the project seeks to:

1. Identify and study international regulatory benchmarks for communication regulators and derive relevant proposals and recommendations for the Commission.
2. Track and study international standards/ recommendations as well as sector developments in other jurisdictions and derive recommendations relevant to the Ugandan market.
3. Identify and study existing operator deployments or services and recommend best practices.
4. Identify and track services, deployments, and regulatory initiatives in other jurisdictions and make recommendations relevant to Uganda.

5. SCOPE OF WORK AND ACTIVITIES

The team shall:

1. Identify and study current international communication standards, recommendations, and regulatory benchmarks, and propose best regulatory practices in line with the Commission’s mandate.
2. Identify and study existing international and local communication services, operator deployments, market performance reports, and regulatory initiatives and propose regulatory best practices and initiatives relevant to Uganda.

• Study emerging and future technologies/services and propose best practices for operators as well as regulatory interventions for Uganda.

1. Engage and work with the different departmental representatives to fully understand ongoing Commission activities, projects, and initiatives in line with its mandate and propose best practices in line with international regulatory benchmarks.
2. Provide technical opinion on key regulatory and sector issues.
3. Conduct a one-day workshop for the review and validation of the proposals and recommendations.

• Disseminate the report(s) to the senior management team and key stakeholders as shall be identified by the Commission.
• Sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with the Commission for all information accessed during the project.

4. DELIVERABLES

The team shall submit the following deliverables to UCC for approval:

1. An inception report with a proposed work plan, and clear timelines.
2. A report on the workshop(s) organized to present the draft advisory report.
3. An overall composite advisory report with relevant proposals and recommendations, in both soft and hard copies.
4. Hard copies of the advisory report shall be well designed in line with UCC brand guidelines and printed in magazine style/format.
5. Dissemination of advisory report outcomes to key stakeholders.

5. ELIGIBILITY & QUALIFICATIONS

The following qualifications shall be required:

1. Demonstration of relevant experience working in the ICT sector.
2. Being knowledgeable in communications infrastructure, services, and regulatory issues.
3. The team should comprise members from academia with affiliation to a recognized tertiary institution in Uganda.
4. The team leader should have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in ICTs.
5. Demonstration of ability to engage with the relevant stakeholders.
6. Demonstration of experience in the implementation of similar projects.

6. EVALUATION CRITERIA

In evaluating the relative merits of applicant proposals for the project, the evaluation team will consider:

1. Affiliation of the team members to a recognized tertiary institution in Uganda.
2. Signed code of ethical conduct.
3. Proof of partnership where applicable.
4. Experience of the team members and (or) the firm.
5. Profile of the team leader and innovative approaches to address the Terms of Reference.
6. Demonstrated experience and similar projects carried out by the applicant(s) related to ICTs and (or) private and public sector businesses.
7. Professional qualifications and relevant experience of the applicant(s) in ICTs.
8. Understanding of the Terms of Reference, suitability of the proposed approach and methodology to be applied by the applicant(s).
9. Overall quality of the proposal, including the proposed approach in handling each objective and attainment of the deliverables.
10. Budget and cost-effectiveness of the proposal.

7. TIMELINE AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

The following timelines shall apply:

8. REPORTING

The team shall report to the UCC-designated project management team, which shall be responsible for monitoring the progress, and making quality assurance of the deliverables.

9. COPYRIGHT AND DISCLOSURE

All data collected, tools, and other deliverables of the project shall remain the property of Uganda Communications Commission during and after the project implementation period and shall, therefore, not be reproduced without the express permission of the Commission.

10.        APPLICATION TIMELINE

Applications should be submitted in hard copy to the address below before 10:00 am on 30^th January 2023:

The Executive Director

Uganda Communications Commission

Plot 42-44, Spring Road Bugolobi

P.O. Box 7376, Kampala

Soft copies of the proposal should also be sent to registry@ucc.co.ug and research@ucc.co.ug before the deadline.

For further clarification or guidance on the grant application process, please contact

+256-41-2339000/+256-41-2339000 or email research@ucc.co.ug