Terms of reference

Esoko Feature Expansion Technical Lead

Task:The primary goal of the Esoko Technical lead is to ensure the successful implementation of the Esoko feature expansion under the Catalysing Market prospects for horticulture smallholder farmers, and small and medium enterprises in Rwanda project funded by The European Union and implemented in partnership with AEE Rwanda with the technical support of the MINAGRI Digital office and the National Export Development Board(NAEB).

The Esoko Technical lead will act as a liaison between the project stakeholders (MINAGRI, Tearfund) and the development team during the project implementation by reviewing and ensuring the quality of deliverables, facilitating communication, and maintaining project quality.

Period Covered:1st November 2024 - 31st May 2025

Project Title: Catalysing Market prospects for Horticulture Smallholder farmers and Small and Medium Enterprises in Rwanda

Applicationdeadline: 13th October 2024

The consultant will Support MINAGRI and Tearfund in overseeing the software implementation and providing technical support for the Esoko expansion project.

1. BackgroundandObjectivesoftheEsokoFeatureExpansion

Tearfund in Rwanda, in partnership with the African Evangelistic Enterprise, is implementing the “CatalyzingMarketProspectsforHorticultureSmallholderFarmers and Small andMedium Enterprise in Rwanda ''. funded by the European Union through the Ministry of Finance and Economic planning(MINECOFIN)with technical support of the National Agricultural Export Development Board(NAEB). The project aims to develop horticulture value chains that supply safe, high-quality products to local, regional and international markets, and increase the wealth creation of 30,000 smallholder farmers in four districts namely; Bugesera, Rwamagana, Kayonza, and Gasabo. The project targets to improve production and market accessibility across selected fruit and vegetable value chains namely chilli, pineapple, onions, and French beans.

Tearfund in collaboration with NAEB and MINAGRI is expanding The Esoko Marketplace Platform to elevate the productivity and market accessibility of smallholder farmers throughout Rwanda. This platform is designed to seamlessly connect farmers with buyers and exporters in the international market, offering them the ability to engage with multiple buyers, negotiate prices, and gain valuable market insights. Real-time market insights, encompassing pricing, demand, and trends, will empower farmers to make well-informed decisions. The system aims to streamline processes, reduce manual efforts, and save time by providing sellers with an organized way to engage with potential buyers.

2. Scopeofwork

The Esoko Technical lead will act as a liaison between the project stakeholders (MINAGRI, Tearfund) and the development team during the project implementation by reviewing and ensuring the quality of deliverables, facilitating communication, and maintaining project quality.

3. Responsibilitiesinclude:

3.1. Code and Technical Review:

• CodeReview&DesignAlignment: Conduct detailed code reviews of the codebase provided by the Development Team, ensuring it meets industry best practices, coding standards, and project requirements. The final validation should be confirmed by the MINAGRI Digital 
• TechnicalIssueIdentification: Identify, document, and report any technical issues, bugs, or discrepancies in the software. Recommend solutions to MINAGRI for addressing these with the Development 
• CodeEfficiency&PerformanceOptimization: Suggest improvements to enhance the efficiency, scalability, and performance of the 
• DeveloperSupport&Troubleshooting: Act as the primary technical liaison between the MINAGRI Digital Office and the development team, providing guidance and resolving technical challenges that 

3.2. StakeholderCommunication

• RegularUpdates: Provide regular updates to Tearfund and MINAGRI
• Sprint Reviews: Participate in Bi-weekly sprint reviews and planning meetings andprovide summary reports on the progress . Close follow up with the development team on the actions agreed .

3.3. Reporting

• Monitorsoftware development progress, ensure key milestones are met, and deliver regular status updates to project 
• Weekly Status Reports: Work closely with the Consulting Firm by reviewing theweekly status reports and closely follow up on the actions agreed or identified
• issues and make sure that concerned stakeholders are informed and feedback is implemented.
• Monthly Detailed Progress Reports: Review the monthly detailed progress reportsubmitted to the Steering Committee, offering comprehensive insights into project status, milestones achieved, and upcoming 

3.4. Documentation:

• Maintain comprehensive records of technical decisions, code revisions, and overallproject progress to support the MINAGRI Digital Office in decision-making.
• Ensurethat the system documentation is done appropriately;
• Projectdocuments are updated to reflect approved 
• Changehistory is maintained for audit 
• Lessonslearned are captured for each significant change and shared with the 
• Therisk log is included in monthly steering committee reports for 

3.5. Risk Management:

• Identifypotential technical risks that may impact timelines, deliverables, or project quality, and recommend mitigation 
• Reviewthe risk log weekly to monitor the status of identified 
• Ensurethat top risks are discussed in weekly progress meetings to keep the team 
• Trackprogress on mitigation 

3.6. Lead the user Testing and Pilot:

• Participatein knowledge sharing sessions led by the consultant
• Lead the Testing and Pilot phase by ensuring that knowledge is transferred to theowner and users provide feedback on the platform and ensuring that the identified issues are addressed feedback are implemented
• Coordinatethe Beta user group testing
• Ensurethat Beta test results are reviewed and final adjustments were made to the platform
• Leadthe Pilot user group onboarding
• Ensuresystem refinement after the pilot

4. Qualifications:

Experience:

• 3+ years of experience as a Senior Software Developer with a strong track recordof delivering successful software 
• Proveninvolvement in the development of at least 3 large-scale 
• Experiencein developing web applications using modern front-end frameworks (ReactJS or Angular preferred).
• Proficiencyin relational and non-relational databases (PostgreSQL).
• Familiarity with software development methodologies (SDLC, Waterfall,Agile/Scrum, DevOps).
• Strong knowledge of CI/CD and technology stack likeJava, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Angular, including best 
• Experiencewith cloud environments and modern 
• In-depthunderstanding of software design patterns and architectural 
• Experiencewith Linux and open-source 
• Abilityto design secure software systems based on industry 
• Experiencein performance evaluation and improvement of software 
• Proficiencyin web services development and RESTful API 
• Understandingof systems integration protocols (REST API, SOAP API, Micro Services).
• Familiaritywith software quality assurance principles (SIT, UAT, Automated Testing).
• Workingknowledge of security engineering 
• Understandingof security and authentication concepts (REST, OAuth2 ).
• Familiaritywith basic UI design 
• Knowledgeof Git for version 
• Experienceworking with cloud environments and modern 
• Abilityto produce and review clear technical 

5. Applicationprocess

• CoverLetter expressing interest with brief explanations about your abilities to conduct the 
• UpdatedCV with relevant qualifications as required
• Financialproposal indicating the Total and monthly budget in Rwandan 
• Asummary of at least three successful Software that you 
• 3professional references(clients) including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and organizations that worked for any type of contract

Requested documents should be submitted to rwanda-procurement@tearfund.org by 17:00 on 13th October, 2024. Applications will be assessed based on the Experience and qualifications (70%) and the proposed budget/value for money (30%).

Tearfund reserves the right to negotiate the timeline and budget with the applicant before offering a contract.

Note: Late and incomplete applications will not be considered

03rd October 2024