Terms of Reference (TOR)

Service Level Agreement (SLA) For Website Migration, Hosting & Support Services

1. Background

Somali NGO Consortium (SNC) is a voluntary coordination mechanism of NGOs working in Somalia and Somaliland. It provides a coordination platform and a common voice for the hundreds of International and National non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in a highly insecure and complex operating environment. Effective coordination has significantly facilitated the successful delivery of humanitarian and development aid in Somalia and Somaliland. Established in 1999, SNC has since grown to become a platform for networking and coordination of NGOs to improve international aid coordination and raise the NGOs’ presence and profile within the aid coordination structures for Somalia and Somaliland. It has been supporting NGOs through its core activities in coordination, representation, information sharing and advocacy.

The Somali NGO Consortium (SNC) has a website which serves as a primary platform for disseminating information to both local and international audiences. The website supports user engagement through content subscription, downloads, and access to membership-related documents and archived materials. In line with the above, SNC is seeking a qualified service provider to deliver professional web hosting services for its website for a period of one year.

2. Objective

The objective of this engagement is to select a highly qualified web service provider to migrate, host, and support the existing SNC website. The selected company will ensure a secure, scalable, and high-performing website that enhances SNC’s digital presence. During the engagement, the following goals are to be achieved:

• Execute a seamless and complete website migration.

• Deliver and maintain an interactive, responsive, and accessible website with modern navigation.

• Ensure the flexibility of the website to accommodate future growth and new functionalities.

• Provide a reliable hosting environment with guaranteed uptime and prompt restoration.

• Execute a seamless migration process with minimal downtime.

• Offer technical support with guaranteed response and resolution times.

• Redesign or enhance website components where necessary to meet performance goals.

3. Scope of Work

The successful bidder will be responsible for the following services:

1. 1. Website Migration

      • Migrate the current SNC website from its existing hosting provider to a new, secure, and optimized server that complies with EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable data sovereignty laws.

      • Ensure minimal downtime and full content preservation during migration.

3. 2. Hosting and CMS Maintenance

      • Host SNC’s website on a secure, scalable, and performance-optimized server.

      • Maintain all CMS-managed sub-pages and microsites.

      • Apply monthly security patches and CMS/plugin updates.

      • Perform daily incremental and weekly full backups stored in secure off-site locations.

      • Ensure 99.9% website uptime and restore functionality within 24 hours in case of failure.

      • Determine server capacity requirements (CPU, disk, memory) and forecast usage.

   3. General Technical Support

      • Provide support via email, phone, WhatsApp, and video calls.

      • Respond to non-critical support requests within 2 working days EAT.

      • Provide status updates every 24 hours for ongoing issues.

      • Resolve critical issues (e.g., downtime, security breach) within 24 hours.

   4. Website and CMS Development

      • Deliver on-demand development of web assets, landing pages, and campaign tools.

      • Enhance and maintain CMS functionality including:

        • Content creation, scheduling, expiration, editing, and previewing

        • Analytics, SEO, heatmaps, and search statistics

        • CMS activity reporting and role-based access control

        • Dynamic menu management

      • Conduct system audits and apply codebase updates for security and performance.

      • Redesign existing site components where necessary.

3. 5. Knowledge Management and Communications

      • Enable content publication for press releases, events, job posts, and knowledge articles.

      • Provide an intuitive search function for user-facing documents.

      • Deliver integrated social media sharing tools.

   6. Web Application Security

      • Conduct regular vulnerability scanning and implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF).

      • Implement malware detection with alerting and reporting mechanisms.

   7. Optimization and Mobile Compatibility

      • Ensure fast page load times (average ≤ 1.5 seconds).

      • Optimize for mobile and latest versions of all major browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari).

      • Review and resolve broken links.

   8. Integration of Membership Portal

      • Integrate the existing external membership portal into the main website.

      • Ensure seamless functionality of member dashboards, membership tracking features, and secure access.

3. 5. Ownership and Update Flexibility

      • SNC shall retain full ownership of website design, codebase, and content.

      • Design elements should be easily editable by SNC staff without technical assistance.

   6. Training and Documentation

      • Provide onsite or remote training sessions for staff.

      • Deliver manuals and guides for post-training.

   7. Email Hosting and Domain Services

      • Provide professional email hosting for SNC domain-based accounts.

      • Manage DNS settings for email deliverability, website accessibility, and record configuration.

      • Facilitate the purchase, renewal, and configuration of required domain names.

4. Deliverables

• Full migration and deployment.

• Post-implementation support.

• Detailed design document and prototype audit.

• Implementation of the final solution based on feedback.

• Monthly performance and incident reports.

• Quarterly security audit summaries.

• Final post-development documentation.

5. Timeline

• Hosting Start Date: 1st August 2025

• CMS Security Audit: by 15 August 2025

• First Training Session: by 22nd August 2025

6. Performance Management: The provider will be directed by SNC’s designated point of

contact and is expected to:

• Ensure consistent performance of all outlined duties.

• Maintain clear documentation and communication.

• Conduct scheduled check-ins and provide actionable reports.

• Offer annual consulting hours for out-of-scope mini projects.

7. Escalation and Risk Management

• Issues not resolved within SLA timeframes must be escalated within the provider’s support hierarchy.

• Repeating failure to meet performance metrics may result in contract review.

8. Other Requirements

• Under the agreements, the potential service provider is not entitled to payment of overtime. All remuneration must be within the contract agreement.

• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both SNC and the service provider.

How to Apply

Interested firms should submit a technical and financial proposal by 30th June 2025 Email:comms@somalingoconsortium.org

Email: advocacy@somaliangoconsortium.org

Mobile: +252634572583