Consultancy for Upgrade of E-Learning Platform and Digitization of Learning Content

Introduction Fairtrade Africa (FTA), a member of the wider Fairtrade International movement represents Fairtrade certified producers in Africa and the Middle East. We operate four regional networks: Eastern and Central Africa Network (ECAN) based in Nairobi, Kenya; West Africa Network (WAN) based in Accra, Ghana, Southern Africa Network (SAN) based in Blantyre - Malawi, South Africa and the Middle East and North Africa Network (MENA). The Fairtrade Africa secretariat is in Nairobi, Kenya. Fairtrade Africa is owned by its members, who are African producer organizations certified against Fairtrade International Standards producing traditional export commodities such as coffee, cocoa, tea, flowers, cotton, bananas, cane sugar, wine, fresh fruits, and non-traditional commodities including shea butter and rooibos tea. Currently, the organization represents over 1,400,000 smallholder farmers and workers across 29 countries in Africa. The FTA e-learning platform is a critical tool for training and capacity building. To ensure effectiveness, relevance, and sustainability, the platform requires upgrading and maintenance, while the training materials must be reviewed, updated, and digitized to reflect the latest Fairtrade Standards. Objectives and Scope of the Assignment With more than 700 Fairtrade certified Producer Organizations (PO’s) spread across the four regional networks, FTA producer support staff deliver capacity building services to POs to ensure continued compliance with Fairtrade standards requirements and understanding of Fairtrade thematic topics. To deliver effective support, FTA develops training manuals and guidelines that consist of support activities, methodologies and monitoring tools. FTA has also digitized the training manuals for consumption by producers through our e-learning platform. Through this call for proposals, FTA seeks to improve the existing digitized learning content by revising it to align with the recent changes within Fairtrade programming work as well as upgrading the e learning platform to enable for simplified user access, experience and navigation to learning content. In support of this objective, FTA seeks revision of the 13 digitized manuals and development of one compelling and interactive online learning module. These modules are meant for FTA staff and external stakeholders; designed to be carried out through a series of courses delivered in a self-paced format within the e learning platform. Each e-learning module should be designed to be housed on the FTA eLearning platform and shall aim to address the following. Module Courses Standards and Certification (New) 1.1 Overview of Fairtrade Standards and Certifications Generic Standards 2.1 Hired Labor (HL) Standard. 2.2 Premium Use & Management. 2.3 Small-scale Producer Organization (SPO)Standard Cross-cutting Thematic Subjects 3.1 Gender awareness and equality. 3.2 Inclusion of Youth, Women & People with disabilities. 3.3 Living income and Living wage. 3.4 Workers’ Rights. 3.5 Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults. Effective Management of Producer Organizations 4.1 Organizational Development, Leadership & Governance. 4.2 Risk Assessment & Management. 4.3 Financial Budgeting, Management & Reporting. 4.4 Record Keeping. 4.5Project Management Product development 5.1Developing product/service concept and testing 5.2Developing a business plan -a plan for successful launch 5.3Product development -strategies for bringing products to the market . 5.5 Market validations :testing your product in real work environment 5.6Launching your product to market 5.7Measuring product performance :key metrics for evaluating products success This initiative aims to deliver this training to large number of learners (PO members) who are geographically dispersed in the various countries in Africa and to the Fairtrade Africa staff. The consultant is expected to work with the FTA subject matter experts, to get an understanding of the content material and organizational context. The assignment will involve creation of defined storylines or scenarios and will need to be interspersed with quizzes, information nuggets, and case studies to enhance the learning experience. This shall be undertaken through a phased approach/plan which shall be designed during the inception stage. Scope of the Assignment The consultant will be responsible for instructionally revising the designed e-modules based on existing learning content and interviews with the FTA subject matter expert(s), designing and developing a functional prototype of the online learning modules for review and validation, completing development of the self-paced and interactive learning modules and integrating the learning modules into the FTA eLearning platform, which is based on Moodle. Specifically, the consultant will perform the following tasks: Project Management a)Participate in an initial kick-off meeting to meet with the FTA project team, to discuss the assignment, validate critical objectives, agree on learning objectives, and to develop a project plan to guide the project through completion b)Provide continuous updates to the FTA project team on progress of assignment c)Collaborate with FTA to manage content reviews. Content Design and Development a)Work with the FTA project team to understand existing content and to instructionally design the content into storyboards to meet the agreed learning objectives. b)In consultation with FTA the consultant should present three (3) distinct sample user interface designs for the module(s), each to include an example of a welcome/ main menu screen and a page of sample content. These designs should include colour palettes, header and footer sections, navigational and menu buttons, and follow FTA and donor branding guidelines. FTA will work with the consultant to refine the designs and select a final interface. c)FTA project team and the consultant will validate the selected design. This will ensure that the final product will have; an overall design plan and architecture, a consistent look and feel, a common and apparent navigation strategy, interactive exercises and required visuals – flow charts/decision trees/sketches/interactive image maps/videos, etc. d)Any identified deficiencies in the selected design during the validation process will be corrected by the consultant, approved and accepted by FTA. e)The consultant shall ensure the following points while developing the eLearning modules: •It is expected that each module will be composed of topics that take a defined time to complete. These can be revised based on recommendations from the consultant after review of the existing training manuals/ guidelines. •The e-learning courses/modules/chapters should also direct the learners to links for additional reading resources. •A case study, extracted for each module from the existing content, with closed-ended questions will be part of the overall training modules. •Number of assessment questions “check-for-understanding” embedded in each module in form of multiple choice based or True/False questions and answers. •The consultant should be aware of the cultural contexts of the learners. •Images and references should be culturally appropriate. Elearning platform upgrade 1.Enhance the efficiency and usability of the FTA e-learning platform Action: a)Redesign the interface for simplicity and intuitive use (clear menus, dashboards, progress tracking). b)Optimize the platform for speed and stability to reduce loading times and technical disruptions. c)Update course organization (structured modules, standardized templates, search function). 2.Improve the platform’s accessibility (multilingual and low-bandwidth friendly) Action: a)Translate course materials into key regional languages (e.g., French, Swahili, Arabic, Portuguese). b)Develop an in-platform language selection feature. c)Simplify multimedia content by compressing videos, using lightweight formats, and providing audio-only or text-based alternatives. d)Enable offline access/download options for learning materials. e)Provide transcripts and subtitles for all video content. f)Pilot-test accessibility improvements in different regions before full rollout Expected deliverables The consultant/firm will deliver: a.Inception Report – including work plan, methodology, instructional design framework, and timelines. b.Upgraded E-Learning Platform – fully functional, user-friendly, responsive, and accessible. c.Scripted story boards, Digitized Learning Modules – conversion of 21 manuals into interactive modules with multimedia elements (animations, case studies, quizzes, assessments, and certificates). d.Final Report – capturing processes, lessons learned, and recommendations for sustainability. Deliverables/specific outputs expected from consultant to be agreed during inception. The assignment will be finalized through negotiations between FTA and the selected vendor during the project kick-off meeting. The project is expected to start after contract signing and be completed within four months. FTA will retain full copyright ownership of all developed materials, and the consultant must hand over all source materials upon project completion. Confidentiality Statement All data and information received from FTA for the purpose of this assignment are to be treated confidentially and are only to be used in connection with the execution of these Terms of Reference. All intellectual property rights arising from the execution of these Terms of Reference are assigned to FTA. The contents of written materials obtained and used in this assignment may not be disclosed to any third parties without the expressed advance written authorization of FTA Eligibility requirements a.The consulting firm must have a team of qualified experts with a proven track record in developing and upgrading e-learning platforms (preferably Moodle) and creating high-quality online learning content, with an overall experience of more than 5 years. b.Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing online learning solutions for low-bandwidth environments and delivering e-learning in developing countries, preferably within Africa. c.Strong project management capacity and excellent communication skills to ensure effective coordination and delivery. d.Proposals must include references and examples of past work, particularly in Moodle development, e-learning platform upgrades, and course content digitalization Proposal Requirements Proposals from consultants should include the following elements: a.A cover letter introducing the submission and an overview of the consultant’s understanding of this assignment. b.An overview of the consultant outlining the relevant skills and experience (CVs of the Consultants). c.Two or more references from organizations with whom similar assignments have been undertaken outlining the consultant’s role, performance, and the project deliverables. The reference letters should be on the organization’s letterhead and must have contact details. d.Overview of the consultant’s proposed consultancy plan, methodology, deliverables, and implementation timelines. e. Proposed budget for the provision entire assignment. All proposals must include itemized costs (in USD) to complete the tasks described in the project scope and must include all relevant fees, taxes, and costs. f. Consultant(s) are encouraged to include any additional information they believe demonstrates added value for FTA within the scope of this assignment

Application process Interested applicants are requested to submit their technical & financial proposals in electronic format by 24th October, 2025 at 5.00pm (EAT) to [email protected] indicating on the subject line - Consultancy for Upgrade of E-Learning Platform and Digitization of Learning Content Any proposals received after this date and time may not be considered. All proposals must be signed by an official representative of the consultants submitting them More on the consultancy [here](https://fairtradeafrica.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/TERMS-OF-REFERENCE-FOR-ELEARNING-UPGRADE-2025.pdf)