Development and Digitization of the Accreditation Process for the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria(NMCN)

Question; 1. Data Accountability: Could you provide further details on what is meant by “data accountability” as referenced in the RFP? Are there specific systems or compliance mechanisms to be incorporated? Answer; "Data accountability" refers to ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and security of data throughout the system. In the NMCN AMS, this will include compliance with Nigeria's Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) and potentially other international regulations such as GDPR. The AMS will incorporate audit trails, data encryption, user access controls, and regular security audits to ensure data integrity and accountability. Question; 2. Implementation Phase: What are the expectations for the implementation phase outside of what is covered in the development phase? Are there any specific tasks or deliverables that are unique to this phase? Answer; The implementation phase will involve several key activities, including: User Training: Comprehensive training for NMCN staff, assessors, and institutions to ensure effective use of the AMS. System Rollout: Deploying the AMS across the organization and providing technical support during the transition period. Data Migration: Migrating existing accreditation data into the new system. Post-Implementation Support: Providing technical support and system updates, resolving issues that arise after deployment. Question; 3. System Integration: In reference to “Integrate with existing NMCN systems, including licensing and payment platforms,” could you specify what systems currently exist? Where are these systems hosted, and are they accessible to the public? Answer; The AMS will need to integrate with NMCN’s existing systems, which are Payment(The payment platform referenced will be the REMITA Portal),Licencing,Exam and Indexing platforms, their accessibility may be limited to authorized users only, with no public access. Further assessments will be required to define specific technical details, such as the APIs and protocols used for integration.-The URL for the licencing and indexing/Examination platforms of the Council are as follows: 1. https://portal.nmcn.gov.ng 2. https://licence.nmcn.gov.ng Question; 4. Accreditation Criteria: Could you provide details on the accreditation criteria that the AMS should accommodate? Will there be any anticipated changes to these criteria during the digitization process? Answer: This will be detailed at the Planning phase,though the AMS should accommodate existing NMCN accreditation criteria, which include compliance with educational standards, institutional infrastructure, staff qualifications, and student outcomes. During the digitization process, these criteria may be reviewed and updated to ensure they align with modern regulatory requirements and global best practices. Question; 5. Data Structure and Migration: Could you provide more information on the structure of the data in the existing system (structured or unstructured)? Does this data require cleanup or only migration? Additionally, what database system is currently being used (e.g., MSSQL, MySQL, Oracle, Sybase, PostgreSQL)? Answer; MySQL, MSSQL Question; 6. Survey Instrument Management: Regarding the “Survey Instrument Management Module,” could you provide details on the expected surveys? Are there specific NMCN-related survey questions or standards we need to consider? Answer: This will be detailed at the Planning phase Question; 7. Training Duration: For clarity, regarding the 160-day milestone for system testing and staff training, is the staff training expected to last for the entire 40 days, or does this period include other activities as well? Answer; Staff training will not last the full 40 days but will be part of the larger implementation activities. Other activities, such as user acceptance testing (UAT) and system configuration, will also occur during this period.

Question; While the sources mention "existing NMCN systems, including licensing and payment platforms", the exact number of systems requiring integration isn't specified. It would be crucial to clarify the total number of systems Answer: The platforms are Payment(The payment platform referenced will be the REMITA Portal),Licencing,Exam and Indexing platforms-The URL for the licencing and indexing/Examination platforms of the Council are as follows: 1. https://portal.nmcn.gov.ng 2. https://licence.nmcn.gov.ng Question: To effectively integrate the AMS with existing NMCN systems, detailed technical specifications of these systems are required. This includes information on NO of APIs, data formats, Answer; The licensing and payment systems are expected to offer API integration. Details on the number of APIs, data formats, and protocols (e.g., REST, SOAP) will be provided during the planning phase to ensure compatibility and smooth integration. Question: What are the specific requirements for data migration from legacy systems to the new platform? Answer: Data migration will require extracting existing accreditation records from legacy systems, transforming the data to align with the AMS data structure, and loading it into the new platform. This process must ensure that historical accreditation data, including institution details and accreditation outcomes, are preserved.More details will need to be gathered during the planning phase with the NMCN Team Question; Further details about the data migration process from legacy systems to the new platform are necessary. This includes the volume of data, data formats, data cleansing requirements, and the timeline for data migration Answer; The volume of data includes historical accreditation records for all institutions. The data will be structured, most likely stored in relational databases (e.g., MySQL, MSSQL). Data cleansing will be essential to remove duplicates and ensure data integrity before migration. The timeline for data migration will be aligned with system deployment, More details will need to be gathered during the planning phase with the NMCN Team Question: Roughly how many NMCN staff members will be allocated to the project, and what are their roles and responsibilities? Whats the number of active and concurrent user base expected in the system Answer; NMCN is expected to allocate a project management team, IT staff, and accreditation officers, with approximately 10-15 staff involved in the development and testing phase. The system should support approximately 200 concurrent users, considering both internal staff and external assessors. Question; The sources mention compliance with data protection regulations but doent specify which regulations. Clarifying the specific data protection regulations applicable to the project will ensure compliance and appropriate security measures. Answer; The system must comply with Nigeria’s Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) and any applicable international data protection laws such as GDPR for processing personal data of external users. Ensuring encryption, secure access controls, and regular audits will be critical. Question; Could you please provide more specific details about the types of accreditation or regulatory systems you're looking for experience in? For example, are there particular industries or sectors that are relevant? Answer; The AMS should align with systems used in educational accreditation, healthcare regulation, and other compliance-driven industries. Systems that handle large-scale institutional accreditation processes, assessments, and compliance tracking will be highly relevant. Question; What specific functionalities are required for the mobile applications with offline functionality? Answer; The mobile application must allow assessors to complete accreditation assessments offline, store data locally, and synchronize with the central system when an internet connection is available. It should support data entry, document uploads, and secure authentication. Question; What type of information are you seeking from the references and case studies? For instance, are you interested in client testimonials, project outcomes, or technical details? Answer; We are interested in client award letters/ testimonials related to the implementation of similar systems Question; What are the specific customization requirements for the AMS to align with NMCN's unique accreditation workflows? Answer; This will be discussed at the planning stage though the AMS must be customizable to accommodate NMCN’s unique workflows for institutional accreditation, including defining assessment criteria, managing assessors, tracking accreditation timelines, and generating customized reports based on institution-specific data. Question; Could you please provide a detailed functional specification for the project to help us gain a clear understanding of the scope? This will assist in providing a more accurate effort estimation for the requested work. Answer; The functional specifications include: User Management: Roles and permissions for NMCN staff, assessors, and institutions. Survey Instrument Management: Customizable assessment criteria and evaluation workflows. Integration: APIs for integration with licensing and payment platforms. Mobile Application: Offline data capture and synchronization. Reporting and Analytics: Dashboards for real-time accreditation tracking.

Question: However, we noticed that the tender document requires a valid TCC (Tax Clearance Certificate), which, to our understanding, is typically issued to local firms. We would like to clarify whether international firms like ours are eligible to apply for this tender. Answer;Valid Tax Clearance Certificate 2023 or equivalent; Please take note of the or equivalent. Please submit what is the equivalent of TCC for your country. Question; Additionally, we kindly request an extension for the submission deadline to allow us sufficient time to prepare a comprehensive proposal. Answer;This cannot be done for one vendor alone. If the Management see the need to extend the deadline, it would be done for everyone. Question; I am writing to seek clarification on whether our firm needs a Nigerian Certificate of Incorporation (COI) to participate in the proposal submission for the "Development and Digitization of the Accreditation Process for NMCN," or if we can apply as a US-based firm. We are a Nigerian firm currently registered in the United States, and awaiting the approval of our Nigerian COI application. Answer: Any of the Certificate of Incorporation would be acceptable. Please ensure you have corresponding evidence of Tax remittance for the previous year.