Provision of Services in the Field of Digital Communication

Item Description:

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is a consultative body of the European Union (EU) established in 1958. It is an advisory assembly composed of “social partners”, namely: employers (employers’ organisations), employees (trade unions) and representatives of various other interests. Its seat, which it shares with the Committee of the Regions, is the Jacques Delors building on Belliardstraat / Rue Belliard 99 in Brussels.

The EESC, Communication and Interinstitutional Relations Directorate, (referred to below as the contracting authority) is planning to award the contract(s) resulting from the above procurement procedure. The procurement documents consist of the contract notice, the invitation letter, the draft contract(s) and tender specifications with their annexes.

Description of the subject matter of the tender

The subject matter of this call for tenders is a framework service contract for the provision of services in the field of digital communication, including in particular the following aspects:

• general internet projects;
• assistance;
• information sessions, presentations, training;
• managing multilingualism;
• web information architecture;
• technical development of websites and related systems;
• graphic design, user experience design (UX), accessibility and useability;
• assessment, referencing and positioning; user surveys;
• related administrative services; contribution to certain updates and implementation on websites; management of subscriptions for internet products.

Technical description of the tasks/supplies/works

Description of the tasks

General web projects, including the contractual and general management, coordination and supervision thereof. The web project and assistance tasks below may include requests for the analysis of tools and systems in use or for future use at the EESC. They may also include a request to draw up a web project, a request for an opinion on an existing project or recommendations on tools and systems to be chosen for future use, as well as projects on web information architecture.

Assistance, including providing technical analyses, reports, recommendations, development, design, installation, configuration, technical administration, feasibility and impact studies.

Information sessions, presentations, training sessions and preparations therefor; preparation of all kinds of documentation and user guides. The contractor may be called upon to give presentations, and organise information sessions and training linked to the new tools/services for webmasters, web editors and IT technicians. It is also expected that appropriate documentation and user guides will be provided, the format of which could vary (online, paper or any other format). These deliverables must mainly be provided in English but a French version may be requested.

Managing the multilingualism of websites and applications. Navigation is possible in 24 languages, while the content of the main EESC website is available at least in English and French (although many documents are available in all EU languages); the pages which change the least are also available in 24 languages. Managing multilingualism may include navigation updates and the development of new structures (databases, etc.) needed to facilitate multilingual navigation. The coordination of work with the EESC, the management of systems and tools chosen and all the necessary development relating to multilingual site management form part of this task.

Development of a web information architecture.

Technical development within the web content management systems used by the EESC, development of web pages and sites, subsites, web features, responsive design, web and mobile platforms and applications, databases, interfaces and (mobile or other) accesses, search engines, site plans, interactive and social tools (such as forums, blogs and voting systems); deployment, optimisation, improvement and correction of web features, testing, monitoring, debugging, upgrading; application and improvement of accessibility standards (in cooperation with a specialised company), web useability, development of features for multilingualism; integration and migration of data and content; interoperability between the different platforms in use and future platforms, both internal and external (as used by other European institutions); maintenance, assistance and support (including stand-by), development of any new state-of-the-art communication/social media tool or technology which could become available on the market during the duration of the framework contract, taking-over of the Drupal 7 to Drupal 8 migration project (and subsequent migration projects) at the stage where it is when the first specific contract comes into force and completion of the project.

Graphic design of websites and electronic products, accessibility and useability, data visualisation, mock-up creation, print-friendly versions of content; deployment and testing. The graphic design, accessibility and useability tasks may encompass activities such as the implementation of WAI standards, the creation of new graphical items and templates, optimisation using UX design, as well as recommendations and implementation of these in terms of useability.

Evaluation, referencing, positioning, user surveys and polls; production and analysis of statistics concerning the use of the various EESC sites and portals and making recommendations. The contractor may be called upon to carry out assessment and evaluation tasks linked to the web services with a view to creating or improving web projects, to reference and position the websites, to produce and analyse statistics regarding usage of EESC sites and portals and to make recommendations for improving the sites, tools, programmes and systems, depending on the results obtained. User surveys and polls are also part of this category of tasks.

Administrative services linked to the web projects ordered and web contributions: placing web articles, implementing and uploading translations provided by the EESC, implementing accessibility corrections to web content, monitoring websites for the EESC, sending out emails and letters, etc.; management of subscriptions and supplying services for the EESC (comprising the purchase of subscriptions for the EESC, installation and maintenance), linked to services designed for web and mobile services and applications, conducting online and promotion campaigns. The management of subscriptions comprises also the management of tools that are available online only, as they are needed for purposes such as managing social media including analytics, creating and managing mobile applications (e.g. for iOS and Android), but also those linked to new web technologies which are likely to emerge during the performance of the contract. The tasks include all related management tasks, installation and maintenance.

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