Technical Assistance for CSO website upgrade, strategic communications, and outreach to support official statistics — OECS Data for Decision Making (DDM) Project

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST SAINT LUCIA Assignment Title: Consultancy to Support the Central Statistics Office to Institutionalise Strategic Communication of Official Statistics (Technical Assistance for CSO website upgrade, strategic communications, and outreach to support official statistics) Reference No.: SLU-DDM-TACOMM-CQS-26 The Government of Saint Lucia has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the OECS Data for Decision Making Project and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. The consulting services (“the Services”) are intended to support the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to institutionalise strategic communication of official statistics and to modernise the CSO website. The assignment will support the CSO’s strategic advocacy and communication endeavour to promote the availability of and access to its statistical products and services and to extol the civic virtues of the official statistics profession. The OECS Data for Decision Making Project supports the improvement of the institutional environment for the production, dissemination and use of data and official statistics. The Saint Lucia component of the Project is designed to improve the production and dissemination of data and official statistics by strengthening the CSO’s legislative and operational mandate and the oversight, governance and management of the Saint Lucia National Statistical System. The CSO requires support to communicate official statistics effectively, strengthen its visibility and public engagement, and improve access to official statistics through a modern, secure, user-centred and data-driven website. The upgraded website is expected to improve access to official statistics, support open data initiatives, strengthen public engagement, and enhance the efficiency of statistical dissemination. The consulting firm will be required to provide services for strategic communication and website development in accordance with international recommendations, standards and protocols for data and official statistics. The firm will be expected to participate in working meetings related to the services being delivered, including regular presentations of work deliverables to the audience identified by the CSO. The consulting firm will work under the direction of the Central Statistics Office and the Department of Economic Development and Youth Economy to: Undertake a desk review of the CSO Statistics Act and draft Bill, published statistical products, current and previous communication plans, events and materials, including the CSO website, logo and tagline, and CSO and NSS assessment and audit reports. Analyse the CSO’s current communication situation and practices and prepare a three-year Communication Strategy for Official Statistics, including stakeholder mapping and audience segmentation, key messages by audience, a communications calendar, risk and crisis communication protocols, and a monitoring and evaluation framework with performance indicators and indicative implementation budgets. Prepare a Service Delivery Charter setting out standards, quality and timelines for data production, analysis and dissemination, including service standards for responding to data requests, complaints and feedback. Prepare a CSO Style Guide for Visual Branding covering photography, typography, videography, iconography, illustrations, colour palette, logo use, publication cover layout, and related branding requirements. Prepare a campaign plan for official statistics events, including activities and key messages for targeted audiences. Facilitate a training workshop on strategic statistical communication for the CSO and National Statistical System ministries, departments and agencies. Review the current CSO website and comparable official statistical dissemination websites to define requirements, business goals, target audience profiles, and a functionality and content strategy. Prepare high-fidelity website mock-ups and website design specifications. Build, test and deploy a functioning website with frontend and backend functionality, a content management system, databases, GIS maps, feedback polls and related interactive features. Prepare a website maintenance guide, facilitate training for designated CSO staff, and prepare a Service Level Agreement for website maintenance, performance monitoring, security, backups and updates. The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be obtained at the address given below and is also attached with the REOI. The Ministry of Economic Development and Youth Economy now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. The shortlisting criteria are: 1. A minimum of five (5) years’ experience in assignments related to strategic communication, branding, public outreach, digital communication, website development, or other similar services; 2. Demonstrated experience delivering assignments of similar scope and complexity for public sector, development, statistical, research, or other knowledge-based institutions; 3. Demonstrated experience preparing communication strategies, branding or style guides, campaign plans, stakeholder engagement outputs, or similar deliverables; 4. Demonstrated experience designing, developing, upgrading or maintaining professional websites, including content management systems, mobile-responsive interfaces, accessibility features, search engine optimisation, website security and user analytics; 5. Demonstrated experience conducting stakeholder consultations, user engagement exercises, training workshops or capacity-building activities related to communication, digital platforms or public information services; 6. Demonstrated ability to coordinate multidisciplinary inputs and manage work planning, quality assurance, reporting and timely delivery of outputs. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. In the assessment of submissions, consideration will be given to technical competence, qualifications and relevant experience. Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs 3.14, 3.16 and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers”, September 2023 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. Consultants shall not be hired for any assignment that would be in conflict with their prior or current obligations to other clients, or that may place them in a position of being unable to carry out the assignment in the best interests of the Borrower. Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) in accordance with the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, September 2023. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. local time. Expressions of Interest must be submitted using the Government of Saint Lucia Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) System - https://in-tendhost.co.uk/goslprocurement/ no later than 0930 hours on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Submissions shall include a cover page displaying the name and address of the Consultant and shall be clearly marked: “Consultancy to Support the Central Statistics Office to Institutionalise Strategic Communication of Official Statistics.” Project Coordination Unit Ministry of Economic Development and Youth Economy 2nd Floor, Finance Administrative Center Pointe Seraphine Castries Saint Lucia e-mail: vbadal@govt.lc