CONSULTANCY FOR THE DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE OF AN ONLINE INFORMATION PORTAL ON NATURAL HAZARDS FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE CARRIBEAN

1. CONTEXT

1.1 The PIRAC
The PIRAC (international delegation of the French Red Cross in the Caribbean) was established in 2005 and has over 15 years’ experience in disaster risk management, primarily in the Caribbean island region and the Guyana Plateau (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana). The region is experiencing an increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters as a result of climate change.

The PIRAC’s objective is to enhance inter-Caribbean collaboration in the context of natural disaster response. This entails the consolidation of material and human resources at the regional level, with a view to facilitating an effective operational emergency response.

1.2 The READY 360° programme/3 oceans
The READY 360° programme/3 oceans is designed to enhance global and environmentally sustainable resilience in Caribbean territories by bolstering disaster preparedness and response capabilities at all levels, from individuals and families to organisations and businesses, and extending to the regional level of institutional coordination of risk management.

The programme’s institutional partners are the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). The programme is currently being implemented in eight Caribbean territories. The following territories are involved in the programme: Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines.

One of the anticipated outcomes of the project is the enhancement of Caribbean citizens’ resilience through the provision of improved information, awareness and preparedness for disasters and crises. To this end, a digital information portal on natural hazards is currently being developed.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE SERVICE

2.1 Relevance of the service
There is a wealth of data on natural disasters available online, but the majority of it is not tailored to specific regions or contextualised. It can be challenging for Caribbean citizens to locate the necessary information, as the data is often dispersed and incomplete.

In light of the above, the READY 360°/3 Oceans programme aims to establish a regional digital information portal on disaster risk reduction.

The portal will provide a centralised platform for information that is currently scattered across numerous platforms and territories. The objective is to enhance public awareness and comprehension of risk by providing more convenient access to information.

2.2 Public targeted by the service
The portal target’s is the Caribbean public, i.e. everybody who lives in the Caribbean and who have at least 16 years old.

2.3 Aim of the service
The overarching objective of the service is to design and maintain a digital information portal on natural hazards. It is essential that the portal is user-friendly, intuitive and accessible to the general public in the Caribbean.

The portal should be structured in a simple, clear and dynamic manner, and should present general information on natural hazards and safety measures. As users navigate the portal, they will be redirected to specific websites that are specialised on this topic.
The service aims to:
– Design an information portal on natural hazards for the Caribbean population in French, English and Spanish, from start to finish (from hosting to domain name and graphic design), taking into account the regulatory accessibility standards in force for a private organisation carrying out a public service mission.
– Maintain this portal until the end of the project, i.e. 31 December 2026.
– In collaboration with the focal point, propose and implement the SEO/SEA strategy (Search Engine Optimization/Advertising) of the portal.
– Introduce the project team to SEO/SEA.
– Ensure knowledge transfer to the team so that the portal can be fed and administered independently.

3. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PORTAL

A diagnosis was conducted during the first semester of 2024 to gain an initial, in-depth understanding of user needs and expectations, as well as the requirements of the project team in terms of portal operation and administration over the long term. This diagnosis also includes the objective of portal design for the PIRAC and its partners, as well as an analysis of the constraints inherent in the operation of PIRAC and/or the project. A summary of the diagnosis will be provided to the consultants, outlining the ideas and needs in question. It is the responsibility of the consultants to integrate the various components of the diagnosis and to propose, or if necessary, counter-proposals.

4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF WORK

PIRAC will provide support to the selected provider in relation to the content of the portal, including editorial content, links to external websites, videos and other materials, with the exception of illustrations and cartography.

A minimum of two exchanges between the selected providers and the project team will be held every two weeks to validate the general development of the service. However, certain aspects of the service will require approval from the steering committee. The steering committee is comprised of the PIRAC and its regional key partners. The OECS and CDEMA. His role is to validate certain strategic decisions, including the name of the portal and the graphic charter. These aspects will be discussed in more detail with the provider once the various stages of the timetable have been defined.

Revisions may be requested from the providers and must be incorporated into the methodology, timetable and initial budget.

Prior to the official launch of the portal, a test will be scheduled in collaboration with PIRAC and with the involvement of the partners. This will ensure that the portal is fully operational and functioning correctly. The test sample and tools will be developed in collaboration with all relevant parties. Following the test phase, the service provider team will be required to incorporate the advice and recommendations received in order to improve the portal.