ICT Strategy & Digital Transformation Consultancynew

Purpose & Scope of work
Afghanaid seeks to engage an independent ICT consultant or consulting firm to undertake a focused review
of its ICT environment and develop a practical ICT Strategy and Digital Transformation Roadmap. The
assignment will focus on strengthening operational resilience, cybersecurity, inter-office connectivity,
systems integration, business continuity, and digital service delivery. The consultancy is expected to provide:
a) Clear findings on the current ICT environment;
b) Prioritised and practical recommendations;
c) A high-level target ICT architecture and operating model; and
d) A phased and costed implementation roadmap aligned with organisational priorities, capacity, and
budget.
The objective is to provide Afghanaid with an implementable roadmap that supports operational continuity,
informed decision-making, and future ICT investment planning.
The assignment will support Afghanaid in making informed and cost-effective ICT investment decisions by
identifying priority areas for improvement, reducing operational and cybersecurity risks, strengthening interoffice connectivity, business continuity and organisational resilience, and ensuring that future ICT
investments are planned, prioritised, and aligned with organisational needs and available resources. The
resulting roadmap will provide a structured basis for budgeting, resource allocation, and medium-term
planning.

The Consultant shall:
a) Review Afghanaid's current ICT environment, governance, infrastructure, systems, service delivery,
processes, and operational challenges;
b) Identify risks, gaps, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities;
Page 2 of 5
c) Assess ICT asset lifecycle management, including device assignment, inventory management,
maintenance, replacement planning, procurement governance, and end-user support processes.
d) Develop a future-state ICT operating model and high-level enterprise architecture;
e) Recommend priority for modernization, system integration, automation, AI adoption,
cybersecurity, and data governance.
f) Establish practical governance, service management, asset management frameworks to improve
accountability, service quality and organization resilience;
g) Prepare a phased and costed roadmap to support budgeting and decision-making.
1. Existing Strategic Decisions
The following organisational initiatives are already approved and are not subject to strategic review:
a) ERP modernisation (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central);
b) CRM development and enhancement; and
c) Website platform development.
d) Odoo, CRM and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central integration.
The Consultant shall focus on dependencies, risks, and alignment of these initiatives within the overall ICT
roadmap rather than recommending alternative platforms. The assignment does not require detailed low
level system design or implementation-level specifications.

2. Current Landscape
Afghanaid operates across Afghanistan through a head office, provincial offices, district locations, and
partner organisations. The organisation relies heavily on ICT systems to support programme delivery,
financial management, fundraising, human resources, communication, monitoring and evaluation, and
operational coordination.
a) Over recent years, Afghanaid has invested in network infrastructure, collaboration tools, enterprise
systems, connectivity, and digital capabilities. Core systems currently include:
b) Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 (upgradation to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central in
progress);
c) Salesforce CRM;
d) Odoo HRMIS;
e) Google Workspace; and
f) Microsoft Teams.
While these systems support key business functions, they have developed over time with limited integration,
creating challenges in data management, reporting, governance, operational efficiency, and service delivery.
Key areas requiring improvement include business continuity, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, data
protection, systems integration, service management, and operational resilience in low-connectivity and
high-risk environments.

3. Strategic Priorities and Transformation Drivers
Afghanaid operates in a complex and volatile environment characterised by security risks, political
uncertainty, constrained connectivity, and periodic internet disruptions that may impact field operations.
These conditions require ICT systems that are resilient, secure, and capable of sustaining operations under
remote, low-connectivity, and high-risk scenarios.
To support operational continuity, Afghanaid must strengthen its enterprise network architecture, inter office
connectivity, collaboration tools to ensure uninterrupted communication between headquarters, provincial
offices, and district-level structures, regardless of external disruptions. In parallel, the organisation must
enhance its capability for secure remote working through the implementation of digitised workflow systems
and standardised collaboration tools.
There is also a critical need to strengthen cybersecurity controls, data protection mechanisms, and identity
and access management, including improved governance of licensed software, online accounts, and
password security. These measures are essential to mitigate evolving cyber threats and reduce organisational
exposure to security risks. Continued investment in staff digital capacity is required to ensure effective system
adoption and operational efficiency across all user groups.
Afghanaid should also progressively expand and optimise the use of ERP capabilities across the organisation,
where operationally and financially viable. In addition, the organisation must accelerate the digitisation of
monitoring, evaluation, and needs assessment processes to improve data quality, timeliness, and decisionmaking.
As Afghanaid’s digital presence continues to grow, its web and social media platforms must remain current,
secure, and strategically aligned with organisational communications objectives. In parallel, there is a need
to enhance donor management workflows to improve efficiency and accuracy.

Key Priorities: The following strategic priorities have been identified:
▪ Network architecture, resilience, inter-office connectivity, and collaboration tools: This includes assessment
and optimisation of enterprise network architecture, connectivity between HQ, provincial and district offices,
and collaboration platforms to ensure secure, reliable, and uninterrupted communication under lowconnectivity, high-risk, and disruption-prone operating conditions.
▪ Platform consolidation and standardisation: The parallel use of Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams
increases exposure to phishing, account compromise, and unauthorised access. There is a need to standardise
collaboration and communication platforms to strengthen governance, security, and operational control.
▪ Digital transformation and automation: Develop a practical roadmap for digital transformation, workflow
automation, AI readiness, and the controlled transition towards a paperless operating environment,
supported by governance, change management, and user adoption.
▪ Cybersecurity and resilience: Strengthening cybersecurity governance, technical controls, identity and access
management, security monitoring, vulnerability management and organisational data protection, and
business continuity frameworks is essential, particularly in the context of low-connectivity environments and
operational risk exposure.
▪ Data protection and ethical governance: Robust data protection, privacy, and ethical data governance
frameworks must be established and enforced in line with international standards.
▪ Business continuity and disaster recovery: Formalisation and strengthening of business continuity and
disaster recovery capabilities is required to ensure operational stability under disruption scenarios.
▪ Capacity development: Structured staff training and continuous digital capability development programmes
are required to ensure sustainable adoption of systems and processes.
▪ Information security and risk management: Strengthening enterprise-wide information security governance
and risk management frameworks is required to support organisational resilience.
▪ IT service management: Improvement of ICT service delivery, service desk operations, incident management,
request fulfilment, problem management, and change management, support project managers and M&E
staff, and operational governance is required to enhance efficiency, accountability, and user experience.
▪ Digital alignment: ICT systems must be continuously aligned and integrated in line with evolving technological
trends and the organisation’s operational and strategic priorities.
Afghanaid therefore requires independent technical expertise to assess its current ICT environment and
develop strategic, technically robust, and implementation-ready recommendations for a secure, integrated,
and scalable digital ecosystem aligned with organisational needs.

4. Duration of the Assignment
The consultancy shall be executed in accordance with an agreed project implementation plan, detailing clearly
defined milestones, deliverables, and timelines. The overall assignment is expected to be completed within 4
months from the date of contract signing, unless an extension is formally agreed in writing by both parties.
The Consultant shall ensure timely delivery of all outputs in accordance with the approved work plan and
shall report progress regularly to Afghanaid’s designated project manager or senior management.

5. Consultant Qualifications
The consulting firm or individual consultant must demonstrate the following qualifications, expertise, and
experience:
• Experience in developing and implementing enterprise-wide ICT strategies and digital transformation
plans.
• Evidence of previous assignments of a similar nature with NGOs or grant funded organisations, the
firm shall provide a list of relevant clients and references, including contact details “where available”.
• Proven expertise in enterprise architecture frameworks and designing integrated ICT ecosystems.
• Experience in aligning ICT architecture with operational, governance, and data management
requirements.
• Knowledge and practical experience with cybersecurity frameworks, risk assessments, vulnerability
management, and mitigation strategies.
• Familiarity with ISO 27001 or equivalent security standards.
• Knowledge of GDPR and internationally recognised data protection and privacy standards.
• Experience establishing data governance, privacy, and ethical information management frameworks.
• Strong understanding of digital workflows, automation, AI applications, cloud solutions, and
emerging ICT technologies.
• Experience in implementing practical digital innovations that enhance operational efficiency and
decision-making.
• Ability to propose training programmes to ensure sustainable adoption of recommended systems and
processes.

6. Confidentiality and Data Protection
The Consultant shall treat all information, data, and documentation obtained or accessed during the course
of this assignment as strictly confidential. This includes, but is not limited to, organisational records, financial
data, donor information, programme details, and staff information.
The Consultant shall:
• Comply fully with Afghanaid’s data protection policies and all applicable data protection laws,
including GDPR.
• Ensure that all sensitive information is stored, transmitted, and processed securely, preventing
unauthorised access, disclosure, or loss.
• Use the information solely for the purposes of delivering the consultancy assignment.
• Return or securely destroy all organisational data and materials upon completion of the assignment,
unless otherwise agreed in writing.
• Immediately notify Afghanaid of any actual or suspected breach of confidentiality or data security.
The Consultant acknowledges that any breach of confidentiality or improper handling of data may result in
legal liability and termination of the consultancy contract.

7. Evaluation and Selection Process
Afghanaid will apply a structured, transparent, and competitive evaluation process to assess all eligible
proposals. Submissions will be evaluated in two stages: (i) technical evaluation and (ii) financial evaluation.
Only proposals that meet the minimum technical threshold will proceed to financial assessment.
The technical evaluation will assess the bidder’s understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology,
and compliance with the functional and technical requirements. Financial proposals will be evaluated based
on overall cost-effectiveness and value for money. Proposals will also be assessed for clarity, completeness,
and alignment with the scope of work. Technical and financial proposals will be weighted, unless otherwise
specified, at 70% for technical and 30% for financial evaluation. The combined score will be used to determine
the most economically and technically advantageous proposal.
Afghanaid may request clarifications, conduct interviews, and require shortlisted bidders to present or
demonstrate their proposed solution either virtually or in person as part of the evaluation process. Afghanaid
reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal, in whole or in part, and may cancel the procurement
process at any stage without incurring any liability.