Tender Summary: ICT Infrastructure Revamp

Objectives

The Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (PACOFS) seeks to appoint a Professional Service Provider (PSP) / ICT Consultant to lead the initial phase of an ICT Infrastructure Revamp Project. The primary objective is to assess and benchmark the existing ICT environment against established industry standards, identify operational and security gaps, develop a prioritised remediation roadmap, and provide strategic oversight for the subsequent procurement and implementation phases.

Scope of Work

The consultant will conduct a comprehensive review of PACOFS’s current ICT landscape, covering:

• Physical room environments, spatial arrangements, and cost-efficiency
• Network configurations, hardware lifecycle management, and access controls
• Authentication mechanisms, web filtering, and data protection compliance
• Third-party vendor access and supply-chain security risks

Key deliverables include an inception and mobilisation plan, finalised technical specifications and bid documentation for the next procurement phase, vendor engagement and bid evaluation support, deployment oversight (hardware, networking, fibre optics, cloud migration, and security implementation), and a project close-out report. The consultant will also conduct vulnerability scanning and penetration testing, producing a consolidated assessment report and a remediation roadmap to guide future investments.

Technical Requirements

Bidders must comply with South African public procurement regulations, including Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration and tax compliance. Quotations must be submitted in South African Rand (ZAR), clearly stating VAT-exclusive and VAT-inclusive amounts, and must be all-inclusive of travel, tools, licensing, and disbursements unless otherwise specified. The engagement operates under a one-year service level agreement, with quotations valid for thirty days post-closing. Mandatory submissions include company registration, directorship details, proof of professional body membership, relevant experience references, valid professional indemnity insurance, and a detailed project methodology. Evaluation follows a two-stage process: a mandatory 70-point functionality threshold, followed by an 80/20 weighted scoring system allocating 80 points to price and 20 points to designated preferential procurement goals.

Skills Requirements

The proposed project team must meet strict minimum role specifications:

• ICT Project Manager / Lead Consultant: Relevant ICT qualification and proven project management or consulting experience.
• Cybersecurity Specialist: Information security qualification and recognised certifications (e.g., CISSP, CISM, CEH, OSCP, or CompTIA Security+), plus practical experience applying NIST or CIS frameworks.
• ICT Infrastructure Architect: Enterprise network architecture expertise and vendor-specific certifications (e.g., Cisco, Microsoft).
• ICT Governance / Risk Specialist: COBIT certification and ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor credentials.

All team members must provide certified copies of qualifications, certifications, and full CVs. The bidding entity must hold valid membership with a recognised professional body (IITPSA, PMSA, or PMI), demonstrate comparable project experience in cloud migration, networking, cybersecurity, or data centre/fibre infrastructure, and maintain comprehensive insurance throughout the contract period.

Key Terminology & Frameworks

This tender utilises several standard industry frameworks and procurement terms: POPIA refers to South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act, governing data privacy; NIST Cybersecurity Framework and CIS Controls are internationally recognised guidelines for managing cyber risk; ISO/IEC 27001 is the global standard for information security management systems; COBIT provides a framework for IT governance and management; CSD is the National Treasury’s Central Supplier Database used for vendor verification; and the 80/20 system is a preferential procurement model that weights price heavily while reserving a portion of scoring for socio-economic development goals.