Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to design and develop a modern, secure, inclusive, and user-friendly mobile application for the Electoral Commission. The new app aims to replace the outdated framework, enhance functionality, improve user experience, and facilitate better integration with existing electoral systems. It seeks to increase voter engagement, support real-time electoral data access, and ensure compliance with security and data privacy standards.

Scope

The scope encompasses:

• Redevelopment of the existing mobile application supporting Android, iOS, and Huawei platforms.
• Design and implementation using a modern, maintainable cross-platform framework (e.g., Kotlin Multiplatform or Flutter).
• Integration with the Electoral Commission’s back-end APIs and content management systems.
• Introduction of new functionalities such as voter registration, address updates, voting station locator, candidate and party info, election results, voter education, FAQs, notifications, and live results.
• Ensuring accessibility, performance optimization, offline support, role-based access, and security features including biometric authentication and encrypted communication.
• Support for role profiles (voters, politicians, media, IEC staff) with appropriate access controls.
• Testing (functional, security, load, vulnerability) and post-launch support for at least 6 months.

Technical Requirements

The solution must meet the following minimum technical specifications:

• Development using a modern, maintainable cross-platform framework supporting Android, iOS, and Huawei.
• Support for role-based access and profile switching.
• Secure communication via HTTPS/TLS, with OTP and biometric authentication (fingerprint/face recognition).
• Session management with timeouts and re-authentication.
• Ability for users to recover lost usernames and passwords securely.
• Compatibility with older devices and low-bandwidth environments, employing adaptive images and offline caching.
• Compliance with WCAG accessibility standards.
• Integration with existing back-end APIs and content management systems via REST APIs.
• Integration with citizen engagement channels such as WhatsApp.
• Implementation of location services with user consent for voting station locator.
• Push notifications, FAQs, chatbot support, and real-time election data display.
• Rigorous testing including vulnerability, penetration, load, and functional tests.

Skills Requirements

The bidder must demonstrate:

• Proven experience in cross-platform mobile application development (Kotlin Multiplatform, Flutter, or equivalent).
• Strong expertise in secure app development, API integration, and backend systems.
• Experience in designing accessible applications aligned with WCAG standards.
• Capability in UX/UI design, especially for users with limited digital skills and older adults.
• Knowledge of security protocols, data privacy regulations (POPIA), and secure authentication methods.
• Experience with testing methodologies including security, load, and functional testing.
• Project management skills with an agile approach to deliver functionalities incrementally within 4 months.
• Ability to provide post-launch support and maintenance for at least 2 months after deployment.