Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint a service provider to develop a set of flagship legacy publications that will:

• Preserve, document, and institutionalise the history, impact, evolution, and future direction of organised local government in South Africa.
• Strengthen governance continuity, leadership transition, organisational identity, and democratic memory.
• Position SALGA as the custodian and convener of the local government story over the past 30 years.
• Contribute to democratic memory preservation aligned with national milestones such as 30 Years of Democracy and upcoming local government elections.

Scope

The scope of work includes:

• Research, develop, and archive legacy publications, including a coffee table book and a comprehensive compendium in four volumes:
• Volume 1: Origins & Constitutional Foundations
• Volume 2: Institutional Evolution of SALGA
• Volume 3: Local Government in Practice
• Volume 4: Policy, Reform & National Influence
• Design and layout of the publications to premium quality standards.
• Conduct archival research combining document analysis, oral histories, visual asset curation, and evidence verification.
• Develop a searchable institutional memory database for the compendium.
• Produce preliminary drafts, executive preview drafts, and final versions for presentation and handover.
• Ensure the publications serve as strategic institutional tools and archival records, capturing democratic milestones, leadership contributions, municipal impact, and future reflections.

Technical Requirements

The technical requirements include:

• Adherence to archival research methodology combining:
• Historical document analysis
• Archival retrieval
• Oral history collection with structured interview protocols
• Visual asset curation and preservation
• Evidence verification and triangulation
• Development of four volumes of the SALGA Compendium, with flexibility for additional volumes based on research findings.
• Design and layout of publications to high-quality standards.
• Preparation of draft and final outputs aligned with SALGA milestones, including presentation to NEC and Presidency in November 2026, and final handover at the 2027 SALGA Conference.
• Implementation of project phases with clear timelines, including inception, archival scoping, collection, verification, drafting, review, and finalisation.

Skills Requirements

The project requires a multidisciplinary team or lead service provider with demonstrated expertise in:

• Archival research and documentation
• Historical analysis and institutional memory preservation
• Oral history collection and interview techniques
• Publication design, layout, and production
• Digital cataloguing and metadata management
• Project management and coordination
• Strategic communication and stakeholder engagement

The team should include qualified specialists with relevant experience, including project managers, archivists, researchers, writers, designers, and digital preservation experts.