Development and implementation of an Export Directory as an integral expansion of the existing QOOT Cluster website

About QOOT Cluster

QOOT is Lebanon's leading agrifood cluster, catalyzing sustainable growth, enhancing capabilities and competitiveness, and opening world markets to Lebanese agrifood businesses. To fulfill our role as facilitator of agricultural innovation, we undertake a wide range of activities at the local, regional, and international levels. Besides strengthening technical prowess and nurturing a culture of collaboration and mutual exchange within the Lebanese agrifood sector, we are constantly at work to bring international opportunities to the innovative enterprises that are part of our cluster.

We propose the development and implementation of an Export Directory as an integral expansion of the existing QOOT Cluster website. The Export Directory aims to facilitate connections between local and international buyers and QOOT Cluster members, fostering trade and collaboration within the agri-food sector in Lebanon. The current website, built on WordPress CMS with Jet Engine filtering capabilities, will be extended to accommodate this feature.

The project encompasses the following key components:

• Export Directory Integration: Develop and integrate a dedicated Export Directory section within the QOOT Cluster website.
• Enhanced Member Profiles: Enhance the existing Member module to allow QOOT Cluster members to create comprehensive company profiles. This includes features such as downloadable brochures, introduction videos, detailed product listings, sector/category classification, and current export markets.
• Buyer Profiles: Implement a buyer profile section to capture relevant information including contact details, sector/interest, target markets, and other pertinent data.
• Profile Editing Access: Develop a secure and user-friendly interface that allows both QOOT Cluster members and registered buyers to edit and update their profiles in the Export Directory.

The Export Directory shall provide the following functionalities:

• Advanced Filtering: Implement Jet Engine-powered filtering capabilities to enable users to refine searches based on categories, products, certifications, current markets, and other relevant criteria.
• Matchmaking: Facilitate effective matchmaking between buyers and QOOT Cluster members by providing a platform where potential partners can identify each other.
• Enhanced Member Profiles: Allow QOOT Cluster members to create and manage detailed profiles, showcasing their offerings, certifications, and export history.
• Buyer Profiles: Enable registered buyers to create profiles, indicating their areas of interest, sectors, and target markets.
• Profile Management: Provide user-friendly profile management interfaces for both members and buyers to update their information and offerings.
• Reminders to update profiles based on last activity (6 months).
• Export to catalog: Create a designed PDF out of selected profiles.

The project is expected to deliver:

• Fully integrated Export Directory within the QOOT Cluster website.
• Enhanced Member module allowing comprehensive profile creation and updates.
• Buyer profile section with relevant fields.
• User-friendly profile editing interfaces for members and buyers.
• Training materials for QOOT Cluster members and buyers.

The duration of the QOOT Cluster Export Directory Project as estimated.

1. Requirements Gathering and Planning: This phase involves detailed discussions with stakeholders to define project requirements, scope, and functionalities. It may take around 1-2 weeks to gather all necessary information and create a detailed project plan.

2. Design and Mock-up Creation: The design phase includes creating mock-ups and user interface (UI) designs for the new Export Directory and enhanced member profiles. This phase might take around 2-3 weeks, depending on the complexity of the designs.

3. Development: The actual development of the Export Directory, enhanced member profiles, buyer profiles, and profile editing functionalities could take 6-9 weeks. This includes coding, testing, and integration into the existing WordPress CMS (if applicable).

4. Testing: Rigorous testing is crucial to ensure that all features work smoothly, and there are no bugs or compatibility issues. Testing might take around 1-2 weeks.

5. User Acceptance Testing (UAT): This phase involves letting QOOT Cluster members and registered buyers test the new features and provide feedback. UAT could take around 1-2 weeks.

6. Refinement and Iteration: After UAT, there might be a need for additional refinements and iterations based on user feedback. This phase could take around 2-4 weeks.

7. Deployment: Once all testing and refinements are complete, the new features can be deployed to the live website. Deployment might take around 1-2 weeks, including backup and migration procedures.

8. Training and Documentation: Training materials for QOOT Cluster members and buyers on how to use the new features should be prepared. This phase could take around 1-2 weeks.

9. Launch and Post-Launch Monitoring: The launch of the new features should be carefully monitored to ensure everything is functioning as expected. Any issues that arise during the initial days can be addressed promptly. This phase could last around 2-4 weeks.

Based on the estimates provided for each phase, the entire project might take 17 to 33 weeks. Keep in mind that this is a rough estimate, and you are welcome to provide your own estimate in your proposal.

You can opt for one of the two options for development:

1) The Export Directory extension shall be developed within the existing WordPress CMS framework, utilizing Jet Engine filtering capabilities (additional functionalities are welcome after consulting with the QOOT Communications Team).

2) The Export Directory extension could be set up on a different user-friendly platform and a subdomain of qoot.org [i.e.: export.qoot.org]. Please explain the technical features of the platform of choice in your proposal.

In both scenarios, security measures should be in place to safeguard user data and prevent unauthorized access.

Regular progress reports shall be submitted on a biweekly basis, outlining achievements, challenges, and upcoming milestones. Communication channels shall be established for effective collaboration and issue resolution.

A detailed budget proposal should be provided, including a breakdown of costs related to development, testing, deployment, and any ongoing maintenance and support. Kindly note that hosting and domain for qoot.org are already established.

Proposals will be evaluated based on technical expertise, relevant experience, proposed approach, and budget considerations.