Maintenance and Feature Integration for Web-Based Geospatial Accessibility Tool

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is requesting proposals for the maintenance and functional development of an interactive user-interface with a geospatial component.

Background

MSF provides life-saving emergency relief and longer-term medical care to some of the most vulnerable and excluded communities around the world. As an independent medical humanitarian organisation, we deliver care based only on need, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, religion or political affiliation.

The Manson Unit is a multi-disciplinary medical team within MSF UK and is the London based part of Operational Centre Amsterdam’s Public Health Department. We aim to improve the quality of MSF’s medical programmes worldwide, so the best possible care is delivered to our patients.

Access to MSF health facilities remains one of the biggest challenges for our health programming. Presently, we are unable to accurately estimate the size of the population we are trying to reach. Most of our patients travel to our facilities by foot so the location of healthcare facilities is key. The general approach to determining catchment areas and travel distances to health sites is by using linear distance proximity analyses. These do not account for terrain, or obstacles like rivers or dams etc. For example, someone living 5km away from a health facility with dry, flat terrain is considered to have the same access as someone 5km away but with marshland or a river to cross. While more sophisticated models are available, they remain inaccessible to MSF planners due to limited expertise in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related technical domains. Moreover, these models are not easily adaptable to the unique operational contexts and specific needs of MSF.

Objective

MSF UK has initiated a project to develop a web-based, interactive, and user-friendly application that runs a newly developed geospatial accessibility model, written in Python. This model evaluates people’s access to health facilities based on travel time rather than distance, taking into account the physical environment between their place of origin (population location) and health facilities.

The application and its outputs will enhance our understanding of how well our health facilities and outreach programs serve the population and will help identify gaps in healthcare accessibility and inform strategies to address these. Additionally, the application will support assessments of how access to healthcare is impacted by changes in the physical environment—such as natural disasters or road disruptions—enabling our teams to plan and respond more effectively and rapidly.

The first version of the “Accessibility and travel time” user-interface implementing a recently developed geospatial data-based accessibility model has been completed.

We now need to ensure the continued functionality and performance of the current user interface, while also implementing key new features and driving necessary enhancements when required.

Scope

The selected proposer will be responsible for:

1. Transition of the application’s domain, ensuring continuity of service and proper configuration throughout the process.
2. Ensuring the user interface operates smoothly, without errors or disruptions.
3. Continuously optimising the interface for performance and responsiveness.
4. Implementing updates and upgrades to maintain compatibility with evolving systems and technologies.
5. Providing technical support and troubleshooting, including bug fixes and issue resolution (within agreed timeframes) in the event of downtime or malfunctions.
6. Enhancing the user experience and integrating new features based on user feedback and emerging requirements.

Four new features, currently under development by partner organisations, will need to be incorporated into the platform:

1. Optimisation of best location
2. Multi-modal transport support (combining different modes of transport in a single journey)
3. Shock analyses (e.g., climate events, security disruptions)
4. Data download functionality

All project outputs and source code will be published under an agreed open-source license, consistent with the approach taken throughout the project to date.

The MSF project team will be responsible for facilitating timely access as required to MSF databases, servers and other infrastructure.

Expected activities and deliverables

The selected proposer will be responsible for the following:

1. Work Planning and Coordination

• Collaborate closely with the project team to formulate detailed work plans and timelines.
• Maintain regular communication with MSF stakeholders to align on priorities and progress.

2. Issue Monitoring and Management

• Systematically review and investigate issues reported by users.
• Document each issue along with its resolution status.
• Provide regular updates to the project team on issue status and progress.

3. Bug Fixes and Issue Resolution

• Conduct thorough reviews of identified bugs.
• Develop and implement fixes for bugs of minor to moderate complexity.
• Ensure all code and features meet defined quality assurance standards before deployment.

4. Software and System Updates

• Perform regular updates of software dependencies.
• Ensure compatibility with the existing codebase.
• Conduct comprehensive testing prior to implementation to minimise disruptions.
• Ensure all third-party tools and libraries comply with open-source licensing requirements.

5. Release Management

• Deploy monthly bug-fix releases.
• Conduct pre-release testing to ensure stability.
• Provide detailed and clear release notes for each deployment.

6. Security Maintenance

• Ensure data security and compliance with MSF’s data protection requirements.
• Implement cybersecurity best practices to protect the platform from unauthorised access, vulnerabilities, and threats.
• Monitor for potential security breaches and respond promptly to incidents.

7. User Support and Documentation

• Provide timely, constructive support to users.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation to support ongoing use and development.
• Provide training or knowledge transfer to MSF staff or future maintainers, if required.

8. Feature Development and Upgrades

• Implement new features and enhancements, including integration of components developed by partner organisations (see point 5 under section Scope).
• Monitor system performance and ensure scalability as usage grows.

9. Backup and Disaster Recovery

• Maintain robust backup procedures and ensure readiness for disaster recovery scenarios**.**
• Conduct periodic disaster recovery tests to validate system resilience.

The selected proposer will be paid upon the successful delivery of the following outcomes:

• A validated and approved work plan
• Successful transition of the application’s domain
• Monthly performance and issue resolution reports
• Comprehensive documentation of all updates, bug fixes, and system improvements
• Detailed logs of any security incidents and corresponding actions taken
• Security audit summary reports
• Documented user support cases, including resolutions and response timelines
• Release notes for each deployment
• Backup and disaster recovery logs
• Integrated developed features in the platform (see point 5 under section Scope)
• Feature integration documentation
• Up-to-date technical documentation and a user guide
• Handover documentation
• Training materials if required.

Project timeline: July 2025 – July 2026

Required Qualifications and Skills

The selected proposer must demonstrate the following qualifications and capabilities:

1. Technical Proficiency

Strong proficiency in following programming languages:

• Backend programming languages: JavaScript (Node.js 21), Python (v3.8)
• Frontend programming languages: HTML (Handlebars), CSS (Sass), JavaScript (Vite.js, Bootstrap 5, jQuery 3.7, OpenLayers 9, Turf.js)

2. Geospatial Expertise

Strong proficiency in Python and Google Earth Engine, with the ability to develop and maintain geospatial applications using these tools.

3. Data Processing Knowledge

In-depth understanding of Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) processes for geospatial data, including data cleaning, transformation, and integration from multiple sources.

4. Documentation and Communication

Excellent technical documentation skills, with the ability to produce clear, user-friendly guides and developer documentation.

5. Collaborative Working Style

Demonstrated ability to work effectively with distributed and cross-functional teams, including remote collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

6. Delivery and Quality Assurance

Capacity to deliver high-quality outputs on time and within budget, with transparency around any deviations from agreed deliverables or timelines.

Proposal requirements

To be considered for a contract awarded under this request for proposal, please submit the written proposal in English.

The proposal must include following information:

1. Company Introduction

• A brief overview of your organisation, including its mission, areas of expertise, and relevant experience.

2. Relevant Experience

• A description of your expertise in user-interface maintenance and development.
• At least two examples of similar work completed for clients with comparable needs or in similar sectors.

3. Team Composition and Technical Capabilities

• A summary of the technical qualifications and roles of the team members who will be assigned to this project.

4. Experience with Geospatial Data Integration and ETL Processes

• Examples of previous work involving the integration, transformation, and loading of geospatial data, particularly in web-based applications.

5. Proposed Work Plan and Timeline

• A detailed work plan outlining key activities, milestones, and timelines.
• Expected response times for issue resolution and communication.

6. Cost Estimate

• An indication of the expected cost or rate for completing the work, including any assumptions or pricing structure.

How to apply

How to apply

Apply by emailing the necessary documents to admin.mu@london.msf.org

Closing date for applications: 30th July 2025, 23:59 (BST)

For questions, issues or further information, please contact: admin.mu@london.msf.org

We look forward to receiving your application!

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