| Brief Description of Assignment |
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1.The Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh (GOB) has received financing from the World Bank for implementing Strengthening Domestic Revenue Mobilization Project (SDRMP), a part of Strengthening Institutions for Transparency and Accountability (SITA). The National Board of Revenue (NBR) will implement the project. It intends to apply a part of the proceeds of this credit for the services of an Individual Consultant Service as Project Executive & Coordinator (Information & Communication Technology for VAT).
2.
The broad scope of consulting services (the Services) includes but not limited to carrying out following in the project:
i) Review the existing VAT ICT landscape, including eVAT and SAP environment, embedded Oracle database layer, related modules, interfaces, infrastructure, security features, data flows and system dependencies.
ii) Identify bottlenecks & redundancies in VAT processes, functional gaps, integration gaps, documentation gaps and operational risks in existing VAT ICT systems and eVAT module related business workflows.
iii) Assess ICT support requirements for taxpayer registration, return filing, payment, refund, audit, objection and appeal, risk management, case management, debt management, revenue reporting and other relevant VAT functions.
iv) Prepare detailed gap analysis and modernization recommendations with a practical implementation roadmap, in consultation with VAT business and ICT counterparts.
v) Identify critical challenges faced by different VAT commissionerates and departments; assess user needs & system limitation, trace user's requirements and recommend suitable ICT-enabled solutions for improved revenue efficiency, departmental coordination, and taxpayer service delivery. Conduct meetings & collaboration with concern NBR officials, VAT ICT personnel and end users to mitigate challenges. All diagnostic reports and planning documents must be co-developed with NBR counterparts to ensure early-stage ownership.
vi) Support design, review and refinement of VAT system architecture, including integration approach, data architecture, application architecture and deployment considerations.
vii) Reviewing and comparing current VAT system documentation against the desired revenue mobilization outcomes to identify gaps requiring improvement or new development.
viii) Analyze and map out existing business processes related to VAT administration, audit, and enforcement. Identify areas for process improvement to ensure alignment with the VAT Act, national revenue policies, and institutional requirements.
ix) Must analyze requirements and provide strategic guidance for the design and development of new proposed VAT systems and modules, including data migration, system integration, and transition planning in alignment with the existing eVAT system architecture and operational environment.
x) Must ensure a VAT system of universal accessibility and convenient for all taxpayers with a responsive design that will enhance user engagement, reduce filing errors, aligning with NBR s goal of a secure, inclusive, and technology-driven tax administration.
xi) Support development of API-based interoperability arrangements among VAT systems and relevant internal/external systems, including Income Tax, Customs/ASYCUDA, BSW, CBMS, EFDMS, TIN, e-Return, eTDS/eWithholding, iBAS++, CCI&E, BIDA, Bangladesh Bank and RJSC, as applicable.
xii) Prepare VAT digital platforms for & support alignment with National Data Governance and
Interoperability Authority (NDGIA) requirements, where applicable.
xiii) Define and review data requirements, data models, tax related data like taxpayer profiles, master data, transaction logs, audit trails, data migration requirements, data quality controls and revenue analytics requirements for VAT administration. Identify gaps in existing data collection & support preparing data migration strategy.
xiv) Coordinate with relevant SDRMP data governance, TMID, interoperability and enterprise architecture teams to ensure consistency across Income Tax, VAT and Customs-related digital platforms.
XV) Review security, access control, audit trail, logging, backup, disaster recovery and business continuity requirements for VAT ICT systems.
xvi) Support cybersecurity, VAPT, incident-response and SLA-related reviews in coordination
with NBR IT/security teams and relevant technical committees.
xvii) Review proposed ICT solutions for compatibility with existing NBR infrastructure, future
scalability, maintainability and operational resilience.
xviii) Support documentation of system administration, security administration and operational
procedures required for sustainable VAT system management.
xix) Review and ensure the modern information and communication technologies (ICT), including cloud infrastructure, micro-service and multi-layered cybersecurity measures, for improving efficiency, accountability, transparency, high availability and reliability of VAT
system. Also, the compatibility of proposed ICT solutions with existing NBR infrastructure, databases, and future digital transformation requirements must be ensured.
xx) Assist the PIU and VAT ICT team in monitoring design, development, testing, deployment and rollout of VAT ICT modules/systems under SDRMP.
xxi) Provide technical inputs for review of technical specifications, system requirement documents, system design documents, test plans, migration plans, integration plans and operational manuals.
xxii) Coordinate user acceptance testing (UAT), defect tracking, readiness assessment and go- live support from the NBR side, without replacing the responsibilities of vendors or formal
committees.
xxiii) Support incorporation of executive dashboards, advanced analytics, real time revenue monitoring tools, decision-support tools and management reporting features into VAT ICT systems.
xxiv) Prepare and implement a structured knowledge-transfer plan for VAT ICT officials and relevant VAT business users.
xxv) Conduct regular knowledge-sharing sessions Including a comprehensive capacity- building roadmap, knowledge & technology transfer roadmap, practical capacity building activities, classroom training, hands-on mentoring and documentation review sessions for designated VAT and ICT Officials.
xxvi) Ensure that manuals, SOPs, operational guidelines, configuration documentation and handover materials are developed and transferred to NBR in usable form to enable the NBR VAT Wing in usable form for sustainable maintenance & post-project enhancement of the system.
xxvii) Support progressive handover of technical and operational responsibilities to NBR personnel during the contract period.
xxviii) Work closely with the Project Director, DPD (VAT & Customs), VAT ICT officials, PIU procurement/FM/M&E specialists, local/international consultants and relevant NBR wings. Provide technical advice for ICT-related packages, including review of technical specifications, TOR, deliverables, evaluation criteria, SLA and acceptance criteria.
xxix) Participate in ICT related pre-bid/pre-proposal meetings and bid/proposal opening meetings & other relevant project meetings and technical committees and provide professional advice on VAT digitalization, interoperability, cybersecurity, data governance and ICT implementation issues.
xxx) Provide non-voting technical input to procurement processes, including review of technical specifications and clarification of technical issues, only when requested by the PIU and subject to conflict-of-interest clearance.
Xxxi) The consultant shall perform any other responsibilities stated in TOR.
3. The expected date for commencement of the services is 1st September 2026 and the tentative duration of the entire assignment is about 24 (Twenty-four) person-months
consistent with TAPP provision. Detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) and other information will be available upon request from the address provided below either through email or in person. The TOR can be found at www.nbr.gov.bd.
4. Performing any other responsibilities within the scope of the assignment as assigned by the Project Director and deliverables those are supposed to be delivered described in the Terms of Reference (TOR). Visit field offices or other relevant project areas as per the assignment of Project Director (PD).
5. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) under Internal Resources Division, Ministry of Finance, Government of Bangladesh now invites eligible individuals to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested individual should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services.
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| Experience, Resources and Delivery Capacity Required |
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(a) Education & Experiences:
Academic qualification
Minimum Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Science and Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Information Systems, or a closely related ICT discipline.
General experience
At least 15 years of professional experience in ICT, enterprise applications, system integration, digital platform development, or large-scale IT project implementation.
Specific experience
Experience in ICT projects related to revenue administration, VAT/tax administration, public sector digital transformation, ERP/SAP environment, interoperability or similar mission-critical government systems will be given preference. Prior hands-on experience with SAP- ERP-based revenue or tax administration systems will be preferred. Experience in business process analysis and/or business process engineering (BPR) in a tax, revenue or public sector context will be preferred.
Development partner experience
At least five (5) years of experience in World Bank-financed projects or projects supported by other development partners such as ADB, IMF, UNDP or JICA will be an advantage.
Technical knowledge
Strong knowledge of VAT/Revenue administration ICT needs, enterprise architecture, API-based integration, interoperability frameworks like NDGIA, Microservice, ML, Blockchain, IoT, Al with latest technology, data governance, database concepts, cybersecurity, system documentation, quality assurance, UAT, cloud/on-prem/hybrid infrastructure and ICT service management.
Certification
PMP, PRINCE2, TOGAF, ITIL, CISSP/CISM, cloud, database, cybersecurity, SAP/ERP or other relevant ICT certification will be an added advantage.
Language, communication & other skill
Excellent written and oral communication skills in Bangla and English, with ability to prepare clear technical and management documents. Excellent computer skills including MS Office.
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