Local vendor to develop Learning Management System (LMS) for Elearning courses

 

TERMS OF REFERENCE

 

Title:	Local vendor to develop Learning Management System (LMS) for Elearning courses
Activity:	1122 series (1122.9)
Timing:	Dec 2025 – March 2026

 

I. Background

 

The Safe Food for Growth (SAFEGRO) Technical Assistance (TA) Project supports the Government of Vietnam in strengthening access to safe, competitive, and high-quality agri-food products. The project aims to improve the health and well-being of Vietnamese consumers— both women and men—while also generating inclusive benefits for poor farmers and other key actors along the food value chain. SAFEGRO brings together Canadian and international expertise to support the development of a modern, risk-based food safety management system adapted to Vietnam’s context. Drawing on the technical experience of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the Canadian Executing Agency (CEA), including Alinea and the University of Guelph, and other leading food safety institutions, the project facilitates the transfer of global best practices to Vietnam’s evolving food safety ecosystem. 

 

One of the project’s key objectives is to improve the performance of national and subnational governments in food safety regulation enforcement along the value chain to meet international standards. Achieving this requires not only updated knowledge but also practical skills among a wide range of stakeholders, including government officials, inspectors, and industry partners. Traditional in-person training can be limited by geographic, time, and resource constraints, making it challenging to reach all relevant participants efficiently. To address these challenges, the project includes an intervention focused on developing E-learning courses on food safety. A well-designed LMS is essential for delivering these courses effectively, as it allows for flexible, self-paced learning that can be accessed remotely at any time. The LMS also enables consistent content delivery, progress tracking, and assessment, ensuring that all learners receive standardized, high-quality training regardless of their location. Furthermore, the LMS can support interactive features such as quizzes, discussion forums, and real-time feedback, which enhance learner engagement and knowledge retention. To achieve this effort, the project agreed to support the project partner – the National Institution for Food Control (NIFC) – to set up a LMS as their own online learning platform. The project seeks to recruit a service provider who will be responsible for developing a robust LMS to facilitate the delivery, management, and monitoring of E-learning courses. The LMS will support both instructors and learners, ensuring a seamless virtual learning experience and ultimately contributing to the effective implementation of food safety regulations across Vietnam.

 

II. Objectives:

The objective of this assignment is:

• To design, develop, and deploy a fully functional LMS tailored for E-learning courses suitable for NIFC’s infrastructure.
• To enable interactive, user-friendly, and scalable online learning environments in Vietnamese.
• To ensure secure and reliable access for all stakeholders, including administrators, instructors, and learners.
• To continue providing technical support for 6 months after successfully setting up the system.
• To ensure information security according to the national standards.

 

III. Scope of Work

The service provider is expected to:

• Conduct a needs assessment with stakeholders to define LMS requirements.
• Develop a custom LMS with customization of an Open-Source Solution: LMS platform based on adapting an existing open-source solution which could be accessible for 5,000 users and responsive interface across desktop and mobile devices with detailed features as following:
  • Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of established open-source LMS platforms (such as Moodle, Canvas, or Open edX) to determine suitability.
  • Refine and adapt the selected platform to align with organizational specifications, including user interface adjustments, feature augmentations, and integration with existing enterprise systems as required.
  • Maintain adherence to all relevant open-source licensing requirements and establish protocols for ongoing technical support and updates.
• Integrate essential functionalities, including but not limited to:
  • Course Management: Facilitate the efficient creation, organization, scheduling, and administration of courses and educational materials by administrators and instructors.
  • User Registration: Establish streamlined registration processes for all user categories, incorporating self-registration, bulk data import capabilities, and approval workflows where appropriate.
  • Assessment Tools: Offer a comprehensive suite of assessment mechanisms, encompassing quizzes, assignments, automated grading, peer review systems, and robust feedback channels.
  • Multimedia Content Support: Support the delivery of a diverse array of content formats, including video, audio, presentations, PDF documents, and interactive modules, such as SCORM and xAPI.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Provide advanced reporting and analytics capabilities to monitor course participation, learner progression, assessment performance, and system utilization, thereby supporting data-driven decisionmaking.
• The LMS must be designed to ensure a secure, accessible, and user-centric environment for all stakeholders, with robust provisions for future functional expansion in accordance with the organization’s strategic objectives.
  • Ensure the LMS is mobile-responsive and compatible with major browsers and devices.
  • Implement user authentication, role-based access control, and data privacy measures, with fully customizable and unlimited permission levels that can be configured to match any organizational hierarchy without restriction.
  • Provide training for administrators and end-users.
  • Offer ongoing technical support and maintenance post-deployment.

 

IV. Expected deliverables:

The service provider is expected to provide required technical work with detailed tasks to achieve the expected deliverables as follows: 

 

No	Main task	Deliverables	Timing
1.	Conduct a needs assessment with stakeholders to define LMS requirements and develop a proposal for LMS development	01 needs assessment report shared. 01 proposal for LMS development presented and agreed among stakeholders.	Nov – Dec 2025
2.	Design LMS platform in Vietnamese	01 detailed design documents such as the System Architecture Diagram and the UI/UX Mockups completed and approved before the programming phase begins. LMS platform developed and agreed among stakeholders.	Dec, 2025- March 2026
3.	LMS platform testing	Test plan Test cases	Feb-March 2026
		Test report, including identified defects and the vendor’s remediation results
4.	Develop             guideline           for               LMS management, operation and accessing in Vietnamese.	2 guidelines developed: administrator to manage LMS and; user to access and use LMS.	Feb-March 2026
5.	Delivery 02 training session to LMS administrators and NIFC staff 01 training course on LMS operation and management. 01 training course on Guiding how to develop E-learing course for NIFC staff.	02 training material package developed: agenda, facilitation plan and powerpoint with learning materials. 02 training session delivered.	Feb-March 2026
6.	Provide technical support and maintenance.	01 technical support and maintenance plan.   Number of technical coaching session delivered.	Feb-March 2026  and 6 months after the successful set up
7.	Prepare an information security dossier in compliance with national requirements.	01     dossier for         information security	Feb-March 2026

 

V. Required qualifications and experiences:

• Proven experience in developing and deploying LMS or E-learning platforms, preferably with experience in implementing both bespoke LMS platforms and LMS with customization of an Open-Source Solution, to allow for objective comparison and selection of the most optimal solution.
• Strong technical expertise in web development and system integration.
• Knowledge of best practices in online learning and instructional design.
• Capacity to provide ongoing support and timely troubleshooting.
• Proven ability to deliver similarly sized and scoped projects on time and on budget.

 

VI. Reporting: The selected service provider will report to the SAFEGRO Project Manager and work closely with the Training Coordinator and the National Institution for Food Control.

 

VII. Proposal Submission Requirements in Vietnamese and English

• Company profile and relevant project experience.
• Technical proposal detailing the demo structured LMS with key functions for 2 options: Option 1- Develop a bespoke Learning Management System (LMS) platform and, Option 2- Adapt LMS with customization of an Open-Source Solution and approach, methodology, and timeline.
• Financial proposal with a detailed cost breakdown for the Option (1) and Option(2).
• References from previous clients for similar projects.

 

VIII. Evaluation Criteria

• Technical capacity and relevant experience.
• Quality and feasibility of the proposed solution.
• Cost-effectiveness.
• Support and maintenance arrangements.

 

IX. Submission Instructions

Interested      vendors             should submit               their     proposals             electronically   to [email protected] (cc: [email protected]) by 15th Dec 2025. Late submissions will not be considered.