REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

Mobile/Web Application Developer for Community PlanIt


ISSUED BY


Engagement Game Lab

Emerson College

120 Boylston Street

Boston, MA 02116



KEY DATES


RFQ Released to Public Friday, August 27, 2010

Submittal Deadline Monday, September 20, 2010

Finalists Interviewed Tuesday, September 21–Friday September 24, 2010

Work to Begin Wednesday, September 29, 2010



DESCRIPTION


The Engagement Game Lab at Emerson College has been awarded a grant through the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Technology for Engagement Initiative to create a mobile/web community engagement gaming platform called Community PlanIt. The platform will serve as an adaptive process to foster stakeholder collaboration in a variety of urban planning and community engagement contexts. The goal of the game is to revitalize the community planning process, to encourage the inclusion of underrepresented groups in those processes, and to allow decision-makers and community leaders to use stakeholders’ knowledge to shape the future of the community.


OVERVIEW OF THE REQUEST PROCESS


The Engagement Game Lab will accept, until 12 p.m. EST on Monday, September 20, 2010, qualifications from interested companies and individuals providing application development services for the Community PlanIt game platform.


Responses by mail should be submitted to Steven Schirra, Emerson College VMA Department, 120 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02134 and clearly marked “Mobile/Web Developer.” Responses by e-mail should be sent to Steven_Schirra [at] emerson.edu with the subject line “Mobile/Web Developer” with .doc or PDF attachments only.


We will review qualifications and references on an ongoing basis. Finalists must be available for an interview Tuesday, September 21–Friday September 24, 2010.


BACKGROUND


The Engagement Game Lab is a research lab at Emerson College focused on the development and study of games to enhance urban civic life. The faculty, students, and affiliates of the lab are actively engaged in building digital games that pursue this goal, as well as researching their efficacy and effectiveness. Recent projects include Participatory Chinatown, a 3D immersive planning game for Boston's Chinatown, and Hub2, which brought virtual tools and role-play into community deliberation. Our work has received warm reviews in publications such as The Boston Globe, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company, among others. The Community PlanIt project will be nationally publicized through Emerson College and Knight Foundation outreach efforts.


SCOPE OF WORK


The Engagement Game Lab seeks qualifications from companies or individuals to develop a mobile gaming platform. The components of the platform are as follows:


    1. •A central server to store and process game data, such as player information, scores and results


    1. •A front-end Web user interface to collect community input and facilitate social

  3. networking for players


    1. •A user-friendly back-end Web content management system to design and

  2. execute all elements of the game experience


    1. •A light iPhone client to facilitate the collection of, and interaction with, geo-

  2. located information (text, photos, videos)


    1. •An iPad client to facilitate mobile walking tours and collaborative map annotation


Together, these platform components will help community organizations facilitate a cohesive, interactive game experience consisting of: 1) eight weeks of geo-located “missions” that are completed at home on a Web interface or out in the community via iPhone interface or SMS; 2) an in-person gaming event for the community engage in mobile walking tours and collaborative map annotation; and 3) continued interaction with the game through social networking and additional missions through the Web and iPhone interfaces.


DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS


The ideal recipient of this position should possess the following qualifications:


  1. •3+ years of experience as a programmer in a Macintosh development environment


  1. •3+ years of Linux server experience


  1. •Expertise in Objective C development, ideally with the iPhone SDK


  1. •A good sense/understanding of interface and interaction design, both on mobile and web applications


  1. •Expertise in building and deploying open-source based Web applications and content management systems


  1. •A strong interest in serious games and games for community engagement


  1. •Ability to work as a member of a development team and offer constructive feedback on development process


  1. •Ability to provide creative solutions to development challenges as they arise


  1. •Desire to work with non-profit or mission-oriented institutions


  1. •Experience developing location-based games or working with geo-located game data is a plus


  1. •Basic knowledge of community planning, development, or organizing advantageous


  1. •Metro Boston or immediate vicinity advantageous


TERMS


The Engagement Game Lab is accepting qualifications from companies and individuals who wish to act as private contractors. We are willing to consider qualifications from individuals seeking temporary, full-time, benefits-eligible employment on a case-by-case basis.


PROJECT TIMING


The successful candidate or company will agree to commence work from the Engagement Game Lab’s notice to proceed, which is anticipated to be on or before Wednesday, September 29, 2010. The project must be completed by May 1, 2011.


FORMAT AND SUBMISSION OF QUALIFICATIONS


  1. 1)The Engagement Game Lab must be in receipt of all qualifications by mail or e-mail by 12 p.m. EST, Monday, September 20, 2010 by mail to the following address:


Steven Schirra

Emerson College VMA Department

120 Boylston Street

Boston, MA 02134


or, as a .doc or PDF attachment via e-mail to Steven_Schirra [at] emerson.edu with the subject line “Mobile/Web Developer Position.”


  1. 2)A cover letter explaining the candidate’s interest in the project and relevant experience and skills.


  1. 3)A CV or résumé outlining all the candidate’s relevant experience and training.


  1. 4)A portfolio or link to a portfolio of past relevant projects—Web, graphic design, UI/UX design, programs or applications, etc.


  1. 5)A list of 3–5 relevant references including contact name, telephone number, address, and e-mail.



REVIEW AND EVALUATION


The Engagement Game Lab will review and evaluate submitted qualifications based on past experience with similar projects, history of successful application deployment, aesthetics and quality of previous work, feedback from provided references, and alignment of qualifications with the technological skills necessary to complete the project.


GENERAL NOTES


  1. 1)Any questions concerning this RFQL should be made in writing to Steven_Schirra [at] emerson.edu by 5 p.m. EST, Friday, September 17, 2010.


  1. 2)All questions and corresponding answers in reference to this RFQL will be available on a link off our main website, http://communityplanit.org. All questions received will be answered and posted by 5 p.m. EST, Friday, September 17, 2010.