RFP No. ASLM/ACDC/PGI/CONS/GEN/09/01/26
CLOSING DATE: 24 SEPTEMBER 2026
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INTRODUCTION
The African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) is a Pan‐African professional body, working to advocate for the critical role and needs of laboratory medicine and networks throughout Africa. For more information, please visit our website at https://aslm.org.
OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT | SCOPE OF WORK | EXPECTED DELIVERABLES
Background:
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), through the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI), supports the African Genomes Archive for Response and Insights (AGARI), a continental platform for the secure management, sharing, visualisation, and use of pathogen genomic data and associated metadata for public health surveillance and response.
Under the Integrated Genomic Surveillance and Data Sharing Platform (IGS) project, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli have been prioritised for integration into AGARI to strengthen genomic surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including surveillance of bacterial pathogens associated with neonatal bloodstream infections. The integration of K. pneumoniae has been completed, while the integration of E. coli is the focus of this consultancy.
ASLM therefore seeks qualified consultant(s) to support the integration of E. coli genomic data into AGARI through three complementary components: (1) development of an E. coli metadata standard; (2) front-end development to support data submission, visualisation, and dashboard functionality; and (3) back-end development and system administration to support database integration, user authentication, access permissions, data-sharing controls, and technical user support. The consultant(s) will work within the existing AGARI architecture and in coordination with Africa CDC/ASLM and designated technical stakeholders.
Objective of the Assignment
The objective of this consultancy is to integrate Escherichia coli genomic data and associated metadata into AGARI by developing and validating a pathogen-specific metadata standard, configuring the platform’s front-end functionality, and implementing the required back-end, access-control, and technical-support functions.
1. Consultancy Component #01: E. coli Metadata Standard Development
Milestone 1: Development and validation of an E. coli metadata standard for AGARI
Estimated Duration: 3 months
The consultant will develop and validate a standardised metadata framework for the submission, management, sharing, and use of Escherichia coli genomic data within AGARI. The metadata standard should capture relevant genomic, laboratory, epidemiological, clinical, antimicrobial resistance, and contextual information and, where applicable, align with internationally recognised pathogen genomic metadata standards and existing AGARI metadata structures.
The consultant will work closely with Africa CDC/ASLM, relevant scientific and public health experts, and designated stakeholders to ensure that the metadata standard is scientifically appropriate, interoperable, and suitable for implementation within AGARI.