ZEC statement on biometric voter registration kits site validation tests

CHAIRPERSON’S BRIEF TO OBSERVERS ON BVR KITS SITE VALIDATION TESTS: MAHACHI QUANTUM BUILDING: 20 APRIL 2017
SALUTATION

Good morning and welcome to you all.
Al you may be aware, ZEC flighted a tender for the procurement of Biometric Voter Registration kits in the local press for use during the national voter registration exercise to be conducted in preparation for next year’s harmonised elections. The tender was officially closed and electronically opened on 17 January 2017 at 1600hours at the UNDP Offices in Copenhagen. Initially, 51 companies had shown interest but only 12 companies had submitted their bids by closing time. The bid opening was witnessed in this very boardroom via a wall screen and through skype by ZEC Commissioners, Secretariat staff, UNDP representatives, stakeholders and local representatives of bidders.
The UNDP had mobilised resources for the procurement 00 107 BVR kits in line with the agreement it entered into with the Government of Zimbabwe through the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Capacity Building Project (ZIM-ECO). The Government later indicated that it had secured funding for the process and the rest is now history.
The bidders were evaluated by a joint team of ZEC and UNDP representatives and three of them emerged as the best contenders. The selection criteria were based on technical compliance of the gadgets to required specifications and pricing. The best three bidders were invited to a Site Validation Test. These are:
• Laxton Group Limited, a company from China
• ZETES, from Belgium (who later withdrew their participation)
• Dermalog Identification System. from Germany.
This is the stage at which we are now and the process is still underway. Our invitation to you to observe this important stage is part of ZEC’s initiative to ensure stakeholder participation in its activities and to enhance transparency in all its electoral processes. You will therefore be able to witness presentations by the two bidders who have come forward and observe the Site Validation Tests of their respective kits to assess whether they are fit for purpose. The actual Site Validation process starts tomorrow, 21 April 2017 and ends on 26 April 2017. The DCEO Operations will give a detailed programme outline immediately after this presentation. You are welcome to observe any activities which are open to observers as indicated on the programme. You arc however, not to interfere with any of the processes. Please note that no questions or interviews are to be made with those assigned to carry out specific tasks during these tests. As observers, you will be expected to make written recommendations to ZEC after the tests. Your recommendations will assist ZEC ,in making a decision on the award of the tender. Each bidder has three kits. This ensures that there is adequate back-up in case the other two suffer malfunction.
The tests shall be in two forms, namely laboratory and field tests. During the laboratory tests, conformity to supplied specifications which include those of the laptop, webcam, light source, photo background material, fingerprint scarmer, thermal printer and solar power kit among others will be under scrutiny. The field tests will, inter alia involve testing the durability of the equipment, resistance to weather elements, processing speed, battery performance, efficiency of the webcam, lighting and fingerprint scanner. The field tests will be conducted at Mabvuku High School in Harare on 24 April 2017 and at Murape Secondary School in Seke area on 25 April 2017, between 0830hrs and 1600hrs. Each school has been requested to provide 150 pupils below the age of 18 for a mock BVR exercise. In addition to the mock voter registration exercise, shock and waterproof tests will be conducted on the kits on 26 April 2017 at ZEC head office between 0815hrs and 1100hrs.

Let me conclude by thanking you all for accepting our invitation to witness this milestone in our country’s electoral history.
I thank you