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Biometrics Implementation Project Terms of Reference

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UNHCR Biometrics Implementation Project

Annex A: Terms of Reference

1. Introduction

UNHCR wishes to appoint a supplier to implement a biometric identity management system that will enable quick and accurate enrolment and verification of Persons of Concern (PoCs) in UNHCR operations globally.

The system must support fingerprint capture, and be compatible with iris and facial recognition capabilities when required.

2. Project Overview

The biometric implementation project is split into phases including design, build, test, pilot, training, and deployment assistance.

3. Requirements

Suppliers must respond to functional, technical, and non-functional requirements in a compliance matrix and provide detailed evidence where necessary.

4. Compliance Matrix

Requirement Number Supplier Response Related Requirement Number(s) Requirement Status

5. Financial Offer

Complete the financial offer summary and breakdown of costs. Prices should be net of VAT/sales tax.

Company Details

Company Name

Currency

Description Total Unit Price Units Notes

Additional items

Description Total Unit Price Units Notes

7. Vendor Registration Form

Complete the vendor registration details below.

Section 1: Company Details and General Information

Name of Company

Street Address

P.O. Box / Mailing Address

Postal Code

City

Country

Telephone

Fax

Email

WWW Address

Contact Name and Title

Parent Company

Subsidiaries / Associates

Type of Business

Nature of Business

Year Established

Number of Full-time Employees

Licence no. / State where registered

VAT No. / Tax I.D.

Technical Documents Available In

Working Languages

Section 2: Banking Information

Bank Name

Branch Name

Branch Address

Telephone Number

Fax Number

Bank Account Number

Account Name

Account Currency

Swift / BIC

IBAN

Routing Bank Details

Section 3: Technical Capability and Information on Goods / Services Offered

Quality Assurance Certification

Do goods conform to National / International Quality Standards?

Core Goods / Services Offered

Section 4: Experience

Annual Sales Year 1

Annual Sales Year 2

Annual Sales Year 3

Annual Export Sales Year 1

Annual Export Sales Year 2

Annual Export Sales Year 3

Outstanding bankruptcy / judgment / pending legal action?

Recent Contracts with UN / Aid Organizations

Countries Exported / Projects Managed

Section 5: UN Global Compact Initiative

Are you aware of the UN Global Compact initiative?

If yes, have you signed up or intend to sign up?

Section 6: Environment

Written Environmental Policy?

Environmental Focal Point

Environmental Accreditation

Section 7: Anti-Personnel Mines

Do you confirm non-engagement in anti-personnel mines?

Section 8: Child Labour

Do you agree to comply with child labour restrictions?

Section 9: Official not to Benefit

Do you accept the UNHCR zero-tolerance policy?

Section 10: Others

Disputes with UN Organizations

Trade or Professional Organizations

UNGM Registration Number

Certification

I, the undersigned, hereby accept the UNHCR General Conditions and warrant that the information provided is correct.

Self Declaration

I declare that the company is not involved in fraudulent or corrupt activities, is not associated with sanctioned entities, and is not currently removed, invalidated, or suspended by any UN office or agency.

Name

Functional Title

Signature

Date

Enter text✕
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What the Terms of Reference covers

The Biometrics Implementation Project Terms of Reference is a formal project document that defines scope, objectives, roles, governance, technical requirements, privacy controls, and deliverables for deploying biometric systems within an organization. It establishes project boundaries, success criteria, data handling rules, authentication methods, and compliance obligations relevant to U.S. law and sector-specific standards. The Terms of Reference guides procurement, vendor selection, integration planning, testing, and rollout while documenting timelines, milestones, and acceptance criteria to ensure consistent stakeholder alignment and legal defensibility throughout the biometric implementation lifecycle.

Why a clear Terms of Reference matters

A concise Terms of Reference reduces scope drift, clarifies responsibilities, and documents privacy and security controls needed for biometric data. It supports regulatory compliance, risk management, transparent decision-making, and provides an auditable record for procurement and post-deployment reviews.

Why a clear Terms of Reference matters

Who prepares and approves this document

Project sponsors, IT/security leadership, procurement, compliance officers, and program managers typically prepare or approve the Terms of Reference for biometric projects.

  • Executive sponsor accountable for project scope, budget approval, and stakeholder alignment.
  • Security Officer — defines biometric data protection, encryption, storage, and access controls.
  • Procurement Lead — manages vendor selection, contract terms, and deliverables tracking.

Signers and approvers may include legal counsel, privacy officers, and representatives from affected business units to confirm operational readiness.

Core sections to include in a professional Terms of Reference

Core sections organize scope, governance, technical architecture, privacy and legal obligations, testing and acceptance criteria, and delivery milestones for clear project oversight.

Scope

Define objectives, in-scope and out-of-scope items, success criteria, measurable deliverables, constraints such as budget and resources, and scheduling with acceptance thresholds, testing, and reporting requirements.

Governance

Identify decision-making bodies, escalation paths, roles and responsibilities for sponsor, project manager, technical leads, privacy officer, and vendor accounts; include meeting cadence and change-control procedures.

Technical Requirements

Specify biometric modalities (fingerprint, face, iris), integration points, data formats, interoperability standards, encryption in transit and at rest, scalability expectations, and device lifecycle management requirements.

Privacy & Compliance

Document data classification, lawful basis, HIPAA applicability for health-linked biometric data, consumer disclosure requirements under ESIGN when applicable, data minimization, retention, and third-party processing agreements.

Testing & Acceptance

Outline test plans for accuracy, false acceptance/rejection rates, performance benchmarks, user acceptance testing, pilot duration, acceptance criteria, rollback plans, and post-deployment validation steps and reporting.

Security Controls

Require AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit, access controls, role-based permissions, audit logging, tamper-evident storage, and vendor SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certifications and regular penetration testing.

Required information to include in the Terms of Reference

Project Title: Official project name used in contracts
Project Sponsor: Executive accountable for budget and scope
Scope Summary: Concise description of in/out-of-scope items
Technical Stack: List of modalities, platforms, and integrations
Privacy Classification: PHI, biometric, or non-sensitive designation
Acceptance Criteria: Quantifiable metrics and pass/fail tests

Step-by-step: complete and approve the Terms of Reference

Follow these steps to complete and approve the Terms of Reference for a biometric implementation project.

  • 01
    Draft: Assemble scope, stakeholders, and requirements for review.
  • 02
    Review: Legal and privacy review for compliance and liabilities.
  • 03
    Approve: Sponsor endorsement and budget authorization.
  • 04
    Publish: Distribute final ToR and register baseline deliverables.

Configuring an online signing workflow

Configure your digital workflow to map fields, set signer order, authentication, and retention policies before sending the document for signatures.

Field Configuration
Signer Authentication Choose email, SMS OTP, or knowledge-based authentication.
Signer Order Set sequential or parallel routing per role.
Conditional Fields Show/hide fields based on previous answers.
Retention Policy Attach retention tags and export formats.
Audit Trail Enable detailed logs, timestamps, and IP capture.

Where to file, send, or submit the signed ToR

Finalize routing and submission channels for the signed Terms of Reference, including internal repositories, procurement, and regulatory filings when applicable.

  • Internal Records: Upload signed ToR to secure document repository.
  • Procurement: Share with procurement and vendor contract managers.
  • Legal & Compliance: File a compliance copy with legal counsel and privacy teams.
  • Regulators: Submit excerpts only when required by statute.

Digital signing and distribution considerations

Digital signing requires compatible file types, signer authentication, and secure transmission with audit logs and retention policies.

  • Supported Formats: PDF, DOCX, or HTML accepted.
  • Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace.
  • Authentication: Email, SMS OTP, SSO options available.

Key project deadlines and milestone dates

Key deadlines govern procurement approvals, pilot testing, deployment, and retention starts; some dates trigger regulatory reviews or reporting obligations.

Project Kickoff:

Start date for governance and initial stakeholder alignment.

Vendor Selection Deadline:

Date to conclude RFP evaluation and award contract.

Pilot Completion:

End of pilot testing and performance validation.

Go-Live:

Full production deployment and cutover to biometric system.

Retention Start:

Effective date when record retention periods begin.

Common preparation mistakes to avoid

  • Failing to define scope precisely can expand procurement requirements, increase costs, cause schedule slippage, and create contractual disputes between IT, vendors, and business units.
  • Neglecting privacy classification and failing to determine whether biometric data constitutes PHI under HIPAA may lead to compliance gaps and additional contractual protections.
  • Using weak signer authentication or unverified vendors increases risk of identity spoofing, unauthorized enrollment, and legal challenges to biometric evidence admissibility.
  • Skipping performance benchmarks and pilot validation can mask unacceptable false acceptance rates, leading to operational disruptions and user trust erosion after full deployment.

Consequences of incorrect or incomplete Terms of Reference

Regulatory Fines: Possible civil penalties.
Contractual Liability: Damages and indemnity exposure.
Data Breach Cost: Notification and remediation expenses.
Operational Disruption: Service downtime and lost productivity.
Reputational Harm: Customer trust erosion.
Legal Challenges: Litigation or injunction risk.

Supporting documents to attach with the Terms of Reference

Attach supporting artifacts to the Terms of Reference to provide evidence of requirements, risk assessments, vendor capabilities, and technical baselines for procurement and audit.

Risk Assessment

Include a privacy and security risk assessment detailing threats, mitigations, residual risk, and monitoring plans; quantify risks where possible and link to incident response procedures.

Vendor SLA

Provide sample service-level agreements showing uptime guarantees, support windows, maintenance windows, and remedies for performance failures or data incidents, including escalation and penalties per contract terms.

Test Reports

Attach pilot test results that report false acceptance/rejection rates, sample sizes, environmental conditions, and software/firmware versions used during evaluation and remediation actions recommended with sign-off.

Privacy Notice

Provide template consent language, data subject rights information, data flows, retention schedules, and vendor subprocessors to be included in operational privacy notices and cross-border transfer controls.

Realistic project examples and expected outcomes

Examples illustrate how organizations structure Terms of Reference to manage privacy, performance, and vendor accountability in biometric deployments.

Healthcare Pilot

A regional health system defined a pilot ToR specifying patient consent, encryption standards, and vendor BAAs for a fingerprint-based access project.

  • Pilot compared accuracy and workflow impact over eight weeks.
  • The ToR required HIPAA-aligned retention and audit logs; post-pilot the organization updated acceptance thresholds and added continuous monitoring clauses to the vendor contract before scaling to additional facilities and end-user training requirements.

Government Identity

A municipal agency used a ToR to specify face-recognition integration for secure facility access, including accuracy targets, redress processes, and audit retention.

  • The project required open-source algorithm audits and privacy impact assessments.
  • The final ToR mandated independent algorithm testing, documented consent procedures, mandatory reporting of bias incidents, and contractual clauses requiring vendor assistance for subpoenas or legal preservation requests and periodic public transparency reporting.

How to update, revise, and version the Terms of Reference

Use this revision workflow to document amendments, approvals, version control, and stakeholder notification for any changes to the Terms of Reference.

01

Request Change:

Submit amendment request with rationale and impact summary.
02

Impact Assessment:

Assess technical, privacy, cost, and schedule impacts.
03

Legal Review:

Legal counsel reviews contractual implications and compliance.
04

Approval:

Sponsor or steering committee approves changes and budget.
05

Versioning:

Assign new version number and archive prior copy.
06

Communication:

Notify all stakeholders and update repository records.

eSignature pricing and feature comparison for executing the ToR

Comparison of eSignature pricing and core features to help project teams evaluate solutions for signing and executing the Terms of Reference.

signNow DocuSign Adobe Sign PandaDoc HelloSign
Starting Price $8/user/mo $15/user/mo $14/user/mo $19/user/mo $15/user/mo
Free Trial 7-day free trial No No Yes, limited Yes, limited
Bulk Send Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Audit Trail Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
HIPAA Compliant Yes Yes Yes No No
Envelope Cap No cap 100 envelopes/user/year Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan

Frequently asked questions and practical answers

Frequently asked questions about filling, signing, and enforcing the Biometrics Implementation Project Terms of Reference, including eSignature, compliance, and retention concerns.


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