Consultancy Services for establishment of Geospatial Technology Unit

The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, in its bid to address the existing challenges in the water sector across the country regarding data collection, analysis, and mapping, seeks to establish a Geospatial Unit. The unit’s primary objective will be to collect, analyze, produce, and disseminate Geospatial data, especially on water and climate, to aid in decision-making and enhance Somalia’s flood and drought early warning systems. The Ministry recognizes this gap and acknowledges the profound impact an integrated geospatial approach can have in transforming the water sector. With ever-evolving climatic challenges such as floods and droughts, the need for a systematic, data-driven, and spatially aware approach is not just essential but urgent.

Somalia, with its diverse topographical and climatic conditions, faces significant challenges in managing its water resources. Despite the criticality of water and its intersection with climate, there remains a noticeable gap in the centralized, cohesive, and advanced management of geospatial data pertaining to these sectors. Currently, institutions at both the federal and state levels need more essential equipment and technical facilities. The absence of these vital tools obstructs not only daily operations but also on-the-job training, leading to inefficiencies in resource management. The reality that the institutions dedicated to water resources management operate without optimum resources underscores the necessity of addressing this gap.

The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Federal Government of Somalia is implementing the Integrated Water Resources Management, component 1 under “Promoting Resilience Through an Integrated Approach to Water, Environment, and DRR in Somalia project funded by SIDA through UNDP Somalia to address the country’s resilience and wellbeing of water-stressed, ecologically fragile, and vulnerable communities. The component promotes an integrated approach and addresses capacity needs gaps and national priorities for the water sector, identified in the National Water Resources Strategy and other national strategies and policy documents of Somalia.

The project builds on past experiences, complements the ongoing national efforts under the National Water Resources Strategy (NWRS, 2021-2-25) and National Development Plan (NDP-9), and calls for an integrated approach to deliver results on the ground in the areas of integrated water resources management, environmental governance, and disaster risk management. The program at large has two overarching outputs: to (i) build capacity in IWRM and “water” at large and (ii) establish a geospatial technology unit.

The Ministry plans to establish a geospatial unit at the HQ office of the Ministry in Mogadishu and Ministries of Energy and Water Resources of the Federal member states that will enable to the Ministry to produce, collect, disseminate, and apply geospatial data on water and climate sector for the decision-making process and improve flood and drought early warning system in Somalia.

The establishment of the Geospatial Technology Unit is expected to undertake analysis, assessment, and implementation of all water-related technologies such as data collection, analysis, mapping, and assessment of water resources. The unit will have links with the federal member state institutions for in-the-field data collection and analysis.

The water institutions at the federal and state levels are in desperate need of the necessary equipment and technical facilities that the staff can use for their daily work and on-the-job training. Without tools, both software and hardware, it is difficult to achieve good results at work. Therefore, workstations at the institutions mandated with water resources management will need to be properly equipped. This will include GIS equipment that will work with satellite and Resistivity Equipment for surface and groundwater assessment.

Objective:

The objective of this procurement is to acquire the necessary equipment to establish a functional Geospatial Technology Unit at the Federal and State Ministries of Energy and Water Resources. Against this backdrop, the Ministry has embarked on a strategic initiative to establish a geospatial unit headquartered in Mogadishu and extend its arm to the Ministries of Energy and Water Resources of the Federal member states.

The primary aim of this Geospatial Technology Unit will be threefold:

• Data Collection: To function as the nucleus for acquiring all water-related geospatial data. This includes, but is not limited to, surface water mapping, groundwater potential zones, flood-prone areas, drought-affected regions, and climatic data.
• Data Analysis and Production: To convert raw data into actionable insights. This involves using GIS tools to interpret spatial data, generate comprehensive maps, assess water quality and quantity, and predict potential future scenarios based on current trends.
• Data Dissemination: Ensure that the insights drawn from the geospatial data are available to all relevant stakeholders. This not only aids in informed decision-making at the policy level but also equips the local administrative units with vital information to manage their resources efficiently.

Furthermore, the unit is envisioned to foster collaborations with federal member state institutions. This symbiotic relationship will streamline in-field data collection processes, ensuring the data acquired is accurate, timely, and relevant. In essence, the Geospatial Unit aims to equip the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources with the cutting-edge tools necessary to overhaul the water sector’s data collection, analysis, and mapping processes. By doing so, it seeks to augment the decision-making process, provide robust flood and drought early warning systems, and, overall, usher in an era of data-driven, efficient water and climatic resource management for Somalia.

criteria qualification

The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources now invites eligible consulting firms to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.). The short-listing criteria are as follows:

1. Core business of the firm and at least 7 years in supporting the establishment for Geospatial technology and related services
2. Experience in conducting similar assignments, at least 4 years, minimum 2 project implementing in somalia.
3. The Consultant shall provide the name and contact address of the Client (office and e-mail address and telephone number), date(s) of execution, name (s) of lead and associate firms, contract amount, and financing sources.
4. Experience of relevant services in an environment similar to that of Somalia; and
5. The technical and managerial organization of the firm. (Provide only the structure of the organization). Do not provide CVs of staff). Key experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage.

Interested Consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours from 9:30 am to 4.00 pm East Africa Time (Excluding public holidays).