Nile Basin Initiative Request for Expression of Interest for Developing of NBI – River Flow Forecasting System Jobs in Uganda

Nile Basin Initiative Request for Expression of Interest for Developing of NBI – River Flow Forecasting System Jobs in Uganda

Closing date: 08 May 2019

Country: Nile Basin countries.

Name of Project: Nile Cooperation for Result Projects (NCORE- AF2)

World Bank Grant No.: TF 13767 NCORE-CIWA(Cooperation in International Waters in Africa)

Assignment Title: Development of NBI – River Flow Forecasting System.

Reference No: UG-NBI-80180-CS-QCBS

The Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat Nile-SEC has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Nile Cooperation for Result Projects - Additional Financing 2 (NCORE- AF2) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for development of NBI – River Flow Forecasting System.

The consulting services ("the Services") include developing Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) River Flow Forecasting System (NB-RFFS) that shall be used to provide regular forecasts of stream flow at a number of locations in the Nile Basin at lead times ranging from few days (in some cases hours) to a season.

The modeling part will be done in-house by the NBI. The NBI-RFFS will be developed for the entire Nile Basin to provide operational river flow (volume) forecasts at selected points in the river network at short to seasonal time scale.

The NBI has developed the conceptual design of the forecast system, which shall be used as starting point for the development of the system.

The forecast system will have a web-interface that will be used to disseminate the forecast information. The NB-RFFS is envisaged to provide reliable river flow information to diversity of users in the Nile Basin riparian countries.

It shall support reservoir operation for hydropower, irrigation planning, water allocation to different users in catchments with complex hydrology, decisions on cropping patterns for the upcoming growing season, prevent unnecessary releases from water storage facilities thereby conserve water, improve safety of water infrastructure and downstream riparian populations (due to unusually high flows), and provides opportunities to extract water during local flow peaks.

The scope of work shall include the following:

1) User requirements gathering through consultation with target end users of the planned NB – RFFS;

2) Development, testing, and operational deployment of a software framework that provides an integrated platform for:

Acquisition, quality control and processing of data (including external data from global sources);

Manage automated and time-controlled model runs through dedicated adapters;

Visualization of data and forecast values;

Configuration of parameters relevant for forecast generation;

Posting of final forecast results through dedicated web interface

3) Development, testing and deployment of model adapters to link the software framework with modelling tools that are external to the framework;

4) Development, testing and deployment of a dedicated web interface that provides a geo-referenced map based interface for making all forecast information available to end users;

5) Provide guidance and quality control support to the NBI modelling team in development, calibration, validation and integration of model setup that shall be used for generating the river flow forecasts.

6) Test and deploy the complete package of the NB – RFFS

7) Training of NBI’s team and selected end users.

The deliverable of the assignment is an operational river flow forecast system for the Nile Basin together with system

documentation and user manuals. This assignment will be carried out over a period of 12 months.

Details on intermediate deliverables of the assignment are given in the Terms of Reference, which can be accessed from the following website : http://www.nilebasin.org/.

The Consultant must be a Company or Joint Venture with very good track record design and development of river flow forecast systems.

The NBI Secretariat now invites suitable consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services. The Expression of Interest shall include a cover letter and documentation (not more than 50 pages) providing information that indicates (at minimum):

Evidence of commercial registration and entry

In case of consortia (or Joint Venture), declaration by each member of the consortium

Description of core business and years in business;

Client references of similar projects conducted in the last 10 years (at least 2 similar projects required);

Evidence of the experience of the firm (or firms in a Joint Venture) in the field of the assignment, including short (2 page each) descriptions of at least 5 similar projects undertaken by the firm (or JV) in the last 10 years;

Technical capacity of the firm as evidenced by managerial and technical staffing of the firm or consortium;

The short-listing criteria are:

A minimum of seven (7) years firm's general experience in developing river flow forecast systems comparable to the planned Nile Basin river flow forecast system (at least 2 similar projects completed)

A minimum of five (5) years of firm's experience in developing web-interfaces for dissemination of operational water resources information (at least 1 similar project completed);

Availability of appropriate skills/experts among the consultants team including water resources management, Hydrological modelling expert and a Software Engineering expert. Expert’s bio data is not required. **

How to Apply:
The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants under IBRD Loans and IDA Credits & Grants by World Bank Borrowers, January 2011, revised July 2014 (“Consultant Guidelines”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy but must clearly indicate the type of association. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Consultants Qualification Selection (CQS) method Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers, January 2011, and revised July 2014 set out in the Procurement Guidelines.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours i.e. 08:00 to 17:00 hour local time; Procurement Officer, Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat, P.O.BOX 192, Entebbe, Uganda; Tel: +256 417 705000 / +256 417 705117, E-mail: embonye@nilebasin.org; Copy to: mzaroug@nilebasin.org

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail at: consultants@nilebasin.org ) by 11.30 Hrs. on 8th May, 2019.

Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat (Nile-SEC)

Attn: Executive Director

Plot 12, Mpigi Road,

Box 192, Entebbe

Tel: +256 417 705000 / +256 417 705117