This project represents the third phase in a strategic partnership focusing on promoting surveying works and geospatial capabilities and a myriad of actions and products stemming from these two areas of work. The key objective of this intervention is to maintain the provision of advisory services in developing the national capacities for effective geo-spatial surveys, generating the national geo-spatial data infrastructure, and generating multi-purpose knowledge from such surveys to efficiently boost national efforts in achieving the key directions provided by 2030 Saudi Vision, as well as promoting the national implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The completion of the previous phase has been instrumental in nurturing the idea of developing the foundation of financial sustainability whereby the General Authority for Survey and Geospatial Information (GEOSA, ex GCS) will achieve a high level of efficiency in all its geospatial products. It is through this quality and efficiency that GEOSA wishes to expand the availability and marketing of its products and to broaden the public awareness about its products and services. The core areas around which all aspects of this project act upon are:

1. Geodesy
2. Geospatial Services
3. Hydrography
4. Map Production
5. Institutional Excellence
6. Establishment of GEOSA Academy

Advisory services are provided towards the achievement of financial sustainability and contribution to the national economy. Moreover, advocacy promoted for wider visibility of GEOSA

Capacity development will also focus on training in the core areas of land survey, geodetic survey, topographic survey’ and Cadastral survey.

Advisory services are provided towards the achievement of financial sustainability and contribution to the national economy. Moreover, advocacy promoted for wider visibility of GEOSA

Capacity development will also focus on training in the core areas of land survey, geodetic survey; topographic survey’ and Cadastral survey. Through this cooperation between the GEOSA and UNDP.

The consultant shall undertake but not be limited to the below tasks:

• Supervise the Advisory Services to GASCI project support teams and provide key technical expertise in coordinating, guiding, and hands-on supporting the expanded missions of the General Directory of Geodesy (GDG), General Directorate of Geospatial Services (GDGS), General Directorate of Hydrography (GDH) and the General Directorate of Institutional Excellence (GDIE) 
• Advocate for collaborative partnership among GEOSA, MEWA and SGS, to fill the gap on inland hydrography with key local and national stakeholders and support the building of the three-dimensional (3D) hydrogeologic framework
• Ensure Alignment and co-ordination ,technical soundness and Quality Assurance and monitoring for the “Advisory Services to GASCI”.
• Work closely with GSCI head of Directorates and the National Project Coordinator for the delivery of the outputs listed in the Results and Resources Framework and other key local, regional, and national project partners, ensuring optimum participation and promoting ownership of key stakeholders for effective and efficient implementation of the outputs within GASCI
• Support operational management of the project according to the Project Document in addition to the policies and procedures for nationally executed projects as per UNDP Policies and Procedures
• Monitor the Efficient and effective delivery of the “ Advisory Services to GASCI” Project” including preparation of the terms of reference for international and local experts under the project, forward planning of project activities and budget expenditures, activity scheduling, program management and reporting
• Recommend candidates of long-term and short-term consultants and experts to be recruited for the project.
• Prepare the material and presentations needed for the Board of the Project and attend meetings, if needed.
• Prepare quarterly reports for the progress of the project’s activities and submit to UNDP office and relevant departments in GASCI.

Technical Assistance:

• Provision of analysis and research in priority thematic areas as relevant to the development context in Saudi Arabia, including through the publication of policy briefs or other analytical outputs
• GEODETIC SURVEY & GEODETIC EARTH OBSERVATIONS;
• EXPERIENCE AS GEODETIC SUBJECT MATER EXPERT (SME) IN STRATEGIC PLANNING;
• Production and launch of reports, including National Human Development Reports
• Support and facilitate of dialogue on sustainable development issues within General Authority of Survey and Geospatial Information (GEOSA) as well as with relevant national partners
• Provision of policy and programming advice and support for development planning and policy formulation at the national, sub-national and local levels
• Identification and analysis of interventions that can impact multiple development goals and targets at the same time
• Monitoring and reporting of progress related to SDGs and other national development frameworks.
• Selection of strategic research topics, surveys and/or case studies

Lead and supervise the GASCI support teams and provide key technical expertise in coordinating, guiding, and hands-on management supporting the provision of advisory services to GASCI

• Provide technical leadership and advice on the project outputs, facilitate GASCI capacity building and training support, strategy planning and conduct consultation as needed.
• Set priorities among key Project Activities and provide direction to the GASCI Support teams on efficient and effective project implementation.
• Closely collaborate with contracted professional consultants and consulting companies by GASCI, supporting the different outputs for the different directorates in collaboration with the National Project coordinator and the directors
• Provide key narrative, M&E, work plan, and budget contributions for the advisory services to GASCI program quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reporting.
• Ensure efficient and active sharing of learning and knowledge management contents including providing strategic expertise in reviewing and editing reports, documents, papers and Project outputs for the Advisory Services to GASCI program

Ensure Alignment and coordination, technical soundness, Quality assurance and monitoring support for the project outputs.  

• Prepare and contribute substantially to review reports and advisory briefs; provide guidance on the “Advisory Services to GASCI”; in conjunction with UNDP project support team
• Monitor performance on a regular basis and recommend interventions to sustain and strengthen project performance and negotiate with GASCI management and UNDP Country Office Management such interventions
• Provide ongoing strategic technical guidance to GASCI and key stakeholders for the different directorates, including sharing of information and providing training and updates on innovations, strategies, and approaches.
• Develop an in-depth relationship with GASCI and Key stakeholders in Survey and Geospatial  Information.

Support GASCI and UN-sponsored Capacity Building programs on an industry and institutional level with preparation of expert training materials, logistics needs, and facilitation efforts.

Set up training, as needed, for the GASCI and key stakeholders to ensure they are well informed and prepared for :

Line-of-Work T3:

• Advisory services to support the General Directorate of Hydrography

• Offshore Vessel Platforms

• Marine Nautical Cartography

• Coastal Vertical Datum Data Inputs

Line-of-Work T4:

• Advisory services to support the General Directorate of Map Production

• Remote Sensing Developments

• Photogrammetry Developments

• Cartography Developments

• Standardization of Geographical Names

• Panoramic/Terrestrial Imaging Developments

Line-of-Work T5:

• Advisory services to support the General Directorate of Institutional Excellence

• National Data Policy Options

• International Best Practices and Innovation

• GEOSA Workforce

• GEOSA Governance

• Public-Private-Partnerships and Inst. Linkages

• International Partnership

Line-of-Work T6:

• Advisory services to support the collaborative partnerships between

Line-of-Work T6:

• Advisory services to support the collaborative partnerships between GEOSA, MEWA and SGS

• Submittal of Inception Report

• Signature of Collaborative Partnership Agreement

• Construction of 3D Digital Geological Model

• Construction of 3D Digital Hydrogeological Model

Line-of-Work M1:

• Advisory services to support the Office of Advising & Management

• GEOSA President Advisor

• Project Management

Line-of-Work PD1:

• Professional development (formal) - Domestic

• Workshop facilitator

• Logistics

Line-of-Work PD2:

• Professional development (formal) - Abroad

• Training facilitator

• Airfare

• Accommodations and per-diem

• Assist in organizing and leading high-level seminars, national workshops, and leadership meetings to strengthen the institutional and governance capacity of the RCMC to effectively implement and administer the Detailed Master Plan (DMP).
• Monitor the performance of the “project” through GASCI partner(s) and other key stakeholders
• Manage the timely delivery of the overall Annual Work Plan as detailed in the Project Document
• Conduct technical reviews and supplement as needed to align with International Best Practice
• Prepare and present assessment results, work plan and measurement framework developed in response to project revision.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables: 

By the end of the assignment, the officer should deliver these outputs/perform these tasks under the management of the UNDP Urban Development Portfolio:  

Institutional Arrangement

• The Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) will work under the overall guidance of the UNDP Saudi Arabia Country Office and give updates at a weekly meeting of the Pillar One team to keep track of project activity and developments.
• The Chief Technical Advisor will coordinate with the National Project Coordinator at GASCI for project progress and any support needed.

Duration of the Work

• The expected duration of the assignment is expected to be up to 6 months  with the possibility of extension.

Duty Station

• The assignment will be In Country Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He/ She will be embedded within the within the National Project Coordinator at GASCI.
• If unforeseen travel outside the consultant’s home-based city is requested by UNDP and not required by the Terms of References (ToR), such travel shall be covered by UNDP in line with applicable rules and regulations and upon prior written agreement. In such cases, the consultant shall receive living allowances not exceeding the United Nations (UN) Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) rate for such other location(s).

• Note: A written approval from UNDP and relevant authorities will be required to facilitate the consultant's travel to any locations than stated on this TOR on official missions where necessary.

Working Arrangements:

• All mission travels must be approved in advance and in writing by the Supervisor.
• United Nations Development of Safe and Security – BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to the commencement of travel.
• The Consultant is responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director.
• The consultant is also required to comply with the UN security directives.
• The consultant is responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP.
• The consultant will be responsible for submitting his/her own mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies.
• The consultant is responsible for required health and life insurance related to work or travel.
• The consultant is expected to have his/her own Laptop/Computer.

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

All proposals must be expressed in a lump sum amount. This amount must be “all-inclusive”. Please note that the terms “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, living allowances, communications, consumables, etc.) that could possibly be incurred are already factored into the final amounts submitted in the proposal.

Payments shall be made to the individual contractor upon successful completion and certification by UNDP that services have been satisfactorily performed, based upon the actual number of working days and accomplishments of each deliverable.

Payment shall be made as a deliverables-based lump upon the receipt of the deliverables and certification of satisfactory performance by UNDP.

The Expert will share a Certificate of Payment (CoP) where he/he needs to indicate achieved outputs. Then the certificate of payment must be verified by the UNDP Team and certified by UNDP top management. The Expert is advised to keep a detailed timesheet of the days worked and tasks performed throughout the consultancy assignment. A bi-weekly update of the timesheet will be requested, and such documentation will support the payment process as deemed needful.

Recommended Presentation of Offer

For purposes of generating Offers whose contents are uniformly presented and to facilitate their comparative analysis, it is best to recommend the preferred contents and presentation of the offer to be submitted, as well as the format/sequencing of their presentation.  The following documents may be requested:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the candidate and at least three (3) professional references.
3. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per the template provided.  If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP. 

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

Applicants are shortlisted based on the Required Skills and Experience stated in the TOR.

The selection of the best offer from the shortlisted candidates will be based on a Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted a max. of 70% and combined with the price offer, which will be weighted a max of 30%.

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Step I: Screening and Desk Review

Technical Criteria (CV review and Desk Review/Interview optional) – maximum 70 points. Only candidates who obtained at least 70% of points from the CV desk review (who will score at least 49 points) will be considered for the next evaluation stage, i.e., financial evaluation.

Applications will be first screened, and only candidates meeting the following minimum criteria will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

Technical Evaluation (70 Points, 70% weight)

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
3. The Professional Certificates mentioned above, as appalicable.

Instructions for online submissions

Step 1:  Please prepare all required documents electronically.

Step 2: Combine all documents in ONE SINGLE FILE (preferably in PDF however, Word format can also be accepted) and upload to the UNDP Jobs links

Step 3: After that, you will receive an auto-reply from the UNDP jobs if your offer is received successfully.

Interested applicants are advised to carefully review this advertisement and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications described. 

Given the volume of applications that UNDP receives, only shortlisted offerors will be notified.

UNDP reserves the right to reject any incomplete applications.

Please be informed that we don’t accept applications submitted via email.

Interested Offerors are required to submit an application via UNDP Jobsite system as the application screening and evaluation will be done through UNDP Jobsite system. Please note that UNDP Jobsite system allows only one uploading of application documents, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file. Your online application submission will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an email acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application if necessary. Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows you to upload a maximum of one document.

Any request for clarification/additional information on this procurement notice shall be communicated in writing to UNDP office or send to email mohammed.abbas@undp.org  with a copy to huda.alsaud@undp.org the Procurement Unit would endeavor to provide information expeditiously, only requests receiving at least 3 working days prior to the submission deadline will be entertained. Any delay in providing such information will not be considered as a reason for extending the submission deadline. The UNDP's response (including an explanation of the query but without identifying the source of inquiry) will be posted on the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice page as provided above. Therefore, all prospective Offerors are advised to visit the page regularly to make obtain updates related to this Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Interested applicants are advised to carefully review this advertisement and ensure that they meet the requirements and qualifications described. 

The interested offeror must read the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice, which can be viewed at https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=97742 for more detailed information about terms of references, instructions for the offeror, and to download the documents to be submitted in the offer online.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.