Background

Due to the diverse and complex terrain of the Caucasus mountains, its significant influence and the influence of the Black Sea and Caspian Sea on the climate and weather of the region, Georgia is exposed to various climate-induced hazards including floods and flash floods, climate-induced geological hazards (including landslides, mudflow, debris flows), droughts, soil erosion, severe winds, hailstorms and avalanches. Furthermore, according to Georgia’s the 2nd and the 3rd National Communications, the frequency, intensity and geographical spread of extreme hydro meteorological hazards will increase under climate change and may result in significant impacts on key sectors including agriculture, critical infrastructure (transportation networks, buildings, roads, water supply, energy installations), natural resources and eco-systems, glaciers and forests.

To address the existing development challenges, UNDP Georgia designed a program aimed at reducing exposure of Georgia’s communities, livelihoods and infrastructure to climate-induced natural hazards through a well-functioning nation-wide multi-hazard early warning system and risk-informed local action. It will provide critical climate risk information that would enable the Government of Georgia to implement a number of nation-wide transformative policies and actions for reducing exposure and vulnerability of the population to climate-induced hazards, thus catalysing a paradigm shift in the national climate risk management, climate-proofed disaster risk reduction and early warning approaches.

The program encompasses two interrelated projects funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Global Climate Fund (GCF). The program objective is to reduce exposure of Georgia’s communities, livelihoods and infrastructure to climate-induced natural hazards through a well-functioning nation-wide multi-hazard early warning system and risk-informed local action.

The GCF funded interventions target expanding hydro-meteorological and agrometeorological network, introducing methods and tools for gender sensitive vulnerability assessment, supporting establishment of a centralized multi-hazard disaster risk information and knowledge system, enhancing multi-hazard forecasting and modelling capacities and improving community resilience through implementation of early warning system (EWS) & risk reduction measures.

The project funded by SDC aims at reducing exposure and vulnerability of communities in Georgia, through development of multi-hazard risk information by introducing standardized and harmonized national multi-hazard mapping and risk assessment methodologies, effective national regulations, coordination mechanism and institutional capacities. 

Geographical coverage of the program is nation-wide, particularly 11 major river basins in Georgia: Enguri, Rioni, Chorokhi-Adjaristskali, Supsa, Natanebi, Khobi, Kintrishi, Khrami-Ktsia, Alazani, Iori, Mtkvari (same as Kura) focusing on the following hazards: floods, landslides, mudflows, avalanches, hailstorms, windstorms and droughts.

At present existing capacities of national institutions do not enable the forecasting hazards with high precision and accuracy, nor is the regulatory and institutional setup appropriate to support a well-designed multi-hazard early warning system. Among others, introduction of modelling capacities is integral part of addressing those issues.

The program seeks to provide support to national institutions in building modelling capacities for multi-hazard forecasting and mapping and operationalization of multi-hazard early warning system.

Duties and Responsibilities

The overall responsibility of the international expert is to lead the process of building hydraulic modelling capacities on national level. The international hydraulic modelling expert will lead development of methodology for the hydraulic modelling of all flood and mudflow hazards and will work with hired company to develop the unified multi-hazard mapping methodology. It is expected that the methodology will align with EUFD and all relevant international policy and legislative requirements. The international expert will provide overall and day-to-day technical guidance to NEA in the development of hydraulic models for selected river basins of Georgia. For that purpose, the expert will lead development of specification for data acquisition from various sources and data processingand will undertake necessary preliminary studies to define the extent of the LIDAR data acquisition zones according to the proposed areas for which hydraulic analyses and flood hazard and flood risk maps will be prepared for each basin. The expert will be responsible for overall process of building and calibration of hydraulic models to ensure the urban and important agricultural areas and those identified as significant to the cause and/or effect of flooding, are well represented. The expert will lead the development of all hydraulic modelling required for the multi-hazard forecasting and EWS and will undertake quality assurance role for all deliverables related to multi-hazard forecasting.  In addition, the expert will assist in the technical appraisal of the design of the 13 structural measures to be implemented by the project and will input to the development of river basin multi-hazard risk management plans through the identification and technical appraisal of additional structural measures for the long-term management of hazards in each basin. The international expert will work under direct supervision of Team Leader and Project Manager. The Environment and Energy Team Leader will be engaged in overall supervision, while the Chief Technical Advisor will guide the expert’s work. The expert will be directly responsible to, reporting to, seeking approval from, and obtaining certificate of acceptance of deliverables from the above-mentioned persons.

The duties and responsibilities provided in the ToR are for the first year of December 2019-December 2020. The expected number of consultancy days is 60 including four missions of up to 20 days.   For the remaining two years precise tasks, consultancy and mission days will be specified in the corresponding ToRs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

For the indicated one-year period the international expert will be responsible to:

1. Provide independent evaluation of the bids for procurement of LiDAR for the river basins and oversee the ground-truthing/quality assurance of procured LiDAR data;
2. Develop technical specification and procurement documents, for acquisition other topographic data (to be defined by other hazard experts) required for hazard modelling and mapping.  Assist the evaluation of bids/offers
3. Develop systematized methodology with SoPs for hydraulic modelling to support all relevant hazard modelling and mapping to be integrated into the unified methodology for multi-hazard mapping;
4. Define areas/points where filed surveys should be conducted on river cross sections and hydraulic structures affecting water regimes for selected river basins.  Develop Survey brief for river cross-section surveys in the selected river basins; 
5. Define control cross-section surveys for selected river basins at locations where the archived data is available
6. Develop national guidelines detailing on specifications and instructions for surveying cross-sections and other structures;
7. Develop baseline hydraulic model of each of selected river basins to assess the existing standard of protection, provide clarity on the current flooding mechanisms within the catchment, develop the baseline flood hazard maps and serve as a baseline against which the economic appraisal of proposed interventions can be made;
8. Oversee the calibration and verification of hydraulic models in cooperation with hydrological modeler;
9. Produce flood maps for selected river basins based on calibrated and verified linked hydrological-hydraulic models;
10. Contribute to the development of multi-hazard mapping methodology and SoPs for the establishment of regulatory framework for multi-hazard mapping and risk assessment;
11. Contribute to the development of technical scorecards for assessing forecasting, modelling and multi-hazard mapping capacities;
12. Contribute to capacity assessment in accordance to the developed technical scorecards;
13. Provide on-job trainings to NEA staff in the following:
    • data analysis and data modelling,
    • flood hazard modelling,
    • field survey method for floods
    • Provide inputs in development of on-job training plan for NEA
14. Participate in the technical working group meetings.    

Deliverables

1. Independent Technical bid evaluation report following evaluation of the bids/offers;
2. Recommendation and technical specification for acquisition of other topographic data. Technical bid evaluation report following evaluation of the bids/offers;
3. Survey brief, technical specification for field surveys, river cross-section surveys and control cross-section survey points for selected river basins;
4. Detailed technical methodological specification for hydraulic modelling and mapping of relevant hazards in line with EUFD and other relevant requirements (as chapter in unified methodology document);
5. Report on longitudinal river cross-sections of analysed rivers of selected river basins (*.dwg) demonstrating the maximum water levels for each of the calculated characteristic flows (Q20, Q50, Q100 and Q500), bridges and other structures, also including information on any previously recorded floods in the analysed area. In addition to the graphics displaying water levels in the river channel, maximum water levels generated for all the analysed areas and for each individual calculated flood event (Q20, Q50,Q100, Q500) in *.XYZ file format derived from the 2D hydraulic models;
6. Report on the calibration process and results, critical evaluation of available data, and the final selection of roughness coefficients must be indicated in the report.  Model calibration should be against agreed ‘goodness of fit’ measures.  There should be standard definitions for error allowance for modelled against observed level and flow;
7. Full modelling review document;
8. Develop national guidelines detailing on specifications and instructions for surveying cross-sections and other structures;
9. Floods maps for selected river basins. Documentation prepared in both printed and digital form. A printed copy of the documentation must, in addition to the cartographic material at an appropriate scale (e.g. 1:10,000), also include a report with a description or summary of the essential characteristics of previous reports and activities (Activity 6-8), and a precise description of the floodwater regime in the area of interest, as it can be seen from the hydraulic models results. The entire study (textual and graphical part) should be submitted in *.doc; *.xlsx;; *.dwg:*.pdf file format; the flood hazard maps should also be submitted in (*.shp) format
10. Final modelling report with the description and presentation of individual hydraulic models (description of the model, boundary conditions, initial conditions, model validity etc.) including all modelling files (including run files, diagnostic files, input and output files etc.) to be provided so that the model can be reviewed and checked by experts for approval;
11. On-job training report with attendance sheets.

Payment modality and deliverables:

The payment during the first year will be made into three instalments upon satisfactory completion/submission and approval of the deliverables by the supervisor:

• 50% - upon successful submission of deliverables 1-4
• 20% - upon successful submission of deliverables 5-6
• 30%- upon successful submission of deliverables 7-11

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Understanding of the mandate and the role of UNDP would be an asset;
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism

Functional competencies:

• Strong communication and analytical skills;
• Demonstrated skills in drafting reports;
• Ability to work under pressure with several tasks and various deadlines;
• Actively generates creative, practical approaches and solutions to overcome challenging situations;
• Excellent writing, presentation/public speaking skills;
• A pro-active approach to problem-solving;
• Computer literacy

Leadership and Self-Management skills:

• Builds strong relationships with the working group and with the project partners; focuses on impact and results for the project partners and responds positively to feedback;
• Cooperates with working group effectively and demonstrates strong conflict resolution skills;
• Consistently approaches work with energy, positivity and a constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates strong influencing and facilitation skills;
• Remains calm, in control and good humoured under pressure;
• Demonstrates openness to change, new ideas and ability to manage ambiguity;
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates ability to transfer knowledge and competencies;
• Ability to work independently and hurdle competing priorities.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• At least Master’s degree in hydrology or any related field (minimum requirement: 7 points).

Experience:

• At least 8 years of professional experience in hydrodynamic analysis, river hydraulics and hydraulic and hydrology modelling of complex open channel systems (minimum requirement: 8 years - 10 points, more than 8 years - additional 2 points);
• At least 5 years’ experience in flood risk assessment and mapping, reservoir flood studies and dam breach assessments; (minimum requirement: 5 years - 9 points, more than 5 years - additional 2 points);
• At least 5 years’ experience in deploying different hydraulic modelling software (minimum requirement: 5 years - 9 points, more than 5 years - additional 2 points);  
• Familiarity and/or experience on Multi -hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) is an asset (5 points);
• Experience of working in Georgia and/or knowledge of the region’s context is an asset (4 points). 

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in both spoken and written English.

Evaluation:

Offerors will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis method, against combination of technical and financial criteria. Maximum total obtainable score is 100, out of which the total score for technical criteria (desk review and interview) equals to 70 and for financial criteria – to 30. Offerors that do not meet any of the Minimum Requirements will be automatically rejected, while the rest will form the long list. Technical evaluation will comprise of desk review and interview stages. Offerors who pass the 70% threshold, is obtain minimum 35 points as a result of the desk review will be invited to the interview.Offerors passing 70% threshold as a result of the interview (i.e. obtain minimum of 14 points) will be recommended for financial evaluation. 

Financial Proposal:

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in instalments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the ToR.  In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount. Maximum 30 points will be assigned to the lowest price offer. All other price offers will be scored using the formula (inverse proportion):  Financial score X = 30* the lowest price offer/suggested price offer. All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal as well.