Advertisement for contract for services to establish a one-stop platform in Solomon Islands that overlays information held by various stakeholders that could be of use in a disaster

Overview of the functions of the post

Introduction

UNESCO is seeking a Contractor to support the Solomon Islands in identifying the relevant data and information (including forecasting) related to natural hazards and socio-economic vulnerability data held by the public sector, including academic institutions, and private sector, with a view to integrating these data in a dedicated data platform developed by the Contractor which will serve as part of an early warning system to enhance forecasting capabilities for future disaster preparedness and response. The Contractor shall also be expected to develop training materials and provide related training.

This project specifically targets the Solomon Islands, a country experiencing a range of climate-related hazards, including rising sea-level, high temperatures, droughts, floods and cyclones. In parallel, the Solomon Islands are vulnerable to geohazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunami.

These hazards pose a significant threat to life, livelihoods, cultural heritage and vital export industries. Therefore, building resilience to these threats is essential for the country's continued development. To address these challenges effectively, it will be essential for different stakeholders to coordinate their efforts. Governments, local authorities, academia and the private sector are all collecting the necessary information and data but the potential for these individual efforts to make a significant impact will rise once they are integrated.

UNESCO is seeking a Contractor to identify and compile the relevant data and information, develop a compehensive data platform to consolidate this information and establish sustainable methods for updating and maintaining the system. This platform is expected to:

• support risk visualization and enhance decision-making by integrating various data sources, such as local data on the distribution of the population, location of sensitive sites such as chemical factories, hospitals, schools, water treatment plants and water-related data on rainfall patterns, the location of surface reservoirs and aquifers and their water levels and water quality, etc.;
• integrate more information with existing national and regional data platforms using the Application Programming Interface (API);
• facilitate a rapid initial disaster response by capturing disaster-related information from sources such as drones and satellites;
• provide not only real-time and post-disaster analysis but also supply local communities with critical information before a disaster strikes (early warning system), during a disaster (on areas to avoid, evacuation points, location of shelters, food and water distribution, etc), along with post-disaster information (e.g. on how to apply for aid in reconstruction planning and how to improve preparedness for future disasters, such as by avoiding building in floodplains or close to an active or dormant volcano).

Objectives

The overarching goal of this project is to develop a data platform to reduce economic losses and protect lives and livelihoods in the Solomon Islands by:

• consolidating data sources from different national and regional entities into a single, unified data platform to enhable public sector stakeholders to interpret risk data visually in order to enhance their ability to prepare for disasters and respond effectively to them.
• disseminating data and information to the public to empower communities with the knowledge needed for proactive disaster preparedness.
• strengthening institutional capacities by harnessing information technology to ensure efficient data collection and management, including by developing training materials and providing related training.

Specific Objectives

The project has the following specific objectives:

(First year)

1. Confirm legal requirements for data use, disclosure, sharing and retention in the Solomon Islands.
2. Identify available data and information held in national and regional repositories, including information that would be of use in an emergency, such as on the location of water reservoirs and emergency services: assess the vulnerability of the Solomon Islands to natural hazards by identifying relevant data and information (including forecasting) of hazards and socio-economic vulnerability data held by the public and private sectors and by academia, including existing data platforms.
3. Develop the beta version of the data platform to consolidate all collected data and identify ways to sustainably update and maintain the system. The data platform should incorporate API-based integration with existing data platforms.
4. Make a can-be model.

(Second year)

1. Finalise the data platform and build the capacity of authorities, experts and personnel dealing with the data platform by designing and implementing an efficient capacity-building strategy, including for young experts, with the elaboration of training materials and related training.
2. Propose the best way forward to develop the system more, including by proposing high priority and missing data/information/sensor for the system and conduct a feasibility study.
3. Create content and plans for deploying the platform in the other Pacific Island countries.

Outline of the Activities

Activity 1: First year

Objective: Define the scope of platform and data specifications

Scope of Work

• Confirm legal requirements for data use, disclosure, sharing and retention in the Solomon Islands.
• Identify the best data to use on the platform. Identify disaster-related information (including forecasting and emergency services) and socio-economic vulnerability data from public, academic and private sector sources, and determine retention periods and desirable frequency of updates.
• Evaluate the Solomon Islands' vulnerability to natural disasters and set risk assessment thresholds.

Deliverables

• Platform specifications
• Survey and research summary

Timeframe: = 8 months

Activity 2: First year

Objective: Develop the platform beta version

Scope of work

• Build platform environment, consolidate all collected data in platform.
• Define thresholds and determine visualization.
• Identify ways to sustainably update and maintain the system.

Deliverables

• Platform environment beta version
• Operational plan

Timeframe: = 3 months

Activity 3. First year

Objective: Making the Can-be model

Scope of work

• Discuss and make a Can-be model

Deliverable

• Future plan of platform

Timeframe: = 1 month

Activity 4. Second year

Objective: f) Propose the best way forward to develop the system more and undertake a feasibility study

Scope of work

• propose the best way forward to develop the system more and add high priority and missing data/information/sensor
• Feasibility study for platform

Deliverables

• Feasibility study for platform
• Platform environment for feasibility study

Timeframe: = 2 months

Activity 5. Second year

Objective: Finalise data platform and training

Scope of work

• Build the platform environment
• Develop a capacity-building strategy, including for young experts, and develop/write related training materials.

Deliverables

• Platform environment to test with access link and code
• Training materials

Timeframe: = 8 months

Activity 5. Second year

Objective: Create future plan

Scope of work

• Create content and plans that could be deployed in the Pacific Island countries

Deliverable

• Plan for the Next Steps

Timeframe: = 1 month

Reporting

The Contractor shall submit regular progress reports and arrange for and participate in meetings based on the Contractor's workplan.The Contractor shall report to the project manager on progress made and any hurdles or other challenges encountered. The Contract shall submit the deliverables to UNESCO to enable further communication on progress and the dissemination of findings and recommendations to relevant stakeholders, including government agencies and industry leaders, in collaboration with Commission for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Selection Criteria of Service Contractor

Proposals will be evaluated based on the Contractor's:

• operational experience in disaster risk reduction,
• methodologies for collecting information and data from stakeholders,
• data platform development expertise,
• expertise in developing and implementing capacity-building programmes,
• expertise in integrating data analysis for potential data collection,
• proposal in terms of the cost-benefit ratio.

Deadline and Duration

Proposals must be submitted before midnight Samoa time on 20 May 2025. The contract duration will be 24 months, with a potential extension subject to mutual agreement, especially as regards the development of the system.

How to apply

To apply, please submit your proposal with the schedule and budget plan to [email protected], together with information about your company or organization and the composition of your team members, including their qualifications and past similar experience before midnight on 20 May 2025. Please submit your technical proposal and financial proposal in two separate emails to the address above.

Please note that only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.