National Consultant - Training and Coordination of Meteorological Observations and Forecasting

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UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

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LK Travel; Colombo (Sri Lanka)

Application deadline 3 years ago: Tuesday 10 Nov 2020 at 23:59 UTC

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Contract

This is a National Consultant contract. More about National Consultant contracts.

Background

Government of Sri Lanka secured financing from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through UNDP to implement the Climate Resilient Integrated Water Management Project. is a seven-year project (2017-2024) aimed at strengthening the resilience of Smallholder Farmers in Sri Lanka’s Dry Zone to climate variability and extreme events.

The Project will benefit 770,500 people living in three river basins (i.e. Mi Oya, Malwathu Oya, and Yan Oya) directly through investments in irrigation, drinking water and disaster risk management. Moreover, another 1.2 million people living in these districts will indirectly be benefited from the project through increased capacities of the Agrarian Services centres and early warning systems. The Project will be implemented in seven Dry Zone districts (i.e. Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Mannar, Polonnaruwa, Puttlam, Trincomalee and Vavuniya,)

The Project covers three key Outputs:

  1. Output 1: Climate resilient investment to rehabilitate small tank-based cascading systems and related infrastructure and facilitate sustainable, climate-proof agricultural practices in targeted areas
  2. Output 2: Investments to increase access to and quality of drinking water in remote and rural areas through a multi-pronged partnership approach that seeks to replenish sources, build storage, purify contaminated water and address root causes of water quality issues
  3. Output 3: Improve community access to timely early warning for flood and drought to avoid losses and impacts on key livelihood assets. This includes the generation, coding, modelling, dissemination and access to weather related data/knowledge including advise and early warning.

The Project implementation modality includes a Project Management Unit established under the Ministry of Irrigation and a field office located in Anuradhapura. The Project entered into partnerships with four leading civil society organizations to assist the project in social mobilization and community awareness. UNDP, as the responsible party for Project assurance, is providing technical assistance to implement the Project through a team of Specialists.

Scope of the assignment

Project has developed a detailed capacity building strategy for the Department of Meteorology (DOM). This has activities related to strengthen the meteorological observations network (by setting up equipment such as Agro- Met stations and Rain gauges), provide required training programmes for DOM staff, increase the server capacity of the DOM strengthening the generation, dissemination and interpretation of the weather forecasts at national and local levels. Consultant will support DOM to improve short range, medium range, sub seasonal and seasonal weather predictions for the project river basins (i.e. Mi Oya, Malwathu Oya, and Yan Oya) in order to improve the informed decision making in water management and agricultural practices.

The consultant will be based in the DOM and need to closely work with the designated staff and respective staff members of the CRIWMP to support day-today activities under this scope. In addition, consultant must engage in district level activities such as capacity development and awareness programmes for officers and follow ups on dissemination and application of agro-met advisories at the local level. Consultant will also support the flood risk assessment and preparedness activities conducted by the project with the support of Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and respective stakeholder agencies and help exploring the possibility of using weather forecasts (Rainfall data) in GIS platform with high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) to predict potential flood affected areas in 3 River Basins.

Consultant need to ensure that the systems established by the projects in the DOM such as meteorological observation network, Web GIS server, portal, weather advisory generation and dissemination systems ..etc are smoothly institutionalized and sustained.

Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Overall support to implement the capacity building programme developed by the CRIWMP for the DOM
  2. Prepare specifications and provide technical support required for procuring the Meteorological equipment and services by the project.
  3. Develop TORs and organize training programmes on seasonal and numerical weather forecasting for DOM staff
  4. Facilitate DOM staff to generate tailor made/downscaled short- and long-term weather forecasts which are necessary for climate smart agriculture and water management
  5. Support DOM to set up a system for continuous delivery of short- and long-term weather advisories for agriculture planning and water management for project beneficiaries in the 7 project districts.
  6. Provide technical support and back stopping required for full functioning of the web portal and mobile app developed by the DOM and service providers to access 10-day weather forecasts by farmers/ general public.
  7. Support conducting operational studies for 11 project cascades using weather/ climatological / data
  8. Support establishment and executing inter-agency coordination and data sharing mechanism at the national and district levels
  9. Assist conducting Training for Trainers (TOT), training and awareness programmes for project stakeholders on uptake and interpretation of weather advisories in 7 project districts. Develop a short handbook on weather, weather forecast and its applications for farmers/communities.
  10. Conduct a review programme at the end of each cultivation season (Yala, Maha) to assess the different forecast products used, dissemination and application of weather advisories by famers
  11. Support Flood Risk Assessment and Preparedness activities of the Project in coordination with project focal points in DMC.

Competencies

Results/ Outputs of the consultancy

  1. Provide technical specifications and assist project team to procure equipment as per the capacity building strategy of the project and support installation of the equipment;
  2. Develop TORs for trainers and organizing training programmes for DOM staff; seasonal weather forecasting and numerical weather forecasting and any new requirements identified by the 2021 annual work plan;
  3. Support monitoring the operation and maintenance of the meteorological equipment installed by the project and usage of agro-meteorological data by stakeholders;
  4. Support downscaling the forecast products to agro-ecological regions/project river basins;
  5. Facilitate continuous delivery of weather forecast (short, medium and long range) to the project stakeholders with the support of DOM; This includes monthly weather briefings, disseminations of forecasts by multiple channels to reach the farmer level and analysis of meteorological data at the end of the month;
  6. Provide technical support required for full functioning of web portal and mobile app developed by the project for DOM aimed to access weather data and forecasts by the district stakeholders and farmers;
  7. Support development and institutionalization of agro-met advisory disseminations system in consultation with respective stakeholders such as Dept of Meteorology, Dept of Agriculture and District Stakeholders. This includes conducting capacity building programmes for District and ASC’s staff;
  8. Support conducting 12 district awareness programmes on seasonal weather forecast for 2021 Yala and 2021 Maha seasons with the participation of DOM officers and develop short handbook on weather/ weather forecast and its applications for farmers/ general public;
  9. Assist conducting TOT, training programmes for project stakeholders on up taking climate and weather forecasts and water management/agricultural advisories and climate change adaptation;
  10. Facilitate conducting operational studies for water management/ agriculture in 11 cascade locations by providing climatological /weather data and its analysis;
  11. Institutionalize the system set up for continuous delivery of weather advisories from DOM and DOA as required by project stakeholders/beneficiaries in 7 project districts for agriculture planning and water management;
  12. Support conducting a review programme at the end of each cultivation season ( 2020/21 Maha, 2020 Yala ) to assess the different forecast products used against actual meteorological observations, no of beneficiaries reached, mode and channels used for dissemination, institutional mechanisms, co- development at the local level by farmers, application of advisories by farmers, problems and bottlenecks, successes and lessons learnt;
  13. Support Flood Risk Assessment, forecasts and Preparedness activities of the Project in coordination with project focal points in DMC and assist exploring the possibility of using weather forecasts (Rainfall data) in GIS platform with high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) to predict potential flood affected areas in 3 River Basins.

Required Skills and Experience

The consultant should have following competencies, education qualifications and experience

  • Strong expertise and knowledge on meteorology and weather forecasting system in Sri Lanka.
  • Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior members of National Institutions
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, with analytical capacity and ability to synthesize relevant data and information
  • Excellent coordination skills and result oriented collaboration with colleagues
  • Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback

Education:

  • Advanced university degree in Science, Agriculture, Geography or any other related field

Experience:

  • A minimum of 10 years of working experience in the meteorology/ climatology field
  • Previous experience in working with the similar project will be an added advantage
  • At least 5 years of experience in conducting training programmes on meteorology or climatology
  • Previous work experience with related government agency will be an added advantage.
  • Knowledge of the Sri Lanka country context and government systems essential.
  • Language: English is essential, Proficiency in Sinhala or Tamil

Timeframe

The envisaged time period of the consultancy is one year. Consultant has to work 10 days per month.

To apply please access UNDP Jobs site http://jobs.undp.org

The application should contain:

  • Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position
  • Updated CV to include qualifications/competencies and relevant past experience in similar assignments, professionalism, quality of writing, presentation and overall suitability to this TOR and contact details of 2 professional referees who can certify your competencies
  • Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a combination of factors including CV, interview and financial proposal, and the offer which gives the best value for money for the UNDP will be selected.
  • Please send the Financial Proposal separately (Please refer Section H), to the following e-mail address: [email protected] stating the vacancy number/position in the subject line.

Financial Proposal

All Inclusive lump sum Fee: LKR (_______________________________________)

Amount in words: (Rs._________________________________________________________)

Template for Financial Proposal

Offeror’s Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the Individual IC, including Financial Proposal Template

Note: Payments will be based on invoices on carrying out the training programme i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR and certification of acceptance by the UNDP. The applicant must factor in all possible costs in his/her “All Inclusive Lump Sum Fee/Daily Fee” financial proposal including his/her consultancy and professional fee, honorarium, communication cost such as telephone/internet usage, printing cost, return travel from home to office, ad-hoc costs, stationery costs, and any other foreseeable costs in this exercise. No costs other than what has been indicated in the financial proposal will be paid or reimbursed to the consultant. UNDP will only pay for any unplanned travel outside of this TOR and Duty Station on actual basis and on submission of original bills/invoices and on prior agreement with UNDP officials. Daily perdiums and costs for accommodation/meals/incidental expenses for such travel shall not exceed established local UNDP DSA rates.

For an Individual Contractor who is of 65 years of age or older, and on an assignment requiring travel, be it for the purpose of arriving at the duty station or as an integral duty required under the TOR, a full medical examination and statement of fitness to work must be provided. Such medical examination costs must be factored into the financial proposal above. Medical examination is not a requirement for individuals on RLA contracts.

Payment for Services

Payments will be based on milestones certified by the Technical Advisor, UNDP. Payment milestones will be as follows.

  • 20% of the total payment will be made upon submission of a comprehensive work plan for the assigned tasks specified in the deliverable schedule (Sections C)
  • 20% of the total payment will be made upon submission of the report on successful completion of the deliverable 2,3 and 6
  • 20% of the total payment will be made upon submission of the report on successful completion of 50% of the deliverable 5, 9 and 10
  • 20% of the total payment will be made upon successful completion of deliverable 1, 4, 8 and 50 % of deliverable 12
  • 20% of the total payment will be made upon submission of the report on successful completion of the balance 50% of deliverable 5, 7,11, balance 50% of the deliverable 12 and 13
Added 3 years ago - Updated 3 years ago - Source: jobs.undp.org