International Consultancy for revitalizing GIS based survey and design tool in WASH sector in Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho, 50 working days (Office based)

Maseru

Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
Location: Maseru
Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
Occupational Groups:
- Engineering
- Statistics
- Meteorology, Geology and Geography
- Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
- Population matters (trends and census)
Closing Date: Closed

UNICEF seeks to hire an experienced, results oriented International consultant to assist UNICEF Lesotho Country Office to revitalize GIS-based survey and design tools in the WASH sector using open-source QGIS and Qfield integration. The consultant will review the experiences with the existing DRWS Survey and Design Tools and test the use of open-source GIS software as an alternative to the current ArcGIS-based tools.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, deliver

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The Metsi a Lesotho project, funded by the European Union (EU), is dedicated to enhancing access to safe and sustainable water supply and sanitation services in rural areas of Lesotho. This project is designed to address critical challenges within the water and sanitation sector, such as inadequate infrastructure, limited access to clean water, and poor sanitation practices. To tackle these issues, the project will deliver inclusive WASH facilities in rural schools, healthcare facilities, and communities, while simultaneously establishing and implementing a decentralized framework conducive to effective rural WASH management.

Central to this project is the capacity-building of local, district, and national departments responsible for water supply, WASH in schools, WASH in healthcare facilities, and the promotion of sanitation and hygiene education. A particular focus will be on empowering women and persons with disabilities. The project also seeks to support and equip key stakeholders—including the Department of Rural Water Supply (DRWS), Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), Environmental Health Division (EHD) in the Ministry of Health (MoH), District Council WASH teams, and Water Service Authorities (WSAs) and Water Service Providers (WSPs)—to effectively utilize monitoring and evaluation frameworks, GIS data, and planning tools to ensure accountability, transparency, and timely reporting of both physical and financial progress in WASH initiatives across communities and institutions. Ultimately, the project aims to improve health outcomes, reduce poverty, and contribute to the overall socio-economic development of rural communities in Lesotho.

One of the specific outputs of the project is to ensure that DRWS, District Council WASH, and WSAs are supported, capacitated, and equipped to effectively use the M&E framework, GIS data, and planning tools, enabling accurate and timely reporting of physical and financial progress. A recent assessment of options for the Water Sector GIS and for the DRWS Survey and Design tools has identified the use of open-source QGIS software as an alternative to the existing licensed ArcGIS set-up, with Qfield as a replacement for the Trimble PenMap survey software that will no longer be supported.

Given this background, UNICEF Lesotho seeks a consultant to revitalize GIS-based survey and design tools in the WASH sector using open-source QGIS and Qfield integration. The consultant will review the experiences with the existing DRWS Survey and Design Tools and test the use of open-source GIS software as an alternative to the current ArcGIS-based tools.

Scope of Work:

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the WASH Specialist, the consultant will be responsible for conducting a thorough review of the experiences with the existing DRWS Survey and Design Tools and testing the use of open-source GIS software as an alternative to the current ArcGIS-based tools.

The scope of work includes the following key activities and deliverables:

A. Assessment of status and challenges in relation to the use of the existing GIS set-up and the survey and design tools.

Conduct consultations with relevant DRWS staff experienced in using the current survey and design tools to identify challenges and the Akvo data collection tools for general data collection from communities, institutions and households. This may include a one-day meeting with District Engineers and Project Officers
Assess the functionality of the existing software and hardware for survey and design across the 10 districts. This includes preparing data collection formats and communicating with the 10 DRWS District Teams to evaluate the status of the existing R2 GNSS equipment, data collection devices, PenMap installations, and GIS software and hardware installations.
Review a sample of recent water system designs prepared by district teams, assessing adherence to design standards and the accuracy of surveys using available correction services.
Compile findings on the current status and challenges associated with the use of survey and design tools and GIS in the districts.

B. Testing of open-source software for survey and design tools and integration with hydraulic network analysis software

The outcome of the part A assessment will inform the aspects that would require update or improvements in a new set-up using the open source QGIS desktop software and the Qfield survey and data collection tools.

Use the findings from the assessment to identify areas needing updates or improvements in a new setup using open-source QGIS desktop software and Qfield survey and data collection tools.
Transfer or reprogram the PenMap templates and the Akvo templates for use with Qfield.
Establish a pilot installation in the Maseru District Office for QGIS desktop software, including programming the required templates and formats conforming to DRWS standards for site plan preparation.
Set up EPANET hydraulic calculation software and prepare the necessary procedures for hydraulic design using EPANET, ensuring integration with QGIS software.
Develop templates and formats to link QGIS design data to the existing DRWS tools for preparing Bills of Quantities (BOQSTAND) and identify any required updates.
Test the functionality of Qfield and the QGIS-EPANET integration for designing a typical DRWS water system, implementing improvements as necessary.

C. Preparation of user manuals and guidelines for the use of the Qfield-QGIS-EPANET tools

Document the setup and use of the QGIS tools in user manuals and guidelines, ensuring a scope similar to the existing manuals for PenMap and ArcGIS tools used in water system design.
Pretest these manuals and guidelines by implementing a short training course for selected DRWS HQ staff, District Engineers, and Project Officers, and finalize the manuals based on feedback from the testing.

Work Assignment Overview:

Tasks/Milestone:	Deliverables/Outputs:	Timeline (period/deadline)	Payment structure (% of the total fee)
Deliverable 1: Assessment Report A comprehensive report detailing the current status and challenges of the existing GIS setup and survey/design tools across the 10 districts. The report will include: Findings from consultations with DRWS staff. Assessment of the existing software and hardware functionality. Review of recent water system designs. Recommendations for updates or improvements to be made with the new QGIS-based setup.	Assessment Report	10 days	10%
Deliverable 2: Pilot Installation of QGIS Software Successful installation and configuration of QGIS desktop software in the Maseru District Office, including: Transfer or reprogramming of PenMap templates for Qfield use. Programming of required templates and formats adhering to DRWS standards. Integration of EPANET hydraulic calculation software with QGIS. Templates and formats linking QGIS design data with existing DRWS tools for Bill of Quantities (BOQSTAND).	Pilot Installation of QGIS Software	20 days	30%
Deliverable 3: Testing and Refinement of Tools A tested and refined Qfield-QGIS-EPANET setup for the design of a typical DRWS water system, including: Documented feedback and improvements implemented during the testing phase. A finalized functional setup ready for wider implementation.	Testing and Refinement of Tools	10 days	20%
Deliverable 4: User Manuals and Guidelines Comprehensive user manuals and guidelines for the Qfield-QGIS-EPANET tools, including: Detailed instructions on the setup and use of the tools. Documentation that mirrors the scope and depth of existing manuals for PenMap-ArcGIS tools. Pretested and finalized versions based on feedback from the training course.	User Manuals and Guidelines	5 days
Deliverable 5: Training Course Delivery and Feedback Report Delivery of a short training course for selected DRWS HQ staff, District Engineers, and Project Officers, including: Pretesting of the user manuals and guidelines. Collection of feedback from participants. A feedback report summarizing the training outcomes and any necessary adjustments to the manuals or tools	Training Course Delivery and Feedback Report	5 days	40%

Work Assignment Overview:

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum Qualifications required:

Bachelors

Enter Disciplines:

University education in engineering, water resources, environmental management, or related filed

Language:

English

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

University education in engineering, water resources, environmental management, or similar and at least 10 years’ experience in implementation of WASH programs
Experience from the planning, design, and implementation of water systems in accordance with the DRWS design standards and guidelines
Practical experience and detailed knowledge of the DRWS design standards and tools and in particular knowledge of the programming of the existing survey and design tools based on PenMap and ArcGIS
Field experience in the programming and use of QGIS for survey and design of rural or small-town water supply systems
Experience in the use of EPANET for hydraulic designs in conjunction with the use of QGIS tools for survey and preparation of site plans
Experience in preparation of user manuals and implementation of technical training courses

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

 To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

 UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

This vacancy is now closed.