Consultancy Services: Data Hub

Call for Consultancy Services

WRI Africa is launching a new project that aims to establish a data hub for the city of Addis Ababa. A team of stakeholders and experts, will co-design and establish data centers or “living labs” to collect, store, analyze and share spatial, transit service and operations data. The outputs from the integrated analysis will be used to inform land use and transportation planning decisions. To demonstrate this, in the first two years, the project will build on Addis Ababa’s City Structure Plan, Transport Plan and Non-Motorized Strategy, and look at the nexus of land use and transportation planning (at manageable spatial scale) to identify at least two strategic, scale-able, and transformative interventions that will significantly improve accessibility in Addis Ababa especially for the underserved communities. Based on the findings from the labs, convenings, capacity building and stakeholder engagements, decision makers and planners will be able to identify solutions that will ultimately build better, more accessible cities for all their residents.

WRI intends to award a fixed price type contract to a consultant based in Ethiopia to support on establishing the integrated data hub for the city of Addis Ababa. The consultant will be working in close partnership with WRI’s project team, city stakeholders and experts responsible for the implementation and management of the city’s infrastructure (including transport, water, green infrastructure etc) . The consultant will also serve as a liaison between the city stakeholders and WRI. The consultant shall have a good understanding of the needs to shift from the current siloed approach of project implementation to a more data-driven and integrated approach that works across silos to change the urban environment. The consultant shall also have deep knowledge on areas necessary for the development of the data hub including, stakeholder identification, the structural plan of the city, available datasets, data collection and management processes, data analysis techniques as well as a good understanding of the local context. The consultant will develop relationships and work closely with the project focal person as well as senior and other relevant officials and stakeholders to accomplish the scope identified below.

Scope of Work

The project is aimed at establishing an integrated data hub for the city of Addis Ababa by the end of 2022. The hub will help the city to advance at least two strategic interventions building on its Non-Motorized Transport strategy in alignment with the structural plan of the city. The hub will enhance collaboration among various sectors, strengthen exercise of integrated planning process and enhance capacity on identifying and implementing strategic issues or/and projects.

The core outputs of this project are:

1. Strengthened capacity at city level on integrated data from different sources, analysis and management
2. Develop a guideline and procedure for establishing the data hub
3. Establish the integrated data hub and provide technical support on its implementation
4. Identify two strategic intervention areas and demonstrate the benefits of the data hub
5. Prepare a report on the lessons learned

The consultant will be responsible for:

• Developing a framework/ guideline for establishing the integrated data hub
• Providing technical support on the implementation of the hub
• Developing a capacity building plan for the project
• Providing 4 on the job trainings to officials and experts at city level on the essence of data integration, maintenance and management
• Organizing activities such as stakeholder workshops and conferences and supporting with the facilitation of training and workshops
• Supporting with the identification of two strategic intervention areas based on the analysis of the data hub i.e. organizing data, analysis and management
• Providing technical support on the implementation of the identified areas
• Producing a report about the process and provide guidelines/ next steps for scaling to other intervention areas and sectors.

The key deliverables to be completed by consultant are:

Phase 1 – Project preparation Review and finalize the capacity development plan prepared by WRI team

• Develop four (4) training programs for city officials to build capacity on the essence of integrated data and management. The consultant shall deliver outlines of the trainings, set training timeline, identify participants and deliver trainings accordingly
• Develop skeleton framework of a guideline that can help the process of establishing, managing, maintaining, and updating integrated data hubs.
• Organize and undertake one on one and group consultive workshops on the guideline with different stakeholders
• Organize a workshop and launch the guideline
• Prepare inventory/ database of datasets available and relevant to the project
• Identify the necessary hardware and software requirements needed to establish and manage the datahub.
• Co-develop integrated data hub with key stakeholders and agree on management system and

Phase 2 – Project implementation Organize launch workshop for the data hub

• Prepare a short proposal of the type of analysis that can be done with the available datasets, including scope, methodology and limitations
• Conduct spatial and statistical analysis using the data together with key stakeholders
• Based on results from analysis, identify two strategic intervention areas together with key stakeholders with focus on accessibility, equity or inclusiveness, land value capture and more?
• Organize stakeholder consultations and participatory planning and designing events on the selected intervention areas
• Co-develop an implementation plan including funding (co-funding) mechanisms together with key stakeholders
• Provide technical assistance during implementation
• Develop monitoring and evaluation framework for implementing agency
• Produce a comprehensive project report and provide guidelines/ steps for scaling to other intervention areas and sectors
• Organize a closing workshop

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s degree in infrastructure planning, urban planning, data sciences, geographic information systems, or similar field
• Minimum 5 years of full-time work experience in urban planning, infrastructure development, and/or data integration, management and analysis
• Strong technical skills in GIS and other geospatial analysis tools
• Experience in project management and ability to lead, manage and implement data collection and management related projects
• Strong communication skills and experience collaborating with a diverse set of stakeholders at various levels.
• Experience working with local government stakeholders preferred.
• Fluency in English and Amharic
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently as well as part of team, including actively contributing to team discussions
• Ability to use time efficiently, and work under pressure to ensure the timely completion of project deadlines

Contract Duration
Six months with possibility of extension

How to Apply
Interested applicants can submit a technical and financial proposal and CVs, to the following addresses: [email protected] or [email protected] before December 10, 2021.