Iraq: Consultative Services for International Consultancy, Dam Safety Expert

Nov 29, 2020 | UNDP
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The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations and advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves.

The likelihood of Mosul dam failure presents a very complex problem for Iraq which needs to be addressed through a coordinated approach involving multiple institutions and stakeholders. While ensuring structural safety remains critical to address this problem, it has become equally important and urgent to roll out an emergency response and preparedness plan that can potentially safeguard the people and assets in the likely impacted areas in the downstream.

A number of national plans have been developed by various Iraqi authorities to address the challenge posed by Mosul dam in Iraq. Among them, the contingency plans developed by the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), Civil Defense, and Ministry of Defense (MOD) are notable ones. However, there exists gaps and lack of coherence in these plans as well as overlapping mandates, roles and responsibilities.

UNDP is already engaged with the Government of Iraq in its efforts to review safety and security of Mosul Dam. UNDP’s technical assistance is targeted to strengthen the on-going national efforts through undertaking a systematic assessment of risks and vulnerabilities and development of a comprehensive emergency response and preparedness plan. The key objective is to protect the communities, institutions and the assets in the downstream areas in case of the dam being breached.

The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) is the official operator of the Mosul Dam and is legally mandated to safeguard population from flood risks. The role of the ministry of water resources is central to any effort to improve capacity and preparedness for any possible emergency in the Mosul Dam. In 2017, UNDP established a strong partnership with the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) and to bring them fully on board in the emergency flood preparedness actions in Tigris river valley. To this end, an Expert will be mobilized to engage with MoWR for initiating a modern dam safety programme that puts system and capacities in place to mitigate the risks and vulnerabilities through a combination of structural and non-structural solutions. These will include a review of capacity gaps and provisioning training to the concerned officials on dam safety, regulations and protection based on international best practices.

Recognizing the benefits of successful accomplishment of Dam safety measures at Mosul Dam, the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) has sent a formal request to UNDP for continuing and expanding the Dam Safety programme to cover other important dams including Darbandikhan which pose risks to a large downstream population. UNDP has successfully completed dam safety training for Mosul Dam technical staffs and has completed the preparation of Safe Operational Plan of the Dam. It is important to continue the momentum and undertake a set of urgent activities to establish emergency preparedness measures in the MoWR for the purpose of safeguarding the lives of the vulnerable communities along the flood paths of Darbandikhan, Dokan and Haditha Dams. Emergency preparedness measures and protocols will be activated, and dam safety training will be provided to the managers and the technical staffs at the dam sites and detail operational plans will be developed and finalized for Darbandikhan, Dokan, and Haditha Dams. With the objective to scale up the efforts by the MoWR, a national dam safety standards manual will be developed and finalized to help the Government of Iraq to scale up emergency preparedness efforts across all the vulnerable dams in the country.

The nationwide management of dams is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Water Resources. While the threat to Mosul dam is that of collapse due structural weaknesses, the threat to other dams is associated with earthquakes, such as Darbandikhan Dam. As assessed by the Ministry of Water Resources, these dams are vulnerable to earthquakes and therefore some form of preparedness is advised at this point.

On the other hand, water management of the Tigris River is done as an integrated system. In the case of Mosul Dam failure, managing the dams along the Tigris River and its tributaries accordingly is an integral part of the response plan to minimize the impact on the exposed population.

UNDP believes that the preparedness momentum gained on the Mosul dam is a perfect opportunity to rollout preparedness to other vulnerable dams, as clearly a collapse in one will impact the operations of the others in terms of resources allocation and usage by the ministry.

Recently, UNDP had recruited an international consultant to review preparedness and safe operation of major dams in Iraq (i.e., Mosul, Haditha, Darbandikhan, Dokan, and Hemrin Dams). The Consultant produced reports covering gap analysis of each of the above dams and drafted guidelines  for dam Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans (EPRP) and to carryout inspections.

The United Nations Development Programme is currently implementing a project that requires the services of an individual to perform the work described in the above mentioned subject. In this regard, UNDP Iraq invites you to submit an Offer for the mentioned consulting services. To assist you in understanding the requirements of this assignment, we have attached hereto the following: a) The Terms of Reference for the assignment [Presented in the Procurement Notice IC088-20; b) The Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability, which you must accomplish and submit to UNDP; c) The Individual Contract General Terms and Conditions, which will apply in the event you are selected for the assignment. This process is managed electronically through the UNDP online eTendering system: https://etendering.partneragencies.org. To acknowledge your participation in the bidding utilize the “Accept Invitation” tab in the e-tendering module. This will enable you to receive subsequent email notifications relating to this procurement. In case of any clarifications, kindly communicate with the focal person named in the solicitation document. Should you be interested and decide to submit an Offer for this assignment, kindly send them no later than the date and time indicated in the system. If you decide not to submit an Offer, we would appreciate if you would advise us accordingly, preferably indicating the reasons for declining this invitation. UNDP looks forward to receiving your Offer and thank you in advance for your interest in UNDP procurement opportunities.

In case you are not registered in the E-Tendering Module, please use the following temporary username and password to register your company/firm:

Username: event.guest

Password: why2change

Candidates who will be registered on the e-tendering will be able to download the complete documents from the e-tendering website at:  https://etendering.partneragencies.org

You may acknowledge receipt of this IC utilize the “Accept Invitation” function in eTendering system, where applicable. Should you require further clarifications, kindly communicate with the contact person identified "dler.mohamad@undp.org" .

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work

• Desk review of technical reports covering the gap analysis of major dams in Iraq and guidelines for preparing EPRP and carrying out inspections (which have been prepared by the International consultant earlier in 2020).
• Design and provide training to the concerned MoWR officials on dam safety, regulations and protection based on assessment of existing capacity in MoWR and operational gaps;

Develop National Dam Safety Standards consultation and coordination with the MoWR.

• The standards should, at the minimum cover; i) dam emergency preparedness, ii) safe operation and iii) maintenance, defining necessary requirements and guidelines based on international best practice. The document should help the Government of Iraq to scale up safe operation and emergency preparedness efforts across all the vulnerable dams in the country.

Competencies:

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates commitment to the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the mission, vision and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly and with impartiality.

Functional Competencies:

• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines;
• Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Self-reliant and able to work as a part of a multi-cultural team in a stressful.

Professionalism:

• Shows pride in work and in achievements; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments; observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Remains calm in stressful situations.

Communication:

• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Planning and Organizing:

• Identifies priority activities and assignments; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently.

Client Orientation:

• Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust, respect; Meets timeline for delivery of product or services to client.

Teamwork:

• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals; Builds consensus for task purpose and direction with team members; Supports and acts in accordance with final group decisions, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position.

Technological awareness:

• Keeps abreast of available technology; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; Shows willingness to learn new technology.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• At least a master's degree in Dam Engineering, Water, Hydrology, Disaster Management, or related development discipline is required.
• A Phd degree will be preferred in Dam Engineering, Water, Hydrology, Disaster Management, or related development discipline.

Work Experience:

• At least 10 years of increasingly responsible experience in dam engineering, dam safety, water management, or hydrology with a focus on managing large scale and complex water management facilities
• Must have demonstrated ability to lead a multi-disciplinary team of experts, particularly in conflict context; Proven experience of working with a diverse range of stakeholders;
• Proven experience of dam safety programmes is important;
• Working experience in the UN system would be a strong asset;
• Experience in the context of Iraq will be an advantage.

Language:

• Fluency in English language is a Must.
• Fluency in Arabic language is preferred.