TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR): Consultancy Services for Feature Upgradation in Bipadportal

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

Consultancy Services for Feature Upgradation in Bipadportal

1. Background

The Bipadportal (Building Information Platform Against Disasters) is Nepal Government’s flagship digital platform for disaster risk reduction, developed under the leadership of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and operated by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). Launched in 2019, the portal serves as a centralized, multi-hazard information system designed to strengthen disaster preparedness, response, and resilience across the country’s three tiers of government. At its core, the Bipadportal collects, aggregates, and visualizes real-time data related to various natural and human-induced hazards—such as floods, landslides, earthquakes, and various other natural and non-natural disasters. It functions as a dynamic decision-support tool, offering actionable insights to government agencies, local bodies, and emergency responders. The platform facilitates seamless coordination among federal, provincial, and municipal stakeholders by providing shared access to risk maps, early warning information, incident reports, and post-disaster needs assessments.

One of the key strengths of the Bipadportal is its capacity to integrate diverse datasets from multiple sectors and institutions, including meteorological, hydrological, infrastructure, demographic, and geographic data. This integration allows for holistic risk analysis and evidence-based planning. For instance, by overlaying population data with flood risk zones, authorities can more effectively prioritize evacuation plans and allocate resources during emergencies. The portal has also been instrumental in supporting disaster-related policy implementation and public communication. It enables the timely dissemination of bulletins, alerts, and situation reports, ensuring that both officials and the public are well-informed before, during, and after disaster events.

2. About the RAIN Project

RAIN has been designed to support and contribute to the overarching early action and climate resilience aims of the British Embassy Kathmandu’s (BEK) Resilience, Adaptation and Inclusion in Nepal (RAIN) program. RAIN, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), is led by People in Need (PIN), co-led by DanChurchAid (DCA), and implemented by a consortium of partners, including Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD), Community Self-Reliance Centre (CSRC), Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab), and Prerana, with technical support from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre (RCCC) and the United Kingdom Meteorological Office (UK Met Office).

The RAIN project aims to bring significant value and sustainable scale-up to the RAIN program, particularly by reaching the most vulnerable and marginalized communities at risk of multiple hazards. To achieve this, RAIN employs evidence-based approaches tailored to local contexts, promoting systemic resilience building through localization, inclusion, and strategic mobilisation of government fiscal resources for climate adaptation. Its two core outcomes focus on 1) enhancing community resilience, and 2) strengthening sub-national government systems for early warning (EW), early action (EA), and adaptation, in line with NDRRMA’s strategic goals and key national frameworks including the National Disaster Risk Financing Strategy (2020), the DRR Policy (2018), and the National Strategic Plan for Action (2018–2030).

RAIN is grounded in long-term, equitable partnerships between international, national, and local organizations, combining technical expertise with deep contextual knowledge. The project will work directly with 35 +grassroots Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) representing marginalized populations in 11 local governments across two provinces in year 1. These CBOs will receive training and sub-grants to actively co-design and implement EW, EA, and adaptation actions in their communities. Together with thematic leads, RAIN Technical Assistance (TA), and other stakeholders, they will also work to hold local and provincial governments accountable while helping unlock public funding for inclusive climate resilience measures. Central to RAIN is the use of science, technology, innovation, and proven best practices to strengthen multi-hazard EWS at the sub-national level, enhance access to risk information for the most at-risk groups, and improve data-driven, inclusive planning and coordination. The insights generated will directly inform DRR and anticipatory action policy frameworks, ensuring that localized, inclusive, and gender-responsive strategies are embedded into government systems and sustained through national fiscal mechanisms.

Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab) is a technical partner of RAIN, leading the integration of digital innovation, youth engagement, and risk communication. YI-Lab is responsible for the localization and expansion of the Bipadportal, enabling local governments and communities to access and use real-time, multi-hazard risk data for timely decision-making. It also leads inclusive communication strategies, such as the use of art and storytelling, to ensure early warning information is understandable and accessible to all, including youth, women, and marginalized communities. 

3. Objective

• To enhance the National and Provincial Bulletin system in Bipadportal by introducing updated design concept, and automated workflows aligned with NDRRMA requirements.
• To enable all seven provinces to independently create, manage, and publish daily disaster bulletins through a centralized and customizable system.
• To integrate road/bridge block datasets from the Department of Roads (DoR) into the Bipadportal for improved data availability and situational awareness.
• To link the Satarka Decision Support System (DSS) dashboard with the Bipadportal to allow seamless visualization and access to early warning data.
• To integrate population data derived from census datasets into the Real-Time and Alerts modules to support analysis of populations potentially affected by real-time events.
• To update all provincial and municipal names, map layers, labels, and metadata in the Bipadportal to reflect recent government administrative changes.

Scope of Work

The consultancy will work closely with the YI-Lab team and coordinate with NDRRMA to integrate the following features into Bipadportal.

I. Upgraded National and Provincial Level Bulletins

• National bulletin redesigned with new design concept and workflows as per requirements set by NDRRMA
• All 7 provinces will now have the capability to publish daily bulletins directly from the system.

II. Road / Bridge Blockage Dataset Integration

• Road / Bridges blockage status datasets from the Department of Roads (DoR) will be integrated into the Bipadportal.
• Real-time alerts and status updates will be displayed, enhancing emergency preparedness and response.

III. Satarka Platform Integration

• The Satarka Decision Support System (DSS) dashboard, currently developed with RIMES, will be linked with Bipadportal for visualization and data access.

IV. Population Data in Real-Time Modules

• Real-time modules will integrate catchment area population data (based on census and building footprints), enabling more accurate risk assessments.

V. Updated Provincial and Municipal Names and Layers

• All map layers, labels, and metadata will be updated to reflect the newly named municipalities and provinces as per recent government changes.

4. Deliverables

The consultancy firm is expected to deliver the following outputs:

• Inception Report outlining the methodology, work plan, and stakeholder engagement strategy.
• Redesigned the National and Provincial Bulletin System with updated NDRRMA templates and automated workflows for all 7 provinces.
• Integration of DoR Road and Bridge Datasets with real-time alerts and dashboard visualization.
• Linking of the Satarka Decision Support System (DSS) Platform into Bipadportal.
• Real-Time Population Data Integration using census and building footprint–based catchment population for risk assessment.
• Updated Provincial and Municipal Names of Admin GIS Layers reflecting recent government changes across all maps and metadata.
• System Testing, Deployment & Documentation, including manuals, guides, and training support for stakeholders.
• Final Reporting and Handover.

5. Duration

The service should be delivered by 15 March 2026. The feature integration and pushing it live in coordination with NDRRMA should be completed within the stipulated date. 

6. Team Composition & Expertise

The consultancy firm must demonstrate working experience with NDRRMA or Bipadportal or similar disaster information systems, including system integration and development support. Considering the available budget and short implementation window, the proposed team should be technically competent and efficiently structured to deliver high-impact results.

Core Development Team

7. Reporting & Coordination

• Kick-off Meeting: An inception meeting will be held to align expectations and finalize the work plan.
• Review & Feedback Sessions: Regular virtual or in-person review meetings will be organized to discuss the progress. 
• Stakeholder Consultations: The firm will facilitate consultations with NDRRMA to ensure system usability and ownership.
• Final Presentation & Handover: Upon completion, the firm will present the integrated features, conduct a walkthrough, and formally hand over all deliverables and documentation.

8. Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Compliance with MoHA & NDRRMA technical standards
• Alignment with Government IT Policy 2072
• OWASP security best practices
• GDPR-inspired data handling for privacy and auditability
• Integration logging and fault-tolerant architecture

9. Work Breakdown Schedule

10. Intellectual Property and Data Ownership

All developed software components, documentation, datasets, scripts, system architecture information, and database elements remain the property of the Ministry of Home Affairs and NDRRMA.

11. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

12. Application Procedure

We highly encourage all interested applicants to apply. To apply, submit your Technical and Financial proposal along with company documents (company registration, PAN registration, and latest Tax clearance letter) in a sealed quotation to Youth Innovation Lab. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Deadline for submission of the application: 06 January 2026