Terms of Reference (ToR) for 1) Drone & DGPS Survey 2) Designing Knowledge Products

Work Package 1: Terms of Reference (ToR) Drone Survey and DGPS Mapping in Rautahat District, Madhesh Province, Nepal

1. Background

The Institute of Himalayan Risk Reduction (IHRR) is dedicated to advancing sustainability through risk assessment and innovative approaches to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM). IHRR promotes cost-effective, science-based solutions, bridges policy–practice gaps through advocacy, and strengthens institutional and community capacities by leveraging technology and local resources. Through a multi-hazard and interdisciplinary approach, IHRR fosters collaboration among diverse stakeholders to develop resilient and inclusive solutions.

The Sajag Samaj (SaSa) Project, funded by CARE Nepal and implemented by IHRR in partnership with Campaign Nepal, aims to strengthen resilience among vulnerable communities in Durga Bhagwati Rural Municipality and Rajdevi Municipality of Rautahat District. The project focuses on improving forecasting, early warning systems (EWS), and anticipatory preparedness actions under women’s leadership. It enhances the capacities of women and women-led organizations, trains disaster response volunteers, promotes inclusive leadership in anticipatory action mechanisms, and engages government decision-makers and gender-based violence service providers to integrate gender-responsive early warning actions. This initiative contributes to inclusive disaster preparedness and long-term resilience.

2. Purpose / Project Description

The purpose of this assignment is to generate high-resolution geospatial datasets through RTK-enabled drone-based aerial surveys and DGPS-supported ground measurements, covering a total area of approximately 40 square kilometers. The outputs will support hazard mapping, early warning system planning, and risk-informed development in Durga Bhagwati Rural Municipality and Rajdevi Municipality of Rautahat District.

Both municipalities are highly exposed to multi-hazard risks, including floods, riverbank erosion, drainage congestion, embankment failures, and settlement-level vulnerabilities. Under the SaSa Project, high-resolution and accurate geospatial data are required to support:

• Field-level hazard and exposure mapping

• Early Warning System (EWS) design and planning

• Land-use and settlement development analysis

The generated datasets will be used to identify and finalize suitable locations for installing River Level Sensors (RLS), rainfall sensors, staff gauges, and other hydrological monitoring instruments as part of the SaSa Project’s EWS enhancement plan.

3. Objectives

The specific objectives of this assignment are to:

• Produce high-resolution orthomosaic imagery (≤ 5 cm spatial resolution).

• Generate Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and Digital Surface Models (DSM).

• Develop three-dimensional terrain models for detailed hazard analysis.

• Establish Reduced Levels (RLs) at identified critical locations in both municipalities.

• Map key physical and built features, including river channels, embankments, drainage networks, road infrastructure, critical facilities, and high-risk settlements.

• Deliver GIS-ready datasets suitable for municipal planning and project-level applications.

4. Scope of Work

The consultant/firm will be responsible for the following tasks:

4.1 Pre-Survey Activities

• Review and assess available secondary data, including topographic maps, satellite imagery, and cadastral information.

• Obtain all necessary approvals and flight permissions from relevant authorities.

• Prepare detailed UAV flight plans covering flood-prone and inundation-prone areas of both municipalities, with a total survey coverage of approximately 35 square kilometers.

• Submit an Inception Report outlining methodology, survey design, timeline, and resource allocation.

4.2 Drone Survey and RTK/DGPS Measurements

• Deploy UAVs capable of high-precision photogrammetry.

• Use drones equipped with RTK capability to carry out the survey.

• Deploy RTK in coordination with the drone survey to enhance positional accuracy and ensure reliable geospatial outputs.

• Apply the integrated drone–RTK approach to establish accurate Reduced Levels (RLs) at identified critical locations.

• Ensure adequate frontal and side overlap in all aerial imagery.

• Conduct surveys for the development of detailed 3D terrain and surface models.

• Carry out surveys under suitable weather and lighting conditions.

• Ensure comprehensive coverage of:

  • River corridors (including Bagmati, Jhanjh, and Lalbakaiya tributaries, where applicable)

  • Floodplains and embankments

  • High-risk settlements

  • Critical infrastructure (roads, bridges, schools, health facilities, culverts, embankments)

  • Agricultural lands vulnerable to seasonal flooding

• Integrate Ground Control Points (GCPs) into data processing to further enhance spatial accuracy.

4.3 Data Processing

The consultant/firm shall process and generate the following datasets:

• Orthomosaic imagery (GeoTIFF)

• Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Digital Surface Model (DSM) (GeoTIFF)

• Contour maps (0.5 m interval)

• Three-dimensional models

• Point cloud data (LAS/LAZ)

All datasets shall undergo appropriate geometric and radiometric corrections and be compatible with standard GIS platforms such as QGIS and ArcGIS.

4.4 Map Production

Prepare thematic and analytical maps, including but not limited to:

• Land use and land cover maps

• River and stream centerlines with buffer zones

• Embankment and critical infrastructure maps

• Drainage network maps

• Settlement boundary maps

4.5 Reporting

Submit a comprehensive technical report documenting methodology, field activities, flight logs, DGPS/RTK metadata, accuracy assessments, and all processed geospatial outputs.

5. Expected Deliverables

All deliverables shall be submitted in GIS-ready digital formats and print-ready PDF versions.

6. Duration

The assignment shall be completed within 30 calendar days from the date of contract signing, subject to weather conditions and flight permission approvals.

7. Team Composition

The consultant/firm shall deploy, at a minimum, the following personnel:

• GIS/Remote Sensing Expert (Team Lead) – Master’s degree (would be an advantage)

• Certified Drone Pilot 

• DGPS/RTK Survey Specialist

• Field Enumerators, as required

8. Qualifications of the Firm

• Minimum of 3 years of demonstrated experience in drone mapping, photogrammetry, and DGPS/RTK surveys.

• Proven experience working with municipalities or development projects in Nepal.

• Ownership of or access to:

  • Professional UAVs (e.g., DJI Phantom 4 RTK, Mavic 3E, WingtraOne)

  • Licensed photogrammetry software (e.g., Pix4D, Agisoft Metashape)

9. Ethical, Legal, and Safety Compliance

• Full compliance with Drone Regulations.

• Prior community notification and implementation of safety measures during field operations.

• Protection of privacy and sensitive infrastructure data.

• Use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) by field teams.

10. Budget and Payment Terms

The consultant shall submit a detailed financial proposal, including expert fees and operational costs, in line with the proposed scope of work.

11. Consultant Selection Process

Consultants will be selected through a competitive evaluation of technical and financial proposals. The evaluation will be based on experience in drone and DGPS/RTK surveys, hazard and exposure mapping, and familiarity with Nepal’s local governance context, particularly in Madhesh Province. The technical proposal will carry 80% weightage, while the financial proposal will carry 20%. The consultant offering the best value for money with strong technical capacity will be selected.

12. Proposal Submission Details

Interested consultants or firms shall submit their technical and financial proposals via email or hard copy. Both proposals may be submitted in a single email to operation.ihrr@gmail.com with the subject line:

“Proposal on Drone Survey and DGPS Mapping – Rautahat District, Madhesh Province, Nepal”

Proposals must be submitted by 23 December 2025 and include:

• Signed cover letter

• Technical and financial proposals

• Signed CVs of key personnel

• Company registration and renewal certificates

• VAT registration certificate

• Latest tax clearance certificate (FY 2081/82, as per Nepal law)

• Company profile and relevant references

13. Mode of Submission

For hard copies submission,

Please provide sealed document to IHRR Office, Kupondole, Lalitpur, Nepal. 75 Mahabir Marga South Kupondole, Ward No 1, Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Lalitpur 44700 Bagmati Province, Nepal

For digital copy submission,

Please email the documents at operation.ihrr@gmail.com. Use subject line: Proposal Submission – Drone & DGPS Survey - [Name of your Firm]

Note: The financial proposal document must be password-protected  and the password should be sent only after the deadline. (The Financial proposal can be sent in single email with the following subject line)

14. Mode of Payment

Payments will be made in accordance with IHRR norms and subject to applicable tax deductions, as follows:

• 40% upon submission and approval of the Inception Report

• 30% upon completion of field surveys (Drone + RTK/DGPS) and submission of draft outputs

• 30% upon submission and acceptance of the final report and all datasets

  
  

Work Package 2: Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Designing and Development of Learning and Knowledge Products

1. Background and Rationale

The Sajag Samaj (SaSa) Project, funded by CARE Nepal and implemented by IHRR in partnership with Campaign Nepal, aims to strengthen resilience among vulnerable communities in Durga Bhagwati Rural Municipality and Rajdevi Municipality of Rautahat District. The project focuses on improving forecasting, early warning systems (EWS), and anticipatory preparedness actions under women’s leadership. It enhances the capacities of women and women-led organizations, trains disaster response volunteers, promotes inclusive leadership in anticipatory action mechanisms, and engages government decision-makers and gender-based violence service providers to integrate gender-responsive early warning actions. This initiative contributes to inclusive disaster preparedness and long-term resilience. 

Capturing, synthesizing, and disseminating learning from the project is critical to ensure knowledge uptake, replication, and policy influence. To support effective learning and communication, the project intends to develop high-quality learning and knowledge products that translate technical outputs and field experiences into accessible, engaging, and actionable materials for diverse audiences, including policymakers, practitioners, communities, stakeholders, and the wider public.

To achieve this, IHRR is hiring a qualified vendor for content development, structured knowledge product design, infographics, and other graphical learning materials.

2. Objectives of the Assignment

The overall objective of this assignment is to design and develop a suite of learning and knowledge products that effectively capture project processes, results, lessons learned, and best practices.

Specific objectives include:

• Synthesizing project learning into clear, well-structured knowledge products

• Developing at least eight (8) knowledge documents related to Women Voice and Leadership, Early Warning System, Anticipatory Action,  Weather information and communication channels, Monsoon 2025 Learnings, Preparedness and mitigation actions for floods, heatwaves, cold waves, and drought.

• Developing visually engaging and user-friendly materials to support learning and dissemination

• Enhancing the visibility and usability of project outcomes for different target audiences

  
  

3. Scope of Work  

The selected vendor will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Content Development

   • Review relevant project documents, reports, datasets, and field insights

   • Synthesize technical information into concise, audience-appropriate content

   • Develop initial sketches/digital draft concepts.

   • Draft narratives highlighting key findings, lessons learned, challenges, and good practices

2. Design of Structured Knowledge Products

   • Design and layout structured learning products such as:

     • Learning briefs / knowledge briefs

     • Case studies, Testimonials

     • Lessons learned documents

     • Policy or practice notes (as required)

3. Infographics and Visual Materials

   • Develop high-quality infographics to visualize data, processes, and outcomes

   • Design charts, maps, icons, and visual summaries suitable for both print and digital use

4. Other Graphical Learning Materials

   • Design social media creatives, presentation templates, and other visual learning assets as required

   • Ensure all products are adaptable for multiple dissemination platforms

5. Review and Finalization

   • Incorporate feedback from the project team

   • Deliver final, print-ready and web-optimized versions of all approved products

4. Deliverables

Indicative deliverables may include (final numbers to be agreed during inception):

• Inception Report Understanding of assignment, methodology, and work plan with timeline.

• Draft ToC, Wire Frames, sketches or of eight (8) documents for review. (Case studies or lessons learned documents, Monsoon 2025, Risk Watch Report, SOP, Project Document, Brochures, A set of infographics and visual summaries)

• Feedback session- Presentation and discussion with project team refining designs.

• Final Designs Approved, high-resolution, ready-to-use artwork files.

• Editable and printable files All final artwork files in editable and printable formats.

• Other graphical learning materials as required

All deliverables must be provided in editable source files as well as final PDF/PNG/JPEG formats.

5. Duration of Assignment

The assignment is expected to be completed within January 2026 from the date of contract signing.   (Subjected to Approval)

6. Budget and Payment

The firm shall submit a detailed financial proposal, including expert fees and operational costs, in line with the proposed scope of work (Project Communication and Visibility, & Knowledge Management and Learning).

Payment will be made on a milestone basis, linked to the satisfactory completion and approval of agreed deliverables.

7. Vendor Qualifications and Experience

The vendor should demonstrate:

• Proven experience in developing learning and knowledge products for development, climate, disaster risk reduction, or related sectors

• Strong content development and editorial capacity

• Excellent graphic design and visualization skills with at least 10 references of Work from the past

• Experience working with research or field-based projects

• Ability to deliver high-quality outputs within agreed timelines

8. Reporting and Coordination

The vendor will work closely with the project team and report to the designated focal person. Regular coordination meetings may be required to review progress and feedback.

9. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Understanding of the assignment and proposed methodology

• Relevant experience and quality of past work

• Technical capacity of the team

• Financial proposal and value for money

10. Confidentiality and Ownership

All materials produced under this assignment will remain the intellectual property of the project. The vendor shall not publish or share any content without prior written approval.

11. Mode of Submission

For hard copies submission,

Please provide sealed document to IHRR Office, Kupondole, Lalitpur, Nepal. 75 Mahabir Marga South Kupondole, Ward No 1, Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Lalitpur 44700 Bagmati Province, Nepal

For digital copy submission,

Please email the documents at operation.ihrr@gmail.com. Use subject line: Proposal Submission – Knowledge Product- [Name of your Firm]

Note: The financial proposal document must be password-protected  and the password should be sent only after the deadline. (The Financial proposal can be sent in single email with the following subject line)

Proposals must be submitted by 23 December 2025 and include:

• Signed cover letter

• Technical and financial proposals

• Signed CVs of key personnel

• Company registration and renewal certificates

• VAT registration certificate

• Latest tax clearance certificate (FY 2081/82, as per Nepal law)

• Company profile and relevant references