Term of Reference –   Upgrading Mobile Early Warning System- MOHADMA

Background

Oxfam has been working in Somalia for over 40 years with local communities, civil society and local authorities, delivering humanitarian assistance and longer-term development initiatives. Oxfam is currently implementing multi-sector life-saving responses to communities affected by drought and/or COVID-19 in the Puntland regions.

Somalia faces some of the most severe humanitarian and development challenges in the world, exacerbated by ongoing armed conflicts in part of recurrent droughts. Rebuilding already fragile livelihoods remains challenging, while authorities are facing limited resources and infrastructures.

However the context also possesses significant potential in terms of young populations, stability, expansive livestock and fishery resources. And advanced telecommunications as well as mobile banking money transfers.

Looking to the future, Oxfam links our humanitarian work with building community resilience, such as mitigating the impacts of climate change through sustainable early warning early action measures.

Introduction:

Oxfam is at the lead of integrating technology at the core of its programmes to uncover new and innovative ways of working and new ideas to achieve impact at scale for people living in poverty in Somalia.

Oxfam implemented and successfully piloted mobile early warning system and trained  communities to gather data on local situations  including water levels, pasture conditions etc.  and report their finding to disaster preparedness authorities using mobile phones, such technology enabled communities to be alert for any danger that may occur.

Purpose

The aim of this work is to enhance existing piloted mobile early warning system, that connects community members in the remote project locations to the disaster preparedness authorities, that is to be developed in to more innovative interactive platforms which helps quick responses and alerts to the authorities as well as communities whenever shock or disaster indicator erupts.

In conjunction with OXFAM Somalia country office , consultancy firm will take the lead in developing.

• Interactive mobile early warning platform with powerful analytical tools that can predict upcoming disasters as well as warn when disaster is about to strike and pre-empts quick response action from disaster preparedness authorities.

Mode of operation:

• The consultant will be required to conduct the above tasks with a great level of collaboration and regular feedback (on phone and face-to-face/online) with the Oxfam focal person(s). Oxfam highly recommends the consultant have his/her own technical resources and knowledges.

Description features of the system:

• Enable Early warning committees on gathering data on their local situations from their remote areas using mobile phones via local telecoms fixing previous issues of local currency and standardizing indicator measures( high, medium and poor) as per situation.
• Enable committees on reporting emergency shocks, and urgent situations via direct voice messages.
• Analyze and generate reports based on collected data with interactive visuals and notify alerts for emergencies with visual map showing program locations notifying areas of emergencies.
• Enable to generate enhanced report formats.
• Enable disaster management authorities to share back summarized (recorded voice reports) back to the communities.
• Retain stored data and predict future situations, by accurately forecasting rainfalls, droughts and other climate induced situation.
• Develop two different portals one for MOHADMA authorities and one for external users where external user portal require to be visualized dashboard reports for public.

Objectives:

The overall objective of this assignment is to promote data visualization and analytics and thereby boosting the utilization of Early warning reports to all stakeholders, for effective use of management of information and enhancing alert, prediction and notification mechanisms.

Key Deliverables:

• Upgrade existing MEWS both mobile and web versions :
• the consultant shall improve the “the look and feel” of the existing online dashboard as well as analytical tools that provide information on different situations of the targeted areas.
• Enhance technical functionalities of the existing features: including developing an interactive visuals for each specific feature with details informative maps. This includes effective report portal for external stakeholders.
• The system must have admin portal that MOHADMA team can trace early warning alerts from communities, monthly situations and can generate reports.
• Technical training on app management and troubleshooting:
• The consultancy firm must provide training for the team and develop documentation for the app.
• The consultancy firm must also provide All necessary troubleshooting, maintenance, upgrading and security services post development support.