The Ethiopian herald Sunday 13 April 2026
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES-FIRMS SELECTION)
COUNTRY: Federal
Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
NAME OF PROJECT: Ethiopia Water Supply,
Sanitation and Hygiene project
Credit No. IDA
64450
Assignment Title:
Selecting and Employment of Consulting Firm for the document preparation. Rating
Curve development and concept of operations/service strategy
Document preparation
Reference No. ET-MOWE-536606-CS-CQS
The Federal
Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) has received financing from the World Bank
toward the cost of implementation of the Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Project
and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.
1. Objectives of the assignment
The objective
of the consultancy assignment is to enhance the operational effectiveness, data
quality, and decision-support capacity of national hydrology services through clear
operational guidance and improved rating curve accuracy.
1.1. Specific objectives
The specific
objectives of the Assignment are to:
- Develop a standardized Concept of Operations
(CONOPS) for Hydrology Services under MoWE.
- Assess the reliability of existing rating
curves at selected hydrological gauging stations.
- Update rating curves using recent and
historical discharge measurements.
- Fully revise rating curves where significant
inconsistencies or changes in channel conditions are identified.
- Strengthen institutional capacity for
sustainable rating curve management and quality assurance.
- Develop a prioritization framework for
selecting stations based on data criticality, station condition, and risk.
- Establish a scalable, repeatable methodology
for mass rating curve deve revision applicable across diverse river basins in Ethiopia.
2. Scope and
Activities for the Development of Guidelines
The assignment
consists of two interrelated components:
Component 1:
Preparation of CONOPS for Hydrology Services (MOWE-Hydrology and Basin Information
Lead Executive)
The consultant shall:
- Review existing policies, strategies,
guidelines, SOPs, and institutional arrangements related to hydrology services under
MoWE, particularly those led by the Hydrology and Basin Information Lead Executive,
Basin Development Offices (Abay, Awash, Rift Valley Lakes, Baro- Akobo, Genale-Dawa,
and Tekeze), and Regional Water Bureaus.
- Assess the current operational status
of hydrological monitoring networks (surface water, groundwater, water resource
information and GIS-hydrology interface).
-Define the overall operational concept for hydrology services
under the Hydrology and Basin Information Lead Executive, including:
- Service objectives and functions
- Roles and responsibilities of the Hydrology
and Basin Information Lead Executive, Surface Water, Groundwater, GIS and Water
Resources Information desks, Basin Development Offices, and Regional Water Bureaus.
- Define standard operational procedures
(SOPS) for:
- Identify gaps, risks, and capacity needs
(human resources, equipment ICT. Financing.)
- Propose an implementation roadmap with
short, medium, and long- term actions.
Component 2:
Rating Curve Reliability Test, Updating, and Revision.
The consultant shall:
- Review existing stage-discharge data,
rating curves, and station metadata for selected hydrological gauging stations managed
by MoWE through the Hydrology and Basin Information Lead Executive and Basin Development
Offices.
- Conduct rating curve reliability analysis
using:
- Categorize stations into priority tiers
(e.g., high, medium, low) based on usage in forecasting, design, or water allocation.
- Identify causes of rating curve instability,
- Prioritizing stations with recommended
actions (update/revise/maintain)
- Update existing rating curves where
minor adjustments arc required.
- Perform full rating curve revision where
major deviations are identified,
- For stations where a conventional single-valued
rating curve is deemed unsuitable or un reliable due to hydraulic complexities (e.g.,
backwater, unstable control, hysteresis), the consultant shall:
a. Diagnose
the primary cause of instability.
b. Propose and
justify the most technically and economically feasible alternative method from an
approved list (e.g., parameterized ratings, index-velocity, slope-area, hydrodynamic
modeling, or continuous direct measurement).
c. Develop,
calibrate, and validate the alternative discharge estimation model.
d. Clearly document-the
methodology, assumptions, uncertainty, and operational requirements (e.g., need
for additional sensors) in the station technical report.
- Define a statistically sound sampling
approach for field verification to optimize resources while ensuring representativeness
across 400+ stations.
- Validate revised rating curves and recommend
monitoring and re- measurement frequency.
- Develop or apply automated tools for
batch processing of rating curve analysis and consistency checks.
- Prepare standardized rating curve documentation
and archiving formats.
- Ensure updated rating curves are integrated
into MoWE's hydrological database system with version control and audit trails
Component 3:
Capacity building training for MOWE and Basin development office hydrologist and
hydrology technicians on mass rating curve management
3. The shortlisting
criteria are:
(i) Core business
and years in business;
(ii)Relevant
Experience in the field of assignment; and
(iii) Technical
and managerial capability of the firm.
4. The attention
of interested Consultants is drawn to Section VII, paragraphs 7.11 & 7.12 of
the World Bank's "Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers", Seventh
Edition, September, 2025 ("Procurement Regulations"), setting forth the
World Bank's policy on conflict of interest. Consultants may associate with other
firms to enhance their qualifications but should indicate clearly whether the association
is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint
venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable
for the entire contract, if selected.
5. Consultant
will be selected in accordance with the Consultant's Qualifications Based Selection
(CQS) method set out in the Procurement Regulations.
6. The English
version of ToR can be obtained free of charge by downloading it from the Ministry's
web site at https://www.mowe.gov.et/en/resource-types/procurement-files
7. Further information
can be obtained at the address below during office hours from Monday to Friday,
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM in the morning and from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM in the afternoon.
8. Expressions
of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below in person or
by e-mail (PDF Format) by April 27, 2026
on or before 5:00PM Local time.
The Address(es) referred to above
is:
Attn: Mr. Tadelle Gezahage/Mohammed
Sirage
Haile Gebresilassie Avenue 5th
floor, Room Number 511
E-mail: tadele.gezahegn@mowe.gov.et
mohammed.sirage@mowe.gov.et
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Ministry of Water and Energy
OWNP-CWA-II PMU
Ministry of Water and Energy