Develop guidelines on using GIS to estimate agricultural production, urbaniza…

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT) Name of Project: Eastern Africa Regional Statistics Program-for-Results (EARSPforR) Grant No: P176371 Assignment Title: Individual Consultant (IC) to perform the Consultancy services to Develop of Guidelines for Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Estimate Agricultural Production, Urbanisation and Environmental Degradation in Africa. Reference No. TN-STATAFRIC-AUC-546829-CS-INDV. • Background

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide a powerful spatial framework for analyzing, modelling, and predicting changes in agriculture, urban expansion, and environmental degradation. In the recent past, there has been an increase in demand for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial statistics to support evidence-based policymaking and sustainable development planning in Africa. This growing demand offers an opportunity to improve the quality of data generated from these sources, to enhance the production of official statistics and monitoring development indicators across the continent. Agricultural transformation, rapid urbanisation and environmental degradation are three interlinked phenomena which are rapidly evolving and has structural challenges which require high-quality and spatially disaggregated data. These phenomena have profound implications on food security, economic development, climate resilience, and sustainable land management. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in integration with Remote Sensing (RS), Earth Observation (EO) data, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), offer transformative potential to address these data gaps challenges. To reap the full benefits and to increase adoption and use of these technologies, there’s need of harmonized reference documents which should adhere to international standards and recommendations. It is with this backdrop that the African Union seeks to recruit an individual consultant to develop continental guidelines that provide methodological, technical, institutional, governance, and operational guidance on the effective use of GIS in estimating agricultural production, urbanisation, and environmental degradation indicators. The guidelines are expected to support countries, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), Ministries of Agriculture, Ministries of Environment, urban planning institutions, regional organisations, and development partners in strengthening geospatial statistical systems in Africa. • Objectives of the assignment

The overall objective of this assignment is to develop practical guidelines that enable NSOs, RECs and other institutions/organizations in Africa to apply GIS technologies to the estimate and monitor agricultural production, urbanization, and environmental degradation. The specific objectives are to • Review the existing international frameworks, methodologies, tools, and practices for GIS and remote sensing applications in the three thematic areas. • Assess the current state of GIS adoption in African national statistical systems, identifying existing capacities, infrastructure gaps, data access constraints, and institutional barriers. • Develop step-by-step, Africa-specific guidelines for the application of GIS to estimate agricultural production, urban growth patterns, and environmental degradation indicators; The guidelines should be tailored so that the implementation fits countries at different stages of statistical capacity (basic, intermediate, and advanced tiers). • Develop recommendations for integrating GIS-based estimates into official statistical production processes at national and regional levels; and

• Develop supporting tools, templates, capacity building, and a assessment instrument for NSOs. • Duration and Timeline

The Individual Consultant (IC) is expected to produce a guideline document within 90 days from the date of signing the consultancy services contract. • Reporting and supervision

The Individual Consultant (IC) will work remotely with STATAFRIC staff and will provide regular updates according to the agreed timeline. The contract is proposed under the following terms and conditions: • The duration of this contract is three months. • The consultant is expected to send an updated C.V and a methodological note about the understanding of the entire assignment. • Timeframe

| Activity | Deliverables/ Outputs | Anticipated Duration (Days) | • Defining the consultant’s approach to delivering the guideline. | Methodological report outlining the consultant’s approach to undertaking this consultancy. This should be after the submission of an inception report. | 10 days | • Development of guideline. | Assessment report and outline of the guideline. | 20 days | Draft of the guideline. | 30 days | stakeholders’ consultations and validation report with feedback on the draft guideline | 10 days | Report for in-person presentation of the updated guidelines to STATAFRIC and other stakeholders | 10 days | Finalized guideline. | 10 days • Required Qualifications and Experience

The Individual Consultant (IC) must have at least a master’s degree in Geospatial Sciences, Remote Sensing, Geography, Environmental Science, Agricultural Sciences, Statistics, or a related field. • A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in GIS, remote sensing, and/or geospatial statistics, with demonstrated application to at least two of the three thematic areas (agriculture, urbanisation, environmental monitoring). • Proven experience working with or supporting National Statistical Offices, national mapping agencies, or regional statistical bodies, preferably in Africa. • Demonstrated experience in developing methodological guidelines or technical manuals related to GIS and remote sensing. • Hands-on experience with GIS software platforms (e.g., QGIS, ArcGIS, GRASS GIS) and cloud-based geospatial platforms (e.g., Google Earth Engine, Digital Earth Africa). • Knowledge of international statistical standards and frameworks relevant to GIS-based statistics (UN-GGIM, FAO WCA, SDG geospatial indicators, UNCCD LDN). • Experience facilitating stakeholder consultations and technical workshops. • Demonstrated effective, oral, written communication skills and able to write concise and understandable reports for decision-makers. • Knowledge of Africa's statistical landscape, regional economic communities, and monetary integration frameworks is a strong asset. • Language proficiency in at least one of the AU languages (Arabic, English, French or Portuguese). • Evaluation Criteria

The Candidate shall be evaluated based on the following criteria: | Evaluation Criteria | • General experience: 10%

Use the general experience indicated in the ToR | • Specific experience: 40%

Use the Specific experience indicated in the ToR | • Qualifications: 25 %

Use the qualification indicated in the ToR | • Methodological note: 15 %

Understanding the stipulated tasks in the ToR and the entire assignment. | • Language: 10 % The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment are attached to this request for expressions of interest. The African Union Commission now invites eligible individuals (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Individual Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016, revised November 2020 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours i.e. 0900 to 1700 hours. Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form following the above shortlisting criteria to the address below (in person, or by mail) before 06th August 2026 at 15:00 Hours Local Time, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Only submitted Expression of Interests (EoIs) mentioning the reference number “TN-STATAFRIC - AUC-546829-CS-INDV“ in the subject field of the e-mail, will be considered. African Union Commission, Attn: Head, Supply Chain Management Division - Operations Support Services Directorate Building C, 3rd Floor, P.O Box 3243, Roosevelt Street Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tel: +251 (0) 11 551 7700 – Ext 4305 Fax: +251 (0) 11 551 0442; +251 11-551-0430 E-mails: tender@africanunion.org Terms of Reference Individual Consultant (IC) to perform the Consultancy Services to Develop Guidelines for Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to Estimate Agricultural Production, Urbanisation and Environmental Degradation in Africa. • Background

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide a powerful spatial framework for analyzing, modelling, and predicting changes in agriculture, urban expansion, and environmental degradation. In the recent past, there has been an increase in demand for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial statistics to support evidence-based policymaking and sustainable development planning in Africa. This growing demand offers an opportunity to improve the quality of data generated from these sources, to enhance the production of official statistics and monitoring development indicators across the continent. Agricultural transformation, rapid urbanisation and environmental degradation are three interlinked phenomena which are rapidly evolving and has structural challenges which require high-quality and spatially disaggregated data. These phenomena have profound implications on food security, economic development, climate resilience, and sustainable land management. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in integration with Remote Sensi