Request for proposal to develop Geo-information System

Background

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry (MMHI) of Mongolia and the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia (MRPAM) to establish an integrated National Geoscience Database (NGDB) through the “Mongolia-Transparency in Extractives-National Geoscience Database” (NGDB) project.

The NGDB project aims at contributing to an increased accessibility, volume and spatial coverage of geoscientific data, in order to attract investment in the sector. One of the project’s activities is to support the Mineral Resources Information Technology Center (MRITC) of MRPAM to establish a Geo-information System (GS). This new system shall allow to populate a complex relational database containing about several thematic sub-databases from different sources (transfer from existing MS Access databases and from another DB systems, manual entry), manage thousands of entries, and query and retrieve data for further analysis and export.

Each data entry shall consist of two components, 1) A spatial component (location data) stored in an Esri Geodatabase; 2) An alphanumeric component, stored in a MS SQL Server database; both components shall be linked through unique identifiers for joint retrieval and analysis. Most of the modules shall run in a local area network.

Adam Smith International, implementor of the NGDB project is looking to hire the services of an experienced software developer company for developing and implementing the GS. The company should meet the following requirements:

• Ample record and references of developing comprehensive information systems over the past years. This would include:
  • the development of IT systems
  • the design and implementation of complex RDBMS
  • the development and implementation of geospatial databases and applications
• Experience in working with governmental agencies
• Proven financial stability
• Good English language skills of key staffs

• Willingness to implement the software development following the “Agile approach” principles. Especially: early and iterative delivery, testing, revision and acceptance of prototypes, and close cooperation between developers and the customer.

Key characteristics of the system to be developed:

• The system shall have the various thematic sections and subsystems.
• The GS must include the following main modules:
  • Point data capture module for manual data entry, including coordinate and measurement unit converter, map viewer, and data plausibility check functions; similar but slightly different interfaces are required for specified thematic sections
  • Point data capture module for importing data from the annual exploration and mining plan eReporting System, including map viewer and data plausibility check functions; required only for specified thematic sections
  • Data source module, for handling data on authors and companies that created the data
  • Point data map viewer with standard functionality, such as search, select, identify, go-to, and a comprehensive set of basemaps
  • Administrator module; the user administration functionality shall be shared with other modules
  • Publisher / user access rights administration module
  • Dashboard with information on data entry status, total and recent progress by thematic component, etc.
• The GS shall interact with the following systems that are already established or currently under development:
  • Serve data as Web Feature Services (WFS) to Mongolia’s Geological Information Catalogue system- MonGeoCat, NGDB Portals and other GIS users (authentication required). http://mrpam.gov.mn/mrpam/indexmn.html
  • Delivery of data packages to the NGDB Publisher
  • Retrieval of point data from the annual exploration and mining plan- eReporting System
  • Retrieval of background data for the GS point data viewer through WFS and WMS from MonGeoCat and Esri
  • Linkages to documents stored in the Document Management System (DMS) through URLs
  • Retrieval of license and holder data from the Computerized Mining Cadaster System (CMCS)
• Routines for import and export of data:
  • Loading of data from existing MS Access databases (one-time procedure)
  • Loading of point data from File Geodatabases (FGDB) having a given standard schema
  • Export of selected records to FGDB and XLSX formats
• Introduction of lookup tables (e.g. for mineral types, analysis methods) wherever possible and appropriate; contents can be modified by users through a specific interface.
• The interfaces must be bilingual (changeable, Mongolian and English), and it must be easy to modify technical terms based on inputs by the customer.
• All data shall be stored in a MS SQL Server RDBMS (alphanumeric components) and an Esri ArcGIS Server/Portal (spatial components)
• Detailed information on programming languages they are intending to use, and if they propose a web app or fat client/desktop application.

Further services to be provided:

• Delivery of the documented source code to the customer, including all rights for usage and further development.
• Training of officers.
• Delivery of user manuals (Mongolian language) and complete technical system documentation including ERDs in both Mongolian and English languages.
• Bug fixing and maintenance: one year after system implementation and acceptance.
• Database and system performance tuning, including guidance of administrators.
• Presentation and discussion of work progress to the customer on a regular basis.

Time frame and milestones:

• A first prototype for one thematic component shall be presented within one month after contract signing.
• Fully functional implemented system and training: within six months after contract signing.

Requirements for the proposal:

Interested companies are invited to submit a proposal and cost estimate in which they outline their relevant technical and commercial capability and experience in Mongolian and English. The proposal should include:

• A brief introduction to the company that includes the number of years in operation, and staff size  
• A detailed corporate track record, with relevant experience over the past 3 years.
• CVs of proposed key technical staff for the services.
• Approach for developing the system, including basic architecture and programming languages
• Cost estimate (to be valid at least for one month)

Public information on similar international geo-information systems can be found at the below addresses:  

• Geoscience Australia’s website: https://www.ga.gov.au/
• Western Australia: https://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/Geological-Survey/Geological-Survey-262.aspx

For more clarifications about technical requirements, please contact Otgonbaatar@ngdb.mn.

The complete proposal should be submitted to Oyunbileg@amep.mn in English and Mongolian. The deadline for submission is 5 January, 2020, Ulaanbaatar time (GMT + 8).

Quotations received after this date will not be considered and only shortlisted companies will be contacted.