Invitation to Tender: Water for Tomorrow Decision Support Models
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Invitation to Tender:
Water for Tomorrow
Decision Support Models
Published: 22 September 2021
Background
Water Resources East (WRE) is a partner in the Interreg Water for Tomorrow (WfT)
project, along with the Environment Agency and Rivers Trust (lead partner). WfT
aims to increase access to water in water scarce catchments in the France
(Channel) England region, with long-term benefits that include resilience to
climate change and drought.
To achieve these aims, WfT will develop new tools for abstractors that will better
enable them to access and share water once the needs of the environment have
been met. These include:
• Multi-sector water resource management plans. These will determine how
much water is available & when, how much is required & when and
preferred options for reconciling the two.
• For options based on water sharing, a new Catchment Management System
(CMS). This will use agreed rules for allocating the available water, which
will be based on a combination of abstraction licencing strategies and the
new multi-sector water resource management plans.
The WfT programme is based on the following Work Packages (WPs):
1. WP M: Project Management (responsible partner: The Rivers Trust)
2. WP T1: Water Resource Planning (responsible partner: BRGM)
3. WP T2 Water Resources Management Systems (responsible partner: WRE)
4. WP T3 Management System Implementation (responsible partner: EA)
5. WP C: Communication (responsible partner: The Rivers Trust)
A full list of WPs is provided in Annex A.
1
Within these WPs, WRE is either lead or co-lead on the following:
• T1.2.2 (Water Resource Models): co-lead on the development of technical
models within the Broadlands Rivers catchments with a specific focus on
developing hydrological, public water supply, agriculture, climate change
and growth metrics
• T2.1.3 (Decision Support Models): lead on the development of complex
decision support models (Catchment Management System) in the EN
Broadland Rivers catchment pilot, and
• T3.1.2 (New Data Management and Decision Support Systems): lead on
implementing a Catchment Management System that utilises smart
technology and new data sources to enable a flexible approach to water
allocation and rapid water sharing during periods of water scarcity
Procurement
This Invitation to Tender relates to the second of the work WPs:
• T2.1.3: Decision Support Model Build
The detailed specification for T2.1.3 is set out in Annex B.
Tenders should be submitted to kirstygoddardholmes@wre.org.uk by midday on
Thursday 14th October 2021. Note that WRE is not bound to accept any
tenders if it so chooses to do so.
Tenders should include the following:
• Technical methods
• Anticipated data and model requirements
• Project governance, including named project manager and project director
• Detailed programme
• Staff members who will deliver the work
• Financial proposal including staff rates, hours and expenses
• Review of risks and how risk will be managed
• Previous staff and corporate experience (do not send generic information
or brochures)
Tenderers are welcome to partner with other organisations where good value can
be demonstrated.
WRE Terms and Conditions will be used for the contract and will be provided
separately.
Evaluation criteria are set out in Annex C.
2
Programme
The programme for all three WRE-led tasks is provided below.
Deadline (end of T1.2.2 Water T2.1.3 Decision Options
month) Resource Model Support Model Development
September / Procurement completed and contracts awarded
October 2021
October 2021 Commence liaison Scoping workshop Generic options
with participatory
modelling task WRE options
November 2021 Draft scoping report Draft scoping report workshops
December 2021 Final scoping report Final scoping report Option refinement
January 2022
February 2022 WRE catchment
March 2022 workshops
April 2022 Draft model & Draft model & Draft report &
report report database
May 2022 BVA report Final model & Final report &
report database
June 2022 FVA report
July 2022 Final model &
report
August 2022
September 2022 Planning workshops
October 2022 Workshop report
3Annex A: Full list of WfT deliverables with WRE deliverables highlighted
Work Package Reference Deliverable Number Deadline
T1 Water Resource T1.2.1 Water System 5 no. December
Planning Visualisation Models 2021
T1.2.2 Water Resource 3 no. June 2022
Models (WRE co-lead)
T1.2.3 Guidance Resource Pack 1 no. March
2023
T2 Water Resource T2.1.1 Water Resource 5 no. March
Management Management Strategies 2023
Systems T2.1.2 Data Review Workshop 5 no. August
2021
T2.1.3 Decision Support 2 no. October
Models (WRE lead) 2022
T2.1.4 Guidance Resource Pack 1 no. March
2023
T3 Management T3.1.1 New Data Collection 3 no. March
System Process 2023
Implementation T3.1.2 New Data Management 3 no. March
and Decision Support 2023
System (WRE lead)
T3.1.3 Implementation of Water 5 no. March
Resource Management 2023
Strategies
T3.1.4 Guidance Resource Pack 1 no. March
2023
4Annex B: Specification for T2.1.3 Decision Support Model
General Approach
The decision support model will be developed using an approach based on the
multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA) that WRE use for multi-sector
regional water resource planning.
A summary of the generic steps in an RDM-process is given below (from RAND):
In the WRE MO-RDM process, the regional water resource model (or simulator)
has been built using the PyWR code, while portfolio selection is via the BORG
multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA). Trade-offs between the pareto
optimal portfolios is explored using parallel axis plots which are produced using
Polyvis. Using this approach, the risks associated with uncertainty are managed
by searching for & selecting portfolios that perform robustly in a range of plausible
future scenarios.
This approach includes:
• Working with stakeholders and planners to determine water resource
planning metrics of interest and any related threshold values
• Using the metrics, thresholds & MOEA to search for portfolios of
options which perform well or robustly in most plausible future scenarios
• Using parallel axis plots or similar visualisation tools to explore trade-offs
between the pareto-optimal portfolios which are returned by the MOEA and
then select the preferred portfolio(s)
5The model needs to be developed for a set of Broadland catchments (see Annex
D), but it is important that lessons are learnt for future application to other
catchments. This may include more detailed future application where this is
limited for example by the programme.
Tasks
1. Problem characterisation & decision framing:
Using the RAND XLRM framework, with results summarised in the
first part of a scoping report. To be completed jointly with the WfT
project partners and contractors for T1.2.2 and Options Development
(T1.2.2 is the Water Resources model and delivers a numerical
model which is used in the decision support tool).
2. Decision support model development and testing:
Develop the approach for the decision support process, with attention
to the links between this decision support task and T1.2.1 (the
Participatory model which is delivering a visualization tool which
simulates key processes using high-level data). Write up as the
second part of the scoping report.
3. Formulating and executing the search. Based on iterative refinement and
a progressively more sophisticated/complex approach (i.e. “start simple”).
This includes testing and confirmation of the preferred approach to the
following:
• Spatial and temporal aggregation of metrics or any other model
functions
• Number and type of search metrics & thresholds which are used
• Number and type of tracked metrics which are used
• Any decision-relevant scenarios which are used, and preferences
among these
• Any related policy “decisions” including, for example, the treatment
of specific sectors in the search process
• Any non-modelled factors which should nonetheless be incorporated.
4. Processing the search results, including verification of the MOEA outputs
The verification & validation tests should be agreed with the project
partners as part of the scoping process.
To assist with stakeholder input to the planning process and to validate the
results, the following related activities will also be undertaken:
5. Preparation of trade-off visualisation tool. This will be web-
based and allow for the following:
• Representation of the modelled system, including critical input &
output data and the option portfolios, and
• Visualisation of the trade-offs between different portfolios of options
66. Support for a Planning workshop
• Preparation through training workshops for participants
• Preparation and management for two day-long planning workshops
• Note: these workshops will form part of the overall WfT project
engagement plan
7. Identification of scenarios for use in stress testing on the preferred portfolio
of options, for input to a final vulnerability analysis (see T1.2.2)
8. Reporting, including all related quality assurance. This should also capture
lessons learnt for wider application e.g. through a series of guidance notes.
7Annex C: Evaluation Criteria
Element Criteria Description Proportion of
total score
Quality Technical Understanding of requirements 30% 70%
method and clear proposal to deliver
Governance Project management structure 5%
and experience in key roles
Programme Realistic programme that 5%
meets required deadlines
Staff Qualifications and level of 10%
staffing
Risk Understanding and proposed 5%
management management
Previous Quality of recent relevant 15%
experience experience
Cost Price Total price and value for 30% 30%
money considering staff input
and experience
TOTAL 100% 100%
8Annex D: Broadland catchments
The Broadland catchments comprise the catchments of the rivers Bure, Waveney,
Wensum and Yare. It is intended that catchment models will be produced for all
4 catchments, at least to their tidal limits.
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