Consultancy Service: Repository for the FISHGOV 2 PROJECT – FIRMS ONLY

Background

The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) is a specialized technical office of the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) of the African Union Commission. AU-IBAR provides leadership in developing and coordinating Africa’s animal resources sector to enhance food security, livelihoods, trade, and sustainable economic development.
Under the Enhancing Sustainable Fisheries Management and Aquaculture Development in Africa (FishGov2) Project, funded by the European Union, AU-IBAR is supporting African Union Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in strengthening fisheries governance, promoting sustainable aquatic resource management, and advancing Africa’s Blue Economy agenda. The project contributes to implementing the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS) and other continental commitments.
 

A key component of the FishGov2 Project is knowledge generation, documentation, and dissemination. The project has produced a growing body of knowledge products, including:

1. Policy briefs and technical reports.
2. Fisheries governance studies and assessments.
3. Guidelines and frameworks.
4. Training materials and workshop reports.
5. Research outputs and analytical studies.
6. Multimedia products such as media video captures, presentations, and event documentation

These knowledge assets are hosted in the AU-IBAR Information Repository, a digital platform for storing, preserving, and disseminating institutional knowledge resources to stakeholders across Africa and globally.

The AU-IBAR repository was established using the DSpace open-source platform. While the repository has been useful in preserving institutional outputs, technological developments, and increasing demand for access to FishGov2 knowledge products require that the system be upgraded and strengthened to enhance its functionality, reliability, and visibility.
Upgrading the repository will ensure improved dissemination of FishGov2 knowledge products, stronger integration with global knowledge networks, enhanced system security, and more reliable user access supported by stable system connectivity.
The repository can be accessed here: (https://repository.au-ibar.org/)
 

Rationale

The AU-IBAR Knowledge Repository plays a strategic role in:

1. Preserving institutional knowledge and research outputs.
2. Disseminating FishGov2 knowledge products to policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders.
3. Supporting evidence-based decision-making in fisheries governance.
4. Increasing the visibility and accessibility of AU-IBAR publications and project outputs.

However, several challenges currently limit the effectiveness of the platform:

1. Limited integration with global research identifiers and indexing systems.
2. Need for improved metadata standards and workflow processes.
3. Need for better dissemination and discoverability of FishGov2 knowledge products

Upgrading the repository will strengthen AU-IBAR’s ability to serve as a continental knowledge hub for fisheries governance, ensuring that FishGov2 outputs are widely accessible and actively used by stakeholders across Africa.

Overall Objective

The overall objective of the assignment is to upgrade and enhance the AU-IBAR Knowledge Repository to improve the accessibility, dissemination and long-term preservation of FishGov2 knowledge.

Specific Objectives

The assignment aims to achieve the following objectives:

1.    Enhance the repository platform to improve functionality, usability, and accessibility, enabling management, and dissemination of FishGov2 knowledge products and other AU-IBAR publications.
2.    Improve knowledge organization, discoverability, and interoperability through strengthened metadata standards, structured workflows, and integration with global research and knowledge systems.
3.    Strengthen the repository as a continental knowledge dissemination platform supporting evidence-based policy, research uptake, and stakeholder engagement in fisheries governance and the Blue Economy.
4.    Build institutional capacity and governance mechanisms within AU-IBAR to sustainably manage, maintain, and expand the repository and its knowledge services.

Scope of Work and Key Activities

The firm will undertake the following activities to achieve the above objectives, the contractor will undertake the following activities:

Objective i: Enhance repository functionality, usability, and accessibility

•    Reconfigure repository collections and structures to better organize FishGov2 knowledge products and AU-IBAR publications.
•    Install and configure appropriate user interface themes to improve user experience.

Objective ii: Improve knowledge organization, discoverability, and interoperability

•    Review and strengthen repository metadata structures and standards.
•    Implement improved content-submission workflows and authority-control mechanisms.
•    Configure indexing and search optimisation to improve the discoverability of knowledge products.
•    Integrate the repository with global research and knowledge systems, including ORCID identifiers and DOI services.
•    Configure repository analytics tools to monitor usage and visibility.

Objective iii: Strengthen the repository as a continental knowledge dissemination platform

•    Improve the organization and presentation of FishGov2 knowledge products and other AU-IBAR outputs within the repository.
•    Develop repository features that support better visibility, accessibility, and dissemination of knowledge resources to AU Member States, RECs, researchers, and other stakeholders.
•    Enhance the repository interface and navigation to support wider knowledge sharing and stakeholder engagement.

Objective iv: Build institutional capacity and governance mechanisms

•    Review and update the repository policy and governance framework, including metadata guidelines and content submission standards.
•    Prepare technical documentation and administrative guidelines for repository management.
•    Conduct a two-day hands-on training workshop for AU-IBAR staff on repository management, metadata standards, and system administration.
•    Provide guidance and recommendations for the sustainable management and future expansion of the repository.
 

Expected Deliverables

The firm will deliver the following outputs during the assignment:

1. Improved repository structure and content organization: revised repository collections and content architecture to enhance organization, accessibility, and dissemination of FishGov2 knowledge products and institutional publications.
2. Enhanced metadata standards and content management workflows: updated metadata structures, authority control mechanisms, and submission workflows to improve discoverability, indexing, and knowledge retrieval.
3.  Integration with global research and knowledge systems: operational integration with systems such as ORCID identifiers and DOI services to enhance interoperability and global visibility of AU-IBAR knowledge products.
4. Updated repository governance and policy framework: revised repository policies, including metadata guidelines, submission standards, and repository management procedures.
5. Capacity building for AU-IBAR staff and IT staff: Delivery of a two-day hands-on training workshop for relevant staff on repository administration, content submission, metadata management, and system maintenance.
6. Technical documentation and final assignment report: comprehensive documentation describing the upgrade process, system architecture, configuration settings, and guidance for ongoing system management.
   •    Final report summarizing the work undertaken, key improvements, and recommendations for future development and sustainability of the repository.

Qualifications and Experience

The assignment will be undertaken by a firm or consultant with the following qualifications:

i.    Registered company with at least three years of operational experience.
ii.    Lead team members with:
o    Master’s degree in Information Science, Knowledge Management, Library Science or related field, and
o    Degree in Computer Science or Information Technology.
iii.    Minimum 10 years of professional experience in digital repository development or information systems.
iv.    Demonstrated experience in DSpace repository development and upgrades.
v.    Experience working with international or continental organizations.
vi.    Experience in knowledge management systems, metadata standards, and digital archiving.

Duration and Remuneration

The assignment will be conducted over 30 calendar days.
The total budget for the assignment shall not exceed USD 3,000.00. No additional payments will be made beyond the agreed contract amount.

Supervision

The consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Director of AU-IBAR and will be directly supervised by the Senior Knowledge Management Officer and the Documentalist, with technical support from the AU-IBAR IT staff.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications shall be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Evaluation Criteria	Score
Educational Qualifications of Key Personnel  Relevant postgraduate qualifications in Information Science, Knowledge Management, and Computer Science, or related fields.	15
Relevant Professional Experience  Demonstrated experience (minimum 10 years) in digital repositories, information systems, or knowledge management platforms.	20
Experience with DSpace Repositories  Proven experience upgrading, customizing, or managing DSpace repositories and related technologies (Ubuntu, PostgreSQL, Tomcat).	25
Experience with Institutional Knowledge Systems  Experience supporting repositories or knowledge platforms for universities, research institutions, governments, or international organizations.	15
Proposed Methodology and Work Plan  Clear methodology for repository upgrade, system stability, and dissemination of FishGov2 knowledge products.	15
Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer Approach  Quality of the proposed training plan and sustainability approach for AU-IBAR staff.	5
Language Competence Working knowledge of English is required. Knowledge of French will be considered an advantage.	5
Total Score	100

Application Submission

Applications should be submitted via email to procurement@au-ibar.org  with a copy to wenceslas.tobo@au-ibar.org  and should include the title “Repository for the FISHGOV 2 PROJECT” in the email subject line.

APPLICATIONS SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

i.    Detailed curriculum vitae (CV) and brief cover letter. 
ii.    Copies of academic and professional certification documents. 
iii.    Declaration on exclusion criteria (see format attached). 
iv.    Identification documents.

A Personal Data Protection and Privacy Statement is attached for the applicants' information.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Applications should be submitted to the address given above by 4th May, 2026 at 23:45hrs Nairobi Local Time.