Expertise: SCADA, telemetry and instrumentation; operations control center; early warning systems
Expertise Group: Information Systems
Consultant Source: International
TOR Keywords: SCADA, telemetry and instrumentation; operations control center; early warning systems
Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
Project background. The Samoa Water Authority (SWA), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment (MNRE) and with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has initiated
the preparation of the proposed Water Security Improvement Project (WSIP). The proposed project will
enhance water security in Samoa, aligned with the Pathway for the Development of Samoa for FY2026/27 to
FY2030/31 (PDS2), the country’s national development strategy.1
The outcome will be reliable, climate-resilient, and sustainable water supply services in the project
areas of Upolu and Savai‘i enhanced. It will be achieved through three outputs, as follows: (i)
resilient water supply infrastructure upgraded and expanded; (ii) utility operations digitalized and
performance improved; and (iii) institutional capacity for operations management and emergency
preparedness strengthened.
The proposed project is the initial phase (Phase 1) of the priority investments identified under the
Samoa Water Supply and Investment Master Plan 2025–2035 (the Master Plan 2035).2 Additional financing
will be considered during implementation to support further priority investments identified under the
Master Plan 2035, including improvements to sanitation, fecal sludge management, and wastewater
management. The project is designed to complement and maximize the benefits of ADB’s ongoing investments
in Samoa,3 in particular the Alaoa Multipurpose Dam Project4 and the Vaisigano River Integrated Flood
Management Project.5
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) will be the executing agency, and SWA the implementing agency. MNRE may
also act as an implementing agency, to be confirmed during project preparation. A dedicated project
management unit (PMU) will be established within SWA and supported by project implementation support
consultants. The project is still under preparation, with loan approval by the ADB Board expected in
September 2027 and implementation expected to commence in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2027.
As part of project preparation, ADB will recruit individual consultants to undertake the technical
assessments and due diligence required for loan processing. A national engineering and design firm will
also be engaged to prepare detailed engineering designs (DEDs) and bidding documents for selected
priority investments. Refer to Appendix 1 for further detail on the proposed subprojects to be prepared
during the preparation phase, up to bidding document stage.
Purpose of the Assignment. ADB now seeks to engage a SCADA / Instrumentation Specialist (the consultant)
to support SWA and ADB in the preparation of the proposed project. The purpose of the assignment is to
bring the Output 2 SCADA investments to a procurement-ready standard, by (i) confirming with SWA the
priority site list and the user requirements for SCADA Package 1, which covers about 40 high-priority
sites; (ii) defining the functional requirements of the operations control center in Technical Building
B and the telemetry requirements of the boreholes and pumping stations designed under Output 1; (iii)
defining the measurement points, alarm thresholds, and escalation arrangements of the raw water and
network early warning capability; and (iv) preparing the technical specifications, schedule of
requirements and prices, and technical sections of the bidding documents for SCADA Package
Scope of Work
The consultant will conduct the tasks listed under “Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output”. S/he will be
engaged as an individual consultant but will work as part of a wider team of individual consultants
recruited by ADB to conduct due diligence and prepare the documents required for the loan processing.
The consultant will be engaged for 70 working days (intermittent) from 1 December 2026 to 31 July 2027.
Mobilization is expected immediately after the contract is signed. The consultant will report to the ADB
project team leader for contractual matters, report to ADB’s focal point on deliverable-related matters,
and will work in close coordination with SWA and with the other individual consultants and the national
engineering and design firm.
The draft deliverables should be available before the fact-finding mission, tentatively scheduled for 7–
11 June 2027, and the final deliverables should be completed before loan negotiations, tentatively
scheduled for 16–20 August 2027.
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
SCADA, control center, and early warning
Review the existing SCADA sites with SWA, confirm their condition and operability, and confirm the
priority site list for SCADA Package 1.
Advise on the standardization of field equipment, telemetry, communications, and backend integration,
and review the SWA enclosure pilots.
Define the user requirements for SCADA Package 1: priority site schedule, functional and performance
requirements, and training, support, and lifecycle requirements.
Define the functional requirements of the SCADA and operations control center in Technical Building B
and its integration with SCADA Package 1, and provide them to the national engineering and design firm
for the Technical Building B design.
Define the telemetry and monitoring requirements of the borehole solar photovoltaic sites and of the
pumping stations and boreholes designed by the national engineering and design firm under Output 1
(Lefaga, Taga, Asau, and Auala), including the groundwater monitoring and telemetry requirements defined
with the firm’s Hydrogeologist and the international Water Supply/Wastewater Engineer (WS/WE).
Define the raw water and network early warning requirements: hazards and measurement points, parameters
(turbidity, level, flow, pressure, and power status), alarm thresholds, and escalation to the operations
control center, as input to the Package 1 specifications.
Prepare the technical specifications, schedule of requirements and prices, cost estimate, and technical
sections of the bidding documents for SCADA Package 1, including the early warning instrumentation, with
the international Procurement Specialist; the national engineering and design firm cross-checks the cost
estimate against local prices and installation conditions.
Recommend the staffing and organization of the SCADA service group of SWA, with the Utility Commercial
System / Business Process Specialist.
Provide the instrumentation, telemetry, and SCADA inputs to the SWA engineering standards prepared by
the national engineering and design firm under the guidance of the WS/WE: standard instrumentation and
metering points, signal and data conventions, telemetry and communications requirements, and SCADA
integration requirements for new assets.
Processing support and coordination
Provide the inputs of the discipline required for the report and recommendation of the President (RRP)
and its linked documents, the project administration manual (PAM), the design and monitoring framework
(DMF), and the cost estimates.
Support preparation of the SCADA sections of the terms of reference of the Project Design and
Implementation Support Consultant (PDISC), including the scope, deliverables, and expert inputs required
during implementation. These will include a SCADA / instrumentation engineer (national, with
intermittent international inputs at key stages as required) to supervise the supply and installation of
SCADA Package 1: review of the supplier’s design and submittals, factory and site acceptance tests,
installation supervision, commissioning, as-built documentation, and the defects liability period; and
to support the SWA SCADA service group in the operation and maintenance of the system, the preventive
maintenance plan, and the training delivered by the supplier.
Participate in ADB missions, stakeholder workshops, and consultations as required, coordinate inputs
with the other individual consultants and the national engineering and design firm, and perform other
relevant tasks necessary for the successful processing of the proposed project.
Deliver, as required, short training sessions for the PMU and other concerned stakeholders on specific,
technical, or new aspects of the discipline; most of the training will take place during project
implementation.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
The consultant should hold at least a bachelor’s degree in electrical, electronic, control,
instrumentation, or water engineering. The consultant must have at least 12 years of general experience
in SCADA, telemetry, and instrumentation for water utilities, including at least 8 years of specific
experience in the design and specification of SCADA systems, control centers, and early warning or real-
time monitoring systems, and in preparing technical specifications and bidding documents for such
systems. Experience with turbidity and water quality instrumentation and with utilities in small island
developing states or the Pacific region is preferred. The consultant must have excellent report writing
skills in English.
Minimum General Experience: 12 Years
Minimum Specific Experience (relevant to assignment): 8 Years
