CONSULTANCY SERVICE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A DIGITAL DASHBOARD TO COMMUNICATE THE IMPACT OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS IN JOHANNESBURG (MINIMUM VIABLE PRODUCT STAGE)

1. BACKGROUND

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the World Resources Institute jointly lead the SUNCASA project (Scaling Urban Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa), funded by Global Affairs Canada. The City of Johannesburg is an implementing partner.

The SUNCASA project supports cities in designing, implementing, and scaling nature based solutions (NbS) to address climate risks while delivering social and environmental co benefits. In Johannesburg, SUNCASA investments focus primarily on riverine and urban landscape interventions in the Jukskei River watershed that reduce flood risk, improve ecological health, strengthen climate resilience, and advance gender equality and social inclusion.

As NbS projects mature, there is a growing need to clearly and credibly communicate their impacts—to communities, decision makers, and current and prospective funders. Data are being collected through SUNCASA monitoring frameworks, partner reporting, and city systems, but these data are not yet presented in a way that is accessible to non expert audiences or effective for public communication and advocacy.

The terms of reference outlined in this RFP address the critical need for a public facing NbS impact dashboard for Johannesburg. The dashboard is intended to function as a communication and learning tool, demonstrating what has been achieved through SUNCASA investments and laying the foundation for a future city wide platform to track and communicate the impacts of NbS across Johannesburg. Under SUNCASA, a maximum budget of USD 20,000, inclusive of taxes, is available to create a minimum viable product (MVP) dashboard focusing on SUNCASA intervention areas along the Jukskei River. The long-term objective is to develop a city-wide dashboard that communicates NbS impacts and supports the business case for NbS to donors and investors.

2. PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY

Within the framework of the SUNCASA project, IISD seeks a qualified system developer to develop an MVP or working prototype of a public facing, non technical, scalable dashboard that communicates the impacts of SUNCASA-funded NbS in Johannesburg and lays the groundwork for future fundraising and scale up. The purpose of the dashboard is to communicate the impacts of NbS investments on climate adaptation, biodiversity, and gender equality in a way that is understandable to the public, credible to decision-makers, and compelling for funders. The MVP dashboard will have limited content and geographic scope, but should be structured to allow future extension.

The consultant will work closely with key stakeholders (City of Johannesburg, SUNCASA project team, IISD dashboard team) to define MVP requirements, develop a simple and transparent data model, and implement a public facing dashboard focused on communication.

The MVP will use existing data collected through the SUNCASA project and selected publicly available sources. The project team has developed a catalogue of data collected through the SUNCASA project, as well as suggested external data sources relevant to the MVP. This data catalogue will be made available to the selected consultant upon contract signature. To support effort estimation, sample data sets can be shared with interested bidders upon request during the proposal period. No new data collection, real time data integration, or predictive modelling is expected at this stage.

The dashboard will present a limited, clearly defined set of indicators through maps, charts, tables, and short explanatory text, enabling users to understand

•    what NbS are being implemented in the Jukskei River intervention areas
•    how these interventions contribute to flood risk reduction, environmental improvement, and social co benefits.

The MVP should be implemented using simple, well-documented components that can be adapted or extended in future phases, but without building advanced systems or functionality beyond the MVP scope. A suggested list of themes and shortlisted indicators is included in the product requirements document (PRD, see Appendix Section IV). The City of Johannesburg will host the dashboard and may lead future scaling and enhancement in subsequent phases. Advanced analytics, machine learning, real time data ingestion, and decision support functionality are explicitly out of scope for this MVP phase.

The level of interactivity required for the MVP will be intentionally limited and appropriate to a communication-focused dashboard. Specific interaction features will be discussed and confirmed during the inception phase.

The MVP dashboard must be capable of presenting content in multiple languages, specifically English and isiZulu. The consultant is not expected to produce narrative content or provide translations. IISD and/or the City of Johannesburg will be responsible for providing approved narrative text and translations for inclusion in the dashboard.

The MVP dashboard should be designed to be compatible with the City of Johannesburg’s Microsoft-based data environment, including the ability to ingest and export data in standard formats (e.g., Excel, CSV), and to support future integration with tools such as Power BI or Azure-hosted services. This requirement does not prescribe a specific technology for the MVP. Full system integration is not required at the MVP stage. Compatibility with a Microsoft-based environment does not require that the MVP be developed using Microsoft Office or Power BI, but that it can operate within and exchange data with such an environment.

As an MVP, the dashboard is intended to support learning and iteration. IISD and the City of Johannesburg may assess the MVP post delivery based on usability and stakeholder feedback to inform potential future phases. Such assessment is outside the scope of this consultancy and does not constitute additional deliverables.

3. OBJECTIVES

3.1 General Objective
Develop a public facing, non technical dashboard that communicates the impacts of SUNCASA-funded NbS in Johannesburg, clearly linking them to climate adaptation outcomes, while laying the groundwork for future fundraising and scale up.

The dashboard’s front end should be inspired by the design principles and visual language used by the MyPeg (www.mypeg.ca) dashboard, which is indicator‑driven, narrative‑supported, and accessible to a general audience.

3.2. Specific Objectives
The consultancy service will focus on achieving the following objectives:

1.    Define and validate MVP requirements focused on communication outcomes. Translate SUNCASA goals and stakeholder needs into a clear, prioritized set of functional requirements for a public‑facing, non‑technical NbS impact dashboard, explicitly scoped to an MVP.

2.    Develop a functional MVP dashboard for the Jukskei River intervention areas. Build a working, web based prototype that demonstrates how NbS investments contribute to flood risk reduction, environmental improvement, and social co benefits, using a limited number of indicators and data sets.

3.    Implement a small, well defined set of priority indicators and visualizations. Integrate selected SUNCASA and public data into a simple, transparent data model and present results through clear maps, charts, and tables suitable for non expert audiences.

4.    Design an accessible, narrative led user interface. Deliver a front end design inspired by the design principles used to create MyPeg that combines indicators with short explanatory text, emphasizing clarity, credibility, and storytelling rather than advanced analytics.

5.    Ensure deployability and future scalability without building full advanced systems. Deploy the MVP on City of Johannesburg infrastructure and provide lightweight documentation (architecture overview, data structure, and codebase notes) sufficient to support maintenance and future expansion beyond the MVP.

4. SCOPE OF WORK

The consultant will undertake the following activities:

4.1.     Inception and MVP Scoping

Purpose: Align expectations, confirm MVP boundaries, and prevent scope creep.

Activities:
•    Review existing SUNCASA materials, including the PRD (see Appendix 1), indicator frameworks, digital dashboard strategy, and catalogue of available data sets.
•    Confirm and document technology choices appropriate for the MVP, including discussion of available platforms and tools, taking into account the City of Johannesburg’s Microsoft-based environment, MVP scope, and long-term interoperability considerations.
•    Confirm the appropriate level of interactivity for the MVP (e.g., basic filters, navigation), consistent with a public-facing, communication-focused dashboard and the available budget.
•    Conduct a limited number of focused consultations (remote or in person) with IISD, City of Johannesburg, and SUNCASA partners.
•    Confirm priority audiences, communication goals, and success considerations for the MVP.
•    Finalize a clearly bounded MVP scope, including: 
o    Geographic focus (Jukskei River intervention areas)
o    Priority indicators and datasets (see Appendix 1 Section IV)
o    Explicit exclusions (e.g., real time data, predictive modelling).
•    Deliver a short Inception Note outlining refined scope, assumptions, risks, and work plan.

4.2 MVP Data and Indicator Preparation

Purpose: Enable credible storytelling using a small, reliable dataset.

Activities:
•    Assess existing SUNCASA data and selected public data sources.
•    Define a simple indicator framework aligned with climate adaptation, environmental outcomes, and social co benefits.
•    Design a lightweight data structure sufficient for MVP visualization needs.
•    Clean, format, and prepare data for use in the dashboard (no new data collection).
•    Document data sources, limitations, and update assumptions.

4.3 MVP Dashboard Design (User Interface and Narrative)

Purpose: Ensure accessibility and clarity for non technical audiences.

Activities:
•    Develop low fidelity wireframes for key dashboard pages (e.g., landing page, indicator views, map view).
•    Design a narrative led layout inspired by MyPeg principles, combining: 
o    Indicators
o    Visualizations
o    Short explanatory text.
•    Design the dashboard to support multi-language content display (English and isiZulu), including appropriate content structure and language switching functionality.
•    Validate design concepts with IISD and city stakeholders before development.
•    Finalize a simple visual style guide (colours, typography, layout conventions).

4.4 MVP Dashboard Development and Visualization

Purpose: Build a working, public facing prototype.

Activities:
•    Develop a web based MVP dashboard implementing the approved design.
•    Integrate prepared data sets and indicators.
•    Implement core visual components only: 
o    Static or lightly interactive maps
o    Charts and tables
o    Basic filtering or navigation.
•    Ensure responsive design for desktop and tablet use.
•    Conduct internal testing to confirm usability, accuracy, and performance within MVP scope.

4.5 Deployment, Documentation, and Handover

Purpose: Ensure that the dashboard can operate within or be hosted in a Microsoft-compatible environment (e.g., Azure), subject to City infrastructure constraints. Enable use, maintenance, and future scaling without additional buildout. 

Activities:
•    Support deployment of the MVP on City of Johannesburg infrastructure or agreed hosting environment.
•    Provide lightweight technical documentation, including: 
o    System architecture overview
o    Data structure and indicator definitions
o    Deployment and maintenance notes.
•    Conduct a short handover session with city/IISD technical staff.
•    Submit a brief final report summarizing work completed, limitations of the MVP, and recommendations for future phases.

The specific hosting environment (e.g., Azure or other City of Johannesburg infrastructure) will be confirmed in coordination with the city during implementation. Bidders are not expected to assume or provide hosting infrastructure as part of their proposal. The MVP should be deployable within a Microsoft-compatible environment. The level and form of technical access required by the consultant will be agreed with the City of Johannesburg following contract signature and will be appropriate to the MVP scope. 

Detailed terms and reference can be accessed here.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

All proposals and the required documents must be submitted by July 14, 2026, by email at suncasa@iisd.org.

This consultancy presents an opportunity to contribute significantly to climate adaptation efforts in Johannesburg.

We encourage capable organizations and individuals to submit their proposals for consideration.