CEFAS25-60 Underwater Noise Training - Sri Lanka

Tender description

Delivery of passive acoustic monitoring training with one government department and one NGO in Sri Lanka, under the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) The Supplier is required to design, deliver and report on the in-person training of equipment set up, as well as usage and data extraction to one government department and one NGO in Sri Lanka, for passive acoustic monitoring. Cefas has been involved in equipment acquisition following interest by two Sri Lankan organisations to develop their passive acoustic monitoring capability. Three SoundTrap ST600 HF- Long Term Recorders (Ocean Instruments NZ) have been purchased and are being delivered to each of the two organisations. Cefas now require a Supplier to deliver training on the initial set up and maintenance of the noise recorders. The government organisation intends to utilise the equipment for monitoring of baseline ambient sound levels and to establish trends in anthropogenic noise around the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. Colombo is the main shipping area in the country, and there is also the potential for future renewable energy developments. The NGO intends to utilise the equipment for monitoring marine mammals off the southwestern and southern coasts of Sri Lanka, in particular blue whales, to support ongoing scientific research objectives determining the drivers for seasonality of different marine mammal species in Sri Lankan waters. The different objectives of each organisation must be fully considered within the design of the training provided to each one. The training will be delivered in-person in Sri Lanka, and may be delivered through classroom based sessions only or a combination of classroom and field-based sessions; the Supplier should detail their intended delivery method within their submission. Key points that should be covered by the training: 1. Basic principles of underwater noise and expectations of types of sounds that could be recorded. 2. Basic principles of how an acoustic recorder/hydrophone works. 3. How to calibrate the acoustic recorders (all 6 SoundTraps were calibrated at the National Physical Laboratory, Loughborough, UK and calibration certificates will be provided with the equipment). 4. How to set up the acoustic recorders for field deployment. 5. How to download the data off the acoustic recorders and perform basic quality control checks. 6. How to maintain the acoustic recorders (cleaning o-rings, check for corrosion etc.) The Supplier will provide step-by-step guides for each of the organisations to refer to (including picture guides) on key points 3 – 6, in addition to the in-person training. The Supplier is required to engage and work closely with both organisations, along with Cefas, to design a training plan, deliver the agreed plan and provide a short summary report following the delivery of the training. The training plan will be reviewed and approved by Cefas and in-country partners prior to delivery commencing. All in-country, in-person delivery of training is expected to be completed within 1-week, with the expectation of 1-2 days of training provided to each organisation. This will vary depending on content proposed by the Supplier and staffing availability of those from the two organisations. Exact timing of the training will be agreed between the Supplier, Cefas, and our in-country partners, within the timeframe proposed. Training may be provided in either Sinhala or English. During the design and delivery of training, the Supplier must consider Gender, Equality, Diversity and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH). The final report should provide a summary of training delivered, demographic data of those trained and evidence of learning that occurred from the training (e.g. through pre-delivery and post-delivery questionnaires) and feedback from those trained (covering the review of the training received and how they will utilise this training in the future). The Supplier must have demonstratable knowledge of the use, set up and basic data interpretation of underwater noise monitoring equipment which is either the same as or of a similar design to the SoundTrap ST600 HF-Long Term Recorder. The Supplier should also have demonstrable evidence of the delivery of training, with an understanding of delivering work of a similar nature in tropical regions and/or across the Asian continent. Equipment Specification: As per: https://www.oceaninstruments.co.nz/product/soundtrap-st600-hf-long-term-recorder/ (accessed 23/04/2025) The SoundTrap ST600 HF is a self-contained underwater sound recorder for long term ocean deployments. The ST600 features the lowest power consumption of any underwater acoustic recorder available, coupled with beautiful audio fidelity thanks to super low self-noise and wide 150 kHz bandwidth. Key features: • Up to 150 days battery endurance on NCR18650 rechargeable batteries • 4 x microSD provide up to 2 TB of removable data storage • Bandwidth 20 Hz – 150 kHz • Sample rate up to 384 kS/sec • Rugged Titanium housing • Removable protective hydrophone cage • Up to 500m depth rating • Long term recorder – suitable for up to 1-year deployments Other equipment provided to the organisations for use in this work are as follows: • 72 x Lithium-ion Batteries – Samsung, ICR18650-26F, 3.75V, 18650, Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery, 2.6Ah (12 batteries are required for each noise recorder) • 2 x Battery Chargers – XTAR VC4SL battery chargers • 50 O-Rings – RS PRO Nitrile Rubber O-Ring, 38mm Bore, 44mm Outer Diameter • 24 x SD Cards 256GB – Samsung EVO Plus microSD SDXC U3 Class 10 A2 Memory Card 130MN/s with SD Adaptor 2021 (512GB) • 2 x set of Floats • 2 x Rope, 150m Cefas will provide an introduction between the successful Supplier and our partners in-country, and will participate in any virtual meetings including both the Supplier and our partners in-country. All equipment detailed above will be delivered to in-country partners by Cefas ahead of the Contract start date. All materials produced for this Contract are to be provided to Cefas prior to Contract completion. Materials produced may be utilised for other programs in the future. Safeguarding and SEAH The Supplier is required to adhere to the highest standards of Safeguarding and prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH) and ensure that all staff working on overseas projects complete mandatory safeguarding training. The Supplier must also have a comprehensive safeguarding policy that clearly sets out procedures to prevent and address SEAH. This policy should include as a minimum: • Clear behavioural expectations for all staff and associated personnel, applicable in all countries where work is being delivered. • A prohibition on engaging in sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18, regardless of the legal age of consent in the country of operation. • Establish clear reporting mechanisms for SEAH incidents, ensuring that all staff are aware of these routes. • Take swift and appropriate action to stop harm, investigate, and report to relevant authorities when SEAH incidents occur. The successful supplier will: 1. Work closely with the Cefas Project Team and in-country partners to develop underwater noise training materials to meet the requirements as above. 2. Deliver training on the set up and usage of underwater noise equipment to two organisations in Sri Lanka as specified above. 3. Be responsible for the smooth delivery of the programme from beginning to end, including ensuring it is in line with Sri Lankan laws and cultural expectations. 4. Engage in regular review meetings with the Cefas Project Team on the progress of the project delivery; meeting schedule will be agreed at project kick off. 5. Provide a short summary report on the delivery of the Contract including key GEDSI reporting data. Information on participants reached should include (as a minimum) name, gender, age, disability, geography and organisation (where this can be meaningfully and safely collected). 6. Be responsible for ensuring the minimum standards for GEDSI and SEAH are upheld and implemented throughout the program according to the Defra GESI policy and Cefas’ safeguarding and SEAH policy. Deliverables: 1. Provide delivery plan to Cefas, including all materials to be used in the training, locations of training and expected timeline for delivery. a. To be delivered 1st August 2025. 2. Undertake delivery of training to the two organisations in Sri Lanka, as specified in the agreed delivery plan. a. To be delivered 1st November 2025. 3. Produce a short report following the delivery of the training to include the structure of the workshop, feedback from participants and attendance information (as detailed above). a. To be delivered 15th November 2025. Location for services to be undertaken: Sri Lanka, various locations.