In order to help achieve targets and address specific issues and/or objectives as outlined in the GBIF Work Programme 2009-2010, GBIF may commission time-bound and subject-specific Task Groups. The GBIF Secretariat invites proposals from organisations/institutions, research groups and individuals working in the area of biodiversity informatics, bioinformatics, ecoinformatics and/or related fields of scientific data management to coordinate the commissioning and activities of these Task Groups.
1. Background:
In order to help achieve targets and address specific issues and/or objectives as outlined in the GBIF Work Programme 2009-2010, GBIF may commission time-bound and subject-specific Task Groups. Recent Task Groups have included those dealing with observational data (ODTG), multimedia data (MRTG), data publishing framework (DPF TG), content needs assessment (CNA TG), natural history collections (GSAP-NHC), LSID and GUIDs (LGTG) and metadata implementation framework (MIFTG). For each of these TGs, the GBIF Secretariat has led the process; however, we now seek to contract out such coordination and project management on future TGs. With this Request for Proposals (RoP), we are initiating this process.
2. Request for Proposals:
In 2010 GBIF wishes to commission two further Task Groups addressing the following issues;
- A Global Strategy and Action Plan for mobilisation of Observation, Ecological, Multimedia and other types of primary biodiversity data (GSAP-OEM)
- A Data-Hosting Centres Task Group (DHC TG)
Objectives, terms-of-reference (ToR), and timeline of activities of each of these proposed Task Groups are detailed in Annex I.
Through this RoP, the GBIF Secretariat invites proposals from organisations/institutions, research groups and individuals working in the area of biodiversity informatics, bioinformatics, ecoinformatics and/or related fields of scientific data management to coordinate the commissioning and activities of these Task Groups as per the GBIF approved guidelines (Annex II). Contracting organisation(s)/individual(s) would be responsible for project management of the full process, including delivery of the final outputs of the Task Groups as detailed in Annex I.
Proposals as per attached proforma (Annex III) to coordinate either or both specified Task Groups must be submitted to Dr. Vishwas Chavan, Senior Programme Officer for DIGIT (email: vchavan_@If you can read this, please upgrade to a modern browser.gbif.org) on or before 25th November 2009.
Annex I: Objectives and ToRs of the Task Groups
(A) Global Strategy and Action Plan for mobilisation of Observation, Ecological, Multimedia and other types of primary biodiversity data (GSAP-OEM)
As part of a broader Global Strategy for mobilising Primary Biodiversity Data, GBIF is proposing to catalyse the development of a Global Strategy and Action Plan (GSAP) for the further mobilisation of observation, ecological, multimedia and other types of primary biodiversity data worldwide.
Task Group Objectives
- Review the current state of free and open access to observational, ecological, multimedia and other types of primary biodiversity data.
- Identify constraints/barriers (infrastructural, technical, training, social, and political) to exchange/sharing of these data types.
- Produce guidelines for developing:
- institutional, national, regional and thematic strategies and action plans for discovery and mobilization of such types of primary biodiversity data;
- strategies and action plans for mobilising ad-hoc and non-primary biodiversity data, e.g. data collected through EIA studies, in-situ and ex-situ studies;
- tool kits, standards and best practices for simple, and cost-effective capture, management, quality enhancements and mobilisation of data;
- accreditation and recognition frameworks to acknowledge the efforts of various players involved in the data life cycle from its generation to publishing;
- outreach and capacity building related to all of the above.
- Recommend technical and infrastructural enhancements within the GBIF network to facilitate discovery and publishing of these new data types.
- Recommend mechanisms and innovative approaches towards mobilising resources (financial and infrastructural) to expedite mobilisation of such types of data.
Task Group Characteristics, Timeline and modus operandi
The Task Group should start functioning from early February 2010 and should remain active until the final report is submitted by beginning of August 2010. The Task Group should convene most of its business remotely through mailing-list, wiki, skype and conference calls. Regular physical meetings are not planned but at least one is foreseen in order to either scope or formulate the final report.
The Task Group will report through the DIGIT Work Area Chair and DIGIT Programme Officer at the GBIF Secretariat.
Task Group Composition
The Task Group should consist of not more than 10 experts in the field of observational, ecological, multimedia and other types of primary biodiversity data digitisation, management and publishing, each with a proven record of excellent liaison with multinational, multicultural stakeholders. Given that different data types and data publishers will require different strategic approaches, representation of the different domains needs to be ensured. Considering the global scale of this exercise an attempt will also be made to maintain regional and gender balance.
Timeline:
January 2010: Call for nominations
February 2010: Establishment of the Task Group
March/April 2010: Draft discussion document(s) to seek inputs from stakeholders
May/June 2010: Face-to-face meeting of the Task Group
July 2010: Release of draft report of the GSAP-OEM TG to seek inputs from GBIF Participants and other stakeholders
August 2010: Final Report submission
Budget:
An allocation of € 10,000 each has been made in 2009 budgets for this activity. Additional resources, if required can be made available from 2010 budget. However, an additional expense would need justification and prior approval of the Secretariat.
(B) Data Hosting Centre Task Group (DHC TG)
Whilst an unprecedented volume of biodiversity data is currently being generated worldwide, it is perceived that significant amounts of data get lost or will be lost after project closure. To investigate the causes of such loss, and recommend strategies as to how biodiversity data can be rescued and archived, through ‘data hosting centres’ a Task Group on ‘Data Hosting Centres’ will be commissioned.
Task Group Objectives:
- Identify the socio-political, cultural, technical and economic causes of loss of biodiversity data.
- Review the state-of-the-art of the ‘data hosting’ and/or ‘data archival’ infrastructures in engineering and social sciences, as well as in biological sciences, etc.
- Produce guidelines for developing:
- Strategies and best practices for prevention of ‘biodiversity data loss’;
- Guidelines to implement data rescue and archival mechanisms across the GBIF network;
- Criteria for establishment, endorsement, and monitoring of ‘data hosting centres’;
- Mechanisms to discover and archive orphaned or to be orphaned biodiversity datasets; li>
- Innovative ways to collaborate with existing infrastructures and initiatives, and industry players to integrate the above mechanisms to rescue and archive threatened biodiversity data with the existing global infrastructure
- Inventorise data rescue tools, processes, software’s, and infrastructures etc.
Task Group Characteristics, Timeline and modus operandi:
The Task Group should start functioning from February 2010 and should remain active until the final report is submitted by beginning of August 2010. The Task Group should convene most of its business remotely through a mailing-list, wiki, skype and conference calls. Regular physical meetings are not planned but at least one is foreseen in order to scope or formulate the final report.
The Task Group will report through the DIGIT Work Area Chair and DIGIT Programme Officer at the GBIF Secretariat.
Task Group Composition
The Task Group should consist of not more than six experts in the field of data rescue, data archival, data managers, and industry leaders, with a proven record of excellent liaison with multinational, multicultural stakeholders. Considering the global scale of this exercise an attempt will also be made to maintain regional and gender balance.
Timeline:
January 2010: Call for nominations
February 2010: Establishment of the Task Group
March/April 2010: Draft discussion document to seek inputs from stakeholders
May/June 2010: Face-to-face meeting of the Task Group
July 2010: Release of draft report of the DHC TG to seek inputs from GBIF Participants and other stakeholders
August 2010: Final Report submission
Budget:
An allocation of € 10,000 has been made in 2009 budget for this activity.
Annex II: Guidelines for coordination of Task Groups
- The Contractor will prepare the final version of the ToR for the Task Group in consultation with respective Work Area Chair(s) and the GBIF Secretariat Programme Officer.
- The Secretariat will release the ‘Call for Nominations’ for the membership of the Task Group.
- The Contractor, in consultation with the Secretariat and respective Work Area Chair(s) will determine the composition of the Task Group and will identify two experts as co-chairs.
- In the case of too few nominations experts can be co-opted by the Task Group co-chairs in consultation with the Secretariat.
- The Secretariat will announce the commissioning of the Task Group through its communications portal, and mailing lists.
- The Task Group should convene most of its business remotely through mailing-list, wiki, skype and conference calls.
- Dates, venue and agenda of the face-to-face meeting will be determined by the co-chairs of the Task Group in consultation with the contractor, Work Area chair(s) and the Secretariat point of contact.
- The Contractor will be responsible for making the necessary logistical arrangements for smooth conduct of the face-to-face meeting.
- The Contractor and Co-Chairs in consultation with the Work Area Chair and the Secretariat will determine the best mechanism for seeking inputs from GBIF Participants and other stakeholder communities.
- The members and the Co-Chairs of the Task Group will not receive remuneration for their participation. However, all related expenses towards their participation will be covered by the contract.
- The Task Groups are mandated to provide a suite of recommendations on the issues under evaluation.
- The Contractor and Task Group Co-Chairs will determine the structure of the report in consultation with Work Area chair and the Secretariat.
- The Contractor will seek the prior consent of the Secretariat to make the final report available in the public domain and/or share with other networks, and initiatives.
Annex III: Proforma for Proposals on Coordination of a GBIF Task Group
- Name of the Task Group:
- Name of the organisation:
- Address (including tel., fax., & email):
- Name of the coordinating person:
- Skills and experience of contracting institutions and/or individuals in successful coordination of international, multi-domain, and multi-cultural Task Groups:
- Suggestions to optimise the coordination of the Task Groups (other than those listed in Annex I and II.
- Suggest experts who could be potential co-chairs of the Task Group:
- Statement of Undertaking (on the official stationary, and to be signed by the Grants Officer and the contractor):
On behalf of <name of the contractor> our institution / organisation agree to extend all necessary support for smooth functioning of the Task Group. We further agree fulfil the expectations, obligations and conditions set in the award letter. We further undertake the responsibility for submitting final reports within the agreed timeline. We would further provide the detailed statement of expenditure incurred on various activities of the Task Group.
Signature of the Grants Officer / Head of the Organisation
Name and Title of the Grants Officer / Head of the Organisation
Seal of the Organisation
More information at http://www.gbif.org/communications/news-and-events/showsingle/article/coordination-of-a-gbif-thematic-task-group/
View Comments 
