TERMS OF REFERENCE
FOR PLANNING AND LAND SURVEYING SERVICES
IN INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS OF GEISHA AND HOPOKA NEIGHBOURHOODS MASASA AND NKHORONGO WARDS IN MZUZU CITY
1. BACKGROUND
Habitat for Humanity Malawi (HFHM), in partnership with Mzuzu City Council (MCC), is implementing a project funded by Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) under the Home Equals Challenge Grant. This project, running from July 2025 to June 2027, focuses on the Geisha and Hopoka neighbourhoods within Masasa and Nkhorongo Wards. Its primary aims are to improve the living conditions of residents in Mzuzu City’s informal settlements and to strengthen local Housing Savings and Loans Groups (HSLGs).
The project seeks to influence policy and systems to ensure equitable access to housing, secure land tenure, basic services, and climate-resilient infrastructure. It also aims to enhance socio-economic conditions through community-led savings initiatives. This work directly aligns with MCC’s mandate, vision, and strategic objectives, which prioritise improving living standards within the city’s informal settlements.
To address the fundamental challenges of insecure land tenure and inadequate housing, land regularisation and settlement upgrading are urgent priorities for Geisha and Hopoka. Consequently, HFHM and MCC are jointly seeking to engage a qualified consultant to provide professional land surveying services for these areas.
2. LOCATION OF GEISHA AND HOPOKA NEIGHBOURHOODS
Geisha is a neighbourhood in the southwester part of Mzuzu City. It comprises approximately 860 households, organised under ten block leaders, and covers a target area of roughly 124 hectares.
Hopoka, situated within Nkhorongo Ward, is located in the northern part of Mzuzu City. This neighbourhood consists of approximately 210 households, organised under three block leaders, and spans a target area of about 55 hectares. Like Geisha, Hopoka is predominantly an informal, unplanned settlement.
3. OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY
3.1 Main Objective
To provide land surveying and planning services that facilitate regularization and upgrading of informal settlements in Geisha and Hopoka, in Mzuzu City.
3.2 Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of the consultancy are to:
- Conduct precise perimeter surveys to define the legal boundaries of the Geisha and Hopoka settlement areas.
- Undertake detailed land demarcation and beaconing of individual parcels to establish a technical basis for secure land ownership.
- Develop regularized layout plans that integrate existing residential structures with planned infrastructure, in compliance with the Physical Planning Act.
- Identify and demarcate road reserves, wayleaves, and public open spaces to enable future provision of climate-resilient services.
- Generate high-accuracy GIS shapefiles and survey drawings to
support the integration of these settlements into the official urban management systems of Mzuzu City - Prepare the necessary planning briefs and documentation required for the formal approval of the layouts by the Mzuzu Physical Planning Committee and ensure that all layout plans are duly approved by Mzuzu City Council.
3. SCOPE OF WORK UNDER THE AGREEMENT
The land surveying firm will be required to undertake the following tasks:
3.1. Land Demarcation Surveys in informal settlements for regularization purposes.
The activities to be carried out are cutlined as follows:
- Office and field reconnaissance of the area to be surveyed
- Perimeter survey and placing of beacons along the boundaries of the subject area.
- Demarcation of not less than 1,000 plots according to the existing structures and ownership on the ground in liaison with the MCC and Land Regularization Committee.
- Placing of beacons on plots (not less than 300 mm diameter circular concrete beacons with iron rods at the center not less than 0.45 meters depth flush with ordinary ground level) for houses within the subject area, in liaison with MCC and the Land Regularization Committee
- Production of regularized layout plan for the area in liaison with MCC and submission of the same to the Mzuzu Physical Planning Committee for approval. The layout plan should be produced according to relevant planning policies and Acts of parliament.
- Prepare title plans for all surveyed land parcels and submit in softcopy
(A4 size) - Facilitate approval of layout plan with Mzuzu City Council (MCC) including preparation of planning briefs and necessary documentation, following up with MCC. The Approved layout plan should be submitted in the following formats:
- 4 Hardcopies of minimum size AO, printed according to scale.
- PDF softcopy.
- GIS Shape files of known applicable coordinate system.
3.2. Demarcation of road reserves, way leaves and other public spaces within Geisha and Hopoka Neighbourhoods.
The Consultant will be required to: –
- Demarcate road reserves, way leaves and other public spaces according to relevant policies and Acts of parliament. Road reserves will be demarcated based on sizes stipulated in the Public Roads Act and Physical Planning Standards and Guidelines.
- Submit copies of approved sketches detailing the boundaries of the said road reserve, way leave or public space as the case may be.
4. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES
Expected deliverables have been stipulated based on scope and nature of work as outlined above.
5. QUALIFICATION FOR THE PLANNING AND LAND SURVEYING FIRMS
The Consultant’s personnel, nominated for this project, shall be suitably qualified and experienced. As a guide, the following is an indication of the minimum level of training and experience expected of the key members of the team: –
| No. | Position | Qualification | Experience |
| 1 | Registered and Licensed Surveyor/ Registered Physical Planner – Team leader (Minimum of 1 position, Full time) |
|
Should have completed a minimum of 3 similar projects in each category of the scope of works in the past 15 years. |
| 2 | Graduate Land Surveyors (Minimum of 2 positions) | B.Sc. In Land Surveying/Land Management (Land Surveying) | At least 5 years of progressive working experience in land surveying. |
| 3 | Graduate Physical Planner (s) (Minimum of 1 position) | B.Sc. in Physical Planning/Land Management (Physical Planning). | At least 5 years of progressive working experience in physical planning. |
| 4 | GIS Officers) (Minimum of 1 position) | B.Sc. in GIS/Land Surveying/ Land Management/ Physical Planning | At least 5 years of progressive working experience in GIS. |
| 5 | Chain men (Minimum 5 positions) | Minimum of MSCE | At least 3 years of working experience in |
- Interested planning and land surveying firms must be duly registered and well established.
- Interested planning and land surveying firms shall have permanently employed, registered, licensed and practicing land surveyors under land surveys regulations.
6. DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT
• The assignment will be expected to be concluded within one month.
7. APPLICATION PROCUDURE
Interested consultants/firms are requested to submit a technical offer no later than 10th February 2026. Criteria and weight for rating the offers will be:
- Understanding of the assignment
- Proposed methodology
- Expertise of the Consultants) & team composition including institutional background,
- Fees.
The offer should be submitted electronically to: procurement@habitat.mw and mention the Home Equals Land Surveying Services in the subject line.
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.
Post expires at 11:59pm on Tuesday February 10th, 2026