Capacity-Building Training on Road Design Using Autodesk Civil 3D

Assignment Title: Capacity-Building Training on Road Design Using Autodesk Civil 3D

1. Project Background
The AKF-A Infrastructure Sector has extensive experience in implementing and supporting infrastructure development across its operational provinces. Over the past two years, the infrastructure team has implemented 296 water supply projects and 178 other infrastructure projects, including roads, culverts, bridges, irrigation canals, intakes, reservoirs, solar pumping systems, flood protection walls, public buildings, electrification systems, and greenhouses. Building on this experience, the proposed capacity-building training will strengthen the Engineering Department’s expertise in road design using Autodesk Civil 3D, particularly for roads connecting villages and linking villages to district centers. The training will support improved design quality, consistency, and efficiency in the planning and development of road infrastructure.

2. Rationale
The Infrastructure Sector of the Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan (AKF-A) plays a cross-cutting role in supporting other sectors, including Education, Health, Agriculture and Food Security (AFS), and Economic Inclusion (EI), while also implementing infrastructure projects independently. Its responsibilities include initial assessments, field surveys, engineering design, implementation, and monitoring of various infrastructure projects. Strengthening the technical capacity of engineering staff in road design and the practical application of Autodesk Civil 3D is essential to improving the quality, accuracy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of road designs and ensuring compliance with applicable national and international standards.

3. Scope of work / Overall objective
The objective of this training is to enhance the technical capacity of Engineering Department staff in road design, particularly roads connecting villages to villages and villages to district centers, using Autodesk Civil 3D. The training shall cover fundamental road design principles, classification, Structure and geometric design criteria, thresholds, limitations, and applicable national MRRD and MoPW guidelines/standards and international standards, as relevant. It shall emphasize the practical application of these standards in Civil 3D, including survey data processing, horizontal and vertical alignments, profiles, cross-sections, gradients, curves, sight distance, superelevation where applicable, earthwork quantities, and preparation of engineering drawings, ensuring safe, technically sound, cost-effective, and standards-compliant rural road designs.

4. Main duties and responsibilities
• Develop and submit a comprehensive training curriculum, methodology, and schedule covering road design principles, geometric design criteria, applicable standards, and practical applications of Autodesk Civil 3D.
• Provide training on road classification, design speed, design criteria, geometric design parameters, thresholds, limitations, and the application of relevant Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) standards and regulations, together with applicable international standards, and any other topic have relation with Road design.
• Autodesk Civil 3D Fundamentals and Project Setup: Cover the software interface, project organization, drawing templates, units, coordinate systems, coordinate reference systems, drawing settings, styles, labels, data management, and essential Civil 3D tools used in road design.
• Survey Data Processing and Terrain Modeling: Provide training on importing, processing, and managing survey data, survey points, point groups, break lines, feature lines, digital terrain models, existing ground surfaces, contour generation, surface analysis, and terrain visualization.
• Horizontal Alignment Design: Cover road alignment creation and editing, alignment geometry, tangents, circular curves, transition curves where applicable, curve parameters, stationing, superelevation, widening where required, and compliance with the applicable geometric design criteria.
• Vertical Alignment and Profile Design: Cover existing ground profiles, proposed vertical profiles, profile geometry, gradients, vertical curves, crest and sag curves, stopping sight distance, coordination of horizontal and vertical alignments, and compliance with the applicable design standards.
• Road Cross-Section and Assembly Design: Provide training on typical road cross-sections, assemblies and subassemblies, carriageway and lane widths, shoulders, medians where applicable, pavement layers, side slopes, cut-and-fill conditions, ditches, berms, and other road components in accordance with the approved design criteria.
• Road Corridor Modeling: Cover corridor creation and configuration, baseline and region management, assembly application, corridor targets, daylighting, corridor surfaces, corridor refinement, intersections where applicable, corridor editing, and resolution of common modeling errors.
• Cross-Sections and Section Views: Cover sample line creation, section view generation, existing and proposed cross-sections, corridor sections, material sections, cut-and-fill representation, section labeling, and preparation of cross-sectional design drawings.
• Road Drainage Design: Provide training on the Civil 3D tools and workflows used to support road drainage design, including surface drainage assessment, roadside ditches, longitudinal drainage profiles, culvert layout and coordination, pipe networks where applicable, and integration of drainage requirements into road geometry and cross-sections. The training shall distinguish between software modeling and the separate hydraulic design checks required for drainage structures.
• Earthwork, Material Quantities, and Cost Estimation: Cover earthwork volume calculations, cut-and-fill analysis, average end-area methods, corridor material quantities, pavement material calculations, quantity reports, mass haul analysis where applicable, and preparation of quantity data to support cost estimates and bills of quantities.
• Intersections and Associated Road Features: Cover the design and modeling of road intersections, junction geometry, turning movements where applicable, intersection profiles and corridors, access roads, tie-ins, and other relevant road features using appropriate Civil 3D tools and workflows.
• Design Checks, Analysis, and Optimization: Provide training on reviewing alignment geometry, gradients, curve parameters, sight distance, superelevation, corridor consistency, earthwork balance, and design constraints. Demonstrate how to identify and correct design errors and optimize road geometry while maintaining compliance with applicable standards.
• Plan Production, Labeling, and Engineering Drawings: Cover the preparation of road layout plans, longitudinal profiles, cross-sections, typical cross-sections, setting-out information, stationing, annotations, dimensions, tables, legends, title blocks, sheet layouts, plan production tools, sheet sets, plotting, and export of drawings and design information to required formats.
• Data Exchange, Interoperability, and Project Management: Cover the management and sharing of Civil 3D project data, including surfaces, alignments, profiles, corridors, data shortcuts, external references, survey information, drawing files, and the exchange of data with other commonly used engineering software and formats, where applicable.
• Practical Road Design Project: Guide participants through a complete road design exercise using actual or representative survey data, from terrain modeling and preliminary design criteria to horizontal and vertical alignment, assemblies, corridor modeling, cross-sections, drainage coordination, earthwork quantities, and final design drawings.
• Quality Assurance and Design Documentation: Establish practical procedures for checking design accuracy, consistency, compliance with approved standards, drawing completeness, quantity calculations, and deliverable quality. Demonstrate the preparation and organization of design files and documentation for technical review and approval.
• Emerging Technologies and AI Applications: The training provider shall introduce relevant emerging technologies, AI-assisted tools, and design automation techniques applicable to road design using Autodesk Civil 3D. This shall include available AI features, automated design workflows, terrain and alignment analysis, design optimization, and productivity-enhancing tools, where applicable. The training provider shall demonstrate practical applications and explain their benefits, limitations, software requirements, and the need for engineering verification of all outputs. Newly released or preview features shall be identified accordingly.
• Climate-Resilient Road Design: The training provider shall cover climate-resilient road design principles, including the assessment of climate-related risks such as flooding, heavy rainfall, erosion, landslides, and extreme temperature variations. The training shall address appropriate road drainage systems, slope stabilization, erosion protection, resilient pavement design, and the integration of climate-risk considerations into road alignment, cross-sections, and other design components, using applicable national and international standards and relevant Autodesk Civil 3D tools where appropriate.
• Practical Road Design Projects: Complete two practical road design projects using real survey data and Autodesk Civil 3D. The first project shall involve the design of a gravel road connecting villages, with a minimum length of 2 km, covering both relatively flat and mountainous terrain and incorporating the required horizontal and vertical curves, gradients, cross-sections, drainage, and other relevant road elements. The second project shall involve the design of a paved road connecting a district center to a provincial center, incorporating all relevant geometric design elements, pavement structure, drainage, earthwork calculations, and detailed engineering drawings. Both projects shall comply with applicable national MRRD and MoPW road design standards and regulations, as well as relevant international standards, considering the road classification, terrain conditions, design speed, safety requirements, and other applicable design criteria.
• Ensure that the training content reflects the applicable road design standards and regulations of MRRD and MoPW, together with relevant international standards, as appropriate.
• Complete the training within the approved timeframe and ensure that all agreed objectives, activities, and deliverables are satisfactorily fulfilled.

5. Methodology
• The training shall adopt a practical, progressive, and project-based approach, combining technical presentations, software demonstrations, guided exercises, and hands-on design assignments. It shall begin with presentations on road design principles, classification, design criteria, geometric design parameters, thresholds, limitations, safety requirements, and applicable MRRD and MoPW national standards and regulations, together with relevant international standards.
• The training shall then focus on Autodesk Civil 3D, covering each major road design component separately, including survey data processing, terrain and surface modeling, horizontal and vertical alignments, profiles, assemblies, corridor modeling, cross-sections, drainage coordination, pavement design, earthwork quantities, design checks, and engineering drawing preparation. Each component shall include explanations of engineering principles and design considerations, software demonstrations, and practical exercises.
• In the final phase, participants shall complete two practical road design projects using real survey data: a minimum 2 km gravel road connecting villages across relatively flat and mountainous terrain, and a paved road connecting a district center to a provincial center. Both projects should incorporate the relevant geometric design elements, drainage, earthworks, and engineering drawings in accordance with applicable national standards and regulations and relevant international standards. The training shall conclude with project reviews, design quality checks, pre- and post-training assessments, feedback, and evaluation of participants' practical skills.

6. Key Deliverables
The training provider shall deliver the following outputs upon completion of the training:

• A comprehensive training curriculum, schedule, presentations, reference materials, and practical exercise files covering road design principles, applicable standards, and Autodesk Civil 3D applications.
• Completed practical exercises demonstrating the application of individual road design components and relevant engineering standards.
• Two complete road design projects using real survey data: a minimum 2 km gravel road connecting villages across different terrain conditions, and a paved road connecting a district center to a provincial center, including alignments, profiles, cross-sections, corridor models, drainage, earthwork quantities, and detailed engineering drawings, as applicable.
• Editable Autodesk Civil 3D project files, drawings, design outputs, and associated technical documentation for both projects.
• Provide video recordings of all training topics, organized by topic rather than by individual session, for future reference and learning by AKF-A staff.
• Pre-training and post-training assessment results, participant attendance records, and an evaluation of participants' practical skills and learning outcomes.
• Provide a certificate of completion for each participant who successfully completes the training and fulfills the required 75% attendance.

A final training report summarizing the training activities, topics covered, projects completed, participants' performance, key achievements, challenges, and recommendations for further capacity development.

7. Work location
Afghanistan – Kabul: The training workshop will be conducted in Kabul, with participation from Engineering Department staff representing the Badakhshan, Takhar, Baghlan, and Bamyan regions.

8. Qualifications Required
• A bachelor’s degree (BSc) or master’s degree (MSc) in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, or another relevant engineering discipline.
• At least five (5) years of professional experience as a road design Engineer/Specialist, and the application of relevant national and international road design standards.
• At least two (2) years of experience delivering training in road design using Autodesk Civil 3D.
• Sound knowledge of applicable MRRD and MoPW road design standards and regulations, as well as relevant international standards.
• The trainer shall be fluent in Pashto and Dari, as well as English, to effectively deliver the training and communicate technical concepts to participants.

9. Consultant Profile
The consultant or training provider shall have proven experience in road design and delivering Autodesk Civil 3D training. The consultant shall submit an organizational profile, trainer's CV, relevant road design project experience, previous training records, client references, and proposed training methodology and curriculum. Experience in designing gravel and paved roads under different terrain conditions and delivering practical, project-based training shall be an advantage.

10. Timeline / Work plan
The training will be completed within 15 working days, with five working days per week, equivalent to three weeks.

11. Ethical Protocols and Required Documents
The consultant or training provider shall comply with AKF-A's policies, ethical standards, safeguarding requirements, confidentiality obligations, and applicable health, safety, and environmental procedures throughout the training. All training materials, project data, drawings, and other documents provided by AKF-A shall be used solely for the intended training purposes and shall not be shared with unauthorized parties without prior approval.
The consultant shall submit the following documents, as applicable:

• Organizational profile and valid registration documents.
• Technical and financial proposals.
• CVs and academic qualifications of the proposed trainer(s).
• Evidence of relevant road design and Civil 3D training experience.
• References or certificates from previous assignments.
• Proposed training curriculum, methodology, and schedule.
• Signed code of conduct, confidentiality undertaking, and other required AKF-A declarations.

12. Additional Significant Information
The training is tentatively planned for November in Kabul. The training provider shall ensure practical, project-based learning using Autodesk Civil 3D software, relevant road design standards, and real survey data. All training materials and completed road design projects, including editable files, shall be submitted to AKF-A upon completion.

Application:
Interested firms or individuals should submit their proposals to Jobs.Afghanistan@akdn.org no later than November 1, 2026. For more technical information and queries, please contact Eng. Shamsuddin Shams at Shamsuddin.Shams@akdn.org on or before the cutoff date.

Important Points:
• Please quote the Vacancy Number as the Subject of the e-mail when applying.
• Please submit the resume of the core team members, along with the company license, when applying.
• Only shortlisted proposals will be contacted for further assessment.

The Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan (AKF-Afg) promotes a transparent and equitable recruitment process. We reiterate that all services related to job applications, including processing, seminars, and training programs, are provided free of charge.

Our official job announcements are posted on the ACBAR website (acbar.org/jobs). Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their applications through our designated email address: jobs.afghanistan@akdn.org. Each job vacancy is assigned a unique identification number for your reference, and upon submitting your application, you will receive an automatic confirmation acknowledging its receipt immediately.

AKF- Afg recruitment and selection process reflect our commitment to equal opportunity and protecting children and at-risk adults, beneficiaries, partners, community members and employees from safeguarding violations. AKF (Afg) participates in the Scheme for the disclosure of safeguarding-related misconduct within the humanitarian and development sector (Misconduct Disclosure Scheme). In line with this Scheme, AKF (Afg) will contact previous employers of job applicants to request information about any investigations or findings of misconduct concerning allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment (sexual misconduct) against the applicant, during or after their employment. AKF (Afg) further implements a range of procedures and vetting checks including criminal records disclosures to ensure everyone associated with AKF (Afg) is kept free from harm and abuse is prevented.

Protection from Sexual Exploitation Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) is the responsibility of everyone, and all selected individuals will be required to always comply with AKF (Afg)s Safeguarding Policy.

By submitting the job application, the applicant confirms to have understood and consented to AKF (Afg) contacting the applicant’s prior employers, during AKF (Afg)’s recruitment process, to request any such information and maintain this information on file for Recruitment and Human Resources Management purposes.