# AI workability — Eastern Migratory Caribou Photographic Survey Interpretation

*Buyer: Department of the Environment (ECCC ) · Source: ontario_tenders · Closes: 14 Sep 2026 00:00 UTC*

**AI workability: 64%** (majority AI-deliverable) · notice-only read · bid call: **MAYBE**

- Effort: 450 h total · 290 h AI · 160 h human (low confidence)

## Verdict

AI-assisted majority feasible; conditional bid pending missing SOW details

## Bid call

**MAYBE** — AI can handle the majority of image interpretation and reporting, but missing SOW/evaluation details and the need for expert sign-off make this a conditional bid. Recommend requesting the full solicitation and partnering with a wildlife biologist before committing.

## Deliverables

| Deliverable | Mode | AI share | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Imagery ingestion and preprocessing | ai_agent | 90% | 40 |
| Caribou detection and classification | ai_assisted | 70% | 180 |
| Demographic data compilation and GIS mapping | ai_assisted | 85% | 70 |
| Report and methodology documentation | ai_assisted | 80% | 80 |
| QA/validation and expert sign-off | human_only | 5% | 80 |

## Risks

- **[high]** Missing SOW and evaluation criteria create bid uncertainty — *Request full solicitation documents and seek clarification before bidding.*
- **[high]** AI misclassification of caribou in poor imagery or dense habitat — *Use human expert QA, confidence thresholds, and validation against known imagery.*
- **[medium]** Tight timeline from closing to final deliverable — *Pre-build the AI pipeline and have a wildlife biologist partner ready.*
- **[medium]** No large reference-contract history for environmental survey work — *Partner with a qualified wildlife/subcontractor and emphasize AI-assisted methodology.*

## Human roles

- **Wildlife biologist / photo interpreter** (25%): Validates AI counts, exercises professional judgment, and signs off on demographic results.
- **QA/validation specialist** (10%): Independently reviews model outputs and ensures statistical and methodological soundness.
- **Project manager / contract authority** (5%): Handles legal/financial accountability, client communication, and contract compliance.

## Why not more AI

- Cannot provide legally binding professional sign-off or certified accountability.
- May misclassify caribou in poor imagery, shadows, dense vegetation, or unusual poses.
- Cannot interpret ambiguous demographic data without domain expertise.
- Cannot comply with unknown SOW requirements or evaluation criteria.
- Cannot perform on-site or physical work if any is later required.

## Requirements & compliance

| Ref | Requirement | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SOW-1 | Provide accurate and detailed interpretation of digital orthographic imagery from the eastern migratory caribou photographic survey. | unclear |
| SOW-2 | Assess total number of adult caribou, calves and juveniles, and other demographic information. | unclear |
| SEC-1 | Security clearance requirement. | unclear |

## Evaluation criteria

- **Not provided** (Unknown): Evaluation criteria and weights not included in the notice or document facts.

## Key dates

- 2026-08-19 — Publication
- 2026-09-14 14:00 EDT — Closing Date
- June/July 2026 — Survey period
- Unknown — Delivery

## Gaps in source documents

- Statement of Work (Annex A) not provided.
- Evaluation criteria and weights not provided.
- Contract value, duration, and delivery schedule not provided.
- Security clearance and language requirements not stated.
- No sample imagery or historical data provided for validation.
- No information on whether final sign-off by a certified professional is required.

## Assumptions

- Imagery is orthorectified and provided digitally.
- No on-site presence is required.
- No security clearance is required unless stated in the missing SOW.
- Final deliverable is a report/data package, not a certified legal document.
- Sufficient training/validation imagery is available or can be procured.

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*Generated by GovContract from public tender documents. Human review required before acting on bid decisions.*