TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR ASSESSMENT OF NEWLY
CONSTRUCTED AND REHABILITATED WASH SYSTEMS IN YEMEN
Background
The
International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been implementing water, sanitation
and hygiene (WASH) interventions in Yemen since 2012 including a comprehensive
set of emergency interventions aimed at improving access to both safe drinking
water and sanitation facilities as well as supporting safe hygiene practices in
line with SPHERE minimum standards. All interventions are focused on ensuring
that people affected by conflict are protected from WASH-related diseases. In
2019 and 2020, the IRC with financial support from the US Bureau for
Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) rehabilitated old and constructed new water
systems in five governorates i.e. Aden,Abyan, Al Dhale`e,Shabwa, and Lahj.
Rehabilitation works varied based on individual needs assessed per water
source. These included replacement of broken or badly damaged pipes;
construction of new water reservoirs/storage tanks, rehabilitation of existing
tanks, replacement of broken or old pumping equipment with more economically
sustainable options (e.g. solar pumping systems). In some locations, more
extensive repairs were undertaken due to long-term lack of maintenance of
existing water systems and structural deterioration of steel pipes majorly
caused by the corrosive nature of water obtained from groundwater
sources/wells. To ensure sustainability of rehabilitated water sources,
community Water Management Committees (WMCs) were established or revitalized
where they already existed. The role of WMCs is to support the monitoring of
rehabilitation works and then taking over responsibility for maintenance of
water sources once the rehabilitation is completed. The IRC provided training
for each WMC to equip them with knowledge and skills in managing, operating and
maintaining their water supply schemes. Local Water and Sanitation Corporations
in cities were also supported with spare parts to perform day to day operations
and maintenance of the rehabilitated and newly constructed water systems.
Selected health facilities were also supported to improve their clean water
supply, sanitation, health care waste management, hygiene and environmental
cleaning infrastructure.
Assessment Purpose and
Scope
The IRC seeks to undertake a follow up assessment in selected locations
where WASH systems were newly constructed or rehabilitated between 2019 and
2020 with financial support from BHA (refer to Annex A). This exercise will
help the IRC and BHA in understanding the durability and functionality of water
and sanitation interventions in five governorates in Yemen. The assessment is a
result of the IRC and BHA’s recognition that construction quality and community
management capacity issues may occur especially in emergency contexts like
Yemen. Assessment findings will be used by the IRC, BHA and other partners to
improve design and implementation of subsequent WASH projects. Only WASH
infrastructure constructed and rehabilitated between 2019 and 2020 with
financial support from BHA will be targeted.
The main objectives of the exercise are to;
·
Assess the functionality and maintenance of WASH infrastructure in line
with SPHERE minimum standards
·
Solicit feedback from users on how the WASH infrastructure has improved
their welfare
·
Assess mechanisms that were put in place to ensure that the WASH infrastructure
remains operational and sustainable beyond the project life cycle
·
Document lessons learnt and recommendations that will inform the design
and implementation of future WASH projects
For each site visited, below are some of the questions that will guide
data collection;
For each water supply system, please provide a brief summary of the
rehabilitation works completed.
Is the system/infrastructure currently functional and in use? If
no, why?
a.
Have there been any technical problems since rehabilitation/construction?
If yes, what were they and how were they repaired?
b.
Does the quality of the work appear to be durable or are there already
signs of damage?
Is the system/infrastructure functioning as originally designed, e.g.
producing the volume of water expected? If not, why?
a.
Are there design elements that are particularly effective or that you
would implement differently next time?
b.
What is the current volume of water per person per day being produced by
the system?
What do the users think?
a.
Is the access to water better/same/worse than before?
b.
What suggestions do they have?
How does the chlorination system work?
a.
Where is chlorine purchased/obtained from?
b.
Who is responsible for chlorination?
c.
Are there any community concerns regarding the taste or other effects of
chlorine?
d.
What is the FRC at the point of distribution the time of the follow-up
visit? If feasible, please visit 1-2 households who have recently
collected water to check FRC.
What is the management structure responsible for the communal
infrastructure?
a.
For new structures, what additional training or technical support do
they need?
b.
If the management structure is not functional, why?
c.
Is there a user fee or a cost recovery system)? If yes, what is
it? If no, how do the communities cover the operation and maintenance
costs?
For solar pumping systems:
a.
Have there been any technical problems since installation? If yes,
how were they repaired?
b.
Are the solar panels clean?
c.
Approximately, how many hours does the solar pump operate each day?
1.
For hybrid systems with a generator, how often is the generator used? If
there is a technical problem in the future, who will the management structure
contact?
2.
What are the main observations and points of learning from the follow-up
visits?
3.
Are there any changes to designs, material specifications, committee
training, chlorination system, contractor monitoring, etc.?
The list of questions is not exhaustive. The consultant will be expected
to come up with more questions to fully address the assessment objectives.
Proposed Methodology
Site visits will be conducted to assess technical issues related to the
functionality of WASH infrastructure that were constructed or rehabilitated in
the five governorates. Focus group discussions will be held with users (male
and female) coupled with key informant interviews with members of Water
Management Committees and Local Water and Sanitation Corporations. Observation
checklists and geo referenced photos will also be used to document the
functionality of the WASH infrastructure. Available water quality records at
various sites will also be reviewed. A more detailed assessment approach and
methodology will be developed by the selected consultant.
Key deliverables
The consultant will be expected to submit the following;
·
A detailed inception report and data collection tools after signing the
consultancy agreement
·
A draft evaluation report for review by the IRC Yemen Country Management
Team, Environmental Health and MEAL Coordinators. The findings should be
organized per governorate and site visited.
·
A final report after incorporating comments from the IRC Yemen team
·
Copies of detailed transcripts of each interview conducted and high
quality geo referenced photos of all the WASH sites visited in each governorate
Qualifications and
Experience of the Consultant
·
An advanced degree in water and sanitation, public health or a
development related field
·
At least 5 years’ work experience in water and sanitation, public health
or development related field at national and sub-national levels
·
Experience in leading WASH program reviews and evaluations in Yemen or
other Middle East countries
·
Excellent report writing skills
The consultant is expected to recruit other resource persons if deemed
necessary to support data collection.
Management of the
Assessment
The assessment will be directed, implemented and managed by the selected
consultant in collaboration with IRC Yemen. The MEAL Coordinator with
technical support and guidance from the Environmental Health Coordinator will
monitor its implementation and provide quality assurance throughout the
process.
Duration of the
Assignment
The entire exercise is expected to last 20 working days from the date of
signing the consultancy contract. The final report is expected not later than
March 31, 2020. Below is a breakdown of the allocated time;
Key
Tasks |
Allocated
days |
Development of the inception report and data
collection tools |
4 days |
Training of research assistants |
2 days |
Data collection phase |
7 days |
Data analysis and report writing |
5 days |
Revision of the draft report and submission of the
final version |
2 days |
How to Apply
Application Process
Qualified candidates are requested to submit:
·
A curriculum vitae showing how the consultant meets the required
qualifications, experience and related assignments conducted in the past. This
should include contact details of organizations where the assignments were
conducted.
·
One example of a report for a similar consultancy assignment that were
accomplished
·
A technical proposal of not more than 5 pages;
·
Highlighting how the applicant understood and interpreted the
assignment, how they will address each of the assessment objectives and any
suggestions to improve the outcomes of the assignment.
·
A more elaborate methodology that the consultant will utilize
The financial proposal should not be longer than one page.
Applications
should be submitted by February 1st March 2021 to the following
addresses; https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/12445?c=rescue
Annex A: List of
selected WASH systems that were constructed and rehabilitated
Governorate |
District |
Sub-district |
Type
of infrastructure |
Type
of Water System |
Solar
Pump (Water Systems) |
|
ADEN |
Alburiqa |
Alqaloua'ah |
Water-Sanitation in Health Facilities |
Piped Network |
No |
|
AL
DHALE’E |
Al Azariq |
Gabal Awas |
Water system |
Well |
Yes |
|
Al Shuaib |
Ammqet |
Water system |
Well |
Yes |
||
Al Dhalee |
Thakhar |
Water-Sanitation in Health Facilities |
Piped network |
No |
||
LAHJ |
Kheli Hesi |
Kheli Hesi |
Water system |
Well |
Yes |
|
Radfan |
Maraban |
Water system |
Well |
Yes |
||
Habeel Jaber |
Al-Askariah |
Water-Sanitation in Health Facilities |
Piped Network |
No |
||
ABYAN |
Mudiyah |
AlGeblah |
Water-Sanitation in Health Facilities |
Piped Network |
No |
|
Lawder |
Sefaq |
Water system |
Well |
Yes |
||
Lawder |
Almakhrageen |
Water system |
Well |
Yes |
||
SHABWAH |
Mayfa'ah |
Qabayl Alsomor |
Water-Sanitation in Health Facilities |
Piped Network |
No |
|
Mayfa'ah |
Alhadhan |
Water system |
Well |
Yes |
||
Mayfa'ah |
Alragah |
Water system |
Borehole |
No |