Bprm - Wash Operations, Maintenance And System Management Consultancy

  Terms of Reference for a study on the Operations and Maintenance and System Management of the Bekaa Water Establishment and the South Lebanon Water Establishment Time frame: May - August, 2015. Based in Beirut, with trips to relevant field sites throughout the study area 1- Introduction With support from the US State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM), Mercy Corps is currently implementing a program entitled, ‘Restoration of Sustainable WASH Services for Syrian Refugees and Lebanese Host Communities.’  In-line with the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP), Mercy Corps is working with the Regional Water Establishments (RWEs) and other water and sanitation service providers to provide long-term, sustainable solutions for all members of the community.  Mercy Corps designed this study in collaboration with the Bekaa Water Establishment (BWE) and the South Lebanon Water Establishment (SLWE) to complement the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Lebanon Water and Wastewater Sector Support (LWWSS) program, as well as other Lebanon WASH Working Group and LCRP initiatives.  The intention is to utilize an external consultant to conduct the study.  The consultant will identify the technical and managerial areas that the service providers require assistance for daily operations and maintenance functions and recommend measures for improvement.  Further, the study will highlight areas that the RWEs will benefit from direct, community-based intervention, to ensure both service provider and community members are more resilient to the challenges faced in the water industry. 1.1 Background The four RWEs were established as part of a water sector reform, adopted through Law 221 in 2000, however they did not come into effect until 2005.  Further, the sector reform measures remain incomplete, with critical components awaiting implementation; the policy development, regulatory and enforcement capabilities of the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) are limited; the role of the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) as an investment planner is unclear; and the Performance Evaluation Committee has not yet been established.  This lack of institutional framework has resulted in weak regulation of the sector and has left the four RWEs with a distinct lack of resources and direction, resulting in a difficult situation for the RWEs in which to perform their mandated duties. Prior to the Syrian refugee crisis, the RWEs faced significant challenges in providing consistently reliable and safe drinking water due to the infrastructure they inherited having inadequate coverage, aging and due for replacement; lack of capital, operational and maintenance funding from the MoEW; insufficient staffing levels and technical capability.  The influx of refugees, as an acute spike in population growth, has exacerbated these challenges. Similar studies in the past have identified a number of critical areas that need assistance from donors and agencies in the water and wastewater sectors, as follows: Water Demand-side Management Measures (customer and bulk metering, water balances with supply side, pressure management and consumption based tariffs), Perception surveys of the community regarding the RWEs, Vocational and management training in all RWEs, Absence or inadequate cost-recovery mechanisms, Sewage networks not connected with sewage treatment works, Lack of water and wastewater networks in rural and agricultural areas, Wastewater discharged without treatment, directly into surface waters or the sea, Pilot projects in selected communities. 2- Aim and Objectives The overall aim of the consultancy is to identify the areas of the BWE and SLWE that require training in daily operations and maintenance, assistance in business management and strengthening of cost recovery mechanisms.  These aims are at both theoretical and practical levels.  The outcome of the study will be used to design a pilot program at an RWE that addresses the identified issues. To achieve this aim, the consultant will address the following objectives; Quantify the human resource gaps of the BWE and SLWE Operations teams in terms of: Shortage in number of personnel (operators, engineers, maintenance and management), Technical training requirements to operate machinery or conduct standard business functions (e.g. pumps, chlorination systems, sludge removal, billing), Technical training requirements for maintenance of all machinery and processes, Factors affecting human resource gaps (e.g. lack of financial capacity or civil service rules), Determine willingness of the BWE and SLWE to utilise community-based WASH committees to report infrastructural maintenance needs, partake in training and perform routine maintenance on distribution points. Identify the areas where the BWE and the SLWE require assistance in water and wastewater service provision: What is the extent of coverage by private service providers? What is the extent of coverage by Municipalities and Unions of Municipalities? What is stopping the WEs from assuming control of all public water and wastewater systems in the locations identified?   Identify critical gaps in current demand-side management measures, which could include: Leak detection and repair. Network-wide metering from supply level to consumer level. Consumption-based billing and what public and/or institutional perceptions prevent such billing strategies from being adopted. Promotion of efficient use of water (e.g. efficient household devices or water conservation messaging). Calculation of benefits of demand-side management measures in terms of avoided cost.   Quantify the gaps in cost recovery systems of the BWE and SLWE Identify the gaps and quantify the potential monetary value of increased cost recovery. Cross reference with current Business Plans on how to rectify the situation. Compare systems and strategies with the Beirut/Mt. Lebanon Water Establishment that has managed to cover operational costs through cost recovery from consumers.   Provide recommendations for the following Appropriate training and follow-on regime for RWE staff and WASH Committee members. Utilisation of community-based WASH committees to liaise with service providers and perform routine repairs where service providers have limited resources. How to engage with the RWEs and Municipalities or Unions of Municipalities so that the RWE will assume ownership and operational control of water and sanitation systems. Prioritise and quantify the cost and benefit of demand-side management measures. Roadmap to replicate the Beirut/Mt. Lebanon Water Establishment operation and cost recovery model for potential pilot program in the other RWEs. 3- Scope The consultant will limit the study to the South and Bekaa Governorates, due to the brevity of the assignment and Mercy Corps’ current programming in these areas. While the RWEs have the legal mandate to provide water services, many municipalities or union of municipalities actively manage the provision of water.  The study must include these other service providers. The study should be designed to complement and expand upon current or past programs that were initiated by the aid/development sectors.  Additionally, the study must address the significant issues related to the MoEW National Water Sector Strategy (2012) and/or a current RWE Business Plan. The study primarily focuses on the water sector, though the wastewater sector must be included. 3.1 Key Research Questions The key research questions to answer as part of this study are: What are the BWE and SLWE priorities for training of personnel on technical, operational, maintenance and administrative levels?  Where possible, the consultant should differentiate between real or actual need and perceived need. What specific operations, maintenance, machinery and/or processes is the training required in?  This should be based on machinery and equipment that is currently in use (or planned to be used in the immediate future, i.e. currently under construction or repair).  Clear differentiation between Water and Wastewater equipment is required. How many people require training in each discipline? Most appropriate method of training? What components of demand-side management measures and cost recovery systems are feasible for the BWE and SLWE? What road-blocks are preventing effective consumption-based billing or effective cost-recovery?  How do the BWE and SLWE Business Plans aim to overcome these road-blocks in order to be a commercially viable entity? How do the service providers plan to cover the needs of areas with limited service coverage? (include refugee and Lebanese communities) What coverage do other service providers have that should be managed by the relevant RWE? 4- Methods of the Work The consultant will develop their own methodology that they believe will be most effective within the available budget and duration.  The consultant will submit an inception report that details the study methodology.  The Mercy Corps review team will discuss the detailed methodology with relevant staff before finalisation.  A participatory approach will be used for evaluating the project achievement.  As a minimum, the methodology must include the following: Literature review/desk study – documents such as National Water Sector Strategy, RWE Business Plans, donor and progress reports, sectoral assessments, available market information etc. Key Informant Interviews – interviews with key stakeholders e.g. Mercy Corps staff, RWE and MoEW staff, Union of Municipalities, municipalities, representatives of other agencies or donors etc. Site observations – the team/consultant may make observation of project sites with informants. This will help verify evaluation findings and dig to further layers through continued interviews after observation. Case studies – case studies are a highly appropriate method for best practice documentation and providing region-specific examples of success. 5- Competency and Expertise Requirements The consultant will have proven expertise in the following areas: Knowledge of the Water and Wastewater Sector in Lebanon, particularly in the South and Bekaa regions Experience in conducting studies/assessments, particularly in integrated water resources management Theoretical knowledge and/or experience in the practical application of demand-side management measures in the Water Sector. General development or infrastructure expertise and experience Cross-disciplinary skills (e.g. social, economic, environmental and institutional) Awareness of cultural and political issues surrounding the Lebanese Water Sector, especially within the Bekaa Native Arabic language skills, with ability to write and report in English to a professional level The consultant will submit CVs of all personnel that will contribute to the study.   6- Reporting Requirements/Outputs The expected outputs from the project should be presented in English, these include: Inception Report: The consultant will submit an inception report to be reviewed by Mercy Corps prior to the commencement of the study.  The Inception Report should include the following details: Methodology of the study Identification of institutes/organisations/key informants to be interviewed or included in the study List of existing literature to be reviewed Work plan that details the schedule for activities After reviewing the Inception Report (3 days), Mercy Corps will host a kick-off meeting with the consultant. Preliminary Findings/Review Meeting: the consultant will submit a preliminary findings report after the conclusion of data collection.  This report is to be reviewed by Mercy Corps (3 days).  A subsequent review meeting will be organised between Mercy Corps and the consultant. Final Report: The report needs to be short, clear, and easy to read in order to be accessible and effective.  Authors should write for a general audience, and should bear in mind that English will not be the first language of many readers.  Technical and academic jargon should be avoided unless required to explain technical and complex components.  The final report should be made available in both English and Arabic. At a minimum the report should include: An executive summary A clear statement and description of the background and study objectives A description of the methodology used for qualitative and quantitative components, especially criteria and process for selecting the recommended pilot program Findings, interpretation of results and recommendations Report Readout and Presentation: The consultant is required to organise a readout and presentation of the report at each of the Water Establishments (BWE and SLWE).  Participants should include: The Water Establishment management and key personnel Key members of Municipalities/Union of Municipalities (to be determined in collaboration with Mercy Corps) Mercy Corps WASH program staff The readout will be based on the conclusions of the study and should begin with a presentation of the findings.  It will then continue to explore the details of the recommendations, leading into a discussion on demand-side measures and cost recovery systems.  The Final Report will be made available to Mercy Corps one week before the Workshop, to allow for appropriate dissemination and familiarisation of the content that will facilitate a productive discussion for next steps. The readout must be conducted in both English and Arabic. 7- Duration of Consultancy Time frame: May - July, 2015. 50 days. 1 day team introduction with Mercy Corps 8 days preparing Inception Report and submitting for review Allow additional 3 days for Inception Report review by Mercy Corps 1 day kick-off meeting hosted at Mercy Corps 1 day finalise Inception Report 6 days desk study/literature review 12 days of data gathering, inclusive of: 6 days interviewing BWE/SLWE – Management, Engineers, site visits 3 days interviewing Municipalities and/or Union of Municipalities (Bekaa) 3 days interviewing other key informants6 days collating preliminary findings and submit for review Allow additional 3 days for preliminary findings review by Mercy Corps 1 day review meeting of preliminary findings 9 days report writing and submission, inclusive of: 2 days for translation of the report Allow additional 7 days for Final Report review by Mercy Corps 3 days preparing readout and presentation 2 days conducting readout and presentation of final report 8- Budget Estimated number of working days is mentioned above. The fee for consultants will be negotiated and applied following according to Mercy Corps standard. 9- Responsibility of Mercy Corps Staff Recruit team/consultant and monitor the process Available and prepared for all meetings and sessions with the consultant Facilitate access/introduction to the respective Water Establishments, Municipalities and/or Union of Municipalities (if required) Provide constructive comments and inputs on the Inception Report, Preliminary Findings and Final Report Make sure that the quality of the evaluation is met (support to finalize the tools, methodologies etc.)                     Mandatory: 1)Please mention the title "Operations, Maintenance and System Management Consultancy" in the subject of the email 2) Applicants to submit the daily rate based on 50 Training Session days of consultancy duration 3) Applicants are requested to submit a Biodata form that includes a list of consultancies provided in the last 3 years with a proof of remuneration (invoices, receipts....) 4) Submit a list of 3 references names, emails & phone numbers of previous clients. Applicants MUST provide the mandatory information otherwise their APPLICATION WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.