Download Terms of Reference for Baseline study for the project

Terms of Reference
for
Baseline study for the project - “Transforming rural livelihood through WASH
in climate vulnerable areas in southwest Bangladesh”
1.
Preamble
This document proffers objectives and related terms and conditions of a baseline
study to be conducted for a project in climate vulnerable area in Dacope Upazila of
Khulna district with the technical support and guidance from WaterAid Bangladesh.
The Terms of Reference is meant to invite proposals from eligible individual/firm for
undertaking the study.
2.
Introduction
Climate Change has been recognized as a growing development challenge in
Bangladesh impacting all aspects of livelihood including water, sanitation and
hygiene (WASH). Climate experts predicted that within South Asia, Bangladesh will
be the most affected country; yet uncertainties remain with its scale and timeframe.
Climate change will have effect on quality, quantity and availability of fresh water;
and in many areas, the existing water and sanitation technologies will not be
functional. As an ultimate consequence, the poor and marginalised people living
amidst climate vulnerability are likely to experience enormous difficulty in accessing
their basic rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. People in Bangladesh are
already experiencing impacts of climate change in many areas, particularly those
living in flood plains, coastal belt, barind tract and hill tract region.
3.
WaterAid’s involvement to mitigate WASH vulnerabilities in Bangladesh
Since 1986, WaterAid Bangladesh (WAB), an international non-government
organisation with its head office in UK, has been working to improve safe water and
sanitation access including hygiene behaviour of the poor and marginalised
population in Bangladesh. The organisation has gained reputation in the sector for its
innovation and lead role in fighting against WASH poverty with special focus on
climate vulnerable areas.
WaterAid along with its partner NGOs has successfully developed and implemented
model approaches for providing sustainable community managed WASH services
and facilities for poor and marginalised people in different hydro-geological setting
that includes hard-to-reach areas, urban slums and hill tract region, drought prone
barind tract, salinity-prone coastal belt, haor and flood-prone chars keeping an eye
over climate change implications.
The Climate Change programme is one of five mainstream programmes of WaterAid
intends to address existing knowledge gap and promote understanding of climate
change impact on public health, effective adaption and exploration of climate resilient
technologies in different hydro-geological zones. The programme aims to transform
lives of climate vulnerable people by improving and sustaining access to safe
drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene. It prioritises poor households
vulnerable to climate change impact and living with acute WASH deprivation.
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4.
Background of the study
WaterAid, through engaging its implementing partner, is going to initiate a 22-month
long project from March 2015 titled “Transforming rural livelihood through WASH in
climate vulnerable areas in southwest Bangladesh” under its Climate Change
programme in all nine Unions of Dacope Upazila under Khulna district covering
30,463 households with financial support from HSBC Bank.
The overall objective of the project is to reduce WASH deprivation among the poor
and marginalised disaster vulnerable households living in Dacope Upazila. The
project wishes to see everyone in the target communities established their access to
safe drinking water and improved sanitation; while their hygiene and healthcare
practices are improved.
More specifically, the project is intended to achieve seven specific changes as
follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Average water collection time and distance per household reduced
Per capita water consumption at household level increased
Proportion of households using improved latrine increased
Hand washing practice of household members and children at school
improved
5. Governance orientation of the Union Parishad (UP) for WASH improved
6. Community capacity to demand WASH services from UP enhanced
7. Household awareness on climate resilience and water safety improved
Apart from developing/rehabilitating WASH infrastructure, increased investment from
local government, the intervention will benefit people with better human dignity,
environmental health and good examples of local governance in WASH sector. It will
contribute towards improving capacity of the local government to perform their role
and deliver services in an inclusive, participative and accountable manner- while
empowering the poor and vulnerable groups to become assertive and negotiate their
interests in accessing public services.
5.
Objectives of the study
WaterAid plans to conduct a baseline study for the above mentioned project with an
aim to understand and analyse present WASH situation of the intervening areas and
provide necessary benchmark information to WaterAid and its Partner in setting
intervention priorities towards implementation of the project.
Specific objectives of the study are as follows:
1. Know the proportion of households in intervention Unions have access1 to
context specific2 safe drinking water supply
2. Measure current water consumption privilege in household (average per
capita quantity being used) and average monthly expenditure of the
household to collect drinking water.
1
Access refers to distance from household to water point, water collection times and availability of water.
2
In this project context specific means coastal area specific
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3. Understand the proportion of households in intervention areas are practicing
water safety plan (WSP)
4. Assess the level of TTC3, Iron and Arsenic in the water of the facilities in
intervention areas.
5. Assess the proportion of households in intervention areas have access to
improved sanitation4 facilities
6. Measure monthly expenditure of the household for the purpose of sanitation
and hygiene.
7. Understand the prevalence of water-borne5 disease in the intervention areas,
especially among the under five children.
8. Identify local government practices and responses to WASH service delivery
in terms of resource allocation-cum-utilisation and participatory planning
9. Assess proportion of households have hand washing devices near the latrines
and household awareness (mother of under 5 children) regarding hand
washing at five critical times.
10. Assess children’s awareness at school on hand washing at five critical times.
11. Assess level of understanding of the people living in intervention areas about
the risks and impacts of climate change on water, sanitation and hygiene
practice.
12. Assess the extent / amount of support has been mobilised in the recent years
from the local government (UP, DPHE, and Upazila Parishad) to address
WASH needs/crisis in the communities.
6.
Methodological guideline
The individual/firm is expected to prepare an appropriate methodology to address
the above objectives in the study. While developing the methodology triangulation of
methods with existing recognised practices is required. Methodology and relevant
tools have to be adjusted and finalised in consultation with WaterAid Bangladesh
before administering the fieldwork. The study should be carried out through involving
the stakeholders of the project.
7.
Expected competency
Expected competency of the agency/consultant includes:
1. Expertise in conducting quantitative and qualitative study.
2. Should have clear understanding on the challenges of administering data
collection in hard-to-reach areas of rural Bangladesh
3. Experienced in working in the area of water, sanitation, hygiene, DRR and
climate change.
4. Good track record and reputation of conducting similar baseline study for
reputed national and international organisation
5. Capacity to provide necessary training to human resource for administering
data collection, quality control (reliability) and data entry management.
3
Thermotolerant Coliform
4
Improved latrines are flush or pour flush to piped sewer system or septic tank or pit latrine, ventilitated improved pit latrine, pit latrine with
slab and composting toilet and unimproved latrines are flush/pour flush to elsewhere, pit latrine without slab, bucket, hanging toilet or
hanging latrine, no facilities or bush or field and shared facilities of any type.
5
Water-borne diseases include diarrhea, jaundice, typhoid, dysentery, and skin diseases.
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8.
Scope of work
The work will preferably include, but not limited to
1. Review of necessary documents on sector analysis, local governance,
available study on WASH assessment, including government reports and
WaterAid documents
2. Develop appropriate methodology, data collection instruments in consultation
with WAB and finalise the instruments by pretesting.
3. Engage qualified enumerators, train them on quantitative and qualitative data
collection and quality control
4. Engage HSBC employees in data collection and thereby experience some
pre-work situation. No cost will be levied on the bidder.
5. Administer data collection in the study area that includes supervision, cross
validation, quality control and data transcription
6. Data management and analysis in terms of coding, computer entry, cleaning,
transcription and analysis as pre study themes in the objectives.
7. Preparation of draft report, present the key findings to different stakeholders
and finalise the report based on feedback.
9.
Deliverables and timeframe
Total duration of the assignment is 75 days after signing of the agreement. The
contracted individual/firm will submit an inception report that includes final
methodology of the study and work plan with key milestones within a week of signing
of the contract. The methodology and work plan will be reviewed and approved by
WaterAid. It is anticipated that the first draft of the report will be produced within eight
weeks of signing of the contract. The final report should be submitted after fifteen
days of receiving feedback. Follow up meetings will be held time-to-time between the
contracted agency/consultant and WaterAid.
The consultant shall produce the following deliverable
1. An inception report containing final methodology and work plan.
2. Study instruments pretested, finalised and printed
3. Draft report containing detailed findings, well blended qualitative and
quantitative analysis on findings
4. Presentation of the key findings of the study in an agreed date with the
presence of the key stakeholders to receive instant feedbacks.
5. Final report should be submitted in two copies with spiral binding along with
soft copy in MS Word (in a CD). The report should be delivered in acceptable
English. The consultant will arrange for proof reading, if required to maintain
the quality.
6. All field notes and the data set (in SPSS) with layout and code list should be
submitted.
10.
Submission of proposal
The Consultant should submit a detailed proposal for the study. The proposal should
be in English divided into two parts i.e. technical and financial. However, these two
files should be submitted into one folder with a cover letter addressing the Head of
Human Resource, WaterAid Bangladesh.
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The technical part of the proposal should contain the following:
1. Detailed methodology of the study.
2. Detailed timeframe (including dates for submission of first draft and final
report);
3. Detailed account of experience of conducting survey and employing
qualitative methods;
4. Detailed CV of the team leader and key members of the study team;
5. Copy of VAT registration certificate (for Firm);
6. Copy of valid TIN certificate;
7. Bank account detail.
The financial part should describe the estimated cost for the study in detailed. The
budget should not contain income tax as a separate head; it can be blended with the
other costs as it will be deducted from the source. However VAT can be mentioned
in the budget as per government regulation.
The proposal to be submitted electronically at WaterAid Bangladesh following the
instructions displayed below.
a. Submit electronically to the email address [email protected]
with “Baseline Study for the project -Transforming rural livelihood through
WASH in climate vulnerable areas in southwest Bangladesh” as the subject.
b. Proposals submitted to any other e-mail account except the above will be
treated as disqualified.
c. Submissions after the deadline ie after 15 March 2015 will be treated as
disqualified.
d. Attach financial and technical proposal along with all required documents with
the email, and put all attachments in one zip folder in the name of your
organisation.
e. Technical proposal should not exceed 15 pages and be submitted in PDF
format.
f. WaterAid Bangladesh will deduct Tax and VAT at source according to the
Government policy and deposit the said amount to the treasury. Please submit
financial proposal inclusive of Tax. VAT need to be shown separately at the
bottom of your total budget. If there is any reimbursable cost (as per contract)
in the total budget, WaterAid will not deduct Tax/VAT on them. As such the
submitted budget for reimbursable costs will be Tax/VAT exclusive. If awarded,
the consultant will be responsible for submitting original bills/memos/vouchers
to get reimbursement of the claimed amount for reimbursable costs. If the
contractor/consultant pays Tax/VAT at source on the reimbursable costs, the
copy of challan has to be submitted as well, while requesting reimbursement
from WaterAid.
g. The payment will be made through Account Payee Cheque or bank transfer.
11.
Financial term and Mode of payment
The payment will be made upon submission and acceptance of the deliverables.
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The payment will be made in three instalments:
Instalments
Percentage Timeline
First instalment
Second
instalment
Final instalment
12.
30
After receiving the inception report
30
After receiving the first draft report
40
Upon submission of the final report
Penalty clause
The Consultant is expected to provide services within time frame as well as submit
the final report maintaining the quality as mentioned in section 9. If for any reason,
the Consultant fails to deliver services within stipulated time, the Consultant needs to
inform WaterAid in time with valid and acceptable explanation. Failing to this may
evoke penalty clause at the rate of 0.5% for each day of delay. If the quality is not
maintained as mentioned in section 9 WaterAid will deduct 15% of the total
contracted amount.
13.
Contact person
For any further quires please communicate to Md. Towhidul Islam, Programme
Officer (M&E), WaterAid Bangladesh to the following e-mail address:
[email protected]
14.
The general terms and conditions
1. WaterAid will reserve right to accept and reject any proposal. The
participating individuals/firms will, however, be informed about the status
of proposal(s) via mail once scrutiny is completed;
2. All reports and documents prepared during the assignment will be treated
as the property of WaterAid;
3. The reports/documents or any part, therefore, cannot be sold, used and
reproduced in any manner without prior written approval of WaterAid; and
4. WaterAid Bangladesh reserves the right to monitor the quality and
progress of the work during assignment.
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