Company Description
About SNV
SNV is a mission-driven global development partner working across Africa and Asia. Our mission is to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems, which enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.
Introduction
Despite significant development gains in recent years, Lao PDR still has an estimated 24% of the population practising open defecation. In Savannakhet, the most populated Province in Lao PDR and the location of this Project, the percentage of villages currently practising open defecation remains at one of the highest in the country (71%). Such high rates of open defecation, coupled with poor hygiene practices (lack of handwashing with soap) and the high prevalence of faecal coliforms in water sources (LSIS, 2018), represents a significant health risk to communities with long-term implications to limiting further development objectives for Lao PDR. Climate change is predicted to limit development further, exacerbate health risks, and disproportionately impact poor and marginalised groups within Lao PDR unless urgent climate resilience-building efforts are undertaken.
The World Bank estimates that average temperatures, frequency and severity of flooding, and dry-season length will increase in Laos because of global climate change. Thus, the people of Laos must adapt to situations of increased flooding, but also of extended dry periods. In the Project districts of Savannakhet, over 30% of the households experienced a climate event in the past two years (flooding and droughts), which will worsen with climate change.
A renewed effort is urgently needed for governments, civil societies, communities, the private sector, and other key stakeholders to understand and respond to the new water balance caused by climate change. This will require an understanding of climate change terminology and an understanding that local action can aid risk adaptation efforts for mitigating the impacts of climate change. Despite the Governments significant advances in policy development around climate change (GoL, 2021), there is presently very little acceptance nor understanding of climate resilience actions and how to implement the National Policies at sub-national levels.
Climate change risks, including increased flooding, impact water security in the low-lying Mekong plains of rural Lao PDR. These are compounding existing water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector challenges and vulnerabilities, including local governments’ capacity, the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on households and governments, sustainability of WASH technologies in flood-prone areas, inequalities in access to basic and safely managed sanitation services and water quality.
Towards Inclusive Climate Resilient Rural WASH (CRWASH)
Towards Inclusive Climate Resilient Rural WASH Services in Lao PDR (CRWASH) aims to meet these challenges and assist governments in delivering basic human rights for their people. This 2-year transition project will aim to strengthen the capacity of local governments and private sector actors to support adaptation and integrate climate change resilience within inclusive area-wide rural WASH services and systems in Atsaphone, Champhone and Phalanxay Districts, Savannakhet Province. Together with ISF-UTS and CBM Australia, proposed activities will respond to these challenges by consolidating area-wide approaches, generating evidence of the costs of climate-resilient WASH services, innovating flood-resilient toilet designs, developing climate-risk messaging on water quality, and sector alignment with disaster risk reduction responses.
The Project shall deliver meaningful and scalable interventions for climate resilient adaption processes, including facilitating government learning, budgeting and planning, support for developing climate resilient water safety plans, learning and development for inclusive WASH Committees, options for supporting households without access (poor, marginalised), strengthen private sector engagement in climate resilient WASH, plus the inclusion of gender equity, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) as both mainstreamed and targeted activities (e.g. leadership).
It is estimated that the Project shall target 42 government health officers, 15 health care facilities, 50 schools (around 6000 students), 33,600 beneficiaries for basic water supplies and 67,600 beneficiaries for basic sanitation.
Job Description
Rationale for the consultancy services.
The complex and inter-disciplinary nature of the project will require a range of consultative services to provide technical oversight and guidance in key areas of expertise related to:
- Climate resilience in WASH
- Gender equality & social inclusion (GESI)
- Monitoring & evaluation (M&E).
SNV is seeking the services of a consultancy that can offer services in these critical areas of expertise.
Contract duration and deliverables
The contract will cover 12 months between June 2023 and July 2024, with the option to extend, depending on performance and project budgets. It is anticipated that the engagement will be part-time over this period but will be based on specific assignments as they arise.
Specific deliverables and work packages will be clearly defined once the successful organisation is identified and assigned. However, tasks that are likely to feature include the following (and should be addressed in submissions):
- Technical guidance and oversight for M&E processes throughout the project duration (design, implementation, and reporting)
- Representing the project on behalf of SNV in technical sessions (delivered in Lao language and/or English, both in-person and online and may include workshops, conferences, public diplomacy events, and other events related to the three key technical areas)
- Engaging with line ministries relevant to the project (including dialogue related to MOU implementation and/or changes throughout the project)
- Providing technical design and oversight on Climate and GEDSI aspects of the program to facilitate project outcomes.
Submission of a monthly report summarizing all activities undertaken and timesheets will be required for payment.
Qualifications
Tender submission requirements
SNV ask that interested parties prepare a tender addressing the following key components:
- Organisational background relevant or similar to the three areas of expertise (climate resilient WASH, GESI and M&E).
- List of key projects that the organisation has engaged in that are similar or have relevance to the key topics, with a clear description of the level of involvement and what specifically resulted from the organisation’s input(s)
- CVs of the key specialists will be available throughout the contract duration.
- Evidence of insurance and licences to operate in Lao.
Experience engaging with and understanding the various Lao ministries involved with these key thematic, plus proficiency in translating between Lao and English, is highly desirable. Experience working with SNV and understanding SNV’s monitoring framework are relevant (but not mandatory).
Interested individual/company should send their CVs and a Technical and Financial proposal to: the SNV office, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR, on or before 30th May 2023.
Additional information
Travel to/from Savannakhet may be required, but travel and accommodation costs will be covered by SNV (if travel outside of Vientiane is needed).
All costs related to activities, travel and accommodation whilst in the field shall be covered by SNV. The firms’ daily (and/or hourly) rates must cover all other costs related to the assignments (and relevant tax must be applied in the submission).
