Water Safety Framework for the “Healthy Villages and Schools” Programme

1. Context and Justification

Since 2006, UNICEF has supported the Villages et Ecoles Assainis programme (Healthy Villages and Schools : EVA in French), a longstanding national government programme aiming to install and sustain water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) solutions in rural and periurban villages and schools across all 11 provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A village or school is declared « healthy » upon their achievement of a number of WASH criteria. There are currently over 4500 villages and 1400 schools in the programme, of which nearly 2300 villages and 1000 schools have been certified healthy as of November 2012. Local offices of the Ministries of Health (for villages) and Education (for schools) provide support and monitoring throughout the certification process.

In order to achieve healthy status, a village must complete 8 « steps » and attain 7 norms (7 steps and 6 norms for schools), which relate to water access, latrine usage, handwashing practice, cleanliness etc. Initial and final Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveys (steps 3 and 7 for villages) assess the extent to which sanitary norms have been achieved, behaviour change has occurred, and positive impacts on community or school health have been felt.

More media information on the programme is accessible in English and French at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpeeZ9Fu0Is&feature=mfu_in_order&list=ULhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb8Kgpdzc-w&feature=BFa&list=UL_LeefotgUl...

In a new phase of maturation of the programme, and in an effort to consolidate the quality and sustainability of results, the programme wants to ensure the delivery of safe and sustainable water services. Preventative management approaches such as Water Safety Plans (WSPs) provide a simple robust framework for communities in this case to assess risks to water safety and to make climate resilience assessments, and to plan progressive adaptation to climate change and concurrent challenges.

WSPs contribute to climate change adaptation at the catchment level primarily through increased resilience to water quality degradation. The WSP approach allows for communities to be flexible and responsive to changing input parameters. This means that the monitoring, management and feedback components of a successful WSP naturally absorb the acute impacts of climate change and other changes threatening the water quality. The WSP approach can also be modified to adapt to long-term climate change and slow-onset hazards by recognizing how the water supply system may be affected by specific climate change effects, by factoring these effects into the risk assessment, and by identifying appropriate control measures. From the community point of view both quality and quantity aspects may be affected by climate change. Water resources management and an understanding of the micro catchment hydrology influencing the availability of water is equally important .Resource Management and Water Safety Plans (WSPs) provide holistic frameworks for approaching climate change adaptation related to issues of both water quantity and water quality. For a complete water safety framework the issues of Household water treatment and safe storage should be looked upon as an integral part.”

2. Objectives of the Consultancy

The overall objective of the consultancy is to develop a water safety framework incorporated within the existing EVA programme.

This water safety framework shall encompass elements of water quality assurance from the water point to the consumption point; that is to say preventing and managing contamination at the water sources, via transportation, up to safe storage and household water treatment.

Cf. 10 for the more detailed deliverables.

3. Scope

While the products to be developed will have a national scope, pilot testing will be undertaken in 2 provinces. More provinces will be visited for the initial field information gathering.

4. Supervisor

Supervision for the water safety strategy for the “Healthy Villages and Schools” programme will be provided by the UNICEF -Chief of WASH Section in coordination with EVA Programme WASH Specialists. Regular contact prior to and during field work will be necessary to agree on and ensure quality work.

5. Methodology

The consultant is to propose a methodology for completing this work, in her/his tendering application.

UNICEF will be responsible for identifying the provinces, villages and schools within the sample to be visited and used for pilot testing.

6. Deliverables and timeline

All deliverables are to be provided in the French language.

Timeline for each specific deliverable will be agreed upon between the consultant and UNICEF, based on the proposed and adopted methodology to carry out this consultancy.

It is anticipated that the subsequent deliverables will be expected from this consultancy:

• A water safety strategy for the EVA programme.
• Generic water safety plans for introduction, adaptation and adoption within all healthy communities of the programme (pilot tested in 2 provinces)
• All related educational and communication materials (a simple yet complete narrative-pictorial description of the WSP “from water extraction to Household Water Treatment and Storage”, of leaflets on H2S testing,…)
• A modus operandi for water quality control (bacteriological, physical and chemical characteristics) at provincial levels and whom shall undertake this control
• Training module & materials for water quality inspectors
• A training workshop delivered to 11 water quality inspectors
• Proposal for M&E indicators for monitoring the implementation of the WSP in healthy communities
• Concept-note for capacity development of governmental authorities for more substantial water quality control in mining areas.

7. Qualifications of successful consultancy candidate

• International expertise and experience (10 years minimum) on Water Safety Planning and Controls
• Track record in carrying out similar large consultancies
• Track record in managing large numbers of surveying staff
• Technical experience in training water quality inspectors
• Previous experience with UNICEF WASH programme an asset
• Previous professional experience in DRC an advantage
• Language competency in French, English desirable

8. Source Documents

• UNICEF WASH DRC Healthy Schools and Villages Programme Documents
• UNEP Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment
• ATLAS 2010 and 2011
• UNICEF Handbook on Water Quality
• WHO Surveillance of Drinking Water Quality
• www.wsportal.org
• WSP models from UNICEF Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka…
• CRISTAL, a community-based screening toolkit
• World Bank ‘Assessment & Design for Adaptation to Climate Change – A Prototype Tool’ (ADAPT)
• ‘Opportunities & Risks from Climate Change and Disasters’ (ORCHID) piloted by DFID Bangladesh
• Vulnerability Analysis such as the Water Economy for Livelihoods Approach (WELS) approach used by ODI in Ethiopia.

9. Special instructions

All costs relative to transportation and logistics will be borne by UNICEF WASH DRC.

How to apply:

• Interested and qualified candidates should send their applications by E-mail to : kinshasahr@unicef.org
• The applications should contain an updated UN Personal History Form (P.11), CV, copies of academic certificates, diplomas, degrees etc. The UN P11 from could be downloaded from:http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_apply.html
• UN staff members are requested to provide last two Performance Evaluation Reports (EPAS/PERs).

Only short-listed applicants will be acknowledged.