Request to Submit Expressions of Interest for the Co-design and Support to Lukanga Water and Sanitation Company for Implementation of a Scheduled Desludging Pilot

  • Full Time
  • Zambia
  • Applications have closed

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

SNV is a not-for-profit international development organisation that makes a lasting difference in
the lives of people living in poverty by helping them raise incomes and access basic services. We
aim for premium quality and focus on only three sectors: agriculture, energy and water, sanitation
and hygiene (WASH). With a long-term, local presence in over 25 countries in Asia, Africa and
Latin America, we know how governments work and how relationships are built. Implementing
our mission exclusively through project financing requires us to work efficiently and invest in
operational excellence every day. Our team of more than 1,300 staff is the backbone of SNV.

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, Zambia office, wishes to invite esteemed suppliers to submit their expression of interest for Co-Design and support to Lukanga Water and Sanitation Company for implementation of a scheduled desludging pilot in Kabwe, Central Province, Zambia

Terms of Reference 

Lukanga Water and Sanitation Company (LgWSC)

Lukanga Water and Sanitation Company Limited (LgWSC) was incorporated as a private Company limited by shares under the Companies Act Cap 388 of the Laws of Zambia on 21st March 2006. The Company commenced operations on 1st February 2007 with the mandate and responsibility to provide Water Supply and Sewerage services to the Urban and Peri-urban population in Central Province. In April 2019, the licensing agreement was changed to include Sanitation, that is, in addition to sewer, to integrate On Site Sanitation (OSS) and Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) within its overall mandate.

The Chambeshi Lukanga Sanitation & Hygiene Project

SNV Zambia is implementing the multi-country, Dutch funded Chambeshi-Lukanga Sanitation & Hygiene project in partnership with Chambeshi and Lukanga Water and Sanitation Companies as well as the respective Local Authorities of Kabwe, Kasama, Mbala, Nakonde and Mpulungu. The 5 years project (2017-2022) aims to sustainably improve access to and use of sanitation services and improve hygiene behaviours for 200,000 and 260,000 people respectively in peri-urban/urban areas. It is built on three core strategic objectives, namely (1) increasing demand for improved WASH facilities and practices, (2) improving the quality of service provision and by (3) improving governance of the sector.

Background on scheduled desludging

Lukanga Water Supply and Sanitation Company has finished the process of integrating on site sanitation (OSS) and faecal sludge management (FSM) services within its overall business strategy. The Utility has outlined in its Onsite Sanitation and Faecal Sludge Management Strategy 2021-2025 interventions along the entire sanitation chain to address the service delivery gaps from access to treatment. These interventions thus need to be actualized so that the Utility can efficiently increase its services coverage in an equitable way.

Scheduled emptying is an organised service for on site facilities that removes the decision burden from the household by providing regular, preventative emptying at a frequency appropriate to local conditions, based on sludge accumulation and containment type and size. LgWSC recognizes that scheduled emptying of faecal Sludge is a new concept for its staff as well as its customers and therefore intends to pilot the model in two project areas; Luangwa Township and Kamushanga peri urban area.

SNV data showed that in Luangwa township, the population depends on site systems (pour flush, pit latrines and VIPs) that require emptying. In Kamushanga, the entirety of the facilities are on site, with 91% being pit latrines while 9% were pour flush toilets.

Objectives of the consultancy

It is envisaged that the scheduled desludging pilot will provide clear direction to LgWSC for the implementation of a scheduled desludging model at a larger scale, by taking into account the socio-economic context (including attention to vulnerable groups), expectations and mobilization of the various stakeholders involved (including private sector), current capacity of LgWSC and private sector counterparts, whilst leading to an increasingly effective management of the entire (on site) sanitation chain, from emptying and transport to disposal at the designated site.

The overall objective is to assist LgWSC to iteratively design & conduct the scheduled desludging pilot in the selected locations and to use the findings of the experience to refine a desludging service and business model that can be potentially scaled up to the entire town.

The specific objectives are the following:

  1. Review available data, reports and statistics and identify information & action gaps on service provision & technical aspects (type, volume and accessibility of containment and existing emptying tools & methods, including their safety); regulatory and financial aspects (legal basis and enforcement mechanisms, emptying fee, fee collection mechanisms, ring-fencing, cost-recovery, affordability including for the most vulnerable groups); community engagement and social marketing aspects (enablers/constraints for uptake and acceptance of the service in the targeted communities)
  2. Assist LgWSC to develop a plan to pilot scheduled desludging in one block in each of the two selected areas (phase 1)
  3. Assist LgWSC to implement and monitor the pilot (phase 1) in each block of the two locations; identify constraints and opportunities in all key aspects and refine the model used
  4. Using the refined model, assist LgWSC to develop a plan to conduct scheduled desludging services to the entire Luangwa township and to Kamushanga peri-urban area (phase 2)
  5. Assist LgWSC to implement and monitor the pilot (phase 2) in the entirety of the two locations; identify constraints and opportunities in all key aspects and again refine the model used
  6. Using the latest model, assist LgWSC to develop a plan to provide scheduled desludging services to the entire town of Kabwe (phase 3), that also flags any steps still needed (at the technical, regulatory, financial and social marketing levels) to ensure success at that scale.

Deliverables of the consultancy

  1. Information/statistics & action gap report
  2. Scheduled desludging plan for one block in each of the two targeted locations (phase 1)
    Phase 1 findings & recommendations report
  3. Scheduled desludging plan for the entirety of the two targeted locations (phase 2)
  4. Phase 2 findings & recommendations report
  5. Scheduled desludging plan for Kabwe town (phase 3)
  6. Final report that includes consolidated business model and recommendations at the technical, regulatory, financial and social marketing levels for scale up

Candidate(s) profile

Consultant teams/consultant companies are encouraged to apply if meeting the following requirements:

  1. (Minimum) University degree in the relevant areas (engineering, public/environmental health, marketing, business administration and/or related ones)
  2. Minimum seven (7) years of WASH professional experience. Experience with scheduled desludging programmes is highly valued.
  3. Experience in supporting commercial Utilities is highly valued
  4. Profound knowledge of the Zambian WASH sector, including its regulatory aspects
  5. Experience in conducting data collection, facilitation of workshops & learning processes, monitoring, critical analysis and report writing
  6. Ability to communicate with a different range of stakeholders and partners, including utilities, private sector and local communities

Duty station: Kabwe

Contract duration: 3 months, with estimated starting date on June 21st 2021

Mandatory requirements for the application

  1. Detailed Technical Proposal
  2. Detailed Financial Proposal
  3. CVs of the proposed team
  4. Company profile
  5. Certificate of incorporation
  6. Valid tax clearance certificate
  7. Valid ZPPA certificate
  8. TPIN Certificate
  9. Annual report (incl. financial report) of last 2 financial years
  10. Physical and official email address
  11. Provide three (3) business client referees within the past five (5) years.

Application Criteria

  1. Only electronic submissions will be accepted.
  2. Submission should be made through [email protected] not later than 17:30hrs, 15th June, 2021
  3. For any clarifications, contact [email protected].

Note

  1. SNV Zambia may request for further necessary information during the evaluation.
  2. SNV will only contact the successful bidder (s) within the period of 2 weeks from the closing date of submission.

For more information on SNV please refer to our website: www.snvworld.org


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