Terms of Reference for a scoping study for WIGO 2024 – Phase 1
1 BACKGROUND
We are seeking a team of consultants to conduct a scoping study on the topic of integrity[1] for sustainable water and sanitation sector finance. This assignment is Phase 1 of 3 in the preparation of the Water Integrity Global Outlook (WIGO) 2024, the next volume of a triennial publication by the Water Integrity Network (WIN).
WIGO 2024 will focus on the role of integrity in sustainable water and sanitation (W&S) sector finance. The scoping study is expected to help identify the key concepts, issues, evidence, and gaps that should be dealt with in depth in WIGO 2024. We highly recommend applicants review this year’s Water Integrity Global Outlook 2021 when preparing their proposals for this call.
The development of WIGO 2024 will be carried out in three main phases. In Phase 1, which will take place during 2021-2022, WIN will commission a team of consultants to help determine the scope for the final publication, and prepare a literature review and an annotated table of contents. In Phase 2, which will take place in 2023, WIN will commission a team of consultants to prepare a final draft of the publication. Finally, Phase 3 will involve copyediting, printing, and distribution of the flagship report in 2024.
In addition, WIN will form a Steering Committee to provide strategic direction for WIGO 2024. The Steering Committee members will be comprised of a select group of decision-makers, opinion leaders, and experts from the water and sanitation, anti-corruption, finance, and other relevant sectors.
To the extent possible, we are interested in working with the same set of consultants throughout Phases 1 and 2. Therefore, the applicants are requested to include a preliminary proposal for Phase 2, which they will be invited to build on and re-submit as a full proposal towards the end of Phase 1.
2 OBJECTIVE
The objective of the assignment is to conduct a scoping study for WIGO 2024, and produce a literature review and an annotated table of contents.
3 SCOPE OF SERVICES (Phase 1)
- Conduct literature review (see specifications under Deliverable 1 below):
- Identify and analyze integrity-related challenges in ensuring sustainable finance (public or private) for the W&S sector (or specific sub-sectors)
- Document and analyze emerging trends, innovations, and developments in the finance sector that may have either positive or negative integrity-related implications. Such developments may be linked to various aspects of finance, including development aid loans, private sector investments, credit ratings, accounting and auditing practices, payment systems, fintech innovations, use of emerging technologies in finance such as AI and Blockchain, etc.
- Identify potential knowledge gaps that WIN may conduct research on for WIGO 2024
- Conduct interviews with key stakeholders/organizations on the topics outlined for the literature review
- Identify, reach out to, and conduct interviews with key stakeholders/groups working in the Finance domain
- Reach out to water and sanitation sector contacts provided by WIN and conduct interviews with them
- Summarize the interviews (see description under Deliverable 5 below)
- Identify potential editorial contributions to WIGO 2024 from WIN partner organizations and others, proactively collect content, and create a database of content contributors (see description under Deliverable 5 below)
- Participate in Steering Committee meetings, review feedback and recommendations by the Steering Committee members, and address them in consultation with WIN staff
- Prepare an annotated table of contents by bringing all pieces together – see specifications below under Deliverable
4 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Roles and responsibilities of Consultants: The Consultant shall perform the services as described in section 3 of these Terms of Reference
- Roles and responsibilities of WIN: WIN shall be responsible for providing the contacts of the water and sanitation sector stakeholders and information necessary for the performance of the services by the Consultant. WIN shall also provide quality assurance, oversight, and timely feedback for the Consultant’s work.
5 DELIVERABLES AND SCHEDULE
Deliverables
- Deliverable 1: First draft literature review based on systematic search, interviews, input provided by WIN staff, and contributions received from partner organizations. The literature review should aim to identify the key concepts, issues, existing evidence, and research gaps within the selected WIGO 2024 theme. The literature review should contain a list of references, compiled using the Harvard referencing style. The total number of pages of the literature review will depend on many factors, and the final draft is expected to fall between 15-30 pages.
Deadline: 30 January
- Deliverable 2: First draft of annotated table of contents. The annotated table of contents is where all the pieces of information come together, and is expected to offer a clear structure, framing, and flow for WIGO 2024. It consists of the following components:
- List of proposed parts, chapters, sections, etc. for WIGO 2024
- Chapter abstracts, i.e. summary of important points tackled under each part, chapter, section, etc
- List and description of most relevant sources (including literature, interviews, data, etc) to be used to develop the proposed parts, chapters, sections, etc.
The total number of pages of the annotated table of contents will depend on many factors. The final draft is expected to be between 10 and 25 pages long.
Deadline: 30 January 2022
- Deliverable 3: Second draft of literature review, as specified in deliverable 1.
Deadline: 30 May 2022 - Deliverable 4: Second draft of the annotated table of contents, including the components described under deliverable 2.
Deadline: 30 May 2022
- Deliverable 5: Summaries of interviews conducted and a database of content contributions received.
- Interview summaries need to include names, date and time, topics appearing in each interview, including the interviewers’ notes on how subtantial the reference is and what information could be useful for WIGO 2024 and why.
- The database of content contributions should contain the names of the contributors, date received, a short description of the content, and a link to relevant files (should be saved in a designation agreed with WIN).
Deadline: 30 September 2022
- Deliverable 6: Final draft of literature review, as specified in deliverable 1
Deadline: 30 September 2022 - Deliverable 7: Final draft of the annotated table of contents, including the components described under deliverable 2.
Deadline: 30 September 2022
Payment schedule:
- 20% upon the approval of proposal by WIN and signing the contract
- 20% on submission and approval of deliverables 1 and 2
- 20% on submission and approval of deliverables 3 and 4
- 20% on submission and approval of deliverable 5
- 20% on submission and approval of deliverables 6 and 7
6 QUALIFICATIONS OF THE CONSULTANT
The team of consultants should consist of members that demonstrate the following qualifications and competencies:
- Proven expertise in finance discipline, including aspects related to all of the following: public financial management, corporate finance, development finance, public-private partnerships
- Expertise in the water sector, including its subsectors
- Expertise in the sanitation sector
- Expertise in good governance and integrity/corruption issues
- Interviewing skills
- Data analysis skills
- Excellent writing skills in English
- Proven analytical skills and ability to synthesize findings from diverse materials and sources.
The following will be advantageous:
- Knowledge of or experience in gender mainstreaming and social inclusion
- Additional language skills, including Spanish and French
- Good understanding of emerging technologies, such as AI, Blockchain, etc.
7 REMUNERATION
The maximum budget available for this consultancy assignment is EUR 30,000 including VAT. Proposals will be assessed on the relevance and feasibility of the proposed research, strengths of the methodology, the qualifications of the consultant, and value for money, among other factors.
8 COMMUNICATION
Umrbek Allakulov, WIN’s Research and Evidence Coordinator will be the responsible person for this contract.
9 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Interested consultants are invited to submit a technical proposal, financial proposal, CVs, two references, and examples of previous relevant works to Umrbek Allakulov at [email protected].
Important: The technical proposal should consist of two sections. The first section should address the scope of services and deliverables in these ToR, which come under Phase 1 of WIGO 2024. The second section should take the form of a preliminary proposal for Phase 2: preparation of a final draft of WIGO 2024. Please describe your vision for the publication, the capabilities within the team, and any necessary adjustments to deliver an effective final publication in Phase 2.
A financial proposal should be developed only for Phase 1, and not for Phase 2. Please make sure the final proposed amount takes into account VAT, if applicable.
The deadline for submitting proposals is 11:59 pm CEST, 5 December 2021.
Please note that WIN cannot guarantee safety or extend protection to consultants undertaking this work. Please include a brief section outlining your understanding of whether it would be acceptable and safe for you to do this work, and measures you would take to mitigate any risk, including but not limited to physical safety, legal, or COVID-19 infection risks.
Should you require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.
[1] The Water Integrity Network defines integrity as the use of vested powers and resources ethically and honestly for the provision of sustainable and equitable water and sanitation services. Integrity failures are evident in three ways: 1) deliberate unlawful action such as corruption or fraud, or for example evictions without court orders where a court order is required by law; 2) in failing to implement legislative or constitutional obligations (inaction); or by operating in a manner that, while legal, is immoral or unjust
