Terms of Reference
Nurturing WASH Innovations
About Jal Seva Charitable Foundation/ WaterAid India
With a national goal of making The Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) poverty a history, WaterAid India (WAI) is determined to make clean water, toilet facilities, and good hygiene accessible to everyone, everywhere. WaterAid India is registered as the Jal Seva Charitable Foundation (JSCF) in India and has been engaged in demonstrating scalable WASH models since 1986 (in India). WAI has been implementing projects to secure the WASH rights of the most vulnerable populations in the country. It works towards sustainable solutions by empowering the beneficiaries, encouraging cooperation and collaboration among the local stakeholders, and leveraging local resources for the sustenance of the projects.
Over the last four decades, WaterAid India has cultivated expertise and trust in the WASH sector. It harnesses its years of human connections and understanding of WASH and allied sectors of health, nutrition, education, community development, and local governance to influence policy at local, state, national, and global levels.
About the Project- Nurturing WASH Innovations
The WASH sector has long been a hub for innovation, offering fertile ground for technological, business, and environmental advancements. However, the journey from innovative concepts to practical, accessible, and scalable solutions presents significant challenges. Recognising this, WaterAid India, in collaboration with Standard Chartered Bank, initiated the “Nurturing WASH Innovations” project in March 2021, set to conclude in September 2024.
This project aims to address the critical gap between innovation and implementation in the WASH sector. It focuses on systematically testing and validating innovative solutions through rigorous field trials, stakeholder engagement, and comprehensive documentation. This approach is designed to facilitate the integration of successful models into government programs and other initiatives, ultimately benefiting communities at large.
The project operates on a national scale, with test beds spread across seven Indian states: Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. WaterAid has strategically chosen and is currently testing 10 innovations in these regions, focusing on six key thematic areas: liquid waste management, solid waste management, drinking water quality testing, drinking water supply, drinking water treatment, faecal waste management, and groundwater management. The project’s emphasis is on context-specific implementation, ensuring that each innovation is matched with the most suitable field conditions. Through active collaboration with the state and district-level governments, the project aims to generate interest and foster participation in these innovative initiatives. This collaborative approach is crucial for the project’s ultimate goal: to identify, validate, and promote scalable WASH solutions that can effectively address longstanding challenges in the sector.
As the project nears its conclusion, WaterAid India is planning on an external evaluation of the project to assess its effectiveness, impact, and potential for scaling up successful innovations.
An expression of interest is invited from suitable vendor-partners based on the scope of the assignment.
Scope of Assignment & Expected Outcome
The assignment comprises two primary components:
- Development of a robust assessment framework for innovations, serving as a model to develop assessment tools for future innovations
- Execution of a thorough evaluation of the implemented technologies, focusing on community adoption, long-term sustainability, and scalability potential
Key Activities
- Conduct a comprehensive study of all innovations and stakeholders, integral to the project
- Visit the innovation site to execute a comprehensive evaluation of the innovations
- Develop a detailed evaluation report
- Formulate tailored assessment tools for each implemented innovation
- Develop a detailed assessment framework and guidance document that can be used by JSCF to develop assessment tools for future innovations
- Participate in and present findings at the National level seminar scheduled for September 2024
Language
English
Duration of the Contract
The consultancy agreement will end on 25th August 2024 and all deliverables as per the TOR need to be completed by this date. Extensions, if any, shall be subject to additional/modified terms and conditions as may expressly be agreed in writing between the vendor- partner and JSCF/ WaterAid.
Reporting and Progress Report
The vendor-partner shall report directly to Mr. Rajesh Rangarajan, Research and Innovation lead, Policy and Technical Support Team, JSCF/WaterAid. The vendor-partner will be required to submit deliverables as stipulated in the Terms of Reference.
Mandatory Terms
- The Consultant should be willing to travel to project locations
- Follow WaterAid India’s Child Protection Policy and Ethical Policy.
- The Consultant would be required to sign consent/release Forms from all beneficiaries
Submission of Expression of Interest
Academic/research organisations, social sector/policy institutions, consulting firms and other private or non-profit agencies that have experience in conducting such evaluations for non-for-profit organisations can apply.
Please submit your Expression of Interest, previous samples of work/portfolio and detailed technical and financial proposal for the agreement and a PPT presentation (Maximum 10 slides). Mention in the Subject Line of the email: “Project Evaluation of Nurturing WASH Innovations”. For submission of proposal, queries and clarifications, please mail to this email i.d. WAIP2P-Delhi@wateraid.org
Deadline for submission – 17th July, 2024. Â
Job Email id: WAIP2P-Delhi(at)wateraid.org
