A. Background
Water For People (WFP) is a global nonprofit organization working across nine countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa to address the global water crisis and equip communities with lasting access to clean water and sanitation services – for Everyone Forever. WFP partners with local governments, businesses, and individuals, providing the support they need to bring clean water and sanitation systems to their own communities. WFP India was established in 2008 in alignment with the global vision and mission to provide improved access to water and sanitation in rural areas and urban. Water For People India aims to provide universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and improved hygiene practices, sustained by local institutions, government, and private sector. WFP India is an affiliate of WFP, USA. WFP India is operational in the state of West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Odisha, and reached 1.2 million people through community drinking water, WASH in public institutions, and market led approaches to sanitation. Over the past decade, WFP India has emerged as a niche organization with focused water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs that cater to the most vulnerable and marginalized communities, inclusive of public institutions such as Anganwadi centers, schools, and health centers. WFP India is a direct implementation agency supported by civil societies, local NGO partners, and entrepreneurs.
B. Project Description
India’s burgeoning population and rapid urbanization have led to a significant increase in faecal sludge generation. While large-scale Faecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs) are suitable for urban areas, rural areas face unique challenges, including high capital costs, operational inefficiencies, and unregulated sludge disposal. To address these challenges, WFP is working on a novel approach focused on developing financially viable, low-cost, low-capacity FSTPs tailored for rural areas.
The aim is to create a business model that reduces dependence on public funding by engaging the private sector, local governments, and communities. This model will incorporate circular economy principles to ensure sustainability and scalability, addressing the challenges of sludge procurement, operational costs, regulatory enforcement, demand generation, and revenue streams. By leveraging local resources, innovative technologies, and community engagement, WFP seeks to develop cost-effective FSTPs, improve operational efficiency of FSTPs, promote sludge-based soil enhancers, and generate demand for safe pit-emptying services. The three major outcomes of this project are expected to be:
- Improved livelihoods for private sector actors involved like FSTP operator and pit emptiers.
- Enhanced capacities of FSTP operators/pit emptiers to run FSTPs towards production of quality soil enhancers /deliver improved pit emptying service.
- Increased use of treated sludge-based soil enhancers in agricultural land by farmers.
C. Objectives of the Consultancy
To effectively evaluate the impact of this project, and to inform future interventions, a comprehensive assessment approach is necessary. Baseline, midline, and endline assessments will help to:
- establish a baseline understanding of the current situation regarding FSTP operations and sludge management practices.
- monitor progress and evaluate the effectiveness of the project interventions.
- identify challenges and opportunities for improvement.
- inform decision-making and resource allocation.
- generate evidence to support future policy and program development.
Water For People is seeking an expert agency to conduct the baseline, midline, and endline assessment of the project. The agency is also expected to conduct a rapid formative assessment to identify the determinants and barriers of demand for consistent paid pit-emptying services and sludge-based soil enhancers in the study areas.
D. Scope of work
- Conduct baseline assessment of the project: Assessment of indicators related to technical capacities of FSTP and its operators, look at prevalence of self/paid pit emptying by households and of (un)safe disposal by pit emptiers, understand the motivations and incentives linked to this prevalence, frequency of pit-emptying by households, willingness of pit-emptiers to provide pit emptying services and link up with the FSTPs, production capacities of facilities and technologies available, financial incentives and management models of the FSTPs in the study areas.
- Conduct formative research: Rapid appraisal to identify the determinants and barriers of demand for consistent paid pit-emptying services and sludge-based soil enhancers in the study areas.
- Conduct midline assessment of the project: Assess the progress of baseline indicators during implementation of the project.
- Conduct endline assessment of the project: Re-assessment of the baseline indicators to test the impact of the interventions.
E. Deliverables
The consultant is expected to provide the following deliverables:
- An inception report that includes the detailed methodology, work plan, report outline, etc.
- Baseline assessment report
- Formative research report
- Midline assessment report
- Endline assessment report
F. Terms of Payment
- Submission and acceptance of inception report: 20% of the total budget
- Submission and acceptance of Baseline report: 20% of the total budget
- Submission and acceptance of Formative research report: 20% of the total budget
- Submission and acceptance of Midline report: 20% of the total budget
- Submission and acceptance of Endline report: 20% of the total budget
Reporting
The project team will provide a comprehensive Project Completion Report within 15 days of completing the project. This report will detail the outcomes, challenges, and recommendations based on the research conducted.
G. Timeline
The research must be completed within one year from the project start date. The agency is expected to provide intermittent support throughout this period to ensure the timely completion of all activities.
H. Eligibility Criteria
- The agency must have demonstrated expertise in WASH sector, including a deep understanding of ecosystem players and major schemes.
- The agency must have demonstrated experience of conducting mixed-methods research in similar contexts.
- The agency must have demonstrated experience of conducting baseline/midline/endline/impact assessments in WASH and circularity sectors.
- The proposed team members must be skilled at quantitative and qualitative research methods.
- The agency must have the ability to achieve high quality results within stipulated deadlines.
Please submit Technical and Financial Proposal with mentioning subject line “ Evaluation of Viability of FSTP Models for Rural Communities: Baseline, Midline, and Endline Assessment “ within 19th November,24 to indiacareers@waterforpeople.org
