Request for Proposal
About WaterAid Canada
WaterAid Canada is a member of WaterAid, an international not-for-profit, determined to make clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere. Only by tackling these three essentials in ways that last can people change their lives for good. Our Global Strategy is an ambitious plan to reach 400 million people with sustainable and safe WASH by acting as a catalyst for systemic change, including a stronger focus on gender equality and on climate-resilient WASH services.
Summary
Purpose: review, build on/ adapt existing health system measurement tool(s) to produce an assessment tool that can be used to support monitoring within WaterAid Canada’s new WASH and Health focused project providing guidance for using the tool and advice on how to integrate the adapted tool into other project M&E approaches and tools.
Audience: WaterAid employees
Reports to: WaterAid Canada Program Manager
Timeframe: contract to be completed July 18, 2025
Estimation of cost: total budget should not exceed CAD $10,000
Location: home based, no travel required
Application deadline: June 13th, 2025 at noon EST
Terms of Reference:
Consultancy to adapt health systems assessment tools
Background
WaterAid Canada is starting a new Global Affairs Canada funded project titled: ‘Strengthening Wholistic and Inclusive Systems for Health (SWISH) through Integration, Prevention and Women’s Empowerment’. This is an ambitious seven-year project that will operate in three countries (Liberia, Pakistan and Zambia). The project aims to help address preventable diseases and deaths by supporting local governments and partners to integrate Reproductive Maternal Neonatal Child Health and WASH services and practices within the health systems.
The project has a strong learning component and we have made a commitment to (1) Increase the use of gender responsive, quality RMNCH services and preventive health practices by women, men and adolescents within targeted primary healthcare settings; and (2) Improve multisectoral governance and integration of WASH in health systems at all levels, including evidence-informed program planning, budgeting, monitoring, and policy development.
The project aligns to WaterAid’s global strategic aim focused on prioritizing WASH across the health sector to improve public health and our cross-cutting priority to deepen and strengthen gender equality across our work.
WaterAid uses several assessment tools for WASH systems and services in the development sector, including health. Recently these tools have been adapted for use on integration of WASH into the health sector and health system strengthening. For this new project, we recognize an opportunity to review, build on and adapt this WaterAid tool and additional external tools so that it can be applied to this WASH and health focused project.
Objective
The objective of the consultancy is to review, build on / adapt existing health system measurement tool(s) to produce an assessment tool that can be used to support monitoring within WaterAid Canada’s new WASH and Health focused project, as described above. This includes providing guidance for using the tool and advice on how to integrate the adapted tool into other project M&E approaches and tools (e.g. baseline assessments, outcome mapping).
Scope
The consultant should seek to adapt a tool that is already in existence (and has gone through a robust development process), rather than develop new tools.
Only one tool is ultimately needed – but multiple tools will need to be initially reviewed and the final tool could reflect a combination of existing tools adapted to the project.
The focus should be on selecting and adapting a tool so that can be used within a project that focusses on WASH and health systems.
The adapted tool should be simple to apply in digital and paper-based form yield robust monitoring data that is simple to analyse, interpret and use, and not rely on excessively high ongoing costs or resource.
Suggested Process
- Desk based review of project documents and discussions with project team around project aims, theory of change and wider M&E strategy
- Desk based scoping and review of possible WASH and health system tools
- Interviews/ online session with Country focal points and member teams to scope requirements/considerations
- Selection of most appropriate tool for adaptation
- Adaptation of tool to ensure suitability for the project and for ongoing use in WaterAid, checking feasibility with Country focal points
- Development of short guidance to support the application of the adapted tool
- Webinars with country teams and global staff working on the new project to support effective application of the tool
Deliverables and timeline
| By 23 June | By 1 July | By 8 July | By 18 July | |
| Deliverables | Short inception report | Draft adapted tool for review | Finalized tool and guidance | Webinar held with project teams to support application |
It is expected that the consultancy will take approximately 10-12 days of work to complete the deliverables, including desk review, tool adaptation/ development, writing of guidance, and training on tool application.
Expertise required
The consultant should have:
- Significant experience of developing monitoring and evaluation tools, approaches and methodologies for WASH and health projects.
- Significant understanding of and experience of applying current sector tools to monitor and evaluate health systems strengthening within projects.
- Up-to-date knowledge on the state of monitoring of health systems, WASH systems and gender equality and understanding of what improvements are needed.
- Good contacts and working relationships with others working on health and WASH systems monitoring tools so that collaborations can be sought.
- Significant understanding and practical experience of health system strengthening approaches within the context of international development projects, preferably with a focus on WASH.
- Experience of supporting teams and strengthening capacity to apply and use monitoring and evaluation tools.
Proposal guidelines
You are invited to submit a letter of interest in English, including the following elements:
Proposed plan for the work:
- Proposed schedule and availability for deliverables
- Proposed methodology
Demonstration of expertise:
- Overview of your related experiences and/or examples of past work that address the areas of expertise listed above
- Current CV
Financial proposal:
- Detailed breakdown of expected costs and explanation of itemized fees.
*Please note that all must be itemized and include clear explanation of all fees and costs, including any outsourced or contracted work.
Application process
Interested parties should submit their application to: saramarshall@wateraid.org by noon EST on June 13, 2025. We thank all applicants for their interest. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
*Successful consultants will have to sign WaterAid Safeguarding Code of Conduct.
