Expertise: Institutional and Commercial Specialist – Team Leader
Expertise Group: Biological Sciences & Ecology
Consultant Source: International
TOR Keywords:
Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
Rajasthan project. Rajasthan, India’s largest state, is among the most water-scarce regions in the
country, with only 1.2% of India’s surface water and less than 2% of its groundwater. Rapid
urbanization, limited infrastructure, and over-exploited groundwater resources have resulted in chronic
shortages, intermittent water supply, and inadequate sanitation.
The Government of Rajasthan (GoR), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is pursuing
infrastructure modernization, 24/7 water supply, and institutional restructuring. Despite ongoing
efforts, challenges remain, including high non-revenue water, institutional fragmentation, and low-cost
recovery.
Delhi project. In parallel, the Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, through the
Delhi Jal Board (DJB), is preparing the proposed Water Supply Improvement Project in the Wazirabad Water
Treatment Plant (WTP) command area. The project aims to achieve equitable access to continuous,
pressurized potable water; and strengthen DJB’s institutional capacity and operational systems. The
project may also support pathways for expansion and modernizing the wastewater collection network;
promoting the reuse of treated wastewater for non-potable urban and industrial applications. A Project
Management Unit (PMU) will be established at DJB to oversee the execution of key components, including
SCADA systems, GIS-based network mapping, DMA creation, non-revenue water reduction strategies, and
customer engagement through smart metering and digital platforms.
Scope of Work
The Consultant will serve as Team Leader for the preparation of the Institutional Assessment Report for
the proposed water sector interventions in Rajasthan and Delhi. He/She will provide overall leadership,
direction, and coordination of the assignment, ensuring that institutional and commercial aspects are
comprehensively addressed and aligned with ADB’s requirements. The expert will oversee the integration
of inputs from other experts, maintain close communication with ADB and the respective government
agencies, and ensure that the Institutional Assessment Report provides a clear, evidence-based
foundation for subsequent project planning.
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
The assignment is limited to pre-investment activities and does not include implementation support.
Recommendations will inform the design of the proposed ADB-funded project. The Consultant will work
closely with ADB, the state and city governments, and other experts like Strategy and Management and
Policies, Institutions, and Regulations (PIR) Specialist (International) and Water and Sanitation
Utility Performance Analyst (International) in undertaking the following tasks:
• Review existing institutional and policy frameworks for water supply and sanitation in Rajasthan and
Delhi, focusing on governance structures, regulatory mandates, and commercial operations relevant to
project preparation.
• Assess institutional capacity and performance at state and utility levels, including organizational
structure, staffing adequacy, decision-making processes, and operational efficiency to identify
readiness gaps.
• Evaluate financial sustainability and commercial viability, covering revenue streams, cost recovery
levels, tariff adequacy, subsidy mechanisms, and implications to support financial modeling and roadmap
preparation for future project design. Perform a desktop review of tariff structures and commercial
strategies, including pricing for water supply and treated wastewater reuse.
• Analyze customer service systems and commercial practices, including billing and collection
efficiency, grievance redressal mechanisms, and digital engagement platforms, to inform pre-investment
planning.
• Identify preliminary need for utility consolidation or mergers in urban areas to enhance efficiency,
economies of scale, and service delivery, highlighting implications for the proposed ADB project.
• Benchmark current practices against ADB priorities and international good practices, ensuring
recommendations are practical, phased, and aligned with sector reform objectives.
• Lead structured consultations with government departments, urban local bodies, regulators, utilities,
and key stakeholders to validate findings, confirm reform priorities, and build consensus on proposed
actions.
• Collect, verify, and synthesize institutional and commercial data, highlighting gaps, risks, and
opportunities that will shape the pre-investment roadmap and inform subsequent project design.
• Specifically, for DJB: Conduct an initial assessment of DJB’s zonal model (mini-CEO’ approach) to
determine its effectiveness, scalability, and relevance for institutional readiness and roadmap
development (for implementation stage).
Reporting and Coordination:
• Coordinate and consolidate inputs from team members for the Institutional Assessment Report.
• Draft sections on institutional arrangements, commercial operations, governance reform, and
consolidation models.
• Present findings and recommendations at the consultation and validation workshops.
• Facilitate discussion to validate proposed reforms.
• Incorporate comments from ADB and stakeholders in the final report.
• Act as main liaison between ADB, the government counterparts, and the consulting team.
• Oversee quality of deliverables and adherence to schedule.
Outcome and Deliverables:
The assignment will deliver a comprehensive Institutional Assessment Report for Rajasthan and Delhi’s
water sector, with the following key outputs:
• An overview of existing institutional arrangements in water and wastewater.
• A structured gap analysis of policy, institutional, and regulatory (PIR) frameworks, highlighting
gaps, overlaps, and implementation risks.
• Preliminary recommendations for governance and regulatory reforms, including corporatization options,
performance-based contracts, tariff regulation, and compliance monitoring.
• Initial assessment of utility consolidation or mergers to strengthen service delivery.
• Draft and finalized sections on PIR for integration into the overall reform strategy, validated
through stakeholder workshops, which will be implemented in ensuing ADB funded project stage.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
The Consultant will have a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Public
Administration, Economics, or a relevant discipline, complemented by advanced management training.
He/she will have at least 25 years of professional experience in the water supply and sanitation sector,
including more than 15 years in senior utility management and more than 10 years in consultancy. He/she
will have extensive experience in institutional transformation, governance reform, corporatization, long-
term service contract design, and commercial and institutional strengthening, including policy,
institutional, and regulatory (PIR) reforms. Experience in leading complex, multidisciplinary
assignments for ADB, World Bank, or other donor-funded projects, preferably in South Asia, is required.
Fluency in English with excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills is essential.
Minimum General Experience: 25 Years
Minimum Specific Experience (relevant to assignment): 15 Years
