Expertise: Water and Sanitation
Expertise Group: Engineering
Consultant Source: International
TOR Keywords: Water and Sanitation Engineering. Policy, Planning and Regulation
Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
The Asian Development Bank’s Water and Urban Development Sector Office requires a flexible, high quality
Framework of Experts to support the preparation, review, and implementation of water supply, sanitation,
and wastewater sector initiatives, including sector diagnostics, policy and regulatory reform support,
and infrastructure development, operations and maintenance for Southeast Asia and the Pacific region.
The Framework will ensure timely access to specialized expertise across investment planning,
engineering, environmental management, policy and regulation, governance, non revenue water (NRW)
management, WASH interventions, and independent reviews.
The overall objective is to mobilize multidisciplinary experts who can provide technical, analytical,
and advisory support to improve water and sanitation sector planning, infrastructure design, operations,
asset management, governance, and regulatory performance. Specific objectives include:
• Support water and sanitation investment planning, pre-feasibility/feasibility assessments, and
preparation of engineering designs, or independent peer review of existing designs prepared for ADB
clients.
• Support sector diagnostics to identify key sector constraints to expanding access to financially
sustainable safely managed water supply and sanitation services in the Pacific; and help to identify
effective solutions drawing on sector good practices from and outside of the Pacific region;
• Provide support to water and sanitation entities to strengthen operations, and asset management
planning to support sustainable service delivery;
• Provide support for the design and implementation of NRW/water loss reduction initiatives;
• Support initiatives to improve compliance of sanitation entities with environmental regulations such
as the design and implementation of trade waste initiatives;
• Strengthen policy, regulatory, and institutional frameworks to enable effective service delivery.
• Support the design and delivery of capacity building and training programs for water entities;
• Provide rigorous independent engineering and design peer reviews to ensure quality and resilience.
Scope of Work
The Framework will consist of thematic expert categories, each with defined roles and tasks.
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
3.1 Water & Sanitation Engineers
Key Tasks
• Support development of water and sanitation investment plans, masterplans, and sector frameworks.
• Conduct engineering pre-feasibility studies, feasibility studies, demand projections, hydraulic
modelling, and option analyses for centralized and decentralized water supply and sanitation solutions.
• Prepare and review technical specifications, drawings, bills of quantity, and tender documents.
• Provide support to water and sanitation entities to troubleshoot water and wastewater system
operational issues, and identify solutions.
3.2 Environmental Management Specialists
• Review environmental policies, standards, discharge requirements, and compliance gaps.
• Provide pollution prevention recommendations and review water quality data.
• Strengthen environmental regulatory frameworks and enforcement mechanisms.
3.3 Policy, Institutional & Regulatory Specialists
• Assess existing institutional, regulatory, and governance frameworks for water supply and sanitation.
• Propose reforms to mandates, tariff structures, service standards, and sector coordination.
• Support preparation or revision of policies, guidelines, and regulations.
• Provide support to design and implement reforms to institutional arrangements to improve effectiveness
of water and sanitation entities
• Provide sector inputs into PPP studies, or potential private sector development initiatives
• Work with water entities to design pro-poor mechanisms to ensure basic access to services among
vulnerable groups
• Design and support implementation of WASH interventions
3.4 Non Revenue Water (NRW) Specialists
• Support water entities to undertake diagnostics e.g. water balance estimation
• Work with water entities to develop NRW reduction strategies, e.g. establishment or reconfiguration of
district metered areas (DMAs).
• Provide training on leak detection, pressure management, meter calibration, and telemetry systems.
3.5 Governance & Institutional Strengthening Specialists
Key Tasks
• Strengthen utility operations, financial sustainability, and performance management systems.
• Design capacity building programs for utilities, including asset management and O&M
• Recommend organizational reforms, staffing strategies, and capability development.
- Expected Deliverables
Deliverables will vary by assignment but may include:
• Technical reports, feasibility studies, due diligence inputs, and investment plans.
• Environmental assessments, regulatory reviews, and policy recommendations.
• NRW diagnostic reports, and operational improvement plans.
• Design review reports and quality assurance assessments
• Capacity building programs, training materials
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Qualifications will depend on the expert category, drawing on standard profiles from earlier TORs:
• Minimum 15 years of water and sanitation sector experience, including at least 7 years in respective
areas of expertise
• Advanced degree preferred in engineering, environmental sciences, public policy, economics, or related
fields.
• Demonstrated experience with water utility operations, regulatory frameworks, or design/implementation
of water and sanitation projects.
• Prior experience working with multilateral development banks would be preferred
• Demonstrated experience working in Pacific and/or Southeast Asian countries would be preferred
Minimum General Experience: 15 Years
Minimum Specific Experience (relevant to assignment): 7 Years
