Expertise: irrigation, water resources management, coordination
Expertise Group: Agriculture/Rural Development
Consultant Source: National
TOR Keywords: irrigation, water resources management, coordination
Objective and Purpose of the Assignment
The Cambodia Resilient River Basin Masterplan (CRRBM) is supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
through technical assistance to the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM). The initiative
is intended to strengthen long-term water security, climate resilience, and integrated river basin
management in Cambodia.
The first phase of the CRRBM focuses on the Tonle Sap River Basin Group. It will support the preparation
of river basin management and investment plans, as well as capacity development for river basin planning
and management at national and provincial levels. The CRRBM identify two main areas of work: preparation
of Tonle Sap River Basin Group Management and Investment Plans, and River Basin Planning and Management
Capacity Development to be realized by 2027. The work is being commissioned by the CRRBM consulting firm.
The CRRBM is expected to establish a consistent and replicable approach to river basin planning of other
basin groups, strengthen national and provincial river basin management arrangements, and support the
identification and prioritization of climate-resilient water resources investments. It will also need to
coordinate closely with other ongoing and planned initiatives, including IWRMP, ACP4Climate, World Bank-
supported activities, AFD-supported work, K-Water initiatives, and other relevant programs. ADB’s
mission documentation highlights the need to avoid duplication, strengthen complementarity, and ensure
coherence among multiple river basin and water resources planning initiatives.
To support MOWRAM’s leadership and effective implementation of the CRRBM, the Senior River Basin
Planning Expert will provide high-level technical advisory support to MOWRAM leadership and relevant
technical teams, particularly in relation to technical review, strategic alignment, and coordination of
river basin planning processes. Through this advisory role, the Expert will provide technical expertise
and oversight to support the preparation of the Tonle Sap River Basin Group Management and Investment
Plans, and River Basin Planning and Management Capacity Development activities by the CRRBM consulting
firm. The CRRBM is also expected to contribute to Cambodia’s broader priorities related to integrated
water resources management, climate resilience, river basin governance strengthening, and sustainable
water resources investment planning.
Objective
The Senior River Basin Planning Expert shall provide high-level technical advisory and quality assurance
support to MOWRAM leadership in the implementation of the CRRBM. The Expert shall support technical
oversight, review consultant outputs, guide technical discussions, and help ensure that CRRBM
deliverables are aligned with integrated water resources management principles, Cambodia’s water
resources planning priorities, climate resilience objectives, and related partner-supported initiatives.
The Expert will provide periodic technical advisory support and quality assurance inputs at key stages
of CRRBM implementation and review processes.
The position is primarily advisory and technical in nature. It includes technical coordination where
needed, particularly to support coherence among the CRRBM consultant firm, MOWRAM technical departments,
ADB, PMU, development partners, and relevant national and provincial institutions. The Expert will also
support efforts to ensure that MOWRAM leadership and relevant government agencies are appropriately
briefed and engaged throughout the CRRBM process.
The Expert shall not duplicate the technical responsibilities of the CRRBM consulting firm, but shall
serve as an independent advisory adviser to MOWRAM by providing technical review, strategic advice, and
quality assurance support.
Scope of Work
The Senior River Basin Planning Expert will serve as an independent senior technical adviser to MOWRAM
leadership and is expected to undertake the following responsibilities and related tasks, among others,
in support of MOWRAM leadership, technical coordination, and the effective implementation of the CRRBM
Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output
Technical advisory support, strategic guidance and leadership briefing
• Provide high-level technical advice to MOWRAM leadership on river basin planning, integrated water
resources management, basin governance, water allocation, climate resilience, flood and drought risk
management, and investment planning.
• Support technical and strategic decision-making related to CRRBM implementation, including the
relationship between national water resources planning, basin group planning, river basin management
plans, and investment priorities.
• Advise on technical and policy implications arising from CRRBM assessments, scenario analyses, and
proposed investment options.
• Prepare technical briefs, advisory notes, talking points, and issue summaries to support meetings,
consultations, and engagement with government agencies, development partners, and technical teams.
• Support efforts to ensure that MOWRAM leadership and relevant government agencies are appropriately
informed, briefed, and engaged on key technical and strategic issues related to the CRRBM.
• Translate technical findings into practical and policy-relevant recommendations for senior leadership
and decision-making audiences.
• Advise on basin-scale scenario assessment, water allocation strategies, environmental flow
considerations, transboundary water management issues, and climate-resilient investment pathways.
• Provide strategic advice on the development of a long-term national framework for river basin planning
and management, including the replication and scaling of CRRBM approaches to other river basin groups in
Cambodia.
Technical oversight, quality assurance, and review of CRRBM outputs
• Support MOWRAM leadership in providing technical review and quality assurance of CRRBM consultant
outputs, including reports, assessments, draft plans, final plans, models, tools, training materials,
and related deliverables.
• Review methodologies, analytical approaches, and planning frameworks to ensure consistency with
integrated water resources management principles and national priorities.
• Review assessments related to water resources, water demand, water balance, flood and drought risks,
climate change impacts, environmental considerations, and investment prioritization.
• Provide technical comments, recommendations, and review notes on consultant deliverables and support
consolidation of inputs from relevant MOWRAM departments and stakeholders.
• Ensure that CRRBM outputs maintain technical coherence across river basin planning, climate
resilience, institutional strengthening, and investment planning components.
• Participate in and provide technical inputs to selected technical discussions with the CRRBM
consultant firm, ADB, PMU, and relevant agencies to address technical issues and improve the quality of
outputs.
• Identify technical gaps, inconsistencies, implementation risks, and areas requiring further analysis
or clarification.
• Review and provide technical guidance on basin assessment methodologies, scenario analysis, water
allocation frameworks, environmental flow assessment, climate change adaptation strategies, investment
screening methodologies, and decision-support tools.
Technical coordination and institutional engagement
• Support technical coordination and engagement among MOWRAM, ADB, PMU, the CRRBM consultant firm, TSA,
PDWRAMs, River Basin Management Committees, CNMC, relevant line ministries, and development partners.
• Promote alignment between CRRBM and related initiatives, including IWRMP, ACP4Climate, World Bank-
supported activities, AFD-supported basin planning, K-Water initiatives, and relevant MRC-related work.
• Identify areas of overlap, complementarity, and potential duplication among related planning and
investment initiatives and propose practical approaches for improving coherence.
• Provide technical advice on institutional coordination arrangements and the practical functioning of
national and provincial river basin planning and management mechanisms.
• Support technical engagement and dialogue among MOWRAM, line ministries, provincial institutions,
development partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen coordination and shared understanding of
CRRBM priorities and approaches.
• Work closely with the River Basin Planning Coordinator to ensure effective coordination, stakeholder
engagement, and follow-up on key technical and institutional issues.
Capacity development and knowledge support
• Provide technical inputs to the development and implementation of river basin planning and management
capacity development activities under the CRRBM.
• Review and advise on training programs, technical workshops, planning tools, technical guidelines, and
knowledge products prepared under the project.
• Support efforts to strengthen institutional understanding and practical application of river basin
planning, basin governance, and integrated water resources management approaches.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing and lessons learned related to river basin planning, climate
resilience, institutional coordination, governance, and water resources investment planning.
• Support the communication of technical findings and planning approaches in ways that are accessible to
both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Provide recommendations for strengthening long-term river basin planning and management capacity
within MOWRAM and relevant national and provincial institutions.
• Support the development of technical guidance materials, planning standards, review procedures,
institutional frameworks, and good practice approaches that can be replicated in future river basin
planning initiatives across Cambodia.
Expected outputs and deliverables
The Expert will provide technical advisory, strategic guidance, and quality assurance support at agreed
intervals and key milestones throughout CRRBM implementation. Expected outputs may include:
• Technical advisory notes prepared at agreed intervals and key milestones of CRRBM implementation.
• Technical review comments on CRRBM consultant deliverables, including inception, assessment, draft and
final river basin plan, capacity development, and training-related outputs.
• Technical review memoranda and recommendations on key CRRBM methodologies, assessments, planning
frameworks, investment prioritization approaches, and major consultant deliverables.
• Strategic advisory notes on river basin governance, institutional arrangements, water resources
planning priorities, climate resilience, and coordination with related national and development partner
initiatives.
• Briefing notes, technical talking points, and issue summaries for MOWRAM leadership ahead of key
meetings, workshops, stakeholder engagement and consultations, and development partner discussions.
• Technical coordination notes summarizing key issues, decisions, recommendations, and follow-up actions
arising from technical meetings and consultations.
• Inputs to stakeholder consultation and workshop materials, particularly where technical framing or
explanation is required.
• Technical inputs and recommendations on the identification, screening, prioritization, and sequencing
of climate-resilient water resources investments within the Tonle Sap River Basin Group.
• A final technical advisory report summarizing the Expert’s key inputs, observations, lessons learned,
strategic recommendations and priorities for strengthening river basin planning and management in
Cambodia.
Key competencies:
• The Expert should demonstrate:
• Strong technical judgment in river basin planning, water resource governance and integrated water
resources management.
• Ability to provide senior-level advice in a politically and institutionally complex environment.
• Capacity to connect technical analysis with policy, institutional, governance, and investment
decisions.
• Strong ability to review, communicate, and synthesize technical information.
• Good understanding of institutional coordination mechanisms, development partner coordination and
government decision-making processes.
• Ability to integrate climate resilience, flood and drought risk management, environmental
sustainability, and water security considerations into river basin planning and decision-making.
• Ability to work collaboratively with technical teams while maintaining independent professional
judgment.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to supporting MOWRAM ownership and leadership of the CRRBM process.
Reporting Arrangement
The Senior River Basin Planning Expert shall report directly to the designated MOWRAM leadership
responsible for oversight of the coordination of the Cambodia Resilient River Basin Masterplan (CRRBM)
and related river basin planning initiatives.
Close coordination with the River Basin Planning Coordinator will be required to support alignment
between technical review, institutional coordination, stakeholder engagement, and follow-up actions.
The Expert shall provide independent technical advisory and quality assurance support to MOWRAM and
shall not duplicate the responsibilities of the CRRBM consulting firm or PMU.
Work location:
Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with travel to provinces and project
sites as required
Travel and logistical arrangements
The Expert will be based at MOWRAM in Phnom Penh. Field travel to provinces, river basin areas,
consultation venues, and project sites may be required. Travel, per diem, and other approved work-
related expenses will be covered in accordance with applicable project procedures.
Duration of contract and payment
The position shall be engaged on an intermittent basis, with an estimated level of effort equivalent to
approximately 132 working days during the contract period of one year, subject to satisfactory
performance and project needs. The expert will be remunerated in accordance with the applicable ADB
consultant engagement procedures and the agreed contract.
Payments shall be processed based on actual approved inputs/deliverables and in accordance with the
agreed payment schedule, subject to satisfactory performance, submission of required documentation, and
endorsement by the designated MOWRAM leadership responsible for overseeing coordination of the CRRBM and
related river basin planning initiatives.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
The Senior River Basin Planning Expert should have:
• An advanced degree in water resources management, hydrology, river basin planning, environmental
management, civil engineering, climate change, natural resources management, or a closely related field.
A PhD is highly desirable.
• At least 15 years of progressively responsible professional experience, including significant senior-
level experience in river basin planning, basin governance, integrated water resources management, water
resources governance, hydrology, climate resilience, transboundary water resources management, or
related fields.
• Demonstrated senior-level experience leading, preparing, reviewing, advising on, or providing
technical oversight for river basin management plans, basin development strategies, water resources
master plans, investment plans, transboundary river basin planning initiatives or basin-level planning
frameworks.
• Strong knowledge of IWRM principles, river basin governance, water allocation, environmental flows,
flood and drought risk management, climate change adaptation, and investment prioritization.
• Proven experience working with government institutions, river basin organizations, development
partners, or regional water cooperation institutions.
• Extensive experience in the Mekong region and a strong understanding of Cambodia’s water resources
management, river basin governance, and institutional context are highly desirable.
• Previous senior advisory, planning, technical management, or leadership experience within a regional
river basin organization, international river commission, transboundary water institution, or
international water resources institution is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to review complex technical reports, assessments, planning documents, and
analytical outputs, and to translate technical findings into clear, practical, policy-relevant, and
investment-oriented recommendations. Strong coordination and communication skills, including the ability
to engage with senior officials, technical experts, provincial actors, development partners, and other
stakeholders.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Khmer.
Minimum General Experience: 10 Years
Minimum Specific Experience (relevant to assignment): 7 Years
