WaterLIFE Project: Subcontract specification for demonstration
catchment delivery partner – Upper Severn catchment
Background and Objectives
The Rivers Trust (RT) is a partner in a new 3-year LIFE funded project. ‘WaterLIFE’
(LIFE13 ENV/UK/000497) is led by WWF-UK and aims to accelerate delivery of the
Water Framework Directive (WFD) through collaborative action between civil society
and the private sector. RT seeks a local delivery partner to support the building of
capacity amongst civil society stakeholders, empowering them to engage with
catchment management including the ability to undertake a critical evaluation of
River Basin Management Planning (Actions B5 and B7). This capacity building should
embed a commitment to sustained engagement and delivery in the longer-term.
Specifically, a delivery partner is sought for one of the WFD catchments that lie
within the wider Upper Severn catchment, and one that ideally captures a wide
range of pressures upon the freshwater environment. Additionally, a catchment that
would facilitate the analysis of cross border water management and governance
between Wales and England would be advantageous.
Requirements
The successful local delivery partner should operate at a catchment scale and have a
track record in engaging with a wide range of local stakeholders including local
communities, NGO’s, Government Agencies, water companies and farmer
representatives. Ideally, the successful organization will host or at least be a key
stakeholder within one or more of the Catchment Based Approach (CABA)
catchments, having already begun the process of establishing a catchment
partnership. Additionally, they should be familiar with the evaluation of information
describing the pressures and impacts upon the freshwater environment and be able
to demonstrate familiarity with the delivery of measures to address these.
Specific Tasks

Establish and develop a catchment partnership that encompasses a wide
range of engaged and committed stakeholders, including those drawn from
civil society

Support RT, primarily through the running of workshops and field visits, to
build capacity within the partnership, enabling stakeholders to evaluate key
information and data sources and empower them to robustly engage with
the WFD River Basin Management Planning process

Lead the development of an evidence-based catchment plan that will
prioritise action on the ground, inform and challenge the statutory River
Basin Management Plans

Deliver action on the ground to improve the freshwater environment.
Measures implemented will be drawn from: Improvements to river and
riparian habitat; removal of barriers to fish migration; work with farmers to
reduce agricultural pollution; creation of wetland habitat and SuDS, control
of Invasive non-native species, implementation of Paid Ecosystem Services
approaches to environmental management.
Financing and Duration
The total value of the subcontract will be up to 59,964 Euros. The programme of
work under the subcontract will begin in November 2014 with a duration of two
years, finishing November 2016.
Application
Please fill in the associated application form, detailing your organisation’s suitability
to undertake the work, submitting the form electronically via
tenders@theriverstrust.org by Friday 14th November