TERMS OF REFERENCE FORMAT
(FOR INDIVIDUAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CONTRACTS, JOB-ORDERS ABOVE
US$1000 UNDER LTA and PCAs with NGOs)
UNICEF-BCO
: TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)
Project/Assignment Title: Capacity Building and Technical Assistance to Piped Water Supply System
Implementation: Part II
Work Plan Code number: YW 502-02
Planned Result: 60 piped water systems installed, providing
about 30,000 households with safe water
1. Background and Justification:
Drinking water in rural Bangladesh has been primarily supplied via individual water points. The Multiple Cluster
Indicator Survey (BBS/UNICEF, 2010) reports that only 0.7% of rural households have water piped into their
dwellings although this is expected to increase. Tube wells, installed to both shallow (<500 ft) and deep (>500 ft)
depth, and fitted with various types of pumps, provide drinking water to 94.3% of rural households (BBS/UNICEF,
2010). In addition to roughly 1 million public water points (JICA/DPHE, 2010) installed by the Department of Public
Health Engineering (DPHE), it is estimated that more than 10 million private tube wells are in use in rural
Bangladesh. A recent compilation of public water supplies installed through various programmes over the years by
DPHE in 2998 unions and 134 Pourashavas where arsenic in groundwater has been found (JICA/DPHE, 2010)
confirm that individual water points are the prominent means of water supply. The study found of 163 piped water
supply systems sampled 134 were operational. The study also found 29 non-operational piped water supply
systems. Thus, 82% of piped water supply systems were in operation (Table 1).
Table 1: Number of public water supply options in the 2998 unions and 134 pourashavas of Bangladesh
Water Options
No. of Active*
No. of Inactive*
% of Active
Deep Tube Well
154264
8112
95
Shallow Tube Well
417960
242238
63
Deep Well (Tara Dev)
10350
2590
80
Shallow Well (Tara Dev)
82880
18095
82
Dug Well
9163
2167
81
Pond Sand Filter
3431
2392
59
Arsenic-Iron Removal Unit
182
159
53
Shallow Shrouded Tube Well
8195
1658
83
Rain Water Harvester
3045
2448
55
Piped Water System
134
29
82
Other
15490
642
96
Total
705094
280530
72
*Active = Operational with [As] < 50 ug/L; Inactive = Not operational or [As] > 50 ug/L
Source: Situation Analysis of Arsenic Mitigation 2009, JICA/DPHE 2010.
What are the reasons that such expensive investment, ranging from 0.2 to 11 million taka per system, cannot reach
100% operational status? An evaluation of 112 rural piped water schemes installed between 2001 and 2008 by
JICA and DPHE (2008) has identified the following reasons for 47 non-operational systems: poor management
(n=41), lack of resources for operation and maintenance (n=30), poor maintenance (n=27), want to use but do not
want to pay (n=27), other water sources available (n=24), level of arsenic contamination is low (n=23), not willing to
use (n=22), irregular subscription (n=18), level of iron is low (n=18), low household density (n=7), piped water not
available on a regular basis (n=7), poor quality of water (n=3). For the systems that are found working well, not
surprisingly, the reasons for success are opposite to the reasons of failure.
The Water and Environmental Sanitation Section’s Annual Work Plan 2010-2011 calls for installation of 60 piped
water systems in rural Bangladesh to provide about 30,000 households with safe water under the Sanitation,
Hygiene Education and Water in Bangladesh (SHEWAB) project. Upon completion, this would increase of the
number of rural piped water systems by nearly one third. This is a considerable challenge given the limited number
of piped water supply built by DPHE/UNICEF and the lack of experience of the community in operating and
maintaining such system. To capitalize on the important lessons learnt, during the SHEWAB key stakeholders
meeting held between May 23 and 25, 2010 in Koitta, Manikgonj, Mr. M.A. Kaium, Executive Engineer of DPHE
and Project Director of the World Bank sponsored BWSPP project that plans to install 21 piped water systems, was
invited to share these important lessons. A consultation session was held with 18 executive engineers to inquire the
number of piped water systems that they can build with 100% success rate in their district. The total response is
123 systems, with 40 plus gravity flow systems in the Hill Tracts districts (Table 2). The consensus is that site
selection (See appendix 1: Piped Water System Proposal Form) considering technical and socio-economical
feasibilities is a critical first step. They also expressed interest for additional technical assistance to accelerate the
progress of rural piped water systems.
To date, 148 proposals have been submitted from 11 districts: B. Baria, Chapai Nawabgonj, Comilla, Meherpur,
Narsingdi, Pabna, Rangpur, Shariatpur, Sherpur, Sirajgonj, and Sunamgonj. With the exception of Chapai
Nawabjonj district, the proposals often miss critical information and details. Without a tremendous capacity building
effort and externally provided technical support and supervision, DPHE is unlikely to implement 60 piped water
systems to reach 100% success rate before the end date of the project by June 30, 2012.
Table 2. Preliminary Response from District on No. of RPWS
District
Executive Engineer
Mobile
B.Baria
Md. Kamel Pasha
01715142861
Bandarban
Garitosh Koup Haque
01554311851
Comilla
Feiroz A. Chowdhury
01726508503
Gaibanda
Noor Ahmed
01712122546
Khagrachari
Md. Adbul Mannan
01818193825
Meherpur
Md. Hassanuzzaman
01912836328
Moulavibazar Sohrab Uddin Ahmed
01816443993
Narail
Md. Anwar Hossain Molla
01712071865
Narsingdi
Md. Abdul Awal
01712029174
Nawabgonj
Md. Abdul Washud
01711571346
Pabna
Md. Jamanur Rahman
01711972977
Pancharghor
M.D. Anwar Hossain Talukdar 01552649278
Rangmati
Md. Feroz Ahmed
01550608244
Rangpur
Noor Ahmed
01726508503
Shariatpur
Bidhan Chandra Dey
01712030176
Sherpur
Md. Abdul Halim Khan
01711526272
Sirajgonj
Md. Tabibur Rahman
01714972982
Sunamgonj
S.M. Shahidul Islam
01712490261
Total
No. of RPWS
8
20 GFS
10
? GFS
19
2
5
5
10
20
3
20 GFS
2
3
30
6
ART
123
2. Purpose of Assignment:
The purpose of the assignment is to provide technical assistance to DPHE to implement 60 rural piped water systems
to be installed under GOB-UNICEF Project. In addition to conduct extensive, hands-on training to DPHE engineers, the
consultants are expected to also review the design by DPHE trained engineers, assist evaluation of hydrogeological
conditions for site selection, and be available for technical consultation during construction, and to inspect and
supervise construction, including ensuring the quality of materials used during construction through inspection of
tendering and procurement process.
This ToR describes the overall deliverables expected collectively from the team of consultants, and the qualification of a
second senior or mid-level member of the team.
3. Tasks
Overall deliverables:
1. Piped systems, numbers to be finalized depending on budget availability, but is estimated to be about 100, designed
and implemented according to standards and community demand
2. Practical implementation handbook developed in time and used to implement the piped systems
3. Capacity built in DPHE, local government and community for piped water system implementation
3.1 Capacity Building:
Piped Water System Implementation Practical Handbook: A practical handbook is to be developed and finalized for
publication upon completion of assignment to assist DPHE for mini-piped water system (e.g. approximately 100 to 500
households) implementation. The handbook, different from the piped water system manual that has previously been
developed, is intended to contain practical and to-the-point information that will address a wide range of topics in a
succinct manner with successful and unsuccessful examples of piped water implementation in Bangladesh, and
analysis of what had gone right and what had gone wrong using specific cases found in Bangladesh. Succinctly written,
the handbook can be used to guide technical and social-economical feasibility evaluation for site selection,
environmental impact assessment of the piped water system, design, construction, etc. implementation steps including
tendering. Sufficient emphasis should be devoted to operational and maintenance of piped water system. Sufficient
emphasis should be devoted to how to avoid making mistakes.
In consultation with DPHE and UNICEF, the team of consultants will outline the capacity building plan,
methodologies/exercises, and the expected outcome and define measures of the outcome.
The training will be conducted in a mutually agreeable time period to maximize the number of trainees from DPHE, and
should also include the Union Poroushava/municipality engineers who are working for SHEWA-B urban piped water
systems. The trainees are expected to undertake written exams at the inception of the training and upon completion of
the training. A critical part of the assessment of the capacity building is a design contest that will take place at a preselected typical rural village site in SHEWA-B project area, with prize for the best, 2nd best and 3rd best design.
3.2. Individual Design and Piped System Work Plan Review:
A senior consultant with specialization on piped water design will review each design to be completed by DPHE
engineers, as well as the work plan including costing, survey and other items that are necessary to ensure successful
implementation. A written comment and short report is to be expected after 5 days of receiving the complete design and
work plan from DPHE. This report is then submitted to UNICEF and DPHE.
3.4. Site Selection and Survey
The SHEWA-B NGOs will assist the social-economical aspect of the implementation. Two junior consultants, specialists
of hydrogeology and social marketing/mobilization, will assist site selection. The hydrogeologist will assist construction
of production wells, including recommendation of appropriate depth, screen interval, diameter, types of pumps, and
water quality, etc upon the request of the DPHE and to deploy to appropriate village site. Social marketing/mobilization
specialist will assist formulation of the water user committee, mobilize the community to make monetary contribution, to
educate the community regarding operation and maintenance, and to liaise with local government to seek additional
support to ensure that the piped water system can address water needs of the poor and the needy.
3.3. Technical Consultation and Inspection During Construction:
A senior consultant with extensive experience in piped water system implementation should be available for
consultation and inspection during construction to solve any un-expected technical problems. The consultant is
expected to travel to sites where problems have been found to help solve the problem. Sites without reported problem
will be subjected to randomized inspection by any of the consultants or DPHE/UNICEF staff members.
4. Outputs
See “End Product/ deliverables
5. Estimated Budget as per Work Plan:
6. Duty station: Dhaka, DPHE, with extensive travel to all project districts
7. Indicative assignment dates: asap, tentatively 1 Feb, 2011 to 31 December 2011
8. Supervisor: Yan Zheng, WES Specialist
9. Description of assignment:
Tasks
1. Develop handbook/modules.
2. Conduct hands-on training at a preselected village site in SHEWA-B area
3. Conduct design contest of trainees and
select prize winners
4. Review individual design and work plan
5. Assist site selection and survey as
needed
6. Technical consultation and inspection
during construction
End Product/deliverables
1. First Draft of handbook
and training modules
2. Training completion
report
3. Individual site survey
report within 5 days of
field visits
4. Individual review report
submitted within 5 days
of receiving each
design and work plan
5. Case by case
consultation report
within 5 days of field
visits. Inspection report
within 5 days of field
visits
6. Final Draft of handbook
in English and Bangla
ready for publication
Time frame
1. Approx. 0-1st month
2. Approx. 1st-2nd months
3.,4.,5. Approx. 2nd-10th
months
6.Approx. 4th – 11th months
10. Qualifications or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required for the Assignment:
Given the demanding nature of this assignment, this ToR was initially developed to recruit an agency and was
developed to a RFP. Bids were invited but only one agency submitted a proposal, and it was found to be
unsatisfactory. A major limitation is that Bangladesh has not had many professionals with extensive experience
in piped water system. Those few who do are current fully engaged in Dhaka WASA projects and are not
available. After extensive discussion with DPHE, it is determined that the need for capacity building is best met
by engaging a team of consultants with a range of experience, and to have offices in DPHE Headquarter in
Dhaka, and to deploy to the field when needed.
Senior National Consultant, rural piped water implementation/civil engineering
A national consultant, especially one with practical experience in piped water system implementation in
Bangladesh, who is familiar with water supply sector to supervise the complicated tendering process, and who
is capable to ensure the quality of the material used in construction, who can provided inspection during
construction, is reasoned to be able to provide the much needed technical assistance and support.
Qualifications:
 Academic background in civil engineering (M.Sc or B.Sc)
 At least 5 years of experience for M.Sc degree holder, or at least 10 years of experience for B.Sc degree holder
in rural piped water system field implementation/construction, with extensive knowledge of local supplier to
supervise and provide quality check of tendering and procurement process
 Good understanding of rural drinking water supply, especially the various source water and treatment options
available in Bangladesh
 Ability to work independently and not be easily influenced/ integrity
 Systematic, analytical and eye for detail
 Ability to communicate well in English and Bangla and have good report writing skills in English and Bangla