Consultant - WASH Sector Assessment in Sierra Leone

Job Description

Background of the project

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC began emergency operations in Sierra Leone in 1998 during the civil war. In the post-conflict reconstruction period, the IRC consolidated its operations into three core programmatic areas: health, education, and women’s protection and empowerment. In addition, the IRC leads consortia in education and health working with 8 partners at national scale. The IRC has offices in Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Kailahun, and Kono Districts but implements programs in many other districts through partners and one of its consortium projects is implemented in all the sixteen districts in the country. The IRC is implementing projects in Health, Education and Women and Girls Protection and Empowerment (WPGE) across the country and is planning on introducing projects in WASH, Governance and Economic Well-Being.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are essential environmental determinants of health and well-being. Water and sanitation are recognized human rights, and their fulfillments. Provision of safe WASH services and adequate waste management in health care facilities is an essential aspect of ensuring delivery of high-quality health care and preventing infections.

Sierra Leone’s health system has not yet fully recovered from the effects of the decade-long civil war, the Ebola epidemic, COVID-19 pandemic; and other outbreaks such as measles, cholera, among others. Despite investments in WASH during previous and current epidemics, the country still struggles with WASH infrastructure. The disease burden, due to poor hygiene practices, is extremely high. The country’s economic growth fluctuated from 4.6% in 2014 to 2.1% in 2015, and to 4.7% in 2020, and the country is still one of the poorest in the world. Poverty has a negative impact on the already weak health system and remote rural areas and marginalized communities are particularly prone to related shocks. The climate patterns in Sierra Leone have changed: average temperatures have increased by 0.8°C, and annual rainfall has varied. Between 2011 and 2018, Sierra Leone lost 151,873 hectares of tree cover and this has increased the levels of flooding across the country. It also led to increased soil erosion which affects local population, but also downstream populations were soil deposits are built up.

Considering the current state of the health system, the limited funding levels, the new and emerging health crises, the country’s health situation could worsen if mitigation measures are not put in place. More resources need to be put in preparedness and response to epidemics such as COVID-19, Ebola, and other epidemic prone diseases and to build a resilient health system. However, the funding environment is unpredictable. The international Rescue Committee (IRC) plans to conduct a WASH assessment in five districts including Bo, Kenema, Kailahun, Kono and Pujehun.

Scope of Work:

The purpose of this assignment is to conduct a WASH context analysis focusing on the long-term development needs of Sierra Leone that will inform appropriate design for IRC’s WASH sector to achieve improved quality and availability of water supply services as well as increased access to community and household sanitation services (infrastructure), more effective, gender-responsive and transparent WASH services. This is part of the country program’s strategic action plan (SAP) 2022-2024. It is expected that this assessment will generate quality evidence to guide the IRC WASH programming, including identifying the current status of the WASH sector and proposing sustainable water supply and sanitation services in rural communities, health facilities and schools as well as other vulnerable groups. The findings of the assessment will be used to inform and/or integrate targeted WASH response to the current and future IRC programmes in Sierra Leone.

The Consultant is expected to generate quantitative and qualitative evidence to enable the country office to better understand the WASH and environmental health landscape in targeted districts, including domestic water supply, household sanitation in remote rural areas, minimum WASH service package in health facilities and schools among others. The assessment will have the following specific objectives:

• To understand the WASH sector in Sierra Leone including the structure of the sector from government, civil society including national and international NGOs, donors, and the private sector; the coordination mechanisms from the national to the sub-national levels; the key actors in the sector and their coverage.

• To understand the WASH services and infrastructure in Sierra Leone including the recommended services and infrastructure at both household and institutional levels (such as schools, and health facilities) and for specific groups (such as people with disabilities, menstruating women and girls, and the elderly) and provide an analysis of the national standards against the international standards or best practices including but not limited to the SPHERE standards.

• Assess the underlying factors contributing to low WASH outcomes, low coverage by sub-sectors and current client needs or preferences and the potential added value to the sector for the IRC in line with the IRC Sierra Leone’s Strategic Action Plan 2022 – 2024 and the IRC HEALTH 5 Theory of Change and to identify opportunities for intervention by the IRC to enhance the provision of WASH services in Sierra Leone in collaboration with government, CSOs and private sector partners.

Deliverables:

The consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables:

1. Approved inception report that will include the consultant’s understanding of the assignment, methodology/approach to the assignment, analysis framework, detailed work plan, proposed data collection tools and final report template and PowerPoint template.

2. Approved list of stakeholders to be involved in the assessment

3. Draft desk review report

4. Draft report with qualitative and quantitative findings

5. Raw data set used for analysis and reporting

6. Final report (following report template that will be agreed upon during inception)

7. PowerPoint Presentation with key findings (to be used during the dissemination meeting with IRC).

Qualifications

Payment Rate and Schedule:

The IRC will be responsible for the following:

- Providing background on the IRC’s existing programs and activities, including relevant documentation on WASH - Providing available information on program areas, geographical coverage, and contacts - Providing timely feedback on the submitted deliverables - Providing technical guidance and support during the assignment - Providing accommodation during field visits out of Freetown. The IRC will not provide any meals and/or DSA. The Consultant will meet their own costs for meals and any additional human resource support they will need. - The assessment is expected to be for a period of 30 days. - The IRC will provide the Consultant with accommodation at an IRC Guest House where available or hotel in the field. - The IRC will not provide any meals and/or DSA but the Consultant will meet their own costs for meals and any additional human resource support they will need.

Requirements:

The successful consultant will be expected to demonstrate:

- A clear understanding of the scope of the assignment. - Extensive experience in conducting high quality quantitative and qualitative assessments in the WASH sector in Sierra Leone. - Detailed knowledge of, and experience in, WASH issues with focus on sustainability and integration of WASH into health systems specifically in low- and middle-income communities. - Strong analytical and communication skills. - Ability to mobilize in-country WASH sector partners and stakeholders in Sierra Leone. - Demonstrated experience in conducting similar assessments in Sierra Leone (with examples of reports).

Treatment of Information and Confidentiality

All data and information received for the purpose of this assignment is to be treated confidentially and is only to be used in connection with the execution of these terms of reference. All intellectual property rights arising from the execution of these terms of reference are assigned to the IRC. The contents of written material obtained and used in this assignment may not be disclosed to any third parties without the expressed advance written authorization of the IRC.

Key Working Relationships

Consultancy Manager: Health Coordinator, IRC Sierra Leone, based in Freetown

Note: List of responsibilities, professional and personal skills are considered indicative and not exhaustive; actual duties may differ or change depending on office and agency priorities at the time.

Applications

Apply on-line from the IRC careers website. Applicants should attach:

• CV

• Past performance references for similar assignments.

• Writing sample of an evaluation report or relevant study (unedited).

• Financial proposal, including any costs necessary to complete the assignment, consultant number of days and daily professional fee rates

• Adherence to IRC’s safeguarding policies is a must.