National Consultancy- Rapid assessment of hand pump spare parts and sanitation products supply chain in four project states (Rumbek, Torit, Yambio, and Bor) and develop a framework for suppl

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Purpose of Activity/Assignment: UNICEF South Sudan is seeking a qualified individual consultant to design and carry out rapid market assessment on two product and service segments: hand pump spare parts and sanitation products.

The assessment will analyse the supply chain at national level, with a special focus on four states. The assessment will help in defining the size and potential of the market; mapping out available business, products and services; identify market gaps, identify customer motivations, design/product preferences and behaviours related to costs and investment; and provide the detailed data and insights needed to identify opportunities and capabilities required to develop the supply chain and related demand generation opportunities for scaling up pump spare parts and sanitation products in South Sudan.

Background Sustainability of rural water supply schemes remains a major challenge in South Sudan. The majority of the rural population in South Sudan relies on self-supply from shallow/hand-dug wells, or surface water, and for those with improved access, handpump installation is the most widespread solution for supplying water in rural areas. Many rural water supplies in South Sudan demonstrate high operational failure rates, particularly those using hand pumps to extract groundwater. It is estimated that at any given moment an average 30 percent of existing handpumps are not functional because users do not have the technical or financial capacity to maintain them without external assistance. Large areas of South Sudan are remote or inaccessible making it difficult to maintain supply chains for spare parts. This resulted in over 900,000 people to fetch water from surface water, often exposing them to disease. One of the main reasons for non-functionality of water points is lack of a harmonized approach and strategy from the government to address the issue of operation and maintenance aimed at sustained water provision. In addition, the supply of spare parts for pump maintenance is one of the weak links in the quest for sustainability in rural water supply.

South Sudan is a significantly challenging context in which to deliver services. Deterioration of infrastructure means that physical access internally and with neighboring countries is difficult and expensive. The WASH sector fragmentation and absence of government leadership across the country means that there is no comprehensive understating at the sector level for the most effective approach to ensure sustainability of rural water facilities, especially handpumps. Finally, South Sudan has suffered from years of conflict which

has brought in a significant amount of external funding. This has increased dependency on Non-Governmental Organizations functioning with external funding to conduct repairs and rehabilitations, hence relieving users and government from their responsibilities for maintenance and thus compromising the ultimate sustainability of access to safe drinking water.

In addition, South Sudan was among the countries with the highest open defecation (OD) rates in sub-Saharan Africa at 66% nationally in 2015, which decreased to nearly 60% in 2020. However, despite progress the country made on sanitation programmes, the latest National Household Health Survey, released in 2022, has shown an increase in open defecation to 74.7%, the highest rate in the world. Besides, 84 per cent of the population do not have access to a private improved sanitation facility, with similar inequities.

In order to develop sustainable rural water supply and sanitation systems – stopping the dependency on externally funded individual projects – donors and implementing partners engaged in the rural WASH sector, in partnership with the government of South Sudan, are looking to map and understand the existing supply chains of hand pump spare parts and sanitation products in four project states and develop a framework/model for the spare parts and sanitation supply chain system.

UNICEF intends to use the finding of this study to support the government to design and implement supply chains for handpump spare parts and sanitation products in a sustainable manner that will ensure supplies and spare parts are available and close to the community. The proposed model will take a business (market) approach with strong emphasis on the private sector, government regulation and monitoring, NGOs/CBOs and community participation.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

This assignment is tailored to map and analyze the existing supply chain(s) of pump spare parts and sanitation products, and their effectiveness, and how the current uncoordinated approach(es) needs to be improved in order to achieve longer-term handpump sustainability and sanitation market in South Sudan.

The outcome of this assignment is to: 1. Identify and map the supply chain(s) of pump spare parts and sanitation products in four project sites (Rumbek, Torit, Yambio and Bor): from international/national manufacturers to users, and including all intermediaries (private sector, NGOs, UN, government), including the availability of spare parts and sanitation products, type of handpumps spare parts and sanitation products in demand, the distribution channels used, and the challenges faced in managing the supply chain. This includes the following components: - Take stock of private sector pump spare parts and sanitation entrepreneurs. - Assess services and products offered by the public and private sector, particularly spare parts, toilet materials and other sanitation products, installation services - Assess consumer preferences in rural areas of the selected sites - Identify gaps and bottlenecks in the supply chain and potential market opportunities 2. Identify options for competitive business models, including most cost-efficient technology recommendations for the development/strengthening of a private sector lead supply chain based on existing local enterprises; clearly stating the prerequisites, necessary conditions, and current constraints and risks for its commercial viability 3. Identify any specific requirements/guidelines that should be followed by implementers/service delivery agents to ensure the sustainability of handpumps spare parts and sanitation products in South Sudan. 4. Provide recommendations that will enable the market to provide quality produces, sustainably.

Scope of Work: The purpose of this work is to compile a body of information on hand pump spare parts supply chains, including maintenance of water points, and sanitation products and make related recommendations to improve the sustainability of programmes aiming to increase WASH services in South Sudan. Note that the recruited national consultant will be working with international consultant as a team.

The assessment will comprise of the following key tasks: 1. Conduct a desk review by collecting and synthesizing any previous studies if available in order to sharpen or deepen areas of enquiry. 2. Support facilitates a stakeholder workshop as part of the initial reviews. 3. Support conducting in-depth interviews with relevant ministries and local government to investigate the existing policy and regulation on spare parts and sanitation products. 4. Support finalizes the study design outlining methods and timeline (design to be included in the Inception report). 5. Conduct field visits jointly with international consultant including in-depth interviews and FGDs to gather insights from targeted consumers/suppliers/key stakeholders across all market segments and key settings, focusing on the following locations: Rumbek, Torit, Yambio and Bor - The consultant should also look at existing or potential associations of private sector Companies, which includes Chamber of Commerce or any equivalent association. 6. Support data analysis and report writing 7. Analyze qualitative data and present findings and recommendations to UNICEF and relevant partners and stakeholders 8. Share the draft report for feedback from the Government, UNICEF, and relevant stakeholders 9. Draft final report (possibly two separate reports – for spare parts and sanitation products) based on UNICEF and partner feedback and inputs, meeting international quality standards to enable global dissemination of the study. 10. Support facilitates dissemination workshop upon completion of the report

It is envisaged that the assessment will require travel to at least four of the states: Rumbek, Torit, Yambio and Bor.

Methods The methodology for the assessment will be led by the international consultant. National consultant should support developing the methodology to fit into South Sudan context.

Deliverables and Schedule of Payments The payments will be delivery-based on progress submitted by consultant as per the major deliverables as follows:

Deliverables Development of inception report to include scope, methodology, and workplan. Update inception report with feedback from UNICEF Draft inception report with detailed methodology, questionnaires, data analysis frameworks, and workplan Updated inception report with the above-mentioned details 1 April – 17 April to 17 April – 24 April 30%. Upon Satisfactory delivery Field work Data analysing and report writing Submission of draft report for review and feedback through a workshop Conduct fieldwork/data collection activities, focusing on the following locations: Rumbek, Torit, Yambio and Bor

Draft report indicating data collected, sources, analysis/synthesis and findings. Workshop held and feedback provided and incorporated - PowerPoint slides summarizing the assessment and results for presentation to key stakeholders - Workshop report 27 April – 14 May to 17 May – 28 May to 1 June – 3 June 40% Upon satisfactory delivery.

Feedback incorporation and finalization of the report Submission of final report. Dissemination workshop meeting with state/national government and UNICEF team Updated report Final synthesized report with annexe. Workshop plan and agenda. Workshop report 4 June – 12 June to 15 June – 26 June 30 June 30% Upon satisfactory delivery.

Minimum Qualifications required: Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

Education requirement

Minimum Master’s degree level in a subject related to the assessment, e.g. Business Marketing, WASH,The selected consultants will require a track record of at least five years of supply chain diagnostics in Sub-Saharan countries. Possible areas of expertise include value chain analysis, business advisory services, particularly in the area of market transformation; capacity building and social entrepreneurship. Experience working with rural and informal markets is essential with at least 3 years experience in the WASH sector. Experience of similar research projects. • Knowledge of supply chains analysis • Experience of programming in the WASH sector • Fluent English • Ability to engage high-level stakeholders in in-depth technical discussions • Workshop facilitation skills • Writing skills • Ability to undertake field work and travel in difficult and sometimes insecure environments • Village level research skills and experience • Positive and “can-do” attitude with excellent inter-personal skills • Experience working in South Sudan is essential

Language Requirements:

Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement

Supervision of the study The Study will be supervised by the WASH Specialist, in coordination with the Chief WASH

All application must be accompanied with detailed technical and financial proposal.

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UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.