REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL:

Technical Assistance on WASH Sector Governance and Regulatory Framework

USAID Liberia Economic Policy Dialogue Activity (LEPDA)

 

Background:

The USAID Liberia Economic Policy Dialogue Activity (LEPDA) is a four-year program that aims to foster economic growth and employment in Liberia by supporting the Government on key policy reforms, building Government capacity for policy reform, and engaging Civil Society Organizations in the policy process. LEPDA also supports reform of the WASH sector, with a focus on governance, revenue and Public Financial Management.

LEPDA is seeking a provider to work with the regulatory agency, the WASH Commission, to review basic governance and regulatory issues. The provider will mobilize a small team with the required technical skills, qualifications and experience of governance with specialized expertise in WASH sector governance and regulatory reform in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective:

The provider will engage primarily with the WASH Commission but will also support the WASH Commission in engaging with other WASH sector actors as needed, including other Government Ministries and Agencies, members of the Legislature, and Civil Society Organizations.

The provider should propose a consulting team including a team leader, and any other additional experts needed to deliver the scope of work which include the following three main three tasks:

1. Task One

Assess WASH sector governance in Liberia, identify gaps and challenges, and provide recommendations on how to improve the governance enabling environment for WASH.

The assessment will:

• Include a review of the current roles and responsibilities of WASH sector entities at national and subnational levels.
• Include an assessment of the extent to which sector roles and responsibilities adequately address gender equality and female empowerment.
• Identify issues and present recommendations for creating an effective WASH sector regulatory regime, including the option of creating a Ministry of Water Resources. All options should be assessed for feasibility and cost-benefit profile and should state the means by which proposed options would be implemented. The recommendations should refer to best practices from comparable countries and should build on other external assessments.

2. Task Two

Based on recommendations developed in Task One, the provider will work with the WASH Commission and other GOL stakeholders to develop WASH sector governance reform plan, and a roadmap for implementation of the proposed changes including:

• An implementation plan for legal & regulatory reforms needed.
• Draft outlines of key legal regulatory instruments.

3. Task Three

The provider will work with LEPDA and the WASH Commission to identify ‘quick win’ areas for regulatory development that should visibly improve governance and service delivery, and also of generating income for the WASH Commission. The provider will also deliver technical support to the WASH Commission in planning and organizing stakeholder consultations and training around the instruments developed.

Specifically, the provider will assist the WASH Commission in:

• Drafting of licensing procedures and license templates for provision of services, including sanctions for non-compliance.
• Drafting of permit issuing procedures and permit templates including sanctions for non-compliance.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Type and Duration of the contract

• Firm Fixed Price contract
• April 2021 – July 2021 (4 months)

Location

LEPDA envisages these tasks being delivered through a combination of remote work and in-country work. LEPDA expects that providers will develop proposals for deploying experts to Liberia which balance the need for cost-effectiveness with the need for direct beneficiary engagement.

Organizational Qualifications  

The provider should be a consulting firm, consulting engineering form or other firm capable of delivering technical assistance in WASH sector governance and entering into contract with a USAID implementer. An organizational track record of delivering WASH sector governance work in Sub-Saharan Africa is a plus.

LEPDA is particularly interested in receiving applications from small businesses registered in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Organizations with their registration in an advanced developing country, according to USAID guidelines, are not eligible to apply. Potential applicants should review the USAID list of advanced developing countries here:

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1876/310mab.pdf

Team Qualifications

The provider should propose a consulting team including a team leader, and any other additional experts needed to deliver the scope of work.

The provider will be evaluated primarily on the basis of the qualifications and experience of the team proposed. Assessment criteria include:

• Team member experience in WASH sector governance, legal and regulatory reform in countries outside Liberia, but in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Team member experience working with WASH sector regulatory bodies and utilities at a senior level outside Liberia, but in Sub-Saharan Africa

How to Apply:

Interested and relevant providers are invited to submit their full proposals to the LEPDA project with the following details:

• Technical proposal;
• Cost proposal;
• Updated profiles and CV of relevant personnel;
• At least two letters of reference for similar or relevant work, for each team member proposed

Proposals should be sent to on or before 15 March 2021.

Evaluation

Proposals will be evaluated on a ‘best value’ basis. Proposals will be evaluated as follows:

• Cost proposal: 50%
• Technical proposal: 50%

Evaluation criteria for the technical proposal will be:

• Quality of technical methodology proposed
• Experience and qualifications of team proposed