CONSULTANT NEEDED Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Water for Recovery and Peace Programme (WRAPP) Terms of Reference for EIA Consultant

Transcription

1 CONSULTANT NEEDED Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Water for Recovery and Peace Programme (WRAPP) Terms of Reference for EIA Consultant 1. Introduction: This TOR is intended to guide the EIA Consultant on the modalities of carrying out the EIA in two (2) payams in Nyirol and five (5) payams in Akobo counties where Pact will be implementing WASH interventions. Pact s activities will include the following: broken boreholes will be rehabilitated, hygiene and sanitation promotion conducted, community drinking water quality will be monitored, hand pump spare parts supply chain will be established, pump mechanics will be trained and water management committees will be formed and trained. 2. Background information: For a long time, Akobo and Nyirol counties have suffered from insufficient water and sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure to meet the needs of the population. In the last year, the influx of IDPs has not only aggravated the tenuous water access situation of host communities, but has resulted in an untenable situation for the nearly 30,000 displaced people seeking refuge there. As a result, Akobo and Nyirol counties are vulnerable their host communities and displaced populations lack the basic amenities of water, food and, in some cases, shelter. This, coupled with the history of instability in the region, creates the potential for a vacuum of intractable conflict and unmet humanitarian needs. There are about 200,000 affected people in the intervention area and the project will directly target about 100,000 individuals. NGO and humanitarian access to Akobo and Nyirol counties is challenging, however the situation remains stable enough to engage with communities, assess needs and implement critical interventions. The counties are in Jonglei, the largest state in South Sudan, with eleven counties spread out over 123,000km 2. Much of the state lies in the Sudd swamp or is flooded during the rainy season and is therefore inaccessible most of the year. Other areas are largely cut off from the capital, Bor, due to insecurity by armed groups. While both counties require a variety of interventions in multiple sectors, addressing basic water and sanitation needs in the early stages of a humanitarian emergency is critical in order to limit the prevalence of water- and food-borne diseases which are amongst the primary causes of death in humanitarian emergencies as well as to reduce the potential for water-related conflict. To reduce WASH related morbidity and mortality among IDPs, returnees and host communities in Nyirol and Akobo Counties in Jonglei State, Pact will engage in development of improved water supply alongside sanitation and hygiene promotion. Improved water supply development will include the rehabilitation and upgrading of 36 boreholes to improve their functionality and increase their level of service through setting up of hand pump spare parts supply chains to meet the current demand within these two counties. Pact will also provide five-day training to 36 Water Management Committees. Training facilitation teams will be comprised of Pact Community Development Officer, Senior WASH officer and the WASH Coordinator who will be the lead facilitators working in partnership with community based organizations (CBO) WASH facilitators and county level state government technicians under the state ministry of physical infrastructure directorate of rural water. Trainings will cover stakeholder analysis, community mobilization, financial management, problem solving, and borehole maintenance technical training, monitoring and reporting.

2 Pact will improve sanitation practices by implementing a Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach. This approach is aimed at producing rapid reduction of open defecation. CLTS activities will be directly implemented by a team of Pact facilitators in collaboration with state ministry of physical infrastructure directorate of rural water based at the county offices. Pact field staff and trained CBO staff will provide technical support to communities on latrine construction using locally available construction materials. Pact will conduct hygiene and sanitation promotion in households within the framework of Sphere standards. Hygiene promotion will be centered on behavior change for hand washing at critical times and the safe water chain. A detailed communication strategy will be developed to guide proper dissemination of hygiene messages to households and public places such as market centres. Periodic drinking water quality surveillance will be conducted from selected water sources and from sampled households. Pact will conduct drinking water quality tests at the point of use at household levels. In order to internalize and sustain behavior change, Pact will identify WASH promoters from within the target communities and equip them with essential WASH promotion and monitoring skills. The promoters will pay regular visits to households ensuring that families are adhering to good hygiene practices. Rehabilitation of broken boreholes will lead to a reduced burden on currently existing boreholes as well as leading to a more efficient level of service. The number of borehole users will improve from 912 to 715 people per borehole, though still 43% above the maximum required number of 500 people per water source equipped with a hand pump. 1 Improved access to safe water and the hygiene and sanitation promotion will reduce incidences of waterrelated illnesses such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery and other enteric fevers such as typhoid. Pact will implement these emergency assistance activities from August 1, 2013 through July 30, This program will build on the experience and results of Pact s larger WRAPP activities, which began in 2004 using similar approaches to promote community ownership Major Activities of the project The major activities of the project are community engagement, water supply, mainly rehabilitation of existing boreholes fitted with hand pumps and sanitation and hygiene promotion and hand pump spare parts supply chain management Detailed description of the project The project sites in Akobo county shall be at Dengjok, Bilkey, Buong and Diror payams while Waat and Thol payams shall be the project sites in Nyirol county. Working through local partners, Pact will rehabilitate 27 broken boreholes fitted with hand pumps in Akobo county and another 9 in Nyirol county. Through community engagement and working in partnerships with community based organisations in each county, water management committees will be trained for the rehabilitated boreholes to ensure proper management of facilities. Pact technical staff will provide technical training to community hand pump mechanics. To ensure continuous operation of the rehabilitated facilities, Pact will identify local entrepreneur from among the CBOs it has been working with to be the main agent at community level for India Mark II hand pump spare parts. This CBO will be linked to a bigger supplier at the national level. The national supplier, often an importer, will supply the local CBO with the required spare parts close to the community. Community hand pump mechanics are then able to get spare parts within a community s reach. The project will also have a robust hygiene and sanitation promotion to reinforce the availability of safe water in the community. There will be public hygiene campaigns using mass media outlets, public places like markets 1 Minimum Sphere Standard for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Sphere Standards, 2011

3 among others. Communities will be engaged in an effort to eradicate open defecation through Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) with the ultimate goal of achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) environment. 3. Objectives: The overall goal of the proposed project is to reduce WASH related morbidity and mortality among IDPs, returnees and host communities in Nyirol and Akobo counties in Jonglei state. The project will achieve its overall objectives through: Targeted beneficiaries in Akobo and Nyirol counties have increased access to safe Targeted beneficiaries in Akobo and Nyirol counties improved sanitation practices Targeted beneficiaries in Akobo and Nyirol counties have improved hygiene practices 4. Purpose of the EIA: The purpose of the EIA is to determine as precisely as possible, within the present limits of knowledge and expertise, the likely environmental impacts of the proposed project. The objective of the EIA is to guide the project that will increase safe water access, improve sanitation practices and improved hygiene practices in Nyirol and Akobo counties. 5. Study area: The study areas shall be at Dengjok and Bilkey payams in the eastern parts of Akobo county, Buong, Diror and Walgak payams in the western parts of Akobo county. Another study area will be at Thol and Waat payams in Nyirol county 6. Scope of work and expected outputs/deliverables: No. of work days Required (the consultant should suggest the needed timeline for each activity) The following shall be the scope of work and the tasks to be carried out, information deficiencies to be addressed, studies to be carried out, methodologies etc. to be employed during the study by the consultant over a period of one month Description of the proposed project: provide a brief description of the relevant parts of the project, using maps (at appropriate scale) where necessary Description of the environment: assemble, evaluate and present baseline data on the relevant environmental characteristics of the study area. Include information on any changes anticipated before the project commences Legislative and regulatory considerations: describe the pertinent regulations and standards governing environmental quality, health and safety, protection of sensitive areas, protection of endangered species, implementation of WASH projects, land use regulations and guidelines, etc. in South Sudan where possible. In their absence, a best practice can be employed and adopted for this purpose Determination of the potential impacts of the proposed project: distinguish between significant positive and negative impacts, direct and indirect impacts, and immediate and long-term impacts. Identify impacts that are unavoidable or irreversible. Wherever possible, describe impacts quantitatively, in terms of environmental costs and benefits Carry out analysis of alternatives to the proposed project: describe alternatives that will be examined in the course of developing the proposed project and identify other alternatives which would achieve the same objective Development of a management plan to mitigate negative impacts: recommend feasible and cost-effective measures to prevent or reduce significant negative impacts to acceptable levels and describe the actions necessary to implement them.

4 6.7. Identification of institutional needs to implement environmental assessment recommendations: review the authority and capability of such institutions at local, county, and State levels. Recommend steps to strengthen or expand them so that the management and monitoring plans in the environmental assessment can be implemented Development of a monitoring plan: prepare a detailed plan to monitor the implementation of mitigation measures and the impacts of the project after completion and during its operation The consultant shall propose community-pact participation platform and inter-agency coordination with other partners: describe how the arrangements for obtaining the views of local stakeholders and beneficiary groups, and in keeping records of meetings and other activities, communications, and comments and their deposition. The community drinking water quality surveillance proposed in the project is expected to be continued by the communities beyond the project end date. Propose the best way of carrying on with this and the best way sharing findings from such surveillance with the various community stakeholders The consultant shall determine the social impact of the WASH project through interviews particularly in respect to the requirement for spare parts to be paid for by community members as opposed to free spare part previously available to them free of charge. Issues of involving communities to improve their sanitation without any material support to reduce on their burden of excreta related infections. The consultant needs to clearly spell out how the social impact of this project will impact on the communities health The consultant should also be conversant on the conflict sensitivities of the project area. They should be able to outline their findings on the followings concerns: Identification and analysis of the structure and actors supporting/enabling violent conflict in Nyirol and Akobo counties in Jonglei state? Have these dynamics changed? If so, how have they been altered? Identification and analysis of the key conflict Incentives and opportunities for violence that exist in Nyirol and Akobo counties in Jonglei state? Are there natural resources such as grazing land or water points that feed into conflict dynamics in Nyirol and Akobo counties? Who has access to these resources? How do cattle and pastoralism feed into these dynamics?what are the national and local conflict linkages? Identify what some of the possible future scenarios that may contribute to changing the conflict dynamics are. What institutional and social capacity exists for managing violence in the two counties? What are the positive and negative impacts of the proposed intervention on overall conflict dynamics in Jonglei state? What are the positive and negative impacts of the proposed intervention on communities who will directly or indirectly benefit, in terms of their socio-economic well being and attitudes and behaviours (perceptions)? Development of a management plan to mitigate negative impacts: recommend feasible and cost-effective measures to prevent or reduce significant negative impacts to acceptable levels and describe the actions necessary to implement them. 7. EIA report: The consultant shall prepare a concise report and limited to significant environmental issues, their mitigation measures and a proposed monitoring plan. The main text should focus on findings, conclusions and recommended

5 actions, supported by summaries of the data collected and citations for any references used. The report shall not exceed one hundred pages The Proposed Generic structure of the EIA report All documents shall be properly referenced with index and page numbers. Chapter 1. Introduction: (This chapter will describe the purpose of the report, identification of the nature, size and location of the project, introduction of the project proponents, description of site and surrounding environment, location maps, importance of the project to the community, county and state and scope of a EIA study as per the TOR. This chapter, in a few pages, allows anyone (specialist or not) to understand the different repercussions of the project on the environment, human well-being and safety and to be informed of the alternatives chosen and the mitigating measures that have to be implemented.) Chapter 2. Project Description, legal and administrative framework: (This chapter will describe the types and needs of the project, magnitude of operation, schedule for approval and implementation, land requirement, water requirement, layout of project and boundaries of the project areas such as counties and payams, description of mitigation measures suggested meeting the environmental standards) Chapter 3. Scoping and screening: (This chapter will spell out clearly to all environmental custodians in charge of protecting the environment such as line ministries, donors, NGOs, CBOs, communities and the general public the limits of the EIA, in time, space, resources and the type of impact to be addressed as well as the ways of evaluating them, and identify the alternatives) Chapter 4. Description of the Existing Environment: (This chapter will describe the study area, period and duration of the EIA study, EIA components and methodology, establishment of EIA baseline data for valued environmental components and base maps/description of relevant environmental components (meteorology, settlement characteristics, main livelihoods activities, water quality, land use, agriculture, soil quality, occupational pattern and general socio-economic characteristics. Precise data relevant to the site is required, describing: intended uses, quality, physical, biological, social, and economic conditions. This description must include other existing or proposed developments. The use of maps, graphs, drawings, etc is very important for a better understanding of the situation. Key data gaps and uncertainties must be identified here) Chapter 5. Anticipated Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures: (This chapter will describe the investigated impacts due to proposed project on surrounding location, credible accidents and minimization, project design and impact during implementation and regular operation, measures suggested for minimization and/ or offsetting adverse impacts, irreversible and irretrievable commitments on environmental components, assessments of significant impacts [including criteria for determining significance and assigning significance]. For all remaining negative repercussions, mitigating measures have to be proposed (and must be undertaken as soon as the project starts). These measures must be realistic both technically and economically. The efficiency of each measure in reducing significant negative effects to an acceptable level must be assessed. An estimation of the required investment is necessary at this stage to verify the feasibility of the proposed measures). Chapter 6. Environmental Monitoring Programme: (This chapter will include the various aspects of monitoring the effectiveness of mitigation measures suggested including measurement methodologies, frequency, location, data analysis, reporting schedules, emergency procedures). Chapter 7. Additional Studies: (This chapter will describe outcome of Public Hearing, Risk Assessment, Social Impact Assessment and and Social action plan. This section should also detail the conflict assessment findings and recommendations for mitigating increased conflict as a result of these interventions.). Chapter 8. Project Benefits: (This chapter will outline improvement in physical (WASH) infrastructure, improvement in social infrastructure, employment potential of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled persons, other tangible benefits

6 derived from the proposed project such as increased access to safe water from rehabilitated boreholes, availability of hand pump spare parts within a community s reach, improved sanitation and improved hygiene practices as a result of knowledge gained during and hygiene and sanitation promotion brought to the community by the project. The overall theme of this chapter will be improved health of the communities in the project area). Chapter 9. Environmental Management and Monitoring Plans: (This chapter will describe the administrative aspects of ensuring that mitigation measures are implemented and their effectiveness monitored after approval of the EIA). Chapter 10. Summary and Conclusion: (This chapter will describe the overall justification for the implementation of the project, and methods by which adverse effects of the proposed project have been mitigated). Appendices: (All documents needed for understanding the chosen methodology, the references, the meetings with state and local authorities, Pact project staff, community groups, the names and qualifications of the authors of the study, need to appear under this heading) 8. Proposed Budget (May or may not be indicated) 9. The Candidate The ideal candidate for this short term consultancy shall be able to work in and lead a team. They will have the following qualification and experience: A minimum of Bachelor of Science in Environmental management and at least five (5) years of working experience in South Sudan or similar setting Prior experience having conducted EIA and project level conflict study for WASH project Familiarity and knowledge in the use of EIA tools and techniques especially the use of Leopold Matrix Knowledge of applicable environmental laws of South Sudan Familiarity with the laws of South Sudan (Southern Sudan) specifically customary laws applicable in these parts of Jonglei state Proficiency in mapping using any suitable software Experience working with communities in remote locations 10. Application Interested candidates can submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) detailing the technical and financial proposals including a detailed workplan for the entire assessment in line with the outlined scope of work in section 6 above. The period of this consultancy including field study, desk study, oral presentation to selected audiences and submission of the draft report shall not exceed 30 days including weekends. Local transport for the consultancy in the field will be provided by Pact vehicles. There will be no medical or other personal insurances covered by Pact for the consultant during this period of consultancy. Include a list of past references for similar activities carried in the last 3 years. Other Considerations: The consultant should be willing to travel to any of the project s field locations (with limited access to electricity/internet) when necessary. The consultant (this ToR) may be either South Sudanese or international and must have extensive experience with EIA. This experience can be in an international setting anywhere in the world. Experience in South Sudan is desirable but not a requirement.

7 How to Apply: Please provide a CV and cover letter describing your suitability for this consultancy and including your daily rate to southsudanhr@pactworld.org on or before November 18, Applications will be reviewed as they are received. FOR QUESTIONS, Tiyese Zumu, WASH Advisor Please submit questions by only: tzmwale@pactworld.org