Terms of Reference

SWISH Baseline Assessments (Phase 2)

1. Assignment Information

2. About WaterAid

WaterAid is an international not-for-profit organisation, determined to make clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. We have been working with government and non-governmental partners to ensure that these essential services are available to poor and marginalized communities, especially women, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups.

WaterAid employs a public health and climate adaptation approach to addressing current water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) service requirements and sustaining them for the future. We work with sector partners to support and influence the behavioural, institutional and policy mechanisms for accelerating progress toward achieving safe and sustainable WASH access for the poor and marginalized communities.

For more information, please visit (www.wateraid.org) 

3. Project Background

WaterAid is starting a new Global Affairs Canada funded project titled: ‘Strengthening Wholistic and Inclusive Systems for Health (SWISH) through Integration, Prevention and Women's Empowerment’. The project aims to help address preventable diseases and deaths by supporting local governments and partners to integrate Maternal, Neonatal Child Health and WASH services and practices within the health systems.

The project has a strong learning component and we have made a commitment to (1) Increase the use of gender responsive, quality MNCH services and preventive health practices by women, men and adolescents within targeted primary healthcare settings; (2) Increase leadership and voice by women and adolescents in inclusive, gender responsive, quality MNCH services at primary health and community levels; and (3) Improve multisectoral governance and integration of WASH in health systems at all levels, including evidence-informed program planning, budgeting, monitoring, and policy development.

The project aligns to WaterAid’s global strategic aim focused on prioritising WASH across the health sector to improve public health and our cross-cutting priority to deepen and strengthen gender equality across our work. WaterAid uses several assessment tools in the health sector to determine baseline status for WASH systems and services, and hygiene and infection prevention and control (IPC) knowledge and practices. 

4. GEDSI Analysis 

GEDSI analysis is a foundational step in designing projects and interventions that are informed by the real-life experiences of diverse groups, rather than assumptions. It supports WaterAid in moving towards empowering and transformative programming, ensuring that WASH and health interventions do not reinforce existing inequalities and where possible, overturns inequalities, discrimination or exclusion.

As part of the SWISH project (Strengthening Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Health) baseline assessments, a Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) analysis will be conducted in Pakistan. This analysis will deepen understanding of local gender roles, social dynamics, and power relations in relation to MNCH and health, and how they shape, and are shaped by, access to resources, beliefs, practices, and institutions. 

The GEDSI analysis under SWISH will examine how gender, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and other intersecting factors influence access to WASH services, participation in decision-making, control over resources, and health outcomes within healthcare and community settings.

The analysis will serve both as a diagnostic tool and a participatory process, generating evidence-based recommendations to strengthen GEDSI integration across SWISH outcomes.

5. Objectives of GEDSI Analysis

To generate context-specific GEDSI evidence that informs socially inclusive, gender-responsive, and disability-inclusive design and implementation of SWISH project interventions. 

The GEDSI analysis will:

• Improve understanding of how WASH-related issues affect different population groups within SWISH intervention areas.

• Identify structural, social, cultural, and institutional barriers to equitable WASH services within health facilities.

• Support more accurate integration of GEDSI considerations into SWISH project design, annual planning, monitoring, and learning.

• Address gaps left by conventional WASH data by examining intra-household, intra-institutional, and community-level dynamics, including decision-making power and social norms.

• Strengthen alignment with WaterAid’s GEDSI commitments and donor requirements

The GEDSI analysis under SWISH is structured around five key domains: Access to Assets and Resources, Practices and Participation, Knowledge/Beliefs/Perceptions, Institutions/Laws/Policies, and Power and Control.

While all five domains will be covered, the analysis will not treat all domains with equal depth. Instead, analytical depth will be prioritised based on relevance to SWISH objectives, WASH and IPC outcomes, in the Pakistan context.Primary analytical focus will be placed on:

• Access to Assets and Resources, to understand inequities in access to WASH services, infrastructure, and related resources at household, community, and health facility levels;

• Practices and Participation, particularly around hygiene behaviours, participation in WASH governance, and inclusion in decision-making processes; and

• Power and Control, including intra-household, community, and institutional power dynamics that influence WASH access, voice, and accountability.

Analysis will disaggregate data and questions, where possible, across:

• Geographic contexts (urban, rural).

• Individual traits (disability, age, sex, gender).

6. Methodology 

The GEDSI analysis will primarily use qualitative methods to understand gender, disability, age, and social inclusion issues as they relate to WASH in health facilities in selected locations. The consultant/consulting firm will be responsible for implementing the analysis using the guidance and tools provided. Expected tasks include:

• Desk Review project documents, baseline Phase 1 findings, national policies, and relevant literature to establish the GEDSI context, identify information gaps, explain how the reviewed policies and frameworks hinder or support project objectives and refine the analytical approach.

• Target Group and Respondent Mapping: Identify key stakeholders, including community committees, women’s groups, youth groups, health facility committees, persons with disabilities’ organisations, and relevant government bodies. Ensure representation across gender, age, disability, and other social groups.

• Inception Meetings: Conduct inception meetings with WaterAid teams and stakeholders to introduce the GEDSI analysis, clarify expectations, and gather initial insights into local social dynamics.

• Key Informant Interviews: Conduct KIIs with a diverse range of respondents, such as mothers (including those with disabilities), adolescent girls, fathers, health facility managers, health workers, traditional birth attendants, religious leaders, minority groups, youth representatives, and patient groups.

• Focus Group Discussions: Conduct separate FGDs with target groups using the templates provided. Collect gender, age, and disability-disaggregated data to explore norms, roles, and challenges related to WASH in health facilities.

• Data Analysis: Analyse qualitative (and any relevant quantitative) data through gender, disability, and age-disaggregated lenses. Examine intersecting power dynamics, decision-making structures, and access to resources. Triangulate findings with Phase 1 baseline data.

• Validation Workshop: Facilitate two validation sessions with health facility staff, patients, community members, and other stakeholders to verify findings and ensure cultural relevance. One session with patients, community members, Caregivers, PWDs and the other with health facility staff and other stakeholders.

• Final Reporting: Prepare a detailed report summarising key findings, insights, and actionable recommendations for integrating GEDSI into SWISH interventions.

Sample Size:

Below is an approximate estimate of the sample size; however, the applicants are encouraged to propose different sample size:

Additional details regarding GEDSI analysis framework, methodology, and tools will be shared with the selected consultant/firm.

7. Key Responsibilities

Consultant Responsibilities

• Contextualise and prepare data collection tools.

• Implement the analysis following the agreed methodology, sampling strategy, data collection instruments, analysis plan, fieldwork plan, and reporting structure.

• Pilot the analysis tool.

• Train enumerators.

• Provide data collection equipment as needed.

• Conduct and oversee high-quality data collection.

• Clean and analyse the data.

• Facilitate a reflection session with WaterAid to discuss draft findings.

• Prepare and deliver a presentation of findings for the two validation workshops.

• Design and lead the validation workshop.

• Prepare draft and final reports following the provided guidance.

WaterAid Responsibilities

• Provide background information on the SWISH project and target groups.

• Share all relevant documents and the GEDSI analysis workbook.

• Collaborate with the consultant throughout implementation.

• Support logistical arrangements for data collection.

• Notify stakeholders and communities of the upcoming analysis.

• Facilitate access to communities and ensure participant availability.

• Organise inception and validation workshops.

8. Deliverables and timeline

Key deliverables of this assignment include:

• Inception Report (including contextualised tools and data collection plan)

• Interview and FGD transcripts (in digital form)  and desk review summary

• Presentation of key findings (PowerPoint)

• Draft and Final GEDSI Analysis Report (English)

The assignment is expected to be completed according to the below mentioned timeline:

The Consultant(s)/Firm is expected to produce the following:

9. Timeline and Reporting

WaterAid intends to receive the services of a selected Consultant(s)/Firm for a period of 2 months commencing from the agreement signing date.

Reporting requirements

The Consultant(s)/Firm will report to Manager Programme Quality & Partnerships (PQP) at WaterAid Pakistan. Outlines/templates for the assessment reports will be provided by WaterAid Pakistan. 

10. Ethical Considerations 

All stages of this assignment must adhere to the highest ethical standards, including confidentiality, privacy, safeguarding, and Do No Harm practices. The consultant team must:

• Protect the anonymity and safety of participants.

• Use gender-, disability-, and child-sensitive data collection methods.

• Conduct separate interviews/FGDs for women and men where appropriate.

• Where feasible, assign female enumerators to engage with women and male enumerators to engage with men.

• Establish a clear referral pathway for participants.

• Comply with WaterAid’s Safeguarding Policy and sign the Code of Conduct.

11. Expertise and Experience required

The Consultant(s)/Firm should have: 

• Master’s degree in Gender and Development Studies, Social Sciences, or a related field.

• Minimum of 10 years’ consulting experience on gender in development programmes.

• At least 5 years of experience conducting gender/GEDSI analyses, ideally within the WASH sector.

• Strong understanding of Do No Harm principles and ethical research practices.

• Demonstrated qualitative research including participatory and empowering methods and analysis skills.

• Proven experience coordinating and managing fieldwork teams.

• Experience working in South Punjab 

• Relevant language skills for the project context.

12. Standard Contract Terms & Conditions

WaterAid practices the following terms and conditions stated below:

• Intellectual Property Rights in all documents/information/ other materials prior to the date of execution of an agreement pursuant to this bid shall vest in the Party to which such document/information/materials belong.  

• All Intellectual Property provided by WaterAid to the Consultant/Firm for performing the obligations under the agreement with WaterAid shall remain the exclusive property of WaterAid.

• Any reports produced/data collected, or any other Intellectual Property generated by the Consultant/Firm pursuant to or under the agreement with WaterAid shall be the exclusive property of WaterAid.

• The vendor assumes all responsibility for complying with local legal codes as they apply to an Agreement and work performed there under. In addition, the vendor shall be liable to pay all applicable taxes and fees as required by the laws of government of Pakistan. WaterAid will deduct Income Tax and applicable Sales Tax at source as per Govt. rules. 

• The vendor shall not without first obtaining the consent in writing of WaterAid, permit any of its duties or obligations made under the Agreement to be performed or carried out by any other person or reassign his/her interest in the Agreement.

• The vendor shall not hold WaterAid liable for any accident or misadventure befalling them whilst on duty or pursuing activities to fulfil the Agreement.

• WaterAid reserves the right to accept and reject any proposal without assigning any verbal and or written rationale whatsoever.

• The Vendor agrees to abide by all governing and applicable laws protecting individuals against any manner of discrimination regardless of location of work and shall not discriminate with respect to individuals’ eligibility to participate in the Project.

• The Vendor acknowledges that it has rules and policies to adequately implement internal controls, in regards to anti-corruption, anti-fraud, anti-bribery and other situations of misuse of funds. The Vendor declares and guarantees that neither the organization, nor its employees involved in the Project:

a. were convicted by a court of law in any jurisdiction for an offence involving fraud, bribery or corruption in the past 3 years or;

b. are under sanction, for an offence involving fraud, bribery or corruption, imposed by a government, an international governmental organization or an organization providing development assistance.

• The Vendor declares and guarantees that the funding for the purposes of the Project will not knowingly be used to benefit terrorist groups or individual members of those groups, or for terrorist activities, either directly or indirectly.

• The Vendor declares and guarantees that funding for the purposes of the Project will not be knowingly used, either directly or indirectly, in a manner that contravenes economic sanctions imposed by Canada.

• The vendor will be required to sign the WaterAid’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding principles. The vendor will also train the data collection teams on these principles with support from WaterAid and ensure that all team members comply with WaterAid’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding principles.

13. Budget/ Financial offer 

For Financial offer, each deliverable must be included in the financial offer. All deliverables MUST be completed within the assignment duration.

14. Application 

You are invited to submit an application in English, including the following components: 

ExpressionofInterest

• Explain your interest and suitability for the position against each of the selection criteria.

• Explain as to how your skills match the tasks detailed in the ToR

Proposed/Technical plan for the work: 

• Proposed methodology

• Proposed work schedule and a deadline for completion of deliverables 

Demonstration of expertise: 

• Overview of experience and skills and examples of past work that address the areas of expertise listed 

• Examples of similar GEDSI assessments conducted by the proposed consultant/firm particularly in the domain of WASH/Public Health/Gender Empowerment. 

• Current CV (including the proposed key staff)

Financial proposal: 

• Detailed breakdown of expected costs and explanation of itemized fees. 

• Please include the financial proposal in a separate envelop

• Costs should be inclusive of all taxes

*Please note that all must be itemized and include clear explanation of all fees and costs, including any outsourced or contracted work. 

15. EvaluationCriteria

The applicant shall submit technical and financial proposals in two separate sealed envelopes. Technical offers will first be evaluated according to the “Evaluation criteria” below and the technical qualification threshold point is “70”. Financial offers of ONLY successful candidates will be opened.

Technical Evaluation Criteria for Shortlisting Consultant/Firm:

The final scores will be calculated using the following formula:

Total_Score=Technical_Score*0.70 + Financial Score*0.30

16. Application Process and Closing date

Please send your one sealed bid having Technical & Financial proposal in separate envelopes inside through registered mail/courier or by hand to the following address on or before April 01, 2026, 1700 hrs.  Please write the subject “WAP/02020/18-03-26/Consultancy-Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) Analysis (Baseline Phase 2)” on the envelope

Head of Admin Security & Govt Relations
WaterAid Pakistan
2nd Floor, Executive Heights
65 West, A.K. Fazl-ul-Haq Road,
Blue area, Islamabad, 44000

Tel: +92 51 2806120
Enquiries may be directed to [email protected]

WaterAid reserves the right to accept or reject any bid or part of any bid without assigning any reason to it.