Hiring of Consultant

Update and Develop a Business Plan for Municipal Committee Jacobabad for Water Supply, Wastewater and Solid Waste Management Services

Under

Water Governance Sindh(WGS) Activity

Background:

In 2010, USAID/Pakistan entered a partnership with the Government of Sindh (GoS) to improve basic municipal services. Beginning in 2014, USAID/Pakistan financed the Municipal Services Program-Sindh (MSP-S) in Jacobabad City, capital of the Jacobabad District in Northern Sindh. MSP-S comprises of the following three components:

            (1) Water and sanitation infrastructure upgrades;

            (2) Civic engagement for inclusive governance; and

            (3) Establishment of management information systems

As a result of the infrastructure upgrades, it is estimated that there would be 35,000 water supply connections provided to the households in the city, benefitting approximately 350,000 citizens at the completion of the project duration.

As part of the larger MSP-S, USAID has signed a cooperative agreement with HANDS to implement USD 2,830,472 three-years Water Governance for Sindh (WGS) Activity to improve wastewater and solid waste management in Jacobabad.

Existing USAID intervention and Sindh Government Partnership: A summary of direct financial support from USAID and from GoS for Jacobabad’s drinking water system is shown below:

• USAID support to Program Management Unit (PMU) in Karachi/Project Support Unit (PSU) in Jacobabad for contracting for construction (to date):
• USAID support for Architecture and Engineering (A&E) services for design and construction supervision in Jacobabad
• USAID Support for Civic Engagement/Community Mobilization
• GoS Support to Municipal Committee Jacobabad

Under the Water Governance for Sindh Activity (WGS), HANDS is providing technical assistance to Municipal Committee Jacobabad (MCJ) with a goal to increase MCJ capacity to deliver clean drinking water, manage wastewater and solid waste management services. The activity also works with local communities to create awareness around health and hygiene practices including household management of water, wastewater and solid waste management.

Municipal Committee Jacobabad is responsible for providing essential services however, due to various challenges, MCJ is facing difficulties in providing these services effectively. Therefore, as part of the WGS Activity, HANDS intends to hire a consultant/consulting firm to develop a comprehensive business plan that outlines strategies for improving the delivery of these essential services and explore the avenues of revenues to make it self-sustainable.

Scope of Work:

The scope of work of this consultancy is to update and develop the business plan that provides a roadmap for the Municipal Committee Jacobabad to improve its delivery of drinking water, wastewater, and solid waste services in a sustainable manner. The business plan should identify key challenges and opportunities, outline strategies to overcome these challenges and propose actionable recommendations for MCJ to practically implement.

The main purpose of this business plan is to comply with all regulatory requirements to operate, sustain, expand, and maintain waterworks infrastructure for efficiently delivering high quality and reliable water supply to Jacobabad’s customers for all drinking, recreational, sanitary, fire protection, and institutional/commercial needs, while also providing education and encouraging water conservation and manage wastewater and solid waste management effectively and efficiently.

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the Municipal Committee      Jacobabad’s drinking water, wastewater, and solid waste services. This assessment should include a review of existing policies, procedures, infrastructure, and staffing.
2. Identify key challenges and opportunities that are affecting the effective delivery of these       essential services. This should include an analysis of technical, financial, institutional,      and social factors.
3. Develop a comprehensive business plan that outlines strategies for improving the delivery of drinking water, wastewater, and solid waste services.
4. Present the business plan to the Municipal Committee and other stakeholders for review   and feedback.
5. Finalize the business plan based on the feedback received from the Municipal Committee             and other stakeholders.

Deliverables:

1. Inception report detailing the methodology and work plan.
2. A comprehensive report outlining the assessment findings, key challenges and       opportunities, and actionable recommendations for the Municipal Committee.
3. A business plan that includes a detailed strategy for improving the delivery of drinking     water, wastewater, and solid waste services for the citizens of Jacobabad.
4. A presentation of the business plan to the Municipal Committee and other stakeholders.
5. Final business plan incorporating feedback from the Municipal Committee and other  stakeholders. 

Qualifications:

1. Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Information Sciences, Knowledge Management or any related discipline from a recognized institution.

1. At least 5 years of proven experience in developing business plans for similar projects in the water and waste management sector.
2. Strong analytical skills and the ability to conduct a thorough needs assessment.
   1. Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders, including the Municipal Committee Jacobabad and community members.
   2. Familiarity with the local context is preferred.

Timeline:

1. The consultant is expected to develop the business plan within 3 months from the contract’s start.
2. The consultant will be expected to provide regular updates and progress reports to the       WGS-HANDS.

Guideline for submission of Proposal:

1. Interested consultant/consulting firms can apply through the submission of hard copies of the Technical and Financial proposals in two separate sealed envelopes at the following address by 10^th October 2023 at 5:00 pm.
2.  

Head of Department

WGS-HANDS Human Resource and Institutional Development Department

Plot #158, Off M9 (Karachi – Hyderabad) Motorway, Gadap Road adjacent to Baqai University, Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-32120400-10

1. The contents of the technical proposal are mentioned below
   1. Brief introduction of consultant/firm (attach detailed CV with references)
   2. Understanding of context
   3. Methodology
   4. Past experience in similar projects/assignments
   5. Work Plan (Proposed)