81311009-Advisory services to Water and Wastewater Utilities and to the Water Sector Regulator

Interventions of the project "Strengthening Institutions for Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation in Zambia (SIWaS)" target to strengthen the capacities of the national water regulator, NWASCO, which is detrimental in guiding the sector to the policy goals (Outputs 2) and supporting the 5 Commercial Utilities (CUs) in enhancing their organizational, networking and financial capacities to ensure water supply and sanitation services are supplied in a cost-effective, transparent and inclusive manner (Output 3, indicator 4). The services of the Contractor shall focus on Output 2 at national level and (Output 3, indicator 4). The Contractor shall be responsible for the implementation of the following work packages (WP): WP 1: Reorienting existing urban regulatory system, enlarge it to rural WSS and strengthening consumer voice WP 2: Improve performance, including access for the poor, and cooperation in the sector through regulation WP 3: Support 5 CUs to improve the piloting of their enterprise and infrastructure development WP 4: Improve CUs operations and cooperation amongst CUs / LAs, NWASCO, and MWDS Key tasks under WP 1 (Reorienting existing urban regulatory system, enlarging it to rural WSS, and strengthening consumer voice) - Review orientation and propose principles (best practice) for regulation to detail the boundaries of regulation and secure harmonisation with sector policies and legislation in line with good international practices. - Propose a strategy for ring-fencing surpluses of CU income for investments in infrastructure, repayment of loans, and financing with donor funds. - Review regulatory framework for rural WSS. - Elaborate draft guidelines for rural WSS service provision. - Update the concept of consumer representation to ensure sustainability in consumer participation. - Key tasks under WP 2 (Improve performance, including access for the poor, and cooperation in the sector through regulation) - Propose adjusted KPIs for improved performance monitoring. - Review and update guidelines on energy audit & efficiency - Elaborate draft guidelines on long-term financial planning Document experiences and lessons learned. - Review and update existing guidelines on NRW - Support the assessment of the existing Enterprise Resource Planning/ billing system and development of a recommendation for a unified ERP system. - Propose a sustainable financing concept for NWASCO and an action plan to collect arrears of fee payment. Key tasks under WP 3 (Support 5 CUs to improve the operations of their enterprise and infrastructure development) - Propose a concept for the development of 5-years business planning for CUs - Install a controlling system (for steering) supported by the necessary performance indicators for all departments at the 5 CUs. - Support the 5 CUs in the strengthening of leadership and organizational skills among middle management. - Propose and support the implementation of a digitalization concept. - Action Plan for improving planning and supervision of infrastructure development projects for each supported CU adopted Key tasks under WP 4 (Improved CUs operation and cooperation among CUs / LAs, NWASCO and MWDS) - Analyse the status in the key areas of corporate management. - Analyse the status in the other areas of interventions (digitalization, energy, WASH, drinking water quality / effluent management) and propose improvements concept in each of the areas. - Propose a long-term financial planning system to be introduced at the CUs and support its introduction. - Propose and support the implementation of a hands-on concept on NRW management (commercial water losses). - Carry out audits for energy savings and propose an action plan for each of the 5 CUs. - Carry out audits on drinking water and effluent quality improvements and propose an action plan for it. A team of experts shall be provided by the Contractor for this purpose. This shall include (1) team leader and with international profile, (2) Water sector regulation expert with an international profile, (3) deputy team leader/ water utility management expert with a national profile based at Southern Water and Sanitation Company, (4) water utility management expert with national profile based Lukanga Water and Sanitation Company and Nkana Water and Sanitation Company, (5) water utility management expert with national profile based in Chambeshi Water and Sanitation Company and Eastern Water and Sanitation Company (6) pool of short-term experts with international profiles and (7) pool of short-term experts with national profiles. Close coordination with the GIZ project team will be required. The Contractor may be a single firm or a consortium of various consulting firms. The involvement of consulting firms from Zambia within subcontracting or joint venture arrangements will be permitted.