Water Treatment plants Consultant-Short Term

SOW Title: Evaluate and Provide Technical Solutions to Improve the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Selected Water Treatment Plants.

Estimated LOE: 100 working days

Job Classification: (1) Local STTA    

Reporting to: Service Improvement Lead               

Estimated Start Date: 02 July 2024

Estimated End Date:  30 September 2024

Duty Station: Baghdad with frequent travel to the other locations in Baghdad, Anbar, Najaf, and Basrah                   

A. Project Background:

The USAID Iraq Together/Ma’an (معاً) activity, launched in November 2023, Ma’an supports select Iraqi government entities at the national, regional, provincial, and district level 4- to improve service delivery performance through use of technology and process standardization while increasing the availability of and access to information, particularly related to public services. The Ma’an also fosters improved and inclusive relationships and engagement between the Government and the communities they serve. The Ma’an goal is more equitable, efficient, and sustainable public services. The Ma’an’s objectives are:

1- Targeted Iraqi government entities improve and are more inclusive in-service delivery. Government improves services delivery through responsiveness to citizen needs, consultation with citizens, improved transparency and use of green practices technology.

2- Strengthened democratic and participatory governance of targeted Iraqi service delivery institutions. Citizen perception of government changes through increased participation in governance, improved access to government information and stronger role of Iraqi NGOs in advocating for communities as well as increased public education regarding citizen roles and responsibilities.

3- Response to windows of opportunity for change. Gaps in expertise and information required to improve government service delivery and increase citizen participation are addressed.

Iraq Together/Ma’an utilizes an Accountability Ecosystems Approach grounded in inclusion and localization to improve service delivery and build trust. The approach mobilizes Iraqi government entities, civil society organizations, emerging civic movements, issue-based groups, media, and the private sector to co-create interventions. This approach allows diverse local partners to exercise their rights and responsibilities, learn by doing, analyze performance data, and scale what works.

B. Purpose:

It was identified through the stakeholders’ workshop that the water treatment plants (WTPs) encounter numerous challenges and obstacles that significantly impact the efficiency of utilizing available resources to produce drinking water of both adequate quantity and quality and ensuring the continuity of supply as per specified standards. Furthermore, these issues also affect the effectiveness of delivering water service to citizens through the water network. Developing and applying a methodology to evaluate the efficiency of WTPs, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of water service provision to citizens, will contribute to identifying gaps and proposing practical solutions to enhance both efficiency and effectiveness.

To implement this intervention, Ma’an will engage one local STTA in the water treatment plants and water service delivery area who will work with the provincial water directorates (PWDs) in the 4 targeted provinces and select the required WTPs and develop a methodology comprising matrixes and digital systems that will be applied to evaluate the efficiency of WTP, and the effectiveness of water service provided to citizens. The efficiency evaluation will focus on managing available resources to meet the required water quantity and quality, adhering to the WTP’s design capacity, ensuring water quality standards, and maintaining continuous water supply. Additionally, the methodology will assess the effectiveness of water service delivery based on the quantity of water supplied to citizens. This evaluation process will identify gaps, leading to proposed practical solutions to enhance both efficiency and effectiveness.

C. Objectives:

The main objectives of the local STTA water treatment plants consultant are to:

Select the water treatment plants (WTPs) required to evaluate their efficiency and the effectiveness of providing water service to citizens.

Develop and implement a methodology for conducting the evaluation, identify gaps and recommending practical solutions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness.

Ensure the adoption of the developed methodology by targeted water directorates, facilitating its regular us in conducting evaluations.

D. Responsibilities and Key Tasks of the Consultant:

Under this Scope of Work,  the local STTA water treatment plants consultant shall perform the following tasks:

– Task 1: Hold an Initial Meeting with Targeted Directorates and Compose Specialized Team.

In coordination with Ma’an field team, the consultant will hold an initial meeting with targeted water directorates to present the intervention and form the specialized team.

– Task 2: Provide an Orientation Session to Specialized Team

In coordination with Ma’an field team, the consultant will provide an orientation session to specialized team to describe the intervention and select the required (WTPs) in the targeted districts.

– Task 3: Develop a Methodology to Evaluate the Efficiency and Effectiveness.

The consultant will develop a methodology and its matrixes to evaluate the efficiency of WTPs and effectiveness of water service provision to citizens to identify gaps and propose practical solutions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness that will lead to improve the quality of water. 

– Task 4: Gathering Data and Information

In coordination with Ma’an field team, the consultant will ask the water directorates to gather the required data and information from the selected water treatment plants to apply the methodology.

– Task 5: Conduct Site Visit to Verify and Analyze Data and Information

In coordination with Ma’an field team, the consultant will conduct site visit to verify and analyze the gathered data and information. 

– Task 6: Hold a Two-Days’ Workshop to Present the Developed Methodology.

The consultant will hold a two-days’ workshop to present the developed methodology, its matrixes, and train the targeted water directorates’ staff on how use it.

– Task 7: Provide Technical Assistance to Apply the Methodology.

The consultant will provide technical assistance to water directorates’ staff to apply the developed methodology in selected WTPs, identify gaps in the efficiency and effectiveness, and propose practical solutions to improve the quality of water service.

– Task 8: Adoption of the Developed Methodology

Following on conducting the successful methodology and generating evaluation results, the consultant will request from the targeted water directorates to adopt the developed methodology and use it on regular bases.

– Task 9: Developing the Final Report

The consultant will develop a final comprehensive report including all supporting documents developed during the implementation of the intervention. The report will highlight achievements and results accomplished for each task, recommendations and next steps, challenges, lessons learned, and proposed future interventions (if any). The report should be submitted in English.

E. Deliverables:

The local STTA water treatment plants consultant will:

1- Prepare weekly reports with updates on progress towards the scope of work required tasks and success stories to show results and impact of the activities and tasks when applicable.

2- Train the targeted provincial water directorate staff to apply the matrixes of developed methodology to evaluate the efficiency of WTPs and effectiveness of water service provision to citizens.

3- Meeting, site visits, training, and workshop reports in English according to the activity report template.

4- Final report in English highlighting of the achievements accomplished for each task and recommended next steps.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience working in the operation and maintenance of water treatment plants.
• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge with the operation and maintenance of water treatment plants.
• Prior experience working with the provincial water directorates to conduct an assessment and improving the the efficiency of water treatment plants and effectiveness of water service provision to citizens.
• Minimum four (4) years’ experience with a USAID or other donor funded projects is strongly preferred.
• Overall Iraq contextual knowledge with demonstrated ability to communicate clearly with stakeholders.
• Clear and concise communication approach both orally and in writing, and lead presentations, trainings, and effective meetings with stakeholders.
• Good Report Writing Skills.
• Full professional proficiency in Arabic and good  English  language skills is desired.

Duty Station:

The Local STTA water treatment plants consultant will be based in Baghdad with travel to various locations in Anbar, Najaf, and Basrah. Under this SOW, Ma’an will cover all other indirect implementation costs, including air and ground transportation, and phone communications. This position is open to Iraqi nationals residing in Iraq.

Application Instructions:

To apply please fill out this form: Iraq Together Job Application Form (smartsheet.com)

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.