Terms of Reference (ToR) For Water Quality Test (WQT) and monitoring of prevailing Safe Water Dispensing Systems (SWDS) at several Railway Stations Introduction WaterAid Bangladesh (WAB) is a leading international non-government organisation in Bangladesh, working in the country since 1986 to improve access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for poor and marginalised communities. WaterAid works in partnership with NGOs, civil society groups, government institutions, academic and research institutes, and other development agencies. Apart from implementing projects in rural and urban areas with its partner NGOs, WaterAid believes in maximising the impact of its work through influencing other stakeholders and policy decision makers. Context and Background Railway is one of the principal modes of mass transportation in Bangladesh. Every day innumerable numbers of people of different social and economic standings travel by trains through different stations. These people in particular along with people associated with different activities in and around the stations need to have safe drinking water during their stay at the stations and during the travel. Availability of safe drinking water, on the contrary to its dire need, is not easily available in all places including the railway stations. In alleviating this crisis Bangladesh Railway (BR) recently included in its Citizen’s Charter to take steps to install hygienically safe drinking water supply facilities in important stations in cooperation with agencies pursuing corporate social responsibility initiatives to communities. In this context and background, WaterAid an international NGO dedicated to provide succour to people’s access to safe water and improve hygiene and sanitation with its technical support expertise in the field came forward in collaboration with Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative of Robi Axiata Ltd. to install SWDS (safe water dispensing system) at different important stations of BR to provide easy and free access to safe drinking water for passengers and other collateral associates. In line with this collaboration and understanding with Bangladesh Railway, WaterAid Bangladesh and Robi Axiata Ltd. have already completed construction of seven SWDS in different railway station to dispense safe drinking water, one is under construction and more such SWDSs are planned to set up at other stations in various places of the country. Purposes of this assignment The SWDSs, which are in operation and the ones to be built up in future are the prime concern of mass public health hygiene and for that matter it needs much attention and care. Accessibility to users, purity and quality of water, health safety measure of water needs to be ensured to measure the efficacy and purpose of each and every SWDS. Moreover, an appropriate public (passenger) awareness and credulity is of prime importance to convince and attract users of these SWDSs without which the aims and objectives of optimum uses of SWDSs will remain unfulfilled. The agencies and stake Terms of Reference/SWDS/August 2016 Page 1 of 5 holders associated with installation and maintenance of SWDSs needs documentation for time to time assessment and review of SWDSs for further modification and possible renovation to improve their efficacy and services. Taking all these into consideration a regular WQT and monitoring of SWDSs is envisioned to achieve the following objectives. Specific objectives of this assignment a) Understand the prevailing situation concerning availability of safe drinking water in selected railway stations b) Assess the quality of provided water in SWDSs through preferred laboratories c) Measure the status of periodic maintenance & cleaning activities and usage d) Identify the position of public dissemination of water quality test result of previous quarter and awareness messages e) Document the views of intending users reflecting their experience and urges for supply of safe water in railway stations f) Document the behaviour of passengers Scope of work including, but not limited to Discussions with WaterAid Bangladesh (WAB) team to understand the assignment Liaison with relevant personnel from Bangladesh Railway and ROBI Conduct field visit(s), collect sample(s) for Water Quality Test (WQT) Taking opinion of a few about quality and other aspects Taking Photo of users, usage, O&M situation etc Test water quality of collected samples at designated laboratory and handover a copy of test result to caretaker for hosting Consolidated report along with WQT result, user opinion and O&M situation Capacity enhancement of caretakers on better O&M Orientation from WAB team on sample collection and O&M, if required Locations Serial Location of SWDSs in operation Preferred laboratories for water quality test no. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Kamlapur Railway Station, 1. Disease Research, Bangladesh Dhaka (ICDDR,B) Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) 2. Airport Railway Station, Dhaka Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) Chittagong Railway Station, Chittagong University of Engineering & 3. Chittagong Technology (CUET) Shahjalal University of Science and 4. Sylhet Railway Station, Sylhet Technology (SUST) Terms of Reference/SWDS/August 2016 Page 2 of 5 Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) Khulna University of Engineering and 5. Khulna Railway Station, Khulna Technology (KUET) Rajshahi University of Engineering and Rajshahi Railway Station, Technology (RUET) 6. Rajshahi Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) Mymensingh Railway Station, Department of Public Health Engineering 7. Mymensingh (DPHE) Mohangonj Railway Station, Department of Public Health Engineering 8. Netrokona (DPHE) Water quality parameters to be tested and time span The contracted agency/individual/team shall submit a tentative work plan with key milestones within two weeks of signing of the contract, which will be reviewed and approved by WaterAid. It is expected that the assignment will be completed by March 2017. Serial Frequency of Parameter Projected timeframe no. Testing Thermo Tolerant Coliform 1. (TTC)/ Faecal Coliform (FC) 2. Total Coliform (TC) 3. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) 4. Total Suspended Solids (TSS) 5. Iron (Fe) Twice within September- October 2016 6. Arsenic (As) the assignment and January-February 2017 7. Manganese (Mn) period 8. Hardness 9. pH 10. Nitrate (NO3) Chloride (only applicable for 11. Chittagong and Khulna) *Some parameters are location specific, may add/remove from the list depending on the location and the capacity of laboratory. Deliverables 1. Hosting of WQT results in presence of BR personnel and caretaker of a particular SWDS at railway stations Terms of Reference/SWDS/August 2016 Page 3 of 5 2. One hardcopy of report (in English) putting all notable information related to the assignment with the reference of WQT and monitoring visit in compliance with objective of the assignment to the focal person of WAB 3. A copy of CD/DVD containing softcopy of report and all rush footages taken during the assignment to the focal person of WAB Payment Payment will be made in two equal instalments after successful submission of deliverables with invoice for reimbursable and non-reimbursable costs. The payment will be made through Account Payee Cheque or bank transfer. Eligibility 1. Adequate national/international exposure in terms of work 2. Accommodative as well as promising with assured quality 3. The firm have professional experience on similar work will get preference Coordination Key focal person will be Md Tahmidul Islam, Programme Officer - Engineer ([email protected]) from WaterAid side. For any clarification or question regarding this assignment, should contact directly to the focal person by writing on or before 21 August 2016. Contents of the proposal The agency/individual/team should submit a proposal to execute the assigned task complying the following criteria: a) Technical proposal must contain at least the following: Appreciation of the ToR Detailed methodology to deliver the desired deliverables Tentative work plan including timelines Brief CV of proposed person(s) having relevant qualification and experiences b) Financial proposal must contain fees to be charged for this assignment with detailed breakdown (complete package including WQT fee, conveyance and overhead). A fees pack per location is preferable (The fees will be inclusive of Income Tax. VAT to be shown separately at the bottom of your total budget) Submission guideline a) Proposal needs to be submitted electronically by 23 August 2016 (23:59 BST) at [email protected] b) Proposals submitted to any other e-mail account except the above and exceeds the time limit will be treated as disqualified. c) Attach your financial and technical proposal along with all required documents with the email, and put all attachments in one zip folder in the name of you/ Terms of Reference/SWDS/August 2016 Page 4 of 5 team leader/agency. Neither the technical nor the financial proposal should exceed 20 pages altogether, PDF format for both the proposals are preferred. d) The subject of the email should be “WQT and Monitoring of SWDSs” Terms and conditions WAB reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal without giving any verbal and or written rationale whatsoever All reports & photographs produced during the assignment will be treated as WAB’s property and cannot be used elsewhere without prior approval WAB reserves the