Terms of Reference (TOR) for Consulting firm to Develop Training Manuals on Business Development, Inclusive Leadership Management, and Advocacy for Water Supply and for Sanitation and Hygiene service Providers in Rwanda

Terms of Reference (ToR) for Consulting firm to Develop Training Manuals on Business Development, Inclusive Leadership Management, and Advocacy for Water Supply and for Sanitation and Hygiene service Providers in Rwanda

About the USAID-funded Isoko y’Ubuzima project

The Isoko y’Ubuzima project, a five-year WASH initiative funded by USAID and implemented by a consortium including Water for People, CARE International Rwanda, IRC, VEI, and African Evangelistic Enterprise (AEE), aims to improve sustainable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services across Rwanda. This project seeks to advance decentralized WASH governance, improve rural drinking water services, and enhance sanitation and hygiene practices. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) is a central principle of the project, ensuring that women, young entrepreneurs, individuals with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups have equitable access to opportunities and are represented in sector decision-making roles. Through this inclusive approach, CARE International Rwanda has developed training modules to equip women, entrepreneurs, and other key actors in WASH with skills in leadership, advocacy, and business management.

To build on these initiatives, VEI BV will hire a consulting firm to develop a comprehensive training manuals for water supply and for sanitation hygiene on business development, inclusive leadership management, and advocacy strategies. These manuals will serve as a key resource for youth companies, women entrepreneurs, vulnerable groups, and other new entrants in the WASH-related business. They will include advocacy strategies to empower participants to communicate sector needs effectively, engage with policymakers, and promote inclusive governance. By equipping these groups with professional management and advocacy skills, the manuals will contribute to the inclusive sustainability of water and sanitation infrastructure, improving service quality and access for communities throughout Rwanda. This initiative supports the long-term resilience and inclusivity of Rwanda’s WASH sector, promoting effective and equitable service delivery for all.

About VEI

Six Dutch drinking water utilities share their expertise, via VEI, with colleague water utilities around the world in so-called Water Operator Partnerships (WOPs). Through these long-term partnerships, VEI supports improvements in operational efficiency from source to tap, financial sustainability, and availability of investments. Currently, VEI is engaged with partners in 20 countries to work on the ultimate goal of the WOP: universal sustainable water services (SDG 6).

Background

In December 2023, Rwanda’s National Water and Sanitation Policy was revised, reinforcing the role of the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) as the primary entity responsible for sustainable water and sanitation service provision nationwide. To improve rural water and sanitation services and foster economic opportunities, the government, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Culture (MINIYOUTH), has introduced a delegated management framework that actively involves the private sector. This approach aims to raise service quality while providing employment opportunities for young people and encouraging female entrepreneurs to participate in the WASH sector.

To achieve this, rural water and sanitation services have been organized into 40 clusters to promote economies of scale and professionalize service delivery. Youth companies manage 25 of these clusters, offering young professionals a significant role in rural water provision while addressing youth unemployment challenges. Simultaneously, the policy shift promotes women’s investment in the WASH sector, supporting inclusive economic growth and ensuring representation. Despite this progress, many new leaders from youth companies and female entrepreneurs require targeted support to develop essential skills in business management, inclusive leadership, and advocacy to fulfil their roles effectively.

Purpose and Scope of the Assignment

The primary objective of this consultancy is to develop two (2) comprehensive training manuals focused on business development, leadership management, and advocacy strategies for water supply and for sanitation and hygiene service providers in Rwanda capitalizing on the existing related documents developed through the Isoko y’Ubuzima project. These manuals will serve as a foundational resource for youth companies, women entrepreneurs, people with disability, and other new entrants in the WASH sector. They will equip them with essential skills to manage water and sanitation services sustainably and effectively and empower them to advocate for sector needs and policy improvements.

Scope of Work

The consulting firm will be responsible for the following tasks:

Literature Review and Needs Assessment

• Review existing policies, frameworks, and capacity-building materials related to business management, leadership, and advocacy within the WASH sector, especially those aligned with the National Water and Sanitation Policy and Isoko y’Ubuzima project objectives. In particular, review the training manual on women’s leadership, advocacy, and business development developed by CARE International through the Isoko y’Ubuzima project.
• Conduct a needs assessment with target groups (youth-led companies, women entrepreneurs, vulnerable groups, and other WASH sector entrants) to identify skill gaps and capacity-building needs within the project intervention area.
• Interview key stakeholders, including WASAC, MININFRA, RURA, VEI, Water for People, IRC-WASH, CARE International Rwanda, MINIYOUTH, Banking Institutions, GMO, MIGEPROF, UPHLS, PSF, etc to ensure alignment with sector expectations and sustainability goals.

Development of Training Modules

Design training modules covering core areas such as:

• Water supply and sanitation & hygiene Business development, financial management, financial sustainability, operational efficiency and strategic planning,
• Effective leadership, decision-making, team management, Performance monitoring, and evaluation,
• Stakeholder engagement and customer relationship management.
• Governance, and inclusive management.
• Gender equality and social inclusion, ensuring modules address diverse needs and provide strategies for involving underrepresented groups in leadership roles.
• Advocacy strategies for WASH service provision.  Techniques for advocating for WASH issues, influencing policy, and engaging stakeholders.
• Create activities, case studies, and practical examples relevant to the Rwandan WASH context to facilitate active learning and application of concepts, etc.

Incorporation of Practical Tools and Resources

• Develop practical tools, templates, and checklists that participants can use in their work, such as budgeting templates, business plan templates, profitability analysis tool, monitoring tools, and stakeholder engagement plans.
• Incorporate strategies for community engagement and customer service that reflect sector priorities and local challenges.

Review and Validation Process

• Present a draft of the training manual to key stakeholders for feedback.
• Facilitate a validation workshop with stakeholders to refine and finalize the manual based on their input.

Final Manuals and Training Materials Delivery

• Submit the finalized training manual, including a facilitator’s guide, participant handouts, and presentation slides to support future training sessions.
• Provide a summary report on the consultancy, detailing the methodology, findings from the needs assessment, stakeholder feedback, and recommendations for ongoing capacity building.

Facilitate the training of private water operators and selected trainers using the newly developed training manual.

• Develop summarized training materials with practical exercises and case studies if applicable.
• Conduct the pre and post-test evaluation for training participants
• Facilitate the training of private water operators and trainers
• Prepare a training report.

Deliverables

The Consulting firm shall submit the following deliverables:

• Inception reportdetailing the approach, methodology, and timeline for the assignment.
• Needs assessment reportidentifying key skill gaps and learning objectives for the training manual. Recommendations for specific areas to focus on within the training manuals.
• Draft training manualswith modules on Water Supply, and on sanitation and hygiene business development, leadership, financial management, GESI consideration in each module, and other core topics, including practical tools and resources.
• Validation workshopfacilitation and feedback report.
• Final training manuals, one for water supply and another on sanitation and hygiene with facilitator’s guide, participant handouts, and presentation materials. The manuals will be user-friendly, clear, and well-structured.
• Report on the training of private water operator and selected trainers.
• Summary reporton the consultancy, including recommendations for future training and capacity-building initiatives.
• Consulting firm’s Qualification and Experience

Academic qualification of the team

Lead Consultant:

• Master’s degree or higher in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Social Sciences, or related fields.
• Specialized training or certifications in business development, leadership, advocacy, or organizational management are an added advantage.

Team Members:

• Three staff with degrees in areas of Education, Communication, Water and Sanitation, or Environmental Sciences.
• One of the team members must have a specialization/special training in curriculum development or adult education.

Relevant Experience:

The consulting firm must have at least one of the team members with required experience in:

Development of Training Materials:

• At least 10 years of demonstrated experience in developing training manuals, guidelines, or tools for capacity building in water supply, sanitation, or related sectors.
• Experience in creating content tailored to adult learners and professional audiences.

Sector-Specific Expertise:

• Proven knowledge of water supply service provision and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) sector challenges, especially in rural or resource-constrained contexts.
• Familiarity with policies, strategies, and best practices in WASH governance and sustainable service delivery.

Advocacy and Leadership:

• Strong experience in advocacy planning and execution, especially for marginalized or underrepresented groups (e.g., youth and women).
• Hands-on experience in inclusive leadership and governance for community or institutional strengthening.

Business Development:

• Proven ability to design strategies and training related to entrepreneurship, business operations, financial management, and resource mobilization.

Overall Requirements:

The consulting firm must have at least one of the team members with required experience in:

Technical Expertise:

• Ability to integrate cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, inclusivity, and climate resilience into the manual.
• Competence in participatory approaches to training manual development, ensuring stakeholder involvement.

Consulting Skills:

• Excellent writing and presentation skills to produce clear, concise, and well-structured materials.
• Capacity to conduct a training needs assessment to identify skill gaps and tailor content accordingly.

Knowledge of Local Context:

• Familiarity with the socio-economic and cultural context of the target audience (private operators, youth companies, district officials, etc.).
• Experience working in similar geographies or with similar institutions.

Project Management:

• Strong project management capabilities, including the ability to deliver high-quality outputs on time and within budget.

Additional Desirable Qualifications:

The consulting firm must have at least one of the team members with:

• Membership in relevant professional bodies or networks in the water and sanitation sector.
• Proven collaboration with government agencies, NGOs, and donor organizations in the WASH sector.
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation frameworks for capacity-building projects.
• Knowledge of WASH System strengthening is an added advantage
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; knowledge of Kinyarwanda is an asset.

Duration of the assignment

It is anticipated that the assignment will be completed within three (3) months from the date of the contract signature. Technical offer with a clear timeline and description of the proposed methodology detailing how the deliverables will be achieved.

Application requirements

The following documents will be required for this consultancy:

• A cover letter addressed to the VEI Country Technical Representative
• Registration certificate for a company.
• Copy of a valid Tax Clearance certificate issued by RRA
• Copy of a valid clearance certificate issued by RSSB
• Academic degrees in the fields specified in Section VII and a Curriculum Vitae with supporting documents showing proof of experience in the required field as specified in Section VII
• Completion certificates /Proof/evidence for performing similar consultancies in rural water sector development specifically in the field of business development and/or leadership management.
• Proposed methodology and approach to this assignment.
• Detailed work plan, including timeline and key activities.
• A financial proposal, including a breakdown of costs.

Evaluation criteria

Technical evaluation shall be done based on below criteria:

• The academic qualifications of experts (education): 20%
• Relevant and proven experience of technical requirements as highlighted in section VII with supporting documents: 30%
• Technical Approach and Methodology: Understanding of the assignment, clarity, and feasibility of the proposed approach: 30%
• Work plan: Timeliness and clarity of deliverables: 20%

Financial proposal: financial proposal shall comprise reasonable and detailed cost breakdown.

Remark;

• Failure to provide the registration certificate, RAA and RSSB tax clearance certificate for the enterprise will result in complete disqualification.
• The lowest responsive bidder will be awarded the tender. The marks obtained during the technical evaluation will not impact the financial evaluation.

To qualify for financial evaluation, bidders must meet the following criteria:

• All administrative documents must be submitted without exception.
• The bidder must achieve a minimum aggregate score of 80 out of 100 in the technical evaluation.
• The bidder must attain a minimum score of 80% for each of the technical evaluation marks scoring sections: Degree, Approach and methodology, work experience, and work plan.

Additional Information

The consultant will report directly to the Project Manager at VEI BV, with regular updates to the WASH sector partners involved in the Isoko y’Ubuzima project. Coordination meetings will be scheduled as necessary to ensure the assignment is progressing as planned and remain aligned with project objectives.

For this consultancy, VEI will be responsible for:

• Payment of the consultancy fee as per the agreement terms.
• Provide available training manuals for the project
• Provision of temporary office space for the consultant, including internet connection, printing facilities, and other working conditions if needed.
• Availability for consultation for input and feedback along the way.

How to apply

If you feel qualified and interested in the assignment, please send your technical and financial proposals (separately) to: asaph.kabaasha@vei.nl with a copy to clement.ndungutse@vei.nl no later than December 16^th, 2024 at 11:59 pm. Hard copies and late submissions shall be rejected.