Terms of Reference (ToR) for Institutional Contract (Above USD 10,000)   Title of the assignment Technical Assistance to DPHE for Strengthening Community Capacity and Arsenic Mitigation Initiatives to Ensure Drinking Water Safety for All Purpose To ensure safely managed water supply through water points rehabilitation and monitoring of Government new water option installation for drought and arsenic prone area in Chapa Nawabganj district of Rajshahi Division. Location Targeted 6 unions of Sadar Upazila, Chapai Nawabganj District, Bangladesh. Estimated Duration 6 Months Reporting to Technical Supervisor of this assignment WASH Specialist, UNICEF, Bangladesh   1. Background Although Bangladesh has made progress towards achieving its goal of universal access to improved water supply, which is almost 98.5 percent as per recent MICS 2019. However, only 42.6 percent of household members have access to an improved drinking water source located on-premises, available when needed, free from E. coli and arsenic within the limit of Bangladesh Standards. 11.8 percent household population has over 50 ppb arsenic concentration in their source water and 40.3 percent household population has E Coli contamination at source water. In summary, although the access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities is high, the safety, sustainability and equitable distribution of these WASH services are very low. UNICEF with DPHE and NGO partners implemented the arsenic safe union project in three highly contaminated Upazilas in Sylhet, Satkhira and Cumilla districts from September 2017- December 2021. About 1,834 arsenic-safe water points were constructed following arsenic mitigation protocol which includes arsenic screening, equity-based site selection, feasibility assessment, safe water points installation, monitoring and digital data management tool for data acquisition, analysis and graphical visuals. As a result, 251 villages were declared arsenic safe and ODF and 10 unions declared ‘arsenic safe union’ and ODF status where NGO partners played a key role. The key Government counterpart of the WASH Section UNICEF, the Department of Public Health and Engineering (DPHE), was impressed with the results achieved through this approach and consequently decided to scale it up to other needy areas. GoB has committed to expand this successful experience. The Swedish Embassy in Bangladesh and UNICEF agreed to continue support in this area over 4 years focusing on capacity building, national database update, targeting poor and vulnerable people, ensuring a strong equity lens to the intervention. In December 2021, UNICEF have received funds from Sweden Embassy in Bangladesh to support the technical assistance to the government. Under this assignment, different partners are involved and sharing their expertise to assist DPHE. ITN-BUET supported different training programs and national water quality monitoring protocols where the KTH consortium in policy improvement aligned with PSB.  KTH consortium is engaged in digital data management platform incorporation at the national level and piloting aquifer mapping in selected unions. At the same time, NGO partners are involved to assist DPHE with the equity-based site selection of water points, community mobilization, water safety planning, promotion of sanitation and hygiene promotion activities following the arsenic safe union concept. Thus, UNICEF engaged potential Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as implementing agencies to provide technical support to DPHE for improved access to sustainable and climate-resilient water services. UNICEF haired partner agency to conduct a project on “Technical Assistance to DPHE for Strengthening Community Capacity and Arsenic Mitigation Initiatives to Ensure Drinking Water Safety for All” in targeted six unions of Sadar Upazila, Chapa Nawabganj district from November 2022 to December 2024 with the grant of Sweden Embassy in Bangladesh to declare arsenic safe unions.  partner agency conducted Community Situation Analysis (CSA) in 367 communities and selected 217 water points sites following the equity-based site selection process targeting to declare “Arsenic Safe” six unions. The targeted areas are very complex where the deep tube wells are not suitable due to critical hydrogeological condition.  Secondly, the project areas are identified very severe water level declined trend and identified water level 35 ft. In dry season. Thus, most of the shallow wells were found abundant due to the groundwater level decreases. Considering all these aspects, here it is difficult to supply safe drinking water due to the limitation of proper technology and government resource allocations. UNICEF already allocated funds to DPHE for 94 water points construction, where partner agency will play key role to collect geological information and update national database system. Then again, partner agency selected 273 problematic arsenic safe tube wells where it is needed to conduct improvement work through proper feasibility assessment. They will be responsible to conduct improvement work during the next dry season.  All these interventions will help to increase safe water coverage and help them to declare “arsenic safe” three unions.   2. Objectives, Purpose, and Expected Results Objectives:   To increase safe water coverage among the poor and arsenic vulnerable communities and declare “Arsenic Safe” three unions.   Purpose:   Conduct Upazila inception workshop to orient at stakeholder levels. Conduct feasibility assessment at 273 problematic arsenic safe water points and conduct improvement work to ensure safe drinking water all the year. Support to DPHE to install 94 water points and help them to prepare geological log-sheet which will help upgrading national database system. Conduct caretaker’s O&M orientation for newly installed/ upgrading 367 water points for the long-term sustainability of the devices. Promote water safety plan (WSP) at community level at 367 newly installed/upgrading water points.    Expected Results: Ensure safe water supply to approx. 18,350 poor and vulnerable people and strengthen user’s capacity on proper O&M of the devices followed by the WSP orientation.   3. Deliverables The above-mentioned scope of work is expected to be fulfilled within the provided period. The following table consists of the submission time frame expected to be maintained by the partner NGO. Major tasks Contents Time/Month Upazila Inception workshop Share upazila inception workshop report with participant list and photos By November/2024 Feasibility assessment Share feasibility assessment report of the 273 problematic water points with detailed water quality parameters with GPS location. (Annex 1) By December 2024 Water points improvement work Conduct improvement work of the 273 problematic water points (Annex 2) By February/2025 Monitor Water points construction quality Support to DPHE to construct 94 arsenic safe water points and collect geological information for updating the national database system. By March/2025 Conduct water point’s caretaker O&M training Conduct water point’s O&M training to 367 caretakers for the long-term sustainability of the devices By March/2025 Final Report Submit final report. By April/2025   4. Payment Schedule First Installment 5% of the total contract amount will be paid upon acceptance of the finalized methodology, approaches, and tools to be used to conduct the improvement work of the 273 water points. Second Installment 55% of the total contract amount will be paid upon completion of the improvement work of 273 water points. Third Installment 40% of the total contract amount will be paid upon the submission and acceptance of the project final report.   5. Qualification requirement of the company/institution/organization The company should have active experience in providing the services for at least 10 years. The company should be registered and licensed to provide the selected Services. The company should have implemented or ongoing 2 (two) contracts of similar nature with organizations/ companies of similar magnitude and complexity.