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Request for proposals for Conducting a Final Evaluation for the Isoko YUbuzima Project. Location: Kigali Background information Isoko yUbuzima is a five-year Rwanda Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) activity, funded by the U.S. government. The grant officially began on July 14, 2021, and will be completed by July 13, 2026. The activity is implemented by a consortium of non-governmental organizations led by Water For People, including IRC, CARE International, and VEI. The Isoko yUbuzima WASH activity forms a key part of the U.S. governments water portfolio in Rwanda. This project builds partnerships with the national and district governments, as well as private sector actors, to expand and improve WASH services. The final evaluation of the Isoko yUbuzima WASH activity will be conducted in accordance with U.S. Department of State requirements governing performance evaluations of federally funded assistance awards. The evaluation will adhere to applicable policies, standards, and best practices to ensure objectivity, methodological rigor, transparency, and accountability, and will generate credible evidence on program performance, outcomes, and lessons learned to inform future U.S. governmentfunded programming. II. Intervention The overall goal of Isoko yUbuzima was to improve access to and utilization of safe, sustainable WASH services. This goal was attained through the achievement of four interrelated and mutually reinforcing project components: Improving Decentralized WASH Governance Improving Rural Drinking Water Services Improving Rural Sanitation and Handwashing Services and Products Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) WASH Response Plan The project contributes to improvements in the sustainable access to WASH services by working with key stakeholders at the national level, including the Ministry of Infrastructure, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Economics and Finance, the Water and Sanitation Corporation, and the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency. The project also contributes to improved management and access to WASH services in 15 districts: (1) Kayonza, (2) Kirehe, (3) Ngoma, (4) Nyagatare, (5) Rwamagana, (6) Nyamagabe, (7) Nyanza, (8) Ruhango, (9) Ngororero, (10) Nyabihu. (11) Gasabo, (12) Gatsibo, (13) Kamonyi, (14) Kicukiro, and (15) Nyarugenge. The project was designed to help an estimated 120,000 people gain access to basic drinking water services; 96,000 people receive improved service quality from existing basic or safely managed drinking water services, and 100,000 gain basic sanitation and hygiene services as defined by the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) for the Sustainable Development Goals. To reach the planned targets, Isoko yUbuzima strengthened national and local capacity to plan for and deliver sustainable, high-quality WASH services. The project also improved access to household WASH services and promoted their correct and consistent use, contributing to a reduction in diseases associated with inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene, where the project: Built the capacity of national- and district-level public- and private-sector staff and institutions in the WASH Building Blocks. Rehabilitated non-functioning or partially functional water supply systems and reduced non-revenue water (NRW). Improved access to basic sanitation and hygiene by implementing a market-based sanitation and hygiene strategy. Contributed to national efforts to prevent the transmission of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, including MVD and other infectious diseases, through enhanced IPC/WASH services in health facilities and public places. III. Purpose and Scope of the Evaluation The purpose of this final evaluation is to assess the projects overall achievement of its objectives, measure realized outcomes and impacts, review the effectiveness and sustainability of project strategies, and capture key lessons and good practices to inform future programming. Final Evaluation Specifics Objectives: Assess the extent to which the activity achieved its strategic objectives and intermediate results over the life of the project. Document key outcomes, effectiveness, and sustainability of the achievements made. Analyze performance against established indicators as outlined in the Performance Indicator Tracking Table (PITT) and generate lessons learned and recommendations to inform future WASH programming in the sector. Assess the strength of the WASH Sector in Rwanda following the Isoko yUbuzima interventions using the building blocks assessment methodology across all 9 building blocks and provide a scoring. Evaluation Use The Final Evaluation will serve as a critical tool for assessing the extent to which life-of-project targets and intended objectives were achieved, documenting outcomes and impact, and capturing lessons learned to inform future sector programming. The evaluation will include, but not be limited to: Determine if the consortium meets targets and outcomes. Determine why targets were or were not met. Assess the impact of the Isoko yUbuzima project. Provide lessons learned along the life of the project to inform future WASH sector projects. Evaluation Questions The evaluation will address the following broad evaluation questions. Illustrative evaluation questions are found under each intermediate result: Strategic Objective 1 IR1 Strengthen national-level WASH institutions. To what extent have the project activities strengthened the national-level WASH institutions? Illustrative questions include, but are not limited to: What changes in knowledge or performance are associated with participation in WASH Systems Academy modules? Have the Isoko yUbuzima projects inputs to the WASH sector through the Sector Working Group, Thematic Working Groups, and other project initiatives contributed to the strengthening of the WASH sector? If yes, how, and if not, why? Have specific changes been observed in the WASH sector as a result of the Isoko yUbuzima project interventions? If yes, what changes, and if not, what may be the reasons? To what extent has capacity strengthening of public and private-sector actors improved coordination, planning, and service delivery across the WASH Building Blocks? Have trained national and district-level institutions applied a systems strengthening approach in their policies, plans, or operations? If yes, how, and if not, why? How has engagement with private-sector actors through the WASH systems academy courses influenced their performance, compliance, or contribution to WASH service sustainability? What institutional or systemic barriers continue to limit effective use of strengthened capacities within the WASH Building Blocks framework? IR2 Strengthen district capacity to implement WASH policies and plans. To what extent have the project activities strengthened district capacity to implement WASH policies and plans? Illustrative questions include, but are not limited to: Have the projects interventions with the District WASH Boards (DWASHB) and District WASH Offices improved their ability to monitor and strengthen the implementation of WASH systems/services? If yes, provide examples, and if not, how must the project adjust its strategy to have the desired impact on performance (disaggregated by district)? What lessons can we draw from the DWASHB and WASH offices that improved or did not improve their capacity performance as a result of the Isoko yUbuzima project interventions? Strategic Objective 2 IR1: Improve capacity for management of the district water services. To what extent have the project activities contributed to improving the capacity for managing rural water services by WASAC and private operators? Illustrative questions include, but are not limited to: To what extent has the project effectively addressed challenges encountered in its efforts to build capacity in district water service management? To what extent has the creation of the district-wide engineering designs and the WASH investment plans empowered the districts to improve their budgeting and resource mobilization? IR2: Improve capacity for the provision of reliable water services. To what extent have project activities improved the capacity for the provision of reliable water services? Illustrative questions include, but are not limited to: To what extent has the Isoko yUbuzima project met its targets for the number of people gaining access to basic water services and the number of people gaining improved water services? To what extent have the rehabilitated water supply systems met the countrys standards of accessibility? (disaggregated by district) IR3: Increase funds available for operations and maintenance. To what extent have project activities contributed to the increased funds available for operations and maintenance (O&M)? Illustrative questions include, but are not limited to: To what extent have the project interventions contributed to the professionalization of Private Operators, improved their performance, and increased their profitability? To what extent have the project interventions contributed to the ability of the Private Operators to invest in O&M? To what extent have the projects interventions reduced non-revenue water in a cost-efficient and scalable manne IR4: Improve accountability of Private Operators To what extent have project activities contributed to the increased accountability of Private Operators? Illustrative questions include, but are not limited to: Do District WASH Boards, service providers (Private Operators), and service users feel that the community scorecard methodology has contributed to improvements in WASH service delivery? Do service users feel that Private Operators are more responsive to their needs and service requests at the end of the activity than at the beginning? Strategic Objective Tender Link : https://www.jobinrwanda.com/job/request-proposal-conducting-final-evaluation-isoko-yubuzima-project
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