Consultancy services is to review and update the SADC Regional Water Policy (2005)

The key objective of the TOR is to review and update the SADC Regional Water Policy. This will include an assessment of what has worked well and has not worked well within the past 17+ years since the Regional Water Policy was adopted and implemented. It will also include assessment of relevance of the Protocol and ascertain gaps with respect to adequacy of the Protocol in supporting regional sustainable development, effective and sustainable governance, management, development and equitable utilisation of the region’s waters, both surface and underground

• Specific Tasks and Activities

In terms of process, the assignment will include stakeholder consultations and knowledge exchange to promote regional dialogue and learning. This will also consider IWRM principles and other integrated approaches such as environmental degradation, circular and blue economy, source to sea, and the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus, including mainstreaming youth, gender and climate change into water resources management based on a needs assessment of the region. The assessment will inform the formulation of the vision for the water resources in the region and guide the water management institutions to achieve more holistic and coordinated water management to support the region's people, economy, and natural ecosystems. This will culminate in an updated SADC Regional Water Policy.

Scope of work and tasks to be performed by the consultancy Firm

The scope of work for the Consultant is to:

• Review the SADC Regional Water Policy and identify any gaps or missing issues that require updating to strengthen the policy to remain relevant and fit for purpose for the region.

• Review the SADC Regional Water Protocol on Shared Watercourses and identify any gaps or missing issues that require updating to strengthen the Protocol to remain relevant and fit for the purposes for the region.

• Conduct a transboundary assessment, including reviews of available datasets, literature and documents to identify gaps in the regional water policy and prioritise water resources issues across the region to enable cooperative development and management.

• Evaluate whether the SADC Regional Water Policy meets the requirement for competing demands and growth potential across sectors.

• Consult all relevant institutions and stakeholders to ensure that their needs are captured. This entails facilitating consultative engagements to obtain inputs on proposed changes from diverse stakeholders for consideration and approval by the client(s) (SADC-GMI and SADC Water Division).

• Evaluate whether the current regional water policy is aligned with the SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses and international conventions (e.g., UN Conventions) which the Member States are expected to be signatory to.

• Convene stakeholder consultations and knowledge exchange sessions that include learning formats such as workshops, webinars, and study visits to ensure institutional buy-in, capacity development, networking, regional dialogue and sharing.

• Identify and analyse national, regional and international policies/strategies and legal frameworks for synergies and opportunities towards harmonisation. This should include analyses of the national and regional PLI Gap Analyses and Roadmap reports developed by SADC-GMI since 2018.

• Identify strategic actions expected of the regional water policy to enable the sector to:

• truly contribute to regional development and poverty reduction.

• improve regional water distribution and transfer.

• increase transboundary cooperation over shared waters (surface and underground).

• effectively support oceanic states development.

• be inclusive and attain effective involvement of private sector, and civil society.

• fully integrate surface and g-water in transboundary water governance, management, joint planning and monitoring (full conjunctive management of surface and ground waters).

• increase multisector planning and co-design and co-development of water solutions with other sectors (e.g., through WEFE nexus approaches).

• establish more climate resilient information and monitoring systems and development, as well as early warning systems.

• improve development of water infrastructure, for both grey and green infrastructure.

• improve capacities of all key players in the governance, management and development of all waters, surface and underground at all levels (regional, transboundary river/aquifer levels, national, sub-national levels).

• Update the regional water policy.

• Recommend functional institutional arrangements for implementation, including overall coordination and implementation of the identified priority interventions, clearly defining roles and functions at regional and other levels.

• Recommend enhancement measures (changes) in the protocol and/or the nature of guidelines that may be required to support implementation of the Protocol to close identified gaps.

• Eligibility

The Consultant shall submit documentation to demonstrate Eligibility in the following areas:

• Should be a registered firm with demonstrable technical experience in the following areas: Integrated catchment management, Water resources planning, Stakeholder participation, Institutional arrangements, Financing transboundary water resources management, Gender equality and social inclusion (GESI).

• Demonstrating a proven track record of successfully completing at least two reference projects in the technical field of transboundary integrated water resources management and policy reviews

• Should have completed at least one (1) reference project in Southern Africa over the last three years.

• In the case of a partnership for purposes of this assignment, relevant experience from the Key Experts will be aggregated to the firm’s experience.

• Previous working experience with donor funded projects, particularly the World Bank is desirable.

• Schedule and Duration of Assignment

This is a once-off assignment without any obligation for follow-up work and is expected to run for eight (8) months with an estimated aggregate level of effort of 145 person-days for key experts only, all-inclusive of field, travel and office work.

• Liaison and Logistics

On a day-to-day basis, the team of consultants will liaise with the SADC-GMI through the Executive Director being responsible for the final approval of all deliverables.

• Expression of Interest Submission Requirements

Interested consultancy firms are requested to submit an expression of interest, and the expression of interest should include the following:

• Evidence showing that the firm is a legal entity (certificate of registration)

b) demonstrable technical experience in the following areas: Integrated catchment management, Water resources planning, Stakeholder participation, Institutional arrangements, Financing transboundary water resources management, Gender equality and social inclusion (GESI).

c) Availability of Professional Key Staff with Suitable Qualifications in the field of

assignment.

d) Demonstrating a proven track record of successfully completing at least two reference projects in the technical field of transboundary integrated water resources management and policy reviews.

e) Should have completed at least one (1) reference project in Southern Africa over the last three years.

f) Brief description (not more than 3 pages) of the proposed Methodology of carrying out the scope of the work.

g) The EOI submission should not exceed 30 pages.

Further information can be obtained at the e-mail address listed below during office hours i.e., 08:00 am-5:00pm, Monday – Friday, [email protected]

• Submission of Expression of Interest (EOI)

Bidders must submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) by e-mail to [email protected] by 12:00 noon (RSA Time) on or before 16 February 2024.

NB: For a detailed Terms of Reference, please visit SADC website at www.sadc-gmi.org.