UNDP/ RFP FOR THE “PROVISION OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A STUDY ON ACCESS TO WATER AND SEWERAGE IN THE INFORMAL URBAN SETTLEMENTS AND RURAL AREAS OF FIVE A...

Background

In 2006 Albania signed the Stabilization and Association agreement with the European Union. Albania's reform agenda under the SAA is impressive, covering areas ranging from political dialogue and regional cooperation to free movement of goods, services, workers and capital, and mutual cooperation in justice and home affairs. It requires extensive trade liberalization vis-a-vis both the EU and other countries in the region and provides for substantial non-tariff liberalization through the gradual harmonization with EU structures and directives in the areas of standards , certification, customs administration, competition and intellectual property rights.  
The above situation is creating new challenges in terms of increasingly larger urban and rural population being faced with access to water and sanitation issues which impact on their quality of life and health and on the environment. Although required by law many water supply and sewerage systems in Albania are currently not licensed and certainly there is no single licensed communal system. The Water Regulatory Authority which is in charge of issuing licenses, aims to remedy this situation by reviewing its licensing rules and requiring all natural or juridical persons that provide water supply and sewerage services to obtain a license.

Requirements

     - Minimum 5 years of experience in conducting studies on urban and rural development issues in Albania, particularly in the field of
       water supply and sewerage
     - Demonstrated analytical and research capacity in the areas mentioned above
     - Track record of successful work with donor organizations
     - Successful implementation of similar assignments in the past
     - Experts involved in the assignments with: experience in designing and coordination surveys, experience in conducting urban  and/or
       rural development studies, track record in conducting access to water and sanitation studies would be an asset

Responsibility

Under the strategic direction of the EG programme management and in close cooperation with the Water Regulatory Authority (WRA), the contractor will:

     - Review any existing studies analyses, data and statistics on access to water and sanitation in the informal urban settlements and the
       rural areas of targeted districts
     - Hold meetings with the relevant governmental and non-governmental actors at the central level to seek their views on the situation
       and guidance on specific topics to be addressed
     - Hold meetings with all the relevant actors at the local level including local governments, institutions servicing the informal urban
       settlements and rural areas as well as citizens of the informal urban settlements and rural areas
     - Draft questionnaires, implement mini-surveys and organize focus groups

Deadline: 2 December 2011

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