Consultancy Service for the Development of Community-Led Total Sanitation and Hygiene (CLTSH) training facilitators’ guide and facilitation of CLTSH ToT training for USAID/Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient WASH Activity

About RTI

Research Triangle Institute (RTI) has over 30 years’ experience assisting governments, communities, and the private sector. As a not-for-profit, independent research institute based in North Carolina, USA, RTI has roughly 6,000 employees with global experience implementing international development projects. RTI’s Sustainable Growth & Resilience (SG&R) technical unit within the International Development Group brings together RTI experts and capabilities across food security, agriculture, energy, environment, water, governance, and economic opportunity. SG&R will leverage RTI’s experience designing and delivering multisectoral programming and technical solutions to respond to climate change, build resilience, and promote economic growth around the world.

SG&R’s Water portfolio has delivered innovative, breakthrough solutions in key development sectors globally, including water sector governance, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, water resources management, community engagement, urban resilience, and institutional capacity building.

1.    Introduction

1.1.  Background to the Project

In Ethiopia, the pastoral or agropastoral areas cover 61% of the land area and constitute 12-15% of the total population. The lowlands lag the rest of Ethiopia in terms of most social and economic indicators, including access to sustainable WASH services due to limited investment and climate-resilient solutions, climate change, conflict, negative social norms around the participation and empowerment of women.

Pastoral communities generally have limited access to water supply and consequently, improved sanitation and hygiene practices also tend to be poor. According to the Government of Ethiopia (GoE), “Access levels for water and sanitation in pastoralist regions and woredas ranges from 39.5% to 61%, and from 6.5% to 21% respectively, while in the other parts of the country water and sanitation coverage ranges from 62% to 95% and 41% to 76%, respectively.”

To eliminate open defecation, the government has developed and implemented several strategies, plans, capacity building, and community mobilization activities mainly through the Community-Led Total Sanitation and Hygiene (CLTSH) approach. CLTSH is recognized to have contributed to the sharp decline in open defecation in Ethiopia after its formal adoption in 2011.

Consideration of these facts, the government aims to reach eighty-two percent of households with improved sanitation systems, eighty-two percent of kebeles declaring ODF in all woredas, eighty-two percent of families installing hand washing stations with soap in all kebeles/woredas, and ten percent of supply chains for sanitation being formed in all woredas.

1.2.  The Project

Since 2018, the GoE has implemented a climate resilient WASH approach, as recognized in the second phase One WASH National Program (OWNP Phase II) which requires climate resilience to be mainstreamed across the sector. Some studies confirmed that pastoralists were away from the central government for a long and have been among the most marginalized group in terms of availability and access to public services including sanitation services.

More specifically regions such as Afar, Somali, Benishangul Gumuz, Gambella and pastoralist areas of Oromia are facing unique challenges in terms of access to and use of hygiene and sanitation facilities. The evidence on toilet access and hygiene practice are low, implying high risk to health. As large numbers of livestock and people are competing for limited water supplies, and open defecation is practiced, the areas are vulnerable to rapid fecal-oral disease transmission including outbreaks of Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD).

Considering this, USAID’s CR WASH Project debuts at a perfect time to support the expansion of sustainable WASH services. Through the Total Sanitation to eliminate Open Defecation and Urination and National Sanitation Subsidy Protocol (2022), the GoE has amended its CLTSH method, allowing a modified approach with smart subsidies to encourage the elimination of open defecation.

Hence, the overall purpose of the five-year USAID Climate Resilient (CR) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Activity awarded to RTI International is to accelerate the expansion and sustainability of climate-resilient water services and the adoption of key hygiene and sanitation practices for the underserved and vulnerable targeted lowland areas in Afar, Oromia, Somali and South Ethiopia regions.

The Activity will work to fulfill this purpose through four complementary intermediate results:

1.     Professionalize and expand climate-resilient water services.

2.     Increase sustainable access to and use of sanitation and hygiene products and services, including for menstrual health and hygiene.

3.     Improve gender power dynamics; and

4.     Strengthen the enabling environment for climate-resilient water and sanitation services.

USAID CR WASH project developed sanitation and hygiene strategy to reduce ODF through comprehensive implementation of CLTSH modified to pastoralist areas. In addition, CLTSH and SBC training participant manual has been developed with the detail approaches of the modified CLTSH pillars which are aligned with the national SODF implementation guidelines and but contextualized to project target areas. It is believed that there will be a need to have a training facilitators’ guide to facilitate ToT and basic/implementers training which are key activities of the CLTSH implementation.

Therefore, an individual consultant is required to develop training facilitators’ guide and provide support in conducting effective and timely ToT and basic trainings for USAID Climate Resilient WASH Activities under Intermediate Results (IR 2).

2.    Scope of Work

2.1 General

To develop CLTSH training facilitators’ guide and facilitate both the ToT and basic training at national level and in 8 woredas of Afar, Oromia, Somali, and South Ethiopia regions which are the areas to reach through sanitation and hygiene interventions by FY24 for USAID Climate Resilient WASH Activity, the consulting service is seeking to engage an individual consultant. RTI International invites potential individual consultant to submit a detailed technical and financial proposals.

1.3.  Scope of Work

The consultant is expected to undertake the following specific activities;

1.     Develop CLTSH training facilitators’ guide in line with the existing participants manual

·       Review CR WASH sanitation and hygiene strategy and CLTSH training manual

·       Review GoE SODF training facilitators’ guide

·       Prepare and submit first draft of the modified CLTSH facilitators’ guide

·       Conduct discussions and give clarifications to CR WASH team if asked to do so

·       Incorporate feedbacks as needed, revise and submit the final facilitators’ guide

·       Work with sanitation and hygiene advisor through provision of technical support in the preparation/contextualization of job aids such as community conversation and household counseling cards.

2.     Facilitate CLTSH trainings

·       Plan and make preparations to organize CLTSH ToT at national level

·       Work with CR WASH national team to ensure effective facilitation of ToT training.

·       Work with CR WASH national and regional team to support facilitation of CLTSH basic/implementers training that will be provided to kebele level participants in selected woredas of Afar, Oromia, Somali, and Southern Ethiopia regions

·       Prepare training reports and submit to CR WASH national team.

3.    Deliverables and timeframe for submission

4.     Supervision and Reporting Arrangement

The consultant will closely work with CR WASH Sanitation and Hygiene Advisor on the day-today activities of the facilitators’ guide development and the CLTSH ToT facilitation and reports to the CR WASH DCoP.

The consultant will also work with CR WASH regional managers and sanitation and hygiene officers of implementing partners particularly while supporting woreda level CLTSH basic trainings.

5.     Payment and Schedule

The contractual total amount will be negotiated between the consultant and RTI International, following established contractual processes.

The consultant will be paid fees based on specified deliverables and the schedule below.

·       20% of fees upon submission of first draft facilitators guide and approval by the hygiene and sanitation advisor.

·       30% of fees upon completion of the CLTSH ToT training and approval by the hygiene and sanitation advisor.

·       50% of the remaining fee upon completion of the woreda level CLTSH training, submission of overall report and approval by the hygiene and sanitation advisor.

6.     Official Travels involved.

Field visits to selected sites (regions, zones, woredas) for the ToT and basic trainings are expected for this assignment. USAID CR-WASH Activity will cover the cost for such field visits (outside Addis Ababa) and arrange for transportation where feasible. All travels must be according to the workplan, and travel plan approved by the supervisor and comply with RTI travel protocol.

7.     Expected Qualifications, Experience, Specialized knowledge/skills and competencies.

To develop the CLTSH training facilitators’ guide and facilitate CLTSH trainings, requires a competent and experienced individual consultant who should have the expertise in managing the scope of work. The key professionals and required expertise/skills are:

• A professional with minimum of a master’s degree in environmental health or public health or other relevant professions with an experience in Sanitation and Hygiene related intervention and most importantly on CLTSH approach implementation
• At least 10 years of experience, and exposure practical exposure on lowland WASH activities (USAID project experience is encouraged).
• Excellent interpersonal and training facilitation skill interacting with the government and development partners and other stakeholders.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills in English and a plus on local languages of Afar, Somali, Affan Oromo
• Ability to operate computer Microsoft office programmes (MS Word, Excel, Power Point).