- Background
Since August 2017, Bangladesh has received over 700,000 displaced people from Myanmar. They joined about 400,000 other displaced persons who had arrived in waves over the past decades from Rakhine State. They are living in 33 camps across Ukhiya and Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar district, causing a huge strain on the local community and its economy. The displaced persons outnumber the local population by a 2:1 ratio and pose significant challenges to supply of food, shelter, health, sanitation, water, and other essential services. United Nations (UN) agencies and other development partners are providing humanitarian assistance such as food, water, medical aid, and temporary shelter. However, the existing services are significantly stretched.
- Overall objective
The main objectives of NGO engagement are to (i) provide operation and maintenance services for continuation of uninterrupted water supply and energy sources to camp residents (ii) promote community ownership for all WSS facilities and energy sources (iii) develop and facilitate a sustainable O&M arrangement through community engagement program for both the outputs, (iv) conduct public awareness and capacity development training for beneficiaries and user groups and technical training for the volunteers; (v) establish new or activate existing community user groups for maximizing the uses of the facilities and ensure safety and security of women, girls and children; (vi) establish the one-stop-service center and ensure O&M services; and (vi) coordinate with government agencies, UN organizations, Camp-in-Charge (CiCs), repair contractors, and other relevant development partners for the smooth running of O&M activities.
- Overall scope of work
ADB will engage a total of NGOs for the major repair and maintenance of the ADB supported water supply systems (33 mini-piped) and energy facilities (4000 nos. streetlights, and 100 nos. PV nano-grids for household connections) within the camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf. The main responsibility of the NGO will be providing daily operation and maintenance services of the 33 WSS schemes and energy facilities to ensure they are functional.
- Specific scope of work under this contract
The specific tasks for the contract are specified with the following activities:
Task-1: Establish one-stop service (OSS) centre
- Establish and operationalize OSS centres to provide O&M services at the designated camps. NGO will find suitable locations for OSS either new or existing facilities in consultation with CiCs.
- Set up a customer service facility to receive complaints through phone calls and develop a complaint management and feedback system.
- Register all complaints that come through OSS center and document the responses.
- Ensure quick consumer/beneficiary service and immediate response to emergency requests.
- Keep resources (volunteers and equipment) ready at all times for immediate response to issues related to O&M of WSS and Energy facilities.
- Establish effective coordination with O&M Monitoring Unit to convey major repairs and maintenance (major maintenance including pump house, battery room, solar system, transmission, and distribution mains for both energy and water systems will be undertaken by the DPHE contractors).
Task-2: Develop sustainable O&M manual
- Consult with CiCs, Majhis, imams, women groups, and other relevant stakeholders and development partners on sustainable O&M of WSS facilities and energy facilities streetlights, and PV nano-grids for household connections.
- Develop an O&M manual for all WSS schemes, lightning arresters, solar-powered streetlights, mini-grid powered streetlights as well as nano-grid connected households and submit to DPHE for approval.
- Provide O&M training to the relevant staff, concerned stakeholders, and O&M committees based on the approved O&M Manual.
- Ensure that this should not disrupt the existing functioning structures/arrangements already established by UN agencies.
Task-3: Establish and orient community-based O&M user groups
- In consultation with CiCs, camp leaders, women groups, beneficiaries and DPHE officials, form community-based O&M committees for all WSS schemes and Energy facilities (1 committee per block) (or activate the user groups/committee if already established in camps). Each committee/user group will consist of 10 members, 4 (40%) of them must be women.
- Establishment of tap stand level user group to protect the water taps, solar user group to protect the energy system and ensure their operation.
- Organize monthly/quarterly coordination meetings with community-based O&M user groups to keep them functional.
- Build awareness of the O&M committees/user groups about their contribution and responsibilities.
- Conduct capacity building training for O&M committees and accordingly prepare them to take over the facilities in the future.
- Gradually establish community ownership of the facilities.
Task-4: Coordinate, organize and provide technical training
- A training calendar will be prepared and submitted to ADB for approval.
- Coordinate, organize and provide technical training to user groups and volunteers on community-based O&M
- Introduce and share the new O&M manuals and approach methodology with camp user groups.
- Establish and maintain regular communication and coordination with user groups, women groups, community members, Majhis, and CiCs.
- Participate in camp level coordination meetings.
- Prepare user groups and community members to establish community-based ownership for future takeover of energy facilities for operation and maintenance.
- Develop training module for community-based O&M and accordingly submit to ADB for approval.
- Provide O&M training to tap/solar user groups, households, and community members. 40% of the participants should be women.
- Gradually establish community based solar grid & SSL operating management system.
- Supervise and monitor the user group activities and performance.
- Establish coordination between tap/solar user groups/beneficiaries and vendor for any repair services required by the households.
- Provide training on sustainable O&M to volunteers, caretakers, vendors (if any),
- camp majhis, and other relevant stakeholders.
Taks-5: Conduct community engagement and public awareness programs
- Develop a module for public awareness programs on water conservation, water quality, sanitation, hygiene education including menstrual hygiene, solar systems and subsequently submit to ADB for approval. The module should be suitably applicable in the complex socio-economic context of displaced Myanmar nationals.
- Provide awareness training to 25,000 beneficiaries including O&M committees across the camps on effective use of water, water conservation and hygiene education, menstrual hygiene, and use of solar systems. 40% of training recipients must be women and girls.
- Mobilize community members, beneficiaries, women groups, and user groups.
- Conduct awareness sessions among nano-grid connected households about monthly user fees as well their responsibilities in O&M of nano-grid solar system.
- Raise community awareness about safety issues, daily performance of nano-grids as well as household level technical operation knowledge.
- Conduct minimal awareness training on maintenance of the technology with community user groups.
- Demonstrate how provided facilities work to solar user groups, beneficiaries and other stakeholders.
- Share the benefits enjoyed by water and solar users with other beneficiaries.
- Provide beneficiaries including women, technical skills training on minor repairing and replacing of necessary electronic parts such as tap stands, pipe network, light bulbs, wiring, and other equipment.
Task-6: Provide O&M services for WSS and Energy Facilities (infrastructures and the system)
- Prepare inventory of the ADB supported WSS and Energy facilities including the number of beneficiary/households under the designated camps.
- Ensure overall O&M for all WSS schemes and Energy systems to keep the system functioning and operational of the facilities including cleaning of solar panels, replacement of the bulbs/lights/water taps, etc. with the help of volunteers and user groups, etc.
- Ensure regular check and monitor water quality and keep records.
- Repair defective water taps by replacing with new plastic bibcock, etc. as per the specifications and manual. And repair and replace defective solar panels, lights, switches, circuit breakers, etc. as per the specifications and O&M plan.
- Regularly clean in and around the facilities.
- Visit each facility, keep vigilant, and maintain records and register of the repair works, facilities, and human resources engaged for O&M activities.
- Maintain inventory of the basic equipment and necessary spare parts.
- Ensure overall performance, operation & maintenance and security of specified water and energy facilities.
- Keep the water facilities, lightning arresters, solar and mini-grid powered streetlights and PV nano-grid powered domestic connections functioning and operational.
- Provide accessories, fittings, and fixing as per specifications as and when required.
- Maintain records and register of the repair works, facilities, and human resources engaged for O&M activities.
- Supervise and monitor volunteer activities and their performance.
- Keep UN agencies, CiCs and DPHE informed on progress of the O&M services.