Terms of Reference (ToR)

Endline Assessment of the "Accelerate Universal Access to WASH" Project in Bugesera District
Date: 27 May 2025

Background

Since October 2022, WaterAid has been implementing the "Accelerate Universal Access to WASH" project in Bugesera District, specifically targeting Mwogo and Juru Sectors. The project’s goal is to enhance access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services through infrastructure development, systems strengthening, and community engagement.

Key achievements to date include:

• Extension of water supply systems, benefiting over 46,850 people with improved access to safe water
• Promotion of improved sanitation practices, reaching 2,000 individuals
• Hygiene promotion campaigns reaching more than 250,000 people
• Strengthening local leadership and WASH governance structures
• Establishing and supporting Water User Committees to ensure sustainability

Purpose of the Endline Assessment

The endline assessment aims to:

• Evaluate the overall impact of the project on WASH access, behaviors, systems, and policy engagement in Mwogo and Juru
• Assess the effectiveness, quality, and sustainability of interventions, including infrastructure, capacity building, and community engagement
• Examine transformative changes and value for money throughout implementation
• Identify and document lessons learned, best practices, and challenges to inform future programming
• Generate evidence to support advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and resource mobilization

Objectives of the Assessment

• Measure changes in WASH access and usage among target populations
• Assess improvements in local WASH governance, leadership, and community participation
• Evaluate adherence to WaterAid’s Quality Programme Standards (QPS)
• Assess sustainability and transformative outcomes in communities, schools, and health care facilities
• Evaluate value for money (economy, efficiency, effectiveness)
• Identify existing challenges and provide actionable recommendations

Evaluation Criteria and Key Questions

Results

• Has the project achieved its intended outputs and outcomes according to the logframe?
• What factors contributed to significant under or overachievement?
• Has the project achieved its goal across communities, schools, and health care facilities (HCFs)?
• Has the project created safer environments for the community ? What evidence supports this?

Quality

• To what extent has the project met WaterAid’s Quality Programme Standards in water, hygiene, and sanitation?
• How sustainable are the delivered interventions?

Transformative Change

• Are the project interventions of the project likely to be sustained in the future?

Value for Money

Has the project delivered value for money in terms of:

• Economy: Cost-effectiveness of inputs
• Efficiency: Resource utilization
• Effectiveness: Outcome achievement

Crosscutting Areas

• How were target groups involved in decision-making during implementation?
• How was feedback gathered and used?
• What are the key recommendations to improve future WaterAid WASH programmes?

Methodology

A mixed-methods approach will be adopted:

• Quantitative Surveys: Community surveys to assess WASH access and practices
• Qualitative Methods: Focus Group Discussions with community members (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with local leaders, Water User Committees, and Community Health Workers
• Infrastructure Review: Technical assessment of water systems and sanitation facilities
• Case Studies: Documentation of success stories, lessons, and best practices

Expected Outcomes

• Comprehensive endline assessment report
• Actionable recommendations to inform future WASH programming
• Documentation of scalable models and best practices
• Advocacy materials to support influencing, stakeholder engagement and funding

Timeline

Key Stakeholders

• Bugesera District Authorities
• Local communities in Mwogo and Juru
• Water User Committees and Community Health Workers
• WASAC (Water and Sanitation Corporation)
• JADF (Joint Action Development Forum)
• WASHBOARD (District WASH Coordination Body)

Ethics and Risk Considerations

This assessment will adhere to WaterAid’s Global Evaluation Policy and Child Safeguarding Policy. Ethical standards will be strictly followed, especially when working in schools and with children.

• Informed consent will be obtained from all participants.
• No interviews or data collection will take place without ethical clearance, where required.
• Any risk to informants will be assessed, mitigated, and documented.
• The use, publication, and dissemination of data will be carefully managed to protect confidentiality.
•  WaterAid Rwanda will have ownership of the data and information collected in this assessment.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a mandatory aspect of this assessment. All consultants and staff involved must:

• Adhere to WaterAid’s safeguarding policy and guidelines
• Receive a safeguarding briefing before commencing fieldwork
• Immediately report any safeguarding concerns
• Ensure data collection tools are age-appropriate and sensitive to child and vulnerable populations

Consultant Selection Criteria

The selected consultant or firm must meet the following criteria:

• Proven experience in conducting WASH-related evaluations and assessments, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Demonstrated expertise in qualitative and quantitative methods
• Understanding of Rwanda’s WASH sector, governance, and community systems
• Familiarity with WaterAid’s Quality Programme Standards and Global Evaluation Policy
• Strong analytical, writing, and presentation skills
• Commitment to ethical standards and safeguarding

Submission Requirements:

• Technical and financial proposal
• CVs of key involved personnel
• Completion certificates and samples of previous similar work completed in the past 3 years
• Closing date/deadline for applications as June 16th, 2025, at 12:00am (Midday) Email: warwanda@wateraid.org and cc larissadusabe@wateraid.org

Conclusion

This endline assessment will provide vital insights into the achievements, sustainability, and potential replication of the "Accelerate Universal Access to WASH" project. It will therefore, guide WaterAid and partners in enhancing WASH services across Rwanda and contributing meaningfully toward Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Prepared by: Larissa Dusabe, Project Manager, WaterAid
Approved by: Martha Uwimana, Program Manager, WaterAid