CONSULTANCY SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE REVIEW OF TURKANA COUNTY WATER POLICY, WATER REGULATIONS AND WATER SECTOR STRATEGIC PLAN 1.

Introduction
Practical Action is an Innovative International Development Organization putting ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world. We have over 50 years of expertise in Africa, Asia and Latin America, with the East African Headquarters’ office based in Nairobi- Kenya. We have a strong heritage and track record of bringing communities and experts together to find practical, sustainable solutions which work for both people and the planet; solutions that enable people to meet their needs and lead dignified lives. Technology features in everything we do. We partner with people whose lives are transformed by these efforts and ensure local ownership and solutions that work in the longer term, without us. Practical Action is implementing a 24 months’ project in Turkana under the project name “Enhancing Sustainable Water Access in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands in Kenya, dubbed (EWASSA).

Overall Project Objectives

1. To improve access to potable water and other multi-use water supplies for 48,000 pastoralists in rural arid and semi-arid Turkana, North West Kenya.
2. To strengthen management systems for rural solar-powered borehole projects, including existing systems.
3. To support development of effective county-wide policies, legislative frameworks and plans that structure efforts in implementation of water and climate actions.

About Turkana County

Turkana County is situated in North Western Kenya. It borders West Pokot and Baringo Counties to the South, Samburu County to the South East, and Marsabit County to the East. Although largely unexploited, Turkana County is rich with underground water aquifers located in the Lotikipi Plains and Napuu in Turkana West and Turkana Central respectively. The highest proportion of the population in the County depends on borehole water which is drilled to varying depths depending on the local geology of the area.

Lodwar area for example has shallow aquifer ranging between 30 and 60 meters recharged mainly by the Turkwel River. In other places like Lokichogio, the drilling depth increases to over 80m and in some cases over 150m. Most urban centers in Turkana County cannot satisfy the daily demand due to rapid population growth and the relative slow pace of development of water infrastructure, dictated by availability of funds. Most rural areas have low water coverage and water quality challenges, people mainly use water from a few boreholes and hand dug shallow wells during the rainy seasons. Pastoralists on the other hand would rely on water from water pans, rock catchments found on mountain ranges and unprotected saline springs during drought.

Rationale of the Task

The Constitution 2010 of Kenya chapter four gives what is popularly known as the Bill of Rights. Section 43 provides that every person has right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities. Furthermore, the Fourth schedule defines water services to include water and sanitation and storm water management systems in built- up areas. The mandate of water services provision in Turkana County rests with the Department of Water, Environment and Mineral Resources

Objectives of the Assignment

The overall objective of the consultancy is to review the Turkana County Water policy, review of the county water regulations and the finalization and implementation of the water sector strategic plan.
The completion of these legal frameworks will assist in coordination and governance of water services and enable the county to increase coverage of water and sanitation services.
The county government recognizes that most uses of water are beneficial to the county but due to poor management practices, negative impacts are experienced which may be made worse by lack of regulation or lack of motivation due to the water governance regime in place. This provides the basis for putting in place a set of policies, laws and systems to address all the relevant issues in a coordinated way.

Overall scope of work and specific objectives

The Scope of Work is understood to cover all activities necessary to accomplish the objectives of the Consultancy. The Consultant shall undertake the following specific tasks:

1. Review and take stock of previous and current water policies, regulations, strategies, plans, reports and actions inclusive of, but not limited to, Draft Turkana county Water Policy, Turkana County Water Act 2019, the national Water Act 2016, among others
2. For each of the identified policy, legislation, strategy, plans or programme, identify all the players/actors and their different roles in the formulation process
3. Carry out consultations with the stakeholders and identify key priority areas to include in the draft water policy, water regulations and water sector strategic plan.
4. Prepare draft Water Policy, draft regulations and draft water sector strategic plan based on the consultations done with stakeholders
5. Conduct validation of the draft water policy, water regulations and water sector strategic plan with members of the County Assembly
6. Conduct validation of the Draft Water Policy with County Executives and water sector coordination committee/stakeholders etc.
7. Facilitate stakeholder and public participation workshops for discussion and feedback on the draft Water policy, water regulations and water sector strategic plan, involving but not limited to non-state actors, community groups and other stakeholders to ensure inclusivity and participation
8. Prepare and submit of finalized County Water Policy, County Water Regulations and County Water Sector Strategic Plan.

Deliverables

The consultant is expected to produce the following outputs:

1. Inception report detailing the methodology, approaches, tools and processes to be used and practical work plan;
2. Final draft of the county water policy
3. Final draft of the water sector Rules and Regulations
4. Final draft of the Turkana County Water Sector Strategy

Consultancy approach and activity schedule

The consultancy approach adopted for this assignment is expected to provide continuous assistance and mentorship to the county. The consultant is expected to approach the work as continuous technical assistance to the county, involving capacity building and hand-holding of the county to develop the water sector legislations and plans. Overall, however, the consultant’s schedule shall be determined by the level of effort (LoE) as determined by the tasks and deliverables mentioned above. A participatory approach is encouraged in the conduct of the tasks.

Practical Action’s Role

The Consultant will be report to the Senior Project Officer – Climate Change Policy and Governance and the Area Coordinator – North Rift.
Practical Action will provide the project documents. In addition, PA will take care of the following during the consultancy:

1. Field transportation (vehicle and driver)
2. Field Accommodation

The consultant will be expected to arrange for his/her own secretarial services including computer equipment for data analysis and report writing.

Consultant(s) requirements
The Consultancy firm/consultant should be Policy & Research Analyst experts with the following profile:

1. A Master’s degree in relevant discipline with experience in development and implementation of water governance or related areas and decision making systems at the National and/or County government, including development of policies, legislation, strategies and plans.
2. Experience working in related field which includes demonstrable experience with research, drafting and preparation of similar policies and programmes
3. At least five years’ experience in participatory approaches, community development etc.
4. Knowledge and direct experience in water governance and institutional building
5. Fluency in both written and spoken English and Kiswahili is mandatory.
6. Proficiency in the use of statistical packages for data analysis, use of computers and electronic modes of communication.
7. Excellent analytical, writing and presentation skills.
8. Positive references from institutions provided with similar service