Bangladesh Partnership for Cleaner Textile

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Water Footprint Network – BANGLADESH WATER PaCT

Partnership for Cleaner Textile

Consulting Assignment

A. BACKGROUND

Water sustainability – in terms of water consumed, and of wastewater effluent released - is a key challenge for the long-term viability and growth of the textile sector in Bangladesh, as well as for other economic and social activities that depend on a clean and reliable water supply.

The overarching objective of the Bangladesh Water PaCT: Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT, the Program) is to reduce environmental and related social impacts that result from prevailing practices in textile wet processing, particularly excessive groundwater extraction and surface water pollution, but including energy and chemical use.  Program results will improve the global and local “license to operate” of the textile sector in Bangladesh and strengthen its long-term competitiveness.

The PaCT will engage at three levels – participating textile buyers, wet processing factories, and key stakeholders such as communities, government, civil society, sector organizations, etc. – through the following three Components:

-          Component 1: Buyer capacity building

-          Component 2: Support factories setting and achieving Cleaner Production objectives

-          Component 3: Multi-stakeholder engagement in support of Cleaner Textile

Key implementation partners of the PaCT are: IFC (International Finance Cooperation), Solidaridad, Water Footprint Network (WFN), international textile brands, and Dutch Embassy in Dhaka.  

The Water Footprint Network (WFN) is an international NGO dedicated to promoting the transition towards sustainable, fair and efficient use of fresh water resources worldwide by advancing the concept of the ‘water footprint’, a spatially and temporally explicit indicator of direct and indirect water use of consumers and producers; increasing the water footprint awareness of communities, government bodies and businesses and their understanding of how consumption of goods and services and production chains relate to water use and impacts on fresh-water systems; and encouraging forms of water governance that reduce the negative ecological and social impacts of the water footprints of communities, countries and businesses (www.waterfootprint.org).

Under the PaCT project, the Water Footprint Network (WFN) will provide technical expertise and knowledge about use of Water Footprint Assessment (WFA) related to wet processing sector in Bangladesh. The role of WFN in PaCT is to provide rigorous information to buyers, factories, communities, governments and other stakeholders about sustainable water use and management by using Water Footprint Assessment framework.  The tasks of WFN in each component of the PaCT are:

1-      Component 1 : Blue water footprint accounts of buyers (international textile brands); assisting in establishment of decision support system for buyers procurement team; providing WFA training for the buyer’s local and international staff.

2-      Component  2: Training of Cleaner Production (CP) auditors and local service providers on WFA and providing  technical assistance for project team.

3-      Component 3: Technical support to the cluster-level WFA for the selected textile clusters; providing technical inputs to stakeholders meetings/discussions (especially communities and government); participating in public – private dialogues and annual events.

B. ASSIGNMENT OBJECTIVE

The consultant (one individual) will support the Water Footprint Network in Dhaka, Bangladesh and assist the international team members of WFN on the tasks relevant to implementation activities of the PaCT.

C. SCOPE OF WORK

Support WFN during the implementation of Water Footprint Assessment of buyers and clusters within the PaCT project by:

• Collecting data from relevant local organizations, contractors and project partners and completing verification of data.
• Completing Water Footprint Assessment calculations under guidance of WFN Project Manager.
• Providing technical assistance in Water Footprint Assessment to relevant project partners and assisting in preparation of technical reports.
• Communicating with and managing relationships with governmental organizations, IFC, wet processing factories, buyers, associations, and other project partners/stakeholders.
• Preparing training materials and presentations, assisting in organizing trainings, meetings and workshops and delivering trainings/presentations.
• Participating in workshops, meetings and events with local stakeholders (e.g., suppliers, buyers, local associations, government) on the behalf of WFN.
• Other activities as agreed with Project Manager of WFN.

D. DELIVERABLES AND MILESTONES

The Consultant will contribute to the following deliverables, to be prepared by the WFN international team.

• September/October 2013: Training/workshop in Dhaka.
• November 2013: Brand water footprint accounts (version 1.0).
• December 2013: Cluster level WFAs (first cluster), participation in annual event.
• May/June 2014: Brand water footprint accounts (version 2.0).
• November 2014: Cluster level WFAs (second cluster) and sustainability assessment (first cluster).
• 2014: 6 trainings/workshops organized in Dhaka

E. REQUIREMENTS

• Master or equivalent degree in industrial, water resources and/or environmental engineering/sciences and more than two years of experience in water quality, water resources, hydrology, water engineering & management or related field.
• Good communication skills with technical competence; able to establish contacts and manage work relationships.
• Proactive, leadership, outgoing, dynamic, works well as part of a team.
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English.
• Native speaker of Bengali language.
• Knowledge of local conditions/working experience in Bangladesh/Dhaka region.
• Preferably having experience in working with NGO’s, international organizations or private sector (textile industry).
• Excellent time management.
• Capability to work effectively under deadline pressure and to take on a range of responsibilities.
• Ability to work in team, good decision-making skills, communication and management skills.

F. OTHER CONDITIONS

• The initial assignment period is 15 months, starting no later than 1^st October 2013.  The duty station is Dhaka. It is expected that the consultant will be present 80% of the contract duration in Dhaka.
• The total man-days of the assignment is estimated as 144. WFN has the option to extend the contract for two more years under the same conditions.
• The consultant will be responsible for all expenses related to his/her tasks under this assignment such as office rent, office equipment and materials, computer hardware/software, communication, travel and accommodation expenses.
• The consultant will be fully responsible for all tax duties incurred as a result of this assignment and will carry all necessary insurances.  
• The consultant will work under the supervision of WFN’s international team.

G. APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates are requested to send their CV, including a motivational letter and an indication of their daily rates (under the conditions specified in this ToR) before 06 September 2013 to ertug.ercin@waterfootprint.org with reference to “PaCT Local Consultant”. For additional information please contact Dr. Ertug Ercin from WFN, email: ertug.ercin@waterfootprint.org, tel. +31 53 4854446