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Tenders are invited for Consultancy Services for the Evaluation of the District-wide Approach for Sustainable WASH Services in Rwanda. Location: Kigali Deadline: Sunday, 13/09/2026 23:59 1. Background and Rationale The Government of Rwanda adopted the District-Wide Approach (DWA) in 2016 as a sector-led way of working for universal and sustainable WASH services. DWA places the district at the Centre of analysis, planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring, and requires stakeholders to work through a common, evidence-based and costed district plan rather than through fragmented projects. The original DWA was piloted in Bugesera, Gicumbi, Karongi, Ngororero and Nyamagabe. The pilot combined service-level assessment, asset inventory, institutional capacity assessment, visioning and strategy development, full life-cycle costing, financing analysis, consolidation of a district WASH plan, implementation and monitoring. The approach was subsequently positioned for broader rollout through provincial introduction, national WASH MIS use, district coordination arrangements and development of additional district WASH investment plans. In 2020, Water For People supported the development of investment plans and engineering inputs in 12 additional districts: Gatsibo, Gakenke, Gisagara, Nyamasheke, Huye, Musanze, Burera, Rubavu, Muhanga, Nyaruguru, Kamonyi and Rutsiro, while WaterAid supported 2 additional districts, namely Rubavu and Rusizi. Under the Isoko yUbuzima Project (2021-2026), ten districts developed MININFRA-validated investment plans and received support on full life-cycle costing planning (Nyagatare, Kayonza, Rwamagana, Ngoma, Kirehe, Nyamagabe, Nyanza, Ruhango, Ngororero and Nyabihu) Water For People has continuously worked in partnership with the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA), WASAC and other WASH sector institutions in Rwanda to strengthen the systems required for sustainable, inclusive and resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services. In particular, Water For People has supported the District-Wide Approach from its inception through implementation, including the development of district WASH investment plans, engineering and planning inputs, full life-cycle costing, sector coordination, institutional capacity strengthening, and evidence-based planning and monitoring. Water For People also applied the principles of the District-Wide Approach in implementing the Isoko yUbuzima Project by supporting district-led, coordinated, and costed planning for universal and sustainable WASH services. Building on this longstanding collaboration, Water For People will provide the financial resources required for the consultancy services described in these Terms of Reference and will work with MININFRA, WASAC, and other relevant stakeholders to evaluate the operationalization of district WASH investment plans as tools in annual planning and budgeting, application of DWA principles, and sustained changes in services and institutions. 2. Purpose of the Assignment The purpose of the consultancy is to provide MININFRA with an independent, credible, and decision-oriented evaluation of the DWA experience in Rwanda. The evaluation will determine the extent to which districts have applied and institutionalized DWA principles in the implementation of WASH interventions and assess the impact and sustainability of WASH service delivery in the district, as well as the process and prioritization in developing, financing, implementing, monitoring, and updating the WASH investment plans. The evaluation will examine the application of DWA in the implementation of different WASH interventions and generate practical recommendations for: (i) improving and standardizing the DWA model; (ii) embedding investment plans in district and national planning and budget cycles; (iii) strengthening implementation, monitoring and accountability; and (iv) informing any future national scale-up, needs for updating district WASH investment plans. 3. Evaluation Objectives 3.1 Overall objective To assess the application, institutionalization, results and need for adjustments of the District-Wide Approach and district WASH investment plans in rural districts in Rwanda, and to propose an actionable framework for their improvement, updating, and financing. 3.2 Specific objectives Assess the extent to which the DWA has improved coordination, accountability, evidence use, prioritisation, financing and resource mobilization at district and national levels. Assess the degree of district ownership of WASH investment plans and the extent to which they are actually used to guide planning, budgeting and investment decisions. Determine the extent to which investment-plan priorities have been integrated into District Development Strategies, annual action plans, Imihigo, budgets, procurement plans and partner portfolios. Assess progress in implementing planned investments and strengthening WASH services, including water, sanitation, hygiene, WASH in institutions and service-provider performance. Assess the application of full life-cycle costing and current financing practice, covering CapEx, CapManEx, OpEx and direct support expenditure, and identify financing gaps across these categories. Assess institutional, technical, financial, environmental and social sustainability, including the districts capacity to maintain, update and use WASH investment plans and underlying data. Compare results and implementation of DWA pathways across the original pilot, the 2020 Water For People and WaterAid supported cohort and the Isoko yUbuzima-supported cohort, while accounting for overlap and contextual differences. Document the impact of the District-Wide Approach (DWA) on district WASH planning, financing, and access to WASH services across rural districts Produce prioritised, cost-conscious and institution-specific recommendations, together with a practical DWA improvement and institutionalisation roadmap. 4. Scope of the Evaluation 4.1 Geographic and programme scope The evaluation scope will comprise all 27 districts in Rwanda covered by the DWA implementation. 4.2 Period of review The evaluation shall cover the DWA journey from adoption in 2016 through the latest complete evidence available at the start of the consultancy. The consultant shall explicitly distinguish conditions at plan preparation, implementation milestones, current status and plausible post-project continuation. 4.3 Thematic scope DWA introduction, leadership, governance and stakeholder coordination. Baseline and periodic assessment of WASH service levels, assets, water resources, service-provider and institutional capacity. Vision, targets, prioritisation, scenarios and theory of change. Full life-cycle costing and financing-gap analysis. Quality and implementation readiness of engineering studies and project pipelines. Integration of water, sanitation, hygiene, climate resilience, inclusion and WASH in schools, health-care facilities and public places. Investment-plan approval, ownership, dissemination, use, updating. Implementation progress, procurement, financing, budget execution and partner alignment. Adoption of DWA principles by district WASH partners and collaborations 4.5 Implementation, financing and results Proportion and value of priority interventions initiated, completed, deferred, redesigned or unfunded, where reliable data permit. Sources, additionality and predictability of funds mobilized against WASH investment plan priorities. Alignment of district budgets and district stakeholders financing with the plan. Changes in service access, functionality, reliability, quality, affordability and sustainability, with contribution rather than unsupported attribution. 13. Ownership, Confidentiality and Use of Outputs All deliverables, instruments, databases, transcripts, photographs and other materials produced under the assignment shall become the property of MININFRA, subject to applicable law and contractual provisions. The consultant shall not publish, share or reuse identifiable information or assignment outputs without written authorisation. Final datasets shall be cleaned, documented, anonymised and delivered in editable formats. 14. Financial evaluation Following the technical evaluation, only bidders who score 80% or higher will advance to the financial evaluation stage. At this stage, financial proposals will be assessed, and the bidder with the lowest price will be selected. Financial proposals must be password-protected, and passwords will only be requested from bidders who qualify for the financial evaluation. Note: Any arithmetic error in the financial report will result in an automatic disqualification. The selected bidder will be contractually required to comply with Water For Peoples Vendor Code of Conduct https://www.waterforpeople.org/Vendor-Code-of-Conduct and will be required to deliver a Conflict-of-Interest Certificate before execution of the contract. The Conflict-of-Interest Certificate requires the disclosure of any potential or actual conflicts of interest with Water For People employees or their relatives, including past, current, or proposed business transactions, employment or offers of employment, or certain gifts or entertainment. Water For People will evaluate any disclosures of conflicts of interest; if Water For People determines it cannot waive or mitigate the conflict of interest, it will result in the disqualification of the selected proposer. 15. Copyrights Copyright of all material on assignment will be retained by Water For People in Rwanda. 16. Rights reserved Water For People reserves the right to cancel the entire procurement process without incurring any liability whatsoever. Water For People reserves the right to amend any segment of the ToRs before the announcement of selected candidates. Water For People als Tender Link : https://www.jobinrwanda.com/job/terms-reference-consultancy-services-evaluation-district-wide-approach-sustainable-wash
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