Terms of Reference

for

Supports to develop automated business plan for 10 towns from I and

II small town water supply and sanitation sector (STWSS SP) projects
in
Collaboration between Institutional Supports and Service Advisory
Unit (ISSAU) and Town Development Fund (TDF)

Town Development Fund

Mid Baneswor, Kathmandu
Nepal

Feb 2023
 Background

TDF in tripartite collaboration with ADB and Government of Nepal has expanded its investment
and outreach to almost 100 towns through small town, urban water supply and co-finance projects
in loan recovery model. TDF as a financial subsidiary is lending loan to Water Users Associations
(WUAs) in a nominal interest rate and expects them to return it in time as well as encourage the
WUAs to provide quality services to their customers (communities). Next, TDF wish to build and
strengthen WUAs capacity so that they would be able to manage the entire water system with
quality services, generate adequate revenue for operation and maintenance and for the debt
services.

In present situation, TDF has not been able to get the desired return from some water systems and
WSUs committee; About one fourth of the 100 plus schemes have not been able to operate properly
and are struggling to provide desired services to the users and are substantially lagging behind on
debt payment ; that has increased the default risk of TDF to pay the government. Poor technical
performances, passive and less skilled leadership and lack of a road map has made the situation
worst; Therefore, TDF intends to support the WUAs for developing business plan that will be
instrumental to appraise the selected water systems, diagnose the problem, come out with probable
solutions and through a business plan enables each of those water system’s management to run the
water services in a qualitative and sustainable manner and to generate adequate revenue. Moreover,
TDF has become more enthusiastic on supporting business plan process as its last year experience
of supporting STWSSP towns on business plan have highly appreciated by the respective towns
and have already started implementing it. This time, TDF wish to go with the automated business
plan being supported to many towns from ISSAU and it aims the collaboration of these two esteem
organizations yield more better results. Last year, TDF has supported 20 third small town projects
on their business plan development, its validation (through workshop) and found a positive
response from all the towns and some of them have already started its implementation. While
taking some good learnings from its first experiences, TDF would like to supports 10 STWSSP
towns to produce automated business plan though a collaboration with ISSAU, under Department
of Water Supply and Sewerage . However, in sandwich there are number of activities to be carried
out by Consultants specially on build local capacity on electronic data collection, management,
control and convey and to develop an automated business plan for each selected town.

Thus, TDF expects the following results from the assigned consultant;

a. WUAs would have a precise roadmap to move ahead with their utility business and
is supported by appraising the entire utility, its assets and the water systems in overall
b. Built capacity on developing and monitoring water utility data base and feeding on
NWASH platform for business plan development and other monitoring aspects
c. A robust and digitized business plan would help to appraise the WUAs performances
in holistic (technical, financial and institutional) and helps on trouble shooting

Objectives
The objectives of this consulting service are to provide technical and leadership support to the
WUAs for developing robust business plan linked with digitized platform like NWASH platform.

Scope of Works:
Followings are the key scope of works for this assignment (however the proposed scope of
work does not limit the consultant to receive, perceive and illustrate other tasks and subtasks
to comprehend the study and prepare business plans for each water systems,
• Should develop business plan for 10 towns (WUAs) from 1st and second small
town projects in line with ISSAU’s digital business planning tools and of TDF’s
requirements
• Should play a lead role on comprehending data and information within the
framework of NWASH – business plan tools and carry out the details of works
specified in a section “Assigned Consultant should carry out the following tasks”
below The Consultant and his/her team should be in constant touch with TDF
representative (Business Development Specialist) for the required queries and
concerns and should coordinate with the WUAs for field works and for primary
level details.
• The consultant should carry out number of formal and informal meetings with the
WUAs (at least two times; once for introductory meeting and next for a validation
 workshop at the end of the works)
• Consultant may require to walk transect from the source to the taps and collect all
necessary data and information and in both qualitative and quantitative ways
(questionnaire other than the quantitative forms needs qualitative survey)
• The first and prime job includes get TOT from ISSAU, roll out the training to the
enumerators, moblise them and ensure precise data collection, data uploading and
generating automated business plan.
• Each developed business plan should be owned and validated by the WUAs.
• MTOT (TOT) from ISSAU is mandatory and TDF will facilitate a TOT training
in collaboration with ISSAU.
• One Consultant member should be responsible for one or two towns and be
readily available to carry out the complete works in field (from introductory
meetings till endorsement of the business plan)
• All necessary electronic devices should be organized by the consultant itself.
• Field movement plan and enumerator trainings plan should be submitted to TDF
prior the movement.

Assigned consultant should carry out the following tasks

- Receive 5 days (approximately) training on business plan development and utility data
management
- Select and depute at-least one person as a representative for a town where the business
plan is supposed to be developed
- The representative on behalf of consultant should roll out the trainings for Enumerators
for data collection, data uploading and developing business plan
- Should collect all the relevant and required data for business plan and as per the
requirements of NWASH platform owned by ISSAU
- Upload collected data through mobile app and or in software via online or offline
- Data monitoring, consistency check, review and correct
- Migrate both primary and secondary data including all technical details, drawings,
financial data, audit and other financial reports, institutional data and information
 - Support from field to develop business plan through NWASH platform and feed on any
information required and asked from the software/ app administrator
- Financial data including cash forecast of previous five years and for coming five years
including all the profit and expenditure with clear trend of TDF loan. A clear and precise
plan and strategy for five years on Tariff implementation, increasing collection
efficiency, loan payment etc. TDF strictly ask the consultant to come with a precise plan
on these issues even not covered from ISSAU business planning tools.

Methodology
The assignment shall consist both the qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Desk study (depth review of literatures on national policies and guidelines on water
on business plan development for water utilities, business plan developed by TDF for
STWSSSP III towns, Nepal WASH act 2079, documents and documentary from
ISSAU/ NWASH for utility business management, project appraisal, audit reports,
self-assessment evaluation report, loan covenant etc). Note; these are exemplary
documents only; the consultant are encouraged to review other relevant documents
and perceive from them.
- Field works includes meeting with the WUAs and stakeholders, organize training in
collaboration with the WUAs for enumerators, testing of questionnaire developed by
ISSAU and electronic data collection, data coding, decoding, sending and receiving,
data check and verify and uploading in the system and at the end produce and validate
the business plan.
Key Deliverables:
• The consultant should deliver the following output; Final digitized the Business plan for
10 towns as s in line with the NWASH platform and ISSAU guidelines
• Evidences of capacity building activities (enumerator trainings) for data collections and
management
• Precise data collection and uploading to present a business plan
• Report of local workshop and its evidences
• Inception report to be submitted in 15 days of contract signing
• Draft report in 1.5 months
 • Final report after 3 months

Time/schedule
The total stipulated time is 3 months for total 10 towns
The Consultant has to present his detailed time schedule while not exceeding the total time line
of 3 months.

Deliverables and payment schedule

The payment is made against the outputs submitted and approved;
25% of the payment upon submission and approval of the inception report
50% of the payment upon submission and approval of the final draft report
25% of the remaining payment upon submission and approval of the final report

Note: the budget allocated for enumerator’s payment should be paid to the enumerators in field.
Not a single Enumerators should be hired and recruited without payment. TDF may seek
evidences of payment.

Qualification of Expert:

S. Discipline no Qualification
N.
1 Team Leader: Expertise in 1 (Master degree in Engineering, statistics and in
Institutional strengthening, relevant discipline; and with minimum of 10 year
carrying out of trainings experience in leading household survey and data
and with adequate collection
knowledge on technical Proven experiences of data collection, data
data management, data management in electronic platform
migration and survey Leading local level training and capacity
works development activities for at least five years
Demonstrative knowledge Good analytical and data management skills,
of leading survey and data motivated to work and efficient on dealing with
 collection works local institutions
Experience of facilitating Training on NWASH and business plan
workshops and trainings development from ISSAU is mandatory
Proven experiences in Priority for those who have worked before with
capacity development of TDF in water supply projects
chronic projects and Preference to the team who have engaged on
institutions, preferably in WUAs business plan development
water sanitation sector

2 Water Supply Expert 5 At least B. E. in Civil Engineering (M.E in Water

supply/ Water Resources preferred) ; should
possess at least 2 year experience in water supply
systems preferably in urban water supply; can be
able to translate and migrate data to electronic
platform, data management skills, 2 years of
experiences on leading enumerators and is able
to conduct mobile app survey. Prefer to those
candidates who have engaged on business plan
development with TDF; have competency on
using mobile apps, water supply related software
and is capable to conduct trainings to
enumerators and must have taken a training from
ISSAU on NWASH platform and business plan
development
3 Financial Analyst (Urban) 1 M.A. in Economics with 5-year experience in the
urban sector and is able to check all the financial
data base and can migrate, export and import data
required for business plan

Duration of assignment:
3 months after the contract agreement with TDF.
Logistic
TDF and/ or the project office will not provide any logistic supports to the consultant; the
consultant is responsible for all the necessary logistics in both desk and field works.
Tax
The consultant should bear all the tax , excise and duties as per the rules and regulation of
Government of Nepal.
Other instructions
–The proposed experts are not allowed to change or replace in the middle of the assignments; in
case of any exception (undesired), prior consent from TDF management is must.

Name of the towns (WUAs) whose business plan should be developed within the scope of
this assignments are

- Baitadi
- Kohalpur
- Narayan
- Attariya
- Bijuwar
- Dhankuta
- Khandbari
- Fidim : Sandhikharka
- Fikkal
- Belbari