WATERAID- CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST: ASSESSMENT TO IDENTIFY THE BIGGEST RISKS ALONG THE SANITATION SERVICE CHAIN UNDER THE SHF PROJECT IN BAUCHI STATE

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CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)
ASSESSMENT TO IDENTIFY THE BIGGEST RISKS ALONG THE SANITATION SERVICE CHAIN UNDER THE SHF PROJECT IN BAUCHI STATE
TERMS OF REFERENCE
ASSESSMENT TO IDENTIFY THE BIGGEST RISKS ALONG THE SANITATION SERVICE CHAIN UNDER THE SHF PROJECT IN BAUCHI STATE

  1. Background

WATERAID’s sanitation programming recognises that achieving safely managed sanitation requires attention to the entire sanitation service chain, not only toilet access. Risks may arise at different points in the chain, including poor containment, unsafe emptying, weak transport systems, absence of treatment, unsafe disposal, weak regulation, exclusion of vulnerable groups, and occupational risks to sanitation workers. WaterAid also emphasises that local government capacity, market systems, financing, and accountability arrangements strongly influence whether the chain functions safely and sustainably. (washmatters.wateraid.org)

Under the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF) project in Bauchi State, significant progress has been made in sanitation demand creation, sanitation marketing, ODF processes, and engagement of private sector actors. However, there is need for a structured assessment to determine where the greatest risks lie across the sanitation service chain in the project LGAs, the severity of those risks, who is affected, and what actions are required to reduce them. The assessment will focus 3 key areas:

  1. Operational (service chain) risks arising from how services are delivered
  2. Impact risks relating to consequences if the operational risk materialises.
  3. Systemic risks (or drivers and constraints), arising from institutional, financial or market weaknesses.

For the purpose of this assessment, “sanitation service chain risks” are defined as conditions or practices that have the potential to lead to unsafe sanitation outcomes, service breakdowns, or negative public health, environmental, social, or economic impacts, whether or not those outcomes are currently materialising.” It can be further refined by/with the consultant.

 

 

The assignment will generate practical evidence to guide WaterAid, RUWASSA, BASEPA, LGA WASH Departments, private operators, and other SHF stakeholders in strengthening sanitation service delivery, improving safety and sustainability, thereby reducing public health and environmental risks in outcomes.

Development Exchange Centre (DEC) will lead the process of engaging a qualified consultant/firm to undertake this assessment, while providing coordination support. Technical oversight and quality assurance will be provided by WaterAid Nigeria, Bauchi State Programme Team, to ensure that the study meets required standards and aligns with SHF objectives.

 

About DEC

Development Exchange Centre (DEC) Nigeria is a membership-based, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Founded in 1987, was born out of research conducted by volunteers from the Canadian University Services Overseas (CUSO) and the Adult and Non-Formal Education Agency (ANFEA), Bauchi State. Their findings highlighted the significant disadvantages and limited representation faced by women particularly across Northern Nigeria. In response, DEC was established as a women focused social enterprise committed to improving the lives, opportunities, and status of women through integrated, sustainable, community driven development.

Over the years DEC has pursued its mission through various capacity-building programmes including functional adult education; vocational skills development; economic empowerment; sexual and reproductive health, education; water, sanitation & sustainable environment; and good governance; and microfinance for which DEC is most known. Currently, DEC is present in 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria, operating in 133 business units.

 

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to identify, analyze and prioritize the biggest risks along the sanitation service chain that have or could potentially delay attainment of safely managed sanitation and ending cholera in SHF-supported areas of Bauchi State and provide actionable recommendations for risk reduction, systems strengthening and future programming.

 

  1. Objectives

The specific objectives are to:

  1. Conduct a comprehensive mapping of the sanitation service chain in the SHF project areas, covering existing technological options, service delivery/operational models, and management arrangements, in order to identify risk exposure points across each stage of the chain: user interface, containment, emptying, transport, treatment, and reuse/final disposal
  2. Identify and characterise sanitation service-chain risks such as technical, environmental, public health, social, institutional, financial and market-related and occupational health risks at each stage of the sanitation service chain.
  3. Assess and prioritise the risks based on agreed criteria such as likelihood of occurrence, severity of actual or potential impacts, scale and frequency of exposure, equity and inclusion implications, and consequences for public health, environment and sustainability.
  4. Examine the distribution of risk impacts, identifying who is most affected or exposed (based on 3 above), including women and girls, children, persons with disabilities, low-income households, sanitation workers, and underserved communities.
  5. Review the capacity of key actors — households, masons, pit emptiers, transporters, treatment plant operators, LGAs, RUWASSA and private sector actors — to identify, manage and mitigate the priority risks.
  6. Identify systemic strengths and bottlenecks (policy, institutional, financial, market, and coordination factors) that influence the persistence or mitigation of high‑priority risks.
  7. Provide actionable and prioritised risk-mitigation recommendations and a practical risk management framework for integration into SHF implementation, sector coordination and future sanitation programming in Bauchi State.
  8. Scope of Work

The consultant/firm shall undertake the assignment across the SHF focal LGAs in Bauchi State and shall cover the following:

  • Review of WaterAid, SHF and government documents relevant to sanitation systems, ODF sustainability, sanitation economy, faecal sludge management strategy and worker safety.
  • Mapping of sanitation pathways in the project LGAs (Jama’are, Misau, Tafawa Balewa and Bauchi metropolis), including both rural and emerging small-town/peri-urban sanitation contexts where applicable.
  • Identification of risks along the sanitation service chain, such as:
  • Inadequate toilet quality or poor siting
  • Unsafe containment or leakage
  • Lack of desludging services
  • Unsafe manual emptying and practices
  • Limited sludge transport arrangements
  • Absence or weakness of treatment and disposal systems
  • Unsafe reuse or dumping
  • Weak regulation and enforcement
  • Poor market incentives and affordability constraints
  • Exclusion of vulnerable groups
  • Occupational health and safety risks for sanitation workers (WaterAid)
  • Analysis of institutional roles, mandates and coordination gaps across the sanitation chain.
  • Prioritisation of the “biggest risks” using a clear analytical framework.
  1. Methodology

The consultant/firm shall adopt a mixed-methods approach, including:

  1. Desk Review

Review relevant documents, including:

  • WaterAid sanitation and FSM guidance
  • SHF project documents and implementation reports
  • Bauchi State sanitation policies, plans and guidelines
  • LGA WASH records
  • Relevant national sanitation frameworks and regulations
  1. Stakeholder Mapping and Interviews

Conduct interviews and consultations with:

  • WaterAid Nigeria SHF project team
  • RUWASSA
  • BASEPA
  • LGA WASH Departments
  • Community leaders and Natural Leaders
  • Sanitation entrepreneurs/masons
  • Pit emptiers and sanitation workers (including female pit emptiers)
  • Women’s groups and vulnerable users
  • Relevant private sector and regulatory actors
  1. Field Assessment

Undertake field visits to selected SHF communities, approved dumping sites and service locations to observe sanitation facilities, sludge management practices, sanitation markets, and risk points along the chain.

  1. Risk Analysis

Use a structured risk assessment matrix to rank risks based on – Consultant can consider the WHO SSP hazard identification and risk scoring logic, apply it at system level (LGA/state):

  • Likelihood of occurrence
  • Severity of actual or potential impact
  • Number and characteristics of groups/people most affected
  • Scale and frequency of exposure
  • Health and environmental consequences
  • Gender and inclusion implications
  • Feasibility of mitigation (technical, institutional and financial) to support decision‑making on timing, sequencing, and investment pathways
  1. Capacity analysis

Examine the capacity of key actors to identify, manage, and reduce sanitation risks amongst service users as well as providers in terms of skills, resources, mandates, incentives, and coordination.

Recommended options:

  1. Environmental Health Risk Assessment (EHRA) to assess exposure pathways, population vulnerability and probability of harm. This can demonstrates link to health outcomes and disease burden – useful for cost‑of‑inaction framing
  2. Light-touch Cost of Inaction/ Economic Burden Frameworks to estimate Health care costs, Productivity losses and Environmental damage. If there is enough data, you could estimate by using existing unit cost estimates, Published disease burden data and Scenario‑based economic modelling
  3. System strengths and bottlenecks analysis

Identify priority system factors which most constrain risk mitigation and where strengthening will yield the greatest risk reduction (Use the WaterAid building block analysis tool, but only for the identified priority risks)

  1. Validation

Facilitate validation of findings with WaterAid, RUWASSA, BASEPA, Urban Water and Sewerage Corporation, LGAs and relevant sector actors to review findings and agree priority risk actions.

 

  1. Expected Deliverables

The consultant/firm shall produce the following deliverables:

The consultant/firm shall produce the following deliverables:

  • Inception Report outlining understanding of the assignment, methodology, sampling approach, tools, workplan and timelines.
  • Data collection tools for interviews, observations and risk scoring.
  • Draft Risk Assessment Report highlighting sanitation service chain mapping, categorised list of risks and risk types, prioritised risk points, affected populations, institutional gaps and proposed mitigation measures.
  • Risk Prioritisation Matrix summarising the biggest risks by stage of the sanitation chain (identifying high and critical risks and ranked list of priority sanitation risks across LGAs)
  • Validation workshop/presentation of draft findings.
  • Final Report:  A final report that incorporates stakeholder feedback and presents clear, practical recommendations to inform SHF programming and wider sector action, with a maximum length of 30 pages, excluding relevant annexes

 

  1. Key Outputs Expected in the Final Report

The final report should clearly present:

  • A sanitation service chain map for SHF project areas
  • The top risks at each stage of the chain
  • The biggest overall risks requiring urgent action
  • Root causes of these risks
  • Implications for public health, environment, inclusion and sustainability
  • Recommended actions for WaterAid, RUWASSA, LGAs and private sector actors

Short-, medium- and long-term mitigation priorities

  1. Duration of the Assignment

The assignment is expected to be completed within 15–20 working days from the date of contract signing, including inception, fieldwork, analysis, validation and final report submission.

  1. Reporting and Supervision

The consultant/firm will report directly to SHF project team of Development Exchange Centre.

  1. Required Qualifications

The consultant/firm should demonstrate:

  • Strong expertise in sanitation systems, faecal sludge management and/or rural and urban sanitation service delivery
  • Proven experience in risk assessment, WASH systems analysis or sanitation value/service chain studies
  • Familiarity with Bauchi or northern Nigeria WASH context
  • Strong understanding of inclusion, public health and environmental risk issues in sanitation

Excellent analytical, facilitation and report-writing skills

10.   Budget Framework

Applicants shall submit a detailed costed budget covering: Professional fees; Budgets must demonstrate value for money.

11.   Logistics and Support

Development Exchange Centre (DEC), in collaboration with partners, will provide the following support:

  • Introductory letters to facilitate access to stakeholders and communities
  • Linkages with RUWASSA, BASEPA, and LGA WASH Departments
  • Access to relevant project and sector documents
  • Accommodation and basic field logistics for the consultant/firm during field activities
  1. Application Process

Interested consultants/firms should submit their applications via email as one file PDF format only to: procurement@dexcentre.org with following requirements;

  • Technical proposal
    • Detailed financial proposal
    • CVs of key personnel
    • Evidence of similar work.

Subject Line: EOI – Sanitation Service Chain Risk Assessment (Bauchi State)

Application Closing Date: Monday 4th May 2026

For further Info: email to info@dexcentre.org

  1. Ethical Considerations

The consultant/firm must:

  • Maintain confidentiality and data protection
  • Apply gender-sensitive and inclusive approaches
  • Uphold safeguarding standards

 

This tender expires at 12:00pm on Monday May 4th, 2026