TERMS OF REFERENCE

Title: Consultancy for women and youth capacity building in plastic solid wastes management and recycling in Bukavu City.

Open to: Local Non-Government Organizations, Local Associations and Small Private Enterprises.

1. Background

The Ruzizi Basin is both host to a rich diversity of threatened and endangered species, and the lynchpin for economic growth opportunities in the region. For instance, it serves as a critical supplier of hydropower to the Eastern DRC, Burundi, and Rwanda with the potential to generate over 500 megawatts of electricity. The Ruzizi Basin, holds great promise for large-scale restoration as NBS interventions have the potential to have an outsized impact on Africa’s rainfall patterns critical for food and water security and more immediately for the 11 million local Ruzizi Basin residents whose livelihoods rely on the health and well-being of the Basin.

Despite this importance, the proliferation of informal settlements on steep slopes has drastically reduced open and green spaces within city boundaries and increased the density of impervious surface areas. The loss of vegetation has subsequently contributed to a high volume of runoff, polluting the waters with sediment and trash. Furthermore, the loss of vegetation in these areas has increased urban heat island effect, which has consequences for human health, economic productivity, energy use, and social connectivity. A high rate of deforestation for biomass energy production (charcoal) and unsustainable agricultural practices on steep slopes in the peri-urban areas have contributed to recurring flooding and landslides. These disasters have caused loss of life and significant economic damage. Landslides and soil erosion contribute to the siltation of the Ruzizi River and the hydropower dams that it hosts. Due to a serious lack of basic infrastructure in these settlements, there are significant water and sanitation concerns for untreated waste, limited access to clean drinking water, and significant air pollution.

According to UN Habitat (2022), Bukavu city produce 898 tons of household solid waste per day and only 7% is collected, i.e. 62.22 tons. Bukavu city receives also tons of plastic waste from cities located on the shores of Lake Kivu, notably Goma, Sake, and Kavumu in the DRC, Gisenyi, Kibuye and Kamembe in Rwanda. A large part of this waste is dumped into the Ruzizi River and deposited in the Ruzizi I and Ruzizi 2 hydroelectric dams, which reduce their capacity in hydropower production. There is therefore an urgent need to manage and recycle solid waste in this city by acting through women and youth mainly because they constitute the potential key actors. In the light of the above, WRI is seeking the Consultant/Service provider to establish Women and Youth groups to manage and recycle plastic solid wastes in Bukavu City in the framework of circular economy.

Thanks to the financial support from Caterpillar Foundation in the framework of WRI Cities4Forests Programme, WRI developed and is implementing the project entitled “NBS for climate and water resilience in urban and peri-urban areas for people, climate, and nature” with aim to enhance community and ecosystem resilience for 2.3 million residents in the cities of Bukavu and Uvira in Ruzizi Basin by designing and implementing locally appropriate NBS, increasing access to sustainable livelihoods, and improving energy and water security.

Specific targets of this project are the following: i) Over 10 kilometers of water-related NBS interventions improve water quality and quantity in wetlands, lakes, rivers; ii) 20 hectares of priority degraded urban green spaces rehabilitated; iii) 10 kilometers of planted trees along key transportation roads/urban avenues and streets increase flood and landslide protection while increase the capacity of carbon sequestration and storage and urban amenity; iv) 10% reduction in sedimentation and solid wastes deposit in Ruzizi I and Ruzizi II hydropower dams, greatly increasing electricity supply; v) 1,000 jobs created for women and youth through NBS implementation and solid waste management activities.

Restoration of Bukavu urban spaces efforts and solid wastes management and recycling focus on the urban and peri-urban areas in and around the cities of Bukavu and Uvira in the South-Province of DRC. These cities are among Ruzizi Basin’s largest cities, as well as among the fastest growing cities in the region due to the migration of people fleeing from armed groups operating in surrounding rural areas.

Small-scale project interventions will focus on integrated approach involving re-greening efforts and the establishment of riparian buffer zones around the hydropower dams and upstream on the Ruzizi River, halting the rate of ecosystem loss, and management of solid wastes from urban areas to protect water bodies including hydropower dams and rivers. A multi-partner approach to address landscape degradation and water-based risks in these cities will be implemented. Leveraging WRI success in designing and implementing NBS and deep experience in engaging stakeholders (NGOs, Women and Youth Associations, local NGOs, academia and research institutions, and private actors), we will support the interventions that will deliver improved resilience outcomes for the residents of Bukavu and Uvira.

Specifically, key activities of the project include: i) Conducting baseline studies to create the basis for monitoring improvements in tree cover, flood and sedimentation risk reduction, solid wastes management, gender, equity an social inclusion for the implementation of the project; offering the Caterpillar Foundation and WRI an opportunity to track the progress and the impact of the project overtime; ii) Establishment of efficient and effective stakeholder consultations sessions that both address local power dynamics and increase local buy-in and ownership of the urban and peri-urban interventions; iii) Facilitating experience and knowledge sharing trips between the stakeholders of Bukavu and Uvira, as well as other cities where urban water resilience and greening cities are being developed to help spur cross-collaboration learnings and scale up adoption.

1. Expected deliverables

2.1. Overall objective of the activity

The overall objective of this activity is to contribute to the resilience of the populations of Bukavu by improve the production of water and hydroelectric energy through reduction of solid wastes deposit in Ruzizi I and Ruzizi II hydropower dams and to improve local communities’ economy and livelihoods through creation job opportunities with a focus on women and youth employment.

2.2.Activities and expected deliverables.

1. Requirements

The applicant must have a plastic recycling company/unit/facility established within Bukavu City, as this should serve for physical training and demonstration in this project. The recycling unit must be operational employing both women and youth.

1. Reporting, supervision, and collaboration

The selected Consultant will work in close collaboration with appointed representatives of WRI. All deliverables will be produced in French or English and reports shared to WRI every month.

1. Duration

The contract should have a duration of maximum of 3 months from the awarding notification date.

1. Required profile of consultant

Applicants are free to propose a team composition, number of person-days, and justification. The applicant should reflect an appropriate mix of disciplines, education, skills and demonstrable adequate expertise and experience in the following areas: solid waste management, natural resources management, entrepreneurship, gender and social inclusion in project management, stakeholder engagement, climate change, and programme design, management, and evaluation.

Applicants must describe in their technical proposals the investment per specific objective of each expert for the full period of the consultancy.Given the fact that the selected applicant should closely work with local communities, the team must be fluent in both Swahili and French, with at least one team Member fluent in Swahili, French and English.

Applicants’ financial proposal should be done in accordance with the provided template (refer to Annex 1).

1. Applicants Evaluation

Proposals received from Applicants will be evaluated based on its responsiveness to the Term of Reference (TOR) and against the following criteria:

1. Information to be provided by applicants.

The applicants should provide the following information:

Technical Proposal that indicates understanding of the assignment, evidence of having undertaken similar assignments, clear methodologies for each component outlined in the ToR, proposed workplan, composition of the team to implement the activities, and details and CVs of proposed team members.

Financial Proposal The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount in US dollar including consultancy fees and all associated costs i.e. airfares, travel cost, meal, accommodation, tax, etc. Please note that the cost of preparing a proposal and of negotiating a contract, including any related travel, is not reimbursable as a direct cost of the assignment.

1. Currency of proposed rates and prices

All rates and prices submitted by the Applicant shall be in US dollar.

1. Submission of application

Applications must be submitted to Isère Ormille Mafodjui, Senior Finance & Operations Manager ([email protected]), World Resources Institute (WRI), with a copy to Elie Hakizumwami ([email protected]), WRI-DRC Country Manager; and Marc Manyifika ([email protected]) by July 10th, 2024; at 05:00 PM Kinshasa time.

ANNEX 1