For the provision of timely, high-quality, context-specific, and cost-effective technical support for the designing, optimization, and performance evaluation…

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR INSTITUTIONAL CONTRACT

Title of the assignment

Provision of timely, high-quality, context-specific, and cost-effective technical support for the designing, optimization, and performance evaluation of WASH infrastructure, and for the documentation of innovations and learning in Rohingya refugee camps and surrounding host communities.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to establish a framework for timely and progressive technical support hub to strengthen the quality, efficiency, sustainability, and resilience of technologies and infrastructure deployed under the Rohingya refugee response in camps and host communities through LTAs with technically competent engineering firms or institutions that can provide, high-quality, context-specific, and cost-effective large-scale WASH Instructure designs and technical documents toward optimization of services delivery under the response.

Location

Cox’s Bazar District, including Bashan Char Island, in Noakhali District.

Estimated Duration

Twelve (24) months and subject to extension for another year.

Reporting to the Technical Supervisor for this assignment

WASH Specialist

1. Background

UNICEF is supporting the delivery of water, sanitation, and hygiene services to over half a million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar. This caseload is expected to increase significantly, potentially reaching 1 million people in the coming months, as some key partners withdraw from the response and UNICEF assumes an expanded role to ensure continuity of essential services as the provider of the last resort. For Rohingya children and their families, access to WASH services is not a privilege but a fundamental right. Safe water, dignified sanitation, hygiene services, and a clean-living environment are central to child survival, protection, public health, and human dignity. These services also help restore hope to children and their families who have endured prolonged displacement, uncertainty, and recurring shocks. Construction, upgrading, expansion, rehabilitation, optimization, and improvement of WASH infrastructure remain critical priorities.

Across the camps, UNICEF and implementing partners provide WASH services through a wide range of infrastructure, including groundwater-based water supply systems, surface water treatment plants, piped networks, reservoirs, tap stands, latrines, bathing facilities, faecal sludge treatment systems, wastewater management systems, and solid waste management facilities. These systems have evolved over time in response to emergencies, terrain constraints, land availability, population movements, environmental risks, and changing service standards. A further emerging priority is the solarization of power systems for large WASH infrastructure. This is expected to reduce recurrent fuel and electricity costs, improve operational continuity, strengthen resilience, and support more climate-sensitive service delivery.

A key gap remains the need to evolve WASH Infrastructure planning and deployment to hinge on sound engineering design that follows robust technical assessment, context-specific adaptation aligned with the protracted state of the response, and a nexus approach that reflects government policies while building resilience and ensuring value-for-money. WASH Infrastructure should be designed to suit geology, topography, settlement pattern, service demand, environmental conditions, prevailing climate shocks, operation and maintenance capacity, and long-term sustainability. This TOR is therefore for the engagement of qualified engineering firms/institutions, through a framework arrangement to support UNICEF and partners in the development of WASH infrastructure designs, technical dossiers, technological research, and learning.

2. Specific Objectives

Develop standard and context-specific engineering designs for WASH infrastructure across the camps and host communities.

Improve the technical quality, cost-effectiveness, and operational sustainability of water supply, sanitation, faecal sludge, wastewater, and solid waste systems.

Support site-specific technical assessments, including geophysical surveys, hydraulic assessments, soil/foundation studies, elevation profiling, water quality analysis, and system performance reviews.

Support the solarization of large WASH infrastructure through power demand estimation, solar array sizing, battery bank calculation, inverter/controller selection, and safe electrical wiring design in line with industry best practice.

Provide detailed technical drawings, 3-D models, specifications, bills of quantities, engineer’s estimates, design criteria, and operation and maintenance requirements for WASH infrastructure.

Support post-installation verification, performance evaluation, as-built drawings, and recommendations for design improvement for large infrastructures.

Promote innovation, research, learning, and evidence generation on WASH infrastructure technologies deployed in the camps and host communities.

3. Scope of Work

The selected engineering firms or institutions will provide technical support across the components below. Each assignment will be defined through a specific work order under the framework contract.

3.1 Industrial Borehole Design and Development

Key Tasks:

Conduct extensive geophysical surveys to identify suitable locations for high-yield production boreholes.

Review available hydrogeological, geological, and water supply data to guide borehole siting and design.

Develop detailed borehole design specifications based on site conditions, expected aquifer characteristics, water demand, and long-term production requirements.

Prepare detailed Bills of Quantities for borehole drilling, development, testing, completion, and associated works.

Provide technical support to the drilling firm to collect, describe, preserve, and interpret drill cuttings at appropriate depth intervals.

Develop detailed lithological logs and hydrogeological interpretations.

Conduct borehole geophysical logging, including gamma logging and borehole camera inspection where applicable.

Develop final well completion designs, including casing, screen interval, gravel pack, sanitary seal, and headworks.

Provide technical support to the drilling firm to conduct pumping tests to determine specific capacity, sustainable yield, drawdown characteristics, and other relevant hydraulic parameters.

Recommend suitable pump types and sizes based on borehole performance, required discharge, water demand, pumping head, and network requirements.

The selected engineering firms or institutions will provide technical support across the components below. Each assignment will be defined through a specific work order under the framework contract.

3.2 Design of Water Treatment Systems

Key Tasks:

Review raw water quality data and identify key physical, chemical, biological, and aesthetic contaminants.

Conduct additional water quality testing where required.

Assess treatment requirements based on raw water quality, service population, flow rate, source type, and applicable standards.

Recommend the most appropriate treatment technology or treatment train.

Develop process flow diagrams, hydraulic profiles, layout drawings, and installation details.

Prepare technical specifications for treatment units, pumps, filters, dosing systems, storage tanks, valves, and control systems.

Develop detailed BOQs and engineer’s cost estimates.

Review installed treatment systems and assess performance after commissioning.

Propose design modifications or operational improvements where systems are underperforming.

Develop operation and maintenance requirements, including consumables, spare parts, operator skills, and lifecycle costing.

3.3 Design of Civil Works for WASH Infrastructure

Key Tasks:

Conduct site assessments, including soil type review, land condition, drainage, flood risk, slope stability, and accessibility.

Design foundations based on