ToR Tor Documentation of Best Practices and Learnings Of the Project

Background

The Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations (CCRDA), an umbrella organization comprising more than 490 civil society organizations, is implementing the NCA/WWI-supported project titled “Amplifying Citizen Voices to Ensure Accountable Urban Water Supply Services in Ethiopia.” The project focuses on strengthening citizen engagement, enhancing accountability, and promoting responsive water service delivery across Addis Ababa, Adama, Dire Dawa, and Hawassa.

The project delivered significant outcome-level results in:

• Accountable urban water governance is achieved in major urban cities in Ethiopia.

The objectives/ outcomes of the project are:

• Accountable urban water governance is achieved in major urban cities in Ethiopia.
• People are reached with knowledge and information about water rights, responsibilities, and accountability pathways.
• Water security improvements meet the needs of women and people with disabilities (PWD)

Having reached the end of its implementation period, it is now essential to document the best practices, innovations, success stories, governance models, and lessons learned across all components of the project. This documentation will serve as an institutional knowledge product for CCRDA, partners, government actors, and the wider WASH sector. learning.

Objective of the Consultancy

To produce a comprehensive best practice documentation that highlights the most effective, scalable approaches, models, and lessons from the four intervention cities, and to generate high-quality knowledge products such as case stories, a best practice booklet, and actionable recommendations for policymakers, water utilities, CSOs, and community stakeholders.

The specific objectives of the documentation:

• Document best practices and success models across all project outcomes, including:
• Urban water governance improvements
• Evidence-based advocacy and multi-stakeholder engagement
• Public awareness and media interventions
• Strengthened accountability mechanisms
• Inclusive participation of women and people with disabilities
• Customer/User Forum contributions
• Capture change stories that reflect transformation at community, institutional, and governance levels.
• Analyze enabling factors, partnership models, and coordination mechanisms that contributed to project success.
• Identify challenges faced and mitigation measures taken during the project period.
• Provide actionable recommendations for scaling, institutionalization, and sustainability.
• Produce knowledge products tailored to different audiences
• Define clear success criteria and indicators for what constitutes a “best practice” in this context (e.g., speed and effectiveness of complaint resolution, degree of user participation, measurable improvement in service delivery, transparency, sustainability).
• Clarify and specify the target audiences for the documentation outputs (e.g., water utilities; CSOs; local/regional government; communities; donors), to guide tone, format, and depth of analysis

Scope of Work

The documentation will be conducted across Addis Ababa, Adama, Dire Dawa, and Hawassa. The consultant will:

• Review of all relevant project documents, reports, meeting minutes, previous assessments, and related materials.
• Develop a stakeholder mapping and sampling plan, including forums’ members, community representatives, water utility staff, local authorities, and relevant CSO partners — ensuring representation across gender, age, and socio-economic status.
• Conduct field data collection via a mix of qualitative methods: key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), direct observation, and participatory methods if relevant.
• Gather illustrative materials from various media sources—including radio programs, photographs, and, where allowed, short videos—to document forum activities, community engagement events, interactions with water utilities, and any observable improvements of community engagement events, water utility interactions, as well as any visible improvements.
• Analyze data using a clear, transparent qualitative analysis framework (e.g., thematic coding), linking findings to defined success indicators.
• Draft case stories (minimum one per city) illustrating real-world examples of citizen-led accountability actions, utility responses, transformations, and lessons learned.
• Identify systemic issues, enabling factors, challenges, and barriers across contexts; highlight governance and coordination dynamics.
• Prepare knowledge products tailored to different audiences (e.g., policy brief for government, booklet for utilities/CSOs, community-friendly summary).

Methodology

The consultant will propose a detailed methodology in the inception report, including desk review, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, field observations, participatory approaches, and structured qualitative analysis to produce high-quality documentation.

At a minimum, the methodology should include:

• Desk review of project documentation, reports, and related literature.
• Stakeholder mapping.
• For each city: at least 1 FGD (6–12 participants) + 4-5 key informant interviews (KIIs) with participation from forum members, community representatives, utility staff, and local authorities.
• Use of a standardized case story template to ensure consistency across documented narratives.
• Clear data analysis plan e.g., thematic coding, cross-case comparison — linked to the success criteria defined in the TOR.
• Quality assurance measures, including validation of key findings with stakeholders (e.g., feedback workshop.

Documentation of case stories

The consultant will develop at least four to six case stories, one from each intervention city highlighting citizen-led accountability actions, improved utility responsiveness, innovations introduced by the forums, and individual or group transformations supported by photos and short videos.

Expected deliverables and timeline

Timetable

The assignment is expected to be completed within 30 consultancy days from the date of contract signing. A detailed schedule will be finalized during the inception phase.

Roles and Responsibilities:

CCRDA Will:

• Provide relevant documentation and access to stakeholders.
• Facilitate field visits and coordinate meetings.
• Review deliverables and provide timely feedback.

The Consultant Will:

• Conduct the assignment professionally within the agreed timeline.
• Ensure high-quality analysis, documentation, and knowledge products.
• Participate in finalize all deliverables.

Consultant Qualifications

• Advanced degree in public policy, governance, social sciences, or WaSH related fields.
• 7–10 years of experience in documentation, governance, or social accountability work.
• Strong qualitative research, writing, and analytical skills.
• Ability to produce high-quality photos and storytelling materials.
• Experience working with CSOs, utilities, and local government structures.
• Excellent command of English; knowledge of local languages is an asset.