Terms of Reference Endline Household Survey

Envisioning and Catalyzing PATS Plus for SDG 6 in Pakistan

Assignment Information

1. About WaterAid 

WaterAid is an international not-for-profit, determined to make clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. We have been working with government and non-governmental partners in Pakistan since 1992 to ensure that these essential services are available to poor and marginalized communities, especially women, persons with disabilities etc. WaterAid employs a public health and climate adaptation approach to addressing current water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) service requirements and sustaining them for the future. Hygiene behaviour change, menstrual hygiene, rural and urban sanitation and safe water systems, WASH in institutions (healthcare facilities, schools, public places) and nature-based solutions for water conservation, groundwater recharge and waste-water treatment are some of the interventions used for achieving our objectives. We also work with sector partners to support and influence the behavioural, institutional and policy mechanisms for accelerating progress toward achieving safe and sustainable WASH access for the poor and marginalized communities.

     For more information, please visit (www.wateraid.org) 

2. Project Description

“Envisioning and catalysing PATS Plus for SDG6” is a 3-year project managed by WaterAid Pakistan in Taluka Badin, Badin District (Sindh) and implemented through a local partner, LHDP (Laar Humanitarian and Development Programme).  The project began on 1st June 2022, but has been granted a six month no-cost extension, and so is now due for completion on 30th November 2025.

This project focuses on strengthening the institutional capacity of government departments to ensure the provision of sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in Taluka Badin, one of the most underserved and disaster-prone areas in Sindh, Pakistan. By addressing critical gaps in WASH coverage, it aims to reduce systemic barriers and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6). The project adopts a community-driven approach, focusing on improving WASH service delivery, empowering local institutions, and promoting gender-responsive practices. It works closely with government departments to integrate WASH improvements into planning and policy frameworks, ensuring long-term sustainability and scalability. 

The project adopted the Pakistan Approach to Total Sanitation (PATS), and aimed to demonstrate small scale decentralised wastewater treatment solutions as a way to move up the sanitation ladder to reach safely-managed (termed as PATS Plus), The project has five outcomes, as follows:

Outcome 1:

163,500 population of Taluka Badin are living in Open Defecation Free (ODF) environment and are maintaining this through using household latrines and hygienic behaviours and practices.

•Outcome 2: 

Communities and institutions in Taluka Badin benefit from safely managed inclusive WASH services by adopting approaches of PATS plus and community management models.

•Outcome 3: 

Demonstrated models of community-managed, climate-resilient and sustainable safe drinking water services for replication and uptake.

•Outcome 4: 

Strengthened capacity, processes, and systems of relevant government departments to plan, deliver and sustain inclusive, climate-resilient and gender-responsive WASH services. 

Outcome 5:

. Evidence base is enhanced to support and promote wider scaling of WASH models from the district 

3. Project Achievements/progress:

The project was implemented in Badin taluka, Badin District.  Project achievement are summarised as follows:

•  

• 410 communities declared Open Defecation Free (ODF), meeting the project target for ODF status.

• 12,741 households constructed latrines, significantly improving sanitation access across the region.

• 187 Community Resource Persons (CRPs) trained in PATS and climate-resilient, gender-responsive WASH practices, meeting the training target.

• 9 quarterly WASH Forum meetings held at the district level to discuss sanitation, hygiene, and water access issues.

• 20 schools demonstrated inclusive WASH models, meeting the target for institutional WASH improvements.

• 7 healthcare facilities (HCFs) demonstrated inclusive WASH models, exceeding the target of 5.

• 40 hand pumps built or rehabilitated to improve access to safe water for local communities.

• 5 water filtration systems rehabilitated or constructed, meeting the project target for clean water supply.

• 5 Small Women Entrepreneurship Units/ Shops established to support local women’s economic empowerment.

• 268,989 community members reached through hygiene promotion activities, improving hygiene behaviors.

• 14,527 school children reached through hygiene promotion efforts within schools.

• 1,760 individuals in healthcare facilities reached with hygiene promotion activities.

• 21,601 community members reached with water access improvements.

• 10,526 students reached through water access improvements in schools (for sanitation purposes).

• 41,500 patients in healthcare facilities reached through water access improvements (for sanitation purposes).

Some activities were adjusted during the project.  These changes were discussed and documented in the mid-project review (November 2024) and will be shared with the appointed consultant.

4. Scope and Purpose of the End-line Household Survey: 

The household endline survey is intended to produce comprehensive and independent data on sanitation and hygiene conditions at the household level. Although a separate end-of-project evaluation is being conducted to assess the overall project design, implementation, and outcomes, it will not collect data specific to individual households. This survey is therefore designed to complement the broader evaluation by specifically examining the availability of sanitation and hygiene facilities, as well as household knowledge, practices, and behaviours. The survey will employ structured observations and will focus on the following areas

• To assess the type of toilets constructed, and the status (functionality, usage, cleanliness).

• To assess if functioning handwashing facilities are present with soap and water.

• To assess how the hygiene behaviour change work has been carried out (eg number of household visits, length of engagement, other communication channels).

• To assess knowledge and (reported) practice of sanitation behaviours (including reasons for adopting a certain design and how toilets are emptied/ repaired/ maintained)

• To assess knowledge and (reported) practice of handwashing behaviours

. To ensure the survey remains focused and of manageable length, it is recommended that the following behaviour areas be excluded for now: safe drinking water, food hygiene, menstrual hygiene, and solid waste management

5. Suggested Methodology: 

Surveys: A pre-designed survey questionnairewill be administered to households to assess their sanitation and hygiene behaviours, including toilet usage, handwashing practices, and overall hygiene knowledge. The questionnaire will gather data on key indicators such as:

• Type and functionality of toilets

• Availability and usage of handwashing facilities

• Knowledge and practices regarding sanitation behaviours

• Frequency of hygiene interventions

Field Observations:

Enumerators will conduct field visits to directly observe the sanitation infrastructure and community engagement. This will help confirm whether the reported survey data aligns with the physical conditions observed in households, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the survey results.

Sampling Strategy:

When conducting the survey, it’s critical that Households are randomly sampled so that the results obtained are statistically representative. For further information on the methodology see the UNICEF MICS Survey Handbook, ch.4.

Multi-stage cluster sampling is proposed since:- 

“Cluster sampling has many advantages.  It reduces time and travel costs and simplifies field work.  It also eases field supervision and survey administration.  This is important since better supervision of interviewers will result in better data quality.  However, cluster sampling implies that each respondent is not chosen independently of the other respondents – after all, they are neighbours, and this may increase the sampling error.”

The steps are outlined below:-

Step 1: Calculating the sample size

The project area covers 410 villages in Badin taluka, Badin District.  The total population of these villages is 26,537 HHs.

The sample size depends on the required accuracy of the results, which is defined in terms of Confidence Level, and margin of error.  For a population of 26,537 HHs, the minimum sample size is as follows:

For the purposes of this survey, considering time/ resource limitations, it is proposed to use a sample size of 200 HHs, which will provide a 95% CL, ± 6.9% MoE.

Step 2: Select the number of Clusters

Since many of the villages are  very small (some with as few as 17 HHs), it’s proposed to use 40 Clusters each of 5 HHs.

Step 3: Determine which villages the Clusters are in

The number of Clusters in each community (village) has been calculated in the Excel spreadsheet using the Probability Proportional to Size method.  This means that larger Villages are more likely to have one or more clusters.  

Step 4: Determine location of Clusters within each Community

Most villages have between 20 – 150 HHs.   Out of these you need to randomly select 5.  If there a complete list of each HH in the village then can be used random numbers to select from the list.   as this information might not be easily available.  Therefore, the easiest way to do this is using the “random walk” method.

• Both enumerators go to the centre of the Village (Cluster)

• Spin a bottle.

• One enumerator walks in one direction: the other walks in the opposite direction

• Depending on the size of the village you can then select every 2nd or 3rd Household until you have visited 5 HHs.

6. Deliverables  

The consultant is expected to produce the following:

1.  A comprehensive inception report detailing the proposed methodology and approach for the survey, along with a work plan that includes clear timelines for each phase of the assignment. An inception meeting will be held with WaterAid Pakistan’s project team and technical advisors to ensure alignment on expectations, methodology, and scope before initiating data collection.

2. WaterAid has developed the data collection tools for the endline survey, including survey questionnaires and interview guides. All designed to align with the project’s specific indicators and objectives. These tools will be provided to the consultant once selected. 

3. Raw and clean datasets in Excel format, including cleaned and anonymized data, along with necessary documentation or codebooks to assist in understanding the dataset.

4. Presentation of key findings and recommendations to WaterAid Pakistan’s Senior Management Team (SMT) and the FCP project team. This session will provide an opportunity for feedback, clarification, and alignment before finalising the evaluation report.

5. A comprehensive final evaluation report collected data, clearly presenting key findings conclusion and recommendations. A draft report must be submitted (with a two-week review period) so the WaterAid team can provide comments and feedback before it is finalised.  This report must be aligned with WaterAid’s reporting format and will require approval from WaterAid before final submission.

7. Supervision

The consultant will report to the Manager Partnerships and Program Quality, Water Aid Pakistan.

8. Roles and Responsibilities:

Lead Consultant

Oversee the design, execution, and analysis of the survey. Ensure data quality and timely completion of deliverables.

Consultant’s Enumerators

 Conduct household surveys and observations, ensuring informed consent is obtained from participants.

WaterAid

Provide technical oversight and support, including review of reports, and findings.

9. Ethics and risks

The consultant must ensure that all data collection activities adhere to ethical standards, including informed consent, voluntary participation, and the right to withdraw at any time. Data collected must be anonymised and securely stored. Special consideration must be given to the participation of vulnerable groups, including women, children, and persons with disabilities. Any ethical risks must be identified and mitigated in The consultant must comply with other relevant WaterAid policies, such as the Contractor Code of Conduct and Global Safeguarding policy..

10. Application /Proposal 

The proposal should contain the following:

1. An expression of interest explaining your interest and suitability for the position against each of the selection criteria. Please explain as to how your skills match the tasks detailed in the ToR.

2. Description of methodology which will be used for the Project Evaluation.

3. Your profile/portfolio. (CVs of key proposed staff)

4. Examples of similar project evaluations conducted by the proposed consultant/firm. (please attach a sample of recent research conducted on the same theme/topic)   

5. Financial proposal (In separate envelop, detailing the item wise budget needs of the assignment, including but not limited to daily rate and other costs inclusive of all taxes. The budget needs to be supplemented with budget narrative, rationalising the cost and its breakup). 

6. A workplan with deadline for each deliverable. 

11. Evaluation criteria

Candidate (firms/individual/academia ) shall submit technical and financial proposals in two separate sealed envelopes. Technical offers will first be evaluated according to the “Evaluation criteria” below and the technical qualification threshold point is “70”. 

Technical Evaluation Criteria for Shortlisting Consultancy Firms/Consultants/academia:

Financial offer 

Please refer to clause 5 of section “10. Application /Proposal”. TheFinancial offer needs to

testify the fact that each deliverable is accounted for in the offer and syncs with the

workplan. All deliverables must be completed within the assignment duration. 

12. Application Process and Closing date

All proposals must be sent via e-mail to the following address [email protected]

Deadline for submission by July 05, 2025. The consultancy title must be clearly marked on the email subject: WAP/1821/2025/ RFP “Endline Household Survey-Project Evaluation of Envisioning and Catalysing PATS Plus for SDG 6 in Pakistan"