Post - Institutional Development Expert - Sri Lanka

Organization(s): Sinclair Knight Merz

Country/Region: Sri Lanka

Apply by: 20 January 2010

Reference No: SL-IDE

Description

Applicant Requirements:

A Graduate Engineer with at least 20 years of international experience of working in wastewater sector out of which at least 7 years should be at policy level. Experience of working in more than 3 countries and expertise related to municipal authorities in functional areas such as institutional development, trainings and capacity building, development and implementation of medium term and long term business plans, work plans, emergency response plans, occupational health and safety of workers in wastewater operations, public health management are desirable.

The specialist is required for 14 months and based in Colombo.

Please send you current updated CV to IDA@skm.com.au

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Background:

• The Greater Colombo consists of three distinct sewerage collection and disposal areas:

• 1. The area served by the Colombo sewerage system (CSS) which covers most of the Colombo Municipal Council area; small parts of Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council area and the Kolonnawa Urban Council area;
• 2. Pockets of under-served areas within the boundary of the CSS that are not connected to the CSS, of which there are twelve. Predominantly, these contain residential and small scale commercial enterprises;
• 3. An area, referred to as the "on-site" area, which lies outside of the current catchment area of the CSS.

• The Greater Colombo Wastewater Management Project (the Project) is primarily concerned with the first area (CSS).
• The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) is the owner and operator of the sewers within its administrative area and the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) is the owner and operator of the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipality and the Kolonnawa Urban Council area systems. Within the Colombo Municipal Council area there are a number of inset private systems which discharge into the sewer system of the Colombo Municipal Council, but which are operated by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board on behalf of the owners.
• For various historical reasons, the wastewater assets have not been adequately maintained with the consequence that the operators now face severe problems in maintaining the required wastewater collection and disposal service. Previous studies1 have identified the urgent need for (i) rehabilitation of the assets; (ii) improved performance by the operators and (iii) adequate funding for O&M of the assets.
• The indicative scope of physical works for the Project is as below:
• The sea outfalls are to be repaired and cleaned of accumulated deposits of grit;
• Fine screening and grit removal equipment is to be installed prior to discharge of the sewage through the sea outfalls, together with plant to provide safe disposal of the screenings and grit;
• 4 New pumping stations are to be constructed and 7 existing pumping stations are to be rehabilitated in CMC area; 6 existing pumping stations are to be rehabilitated in NWSDB area.
• Identified existing pumping main sewers are to be rehabilitated;
• Identified gravity sewers are to be newly laid to increase capacity in the network;
• Storm water connections to sewerage network are to be identified and disconnected in a systematic manner, to the extent that project funding permits;
• Preliminary design works for future expansion of un-sewered areas are to be made;
• Planning for the secondary treatment and preliminary designs for treatment plant are to be carried out.
• The total project cost is US$ 116.63 million with financing from ADB to be US$ 100 million. A high-level inter-departmental and inter-agency Project Steering Committee will be formed to guide Project Management Unit (PMU) on the Project preparation and implementation. The PMU has been established within the Colombo Municipal Council, led by a CMC officer at senior management level for the duration of the Project. The PMU is to be staffed by members of the CMC, possible together with others if seen as appropriate for the required tasks. The PMU will be responsible for the overall implementation, management and institutional development activities under the Project and will be required to efficiently and effectively manage, coordinate, and monitor the Project. The PMU will also lead the institutional change considered necessary to ensure the sustainability of sewerage operations within Greater Colombo. In order to support PMU and CMC in implementing institutional development activities under the Project, services of Institutional Development Consultant (the Consultant or IDC) are required.
• In order to provide upfront support in preparing implementation of the Project, a capacity development technical assistance (CDTA) program, entitled "Supporting Capacity Development for Wastewater Management Services in Colombo" has been provided. This CDTA will (i) establish project implementation system and execute start-up activities under the Project; (ii) establish operational performance management system for CMC; and (iii) develop and implement capacity development plan. The outputs from the CDTA will be used as base data and critical input in defining the scope of works for the Consultant.

Objectives for Institutional Development

Change Management Support to CMC

• To support CMC to implement necessary institutional, financial, and management changes proposed within the Project to ensure the sustainability of the investments made and the long-term improvement in the sewerage service provision;
• To develop Vision, Mission and Goals for the Wastewater Division in congruity with those of CMC and to develop medium term (concurrent with the Project period) and long term (15 years) business plans to achieve the same;
• To develop and implement a Human Resource plan and Capacity Building Program for the staff of PMU and CMC so that the staff become proficient and skilled in performance of their duties;
• To support CMC to implement the medium term business plan and to develop a road map to implement the long term business plan;
• To develop suitable policy interventions for encouraging private sector participation in wastewater sector to improve managerial efficiencies and enhance investment in wastewater management in Colombo.

Introduction of Asset Management Approach

• To ensure a successful handover, to CMC, of completed and fully functional wastewater assets created under the Project;
• To develop and operationalize an asset management system for creation, maintenance, rehabilitation and timely replacement of wastewater assets based on acceptable international practice;
• To institutionalize the asset management approach in CMC;
• To optimize the use of assets so as to ensure value for money spent on creation of assets.

Improvement of Customer Service Delivery

• To enable CMC to become efficient, effective, and customer-friendly wastewater service provider and to support CMC to manage change required to achieve this objective;
• To develop a framework for performance assessment of provision of wastewater services and implement it;
• To enable CMC to meet internal or externally set stipulated standards of performance for wastewater operations;
• To help CMC to adopt the best practices from other more efficient service providers.

Operational and Financial Improvement

• To examine current processes and systems related with wastewater operations of CMC and suggest necessary improvements;
• To establish an efficient budgeting, accounting, and financial management system for sewerage operations in CMC;
• To ensure provision of adequate financial resources for operations, maintenance and timely replacement of wastewater assets as per asset management system so that the assets created under the project are used most optimally.
• To create enabling environment for introduction of sewerage surcharge/tax to ensure recovery of O&M costs of the sewerage operations in the short run and part of capital costs also in the long run.

Compliance with Environmental and Regulatory Obligations

• To develop an appropriate framework to measure and monitor wastewater quality and to take required corrective actions and implement it;
• To support CMC to meet necessary regulatory and legal obligations, especially those required by various competent authorities such as CEA, CCD, etc.
• To ensure compliance with the best working practices related to health and safety of workers in managing wastewater operations;
• To carry out regular environmental checks and audit for effective compliance.

Community Participation and Public Education

• To develop suitable community participation and public education campaign to be implemented through NGOs;
• To support PMU in supervising NGOs' working for effective implementation of the program;
• To support CMC in creating environment for increasing willingness to pay for improved wastewater services etc.

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