TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR BASELINE SURVEY

Task: Baseline Survey for Mukingo Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Program covering Mukingo and Kigoma sectors of Nyanza District, South Province of Rwanda

Background

Living Water International (LWI), headquartered in Houston, Texas – USA, is a global Christian non-governmental organization whose mission is to demonstrate the love of God by helping communities acquire desperately needed clean water, and to experience “living water”—the gospel of Jesus Christ—which alone satisfies the deepest thirst.

LWI’s programs are clustered into three key sectors namely: water access; hygiene and sanitation promotion; and Christian witness, boosted by church and community mobilization for sustainability of holistic Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions. All sustainably delivered within a framework of church and community mobilization. These program themes also integrate WASH inclusion for all types of none-served people , Creation care (environmental stewardship ) and building community resilience to disasters.

Living Water International has been operating in Rwanda since 2007 and has implemented water projects across the country, particularly in Ruhango and Nyanza and Rwamagana Districts where WASH Program Areas (WPAs) have been established. In 2026, Living Water International Rwanda (LWIR) is planning to rescope its WASH program in Nyanza District to establish a new Program namely “Mukingo WASH Program Area” that will cover the two sectors Nyanza district namely Mukingo and Kigoma. 

In this context, LWIR wishes to hire an experienced Consultant to conduct a household-level baseline survey for Mukingo WASH Program to generate WASH data required to establish benchmarks for key output and outcome indicators and to guide effective program implementation. 

2. Baseline Survey Objectives

The objectives of the Mukingo WASH Program baseline survey are to: 

• Assess and report on the context in which program beneficiaries live.
• Establish benchmarks for monitoring and assessing program progress and effectiveness during implementation.
• Guide program implementation by ensuring that proposed interventions respond to community needs.
• Enhance accountability and facilitate learning, while directing efforts where they are most needed.
• Identify challenges, risks, and opportunities that may affect achievement of program goals, and provide actionable recommendations.

3. The Program Goal and Outcomes

The Program Goal is to have resilient households that are transformed physically, socially, and spiritually through sustainable basic WASH services in Mukingo and Kigoma Sectors.

Outcomes:

1. Outcome 1: Improved access to sustainable, safe, adequate, and equitable water services for people living in Mukingo and Kigoma Sectors.
2. Outcome 2: Improved access to sustainable and inclusive sanitation services and adoption of appropriate hygiene behaviors.
3. Outcome 3: Empowered church and community leaders effectively practicing integral mission, advancing WASH development, and nurturing spiritual growth.
4. Outcome 4: Increased community knowledge and action on disaster preparedness and response.
5. Outcome 5: Enhanced community knowledge and action on Creation Care and environmental stewardship.

4. Baseline Survey Area and Population

The Mukingo WASH Program covers Mukingo and Kigoma Sectors of Nyanza District, with an estimated total population of 86,712 people across eleven (11) administrative cells and 110 villages, as summarized below:

5. Baseline Survey Approach

The Baseline Survey will be carried out by an individual external Consultant or Consulting Firm in close collaboration with LWIR staff. The Consultant will use both quantitative and qualitative methods at household and community level, and will make use of relevant secondary sources for triangulation.

The Consultant will review existing data collection tools, propose methodological adaptations appropriate to the local context, and ensure alignment with proposed program indicators. All tools must be translated into Kinyarwanda to ensure consistency and accuracy during data collection.

A detailed methodology covering data collection, management, and analysis shall be presented in the Consultant’s technical proposal and finalized prior to field implementation.

6. Sampling Method and Sample Size

The household survey shall collect data from a representative, randomly selected, and statistically significant sample of households within the program area, using a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error.

In line with Living Water International standards for WASH Program Areas, the minimum sample size shall be at least 600 households. The Consultant will propose the most appropriate sampling strategy, considering the program’s geographical scope and implementation approach.

7. Baseline Data Collection Tools, Data Analysis and Enumerators

A mixed methods design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches will be applied to ensure a comprehensive understanding of baseline conditions. 

1. Quantitative methods:

The quantitative survey will comprise the following: 

• Household Survey: A structured household questionnaire will be administered to at least 600 households living in the two sectors namely Kigoma and Mukingo as mentioned above. For details concerning sampling and administrative entities to be covered, refer to section 4, 5 and 6 above). 
• Inventory of water sources. A full mapping with GPS coordinates and assessment will be conducted for all public water sources (all types including water kiosks, public standpipes, protected springs, unprotected springs, boreholes, etc.) which are used by community or institutions in the two sectors under the study. 
• WASH survey in schools: The baseline survey will be conducted in 28 schools and 16 Early Child Development Centers (ECDs)
• WASH survey in Health Care Facilities: The baseline survey will be conducted in 2 Health centers and 9 Health posts 
• WASH survey in Faith based Institutions: The baseline survey will be conducted in 24 local churches operating 

1. B) Qualitative methods:

The consultant will collect Qualitative data through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) to provide rich insights and enable triangulation with quantitative findings.

• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): FGDs will be conducted with diverse community groups to capture different perspectives. The following distinct categories will be targeted: Women, Vulnerable groups, Children, and Community members (including persons with disabilities). Each FGD will be facilitated using age-appropriate and context‑sensitive tools to ensure full participation.

• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): KIIs will explore stakeholder perspectives across five thematic areas central to the baseline assessment: Water Access, Hygiene & Sanitation, Creation Care (Environmental Protection), Disaster Preparedness and Response, and Church & Gospel Proclamation.

For each thematic area, three (3) KIIs will be conducted; One (1) at District level, and Two 

(2) at Sector level ensuring both administrative and community-level insights.

C ) Data Capture, Management, and Analysis and Enumerators:

Data collection will be conducted using digital tools, preferably Kobo Collect, hosted on LWIR servers. Enumerators will be hired by LWIR and jointly trained and deployed by the Consultant in close collaboration with LWIR. The Consultant will oversee and supervise the entire data collection and analysis process and ensure rigorous data quality throughout the exercise. Quantitative data will be analyzed using appropriate statistical software (preferably SPSS or equivalent), and qualitative data will be analyzed using suitable qualitative analysis techniques and relevant software tools.

8. Major Outputs of the Baseline Survey

The consultant will work together with Living Water International Rwanda staff at each step of review of data collection tools, data collection, data cleaning, analysis and reporting. The ultimate outcome of the assignment is to produce a survey factsheet, a draft survey report and then final report be submitted for approval. After approval of the final report, the consultant will facilitate a half-day synthesis workshop bringing together community representatives, local government stakeholders and Living Water International staff to review, validate or clarify preliminary findings.

9. Timeline

The baseline survey assignment is expected to be completed within four (4) weeks. The Consultant shall propose a detailed work plan and timeline covering all phases of the assignment.

10. Qualifications of individual Consultant or Consultancy Firm

The team to perform this consultancy should possess a minimum of the following qualifications

• At least Master’s degree (equivalent) in the fields of Statistics, Public Health, Water Resources and Environmental management, Water Sanitation Environmental Engineering, International development, Development studies and any other related field
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively working experience in designing and coordinating surveys or assessments or research studies within Rwanda WASH sector
• Experience of undertaking similar assignments (at least five WASH surveys) with International NGOs
• Knowing how Rwanda WASH sector operates is essential
• Experience in working with government officials, community leaders and women’s groups
• Experience in managing mobile data collection (paperless) in the field – especially Kobo collect application
• Thorough understanding of research methods like qualitative and quantitative is

compulsory

• Excellent knowledge of research related software like SPSS and other softwares is essential Excellent analytical skills to review and provide substantive feedback on 

documents

• Excellent communication skills – oral and written – pertinent to all elements of work
• High degree of computer proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel, power point
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills

11. Obligations of the Consultant and LWIR

12. Ethics, Data Protection and Quality Assurance

The Consultant shall adhere to LWIR ethical standards and ensure informed consent, confidentiality, and protection of respondents’ data. All collected data shall remain the property of LWIR and be securely stored.

13. How to Apply

Interested consultants or firms should submit the following:

Part 1: Technical Proposal

This should be in Times New Roman 11, normal page margin and 1.0 line spacing. It should have

eight (8) pages maximum and should provide responses to the following questions:

• Which methodology will be adapted to accomplish these baseline surveys?
• What are profiles of the key personnel for these assignments?
• What is your experience in undertaking similar assignments?
• How will you undertake the various tasks for these assignments?
• How long will it take you to accomplish these assignments?
• Annex of 3 sample reports of similar assignments (WASH surveys)
• Updated CVs of the key personnel (3 persons -Max) - Each Resume not exceeding 4 pages.
• Recommendation letters. Alternatively, you can attach past contracts.

• Any another relevant item

Part 2: Cost/Financial Proposal and Work Plan

• Detailed budget or cost proposal (in excel). Include all costs associated with the assignments and remember to cater for applicable taxes. Please while preparing the financial exclude the cost related to enumerators fees and their transport because that will be covered by LWIR
• Detailed timeline or work plan (in excel or word) - this should be in days.

Note: ALL proposals that do not meet the above format will not be considered for evaluation.
 

Part3: How to submit applications

Applications (technical and financial proposals) should be submitted via e-mail with relevant attachments to LWIRProcurement@water.ccbefore or by 26th February 2026 . All documents in PDF should be zipped in one folder and ensure to note “Baseline Survey for Mukingo WASH Program” as the subject of email during submission. Please note that only applications from competent Rwandan consultant(s) or firms/companies will be considered. Individual consultants are required to submit valid copies of their national identity cards or passports while the consulting firms/companies submit their valid copies of business registration certificates. Note that hard copies are not acceptable.

 For any inquiry, you can send email to rwanda@water.cc

14. Evaluation Criteria 

Each application will be assessed on the quality of technical proposals, previous work experience, and financial proposal. The technical proposal will be reviewed and scored prior to reviewing the financial proposal.

While all applications will be screened and reviewed by the LWI Team, only the top applicants will be invited for face-to-face interview at LWI Rwanda Country Office.
 

Hastings Banda

Country Director

Living Water International Rwanda