Tenders Are Invited For Baseline Assessment Of Agents Of Change Project In Nyamagabe District

Tenders are invited for Baseline Assessment of Agents of Change Project in Nyamagabe District. Location: Nyamagabe Deadline: Friday, 10/07/2026 23:59 Background WaterAid, founded in 1981, is an international NGO dedicated to improving access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in developing countries. WaterAid Rwanda, established in 2010, works with national partners such as the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Infrastructure to strengthen Rwandas WATSAN sector. From January 2026 to March 2028, WaterAid Rwanda is implementing the Agents of Change Project in Nyamagabe and Bugesera Districts, funded by Scottish Water and Northern Ireland Water. The project delivers gender-responsive, climate-resilient WASH services integrated with health promotion, infection prevention and control (IPC), and behavior change communication (BCC) in Kaduha and Kigeme District Hospitals and four Bugesera schools. The 27-month project (Jan 2026Mar 2028), led by WaterAid Rwanda will deliver climate-resilient WASH interventions including water supply networks, rainwater harvesting, inclusive sanitation, and Menstrual Hygiene and Health (MHH) facilities, alongside behavior change communication campaigns. These efforts aim to reduce healthcare associated infections and waterborne diseases, improve sanitation in schools and health facilities, increase girls school attendance through MHH rooms, and support the national school feeding programme with clean water. The Project interventions will target different institutions including Kaduha and Kigeme District Hospitals and four schools (GS Rutonde, Dihiro, Mbyo, and Mayange), benefiting 372,101 people in hospital catchment areas, 9,527 schoolchildren, and 252 staff. Outcome 1: Improved standards of WASH in health care facilities to contribute to the reduction of healthcare-associated infections in Nyamagabe District (Kigeme and Kaduha hospital), by March 2028. Outcome 2: Improved WASH service in Kaduha and Kigeme Hospitals, by March 2028 Outcome 3: Enhanced Hygiene behavioral change practices in health care facilities Outcome 4: Improved sustainable, inclusive and climate resilient WASH services in Schools This project will deliver integrated solutions to close WASH-IPC gaps in Nyamagabe Healthcare facilities (HCFs) and Bugesera targeted schools: (i) Provide gender-responsive and inclusive WASH infrastructures in HCFs and schools, (ii) Improve WASH services access and contribute to the reduction of WASH related diseases in the two HCFs in Nyamagabe District (iii) Enhance IPC and hygiene practices capacity for healthcare providers, cleaners, and community health workers (iv) Improve water access in four schools of Bugesera District through provision of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems, and (v) Enhance staff knowledge and skills on proper maintenances of the RWH systems. 2. Rationale of the baseline assessment The baseline assessment is going to be carried out to be the foundation of any evidence-based hygiene behaviour change initiative, WASH and IPC status in healthcare facilities in Kigeme and Kaduha catchment area. The current baseline assessment will cover two key important thematic areas including the formative research; IPC and WASH assessment: (1) The formative research will be used to collect evidence on current hygiene practices, the factors that influence them, and the types of hygiene behaviour change needed in Nyamagabe District. An understanding of the barriers to practices among target populations is also needed to plan and design effective, engaging programmes. (2) Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and WASH assessment is to determine the status of IPC and WASH implementation and measure compliance with established standards at Kigeme and Kaduha Hospitals, as well as the health centers within their respective catchment areas. 3. Purpose of the assignment The main purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a baseline assessment in Kaduha and Kigeme District Hospitals including the health centers in the catchment area to establish the pre-intervention status of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and IPC (Infection Prevention and Control) services. The assessment will also generate benchmark data for measuring project outcomes and impacts over time and provide formative research findings to guide the design of the Hygiene Behaviour Change Communication (HBCC) package. Specifically; WASH and IPC Baseline Assessment: The consultant is expected to but not necessarily limited to the following specific areas: Assess the status of WASH services, waste management and Environmental Cleaning services in Kigeme and Kaduha hospitals including 30 health centres. Assess the proportion at district hospital level for health centre level comparison. Evaluate the establishment and functionality of IPC committees and focal persons in healthcare facilities. Identify the level of HCAIs in Kigeme and Kaduha Hospitals including in health centres To assess monitoring, supervision, and reporting mechanisms supporting IPC programme performance including feedback mechanisms. Assess the IPC knowledge level of healthcare staff and other support staff To identify the gaps in the IPC program and overall staff and patient safety in Kaduha and Kigeme hospital, including the health centres in their respective catchment area. To determine the adequacy of resources, staffing, and budget allocation for IPC programme implementation. To identify gaps in IPC programme implementation and recommend actions to strengthen infection prevention and control practices. Behavior change The consultant is expected to but not necessarily limited to the following specific. areas: 1. Understand specific WASH behavior determinants (environmental motives and barriers). Specifically: a) Assess current institutional hygiene behaviors below and their determinants (physical, social, biological, and psychological) in selected HCFs. Document differences by geography and by socio-demographic variability: Handwashing with soap at critical moments that are context specific (HCF) Hygienic use of sanitation facilities including child faeces management Water treatment and storage practices Waste management Environmental cleanliness Food hygiene (food handling practices) Child feeding practices. Menstrual Hygiene Management in HCFs b) Other relevant behaviors as identifying through initial mapping i.e. review of documents and previous interventions c) Identify the most promising motivators for change in behavior, i.e., the aspirations and desires most likely to be effective in promoting change in WASH behaviors in different settings. (Motives for practicing different behaviors should be clearly documented). d) Identify cues for hygiene behavior change in the setting. e) Identify barriers to the prioritized hygiene behaviors in the setting. f) Assess and document current hygiene promotion activities/interventions in the setting and lessons learnt; available corresponding hygiene messages, including institutional financing and departmental responsibilities as well as propose other possible entry points for good hygiene promotion. g) Assess and determine various touchpoints to reach with different target populations (HCW, women, youths, clients, adolescents, husbands) through the robust hygiene behavior change promotion initiative. h) Identify the most appropriate means/channels of communication for hygiene promotion, to inform the design of the promotion package thus the designing for behavior change (BCD) process. i) Document current routine hygiene behavior change lessons provided at the centers and propose other possible entry points for good hygiene promotion activities. j) Assess the potential public health risk from the current hygiene practices 2. Assess the extent to which hygiene promotion in HCFs, is happening and is suited to the priorities and needs of HCW, patients intend to benefit, with specific reference to the experiences and opinions of HCW and communities. 3. Assess the extent to which WASH is integrated into different HCF services or departments. 4. Assess whether there are indications or measures for long-term sustainability of the WASH interventions and the extent to which user communities and other local structures are or could be integrated in the project implementation processes. Key questions to be answered by the formative research. The formative research will try to answer following questions among many others: Social norms: Under what circumstances is open defecation considered acceptable in rural communities? At what age are children expected to start using a toilet? Sanctions/enforcement: What are negative consequences, if any, for those who defecate in the open? To what extent are sanctions enforced and effective influencing behaviors? Who are the community whistle-blowers and how influential are they? Knowledge: What do people consider a safe or sanitary toilet? Do they know where to get quality sanitation services? What sanitation products are they aware of? Skills/self-efficacy: Among individuals who intend to build a toilet themselves, how confident are they in their skills/ability to build a good one? Social support: To what extent in the community are disabled, elderly or children assisted to go to a toilet? To what extent do people let neighbors use their toilets and under what circumstances? Roles/decisions: Who initiates the discussion about sanitation in rural households? Who decides on the budget? Who influences decisions on features? Who shops for the toilet? How does gender affect decision making? Affordability: What can the household afford to pay for a toilet all at once? In multiple installments? How is affordability influenced by seasonality? How does perceived affordability differ from the actual? Beliefs and attitudes: At what age Tender Link : https://www.jobinrwanda.com/job/terms-reference-baseline-assessment-agents-change-project-nyamagabe-district