The principal objective of this programme is to provide sustainable and equitable access to improved water supply and improved sanitation to meet basic needs for improved health and poverty alleviation for Zambia’s rural population in Western province. The programme will contribute towards improving social conditions (i.e. health, education, income generation, empowerment, etc.) and transforming communities that they are better able to prepare for and respond to a wide range of changing conditions including climate change.

The implementation will be aligned to the key sector strategies, such as a decentralised and devolved approach, demand-driven approach, promotion of appropriate technology, integrated approach to provision of water supply, sanitation and hygiene education, sanitation and hygiene promotion, community contributions and social equity, private sector and civil society (NGO) participation, institutional capacity building, Sector Wide Approach to Planning and financing (SWAP), stakeholder coordination and collaboration, monitoring and evaluation and mainstreaming HIV/AIDS and gender.

The overall objective of the ProgrammeSupport Team (PST) Consultancy is to support and complement the Ministry of Local Government and Housing’s efforts to provide guidance and support to districts on a demand-driven basis to facilitate the building of local capacity to develop and provide rural water supply and sanitation.

The specific objectives of the assignment include but are not limited to the following:

• To provide guidance and support to the local authorities on a demand-driven basis in provision of rural water supply and sanitation services;
• To establish programme management processes, tools and expertise during start-up activities, identify and mitigate programme risk, perform design and construction management oversight and implement project controls systems for managing schedule and budget;
• To provide guidance and support to the implementation and management of the rural water supply and sanitation systems in program districts;
• To provide guidance and support to the local authorities in monitoring the rural water supply and sanitation activities in the districts; and
• To support MOH, MOE and the NGOs through the D-WASHE in the implementation of sanitation and school water and sanitation programmes.