The
role of MRC is to co-ordinate and promote co-operation in all fields of
sustainable development, utilization, management and conservation of the water
and related resources of the Mekong Basin.
MRC
Secretariat is looking for qualified consultants for the following consultancy
International
Consultant for the Implementation of the Procedures for Water Use Monitoring
Maximum of 30 working days starting from February – May 2011,
based at the Office Of the Secretariat in Vientiane, Lao PDR and the Office of
the Secretariat in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with travels to Riparian Countries.
Information and Knowledge
Management Programme and Mekong Integrated Water
Resources Management Project (M-IWRMP)
Application procedures:
The
application should include a cover letter outlining clearly how the candidate
meets the requirements of the position. In addition to the cover letter,
the applicant should include his/her detailed CV with only a maximum of 3 pages,
three reference contacts and financial expectation.
The title of the
consultancy needs to be indicated in the application letter.
Application should be send to:
Mekong River Commission Secretariat
P.O. Box 6101
Vientiane, 01000, Lao PDR
Email:
mrcs@mrcmekong.org
Subject: Application for
….
Closing date for
applications: 4 February 2011
TERMS OF REFERENCE
International Consultant for the
Implementation of Procedures
for Water Use Monitoring
Title:
International consultant for the
implementation of the Procedures for Water Use Monitoring
Programme
Information and Knowledge
Management Program (IKMP) and Mekong Integrated Water Resources Management
Project (M-IWRMP)
Hiring unit:
Mekong River Commission Secretariat
(MRCS)
Duty Station:
MRC Office of Secretariat in
Vientiane (OSV) and in Phnom Penh (OSP) with travels to riparian countries
Duration of assignment:
30 working-days, within the
aforesaid period the consultant is required to undertake the assignment.
1. Background and Rationale
Reaffirming the political will to
continue to cooperate and promote in a constructive and mutually beneficial
manner in the utilization and development of the Mekong River Basin and water
related resources as recognized in the Agreement on the Cooperation for the
Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin, signed at Chiang Rai,
Thailand on 5 April 1995, is “the Mekong agreement”.
Article 26 of the Mekong Agreement
addresses the preparation and proposal of Rules for Water Utilization and
Inter-Basin Diversions
pursuant to Articles 5 & 6 for
approval of the MRC Council.
Respectively procedures and technical guidelines to implement the 1995 Mekong
Agreement have been developed during 2000-2008 in the frame of the MRC Water
Utilization Programme (WUP). In principle, the MRC procedures and guidelines
facilitate harmonised interaction between the Member Countries and provide a
mutually agreed basis. In fact, they are the tools and agreed framework to
enable sustainable water-related basin development as well as basin-wide IWRM.
The Procedures are practical IWRM tools, which guide toward joint aims in the
Mekong Basin. The following procedures and technical guidelines have been
elaborated within the MRC framework:
o
Notification, Prior
Consultation and Agreement – PNPCA
o
Water Quality – PWQ
o
Data and Information
Exchange and Sharing – PDIES
o
Water Use
Monitoring – PWUM
o
Maintenance of Flows
on the Mainstream – PMFM
PWUM aims to provide a
comprehensive and adaptive framework/process to support effective implementation
of intra- as well as inter-basin use monitoring. The development and
implementation of a respective monitoring system is therefore essential to
provide an overview on water uses in the Mekong River and primary tributaries as
well as to assess their possible significant impacts to the water quality or
flow regime especially related to the mainstream (see PWUM and their technical
guidelines).
The implementation of the
procedures and technical guidelines as tools toward applied Integrated Water
Resources Management (IWRM) is still in the early stages and is a clear priority
for the MRC. Since 2009 the Mekong-IWRM-Project has been established to follow
up on the WUP and help address the IWRM challenges in the Lower Mekong Basin in
a more comprehensive framework. Supporting and cooperating with the MRC
Programmes the implementation of the procedures and technical guidelines is a
key aim of the Project to achieve the IWRM objectives in practical terms.
Within the MRC framework the
Information and Knowledge Management Program (IKMP) is responsible for basin
modelling and for the establishment of an adequate knowledge base. Further, the
IKMP’s responsibility refers to the effective implementation of both procedures:
PDIES and PWUM as well as their related guidelines. As a cross cutting Programme,
IKMP in cooperation with other Programs including the M-IWRMP now aims to
implement those procedures and guidelines toward sustainability.
The Information and Knowledge
Management Program and Mekong IWRM Project will support the consultant closely
with this work being aware of all challenges involved (i.e. appropriate
awareness of PWUM and its technical guidelines, its relation to the MRC Toolbox
and the other Procedures especially PDIES, and PMFM, PWQ but also the PNPCA,
overall Mekong basin requirements, structures within he MRC framework, etc.).
2. Objective of the
Consultancy
The objective of this consultancy
is to provide an overview on the status of PWUM implementation in the MRC
framework as basis for launching a sustainable PWUM implementation in the LMB.
The outcome should enable the next steps to design a water use monitoring system
for intra- and inter-basin water uses (on the basin-wide scale) as well as a
PWUM implementation strategy.
The practical link to the
implementation of other Procedures especially PDIES and PMFM, PWQ but also the
PNPCA has to be ensured within the frame of this consultancy.
3. Specific tasks and
outputs of the Consultancy
To achieve the overall objective,
the following immediate tasks need to be undertaken and delivered specific
outputs.
Tasks |
Outputs |
Number of days |
Elaboration of a detailed work-plan for the tasks |
Work-plan
for consultancy |
1 |
Review of
the minutes and available documents that have been developed during
formulation of PWUM under the Water Utilization Project (WUP) |
Overview
on the previous thinking/discussion and conclusions regarding PWUM
implementation in the LMB |
2 |
Review and
compilation of available MRC information and assessments regarding PWUM
(consultation with the respective MRCS Programmes) |
Overview
on existing information, reports and analysis regarding PWUM within the MRC
framework |
2 |
Literature
review on best practices related to water use monitoring and impact
assessment of water used on river water flow regime (focus: Europe WFD
implementation applied in different countries) |
Literature
review reflecting international state-of-play in water use monitoring and
impact assessment on water flow regime. |
4 |
Identify
critical areas regarding PWUM implementation and intra- and inter basin
water use and monitoring in the LMB based on available MRC reports (i.e. BDP,
existing analysis) |
Identified
critical areas for PWUM implementation and provide overview on already
existing monitoring |
3 |
Conduct
national consultation with each LMB country on the PWUM implementation on
the national level, existing monitoring of water uses and respective
capacities. |
Overview
on PWUM implementation status and policy in each LMB country |
8 |
Compilation of a final report providing a comprehensive overview on the
status of PWUM implementation in the LMB.
The report includes an implementation plan toward the development of a
pragmatic PWUM implementation strategy and design of relevant water use
monitoring network |
Final
report on PWUM implementation status in the LMB and an implementation plan
with practical key next steps to be undertaken toward PWUM implementation. |
9 |
Organize a
internal debriefing meeting within MRCS |
Results of
consultancy shared with MRC programmes |
1 |
Total number of days |
30 |
3. Composition of the
consultancy
The mission will consist of one
International consultant. The consultant will work in partnership with the IKMP,
M-IWRMP, the National Mekong Committees (NMCs), the National Line Agencies and
other experts of the relevant MRC Programmes.
4. Working schedule
30 working days period February -
May 2011:
o
Working in OSP with
involvement of OSV for the time of consultancy
o
Visit the Programmes
at OSV if necessary
o
Travel to riparian
countries is required for working with NMCs and National Line Agencies
5. Working principle
The consultant will work under
direct supervision of the IKMP management (coordinator and CTA) and work closely
with relevant IKMP components in cooperation with M-IWRMP as well as other
programmes for undertaking the assignment. The consultant will report to the
IKMP Programme coordinator, who will forward the reports to the M-IWRMP team.
IKMP will make all necessary
arrangements with MRC programmes to secure facilitation of the consultancy.
6. Required Qualifications
o
MSc. or PhD
university degree in hydrology, water resources management, water utilization or
a related field;
o
At least 10 years
experience in working in relation with water uses and water resource management
or a related field as design of monitoring networks;
o
Working experience
with International RBOs and transboundary issues;
o
Experience in the
Mekong region and familiarity with the LMB and Mekong River Commission;
o
Working experience in
formulation or implementation of transboundary procedures;
o
The consultant should
have knowledge about GIS, Hydrology, Integrated Water Resource Management,
Meteorology, Socio Economic and Environmental data.
o
Ability communicate
effectively, verbally and in writing with a wide range of people and to work in
a multicultural environment;
o
Excellent written and
oral communication skills in English