International / Regional Consultant - Water Use Monitoring
Mekong River Commission
The role of MRC is to promote and coordinate sustainable management and development of water and related resources for the countries’ mutual benefit and the people’s well-being
MRC Secretariat is now recruiting a highly qualified consultant for the following consultancy
International / Regional Consultant
for the implementation of the Procedures on Water Use Monitoring
Information and Knowledge Management Programme (IKMP)
Maximum of 30 working days starting from October 2011 to February 2012, based at the Office of the MRC Secretariat in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with travels to MRC Member Countries
The Term of reference and other information can be obtained at MRC website http://www.mrcmekong.org. Women are encouraged to apply. Only short-listed candidates will be notified
Application procedures:
The application should include (i) a cover letter outlining clearly how the candidate meets the requirements of the position, (ii) a detailed CV, and (iii) MRC Personal History Form. The position title and division/section must be indicated in the cover letter.The application should be sent to:
Closing date for applications: 30 September 2011
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. Project Title:
Information and Knowledge Management Program (IKMP) and Mekong IWRM Project
2. Title of Consultancy:
International/Regional consultant (01) for the implementation of the Procedures on Water Use Monitoring
3. Duty Station:
MRCS in Phnom Penh (OSP) with travels to OSV and riparian countries
4. Duration of assignment:
30 working-days, within the aforesaid period the consultant is required to undertake the assignment.
5. Purpose and Objective
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[1]:
· Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement – PNPCA
· Water Quality – PWQ
· Data and Information Exchange and Sharing – PDIES
· Water Use Monitoring – PWUM
· 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.).
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.
6. Expected outputs of the Consultancy
To achieve the overall objective, the following specific outputs are expected to deliver by the consultant:
- Overview on the previous thinking/discussion and conclusions regarding PWUM implementation in the LMB
- Overview on existing information, reports and analysis regarding PWUM within the MRC framework
- Literature review reflecting international state-of-play in water use monitoring and impact assessment on water flow regime.
- Identified critical areas for PWUM implementation and provide overview on already existing monitoring
- Overview on PWUM implementation status and policy in each LMB country
- Final report on PWUM implementation status in the LMB and an implementation plan with practical key next steps to be undertaken toward PWUM implementation.
- Results of consultancy shared with MRC programmes.
7. Responsibilities and Task
To achieve the specific outputs, the following immediate tasks need to be undertaken by the consultant
- Elaboration of a detailed work-plan for the tasks
- Review of the minutes and available documents that have been developed during formulation of PWUM under the Water Utilization Project (WUP)
- Review and compilation of available MRC information and assessments regarding PWUM (consultation with the respective MRCS Programmes)
- 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)
- 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)
- Conduct national consultation with each LMB country on the PWUM implementation on the national level, existing monitoring of water uses and respective capacities.
- 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 - Organize a internal debriefing meeting within MRCS.
8. Itinerary
30 working days covering a period from October 2011 to February 2012
· Working in OSP with involvement of OSV for the time of consultancy
· Visit the Programmes at OSV if necessary
· Travel to riparian countries is required for working with NMCs and National Line Agencies
9. 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.
10. Qualifications/Requirement
· MSc. or PhD university degree in hydrology, water resources management, water utilization or a related field;
· At least 5 years experience in working in relation with water uses and water resource management or a related field as design of monitoring networks;
· At least 5 years of experience in data collection;
· At least 5 years experience in the Mekong region and familiarity with the LMB and Mekong River Commission;
· The consultant should have knowledge about metadata standards and, especially ISO19115 and data quality assurance.
· The consultant should have knowledge about GIS, Hydrology, Integrated Water Resource Management, Meteorology, Socio Economic and Environmental data.
· Ability communicate effectively, verbally and in writing with a wide range of people and to work in a multicultural environment;
· Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
11. Condition of Payment
· The international or regional expert will be financed through the M-IWRM Project budget;
· The involved staff of the MRC Programs will provide their expertise as MRCS in-kind contribution.
· Daily subsistence allowance (DSA) will be paid for travel days and time in according to normal MRC rules and regulations.
· Airfares will be reimbursed based on provision of original receipts. Other incidental expenses (visas, taxis to and fro airports) will be paid based on provision of receipts.
· A Service Fee will be paid based on provision of invoices, which will be duly certified by the supervisor. The service fee will be based on a daily rate which will be negotiated independently by the Finance Section of MRCS.
· One (final) payment will be made to the consultant upon submission of the final report and evaluation form certified by IKMP Coordinator.
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