Background

The African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) is an autonomous African intergovernmental body formed in 2002 to provide a coordinating platform for water policy dialogue on the African continent and promote sustainable management and development of the continent’s water resources with a focus on expanding access to water supply and sanitation services in Africa. AMCOW serves as a delivery mechanism on water and sanitation to the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE) of the African Union Commission.

To achieve its mission, AMCOW developed a twelve-year year  Strategic Plan (SP) 2018-2030 to guide its activities and initiatives. In line with this overarching strategy, AMCOW has been operating under its current Strategic Operational Plan (SOP) 2020-2024.

The SOP 2020-2024 was designed to operationalize the AMCOW Strategy 2018-2030, focusing on key priority areas including:

Strategic Priorities:

1. Ensure Water Security
2. Ensure Safely Managed Sanitation and Hygiene
3. Promote Good Water Governance and Transboundary Water Cooperation
4. Strengthen AMCOW’s Governance and Operational Effectiveness

Cross-cutting Priorities:

1. Enhance Water and Sanitation Resilience to Climate Change
2. Contribute to Adequate and Sustainable Financing of Water and Sanitation Agendas
3. Improve Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Management Systems
4. Strengthen Gender Equality and Youth Empowerment in Water and Sanitation

The SOP 2020-2024 also outlined specific objectives, activities, and key performance indicators for each priority area, providing a roadmap for AMCOW’s operations and initiatives over the last five-year period.

Objective

The objective of the task is to develop AMCOW (2025-2030) Strategic Operational Plan (SOP) which is aligned to the AMCOW strategy covering the period from 2018 to 2030. Currently, as we approach the end of 2024, the SOP is set to conclude, necessitating the development of a subsequent strategy. The development of the new SOP comes at a critical juncture.It is less than two years to the last milestone year of the Africa Water Vision expires in 2025. Formulation of the post-2025 Africa Water Vision, and an accompanying Continental Policy, is underway to provide a continental implementation framework for Agenda 2063.

A mid-term evaluation of the SOP 2020-2024 has been conducted, providing valuable insights and lessons learned for the development of the new SOP. The report of the evaluation provides a key background document vis-à-vis:

1. consolidating successes from that implementation period;
2. drawing on the lessons learnt in the same period; and,
3. ensuring that mechanisms are put in place to cater for the emerging issues arising from evolving needs and priorities in the water and sanitation sector.

Thus, given the importance of this document in guiding AMCOW’s activities and initiatives during this pivotal period, AMCOW is seeking to engage the services of an experienced and professional independent consultant or team to develop the SOP 2025-2030.

Scope of Work

The new SOP 2025-2030 will play a crucial role in this transition period. Thus, it will not only translate AMCOW’s overarching strategy into specific actions but also bridge existing policy initiatives with the water and sanitation agenda beyond 2025. A particular overarching goal is to transition to an Africa Water Vision and Policy that can provide a strategic framework towards inclusive and climate resilient water security on the continent.

The SOP is expected to define high-level framework results to be attained at relevant levels; annual milestones to be achieved; work packages; and an indication of required inputs. It is expected that the existing indicator framework for monitoring the implementation of the SOP 2020 – 2024 will be updated, as appropriate, to track progress.

See the full Terms of Reference for the detailed deliverables and more: https://knowledgehub.amcow-online.org/resource/recruitment-of-consultant-s-for-development-of-amcow-strategic-operational-plan-sop-2025-2030

Evaluation Budget and Payment

A lumpsum contract, pegged at about 70 input days over a period of 7 calendar months from November 2024 to June 2025 – will be entered into with the successful bidder. If travel is envisaged, all costs related to flights, hotel accommodation and any other cost associated with a field travel should be indicated as a separate item.

Qualification and experience

The consultant (individual) or team leader (firm) is expected to have the following minimum qualifications and experience:

• Demonstrated experience in undertaking similar assignments within Intergovernmental mandated institutions such as the AU, Regional Economic Commissions, River and Lake Basin Organisations and the UN and the Not-for-Profit Organisations such as NGOs and Civil Societies within the last 15 years.
• At least an advanced degree in water resources management, development studies, strategic planning, or related fields. In case of team of consultants, the team leader should meet the qualification requirement, and the CVs of team members should be submitted.
• Demonstrated knowledge of, the African water sector, and the institutional landscape in Africa.
• Strong analytical, writing, and communication skills.
• Excellent coordination skills and experience in conducting stakeholder consultations.

Fluency in English is required; knowledge of French, Portuguese or Arabic is an advantage.

Qualified interested candidates or teams should submit their proposal (maximum 10 pages excluding CVs), including:

1. An expression of interest and technical capability statement
2. Technical offer describing in detail the approach and methodologies
3. A statement confirming availability to conduct this assignment in the period stated.
4. Relevant experience over the last 5 years. Please use the table below for each of the relevant assignments.

Interested individuals or firms are invited to submit a formal proposal and resume no later than 10 October 2024. The application should be addressed and emailed with a subject line: AMCOW SOP 2025-2030 to:

The Executive Secretary 

African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) 

No. 11, T.Y. Danjuma Street, Asokoro District 

Abuja, Nigeria. Email: info@amcow-online.org  

On August 27, 2024, the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), in collaboration with DHI, convened a session titled “The Hub of Hubs: Knowledge Sharing Platform for Peace” at the 2024 World Water Week in Stockholm. The session, moderated by Louise Heegaard, promoted efforts to operationalise AMCOW’s continental knowledge-sharing platform for supporting water and sanitation management across Africa.

Dr Tahani Sileet, Minister Assistant for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt and AMCOW TAC Chair, opened the session with a keynote address. She underlined the platform’s importance for achieving water-related goals and priorities in the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Following Dr Sileet, various sector speakers highlighted key knowledge management initiatives.

Department of Water and Sanitation, South Africa, shared its Knowledge Management Strategy, emphasising the need to move from mere data and information gathering to active knowledge sharing. The strategy demonstrated how co-creation and integration can reduce redundancy and enhance resource efficiency. Senegal’s Pole Eau Dakar (PED) initiative was presented as a case study, showcasing how effective implementation can promote regional knowledge sharing. The Congo Basin Catchment Information System (CB-CIS) offered a system-thinking approach to managing large river basins and highlighted the importance of cross-boundary data collaboration. The World Bank introduced innovative uses of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to advance knowledge-sharing within the water sector, stressing synergies between the Hub of Hubs and the World Bank’s information systems and learning networks.

AMCOW’s WASSMO System (currently under update) was showcased as an integral component of the Hub of Hubs, with new features to include AIP-PIDA Water Investment Scorecard indicators, facilitating evidence-based decision-making. Preliminary findings of the AMCOW Knowledge Management Audit revealed the participation rate and feedback from member states, along with recommendations for advancing knowledge-sharing practices. To wrap it up, Code Kraft presented the technical backbone of the Hub of Hubs, illustrating how ICT can be leveraged to create sustainable knowledge-sharing systems.

The session identified several challenges in knowledge management across the African water sector, such as inadequate resources, low prioritization of knowledge development, and fragmented efforts in moving from data collection to actionable knowledge. However, innovative solutions were also proposed, including expanding AMCOW’s knowledge audit, strengthening the WASSMO system, and increasing member-state participation. An ambitious goal was to identify 110 focal points (two per member state) to enhance the platform’s mandate.

Participants shared their thoughts on transferring data into practical knowledge in an engaging fishbowl-style discussion. A representative from World Waternet, an implementing partner in Kenya, sought guidance on connecting with AMCOW’s focal points. Others, like participants from Lesotho, discussed challenges with accessing country-specific data, underscoring the need for more transparency and reciprocity in data-sharing.

The session also explored potential avenues for expanding AMCOW’s network, including suggestions to use LinkedIn as a connector for knowledge exchange and collaboration.

The session concluded with several action points aimed at sustaining the momentum. These include planning a technical workshop during Africa Water Week in Cairo, continuing discussions with key financiers and drafting a two-page follow-up proposal to negotiate long-term support for the Hub of Hubs initiative.

In terms of engagement, the session saw active online and onsite participation, with representatives from key organizations expressing interest in further collaboration. The World Bank, IWMI, GIZ, and Business Connect L3C were among them. These partners highlighted the importance of networking and knowledge integration, positioning AMCOW’s Hub of Hubs as a critical driver for achieving Africa’s water security goals.

As AMCOW continues to champion knowledge management for Africa’s water and sanitation sectors, this 2024 World Water Week session marks a significant step towards realizing a unified, accessible, and impactful Hub of Hubs platform that fosters collaboration, innovation, and sustainable development across the continent.

The African Water Facility (AWF) – as an initiative of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), hosted and managed by the African Development Bank – has officially launched its groundbreaking Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative (AUSII) at the 2024 World Water Week in Stockholm. Hon. Carl-Hermann Gustav Schlettwein, Minister for Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Namibia, Chair of the African Water Facility Governing Council, graced the launch event. Key stakeholders from across the water and sanitation sectors and development partners across the globe attended the event.

In his address, Dr Rashid Mbaziira, Executive Secretary of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), highlighted the critical need for innovative solutions to tackle the severe sanitation challenges faced by the urban populations across Africa. “Over 50% of our rapidly growing urban population lacks adequate sanitation services,” he noted. “This translates into an estimated annual economic cost of $40 to $50 billion due to sanitation failures.”

The AUSII aims to reverse this trend by promoting a paradigm shift from conventional infrastructure investments to an inclusive, climate-resilient approach tailored to the diverse needs of Africa’s cities. Over the next decade, the initiative is set to directly improve sanitation access for 15 million urban inhabitants through 50 carefully prepared projects. Furthermore, it aims to mobilize $7 billion in commercial and concessional finance to bolster public and private sector sanitation projects.

Dr Mbaziira emphasised that the initiative is crucial to achieving the Africa Water Vision 2025 targets and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set. “Sanitation is a fundamental human right critical to public health, environmental sustainability, and overall well-being,” he said. He underscored the importance of private sector involvement, noting that AUSII will encourage investments from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to drive sustainable urban sanitation solutions.

At the beginning of his statement, Dr Mbaziira led the participants in observing a moment of silence in honour of the late Albert Diphoorn. Bert, as he was popularly known, was a key figure and played a key role in the establishment of the Africa Water Facility, whose contributions to the sector remain impactful today.

Reflecting on the broader impact of the initiative, Dr Mbaziira expressed confidence in AUSII’s ability to transform Africa’s urban sanitation landscape. “The commitment of AMCOW member states to this initiative is firm,” he said. “We are injecting new approaches to increase domestic allocations to the sector, ensuring inclusive and climate-resilient water security across the continent.”

As the first of its kind, the AUSII launch sets the stage for continued progress in Africa’s water and sanitation sectors. Stakeholders and funding partners, including the African Development Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, were lauded for supporting this initiative.

The AUSII will have a second launch at the upcoming Africa Water Week in Cairo, scheduled for October 2024, where further discussions will be held to ensure its successful implementation across the continent.

To read Dr Mbaziira’s full remarks, click the following link: https://amcow-online.org/amcow-executive-secretarys-remarks-at-the-africa-urban-sanitation-investment-initiative-ausii-launch/

For further information, visit AWF’s official website at https://www.africanwaterfacility.org/ or contact Mar Ajayi M.AJAYI@AFDB.ORG

August 27^th, 2024

Stockholm, Sweden

Dr Rashid Mbaziira, AMCOW Executive Secretary

Excellences, ladies and gentlemen

I am honoured to address you at this official launch of the Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative (AUSII). This new financing window of the African Water Facility (AWF) will address urban sanitation challenges in Africa.

It also marks a key milestone in the growth of the African Water Facility. Before I get into why it is such a key milestone, allow me to request a moment of silence in honour of the late Albert Diphoorn, who passed away earlier this month. He played a key role in formulating the Africa Water Vision 2025 and translating the idea of improving project preparation financing for water and sanitation into the Africa Water Facility, which is the growth we are celebrating today.

Back to the question of why this launch is such a key milestone in the growth of the African Water Facility: We only have to look at some of the statistics on sanitation and hygiene services provision in Africa to appreciate the significance of this investment initiative.

Information from our Africa Water and Sanitation Sector monitoring system indicates that:

1. as we approach the final milestone year of the Africa Water Vision 2025, and with
2. less than five years to 2030, the target year of the sustainable development agenda:
   • 400 million people in Africa do not have access to potable water;
   • over 800 million people lack access to safely managed sanitation and basic hygiene services; and,
   • nearly 18% of the population still practice open defecation.

Narrowing the focus to urban areas, which are actually better served than rural areas, over 50% of our rapidly growing population living in these centres of development either:

1. lacks adequate sanitation services coverage; or,
2. does not have access to sanitation services of any kind.

That translates into an estimated annual economic cost of US $40 to $50 billion resulting from sanitation failures! Imagining the difference $40-50 billion per annum would make in Africa’s fight against poverty gives an idea of why assuring delivery of inclusive, sustainable and resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services to the entire population on the continent is a fundamental pillar of AMCOW’s work.

More importantly, I will discuss how that would impact the quality of life we aspire for at the grassroots level. In essence, poverty alleviation, food and energy security, as well as the SDGs target for education and health, sustainable cities and communities will not be possible to meet without water security and sustainable sanitation and hygiene services provision.

Excellences, ladies and gentlemen; I may be preaching to the converted, but it does not hurt to highlight that sanitation is a fundamental human right that is critical to public health, environmental sustainability and overall well-being. Especially for women and girls, the lack of access to sanitation and hygiene services is undignified. And as I say that, I am all too aware that inasmuch as appealing to the moral high ground raises passions for this cause, it is communicating this at the same wavelength as what it takes to invest in bringing about dignity that will move the needle.

It is also in this context that Ministers and Heads of Delegations responsible for water, sanitation, hygiene and related affairs in Africa – during the AfricaSan7 Conference held in Swakopmund, Namibia – committed to revitalising the pursuit of the targets of the Ngor declaration through promoting “Accelerated Actions for Inclusive, Sustainable and Resilient Sanitation and Hygiene Services Delivery in Africa”. 

The commitment of the Member States to deliver on this promise is undeniable as captured in the 2023 AfricaSan Ngor report based on self-assessments from 40 Member States. Our leadership considers sanitation a fundamental issue that touches on the basics of our societies. It is also an issue that requires genuine and continued attention to address urgent needs and, in particular, articulate the sanitation economy as a key first step to raising the profile of sanitation in national systems for economic planning.

Against this background, the Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative is a landmark for the African Water Facility, and for water resources management in Africa in general to accelerate the progress to change the aforementioned statistics.

To date, the Facility has mobilised more than €205 million in grant funding to support the preparation of 135 water and sanitation projects in 52 AU member states.

This funding support leveraged over €1.6 billion in downstream investment in the water and sanitation sectors. As a result, at least an additional 14 million people now have access to a safe water supply.

Over the next decade, the Facility aims to provide 15 million people with safely managed sanitation services through 50 projects while attracting more than €6 billion in additional investments.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative AUSII represents one of the measures being instituted to translate these ambitions into the targeted outcomes. And for this we salute the leadership of the African Water Facility, the African Development Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation for driving forward this ground-breaking initiative.

The Member States of AMCOW fully support the Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative. And what better way to demonstrate this than by injecting new approaches to increase domestic allocations to the sector. This is a key priority in ongoing efforts to formulate an Africa Water Vision and Policy framework for assuring inclusive and climate-resilient water security on the continent. Member States both acknowledge with appreciation and urge continued support and commitment from the Facility’s funding partners and stakeholders to fully operationalise the initiative.

We thank you and look forward to welcoming you in October 2024 to Cairo for the 9^th Africa Water Week and during which the second AUSII launch will take place.

Thank you

What: Launch of the Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative

Who: African Development Bank Group, African Water Facility, and Continental Africa Water Investment Programme (AIP)

When: 27 August 2024; 10:00 – 14:00 CET

Where: In-person and virtual, at the 2024 World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden. Register here

On the sidelines of the Stockholm World Water Week and together with the African Union’s AIP International High-Level Panel on Water Investments For Africa, the African Water Facility will launch the Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative (AUSII).

The Facility, hosted by the African Development Bank Group, is the only project preparation and promotion facility solely dedicated to water and sanitation in Africa. The Africa Urban Sanitation Investment Initiative will function as a new financing window for urban sanitation within the African Water Facility, addressing the sanitation challenges in African cities.

Despite sanitation being a fundamental human right, critical to public health, environmental sustainability, and overall well-being, Africa has one of the lowest access rates in the world. An estimated 779 million people on the continent lack basic sanitation services, 208 million still practice open defecation, and 839 million lack basic hygiene services. The African Development Bank estimates that every year, the number of people without access to urban sanitation increases by more than 10 million due to rapid population growth.

The African Water Facility will, through the new sanitation financing window, mobilise and deploy financing, prepare bankable and investment-ready projects, and implement innovative and inclusive approaches such as the city-wide inclusive sanitation approach, which promotes tailor-made sanitation solutions for neighbourhoods and cities. Over the next ten years, the Facility aims to provide 15 million people with safely managed sanitation services through 50 projects and attract $7 billion in additional investments.

The launch is open to African water ministers and representatives of donor institutions, observers, partners, development finance institutions, regional and river basin organisations, the private sector, and the media.

Speakers:

• Dr Beth Dunford, Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development at the African Development Bank Group
• Carl-Hermann Gustav Schlettwein, Minister for Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Namibia, and Chair of the African Water Facility Governing Council
• Dr Rashid Mbaziira, Executive Secretary, African Ministers Council on Water
• Ms. Satu Santalla, Managing Director, Nordic Development Fund
• Jumaa Aweso, Minister of Water and Irrigation, Tanzania
• Ravokatra Fidiniavo, Minister of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Madagascar
• Jeff Goldberg, Director, Center for Water Security, Sanitation and Hygiene, USAID
• Anton Jantunen, Sanitation and Hygiene Markets Specialist, United Nations Sanitation and Hygiene Fund
• Ms. Tina Kollerup Hansen, Senior Vice President, Danida Sustainable Infrastructure Finance, Denmark Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU)

Simultaneous interpretation in French and English will be provided.

Click here to register.

Media Enquiry

We invite enquiries from the media on the launch of this initiative and its ambition to improve access to urban sanitation in Africa. To speak with our line-up of experts and spokespersons virtually or at the 2024 World Water Week, please contact:

Mary Ajayi, Water and Sanitation Development Department; Communication and External Relations Department: media@afdb.org

It is with profound sadness that the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) joins the global water community in celebrating the life of Albert Diphoorn. He was a champion and supporter of Africa’s water agenda. Born in Hoogeveen on 24th April 1953, Albert, known affectionately as Bert, passed away on 9th August 2024, leaving an impressive legacy of dedication, commitment and passion to the water and sanitation sector at various levels.

For the African water community, Albert Diphoorn was not just a colleague; he was a visionary leader and a driving force behind many of the critical water-related initiatives that have shaped the African continent. Bert’s contributions to the water sector can be traced to his early days with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MinBuza). He was one of the key architects of the World Water Visioning process leading up to the 2^nd World Water Forum in the Hague in 2000. He supported in this context the formulation of the Africa Water Vision 2025, a blueprint that continues to guide the continent’s water and sanitation agenda. He also played a role in establishing AMCOW to provide political guidance in implementing the African Water Vision 2025.

In defining Africa’s priorities in the water sector in the lead-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in 2002, Bert, as a member of the African Water Task Force (AWTF) proposed the need for the African Water Facility (AWF) to provide financing and technical assistance to African states to facilitate access to the major funds especially MFIs through improved capacity in project preparation, feasibility studies and pilot programs which could be scaled up.

He not only contributed immensely to the conceptualization of the Facility but lobbied for seed funding and establishment within the African Development Bank. He saw its implementation as the first Coordinator of the AWF when he was detached to the AfDB solely for that purpose, which he successfully completed, ensuring that its governance structure had equal representation from AMCOW and the Development Partners. As the Facility grows with national-level water resilience projects all over Africa, it is worth noting that Bert’s enthusiasm, dedication and negotiation skills were fundamental for its success.

Bert’s contributions to the early work programmes of AMCOW were also notable. He lobbied hard for funding for early events such as the Africa Village at the WaterDome at the WSSD in Johannesburg, PANAFCON I in Addis Ababa and the World Water Fora in Kyoto, Mexico City and Istanbul. Technical products such as the African Water Development Reporting process and African Water Journal, which was done under the aegis of AMCOW in collaboration with UN-Water/Africa, could not have been done without Bert’s support in lobbying for funding through the UN-Water/Africa Trust, Fund channelled through UNECA. Similarly, his passion and support for the African Water Week series are memorable. 

To political leaders and technical experts, Bert was an additional strategic voice and served as a mentor, a friend, and a steadfast advocate for Africa’s water and sanitation sector. As we commemorate the impactful life he led, his story will continue to remind us of the power of dedication and collaboration towards achieving the water and sanitation goals. 

As we recall the contributions of Albert Diphoorn to the water and sanitation sector, allow us to extend our deepest condolences to his family (Wilma, Tim, Luuk and Tessa), friends, and all those who had the honour of working alongside him.  

May his soul rest in perfect peace.  

AMCOW